Happy Memorial Day!

snowballs
We hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Our weekend was spent preparing for a little road trip to Mount Shasta, California. We are so excited to have a vacation away from home. It's always nice... isn't it? To have a change of scenery. Is it equally as nice to drive for 9hr 11min with two young children? HMMM, I'll let you know when we get back. =) It's been a long while since we've had a family getaway, so I'm sure it will all be worth it.


Constantly working in the garden has given me the opportunity to meet several of my neighbors that I otherwise would probably have never met. Noah has even made two new friends, just from hanging out in the yard! One very sweet neighbor, the mother of Noah's newest playmate, surprised me with snowball flowers! They are so cool!! I love them. Another neighbor offered me some of her delicious rhubarb. I have never cooked with it before, and have eaten it only a handful of times in the past. This afternoon I made a little Rhubarb Crunch for the car ride. It's so delicious! Half of it is nearly gone. I'm grateful for the kindness and generosity of all those around me.

Shiso

Have you ever tasted Shiso? Me neither, until about 3yrs ago in a tiny sushi restaurant in West Seattle. Weird,... I thought, but interesting. I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. I still can't decide. A few weekends ago at our local farmers market, the apple cider guy had this cute little plant on a side table. It was being completely ignored, so I made my move. I snuck in, picked it up and sniffed it. HMMM, this is it! It's that strange herb? that I had tasted a few years back... I think. I sniffed some more. Caught in action, the apple cider guy walked on over and suggested I pinch off a leaf and taste it. Man!!! It makes me so nervous when they offer me taste tests! Really it does, couldn't tell you why. So... I declined. I quickly tried to walk away. Sometimes I get a bit shy, but I was still so curious. So I asked... 'what do YOU use this with?' He didn't have any great ideas, but told me he sometimes cooks it with rice. I couldn't resist the temptation of having my very own Shiso plant, which he told me grows into a nice size bush. In the sun it will grow big, in the shade it will be more flavorful.

I have no idea what I'll use it for! The novelty of having something unique and different in my garden got the best of me, as it usually does.

Fragrant

As I walk along the side of our house, entering our backyard, there is a smallish bush/tree with branches sticking out, nearly poking me as I walk by. Lilac. It is so fragrant! I swear I can smell it 15 feet away, before I can even see it. Over the past 3 springs (that's how long we've lived here) it has changed so much. Our first spring... nothing. We thought it was just another part of our overgrown, unkept property. The second spring, it had one blossom, I clipped it and brought it inside to display on our table. It smelled so wonderful in our house. My neighbor was kind enough to bring me several more blossoms. This year, our third spring, we have more blossoms than ever! I love the smell a slight breeze carriers into our kitchen, granted the weather is warm enough to have the windows open. Ahhh... spring!

That's a Garden?

UMMMM, yes. Things haven't really taken off yet, well except for the weeds. I blame the crazy weather this spring. Warm, Cold, Hot, back to warm. Some things sprouted, then froze. Others have been trampled by children (despite the obvious barriers), or dug up by the neighborhood cats. Yes, they think I have the absolute perfect litter box. Can you see my booby trap? It's working to deter cats for now.

On the bright side, lots of things ARE growing, you just can't see them that well, because Momma has been too busy to weed. That will change this week. Potatoes and strawberries are doing very well. Celery and zucchini... where are you??

This past weekend Noah decided to help cut some lettuce for dinner. He planted a few things between the strawberries, and his things are growing very well. While he was cutting greens for us, he called Dad over to show him. 'Look Dad, I growed this Kale!' Thanks to Noah, we actually have some Kale and Pac choi, because mine got eaten by slugs. He loves the fact that he has had more success than me in growing several things. Jaime smiled as he walked away. Noah leans into me and says, 'Did you see that smile? He must be getting hungry for some Kale in his stomach.'

It would be so awesome to have a small farm! Now, if I could just get the rest of the gang on board! Check out these farm blogs for a bit of inspiration.
Hamakua Springs Country Farms
Tiny Farm Blog

Sunshine!!

We actually had an entire weekend of sunshine. It was hot on Saturday, I actually braved it and bared tons of skin in only a tank top and shorts!! WOOOHOOOO Sunday was a bit cooler, but still a nice day, and we headed down to the water. Noah and Jaime enjoyed a nice bike ride while Bella and I hung out on the rocks. She loves to pick through them.

Never A Dull Moment

When the girls are home alone, and the guys are out and about (school & work), there is never, ever a dull moment. Seriously. I mean, how could there be?

There are dishes to wash, floors to sweep, counters to wipe, teeth to brush, dirt to dig in... the list goes on and on. I love how every little thing is fascinating. Even if it has been a thousand times, and will need to be done a thousand times again.

Update

I've had so many things that I wanted to share these past two weeks, but... my computer decided to throw a hissy fit, and refused to communicate with my camera. Apparently they've worked it out, with no intervention from mom. Phew... let's cross our fingers, wish on our lucky star, that they (my computer and camera) can continue to get along.

I have a few photos I'd like to share:

Noah and Jaime went on their first father/son snowboarding trip. I was very excited about this!!


Jaime found a Robin egg (I think??) in our backyard. It is now sitting on top of our fridge and I'm panicked, checking it a hundred times a day to see if we have a baby chick. It has such a beautiful color!


Noah turned 6!!! What a little, I mean BIG, boy he has become in this past year. He is starting to read and has matured quite a bit. I am very excited to experience all of the wonderful things this next year has in store for us.


We attempted to make a roulade cake for his birthday, but it didn't turn out. It looked more like a giant smashed chocolate burrito, than a birthday cake. It may have not been pretty, but it sure did taste great!! I think I know where we went wrong and we'll try again.



Although it is Spring, and has been for a while now, we are still freezing up here in the Pacific Northwest! We marveled at several hail storms this past weekend from the coziness of our little house. If you have warm weather, please send a little our way. I'm ready, we're all ready.

Independence

PLEASE!!! Do not peel and slice a banana into rounds. Do not cut into small sticks for easy handling. It will be rejected!

Instead, slice through the tip and pass to grunting, anxious toddler.

It will be peeled with careful fingers.

The peel will be tasted and explored.

A banana will be enjoyed.

School Auction

For this years annual auction, I asked my mother-in-law to make a Hawaiian Wall Quilt. She graciously accepted, and a few months later sent us this beautiful Ulu (breadfruit) design, framed in a matching bamboo frame. It was tough to let this go. I sat for a very long time staring at all of those teeny tiny stitches. I'm not sure if you can see the detail, but it is all hand-stitched.

Dang Crows!

For the past month or so, I've spent the majority of my free time outside prepping the garden. The crows usually swoon in and gulp up grubs and earthworms as soon as I head indoors. So... the other day I planted a handful of my onion starts, and wouldn't you know it, the crows had a field day pulling them out of the ground. See below. They've done this twice now...GRRR They don't eat them, just yank them out.

It was cold today, really cold. You can't tell from this photo, but we had a little snow this afternoon. It melted immediately. A little spring snow. Bella seems unaffected by the weather, swishing her stick around in the ice cold water. Warm weather, please come our way soon, very very soon.

Rainy Day Blues

What else to do on a dark, rainy day besides sit on the porch and catch the rain?

Ahhh. waiting for warm, dry weather!!

Magical Morning

So much happiness and fun, all before 8am!

Bella woke up really, really early this morning. I don't want to talk about HOW early, because...well, that isn't the magical part. Or maybe it is?

Since we were up soooo early, I had time to bake popovers, which Noah loves to eat before going to school. Or so I thought. Okay. I won't talk about that either, because he and Bella both refused to eat them. On to the magical part of our morning.

Noah woke up in a great mood. I can't tell you how rarely this happens. He played so sweetly with Bella, without me insisting he do so. He helped her put on her new ladybug rain boots. They make her so happy.


Next he took her to my room, helped her onto the bed so that they could have a 'jumping dance party' while listening to static-y music from a new alarm clock radio. She didn't even fall off of the bed this time!


Ahh yes, bed jumping is a favorite past time around here. So much fun!

Happy Aloha Friday!

J-J-JER-KY

The other weekend we hit the farmers market and purchased various cuts of grass-fed organic beef from a local farm. The piece I was most excited about was this roast. After cooking, it was bone dry and resembled Jerky more than the succulent roast I had envisioned. UGH! I'm not very good with roasts. It looked so bad, we opted to leave it on the stove and go out for sushi.


The thought of throwing it out really bothered me. I knew no one in our family would willing eat it. So... I turned it into Picadillo. I've never made it before, but this was so good! We wrapped it with tortillas, but it could also be served over rice.


There are hundreds of recipes for Picadillo out there. I made a Cuban version, but used shredded beef instead of the ground beef most recipes called for.

Picadillo
Chop and saute in a bit of oil
-1 onion
-1 green bell pepper
- 6 cloves of garlic
Add meat (1.5 lbs) and cook, drain fat if needed
Add
-Pimientos ( I used 2oz jar)
-1/2 cup raisins
-2 T capers
-2-3 bay leaves
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
-tomato paste ( I used half of a small can)
-1/2 tsp cumin
-1/2 tsp oregano
salt & pepper
Cook for about 25-30 minutes. Sooooo good! Serious comfort food for these cold winter days.

While I cooked, Bella kept me company by rolling around on the kitchen floor. She thought this was hilarious! I can't tell you how many times I nearly stepped on her.

Copy Cat

I find it absolutely adorable that Bella toddles around and copies just about everything we do. She especially likes to imitate Noah. Here Noah is sitting at his favorite winter spot, directly in front of the heating vent. Often times Bella will do whatever he is doing, and plop down right next to him. Scooching her bottom as close to Noah as possible.

My Mind

I think I'm losing it... REALLY losing it. Yesterday several things happened to make me believe this is true.

• I went to the library with the kiddos, and when I got home my front door was slightly open. Did I forget to lock it?? Did someone break in? To be safe I asked a neighbor to check it out with me. No intruders, nothing missing, I must have just forgotten to close and lock the door. Scary! I also left the back door unlocked. I have never done this before.
• We decided to go out for pizza to celebrate Jaime's vacation. On the way home, ( I was driving) I took my cutoff, then forgot which way to turn. The road forks, and I blanked out and really REALLY couldn't remember which way to go. I went the wrong way, of course. I have driven this same route hundreds of times in the past two years. Very weird.
• After putting the little ones to bed, I ventured into the kitchen to keep Jaime company while he washed dishes. He gave me a strange look and asked me why I put my cell phone in the sink. It was under the dishes, and he nearly soaked it. I don't even remember putting it there. Phew, my lucky day that it didn't get washed. It is only about a month old after all.

Later that night, say midnight-ish, I decided to work on Bella's sweater that I am knitting. This is my first 'real' project. It has been slow going, very slow! I've worked so so hard. Somehow I dropped a stitch, or two or three. My mother showed me how to fix this while she was visiting, but every time I tried, it only got worse. No sweat... RIGHT? I'll just rip out several rows, then continue on. This didn't work either, I just can't seem to get my needle on the same row, without continually dropping more stitches... GRRR. I think I'll start over...again.

See??? OH the heartache. I should have just gone to bed, then all would be well.

One thing at a time

My house is spotless. Tubs have been scrubbed, toilets are sparkling. Floors have been swept and mopped. Rooms have been de-cluttered and organized. Gifts have been made. Bills are paid...

Okay, back to reality...
Christmas is right around the corner, and Jaime is working crazy hours as Santa's helper (wink, wink). Bella has been sick and fussy for longer than I care to remember. Every night Jaime injures himself stepping on some left out teeny tiny toy. Laundry is piling up, and so are the dishes. The walls are caving in with clutter...okay, okay, I think you get the picture.

In the midst of all this chaos, I've decided to teach myself to knit. I've wanted to learn just about FOREVER! Hey, there are some relaxation benefits involved in knowing how to turn a blind eye. I've always dreamed of knitting little baby/toddler sweaters and caps. I had better hurry, Bella is growing fast.

I found a great teaching book, Knitting Workbook by Debbie Bliss, at my library. After several hours of practice, I finally got the Garter Stitch to cooperate with me. The term 'Cast On', is no longer a mystery.

Speaking of growing babies, Bella has just about grown out of her Rumpsters. Yes we are still using cloth, it's been great! It took a while to get used to, but well worth the effort.


Ottobre has a pattern for sewing diapers. HMMM, wonder if I should give it a go? They also have a pattern to knit wool diaper covers. I haven't successfully used cloth diapers at night. They have always leaked, but perhaps with a wool cover, that problem could be solved! The best part??? The wool cover is simple to knit, well, it looks simple anyhow. Its a garter stitch with ribbing around the edge.

The rest of things around here will get done, slowly, one thing at a time. There's no rush, the mess will wait... for me... for eternity.

Have a relaxing weekend everyone!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

We had snow, real snow! Soft and white flakes falling from the sky. It lasted for half a day, then the weather warmed slightly. Snow flakes turn to rain drops. It was so beautiful, I love the snow.

Weekend Happenings

The weather was beautiful this weekend! The sun was out, the sky was blue... wait, is this normal for this time of year? We've had a sunny autumn. Cold, very cold, but at least it hasn't been raining.

There has been lots of outside play. Walks, bike rides, eating rocks & flowers and tantrums. Yes, the tantrums get very intense when it is time to pack it up and go home.

Noah and the wild one. Yes, she is actually laughing!

A bushel of apples from our local farmers market. They smell so great! I've been threatened, I had better use every last one of them or else!

New pants for Bella. These were so fun to put together! Too bad it is too cold out to wear them. The material came from my Freecycle scrap bag, except the flower trim. Time to scrape together some cash and head to the fabric store for some warm material.

Long Overdue

About 8 years ago, or maybe it's been a little longer, I thought it would be so wonderful to sew my own clothes. I went out and bought a sewing machine. Then I set it up on my kitchen table and just stared at it. How hard could it be???

With a lot of help, and many grueling hours of sewing, I had finally put together four crappy looking curtains, each a different size. I was still determined, so I set to work creating a pattern for a skirt, then began sewing it. It was coming together, but one side was longer than the other, and the back didn't stay curved to my body, it stuck WAY out. Oh Well, I thought, no one is looking that closely at me anyhow. I pressed on... just to discover I was pregnant. Phew, I now I had an excuse not to finish. It wouldn't fit for long anyhow. I carefully put everything away.

Every time we move, de-clutter, or whenever I'm looking through old things for memories sake, I carefully pop the blue lid to a Rubbermaid container and peer in at my old sewing machine. Then I stick my hand in and feel the samples of the material I purchased...8 years ago. I've wanted to give it another try for so long, but have been afraid of failure. I have let so many years go by, so many of them wasted, paralyzed by fear. I recently received a bag of scrap fabric from freecyle, and decided to give it another go. Suddenly I didn't care about failing. What's the big deal anyway? I made two tiny items. Too small to actually use, but they have given me enough confidence to try to make Bella a pair of pants.

tiny pair of pants, maybe for a future doll?

small bag

Photos

A few Thanksgiving photos


Noah helping to make butterhorn rolls


Jaime cooked a wonderful Turkey!


Everyone is starved and ready to eat


Bella loved the cranberries most of all. I almost didn't make them because I don't care for them... usually, but these were delicious!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This will be our first Thanksgiving without any extended family. We are so excited!! Don't get me wrong, we LOVE sharing this holiday with family, but since they are all in far away places, it will be our first time cooking the entire meal at our home, in our oven, just for the four of us. What better opportunity to try out some new recipes? On our menu this year:
-Turkey
-Mashed Potatoes
-Red Cabbage
-Butterhorn Rolls
-Cranberries
-Green Bean something or other, not quite sure yet
-Apple Pie

I will not miss Chinese takeout with my in laws, but I will miss their company. I also will miss my mothers cooking, because her cooking is unmatched in my book! My food just never tastes as good. I hope everyone has a safe and yummy day!

A Peek

A few of my favorite blogs have recently posted what their daily schedules look like, and because I know you're just dying to know, I thought I'd share mine. Okay, maybe you're not dying to know, but it's good fun to peek at someone else's routine.

7 am- wake up, nurse, dress, and play with Bella
7:30- make Noah's lunch and breakfast for us
7:45- slowly but surely drag Noah out of bed
8 - eat breakfast
8:30- clean up Bella, and get dressed, help Noah get ready for school
8:45 - take Noah to school
9:15- clean up breakfast stuff & kitchen, play with Bella until nap-time.
10:30 ish- put Bella down for nap, clean house, do laundry, bills, whatever else needs doing. Computer/reading time.
12 ish- Bella wakes, have lunch, clean-up, play with Bella some more (yes, I get to play a lot!), or go for a walk if weather is nice.
2:45- pick Noah up from school.
3:15 - snack for all of us, clean up again, then depending on the day we go grocery shopping, go to gymnastics, the library, a walk/park or stay home and... yes... PLAY!
4:30 or 5 ish - if I'm lucky Bella naps, start dinner while Noah does a few chores. Hang-out/play with Noah
6:45-7pm- Jaime comes home, eat dinner
7:30 - Bathe the kiddos, get them ready for bed. Make sure Noah gets everything ready for school the next day. Read some books, tuck in Noah. Jaime cleans kitchen.
8:15 -Put Bella to bed.
8:30 - shower, get ready for bed.
11ish- bedtime!

Overload

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and I'm starting to worry about the mass quantity of toys that will be coming our way. Our home is filled to the brim with excess toys, the novelty wearing off several minutes after acquiring them. Seriously.

We have a huge box full of toys that will be offered on Freecycle just as soon as I add a few more items. I think we could give three of these boxes and not miss the toys. I often avoid Noah's room, because there is just so much 'stuff' EVERYWHERE! It's no wonder he doesn't play in there very often. A couple of days ago I hosted a playday at our home, and tons of toys that had been put away (out of sight, out of mind) were brought out. Spilling out of his room into the hallway, living room, and downstairs.

We are fortunate enough to have several quality toys. Toys that encourage creative play. Toys that start fascinating conversations. Toys that are made from beautiful natural materials. These are the ones that get the most action. The brightly colored, flashing, singing plastic stuff gets shoved into some corner, rarely making an appearance.

In light of the massive toy recalls, I thought it'd be fun to give a list of a few places that sell 'safe, natural' toys. After all, quality is important, and often times less is more.

• rosiehippo
• palumba
• novanatural
• the wooden wagon
• quiet hours toys
• stump pond toys
• willow toys
• nico and zoe
• a toy garden
• a childs dream
• for small hands
• hearthsong
• magic cabin
• willow tree toys
• blueberry forest toys
• hazelnut kids
• three sisters toys

I'm sure there are many more.
We are saving for a kitchen and playhouse for Bella. Over the years I plan to give accessories as gifts. I hope this helps!

Goliath

Meet Goliath. He is our newest family pet. Despite my firm belief that 'exotic' animals should not be pets, somehow this little guy managed to find his way into my heart. His previous owner has recently become homeless, and could no longer care for him.


Noah really loves him. Now, if only Goliath were the cuddling type.

Beer? BEER!!

Ahem, I mean Root Beer!

Jaime has been brewing beer, real beer, for about 9 years or so. Our local brewing supply store also carriers everything you need to make soda... many different flavors, you could even mix them. Say... Raspberry Cream soda?

Jaime and Noah both love, love, love soda. I refuse to buy it! So this past weekend they took matters into their own hands, and decided to make some. It's surprisingly easy. Even if you don't have a beer setup. There are instructions for using old 2 liter soda bottles, and some yeast. A great science experiment for older children.

First Noah mixed sugar, A LOT of sugar (about 2 cups per gallon) and the root beer extract into water. Stir, stir, stir and occasionally dip your finger in to sneak a taste.


Transfer Root Beer into a clean keg. Oh yeah, and more tasting!


Have dad carry heavy keg into basement, and hook up CO2 tank for carbonation.


After a couple of hours, drink- slurp- gulp....and burp! In that order.

Once carbonated, you can fill reusable bottles and give as gifts. You can buy them at beer stores, or certain beer come bottled in these type of bottles. Grolsch?? I think is one of them. This is what they look like.