Safety First

Because a 5-year old child needs a life jacket in 10 inches of water. She insists.

 

Discussing the Universe Over Hot Dogs and Zucchini

Paul has been winning me over to the wisdom of Calvin and Hobbes as he nightly (no joke) reads from his gigantic collector's edition before turning out the lights. Tonight's dinner conversation is one of those nights I wish I had taken the wisdom of Calvin's dad to heart tonight. (Trust me, I usually do give some pithy answer that leads the kids astray.)

Alas, Paul and I were trying to be good parents and once again we're not sure if we're doing more damage than good. You be the judge:

Ilene: If you’re born from your mom, and she likes a drink, is it possible you are going to like it too?
Paul: Ilene, anything is possible.
Cynthia: Usually kids like the stuff they grow up eating. My mom, whom I was born from, grew up eating salt on watermelon so she likes it. I didn’t ever grow up eating that so I don’t like it.
Ilene: (the consummate lover of salt) I think I might like to try that—salt on watermelon. Just to see if I like it.
Cynthia: You don’t need to try it. Watermelon is delicious and tasty without salt. Why make it less healthy by putting salt on it?
Ilene: Just to see if it is good!
Nathan: Do we always have to eat healthy stuff (as he scarfs his second hot dog.)
Cynthia: Well then Ilene, why don’t I go get you a dirt clod out in the yard and see if you like that too.
Nathan: What if I don’t want to try it?
Ilene: What is a dirt clod?
Paul: A clump of dirt.
Ilene: What do you call a ball of dirt?
Paul: A ball of dirt and a clod of dirt are the same thing.
Cynthia: (trying to stear the conversations back to the nature vs. nurture topic and away from dirt clods) Ilene, you are growing up eating zucchini so that’s why you like it. You like it because it’s familiar.
Ilene: I really don’t like zucchini that much.
Cynthia: Since when? You guys always eat all your zucchini without complaining.
Ilene: Well, I don’t like grilled zucchini that much. (We are eating steamed zucchini.)

(1 minute pause in conversation)
Ilene: Do people in China like zucchini? I doubt it because it’d be nearly impossible to eat it with chopsticks. It’s just too big.
Nathan: They don’t eat with chopsticks in China, that’s India!
Cynthia: That’s not true, Nathan. (We just had a conversation about this last week.)
Nathan: Oh yea, they eat with their hands in India. (The kids think it would be fun to go to India because they won’t have to use their forks and spoons at meal times. Good grief.)

Curiosity Killed the Cat

Nobody ever tells you when you become a parent to be prepared for the most obscure questions ever posed to (wo)man. Truly, they border on the bizarre. Here is a sampling of questions Paul and I have been asked lately by our 3 somewhat intelligent children.

Who invented clothes? Do you know much about Shitzu dogs? What about Labradors? If there were no nerves in my hand would it hurt when I stabbed it? Why are the grill marks on my chicken black? Why aren’t they purple? Do you think there is a way to jump out of a window and not get hurt? Are nuts good for you? Are nuts covered in chocolate good for you? Do those actors in the movie (The Fugitive) get paid extra because they have to get beat up? If I ride my bike without the cap on the tire, will bugs get into the tires? Do you know anyone with really bucked teeth? Well, if you don't know anyone with bucked teeth, do you know anyone with teeth so big they couldn't fit in their mouth?

Sometimes I just have to wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes. How do they come up with this stuff?

Drum Roll Please….

After many months of planning with an architect, hiring the best landscapers ever, and doing some of the work on our own, our back yard is finished! A  retaining wall was built to raise the level of our yard (we had a 3 foot drop!), countless truckloads of topsoil brought in, a fire pit area was added, new sod, 14 more trees, 13 cubic yards of bark, a new irrigation system, and oh yea, our new fence. I couldn't be happier. Someday when we save more pennies we'll finish it off with a nice matching patio (with stairs leading down to the fire pit area) and shrubs to fill in the beds. I love it, I love it.


 

The Costco Meal

To complete this 15-minute Costco meal you will need:

1 red mini van to drive to Costcoland (or other vehicle of your choice). Once you are safely past the Costco Membership Guards, grab a shopping cart and quickly purchase:

Fresh Sockeye Salmon (wild please, try to avoid the not-so-yummy farm-raised stuff if at all possible, ) 1 package of Genoa Salami, 1 container of mini fresh mozzarella balls, 1 container of Spring Mix lettuce, 1 package of tomatoes, 1 gigantic sized bag of croutons. Try to avoid the new selection of Shade t-shirts on your way to register. It is ok however to sample the fizzy lemonade. Oh, and pat yourself on the back for buying fresh cherries and blueberries and avoiding the Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches. They’d melt anyway on your way home.

Once home, unload your spoils. Fifteen minutes before you want to eat, pan fry your salmon (which you’ve cut into 4” strips) for 3-4 minutes per side. During those free minutes, assemble the salad which should take all of 5 minutes. Yes, I realize salami in your salad means you’ll be serving fish and pork on the same plate, get over it.

Serve your meal with lemon wedges or the addictive dill sour cream sauce(leftover from last week when you made the exact same meal), and of course a leftover carb. In this case, I had leftover basmati rice mixed with saag aloo from Bombay House. Everybody loves salmon in my house so this meal is a real winner. *pats self on back*

Don’t forget to have the kids load the dishwasher while you wash the one dirty pan. Then quickly retreat to the couch and watch lots of Tv for the evening. Bliss.

Raspberry Yummies

4 cases of raspberries + 2 little helpers = lots of raspberry jam to fill my freezer for one more year.

Summer Skirts

I was inspired by my friend and fellow etsy seller Candy to make my daughters a couple of adorable Easter skirts a few months back. And since I just can’t seem to be bothered with patterns these days I figured these were a good project that would actually get done. Well, I’ve since made 7 more and with the addition of my new ruffler foot (which I swear looks like something invented during the industrial revolution) I can make these in about 45 minutes now. I will never ever gather anything with two rows of basting stitches again. (Or with the zig-zag over the dental floss trick.) Never because I’d rather have a root canal.
Here’s my formula to make these skirts without a pattern. As if you even need the formula.
Three layered skirt: Measure your daughter’s waist and multiply by 2.  My girls have the same waist of 21”. So I cut a strip of fabric 42”. (If you are brave enough to make a skirt without a pattern I assume you can figure out how long to make each layer.) For the middle layer multiply the width of the first layer (42”) by 1.5”. So that’s how wide the second layer is cut, 63”. For the third layer multiply 63”x1.5. You get the picture. (For the skirt on the bottom left I used my pinking blade so I could leave the raw edges showing. Loved it!)
 
  For the two layer skirt I think it turns out better to double the width of the first layer for the one ruffle. So again, for a 21” waist cut your first layer 42” wide and the second layer 82” wide.  I’m thinking I need to make myself one out of an irish handkerchief-weight linen or gauze-y cotton.  Hallie would rather wear a skirt anyday so I think I’ll make her a couple more. Nothing is better than summer. Nothing.

The Dallas Burger

To fuel my obsession with all things cooking, I decided to subscribe to the new food network magazine. I bought the premier issue last fall, loved it, so signed on for 3 yrs. Only $30 bucks for the three years, not bad I say. Don’t I just look obsessed (or posessed?) reading the magazine? Why subscribe to a magazine when I can get the recipes for free at foodtv.com? Well, I love to pack around my magazines/cookbooks when grocery shopping. So when the June/July issue arrived with a giganto burger on the front cover I quickly turned to the burger article and saw this recipe for the Dallas Burger. Yea, a burger smothered in cole slaw and BBQ sauce! I’ve made it twice and will so make it again. The kids even love it. Miracle. I did use ground turkey both times though….and good old Bull’s Eye BBQ sauce because I was fresh out of ancho chile powder. Next time I’ll make it just like Bobby says. I’m sure I’ll love it even more made with yummy fatty beef. And from now on I’ll be adding grated onion to my coleslaw. Magic! So fire up your grill and give it a go. Can’t wait to try the rest of the burger recipes in the article.

Camp Sew Fun

Banner patterns available at meringuedesigns cheaper than on etsy.

The kids have been out of school just about a week now, but so far so good.  I must admit I was a bit anxious as the school year came to an end. After all, the kids fight like cats and dogs on the weekend so who is to say that the other five days of the week would yield a different result? Most days I believe that my kids would sell each other for a nickel—with or without a coat of many colors. So what’s a mom to do? Structure is the answer my friends.
I decided that every Tuesday this summer would be Camp Sew Fun in our house. So for this week’s projects the kids wanted  to make banners for their rooms. Imagine that, their mom makes and sells banners to everyone else on the planet, and yet my own kids don’t even have one. So I put one of my sewing machines on the lowest possible speed (lest Camp Sew Fun result in a trip to the E.R. for removal of a sewing machine needle) and let the kids sew their own banners. They picked their own fabrics, traced the letters, cut them out, and pieced them together. My oldest son had the hardest time cutting out his letters and my youngest daughter excelled at cutting hers.  Go figure. Now I just need to figure out what we can sew the rest of the summer.
 

I’m Keen on Keane

I reverted back to my teenage years the other night. For an hour and half I went deaf in both ears and screamed lyrics at the top of my lungs while dancing at the Keane concert in Salt Lake City. My sister Patty bought us 3rd row tickets—the poor teenagers had nose-bleed seats—definitely the advantage of being 35 now with more disposable income. Keane has three albums out and I assured Patty she would not be sorry in offering me her extra ticket for I am a true fan. So we whooped and hollered every song till our throats ached. We’ve always had a weakness for British singers/bands. We’re pretty sure the lead singer Tom Chaplin was impressed with our prowess at knowing all the lyrics—as he should be as I seem to forget a lot lately, namely registering my daughter for kindergarten and reminding my son about scouts. But thankfully my brain remembers the important things like the lyrics to Crystal Ball.

Love this video (click here to watch…don’t know why the you tube link is broken.)

Feathering My Nest

I sure miss having the time to sew for myself these days. But I have been dieing to  make myself new pillows for my bedroom. It’s been at least a year (too long in my book) to stare at the same pillows day after day when I make my bed. So I used some canvas prints by Amy Butler’s August Fields collection and a wild and crazy zebra print. Every room needs a touch of black in my opinion. I have found myself dog-earring any of the pages in my Better Homes and Gardens Magazine that had zebra print pillows in the room. Not as a focal point, but just as an accessory—like a good necklace. So here’s to setting aside the 9 orders sitting on my desk in favor of spoiling myself. Me likey.

Proud to Be An American

I’m not going to go on and on in this post about how fabulous our trip to Washington DC was. Because really,who cares. As much as I try to read long blog posts—no matter how interesting—invariably I end up skimming the long paragraphs as I stare at the photos.   Instead I’ll try to concisely articulate my thoughts as I walked around the city

I was proud to be an American as I stared up at this giant statue memorializing this great man who saved the Union.

I was proud to be an American as I read just a few of these names…wondering how their loss affected their families. And grateful that my own Dad came home.

I was proud to be an American as I stood with hundreds of others in the rotunda of the Capital…thinking about the history that is still made in this building. E Pluribus Unum! (Truly my favorite tour.)

I was proud to be an American as I watched these soldiers guard the tomb of one who is unknown. There was also something poignant about walking around a graveyard in the spring and watching the blossoms and flowers come alive again. It reminded me of He who died so these soldiers (and all others)could live again.

I was proud to be an American as I taught my children about the significance of the Supreme Court building.

I was proud to be an American as I contemplated the freedom of expression we all enjoy as I passed this church just across the street from the Supreme Court.

I was proud to be an American as I walked around the now quiet fields of Gettysburg.
 
I was proud to share this all with my family. God Bless America!

Being Selfish

I had a million things to do the other day and I ignored most of them. Instead, I decided that I needed (I use that term loosely) a new runner for my table. So I stacked 4 12” squares of fabric, cut them all crazy, shuffled the pieces, and pieced them together. This is the result. Next time I’ll avoid the puckery edges by binding them. (I’m just too lazy to bind quilts.) But I am fairly happy with the results. So is my vase of tulips.

Funny Bunny

My friend Kelly sent me this picture today. Happy Easter!

Ode to Hard Work

I can’t do it all, so I don’t even try
Because if I tried to, surely I’d cry
I shun scrapbooking and book clubs
And rarely clean the stove
And still you might ask,
Why I’m still so overload?

Well, there’s scouts and soccer,
lessons on piano for potential
And dang that laundry seems to grow exponential!
I always dread scrubbing our four showers and tubs
I’d rather read a cookbook all about dry rubs (huh?)

I run my own business, sometimes that a chore
Plus being YW president  is just adding work more.
And I refuse to cook from a package for dinner.
My homemade pesto really is a winner.

I really need to stop, burned out I’m becoming
Spreading myself too thin is so habit forming
So what can I cut out? What can go bye bye?
I’ll gladly give up the demon exercise.

So here’s to being so busy sometimes I sure feel
Like a chicken with her head cut off, who will eventually keel.

Cynthia’s Favorite Things

If my name started with “O” and if I had my own TV show, then what I’m about to say would change America. Gratefully, my name starts with “C” and on most days I merely have an audience of three. But I’ll share some of my favorite things with all my cyber friends.

1. Broccoli Slaw: I discovered the shredded contents of this little bag a few months ago. And I am nearly giddy over it! Minimum effort, maximum output. It looks like a bag of shredded cabbage but it’s really a bag of ultra-healthy shredded broccoli, carrots, and cabbage. It’s the fastest way to get stir fry, broccoli salad, chicken lettuce wraps, and pad thai on the table for dinner. No chopping, no washing, no work at all. Open the bag and instant nutrition for this sometimes lazy cook. I’ll stop now.

2. Ipod touch: I bought myself the iPod touch for my birthday in January. I use it for everything—my calendar, my phonebook, my email, my grocery lists, check the weather, storing pictures to show clients, games to occupy scared children in the dentist’s office, and most importantly, music to plug into my stereo to get me through the morning dishes. Color me happy.

3. Favorite tunes: I can’t stop listening to the following albums and if I was 12 again and had them on tape I probably would’ve worn out the tape by now. I’m sure loving The Bravery’s album “The Sun and the Moon”, Coldplay’s album “Viva la Vida” and Ian Mcculloch’s (former singer of Echo and The Bunnymen)“Sideling”. And thanks to #2 you now know how I am enjoying these tunes. These guys practically make the dishes enjoyable. Ok, palatable.

4. The O’Reilly Factor: I started watching Mr. O’Reilly during the election in the fall because I was sick of all the ultra liberal media on the networks. Well, I fell in love with Mr. O’Reilly’s cranky style and haven’t missed an episode yet, thanks to my DVR. For once, I feel like an informed American who understands what’s going on in our country thanks to Fox News and websites like politico.com. 

5. Nutri-Mill Wheat Grinder: Before you stop reading, please know that I am not a health nut. Taste first, nutrition second. I like butter and bacon. And while I know those two foods will kill me, I’d rather eat them rarely than eat their substitutes regularly. I say that because other than good wheat bread II rarely like any whole wheat products. They taste heavy and healthy. But something changed for me recently when I discovered that white wheat produces lovely baked goods while my usual red wheat is heavy with a strong ‘wheat’ flavor. So I bought a Nutri-Mill wheat grinder and have converted to using whole wheat in nearly everything. I dare you to taste the difference between my white flour baked goods and my new whole wheat baked goods—pancakes, waffles, cookies, banana bread, etc. (With one exception—strawberry shortcakes are not as good with wheat flour.) I rarely use the white stuff now and am so proud of myself. Trust me, flavor is always first in my kitchen. But I am pleased to announce that healthy is now delicious.

So there you have it, rush on out, be a good capitalist, and spend some money. Ah, the power of viral marketing. Who am I kidding, I’m lucky if 5 people read my blogs.