Quite a Scene

Here are some images of the tableau that Kara left in her room this morning.

Pictured are "Cheetee" the cheetah. A Christmas present from my mom. She is getting married, thus the pink veil. And, of course, she is sitting with her cubs.

As I was taking these pictures, I noticed these little cuties all tucked in for a hard day of waiting for Kara to get home.

New Years Review

I was planning to post holiday pictures today, but we are having computer issues. Big time praise and thanks to Dave for tackling our technology issues. To say it has been "challenging" would be a huge understatement. In lieu of cute pics of the kids, I thought I would share some of the fun and cool things that we have encountered this holiday season.

1. Xbox Kinect. This was our big ticket gift from Dave's parents. Ostensibly, the purpose was to allow Kara to play fun, age appropriate games. (Dave has already fully explored Xbox's capabilities to play Skyim. Full disclosure, I have played quite a bit of Call of Duty, as well.) We were not sure how Kara would take to the whole gaming thing, but we can say without reservation that it has been a huge success. Kinectimals is absurdly cute; the adventure game is also lots of fun. But the big hit has been Just Dance. We all, even Jamie, took part in the fun. Even Dave took a turn playing to the Pointer Sisters' classic "Jump." Best daddy ever.

2.  Buffalo chicken dip. Josh brought this for New Year's eve and it rocked. Again. So disgustingly delicious.

3.  Homemade Candied Ginger. I used this recipe by David Lebovitz. It was almost an epic fail - I couldn't get the sugar syrup to thicken and made it all boil over on my stove which set off all of the smoke alarms at 9 o'clock at night. Good times. But...the end result was gorgeous and delicious.

4. How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I bought this as a Christmas present to myself. Unbelievably comprehensive resource. Totally worth it if you are even vaguely interested in eating less meat.

I hope to be back with pictures next week.
Happy New Year!

The 99%

Whatever your feelings are regarding the Occupy Wall Street movement, you should check out the site We Are the 99%. Moving stories and images like the one below.

Fall

You can tell it's finally fall when there is a big pile of leaves in your yard.

Game Day Pretzels

Even though...

...the Phillies lost all of their mojo and then lost in a pathetic fashion on Friday

...it would appear that the Eagles have gone from "struggling" to "sucking"

...this was a really bad weekend to be a Philadelphia sports fan

Even though it all seemed to go bad in the Philly sports world, there's always the next game, the next week, or next year.

In that spirit, here is a super easy snack to bring to a tailgate or just in to your living room to watch the game. I can't remember where I got this recipe many moons ago. Someone brought a batch to the beach, and we gobbled them up like a swarm of locusts. After that summer, these were my go-to snack to bring to a party or when we were visiting friends. I sort of forgot about them, but then this August I brought some to Ellie's on the Cape, and I can say without reservation that they go quite nicely with a beer or a dark and stormy. When Ellie emailed last week for the "secret" formula so that she could make some for a football game, I remembered that I had been meaning to post about these delicious pretzels.

Here's what you do:
-Purchase a bag of hard sourdough pretzels - any brand will do. Drop the bag on the floor a few times to break them up into smallish pieces.
-In a large bowl combine 1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix and 1/3 to 1/2 cup oil. Dump in the pretzels and stir to coat.
-Spread in a layer on a baking sheet and brown in a 350 oven for 7-10 minutes. You want to dry up the oil and dressing coating.
-When they come out of the oven, sprinkle with dry dill.
-Present at next game day occasion and hope that your team doesn't gag it up the way my teams did this weekend.

Vegan Challenge

Confession time: For the last three weeks Dave and I have been...vegan. Not just vegan, but no-booze vegan. No booze, no meat, no dairy for three weeks. I am prepared to say that the no meat and dairy has been easier than the no drinking. Turns out I really like that 5 PM glass of wine while cooking dinner. Dave was not especially surprised that giving up beer was harder than giving up animal products in our food.

Why did we do this? Well, I had been feeling just gross at the end of the summer. Bloated, tired, grumpy, with a side dish of frequent migraines and indigestion. So I wanted to do a kind of "cleanse" but not the kind that involved drinking only lemonade and cayenne pepper like Beyonce. Veganism seemed like a good, and not completely unreasonable, choice. When I broached the subject with Dave and said I was "thinking about trying it," he responded, with less snark than I probably deserved, "Whenever you say you are 'thinking about' something like this, we are totally doing it."

So we jumped in. I invested in quite a few vegan-friendly products. The beans, greens and tofu have been great. And I love the coconut milk hazelnut coffee creamer I found at Whole Foods. The vegan "cheese" was a little scary, however. Which leads me to a couple of realizations I have had over the past three weeks:

-Being a rookie vegan has been a challenge. Not so much because I felt deprived of previously beloved foods, but because I have had to cook in a totally different way. When a bean product becomes your protein source, you have to really mix it up or you will go crazy. And since I am incapable of cooking less than 8 servings of beans at a time, apparently, I have had a lot of leftovers in my fridge.

-If you are going to go vegan, you gotta go all in and you can't rely on vegan alternatives of animal based foods. Vegan meatballs are pretty good. Veganaise is fine on a sandwich. And I could learn to like non-dairy milks. (Again that hazelnut creamer rocks.) But vegan cheese, sour cream, cream cheese...icky gross.

-Being vegan, and dry, has actually made me feel "cleansed" in many ways. I certainly feel less bloated. I did lose a few pounds. And for the first time in years, I have had none of my typical indigestion issues,.

So what now? We are breaking our vegan/booze fast on Saturday when we celebrate Josh's birthday at one of our favorite spots, Earth Bread & Brewery. Phenomenal beer and pizza - if you in the Philly area, check it out. After than, I will remain booze free during the week. But it is playoff baseball, so I think it is legit to have a beer on the weekend while watching the game. Also, Dave and Josh brewed amazing pumpkin beer which I am dying to have on a cool fall night. I will maintain many of the vegan ways we established these past three weeks, as well. I have learned to really like lentils and come up with more than a few ways to serve tofu. If nothing else this cleanse has re-affirmed my commitment to only eat humanely raised meat and dairy. I had sort of gotten away from this vow in the interest of time, money and convenience, but I am back on track. Now I know that if I can't get chicken or eggs or cheese from a sustainable source, I have lots of vegan recipes up my sleeve.

Phillies Family

Before Dave, I was not really into baseball. I loved other professional sports, but baseball didn't really do it for me. Dave, on the other hand, has spent his whole life rooting for the Phils. I can say that my relatively recent love for the Phillies is entirely Dave's doing. (It doesn't hurt that they have been amazingly good over the past five years.)

So now we are a Phillies-loving family.  Kara asks every morning if the Phils won last night. Jamie often asks to wear his Phillies t-shirt like daddy does. And even though it is outrageously expensive, we have managed to go to at least one game every year.

This year Dave and I took Kara to a night game. As it turns out, we were at the game when the Phils clinched the NL East division championship for the 5th year in a row. It may sound cliche, but the stadium was electric that night. Not only did the Phillies win, but Kara got to see Raul Ibanez hit a grand slam. I fear that future Phillies outings wont live up to this one.

It was an amazing night. Baseball aside, it was wonderful to have some time with just our girl. She has been so accepting of her little brother, but I know how much she loves to have time without the little menace. We were so happy that we could give her this special night.

Tobermory Vacation

Well, we've been back from our vacation to my mom's place in Tobermory for almost a month, so I suppose it's time to actually post some of the amazing pictures from our trip. (You may be asking, "Where the heck is Tobermory? Here you go.)

Josh, who has joined us on our yearly jaunt three times now, gave the best description of a Tobermory vaction: "There isn't much to do...except relax and look at a lot of beautiful stuff." These sunset shots are a pretty perfect example of the incredible beauty of the place.

Tobermory has also been the setting for some of our best family shots.

Kara & my mom exploring the lake.

Kara giving Jamie some kind of Canadian sand treatment.

Daddy's girl

Kara and I at the Grotto. That's a cliff we are standing on. Nervous mommy.

This year Dave got some particularly cute shots of Jamie.

Thanks to Josh for this one.

Cape Cod Adventure

Last weekend I took the kids on a trip up north to see my grandmother in Boston and then visit with my friend Ellie and her lovely children on Cape Cod. While there were a few rough patches - with four kids, two moms, no dads and a lot of activity, that's to be expected - overall it was a wonderful adventure. I love that our children are developing a friendship that seems to transcend time and distance apart. The more they play, the more El and I get to actually talk to each other.

Though I am clearly biased, I think they were the cutest kids on the Cape, too. A few picture to support this claim...

Jamie - Hamming it up at our last dinner.

Luke - looking so much like his dad, it's scary.

The kids graciously agreed to sit for a picture...if I got them ice cream as payment. Sharks!

I love this portrait of Catharine - totally captures her impish charm.

I tried to get Ellie her Christmas card shot, but the kids wouldn't sit any closer together.

Ellie tried to get a picture of me with both kids - tickling was necessary to produce smiles.

Summer Reading

I will admit that I am not always thrilled by the prospect of my daughter growing up. (Maybe it was four days looking at scantily clad teenage girls on the beach. Maybe it is the increase in eye rolls. Maybe it is fact that in the not too distant future she will be as tall as me.) When they are babies, it is so easy remain focused on just getting through the most recent phase and mastering the next milestone (sleeping through the night, sleeping in a bed, crawling, walking, talking, giving up the bottle, drinking from a cup, eating real food, potty training, binky relinquishing, etc.) But as they grow up, and those milestones spread out, I find myself clinging to the wild fantasy that my kids can, maybe just for me, stay young forever.

But the one thing about a growing up girl that I can embrace without ambivalence is Kara's reading repertoire. We still read lots of picture books, which I still love. But we have now fully entered the age of chapter books. Granted our first forays into this new, big kid arena have been the Magic Tree House series  and the Rainbow Fairies books - neither of which could be characterized as rich or deep . But we are getting close to the age for E.B. White. (Stuart Little is waiting in the queue behind a seemingly endless supply of fairies.) And he is just a gateway to Roald Dahl. And before we know it the Narnia books will be on the shelf...and from there it is just a short walk to Ender's Game, and all of Dave's plans to make Kara in to a super-nerd will be realized.

I realize I am doing it again. Looking ahead to the next book when I should be enjoying where she is at right now. But I can't help it entirely - those fairy books are killing me. Except that she loves them. And I love that she loves to read. And I love to read to her. I suppose E.B. White can wait. For at least another couple of months.

For a great resource, check out Pam Allyn's What to Read When.She not only makes recommendations by age, but she also groups books thematically (books about school, books about imagination, books about death of a pet etc.).

Also, if, like me, you have a nostalgic pang for all things E.B. White, check out this review of The Story of Charlotte's Web on Fresh Air. I was all choked up driving home. Sounds like a wonderful exploration of the author and his masterwork of children's literature.

Pure Joy

We just got back from a long holiday weekend at the beach. Is there any better place to capture the pure joy of summer?

All pics by Dave. Amazing.

Easter

Kara was home for spring break last week, so we had the chance to spend lots of time together which was, for the most part, a really good thing. (I did think I was going to go crazy at one point on Wednesday, but we rebounded nicely by dinner time.) On Friday it was pouring rain, so Kara and I spent Jamie's nap time dying Easter eggs. Now we are not an especially religious family, but we do love us a holiday tradition. So it is no surprise that our daughter has come to love Easter. I think this is largely explained by the fact that her Easter basket is like a spring time Christmas stocking filled with goodies. (My friend Katie made the very astute point that the Easter Bunny would seem to undermine the supernatural credibility of Santa. Kids don't seem bothered by the potential inconsistencies here.)

I love the multi-colored Paas fingers. Kara was simultaneously enjoying her freaky fingers and a little concerned that they would not return to their natural state.


Though I have been off the gluten for the past six weeks or so, I made an exception for Easter and made my own Hot Cross Buns. I used this recipe from Betty Crocker only because it 1. utilized my bread machine and 2. was dairy free so I could share the product of my labors with all of the members of our family, even the dairy-allergic ones.

These buns were really pretty. If you make buns/rolls, always use an egg wash on them. It just makes the bread look shiny and golden. Even if they are mediocre tasting, you friends and family will compliment you on the loveliness of the bread anyway. These rolls were ok cold, but warmed up in the oven and slathered with butter, they were great.

The Dinner That Sealed the Deal

Ok, Valentine's Day has come and gone, but here is a little piece of our love story. (Don't worry, it is brief and definitely G rated.)

Back when Dave and I first started dating, he lived in Washington DC and I lived in Philly. Every weekend one of us would make the trek up or down the I-95 corridor to see each other. When I went down to DC our weekends often involved going out with friends on the Hill and then recovering from going out with friends. (We were a lot younger then.) And though we ate our fair share of wings, mozzarella sticks and burgers at our favorite haunts, Dave would, on occasion, cook for me which was no small feat in his tiny apartment on Capitol Hill that was not exactly equipped for culinary acts much beyond frying eggs. I suspect he was trying to impress me with his domestic skills and demonstrate that he was a man of substance and maturity. All of this was just icing on the cake as far as I was concerned. He "had me at hello," so to speak.

One of the first things Dave ever made for me was the hamburger stroganoff that he learned to cook from his mom. I have a strong suspicion that this recipe was originally from the back of a Campbell's soup can.  (Alice - If you are reading, please let us know for sure.) It is the best kind of comfort food. Rich, creamy, easy to make, and thoroughly satisfying.

Dave made this for us on Saturday night and when Kara asked him what he was cooking, he told her that this was the first meal he ever cooked mommy. And he was pretty sure it sealed the deal.

Here's the recipe from Dave:

• Chop one medium to large onion
• Slice about 10 or so good sized mushrooms
• Finely chop 4 or so cloves of garlic
• Saute the onion, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are getting translucent
• Put onions and mushrooms aside
• Brown one pound of ground beef in the same skillet
• Once the beef is browned add back in the mushrooms and onions
• Mix in 8 ounces of sour cream
• Mix in one can of cream of mushroom soup
• simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.
• Serve over your favorite kind of egg noodles

By the way, Dave wanted me to title this post "Sick Food 2: Electric Boogaloo," but I decided to go the romantic route instead.

After many many attempts, we are convinced that it is impossible to take a photo of this dish that looks appetizing. Trust me - this tastes fabulous. It just looks kinda gross.

Valentine's Day

My family is still in the throws of our plague month. Kara broke her personal record for a fever clocking in with a temp of 104 this morning. Yikes! My poor bunny.

How do you know your kid is really sick? In the amount of time it took me to read Jamie a story and put him down for a nap, she conked out on the sofa and didn't even wake up when the dog started psychotically barking at a FedEx truck.

Enough about sickness...It is Valentine's Day, so I thought I would mention a few things I love:

-The way my little girl holds my hand when we are snuggling in bed.
-The way my little boy says, "Yeah sure!" to pretty much any question you ask him these days.
-The fact that Dave has emailed about 10 times today to check in on his baby girl.
-My mom's willingness to stay with the kids long enough for me to drop Kara's Valentines off at school, grab some eggs at the corner store and savor a few minutes of alone time.
-That Kara's teacher was planning to stop at our house on her way home to drop off Kara's Valentines and a cupcake from the class party. Good gracious! Best teacher ever.
-The contents of the card Kara made for us in school, "Dear Mom and Dad I think I know why you love me because I play with my brother we play goo goos together."

Happy Valentine's Day!

PS: For a very sweet and funny take on this "holiday", check out Dinner a Love Story's post today.

Grandma Bea

This weekend we visited my grandmother in Boston. A few things that I love and admire about my grandmother:

She is super smart. She reads all the time and is incredibly knowledgeable about a whole range of topics, from how to make the best matzo balls to the ins and outs of Boston politics.

She was a beloved teacher for most of her adult life.

She is an accomplished pianist and bridge player.

She is a fabulous cook and continues to pass down her recipes to me.

She is unfailingly generous.

Despite the fact that her life has not been easy, she has the wisdom to see the many wonderful things that her life has brought her.

She is really funny.

She loves her great grandchildren to pieces.