French Cooking for Four-Year-Olds

George really loves making paper airplanes.

Tonight when he saw my dad he said, "I can make bullet planes."

And my dad responded with, "What? You can make bouillabaisse?"

Yes Dad. The kid makes bouillabaisse. You should also try his beef bourguignon.

Welcome Holiday Card Readers!

We have family visiting for a few days and with the exception of Grandma Jan, me and the kiddies, they are all out at a bar getting schnockered.

So, here is my update in photos.



Milo, George and Goldie got a duck tonight from Grandma Jan that sings "If You're Happy and You Know It." I love it so much that I might shower with it.


Clay asked our nephew Drew to peel potatoes and told him to just keep going until he said stop. Clay then got distracted and when I found Drew, alone in the kitchen, he had peeled 10 lbs. of potatoes and was still going strong.


Milo is the family foodie. He will not eat baby food from a jar or touch rice cereal. His favorite food is homemade soup. Finally. Someone with good taste! (Drew and Milo sort of look alike, no? Scroll back to the potatoes.)


Here is the homemade soup. If you look closely you can see the Parmesan rind and 17 varieties of beans.


Molasses cookies. Not pictured are the chocolate peanut butter cookies, more peanut clusters and magic cookie bars. Everyone agreed the peanut clusters are de-licios and Clay needs psychiatric evaluation.

I think we are down to 36 lbs. of flour now because I also made challah.

With the drunkees out getting drunk it seems like a good time to mention a few items we left out of our holiday cards. Two of these "items" were censored.

1. While I was giving birth to Milo, Clay ate a bratwurst and sauerkraut in the hospital delivery room. Did you know that sauerkraut is simply fermented cabbage? One is particularly sensitive to smells while in labor or pregnant. In Clay's defense, I did tell him to get something I wouldn't want. Mission accomplished, Clay!

2. Upon meeting a family from St. Louis, George asked them if they lived in the Arch.

3. Clay wanted to stop and teach me how to install our new car seat while we were getting into the car on the way to the hospital as I was going into labor with Milo. I appreciated the offer, but suggested we wait for a more opportune time.

These were just a few of the many highlights for the year.

If you didn't get a holiday card from us, email me your address.

Peace, out... homies.

An Intervention

OK. This is Clay. Robin is upstairs showering, but I wanted to let you, her loyal readers, know Robin has a problem and I'm going to stage an intervention. She is a hoarder of baking supplies. Really. I just did a quick inventory and found the following:

41 lbs. of flour
19 lbs. of chocolate chips.
16 lbs. of sugar (this is not counting the multiple bags of powdered and brown sugar I didn't have time to count.)

Her baking supplies are taking over our house. And taking over her life... Here's a sample of what's on our kitchen counter at the moment:


I know some of your are enablers. You know who you are. The most important thing is to not tip her off. She will deny the problem. The most important thing is to let her know we love her and...

Oh oh, here she comes... Gotta go.

Hanukkah Happenings

Our house still stinks like latkes, I hope the smell doesn't last for 8 days.


George and Goldie spinning a little dreidel.



I bought George a book on how to fold paper airplanes. He told me it is the best gift he has ever received. Better than his bunk beds!


I made chocolate peanut clusters, which Clay told me he "actively dislikes." I actively love them and shall actively be seeking out former boyfriends (and new ones) on Facebook if he doesn't reconsider.

I had three with breakfast and two after dinner. (Peanut clusters, that is.)


With my breakfast of peanut clusters I ate a pink frosted donut.
My New Year's Resolution this year is to eat more nuts.

Donuts count, no?

We Do Have Rules at Our House

Cookbooks, especially new ones, are not allowed in the bathroom... Ever.

Tonight's Hanukkah pictures (and Halloween pictures) will be posted tomorrow.

What Do I Know About Fashion?

Obviously nothing.

A few years ago a homeless man walked up to me and said in very slurred speech, "Those socks do not go with that outfit."

When I looked down at my orange socks adorned with yellow polka dots I realized he was absolutely right.

Last night when I looked at Milo in his pink heart hat and doggy pj's I was reminded of this homeless man and quietly muttered, "That hat does not go with that outfit."

Nothing to See Here, Auntie Donna

Warning to Auntie Donna: Do NOT read this!

OK, I bought Auntie Donna (that's Clay's sister) this great cookbook called The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

George and Goldie were really interested in it because it has beautiful pictures of horses. Lord knows they had no interest in the food shots, which I thought were more beautiful.

After they started bending up the book, I decided to go ahead and try some recipes for myself. So I cooked a chicken pot pie recipe from it and tonight this really great lasagna. (see below)

I know Donna will like this book, especially since she now has a Pioneer Man in her life who will like this type of cookin'.

So, I'm giving my sister-in-law a used cookbook for Christmas. But, this is our little secret, readers. If any of you should cross her path over the coming weeks, just act as if nothing is amiss because she thinks of me as the sort of person who would NEVER stoop so low as to give someone a used Christmas gift. And I must maintain that impression at all costs.


After Dinner

Dutch Babies To Die For

Once again you are wishing you woke up at our house.

So yummy!

Dutch Baby Pancake

4 tablespoons butter

3 extra-large eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup milk

Topping:

4 ounces butter

Juice of one lemon

½ cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 10- or 11-inch cast-iron skillet set over low heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter.

2. In a blender, combine eggs, flour and milk until smooth. Pour batter into skillet over melted butter, then bake 25 minutes.

3. As soon as the pancake comes out of the oven, pour on butter, then sprinkle on lemon juice and powdered sugar. Serve at once.

We ate three of these this morning!

Geesh!

Guess who was left unattended with a ream of paper.

Guess who told the lady at the zoo she doesn't like kitty cats or doggies, only snakes.

I Had a Faceboock Account for 12 Seconds

And it was so frickin' scary.

The second I typed in my email address it listed multiple pages of people I might know. And I did!

I looked behind me. I felt like I was being watched. Did Facebook get a hold of my high school diary? How do they do this? My heart started racing as I frantically looked for the unsubscribe button.

How do I unsubscribe?

I don't want contact with the nose picker who sat behind me in second grade.

Ex-boyfriends, I'm married. Yes, happily.

I immediately told Clay that if this company goes public, buy their stock. They are extremely effective at what they do.

My heart is still racing.

Queer Eyes for the "straight" Guy

Tonight on date night we went to a fancy, schmancy eye glass store in Bellevue. (The babysitter named Nana lives in Bellevue.)

Clay tried on various glasses and I'm requesting your vote. Ignore his crazy facial hair, it is temporary.

The clerks at the store were absolutely fawning over Clay. I was playing with Milo on this cool ottoman (see picture) and I heard one of them say "You've such a nice face" and "This pair really make your muscles look big."

They thought he was such a hunk...

Here are the top choices, vote by using the poll on the right.
a.

b.

c.

d.

upside down but still very cool

Like Butter!

No, our family does not "like" butter. Our family LOVES butter. We love it more than sunshine, more than bunny rabbits, more than life itself. So, Nicole, my sister-in-law, not only brought really cool coloring sheets for the table but she also brought butter in the shape of a turkey!

She's the best.

And the turkey was delicious... the meat one that is.

Update

One hour in the oven and things are lookin' good!


Watch out for Wolverine!

I'll Keep You Posted On This One...

Above is my 15lb turkey, in a HUGE bag, on our kitchen floor. I'm home alone, kind of, and trying to move it into the basement refrigerator.

I'm out of breath and praying this brining process works.

I Know What You're Thinking

You want to be married to me.

You want to wake up to the sweet, sweet smell of these waffles cooking.
Imagine a donut crossed with a waffle with delicious bits of crusty sugar.
I've been obsessed with learning to make these since having them at Cafe Arosa a few years back. (I'd go into the cafe and snoop around asking all kinds of questions to try and figure out the secret recipe.) Debbie, the evil one who introduced me to Arosa, found the recipe online for me. Thanks Debbie!

http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2009/11/20/gaufres-de-liege-the-waffle-that-has-made-me-forget-about-all-others/



And guess who knows how to sit up!

I'm Nuts

Approximately every other time I go grocery shopping I buy a jar of peanut butter. I'm so worried that we'll run out and I keep forgetting that we have 18 jars at home.

This is exactly how hoarders start out.

We're back!

Goldie rode topless on the airplane from takeoff until landing, when I pinned her down and forced her jammies on her.


Other than that, things are pretty much back to normal:

A Bath, Hawaiian Style

Next to a pineapple, of course!

Ko'Olina means yum in Hawaiian

Anyone who knows me knows I love food.

Imagine my delight when my dad's contact at our hotel Cindy, who is the hotel supervisor, mentions she likes to bake. After an in depth discussion of cake crumb, frosting, and baking techniques I asked where I'd be able to pick up a good cake for Clay's birthday. She mentioned a few places, none of them near our hotel.

Fast Forward to yesterday when Cindy calls and says on her day off she baked Clay a red velvet cake and cupcakes. I'll just need to pick them up at the front desk.

So, today I went to the front desk and picked up a lovely homemade red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, cupcakes, homemade caramel apples and a handmade flower lei that is a beautiful and intricate creation.

I ask you, does this often happen at hotels? No place I've ever stayed. http://www.koolina.com





And it was all so yummy!

What we've learned thus far on our trip to Hawaii

Sunscreen and diaper rash cream are not interchangeable.

A full-sized bed isn't big enough for one grown up and two toddlers.

Goldie doesn't seem to mind falling out of bed. (Two falls and not one tear.)

Goldie is going to be a hula dancer when she's big.

George has temporarily shelved his plans of being a police officer in favor of becoming a fire dancer.

Traveling with three kids is not so impressive (we realized after meeting a couple today traveling with seven kids under 12).

Clay is old. He turns 46 today! When I met him he was so young...

A mini van isn't so bad once you get used to it.

Blue shaved ice makes green poops.

A gecko can ride on the hood of a Kia minivan for miles -- even on the freeway!

Hotels are excellent for potty training. Better their floor than mine.

Goldie wants long, straight black hair. Sorry, Goldie.

Quick Update!

Clay and George eat shaved ice by the pool.


Milo lays by the pool.


Hula Hoop Contest.



Goldie does the hula.


Yummy chicken wraps.

Airplane Ride

This just in, if you want to kill time on an airplane give your toddler washable Crayola markers and let her color half her body. Then, when the flight attendant comes around with warm towels having her wash off all the marker is a whole other project/time killer.

This is how Goldie spent a good 40 minutes of our flight to Hawaii yesterday. Perfect! Except that the other five hours and 20 minutes she spent fussing, singing loudly and annoying others around her.

She would like to offer a public apology to all those aboard Hawaiian Airlines flight 21 from Seattle to Honolulu.

Halloween pictures and update later when the kids are napping. Gotta go swimming!

Hope?

Happy Halloween!

Clay couldn't figure out who was who.
Can you?
Watch the whole thing for a good laugh.

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/jov9YP2veoAT6fTV

You may have to cut and paste the link into your browser...

Bikinis

Goldie left the house this cold autumn morning in a bikini and clogs. At least I convinced her to put on a polar fleece for her walk to the car.



We've been too busy to get ourselves to a pumpkin patch this year so imagine my shock and delight when we pulled into the Whole Foods parking lot and found this mini pumpkin patch. By this point in the day she agreed to put some clothing over the bikini.

Oh, and this is her last night eating a chicken leg... in a bikini.

Header- This One Is For You

My dear sweet friend "Header" just sent me an email requesting a blog update.

I thought I'd share what exactly we were all doing when the "request" came in.




I'm baking chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.


Milo is eating waxed paper, which is a very good baby toy.



Goldie is mixing "cherry berries."



George is playing "Cherry, berry factory." It involves soap and water and mess.
He claims they are toasty and warm once we take them out of the oven. He may be thinking of my de-licious cookies which just finished baking.

Update: Goldie peed in her underpants and now I'm mopping up urine off the kitchen floor. I thought about taking a picture but decided not to embarrass her even more.

I lead a very glamorous life.

And Milo, aka: Smilo, just fell asleep in my arms while I was typing. Ahhhh...



What are you doing?

Fall Update

Milo is working on mastering the raspberry and making good progress. I love that little tongue of his! Above is Milo in the excersaucer (thanks Julie!). Goldie or George put a halloween mask on him. If that weren't enough Goldie covered Milo in stickers today while riding in the backseat of the car. Imagine my surprise when we got to our destination and he looked like an airmail package. Poor guy.

Mike says the A-Kinase Anchoring Protein project is coming along nicely. (Translation: he's definitely working for the CIA.)

Clay's got another painting project and is continuing to ruin his clothing. Grrrr...

George made an awesome fort in the basement. It is with the box from his bunk bed and various blankets. If you come over you can watch "the climbing show," which seems to consist solely of him climbing around on it. I'll keep you posted on this.

Both G and G are so excited for Halloween. We've just learned our street is going to be closed to traffic. I'm thinking we may need more candy than last year. (Last year we gave out 660 pieces!)


George with black fangs.

I ate an entire Rainbow Rumble (three eggs with cheese, corn and mushrooms.) hash browns and two slices of toast) from Coastal Kitchen yesterday morning, a 16oz London Fog Tea Latte and two oatmeal cookies and was still hungry. I felt like The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
http://www.amazon.com/Very-Hungry-Caterpillar-Eric-Carle/dp/0399226907
By the way, Coastal Kitchen is no good. It wasn't even yummy.

My mom and dad lost their cat Charlie. A pet detective, not Ace Ventura, told my mom to pee in a jar and pour it in the driveway and the cat will come home. I was going to nominate my mom for Crazy Person of the Month. But then it actually worked! The cat returned that night. (I'm soliciting nominations for CPOTM, leave a comment with your crazy person's name.)

Clay and I had a date night with babysitting and actually met and spoke with Michael Chabon (the writer of Kavilier and Clay) at length. I think we both have a crush on him.


We visited the Bookmobile today.

George makes a magic potion in the sink upstairs called "Tummy Ache Potion". If you come over, you can try it. Rumor has it it actually works.

And if you do come over you'll have to take a somewhat slow tour of our light fixtures. We like to show guests each light fixture and give them the history of each one. Sorry, it is a package deal. First a tummy ache and then the tour.