The summer of food continues....

Buy this book...well, only if you are charged with feeding young people.  Around 6 - 9 months when the girls were first starting out on food other than rice cereal we bought this cookbook:

and I've been loving it ever since!  It is great - it breaks down nutritional advice in easy terms. Feeding the kids has always been something that I've worried about a little - always wondering if I'm doing the right thing, if they are getting everything they need, etc...this book addresses those issues. It also gives great information on specific difficulties found at every age group - from just starting solids up to age 7 (and therefore beyond).  The meals are nutritious, and while it doesn't give a complete nutritional analysis (which I wish it did), it does give info on what vitamins and minerals each dish provides, as well as instructions for freezing for later if suitable.  The meals are kid-friendly and easy to prepare...and good enough for me and Ian to enjoy!

Here's an example:
Homemade Chicken Nuggets (These were SOOO much better than the fast-food variety...and actually good for you!)

Put:
3/4 lb chicken (cut in to chunks), 1 onion (peeled/diced), 2 T fresh parsely, 1/2 c. bread crumbs, 1 chicken stock cube (crumbled) and 1 small apple (peeled, grated) into a food processor and chop until well combined.  Shape mixture into nuggets (or a flat disk and then cut into shapes with a cookie cutter).

On a plate, mix: 1/2 c. dry bread crumbs, 1 c. cheese and onion potato chips (crushed fine). Dip the nuggets into the  coating and fry until light golden and cooked through.
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***I modified this, however.  I only used 1/4 of an onion, and I added fresh garlic, I didn't have fresh parsely so I used dried cilantro, I used cracker crumbs, 1 t. of chicken boullion, and also added one grated carrot (in addition to the already-prescribed apple).  In the coating I used cracker crumbs again, and sour cream and onion potato chips. 

It made about 30 nuggets.  We cooked and ate half, the other half I browned on each side using Pam instead of oil and froze, and will bake when we eat them...we'll see how that comes out.

In the future I would also add some ground flax seed, and another carrot, or maybe some zucchini and might just use cracker crumbs, wheat germ and seasoning for the coating. 

*** By the way, this is how I "follow" most savory recipes...
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As I was typing that up, I thought of another really successful and slightly weird recipe that I want to share...since this is my "summer of food" and all...but this one isn't from the aforementioned cookbook.  It came from clipping my mom cut from somewhere. But that recipe was wrong on a few things, so I made some changes along the way and am giving you the revised version.  It's better.  Trust me.

This is a recipe for granola bars/breakfast bars that you can add just about anything and everything to...its a good way to clean out your cupboard...while at the same time being a super-heathy snack.  A nice alternative to goldfish crackers (my stand-by).

Kitchen Sink Granola Bars (these have a soft texture, they aren't sticky or crunchy)
1-1/2 C. quick rolled oats
1/4 C. flour (preferably whole wheat)
2/3 C. dried fruit (any variety)
1/2 C. chopped nuts (any variety)
1-1/2 C. shredded raw apple (1 medium-large apple)
1/4 C. orange juice
1/2 t. salt
1-1/2 T. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together, let stand 10 minutes.  press into an ungreased 8 x 8 pan and bake at 375 for 25 minutes (until lightly browned).

**Other good additions might be sunflower, pumpkin or flax seed, honey, molasses, maple flavoring, chocolate chips...ENDLESS possibilities here...

Yes, we're still breathing...

About six different times in the past month I've sat down to update this thing, but inevitably someone wakes up from a nap or I get writers block, or the pictures won't load correctly, or some other fool thing that keeps it from getting beyond a draft and onto an actual post.  I had thought that the coming of summer would mean more leisure time for this...but...I guess that hasn't happened.

So...what are we up to these days???  Here we go:

I've always enjoyed baking - my whole life, it has been something that I've liked to do.  When I was little the toy I wanted soooo darn badly was and EasyBake Oven.  I never got one, by the way.  My mom said that if I wanted to bake brownies (or whatever) I could use the real oven (with her supervision) and make enough for the whole family.  I didn't like that logic at the time...but she was right, of course (as moms tend to be...I can say that now that I am a mom, too).  Anyway, the point is that after almost two years off, I've begun again and am LOVING it.  Although, I think that if baking is going to be a hobby, then I'd better also pick up running or something, too.  I get lots of ideas from several blogs.  I've got them listed over on my blog list if you want to take a look.  With the help of the blog-o-sphere I've made some really neat things, like...

Cherry pie pops. Yum.

Chocolate Cake Pops. I also made these in lemon (but don't have pictures). Yum. Yum.

This June my sister and I took a cake decorating class, and we had a blast. 

This was my first cake.  Apparently I have difficulty finding "center"...

The "Final Project" cake:

And, a couple days after the class was over, my very good friend from grad school (Gretchen)'s daughter turned ONE...so here is her cake (and the smaller one is her "smash cake")

We've also been busy doing some minor home-improvement projects around the house.  Now, when I say "minor" I'm not joking....we are not skilled in the art of fixing stuff.  For us, a semi-major project is changing lightbulbs.  Ok, not really...but almost.  We've been working on cleaning up the yard and trying to keep all the weeds pulled and look, basically, just presentable.  I think we've done a pretty darn good job, especially considering that our yard is HUGE (too big, for us, really) and considering that the past two years we've looked like the hillbilly neighbors who hide cars in the yard (but I think I've mentioned this is a previous post).  The yard work is something that never ends.  And then...last Sunday I was pulled out of bed in the morning by a loud CRASH.  The CRASH turned out to be...

A huge limb (the size of most trees in my parent's neighborhood) fell off of our gigantic, 100+ year old oak tree that was right behind the house.  Notice how the limb is suspended...this is because it fell on all of our power lines.

The tree lies between the house and garage, so it could have been a lot worse.  It was just a bit of damage to the garage gutters:

And bit of damage to the wood siding of the house - where all of the electric/cable lines were ripped out of the wall:

NOT a fun day was had by all as our good friends (to whom we are immensely grateful) Ann and Larry helped Ian (or I should say Ian helped Larry) chainsaw it to moveable bits and haul it away:

 

I'm taking three classes this summer, hoping to make a lane-change on the payscale by the start of next year.  (For those of you who are not teachers, that just means that raises are in part tied to education level - the more graduate-level classes you take, the more it will benefit your pocketbook in the long run.) I'm taking all three classes independent study (which works out well, cuz I can work on them after the girls go to bed), one on Medieval Europe and one on Modern China.  As of last night I have finished both of those, just have one more to go on Effective Assessment.  I'm looking forward to this one, it looks like it will be really good.

And then there are those darling girls....We haven't taken a whole lot of pictures of them lately.  Sorry.  Maybe other parents of young children can relate - I have a VERY difficult time getting them to sit still for a picture.  I think it is the digital camera.  They know that they can see the picture from the other side, so they always want to be on my side of the lens.  Doesn't make for very good pictures.  But...I do have a couple (I'll get to that in a minute).  I do want to say that this is SUCH a fun age to have the summer off.  I thought the same thing last summer...so either I timed it just right (I doubt) or just having the summers off with them is fun (probably).  Makes all of the hectic crap during the school year worth it. 

They are talking more and more.  Well, at least Cora is.  Evaline is...communicating in ways other than actual words most of the time.  That's alright.  It's pretty common for twins to be a little behind on the verbal communication scale.  At least that's what the doctor told us (although he also said that the girls weren't actually below the normal range).  They communicate with one another, which is the cutest thing ever to have them yell - their own little language, mind you - to each other from the living room to the kitchen or whereever they happen to be.  And everyday they play with one another more.  They do the whole side-by-side play that is normal of kids their age, but they also interact and play with one another on a pretty advanced level.  Its a twin thing, I guess.   Ok, onto some pictures:

We took them on their first outing to the local splash pad a week ago or so.  They HATED it.  I'm not sure if it was the cold water, or the splashing in the face, or the rowdy seven year olds (you don't let a  kid run at a pool, why do you let them run at a splash pad?  Am I missing something here?), or a combination of it all...but I'm not sure that we'll be going back this summer.  They were, however, stylin' while they were there:

 

And...here's how we've spent lots of the summer...just hanging around outside:

Sidewalk chalk!

Climbing in and out, and in and out, and in and out (you get the picture) of the gazebo:

Climbing the stairs...

to help Mom pull weeds!!

See that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the dancing queen...

I love to dance. I'm not very good at it, so usually I goof around considerably to disguise the lack of ability. I generally lean towards a combination between acting out the lyrics and mime-ing (you know: the sprinkler, lawnmower, hedgeclippers, pencil sharpener (always the crowd pleaser), grocery cart, etc). This works better with songs such as Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," "We Like to Party" by the Vengaboys or Dazy Head Mazy's "Never Forget". There was a time oh, say seven (can it really be seven?!?!) years ago where most Thursdays I could be found dancing the night away while any-coin-buys-any-drink-for-ladies-night at Sips (remember when?!).

But this post is not meant to be about me. I'm not the dancing queen of the post's title. That honor belongs to...well, it comes in as a tie between my two favorite 18-month-olds. You see, I'm working hard to turn my daughters into a couple of DPS's (Dance Party Starters for those of you who did not belong to the Rho chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta at Iowa State University between the years 1999 and 2003). And they are loving every minute.

A couple weeks ago I was home alone with the girls, so we blasted the music and cut a rug. However, they both wanted me to hold them and dance at the same time. This worked for about a song. Maybe a song and a half. Then my arms felt as though they may fall off. But the girls did not want down. My solution? I talked them into wanting to dance with their babies (dolls, not real ones) instead of me. Worked like a charm. Now they want to dance with their babies every time the music plays. Incredibly cute...and incredibly genius, if I do say so myself. And what's even better is that I have some video of it that I'd like to share with you (its short though - their general rule of thumb is to never, ever cooperate when the camera is rolling).

So...some rare footage of the dynamic duo in action:
Oh I should note: Cora likes to dance by sort of swaying or slowly turning in a circle, while Evaline dances by running either in place, or forward and back - as she's doing in this video.

Three...more.. ..weeks...

...until summer. My countdown started long ago, and it still seems like forever until we're going to get there. School lasting until June 10th is just plain cruel. Especially when the Sunday preceding the three week countdown is 90 degrees and humid. But there was a slight breeze, so it felt wonderful when we went for a walk earlier, and before that when we spent the better part of the morning swinging on the front porch swing. Come on Summer! Hurry! Hurry!

The last month with the girls has been great. Whatever "super-incredibly-I'm-going-to-lose-mind" fussy phase Evaline had been going through since about her first birthday has disappeared, and has been replaced by an almost always smiling, funny, laid-back little girl. What a relief! While not the easiest babies in the world, they are turning out to be pretty awesome toddlers. Hope I don't jinx that by typing it here.

They turned 18 mos. on the 12th. Last Tuesday we went to their doctor appointment and are happy to say that they are right where they should be on all fronts. Happy healthy little girls! And I do emphasize the little - both weighing in at just a tad over 22 lbs (this puts them a bit shy of the 25th percentile). Evaline is an inch and a quarter taller than Cora, though.

Not much else new to report: I think we're all waiting for summer so that we can breathe a little here :-)

Some photos from the last month or so (in no particular order):


Cora is a slow eater, and Evaline has little patience in waiting for her to be done. Here, she's checking Cora's tray...



I made "Whoopie Pies" last weekend (delicious cake-like chocolate cookies with frosting sandwiched in between). I let the girls lick the frosting beaters. They were very, very happy. (Here, Evaline is with her cousin Isabel who was hanging out with us and helping with the cookies.)

Cora needed to get every last drop of frosting off that beater.

To get them to sit still enough for a picture together, they each needed a cell phone to play with. They weren't happy about having to look up from their phones for the picture.

We are in the beginning stages of introducing the potty/potty-training. Evaline needed some reading material. Consumer Reports was all we had handy.

Fun with a Folgers can.

More fun with that Folgers can.

Dad went down to the basement, but the girls needed to keep an eye on him.

And finally, just mom and her girls. :-)

One for-fun book?

That is all that I am going to be able to read this summer. I'm going to have to take three classes, which isn't going to give me much time for pleasure reading. But I've decided that I get to read one book simply for fun.

I'm going to drive to Chicago. I'm going to find an independent coffee shop - NOT a Starbucks - and I'm going to read my book. In between chapters I might go to the art museum. I might go to the history museum. I will definately go to Hull House. I will take Ian with me. I will not take the girls.

Now I just need to find the book. (And pick a date, find a hotel, etc...but lets take things one step at a time here.) Not the kind of book that I listen to when I run - sort of the book-equivalent of "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days" or "The Sweetest Thing". Nothing is wrong with those types of books, but when I only get one book....I need a real good book. The book equivalent of "Being John Malcovich" or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".

Here's where you come in. What can you recommend?


And stay tuned for a post, perhaps this weekend or early in the week for an update on those darling girls of mine - 18 months last week! Who could believe it!!

Springtime Musings

My house has a great spring-time yard. In the summer, there is so much mowing to be done that enjoyment is overwhelmed by work (or by guilt from watching Ian work). The girls will probably love the fall, as there are endless piles of leaves in which to jump. I'm sure I will teach them this - since I am the fun parent. Its true; just ask Ian. He is usually anti-fun things like jumping in freshly raked leaf piles, or getting messy faces from spaghetti, or splashing in the tub, or playing in sand...I could go on.

But back to spring-time. I can't take credit for the wonderful spring yard. It was all done before we moved in. I can't even take credit for the red mulch which sets off the green and flowers beautifully...that mulch was purchased by Ian on accicident. But even if I can't take credit for the loveliness, I can enjoy it. This afternoon I spent about an hour pulling dandelions and these obnoxious purple things that grow all over my grass (for about four days our lawn looks like a wonderful meadow...then the purple flowers die and our lawn looks like it should be hiding some sort of avacado-green refridgerator, broken-down car up on cinder blocks, or at least a hill-billy with a shot-gun*). Now, there are times when pulling dandelions seems like work, but today was so nice out, with the sun shining and a warm-ish breeze, that today it was much more like play. It was the kind of day that made me think that I could/should pick up gardening as a hobby.

Now, I'm chillin' with some chilled iced tea (made yesterday via the sun - yum!), waiting for the girls to wake up. Since they started walking, they've become pretty good nappers. Which is nice - I mean, I LOVE hanging out with them, but last year, when they napped for about 25 minutes at a time on a good day, they made it impossible to do things like pull dandelions. While they nap, I thought that I'd share my good mood with all of you (a FANTASTIC way to avoid writing an Econ test, by the way). I can't send you all the flowers (first, they would die before they got to you, I'm sure; second, there just aren't that many); but I can try the next-best thing.

So, want to see a bit of my yard, but don't have the time for a trip to CR? I need break from just showing off my kids :-) Here, I'll take you on a tour:

Dwarf Magnolia - its best blooming year since we've been in the house.


These are naked lilies, they won't bloom until July, but when they bloom it will just be a naked stalk with a flower - no greenery...pretty neat, actually.


We have tulips all over the place. Not all are in bloom, yet, but I love the ones that are.

Virginia bluebells

I don't know what these are. But I think that they are neat.

Our Bleeding Hearts grow like weeds...pretty weeds, though...

And not just flowers: my raspberry patch is out with lots of new shoots! Hopefully it will be a knock-out crop with lots of berries for ice cream, muffins, salads, mmmmmm....

We planted some rhubarb last year. By the end of the summer, I was a bit worried, but it came back...

You didn't think I'd completely leave them out of a post, did you?

Cora's working pretty hard here to get that bucket pushed all. the. way. across the patio.

Evaline is walking up the stairs holding the railing - just like a BIG girl! Help from Mom? No thank you! Where did my babies go???

This was earlier this month...Cora's nose is all scrapped up from when she did a nose-dive on the Neilly's driveway. I blame Jenny. (Just kidding Jenny!)

*I hope that I didn't offend any hill-billies with that comment. As I was typing it, an old episode of the Colbert Report came to mind where he made a joke about people still making fun of hill-billies and how they were one of the last groups which it was socially acceptable to poke fun at. The comment was not intended with any ill-will, and I realize that not all hill-billies have shot-guns or overgrown yards. I'm really not someone who stereotypes. Really.

Happy Easter!!

Yikes! It's been far too long since I've posted. Nothing much has changed...except for how the girls have grown. I have GOBS of pictures that I may get around to posting at some point. And I have a few funny stories, I know that I do...but none are coming to mind right now. So...here are some pics of our Easter. I'm betting that Ian would like everyone to know that HE picked out the dresses.


For a wild comparison, check this link out after you've viewed the first two pics...


Evaline wouldn't sit still...




But Cora would...




They are both REALLY into "doggies" (du-gee) and "kitties" (keee) right now. They drove the Petersen's (Sr.) cat crazy on Sunday!

ALWAYS on the go...

If a REAL kitty can't be found, a play one will do...(the girl would NOT smile for the camera, though!)

Did I mention that Evaline wouldn't sit still?

Miss Cora, with her pretty headband. No hair, but a pretty headband does the trick!

Evaline and Daddy - pals once again (we've had a couple months of her being stricktly mama's girl. That got old pretty fast...but she eventually came out of it).