BWA-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Iron Jane
We are three weeks into our CSA, and it is such a pleasure.
(We just got a farm subscription, so for $20 every week we get a huge box of a variety of local, organically grown fruits and vegetables. I promise I won't bore you with the inventory... please keep reading!)
The very first thought I had when I opened our box was, "Hooray, somebody else decided what we're going to have for dinner!"
Making dinner at our house sometimes feels like my own private game of Iron Chef. There's a one hour countdown and the big clock is ticking, the available ingredients are strangely mismatched, and oh, the PRESSURE. But, if I can pull it off, I win the prestigious title of "Iron Chef." Well, maybe not. But if I beat the meltdown, and dinner tastes good, I feel the Iron.
But, back to the CSA. I love NOT having a choice of what vegetables we get each week. Someone else is shopping for me, and they're choosing some things that I never buy. Vegetable variety is being forced upon me, and I know that is a good thing. A little recipe search on Google or Epicurious gives me some inspiration, and off I go.
If you happen to be getting an abundance of yellow summer squash in your CSA or garden, here's a delicious and easy recipe that I came up with last night. I used some Japanese zucchini recipes for inspiration. Please let me know if you try it!
(Farm illustration by Diego)
(We just got a farm subscription, so for $20 every week we get a huge box of a variety of local, organically grown fruits and vegetables. I promise I won't bore you with the inventory... please keep reading!)
The very first thought I had when I opened our box was, "Hooray, somebody else decided what we're going to have for dinner!"
Making dinner at our house sometimes feels like my own private game of Iron Chef. There's a one hour countdown and the big clock is ticking, the available ingredients are strangely mismatched, and oh, the PRESSURE. But, if I can pull it off, I win the prestigious title of "Iron Chef." Well, maybe not. But if I beat the meltdown, and dinner tastes good, I feel the Iron.
But, back to the CSA. I love NOT having a choice of what vegetables we get each week. Someone else is shopping for me, and they're choosing some things that I never buy. Vegetable variety is being forced upon me, and I know that is a good thing. A little recipe search on Google or Epicurious gives me some inspiration, and off I go.
If you happen to be getting an abundance of yellow summer squash in your CSA or garden, here's a delicious and easy recipe that I came up with last night. I used some Japanese zucchini recipes for inspiration. Please let me know if you try it!
Summer Squash and Onions
Ingredients:
* 4-6 medium yellow summer
squashes
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 onion
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon powdered
ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic
powder
* 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
* 3 tablespoons sesame
seeds
* 2 tablespoons butter
* ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Slice squash and onion into thin (about 1/4”) pieces
2. Mix soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger
until honey is dissolved
3. Pour olive oil into large frying pan
and heat on medium high
4. When pan is hot, add all remaining
ingredients (including soy sauce mix)
5. Fry, stirring occasionally, until
squash is tender and browned
Monday, October 18, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Date Night
Toys stay on the floor and dishes in the sink... Tonight is date night. At least, I think it is. Joe's not back from tucking in Diego, so that might be a sign that he's accidentally resting up for date night. I should know. I just woke up from putting Julio to bed.
"What does this dynamic couple do for date night?" I know you're wondering. No, there is no babysitter or idling taxi waiting for me to put the finishing touches on my up-do. These days, date night is more of a sweatpants and herbal tea type of affair. There is usually a laptop and a DVD involved. Sometimes we watch the whole thing (not in one installment) or enjoy a (huge) bowl of ice cream.
When Diego was a baby, we used to read or play scrabble or cribbage, make some music together or (once) do some stretching and a light workout. For that matter, before the kids came along, we even used to go out. Those luxuries are on hold these busy days, but you know what? I really don't mind. I love watching a movie (falling asleep) next to Joe on the couch. I know our days of out-on-the-town will be back before long, but right now I can't even imagine staying out late. I think I'd rather have a babysitter come at 5:30 in the morning so Joe and I could get an extra hour of sleep. Speaking of which, I'd better go wake him up for date night!
"What does this dynamic couple do for date night?" I know you're wondering. No, there is no babysitter or idling taxi waiting for me to put the finishing touches on my up-do. These days, date night is more of a sweatpants and herbal tea type of affair. There is usually a laptop and a DVD involved. Sometimes we watch the whole thing (not in one installment) or enjoy a (huge) bowl of ice cream.
When Diego was a baby, we used to read or play scrabble or cribbage, make some music together or (once) do some stretching and a light workout. For that matter, before the kids came along, we even used to go out. Those luxuries are on hold these busy days, but you know what? I really don't mind. I love watching a movie (falling asleep) next to Joe on the couch. I know our days of out-on-the-town will be back before long, but right now I can't even imagine staying out late. I think I'd rather have a babysitter come at 5:30 in the morning so Joe and I could get an extra hour of sleep. Speaking of which, I'd better go wake him up for date night!
The Very Young at Art
Sidewalk chalk was a big hit. Scribbling everywhere with big, easy to hold chunks, and endless cups of water for pouring on top... what more could a fifteen-month-old want?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Pet Gorilla
This toy has been in our house since Diego was a baby. We call it the pet gorilla.
It's just a picture of a baby gorilla that I downloaded, printed, cut out and stuck in an old candy box. Occasionally, we "feed" it some fresh bamboo, which adds to the effect.
Julio is fascinated.
He stares at it for a while, then asks for the box to be opened. He takes out and examines the bamboo and the picture. He says, "Gorilla!"
The other boys still occasionally play with it, but I remember that when they were his age, they were just as intrigued by it as Julio is now.
It's just a picture of a baby gorilla that I downloaded, printed, cut out and stuck in an old candy box. Occasionally, we "feed" it some fresh bamboo, which adds to the effect.
Julio is fascinated.
He stares at it for a while, then asks for the box to be opened. He takes out and examines the bamboo and the picture. He says, "Gorilla!"
The other boys still occasionally play with it, but I remember that when they were his age, they were just as intrigued by it as Julio is now.
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