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 13}: positive turkey eating

{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: Moments after this photo was taken of her at a friend's birthday party, she began quickly grabbing as many chocolate seashells as she could before I could stop her. Then moments after that, we were waiting for my friend to find a knife to cut the cake, and child was so excited she began grabbing at the icing until I just reached across the table, grabbed a foot of the turtle, and slammed it on her plate. Pull up a chair, there are many more parenting tips to be found here.

Charlie: Easter Sunday, post outdoor playing. You needn't adjust your screen, as it is in fact dirt all over her face. Again, I'm here with parenting tips whenever you seek them.

On the Range

March 26 - April 1, 2013

Milestones

• Charlotte will now eat a quarter of a turkey sandwich, hence the title above. Previously I referred to her status as "negative turkey eating," rather than neutral, because she would ask for a turkey sandwich and then refuse it. Harrumph.
• Vivi is trying to figure out how she can politely rebuff the attempts of a boy in her class to kiss her. Reader, it seems early to begin the cleaning of the shotgun in front of boys, so I'm willing to chalk this situation up to a rogue child who is in touch with his feelings. Luckily the girls are convinced boys have cooties. Do you have thoughts on this matter?
• Charlie continues to excel at her swim class. She now is willing to paddle around the pool with both arms and legs, a floatie strapped to her chest. I think I am only one or two classes away from not having to get into the pool at all with her. Praiseallujah!

My week...

• Easter snuck up on me this year, y'all, and I didn't do half the stuff I had planned, like cute little pastel sugar cookies. Maybe I'll do them next week and call them spring cookies.
• There is a new store in our town that buys, sells, and trades antiques and common household goods. While I am not usually at risk for purchasing items at stores, this one is different. It reminds me of our little town auction in the UK, with some real gems like antique furniture, but also with other odds and ends like a desk fan from the '50s or a chick feeder that uses a screwed-in upside-down Ball jar. Good stuff! I plan to ransack our basement for treasures I can trade.
• A lady at the gym left her giant cell phone in my coat pocket, then managed to sound ticked off at ME that I had driven off unknowingly with it. The most comical part of this story is the portion during which her cell phone began to ring loudly as I was driving to the library. I for one am glad I was the only adult in the car to witness that spectacle as I tried to figure out what was happening.

Media

• Cicadas are coming! It made me feel much better that, although a colony only comes out every 17 years, there are multiple colonies. When I heard this news, I was seriously questioning whether it was possible that the last colony was in the US 17 years ago, so I was happy to hear that more than one colony comes around.
• A contest-winner on McSweeney's is writing about traveling little league baseball in Cobb County, Georgia. Having grown up a county over from Cobb, it's fun for me to witness her suburban escapades.

Meals

• Nate made this fantastic Korean soup a few days ago. It was simultaneously one of the spiciest, most delicious, and most complex of dishes I've ever eaten. I might cook more often, but between the two of us, Nate is the gourmand. He appreciates good food and is willing to try ANYTHING he's been told is edible, and he has an admirable attention to recipe details. When he puts his mind to cooking, the results are often better than I've had in restaurants.

on the range {week 12}: spaghetti face

{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: I considered posting another shot, but talking through my photo shoots is so classically Vivi, it seemed like the right one to share.
Charlie: There is a similarly disgusting spaghetti face picture of me at her age, so I had to run and grab the camera. Also, any dentists reading? Is this a cross-bite? She does it a lot.

On the Range

March 19 - 25, 2013

My week...

• Hubs returned back to the scene of the crime to return and purchase even more apparel, and this chick stayed home even though said outlet mall contained a Williams Sonoma, Calphalon, and Le Crueset store. I'm a good girl, I am.
• After my cocky post a few years back, I am currently losing the battle with the post office over how much junk mail I throw away daily, but as you are my witness, I will NOT lose the war.

Moods

• I informed my dear husband that the next house we select to make a home needs to contain within its walls a place I can hide from my children. A must!

Media

• CNN posted an article discussing the possible contribution of skim milk to childhood obesity. At the risk of displaying sanctimommy, I'm personally not surprised by this data, considering my own anecdotal evidence that the people who know more about nutrition are not bothered by the fat content of their milk; whereas, people who can be dazzled by the "health benefits" of diet sodas and skim milk tend to overdo it in other food areas. Does this make sense? I do find myself feeling sad for these parents and kids because there are SO MANY WAYS TO SCREW OUR KIDS UP, y'all.
• A look back at the first day I began blogging regularly.
• Speaking of looking back, I just happened to notice my list of posts from last March's NaBloPoMo. Sweet fancy Moses, what a list--how productive! Makes me want to go tell last year's version of myself "Hey there overachiever, let's not ruin the daily blogging experience for the rest of us slackers who are writing of spousal badinage."
• Did you see Amber of Crappy Picture's story about quickies? I LOLOLed about "there's no window, Daddy!"

Meals

• Pork chops with fennel, a winter staple in our house
• Galician fish soup, my favorite husband-cooked meal

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 6: blizzard grub

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

Genevieve: Dreaming of superheros as she gears up to play in the snow.
Charlotte: Couch-bound for much of the weekend, my poor sick baby didn't get much of a chance to enjoy the fluffy white stuff.

{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

{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.

in the ranger kitchen {4} & eggs in a nest

In yet another example of the slower pace of summer life, it's been almost two months since I've given you a peek into our kitchen. We are enjoying the bountiful array of summer foods. Now that I'm so far north in Boston, I'm growing accustomed to eating what I used to know as spring foods as late as July or even August. This year that season started a few weeks earlier because of our warm winter/spring. Let the food parade begin!...

Blueberries in everything! with sweet tea (sweetened with mint simple syrup)

in the ranger kitchen {3}, and cheez-it bread

We are going on day three of dreary, cold rain, which if I remember correctly is the same bizarre weather we had last year at the start of June. I'm just going to pretend it's a weird anomaly and not a trend. The good thing about being cooped up inside is that it gives me lots of time to make bread, yogurt, and other recipes that require time and patience.

I made homemade cheez-its again today and eating them reminded me of a bread I made last fall. Since it feels like fall again, I thought it was a good day to break out this recipe again. Today I present to you: cheez-it bread! It's technically called pumpkin cheese bread, but the spice and cheese combination gives it a cheez-it like taste, and apart from the rich color and moist texture, you can't really detect the pumpkin at all. This recipe originally came from my go-to source for seasonal recipes, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook, and I adapted it to our style of baking.

pumpkin cheese bread

2 c. white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) rapid-rise yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (you can up this to 1/4 tsp. if you like a big kick--we do)
1 c. warm water
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. (4 oz.) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tbs. butter
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten w/ 1 tsp. water

Stir together flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and pepper in a large glass or ceramic bowl (not metal). Add water, pumpkin, and cheese, and stir until it is combined and sticky. Leave it to rest for a few minutes while you clean out your bowl.

Knead the dough on a floured surface until it forms the tell-tale smooth ball that bounces back when poked, at least five minutes. Add a bit of flour to your (now clean and dry) bowl, and coat the dough in flour. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight or at least eight hours.

Remove dough from the fridge and shape into a rectangle, then roll it like a burrito. Coat a 9 x 5" loaf pan with butter and add the dough, seam-side down. Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half, or until it's about twice its original size.

While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 375 degF. Make a 1/4" cut down the center of the loaf, then brush it with the egg wash. Bake it for approximately 50 minutes. If you aren't sure it's done, you can turn it out and knock on the bottom; it should make a hollow sound. Let the bread sit out of the loaf pan on a cooling rack; if you like a soft crust, wrap the loaf in a tea towel. I prefer a hard crust to dip in my lentil soup. Serve with loads of butter. Happy eating!

Check out a few of the other dishes we've been making lately. You'll notice below that I'm on a grits-eating, five-spice flavoring, bandana-napkin-wearing kick.

Five-Spice Beet Soup

Avocado over cilantro-mint tabbouleh

American parfait with dried kiwi, apricot, pineapple, and cranberries
(note:I took half of the dried fruit off after this pic...a bit overzealous)

Five-spice pork spare ribs with stone ground white grits (TJ's!)

Spaghetti alla carbonara with crudite (baby carrots, celery, snow peas)

Pork chops with prunes and cream, broccoli, grits, fave wine (Casal Garcia vinho verde)

local kitchen hashbrowns with roasted cumin, smoked paprika, and herbed goat cheese

Grill night! Pork kabobs (recipe soon), hot & bell peppers, eggplant, corn

Editor's note: This post is part of Monday Mania, Scratch Cookin' Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Simple Lives Thursday, and DIY Friday.

in the ranger kitchen {2}

I can't wait to buy my new 50mm lens. It has been no fun trying to do food photography with a mostly-broken focus. But it is also a good exercise in learning to make do with what I have, so I'm waiting patiently for when it's my turn to splurge with the budget. Maybe my birthday?

Despite shoddy camera work, we have been making some great food around here since Nate got home. He made an oxtail stew the other night, and I dunno, I think it could have been close to the most YUMs I have ever uttered during a meal. Oh, and did I mention he served it with the world's best mashed potatoes (homemade by yours truly) and crusty bread with butter? I'll try to pester him into posting the recipe soon.

Oxtail stew, mashed taters, salad. Recipes coming!

{in the ranger kitchen}

I'm changing up the title for this series, formerly called {What's for Dinner?}, because I realized it's a misnomer. I love coming up with new snacks and breakfast ideas, not just lunches and dinners, so this series will really be a collection of the comings and goings in our kitchen.

The girls' diet ebbs and flows, but I am continuing to take a relaxed approach to their meals. Charlie sometimes only eats one of the three offerings, but then she almost always ups the calorie load on the next meal. If Vivi doesn't eat her dinner, she is offered the same list of "anytime foods" if she says she's hungry later, with the hope that they will be boring enough to tempt her only when she is really hungry. Our list of anytime snack foods currently includes nut butter on toast (when I'm feeling up to toasting a piece of bread after cleaning up from dinner), a piece of fruit, or a "popcorn cookie" (i.e. Vivi's term for a rice cake). So far, it has worked well. She asks for a snack less than half the time, and I can typically predict the evenings based on serving new strange food  (i.e. Brussels sprouts, garlicky greens, lentil soup).

what's for dinner?, round 2

We had a quiet, lovely weekend. Do you love daylight savings as much as I do? What's not to love? The kids sleep in until 8am, and it's still light at 6pm. Winning! On the flip side of feelings, I am greatly missing the hubster, who is still abroad on his work trip. Vivi misses him too of course and talks a lot about how she's going to show him "her pretty dress." She is quite the girly girl, preferring to get dressed up in a nice frock on a daily basis if she's not going to school or gymnastics class. Here's one of her get-ups from this weekend; she completely put it together herself. I'm sharing this pic on Steppin' Out Saturday.

Jacket & Dress: Target (Thrift); Knit leggings: Savannah (TJ Maxx);
Boots: Michael Kors (Marshall's); Tiara: Hand-me-down from a cousin

what's for dinner?

Inspired by bleubird's bird food and ohdeardrea's "what Marlowe eats" series, I am sharing what the kids have had for meals recently. I'm calling it "what's for dinner?," even though I'm sharing any and all of the three meals of the day, because at every meal Vivi marches into the kitchen cheerily asking "what's for dinner?" It makes me chuckle that she can't seem to learn the order and meaning of these three simple names for meals. Ask me if Nate loves it. Better yet, take a guess. Hee hee.

What Nate does love is that Vivi is an exceptionally good eater. The girl will eat a green olive stuffed with an anchovy; the very idea makes me nauseous. We have not encountered many food-related obstacles in her almost four years, which could be why I responded poorly to our recent incidence of picky eating in both girls after a rare but lengthy household sickness. Uncharted territory makes for rocky parenting decisions.