A LITTLE TIME WARP

I've been organizing my old photos with iPhoto (have you TRIED iPhoto???? wow.) and began feeling nostalgic. Here, purely for my own enjoyment, are some of my favorite photos from '05.

I love the way Mimi's eyes look in these next two pictures.


Isabelle's serene little spirit seems to just glow at you from any photo.


Mimi used to drop off to sleep, no fail, during storytime before bed.
This is my favorite costume of all time!

I love this picture because Mimi is my little baking buddy. She's always loved to drag a chair across the kitchen to help me bake treats.

Ahhhh, a boy and his Legos. The coolest T-Rex ever. Eat your heart out Sky! (isn't this a cool picture, with Max out of focus in the background.)
I included this photo because I love this outfit so much!
And these are just beautiful.

The Office - Bloopers (part 2)

Wendi got me in the mood for Office clips, so here it is for my Friday Funny! (every Friday a different YouTube comedy clip) Every time I watch this I laugh out loud.

The More the Merrier

I can't seem to stop snapping photos of Isabelle & Max before they scurry off to school!

This is the prized lunchbox, which matches the prized backpack. Anything I cram into it seems to taste 50% better than when eaten at home on a boring ol' plate.

Hoo boy.....am I EVER going to get used to these goofball faces?....

Day #3 of 1st Grade. Guess who picked the hair accessory?! I noticed when Sis came home that it was shoved in her backpack. Sigh. It even had a cute little Dora on it!


Ok, Max looks a tad reluctant on the 3rd day but I swear he bounced right off to the playground! I just think my little nightowl is having a hard time adjusting to his 8am wake-up call.

Max's expression here (below) is an EXACT replica of my Kindergarten school picture! That's so funny! I will have to get my hands on it & post the two pictures together.

Sue's Hosting a "Witch Switch!"

Sue is hosting a Halloween swap & wants as many people who are interested to participate. So fun! You have 6 days left to sign up with her. This will be fun and "autumn-ish," so go here to sign up! Hurry!

Happy Face! (*gulp*) Happy Face!

Isabelle & Max, off to the 1st day of school (1st & 3rd grades). Isabelle was so enthusiastic & ready to go (she woke right up that morning with a smile), and Max was pretty enthusiastic--even if the photo doesn't reflect it. Evidently, he has reached the age where big smiles for photos no longer come naturally. Nope. It's either a goofy face or a mere grin. *Sigh* I thought this didn't happen to boys until teenager-hood! Is this a genetic thing; their genes just mutate into mature boyhood gene?
Sis knew exactly which outfit she'd wear the first day; the one she chose herself. You will, in future back-to-school photo op's featuring new clothes, be able to immediately discern which outfits she adamently chose and which pieces I snuck into the pile. Hers: blue is a strong theme, sporty, spunky; Mine: feature rosettes, ruffles, ruching and yes, one instance of tulle. Hmmm. Wonder how we're going to work that out?... (bribery ideas welcome)
Max was much more at ease this year with the 1st day. Last year, because he was starting the year at a new school, he was nervous. I thought he might be but couldn't really tell and didn't want to make a big deal of it since he had said nothing. As we drove nearer to the school (last year), though, he blurted, "Will you stay until the bell rings?" As we lingered on the playground I asked him what he was thinking (because he was so quiet and pensive and just worried looking) and he said, "I'm just thinking that if I don't find a friend, I'm in BIG trouble." Totally serious. Usually he cracks jokes, but her was all business. I had to swallow the tears. Why is it that being a mother seems an endless series of letting go? It's so hard to give them the little pep-talk and then a gentle, confident nudge to brave it on their own.
(I'm loving the big-girl teeth, but I miss the huge gaps.)
It was good this year to feel distinctly irrelevent on the 1st day. Both of them seemed confident and excited. Isabelle found a few friends from last year that are also in Miss Jones' class.
Here she is in line to go in at the bell. She loves her flourescent camo backpack more than life itself.
Mimi & I traipsed off to the park and also had cold lunch. She insisted on packing exactly what Isabelle had in HER lunchbox.
And this is after school. No words needed.
These are the little teacher gifts we made to give Miss Jones & Miss Shirley on "Meet The Teacher" day. Breath mints & crystal lite packets.
Isabelle gave this card to Miss Jones.

Menu Plan Monday

I've read a few blogs that participate in Menu Plan Monday, and I love getting all sorts of new ideas from everyone. I plan my menus each week anyway, so why not share?!I try to stay pretty organized with menu planning & here's what I do: I plan menus for the coming week on WEDNESDAY. I grocery shop on FRIDAY, early morning after the gym so I don't have to take kids. I pre-prep on SATURDAY for every single meal the coming week. If you haven't tried this, you absolutely should! Chefs call this the "mis-en-place;" everything you need for that dish is chopped, measured, etc. and in front of you before you begin. I can't even tell you how much simpler this makes life during the week. I get it all chopped, etc., and divided into plastic baggies, then each little baggie goes into one large ziplock which I call a meal kit. Wa-la! Dinner! It really doesn't take long on Saturday; i just do it when my kids are running around playing and then we go have fun after I'm done.

(sidenote: i refuse to clean or go grocery shopping on saturday, so I have time for meal kits anyway. I haven't done a big "clean the house day" on Sat. for several years now, thanks to Flylady.)

I also work it so we have a Leftover Buffet on Saturday or something VERY easy, since that is Prep Day. Once in a while, i do a crock dinner on saturday that can be used as planned-overs in another meal.

So here's what's going on at our house this week:
Monday: Taco Salad, corn on the cob
Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas, haricots verts
Wednesday: Shredded pork burritoes w/ beans & rice, steamed broccoli
Thursday: Fajitas, steamed broccoli (make extra chicken for cold chicken wraps lunch later in week)
Friday: Roasted pork tenderloin, haricots verts
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: Navy Bean Soup, grilled cheese, steamed broccoli
(can you tell I have the HUGE broccoli pkg from costco???)

I'm doing the Body For Life program, so I also plan for 6 meals a day, all week! Sounds like a ton of work, but it's really doesn't take much more thought and then I know exactly what to plan for.

For great menus, recipes and organizing tips visit Laura right here.

Here are the recipes:
TACO SALAD
ground beef w/ taco seasoning
kidney/black beans
diced tomatoes
olives
i usually whip up a vinaigrette instead of ranch or catalina dressing

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 c salsa or picante sauce
2 pkgs powdered McCormick Enchilada Sauce
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
4 ounce can chopped black olives, drained
2 1/2 c shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tsps lime juice
10-12 flour tortillas

Put breasts in slow cooker, cover with salsa and cook on low 1 1/2-2
hours or until thoroughly cooked. Shred chicken and put back into slow
cooker.

Cook enchilada sauce as directed on package (along with tomato sauce).
Next, mix together 1 c enchilada sauce, 1 c monterrey jack cheese and
olives with the shredded chicken. Replace lid on slow cooker; simmer 30
minutes on low.

Add lime juice to chicken mixture and stir. (Don’t add lime juice until
ready to place chicken in tortillas)
Place chicken mixture in tortillas, roll them up and arrange in 9X13 pan.

Cover with sauce and mixture of cheeses. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
* I try to go easy on the cheese (the Body For Life thing) or use mozzarella (lower in fat)

ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN
2 pork tenderloins
1-2 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 tbs oil
2 tsp rosemary
s & p to taste
Cut 5-6 small slits partially through each tenderloin. Try not to cut all the way through. Insert slivers of garlic into each slit. Place tenderloins in a roasting pan & drizzle w/ olive oil. Crush rosemary leaves & sprinkle over pork. Season w/ salt & pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes at 425, or until cooked through (I usually only roast mine for 15-20 mins).

SWEET ONION PORK CHOPS
4 boneless pork chops
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 2/3 large sweet onions (vidalia are best), thickly sliced
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine; or use white grape juice w/ splash of vinegar
In large hot skillet, brown pork chops in oil on each side over med-high heat. Don't worry about cooking through--they'll cook later; you just want them nicely browned on the outside. Remove chops from skillet & place in slow cooker. Saute onions in skillet until nedely browned, about 2 mins per side, then place on top of chops in slow cooker. Add chicken broth & wine to skillet, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; pour liquid over pork chops & onions. Cover & cook on low for about 8 hrs.
*I've also used boneless chicken or a pork roast instead of pork chops
*The onions just DISINTEGRATE when this is done cooking; whisk them up right into the juices (after removing the chops) and it makes THE BEST SAUCE. I've even given them a whirl in the blender to puree.

NAVY BEAN SOUP
2 cups great northern beans, soaked overnight in 5 cups water
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 cup canned tomoatoes
Drain the beans & place in sauce pan w/ lid. Add 6 cups fresh water & all remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover & cook until beans are very tender; about 2 1/2 - 3 hrs. Check water level & stir occasionally to make sure mixture is not scorching.

When beans are cooked, remove from heat & preee entire mixture in blender. Check for seasonings & add more s&p if needed. Reheat prior to serving.

Prescription: In case of bad mood or grumpy disposition, view as needed in order to laugh out loud.

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."
- Wallace Stevens
Oh, how I despair the end of summer! Do you think if I played Beach Boys tunes over & over I could forestall the onslaught of September?

Earlier this month, as school loomed in my horizon, I (quite literally) threw our stuff into a suitcase, threw the kids (you decide if that's literally) into the car and sped to Boise for a Summer Finale Visit. And what a Finale it was! I'm sure that just like a fireworks finale, when you ask yourself "Is this the last one?" after each display, my poor mother asked herself at the end of each day, "Is this the last one?"

WE WORE OURSELVES OUT!

The following are a few pics of our adventures...

Mimi spent a fair amount of time in the Naughty Chair. (The kids are accustomed to having no limits at Grannie's house.)


We began with a stint on the paddle boats, a time-honored favorite. I remember paddling around the pond on these when I was a kid! Deja Vu.

As a side-note, anyone care to tell me why boys between the ages of 7 and 32 are compelled to make faces at any camera pointed in their direction????

Next we went to Lucky Peak--the same reservoir we splashed around in when I was a kid! More deja vu! Max "helped" Sky & Heidi make the best sand castle ever. *

*(Please note I did NOT post photos of any adults in swimwear! You can send gratitude via comments at the bottom.)
We went to the fair later that week, where....

....Isabelle got to ride a horse, courtesy of Gramps & his $5 bill... (i heart gramps)

...we rode rides... (again the funny face!)
...Mimi missed all the rides because of a tummy-ache... (foreshadowing of the barf-at-the-fair moment which was yet to come)


...Sky rode two spinning rides in succession and ended up in similar straights as Mimi...

...we stayed until the lights were literally turned off and they kicked us out...

...we rode the Superman ride...

...and much to my regret, I have NO photos of Sky & myself on the dozens of rides we enjoyed (after a break lying on the grass to recover from a stint with centripetal force).

I think the most memorable moment of the fair was when Sky & I were locked in our seats, ready to be flung & spun in a most unnatural manner, and the carny worker pulls out a giant, 2-ft long wrench (which looked like something straight out of Looney Toons) and walks out of our peripheral vision--presumably to fix a giant matching bolt. Gulp.

Or maybe the best moment was when I asked another carny, running the Hammer, if my safety bars had a lock and he threw back his head, laughing uproariously. Again, gulp!

All frantic praying aside, I can't remember having more fun at the fair. Ever.

We miss you Ann!

Alright, I am finally adding the text to this picture! Wendi, Ali, Amy & I went to "Mama Mia" a few weeks ago and had a BLAST! What fun to dance in our seats and sing along. Afterwards, any and all ABBA songs were in my head for a week straight. After the show we caught a late dinner and I had perhaps the funniest moment ever, watching my friends get hit on by both a bartender (very cute) and a drunk, psycho lesbian (so not cute) in a 10 minute chunk of time! I think dinner and a musical should be at least a bi-annual tradition from now on. Amy, when you read this, you are my assigned seat-neighbor from now on because you were so much fun to seat-dance with.

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." -Julia Child

Let's hear it for Chick Food! And being a chick myself, also a chick who is always on the prowl for new pasta recipes, I dove right into this one. I mean really; lemon, heavy cream & Barefoot Contessa. What could be better? Oh, I forgot to mention the parmesan shavings. How good is that?


Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 cups heavy cream
3 lemons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch broccoli
1 pound dried fusilli pasta
1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

* In my opinion, this recipe doesn't need to broccoli; it weighs down the dish.

And below you see the damage. Take a breath. No really, take one. I did. The night I made this pasta dish I also brought dinner to a friend & emerged from my Kitchen Trance to see...this.


It took me 2 days to clean it up.
Signing Off!
Crystal