on the range {week 18}: updated

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

On the Range

April 30 - May 6, 2013

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2013."

I can't claim credit for my post title today. My aunt has a framed photo of herself and her sister as little girls, and she wrote a variation of this sentence below it. It always made me chuckle as a kid, even the thousand and fortieth time I read it, so I've been dying to steal it ever since.

Update: So, apparently it's not a good idea to use certain words in your post title, for they attract p*rn sites. Thus, I removed a sentence in my title that said "A coupla [warm baby birds] standing around." Except I didn't way "warm baby birds" but other words that mean the same thing as those words. You got me? Sheesh, the stuff you learn blogging. It could fill a house. Or at the very least a single-wide trailer.


Milestones

• Vivi came inside after playing to tell me with a serious look on her face..."Mommy, I've realized something. Bubbles are not fantastic, they are terrible and not fun. AND a mess." Then she showed me her hands, which she then proceeded to wash carefully after throwing away the bubble stuff. Is she her father's child or what? Ha! The whole scene makes me giggle every time I think about it again.
• Charlotte is a common name up here, as is the nickname "Charlie" for boys, so one way I like to distinguish my Charlie is to give her lots of other nicknames. Chuck is my personal favorite (did you ever see that short-lived program, Pushing Daisies?). Lotti is not really that cute in my opinion, but it's fun when you add something to it, like Lotti McSniffles when she's sick. I change it up for added interest, like Chuckles McFussyBritches when she's tantruming. Vivi's been playing around with it too, but the other day she said something like "Charlie McFuckles," totally by accident of course, and I still haven't recovered from all the laughing. 
• My little brother turns 20 today. If that doesn't make you feel old, I dunno what will. Happy birthday bro!

Media

• You can't spit without running into a fairy garden these days. They are the terrariums of 2013. But who cares? They are awesome! Whatever gets my kid in the dirt is ok by me. One of my favorite how-tos is this one by Beth of Remarkably Domestic. I think the pipe is too much for me, but I'm all for grouting some rocks onto an old pot I have lying around. Cute, huh?
• Do you love IKEA as much as me? If so, you will love this Apt Therapy article compiling ideas for hacking their furniture to create cute stuff for your kids. I wish I were that crafty.
• I'm not sure if this LA Times story would have always made me so steaming mad or if it's partly because I just got done re-reading Lee's novel. I mean, really, the nerve of people! Will we never live down the stories of old people being swindled by snaky men? Let's hope she gets herself an Atticus-worthy attorney.
• Yet another reason to love Jenny Lawson, cuz she ain't gonna let no door tell her what to do.
• I am so glad I know better than to "birthday jack" Facebook posts about my kid turning 5. So creepy. If this ever changes, friends, you know what to do. 

Meals

• Beef vegetable soup
• I tried a new thing at Trader Joe's, which doesn't happen often. They are called aloo chaat kati, found in the frozen meal section, and they look like Indian hot pockets--except they are way more delicious. Like the samosas at TJ's, it's a vegetarian meal that is greasy enough that it satisfies me the way eating meat does--no easy feat in my mind.
• In the interest of full meal disclosure, I had not one but two bowls of Trader Joe's mango sorbet last night, with coconut sprinkled on top. So yummy.

on the range {week 17}: in the dirt

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

On the Range

April 23 - 29, 2013

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2013."

My week...

• Has been spent with the front door open. As a way of explaining my absence--apart from celebrating the queen's fifth birthday and the visit of a much-missed mother--note exhibit A below:

Media

• All of my library holds arrived in the same week (does this happen to you?), so I now have in my possession a stack of books that make me out to be more intelligent than deserved. They are:
• A Victorian rebel: the life of William Morris by...somebody I can't remember
• Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
• Lean In: women, work, and the will to lead (the sound recording) by Sheryl Sandburg
• The Sound and the Fury & As I lay Dying by William Faulkner
• Persuasion (annotated version) by Jane Austen (and the annotator, name I can't recall)
• Mom and I watched a few episodes of "Bored to Death" the past few nights, and I chuckled a lot out loud, which is my only requirement of 30-minute programming. I recommend it if you can find it at your library.

I'm going now to catch up on the blogs, since all I could manage in the past week is Elle's hilarious portrayal of the horseshittery (her word, stolen by yours truly) of fellow parents. Her mordant humor slays me. Also, I wish I could say I've been cooking, but apart from cranking out Dutch babies by the armful, I've been on a heat-and-serve kick. Must be all that spring fever. 

What have y'all been up to while I've been gone? Do tell of your doings, lovelies. 

on the range {week 16}: nothing a little Pooh can't fix

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

On the Range

April 16 - 22, 2013

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Vivi: To make us all feel better, we borrowed Winnie the Pooh from the library, which we can count on to cheer us up. This pic is Vivi laughing heartily when Pooh's growling belly makes him dance.

Charlie: Watching her big sis for directions on the next part of their game. She doesn't miss a moment.

Milestones

• Charlie is finally getting her molars this week, which in my experience has been the most painful of all the teeth to arrive. Poor little dear. There has been lots of cuddling in my house this week and several banana milkshakes consumed by all.
• Vivi still calls insect repellant "bug scream." I consider it one of the last of her early childhood malapropisms, and I am in no hurry to correct her. It never ceases to make me laugh.

My week

• I am finally reading The Hunger Games trilogy of books this week, and I can't put them down! No, seriously, someone pry this book from my hands and force me to feed my children. I think I avoided the books for so long because I was somehow convinced they were Twilight-ish in nature. I have no reasoning for this connection other than both series involve teens. But they are so much better than I expected, and I find myself juxtaposed between racing to find out what happens and not wanting it to end.

Moods

• Sad and relieved. I am sad about the bombing, sad that prejudices about foreigners were just buoyed by one more "told-ya-so," sad that the boy they identified and caught is so young. But I am relieved they brought him in and that they did so alive. These people we've put in charge of our lives, they are amazing. I think we can't tell them this truth enough, so I will likely join the millions of other women who will be making them brownies this week.
• Humdrum. It is raining and low 40's again today. Egads! I won't bore you with my complaints again.
• Smug. I knew lots of my words of the day this week. Do you get this email service? I enrolled so I could learn some new words, but an unexpected outcome is that I feel smug at words I already know. I mean, who doesn't know the definition of "decamp"? It seems like a word even Dubya would know, you know?

Media

• Funny article from Gawker about a Fox & Friends reaction to a law requiring mandatory translation services in Ohio public schools. My favorite commenter, when asked what Gretchen Carlson would be translated to in Spanish, says her Castillian name would be "La Gringa Estupida de Wonderbread con Mayo."
• My cousin Alice shared two hilarious clips this week. The first is Stephen Colbert's "Oopsie-Daisy Homophobe", which is brilliant. Boy does he ever have his finger on the pulse of political & pop culture humor. The second is a clip of a news team cracking up after interviewing Ryan Lochte. Thanks Alice!

on the range {week 15}: see tot swim

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Vivi: This picture is obviously not from this week, but I hadn't gotten pictures off my little camera in a while, and this one is really cute of her while trick-or-treating in our neighborhood dressed as Batgirl.

Charlie: She had her last swim class this morning. I added a video snippet below.

On the Range

April 9 - 15, 2013

Milestones

• While Vivi is still unable to read, her artistry skills are moving right along. Recently she drew a picture of a paintbrush drawing a picture. I hadn't realized that kind of perspective was possible for a four-year-old to create on her own. That's good, yes?
• Proving yet again that my life is an Abbot & Costello routine, I explained to Vivi that I was shoveling the fireplace ash into a bucket (specifically, my new old coal bucket from the trade shop) because I will save it to sprinkle in the compost. She replied, "But Mommy, why did you burn cash in the fire? That doesn't seem like a smart idea." And that's the end of our show, folks. Please tip your server on the way out.
• Here's a video of my little fish, Charlie, on her last day of swim class (in which there were no other children due to it occurring during vacation week). We will miss her adorable, patient instructor. I'm sure there's no way to request a teacher at the Y, they aren't that organized over there, and they do seem to like to spread the wealth of talent; thus, Vivi has a teacher with braces who appears to be in seventh grade:

My week...

• When it comes to home decorating and furniture organization, I am as useless as tits on a boar hog. Luckily my husband is semi-talented in this life skill and did some nice swapping of items in our upstairs rooms and then deposited an old dresser at Goodwill of his own accord. I'm looking forward to my mom's trip in a few weeks so she can add her tasteful touch.
• Though I sorely lack decorating skills, I am an excellent organizer and purger of junk. One item removed from the house yesterday was a Barbie-sized plastic toilet, and I shit you not (hee) when I tell you it had a tiny handle that could be flushed to reveal a colorful sticker meant to represent the stuff that goes in a toilet, with accompanying sounds of the stuff going in. I consider myself a real peach for allowing said toy to be allowed in the house for a whole year before it got the boot. I mean really, who are these toy producers anyway? Let's leave something up to our children's imagination, shall we? I choose the dolls' bodily functions. I feel certain my children will some day forgive my stinginess. 

Moods

• Yesterday's bombing of the Boston Marathon is of course on everyone's mind. When I found out it was for sure some homemade bombs and not a gas line explosion, my first thought was "the last time I lived in a major city that was bombed in this way was during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta." Then I thought about how sad it is that I have already lived in two cities that have experienced bombings in only 17 years. Then I thought about how fortunate we are as Americans not to experience bombings daily as they do in some places. So, yes, it's an emotional roller coaster around here.

Media

• It's difficult to read the gruesome reports coming out about the victims of the bombing. This Globe article describes brothers who each lost a leg. They had been standing next to the family who lost their 8-year-old son. But my favorite article is on the Cognoscenti blog by a MIT professor of international security, and it's called "They Picked the Wrong City."
• I've been pondering how to give the girls some good backyard play action, and I found this cute idea for an outdoor "mud pie kitchen." It seems simple enough that even I could build it. I wonder if I can get my hands on old crates or other reclaimed wood.

on the range {week 14}: new shoes!

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

On the Range

April 2 - 8, 2013

Milestones

• Charlie had one of her first "Charlieisms" recently when we were standing outside Vivi's school. A few of the kids had been playing a game in which they pretended to be afraid of the cracks on the wall and sidewalk. Charlie didn't really understand the game and was understandably shaken, so I explained that sometimes cracks happen, and we don't need to worry about it. About 15 minutes later, Charlie ran up and a friend said "How are you, Charlie?," to which she replied "Sometimes we do crack!" We all had a good belly-laugh over that one. Good thing my friends know me well enough.
• As I mentioned on Facebook earlier this week, Vivi is still occasionally having Vivisms, like the other day when she pointed at some scratches and said "I have three boobies, Mommy!"
• Charlie swam without me in the pool this week! Her teacher says she's definitely ready to move up a level, but he's not sure they allow kids as young as her in that class. Go girl!

My week...

• We are trying some of the ideas in French Kids Eat Everything, and so far it's a great experiment! More soon.
• I am beginning to plan out our summer, and it's fun to think about all the adventures we'll have. I never realized that summers while staying home with my kids were going to be almost as good as the ones I had as a child. It's been unexpectedly great!

on the range {week 11}: rye bread and dukkah

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

On The Range

March 11 - 18, 2013

Milestones

• Vivi asked me a tough question this week, which prompted us to gather a bunch of books from the library. Currently we have a few about nutrition, taste, the brain, and why we make so many funny bodily functions (sneeze, cough, blink, yawn, burp, etc.). It's been fun to see the learning in action.
• Speaking of learning, she arrived home from school a few days ago to announce that she knew all of the names of the planets, including "Mahs," "Jupitah," and "Satuhn." I laughed and took her to YouTube to commence some un-learning of the names.

My week...

• It always strikes me as funny that Bostonians are so gung ho about St. Patrick's Day. I guess it's one of the only holidays where people are given free license to get drunk and be obnoxious a-holes, which is a beloved pastime up here. Only kidding!

Moods

• READY. FOR. SPRING. Ugh.

Media

• The first limerick on this McSweeney's Norse History for Bostonians is particularly funny.
• Is it okay to use shame to pressure teens into using contraception? I'm inclined to say go for it if it works, but I don't think it will work.

Meals

• Spaghetti & Meatballs
• Mac & Cheese with Mushrooms & Kale
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Rye bread (recipe below, modified from Bob's Red Mill rye flour package)
• Dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend for dipping olive-oil soaked bread in (recipe below)

rye bread

2 1/2 c. bread flour (not self-rising)

1 1/2 c. dark rye flour 

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water (110-115 degF)

1 c. whole milk, room temp.

2 Tbs. olive oil

3/4 c. finely chopped onion (optional)

2 Tbs. whole caraway seeds (sometimes I do half fennel seeds)

Add rye flour, 1/2 c. bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to a large glass or ceramic bowl. Mix together with a whisk. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, add milk, oil, and water and incorporate with flour until the mixture resembles a thick batter. Add onion and caraway seeds, then slowly add remaining bread flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until you can turn out the dough onto a floured surface. 

Knead the dough aggressively for 5-10 minutes until your arms burn, the dough is no longer sticky, and it springs back when poked. Allow the dough ball to rest on the counter while you rinse the large bowl, then oil the bowl and add the dough to it, flipping it to coat it in oil. Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free location until it has doubled in size, about 2 1/2 hours. My trick for getting bread to rise in the New England winter is to preheat the oven to 180 degF while I'm kneading, then turn it off. By the time I'm finished kneading, the oven is usually down to about 80 degF. I put the bowl in the oven, covered with the tea towel and topped with a digital thermometer, then I keep an eye on the temperature. If it drops, I use a heating pad to bring it back up to 80 degF.

Punch the risen dough down and put it back on your floured work surface. Let it rest while you gather the remaining supplies. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then sprinkle it with fine cornmeal (course-ground cornmeal is too crunchy and will make the bread an odd texture; if this is all you have, skip it completely); alternatively, you can use a pizza peel/baking stone instead of a baking sheet if you have one. Shape the dough into whatever form you desire; you can make small rolls, 2 medium baguette shapes, or 1 large loaf for sandwiches, which is my preferred shape. Cover again with  a tea towel and let rise for 40 minutes to an hour, until the dough has doubled again in size. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and make five slashes with a sharp or serrated knife.

Preheat oven to 425 degF. To make a crunchier crust, you can either spray water into the oven after putting the loaf in and immediately shut the door, or you can heat an iron skillet and pour hot water into it as you put the loaf in. Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then turn down the oven to 375 degF and cook for another 20-25 minutes until the crust is a golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If, like me, you don't trust those methods of telling bread-doneness, you can also insert a thermometer in the bottom of the loaf; it should be 190-200 degF. Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing, as the bread continues to cook after being taken out of the oven.

dukkah

I came across this spice blend at Trader Joe's and decided I could make my own at home. After consulting a few recipes online, I gave it a whirl. I like that it feels impossible to mess up, and the possible variations are endless. Hazelnuts are the traditional nut used, but I didn't have any so improvised with pine nuts and almonds. Pistachios also seem like a wonderful idea.

1 c. pine nuts (see note above)
1 c. almonds
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1 Tbs. coriander seeds
1 Tbs. fennel seeds
1 Tbs. cumin seeds
1-2 tsp. black peppercorns, coarsely crushed (to taste)
1/2-1 tsp. salt (to taste)
up to 1 Tbs. red pepper flakes (optional, if you like it extra spicy)
1 tsp. dried mint (optional)

Toast nuts on a baking sheet in either the oven or toaster oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown and smelling good. Be careful not to burn them! Burning can happen quickly, so they should be watched closely. Heat a small skillet over medium heat; toast the seeds for 5-8 minutes until fragrant. Toss with nuts and remaining ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely ground and combined. Do not over-pulse, or you will end up with nut butter.

on the range {week 10}: easy stir-fry

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

Here are what the girls looked like just a year ago:

Here's them on Saturday after we made a snowman ("with a stick for a mouth and a carrot nose and two eyes made out of clementines"):

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

on the range {week 9}: buttermilk roast chicken

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

 Others from that portrait session...

{on the range} week 8: still winter

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Grandpa and Groovy Girls: a match made in heaven.

On the Range

February 19-25, 2013

Milestones

• Charlie has had an ear infection, and it's tough to parse out which of the tantrums are pain-related, but the knowledge of how uncomfortable those can be keeps me (mostly) tolerant and patient with her.
• Vivi has discovered fort-making; I'm kissing our half-organized living room pillows and couch cushions goodbye for the next five years.

My week...

• I attended a wonderful birth this week! It was an all-nighter, so it's taken me a few days to feel back to normal.
• Dad visited this weekend, and we had a great time together. Never long enough, but that's the price we pay for living so far away.

Moods

• TIRED.
• Grossed out. A few days ago I went to put a bag of garbage in the big can and noticed a large frozen clump of something unidentifiable in the bottom. Care to know what I did in case you should encounter such a thing in the Boston winter? I dumped out said clump, got out the shovel, and covered it with snow. Out of sight, out of mind.
• Ready for spring! Which is unfortunate because we're still an entire month away from the first crocus. Just when I think I can't take another day of winter, we get a pretty sunset that reminds me of the good part.

Meals

• Mexican chicken & cauliflower casserole (verdict: really yummy! The kids loved it)
• Pioneer Woman's mac & cheese, greens with potlikker
• Chicken cobbler (from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook) and spinach salad

{on the range} week 7: Cinderella ate my daughter

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Genevieve: Climbing mountains wherever she can.
Charlotte: Proving that gearing up to go out in the snow is still a good time for a gal to accessorize.

On the Range

February 12-18, 2013

Milestones

• "Charlieisms" are suddenly sprouting up every day. Last night she said "Burrrrrrt, Mommy. It's cold!" and "My tutu didn't fall off yet!" (she meant to say 'tattoo').
• We're having February vacation week, and Vivi went to winter camp yesterday. Unlike with the school report (i.e. "What did you do today?" "Nothing"), she was aflutter with news of the morning, including brushing wool, feeding sheep, climbing "Bird Hill" and spotting deer and wild turkeys, and cracking her own eggs when cooking a snack. Winter camp is a great success!

Media

• I just finished Cinderella Ate My Daughter, and it was an eye-opening page turner. I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up for moms questioning the place of pink plastic Barbies and pants that read "JUICY" on the bottom in their daughters' lives.
• Thanks to this Splendid Table episode, I got a new book from the library called The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook. I've already tried a recipe for "biscones," a cross between biscuits and scones. Ah-mazing. I give lots of thought to a new cookbook purchase before pulling the plug, but this one is a serious contender for 2013. Next recipe up: savory chicken cobbler. Mmmmmmm.

Moods

• Meditative. We got another six inches of snow on Saturday morning. For most of the day we got the thick flakes that resemble the paper cutouts we grew up making in grammar school, so it was a beautiful sight.
• Frustrated. I learned this week there's a setback in my doula certification paperwork, so I feel like I'm back at square one, just waiting with nothing I can do to speed up the process.  

Meals

• Dublin coddle
• Gwumpki
• Chicken pocket pies

{on the range} week 5: salty dog

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

On the Range

January 29 - February 4, 2013

{on the range} week 4: sweet potato fries

Charlie now.  Loving the rasta hat, man.

Charlie a year ago. Somebody make them stop growing so fast.

{On the Range} is my weekly series where I discuss what we're doing, reading, and eating. It's a little bit 52 project and other photo projects, and a little bit {Did you Read?} and {In the Ranger Kitchen}.

On the Range

January 22-28, 2013

on the range {week 3}: eggnog rice pudding

This is how Vivi felt about making pudding with me. A teeny bit excited.

On the Range

January 15-21, 2013

on the range {week 2}: the five remembrances, and pork stock

On the Range

January 8-14, 2013: Week 2

{week 1}: on the range, with nacho casserole

Some people start those "365 blogs" where they write or post pictures every day for a year. As anyone who blogs can testify, that would be exhausting! Not to mention practically impossible. But I thought it'd be fun to try to write once a week about what's going on around here. Kind of like a mix of my In the Ranger Kitchen series (which I kind of forgot about after summer...oops!) mixed with some journaling. Here's a bit of what went on the first week of the year.