good times

today between sessions of conference we (julie and myself) decided that we wanted to walk with the kids to this authentic mexican burrito joint up the street. i've never been there but have heard great things about it and since paul, who doesn't like mexican, needed to get work done around the complex, i figured today was the best day to go. also, since today is saturday, i figured it was a good alternative to lugging the kids into the place and fighting the weekday white collar lunchcrowd clamouring around this place like vultures.

BUT. it was closed. apparently those vultures bring in good business. and the ooba tooba workers can party on the weekend from the fabulous sales of the previous week. good for them. sad for us.

so, instead we walked back the way we came and went to chantanee thai. which is my favorite. and more fun because julie had never been there. and she loved it. we had crab wantons for the appetizer and my two favorite thai dishes (phad see iew and phad thai..i know, adventurous eh?) and then mango and sticky rice and fried ice cream for dessert. i think we conveniently forgot that after we finished this huge feast we would have to walk home.

if this detailed menu of what we had for lunch is boring you, the entire point of this post is what follows.

we had finished our meal and ava and julie went to the restroom, leaving max and i at the table. the restaurant had practically emptied of the busy and noisy lunchcrowd, save a few quiet patrons in corners of the restaurant.

my stomach was pleasantly full, my children were very well behaved for lunch, i had enjoyed a refreshing walk outside, i had just eaten a delicious lunch in the company of a dear friend and a reminiscient song began playing faintly in the background. and suddenly i had this wonderful feeling of pure joy. that filled my chest up. a feeling of being happy and fulfilled in my life. and i took a deep breath and just enjoyed it's fleeting presence. i'm sure the people leaving their table across the restaurant who glanced my way thought i was an exhausted, crazy mom smiling at the wall. but, oh well.

dancing

i was watching the travel channel this week and a show came on about ballroom dancing. real, honest-to-goodness balls that annually take place in vienna. where the men actually dance with the women. this is so novel to me. i love the dances that occur in jane austen movies. the clothes, the dancing, rotating partners and seeing how much fun they have. but i'll take any kind of dancing that involves my guy dressing up to go to a party and dance with me.

guy love

i don't watch scrubs. i'm all about the office. but, when i do, i still think it's pretty darn funny. so, i saw this musical episode a couple months ago and still have it saved on my tivo just because of this one song. paul going on his man-date tomorrow with jimmy made me think of it. have fun golfing boys.

arboretum

sunday afternoon we went for a walk at the washington park arboretum. we try to go every year around this time because the trees are in full bloom. it was beautiful. here are a few pictures from the day...

even thought it was a little muddy...


it was still a gorgeous day.


ava picked me flowers...


and then we stopped by this cute little pond...


to snack on pretzels...


and play.


max loved being outside...


ava, the wood nyph, could LIVE outside.


it was also a little windy...


so ava wanted to throw blossoms to the wind.


by the end of our walk, ava was pretty tired.


here we are, walking back to the car...


and then driving home.

sunday sweets

when i was growing up, my mom would make us gingerbread and lemon sauce. i think it was mostly for special occasions or when we had guests. but ever since i started this sunday sweets thing i have been dreaming about gingerbread and lemon sauce. i have suggested it more than a few times to paul but he has always wrinkled his nose at the idea. but. i did it anyway. i justified this cruelty to paul by the fact that i made him chocolate chip cookies on thursday night. so, he's okay. and so are my dear friends who i tested this on last night. they loved it. i loved it. usually when i had eaten this in the distant past, i remember smothering it in my mom's lemon sauce. but this gingerbread was so moist and velvety that there wasn't really a need. still, the lemon sauce i made was so delicious that i wanted to anyway.

recipe followed EXACTLY from the better homes and gardens cookbook

gingerbread

1 1/2 c flour
3/4 t ground cinnamon
3/4 t ground ginger
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c shortening
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c light molasses

directions:
1. grease a 9x1 1/2 inch round baking pan; set pan aside. in a bowl combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
2. in a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. add brown sugar; beat till fluffy. add egg and molasses; beat 1 minute. add dry mixture and 1/2 c water alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition till combined. pour batter into pan.
3. bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean. cool for 30 minutes in a pan on wire rack. serve warm. makes 9 servings.

lemon sauce

1/2 c water
1/4 c sugar
1 T cornstarch
1/4 t finely shredded lemon peel
1 T lemon juice
2 t butter or margarine

directions
1. in a small saucepan combine the water, sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel and lemon juice. cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. cook and stir for 2 minutes more. remove from heat; stir in butter or margarine till melted. serve warm. makes 2/3 c sauce.

wanted: nanny

small family looking for a part time nanny to two darling children ages 1 and 4. hours will be 6am-10am on saturday mornings ONLY. you will be given a house key and will need to arrive promptly at 6am because children wake up at 6:23 am. give or take a few minutes. we are looking for a loving, kind, extremely patient, good-natured, creative, organized and above all QUIET nanny who can instill in our children the need to be QUIET until mommy and daddy have slept in long enough to resume their normal parenting responsibilities. pay is negotiable, in fact sometimes we don't even pay with actual money. how do chocolate chip cookies sound to you?

clam digging

here is some live clam digging action by yours truly! i am hurrying because if i didn't, the clam would disapper. i am not too excited because i had dug three times in a row and not gotten anything, so i was really tired. AND that "shhhh" sound is the suction of the gun and not me cursing. just in case you were worried.

fried clams

i have had quite a hard time getting my video to work. but it is finally up and running. i think it gives you all a better idea of what clamming is all about. so enjoy that up there.

on tuesday night we ate our first batch of clams for dinner. i found a northwest recipe and just modified it to my taste. but basically i just used fresh bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and a little cayan pepper. and then i fried them in a butter and veg oil mixture. it is stressed everywhere and by everyone that if you fry or bake them too long, they get really tough and chewy. so i was super careful and they actually turned out tender and fairly good. considering.

reward

so i cleaned my house yesterday. this involved the ENTIRE house, including, but not limited to toilets, stove, fridge, sweeping and mopping my huge span of laminate floors and SEVEN loads of laundry. while i was sweeping my floors last night, i was thinking of how i really deserved a reward for all this cleaning. i know this isn't LOGICAL. we all have to clean our houses. (at some point) and do our laundry. (at some point) and it's really just a part of life. and you can't have a REWARD everytime you do something that NEEDS to be done. but. still. i wanted one. and still do.

and since right now, all that is on my mind is spring...i want a spring dress and shoes. but there is a lot of ugly stuff out there right now. and a lot of black and navy and brown. and i'm wanting bright, light colors. so, here are a few that i am loving right now...but can't afford so i will wish and hope that stuff this cute shows up at target. or old navy. or nord rack. p.s. i know the third one is black AND red, but i just really, really like it.

clamming

yesterday we drove to the coast to go clam digging. we have never done this before and were super excited. or at least i was. it poured rain the entire three hour drive there so we were pretty much resigned that we would be clamming in the windy rain. and we were. but it was SO much fun.



here we are all bundled up. we might look retarded, but we were dry, and warm. and protected from the very powerful oceanic elements. so, there.

anyway, for those of you who have never gone clam digging, read on for informative details and graphic clam pictures and maybe even a video or two. for those of you who don't care and have no interest. sorry.

first piece of equipment that is vital for clamming (unless you want to freeze your legs off) are waders.



these are baggy, waterproof panty hose-type overalls that we put on over our pants and then wore our boots like normal. i borrowed back my lovely green boots from julie (perfect for st. patty's day) and wore those, while everyone else wore these boots that you see me wearing right here. (i changed out of these because emily f couldn't fit into my green ones.) behind me is the beach that we walked down to to clam at.

second piece of equipment is a clam gun.



if you look closely enough at this picture you will see a tiny hole underneath the handle. we walked along the beach tapping the sand with a stick or a shovel. the clams responded to those taps by retreating deeper into the sand and come up for air before heading down and that action is signified by a quarter-sized dimple in the sand. once we saw that dimple, we got all excited and placed the clam gun over it and started digging. you push the clam gun down into the sand, cover that tiny hole with your finger, and then pull out the gunful of sand and hopefully there is a clam in it. it took me about 4 digs every time to finally get the clam out, the third or fourth being the toughest pull. i was persisent and got a lot of clams, but my back was killing me by the time i did 10. paul did about 12. our licenses alotted us 15 a piece. so, we all pooled ours and i think we got about 60 or 70 total.



we left at about 10am on saturday morning and got home last night about 9:30. i threw all our dripping wet clothes into the washing machine and ran over to our friends house to boil, shell and de-gut the clams. it was disgusting. and it was A LOT. and...i don't even like clams. but the whole experience was awesome. if you ever come out for a visit, i will take you clamming.

sunday sweets

if you are the kind of person who thinks cake is too dry. (me) or likes to pour milk over your cake. (me, again) or likes ANY kind of sauce, gravy or dressing. (yes, that would be me too.) then welcome to tres leches. for those of you who don't speak spanish, this means three milks. i highly recommend this cake. after the friends we had over for sunday dessert left, only a miniscule, polite corner of the cake remained. i think they would have licked the pan if it was etiquettely possible.



tres leches
courtesy of JOY OF COOKING
and of course, my dear lydia who first made it for me.
8-10 servings

have all ingredients at room temperature. preheat oven to 350° (325° if baking pan is glass). grease and flour one 9x9 inch pan or one 11x7 inch pan.

sift together:
1 c all purpose flour
2 t baking powder

in a large bowl, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form:
3 large egg whites
1/8 t cream of tarter (optional)

gradually add, beating on high speed:
1 c sugar

beat in 1 at a time:
3 large egg yolks

add one-quarter of flour mixture at a time, beating on low speed or stirring with a rubber spatula just until incorporated and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

add and beat just until the mixture is smooth and evenly mixed:
1/4 C milk

scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 24-30 minutes. let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.

meanwhile combine:
1 c heavy cream
one 12 oz can evaporated milk
one 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

leaving the cake in the pan, prick it with a toothpick at 1-inch intervals. pour the milk mixture slowly over the cake, including the corners and the edges.

refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving or overnight.

p.s. there IS a meringue topping, but i'm not a fan of meringue, so i have never made it with this. if you want it, i can add it.

chandeliers

i have a thing for chandeliers. and i LOVE this one. i really would just love to have this bathroom. with a chandelier in it. what do you think?

mac n cheese

i'm not a fan of box mac n cheese. not at all. so, i had some friends over for lunch today at the last minute and made this fabulous recipe that i snatched from allrecipes.com. i've made a few different homemade mac n cheeses but this one takes the cake. see the link for the original recipe, because i tweaked it a little bit.

ingredients:
1 8oz pkg penne pasta
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c sour cream
1/2 c grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

directions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
2. in large bowl, stir together pasta, shredded cheese, sour cream, parmesan, salt and pepper. in a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. sprinkle topping over pasta mixture.
3. bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden. serves 6.

new dress

i love my new dress. and i asked paul to take pictures of it after we got home from church yesterday. in the sincere hopes that he wouldn't make fun of me. he didn't. in fact, rather the opposite. he told me where to stand, how to sit, set up the tripod. etc. and the big kiss that he planted on my lips afterwards was totally worth all the discomfort of sitting in front of the camera while he snapped a dozen pictures of me. he said it was his payment for getting to take pictures of me. duh. why haven't i asked him to do this before? oh right, because it's still really uncomfortable for me. so, please disregard my odd poses and blatant aversion to looking at the camera and just focus on my new dress.

thirst

i don't get to go to relief society or sunday school. which is my one and only regret about being in primary. so, my spiritual nourishment isn't as predictable as if i were to go on a weekly basis and be fed. and sacrament meeting is pure chaos with max and ava. we are there but it is next to impossible to hear anything, much less feel the spirit. so, i was reading my scriptures this afternoon and these words brought tears to my eyes:

"come, my brethren, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price."

"wherefore, do not spend your money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. hearken dilligently unto me, and remember the words which i have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness."

"behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. let your hearts rejoice." (2 nephi 9:50-52, drink and never thirst by liz lemon swindle.)

how refreshing to be reminded of the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. to be reminded of how much He wants us to come unto Him and feast upon his word and rejoice. because that is what it is all about. the plan of happiness. how truly, truly grateful i am for it.

orange peel

i love the color orange. i pretty much love all colors, especially bold ones but orange is just one that i am in love with lately. today i peeled a little satsuma in one peel. and the light was coming through the window just right so i grabbed my camera. this first picture is of it with no orange inside and then i opened it up.

playing in the sheets

a white, queen size fitted sheet amused ava for hours this morning. she wanted her and i to sit underneath it and for me to tell her stories. so, i did. about a princess named aubrey who lived in a castle and had a huge garden with every imaginable flower in it and a yacht to sail all over the world with. i pretty much could tell her anything and make sure the word "princess" is in there and she would be enthralled.

picture wallpaper

there is an architect named geoffrey prentiss who was featured in february's issue of seattle mag. instead of stashing his pictures away in boxes, or even nicely placing them in expensive frames, he wallpapered his kitchen in them. it is spectacular. and i've searched the web high and low for pictures to show, but to no avail. so, i'm giving you an idea of what his kitchen looks like. of something i did a few years ago. similar. and on a much smaller scale.

this is one of two that hang in my hallway. i just created this as a document and then took it to a print shop and had them mount it on foam core. they're actually starting to fade in the hallway spotlights, but they were cheap, so it's not a big deal. but when i wallpaper my own kitchen, or actually i think i now want to do an entire room, i will have more pictures of scenery and i would like to scan old pictures of my mom's and grandma's. so, it's pieces of my family history, my life, on my walls.

so, this gives you an idea of what geoffrey prentiss's looks like, all carefully layered together on his walls behind his sink and under his cupboards. he didn't use the original pictures, "chosen photos were color-copied onto high-quality paper, slicked with an acrylic medium that acts as both adherent and sealant, then arranged on vertical surfaces with a designer's eye for color and composition."

so, when i finally aquire a house in umpteen years, and you come to visit, look for that room that i have photo-wall papered. i will be very proud of it.

sunday sweets

so, i need to document this. it was a complete failure, but it still needs to be documented. i made a cheesecake. for the first time. ever. and i followed the recipe. i had all the appropriate ingredients. and it turned out like this:



and even though all the ingredients were there, it didn't taste that great. thank goodness for my yummy strawberry sauce. which is pretty much a save-all. here is that recipe:

2 c frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed
1 c frozen strawberries, thawed
1/3 c sugar
1 t cornstarch.

in medium saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch. add strawberries. cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. cook and stir a little bit more. remove from heat. cool. serve. makes about 1 1/2-2 c sauce.

yummy

so last friday before i, too, was downed with the sickness, paul came home early and i left to run errands, kid free. it was wonderful and i was feeling very liberated. AND i was so excited because i could finally go into this new store down the street that i have been coveting since it went in about 3 months ago. i turned my phone off and just BROWSED. how long has it been since i could do that? smell everything, touch everything and just revel in beautiful things. after about 30 minutes i finally decided that i deserved to treat myself to something tiny and bought this delicious smelling archipelago candle.

umbrella

i was driving in the rain today and passed a couple walking down the street that caught my attention. i almost hit the car in front of me, it was so sweet. the girl was beautiful, well-dressed with her hair pulled into a high ponytail and the guy was holding an umbrella over her. she was talking and he was enthralled in whatever she was saying, but careful to keep her dry under the umbrella. you could tell they were newly dating, and in the fresh stages of their relationship because of the way he was looking at her and the way she looked so perfect and made-up. and it put a warm feeling in my heart and i thought of paul. and was grateful that he holds the umbrella for me. maybe i have to ask him to do it, but he still does it.

sick house addition

here is the new addition to the sick house. poor guy. i took him to the pediatrician today and he has an ear infection, an eye infection and a sinus infection. i didn't even know babies could get sinus infections. that would explain the nonstop crying.

sick house

i just got back from taking ava to the doctor. she has bronchitis AND pnemonia. this is ava who has NEVER been sick in all of her four years. it is so sad. she normally is running all over the house, making noise and jumping off of things. and all she wants to do is sit on the couch and cuddle with me and "watch a show". which, i love the cuddles, complete with nose blowing and giving her liquids and carrying her to the bathroom, but sometimes the show-watching is just unbearable. i've tried to control it with our tivo, so we're watching curious george and sesame street. but, there's only so many shows i can record from one day to the next before we have to wait for it to record more. so, luckily i have discovered noggin during the day. when i just can't, can't, can't watch hi-5 one more time. ugh.