Pumpkin Carving

Note to self: If you want a large pumpkin, you must get it sooner than the day before Halloween.

Foiled Again By The 2 Year Old's Agenda

If I had a blog back when AJ was 2, I would have this exact same picture. Except, AJ would be sitting next to a bear costume and scowling at me. I have a very distinct memory of going door to door on Halloween that year, holding up AJ's costume and saying to everyone who opened the door, "He's a bear, see?"

But, luckily, this time I have a secret weapon- The Big Brother. I am hoping that Charlie will want to put on his costume once he sees AJ in his. It worked with broccoli.

Ok, Now I'm Just Feeling Stalked

Charlie The Enforcer

As I mentioned before, Charlie's teacher is expecting. Charlie L-O-V-E-S his teacher. He thinks she hung the moon. And therefore, in true Charlie fashion, he is a bit protective.

The other day his teacher was talking to Charlie about the baby, and was telling him how the baby was kicking her. This information did not go over well with Charlie. I guess Charlie got right up to her stomach and gave that baby a talking to about not kicking. His teacher told us that he didn't even look at her face. He just stood in front of her stomach and gave the baby a piece of his mind.

She says that from now on, she is more careful about what she says.

How To Wash An Elephant

Is It Wrong To Buy Slippers . .

because they make you laugh?


I bought these slippers yesterday. They are basically Birkenstocks that are wearing cable-knit sweaters. I don't know why, but that cracks me up.

Buddies

I took this picture because I realized that these two will probably spend a lot of time eating spaghetti together in the next 20 years. I looked across the table and had a vision of them eating spaghetti in high school, the night before a track meet.

In Two Years He WIll Be Giving Me Computer Help

Another Riveting Curtain Picture

The good news is that I have three up and I love them. The bad news is that my first attempt-curtain cannot be salvaged so I will have to make a whole new one. And for the record, the final curtain will be going on the other side of that same corner. (In case you were worried. I don't want you up at night worrying about my family room.)

Charlie's Note Of The Day

During snack time, Charlie was a gentleman and pushed in a friend's chair while she was in it.

Spinach Stromboli

2 sheets puff pastry
1 pkg of frozen chopped spinach, very well drained
Italian shredded cheese- amount to taste
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/8th of white onion, minced
olive oil
egg white
Parmesan cheese
Defrost pastry. Once pastry is defrosted roll it out to about 9" x 12".

In a small skillet cook onions and garlic until onions are translucent.

In a bowl combine drained spinach, tomatoes, onion, garlic and cheese. You want to add enough cheese to make the mixture feel dry.

Place spinach mixture down the center of the pastry. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top. Fold over one side and brush with egg white. Cut the other side of pastry into strips and criss cross them over the top. Brush with egg white.

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.


Review: Shawn loved it. AJ ate it with minimal complaints. It was super filling and I was able to sneak two whole vegetables into the meal. There was plenty of leftovers for tomorrow.

I think next time I would try it with sausage, green and red peppers and maybe some olives.

Charlie's Note Of The Day

Charlie was in deep thought while using the playdoh. He would make something and then say: "What else. . . "

IT'S ALIVE!!!

Three out of the four herbs have sprouted. I still have not seen any oregano, but the basil, cilantro and parsley have all made an appearance.

I can't wait to start using them in cooking!

Curtain #2

If you come to my house and look at the back of this curtain, you will not be invited back. You have been warned.

Curtains- One Down (Or, Rather Up)

How do I put this? This has been a valuable learning experience. The first curtain was a complete and utter failure. The second curtain was far from perfect, but usable ( if one was in a dark room and squinting while looking at it). And the third and fourth curtains were not bad for a first attempt at curtain making. We will see if I change my mind after they are all up.

But for now, I am basking in the knowledge that I have made and a hung a 9 ft, lined curtain. I am taking this one step at a time.

More Sewing With Cats

Day At The Farm

Today the boys and I went to a local farm with our friends. And even though I really, really, would have rather been doing this trip in New England, we had a great time. The great thing about this family is that AJ and Maddy are great friends and in both families, the kids are 8 years apart. So, it is a nice match up for get togethers. Oh yeah, and the parents even like each other.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Early Morning Visitors

As the balloon went over our house, one of the men in the basket asked if we had any Grey Poupon.

Container Garden

So I finally broke out the EarthBox that I had bought a few years ago. And I had wanted one for a few years before that.

The pictures above are the steps to put it together. (And for the record, there is soil on top of the plant food. I just didn't add that picture.) It is kind of a cool system that claims to keep weeds at bay and the plants properly watered. I planted cilantro, parsley, basil and oregano. My thumb is not green. I checked. So, hopefully, this will allow me to have fresh herbs in a few weeks. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Shawn thought it was a good idea for me to go get the oil changed in the car until I came home and proudly announced that I had had the glove box filter changed. He quickly scanned the invoice and realized I was talking about the cab filter. Should I tell him about the dead snipe I had removed from the grill?

Charlie's Note Of The Day

"Charlie was playing with the babies and said, "Miss Tiffany, you have a baby in your tummy". I said "yes". Then he said he had a dinosaur in his tummy.

Fireman Charlie

Sewing With Cats

Not recommended.

Lunch With AJ

AJ: Let's play I SPY.
Me: Ok. I spy something white.
(After guessing about 10 things)
AJ: I give up.
Me: Your teeth!


AJ: I spy something black
(After guessing about 2,000 things)
Me: I give up.
AJ: Your teeth!

And then he laughed so hard his drink almost came out of his nose.

Charlie's Note Of The Day

They are doing a unit on construction and tools.

Charlie did a great job making sure every screw on the playground equipment was tight.

(The word "every" was underlined twice by his teacher. )

Iron Skillet Pie

Here is the recipe: ( I use the term losely.)

6 gala apples
juice of one small lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt ( I have a grinder and I twisted it 4 times)
a little corn starch
sugar and cinnamon to taste (probabaly about 1/2 C of sugar and 2 TB of cinnamon, but I did not measure)


Peel and thinly slice apples. Add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, salt and corn starch and mix together in a bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes.

Place about a tablespoon of vegetable oil or melted butter around the bottom of a medium sized iron skillet. Place store bought pie crust on top. Add apple mixture, dot with butter and then place second pie crust on top. Make 4 small triangles in top crust to vent.

bake @ 350 for about an hour.

When pie comes out brush with melted butter and then sprkinkle a little sugar on top of crust.

*************

I used gala apples, which are not the traditional apple to use for pie. However, because I used lemon juice and salt, the pie was not too sweet. It was actually pretty well balanced.

The crust was really, really good, and I am sure the iron skillet and small amount of oil had a lot to do with that. Butter would have been even better. I will be making all future pies in the iron skillet.

Charlie's Note Of The Day

(From Friday)

Charlie loves the new house floor puzzle. He pretends that the plastic people live there.

Future Chef

I had to use up some apples, so I decided to make an apple pie in my iron skillet. I realized after I had placed them in the pie curst, that I was about an apple short. As I was mumbling to myself about needing another apple, I turned around and Charlie had done this:




Thanks for the help, Charlie.

Plan "B"

Or is it Plan "G"? I've lost count.

Watcha Doin' Mom?

I'm Published! (Sort of)

My friend Wendy is heading up the building of a community garden in our area. If you'll remember, she hired me to do the rendering of the garden after it was designed. The garden was recently featured in our paper, and my rendering was in one of the pictures! Of course I got no credit whatsoever. But, hey, one of my drawings was in the paper!!! Whoo Hooo!

http://www.azcentral.com/photo/Community/SouthwestValley/16356#phototop