Kindergarten Round-Up

Um...I mean... look...Ava's sitting up by herself! Such a big girl.

Before the dark angel of sickness descended upon our home

infecting all who live within these four walls with a life sucking cough and the niagra falls of all runny noses, we went outside, and it was lovely.

Yes, I realize this is creepy but they're just so dang cute.

I'll admit that I've spent the last few months in a bit of a daze and sometimes there's a little uneasiness about when you might resurface. I've always told myself that I'm not that girl, the one who's joy is seasonal. But when the sun comes out and the babies run free I feel my spirit loosen a little bit, it peeks out under all the layers and yearns for more.

I'll be honest that there's a daily mantra,

Spring is coming

dinner on a budget

We decided to do a pantry challenge during February and while there were a lot of pancake and baked potato dinners, I was also able to get a little creative. If you've never heard of a pantry challenge it's pretty much just using up everything you have in your kitchen. We did buy essentials which included some fruits and veggies/milk/eggs and orange juice.

My first favorite was adapted from a Jacque Pepin recipe and it was my first time cooking with asparagus. I always thought I hated asparagus but I am so glad I gave it another try. It is not just the weird veggie that makes your pee smell funny anymore!

This one is so, so easy. You want to start with one of those long links of smoked sausage. One was enough for the four of us but you can always double it. Then stop by the market and pick up some very fresh asparagus. I think thicker is better in case you overcook it. You want it to have a little crunch in the end. Finally, you'll need some country bread getting stale on the counter. Cut everything into bite sized pieces and throw it all into a cast iron skillet with a little olive oil. Stir it every few minutes so that the sausage gets some color and the bread turns golden.

Give it some love, breathe it in and imagine you're cooking for your very cool friends on a rooftop in Barcelona. Then wipe the toddler drool off your sleeve, tell your kids that No, Kitty does not like it when you use a rubber band and a piece of yarn as a leash, and snap back into reality. I served it with cinnamon apples but it would be great with tapas style oven potatoes or a big salad. This meal was so good and ended up costing less than $5.

The next dinner was a little more complicated but you still only need a few simple items from your kitchen. We've been getting bone-in, skin on chicken thighs from Costco and can usually get three meals out of the one package. Don't forget to wash, pat dry and season with salt & pepper before you start. Pioneer Woman got me hooked on slow cooking chicken thighs and I adapted this recipe from one of hers. You can't go wrong with these simple steps:

1. Brown the chicken in an olive oil/butter combo (four at a time in a dutch oven) & remove with a slotted spoon

2. Remove as much fat as you and your muffin top are comfortable with and cook a diced onion until soft

3. Add some rice wine vinegar (or whatever you have), scrape up the brown bits, and reduce a little

4. Eyeball some ginger(fresh or powder), five spice seasoning, soy sauce, apricot jam (or whatever you have, except maybe strawberry jam...ooh if they make pineapple jam that would be really good) and the chicken with all the drippings

5. Add enough orange juice to just about cover the chicken

6. Bring it all to a boil, put the lid on and stick it in a 275-300 degree oven for a few hours (mine took a little under two but you can probably keep it in there up to four.) You really want the chicken to be falling off the bone.

You can serve it at this point over rice but I like to remove the chicken (keep warm with foil) and add some cornstarch mixed with water into the sauce to thicken it up. Then just put the chicken over the rice, add the sauce and sprinkle with something green for color.

I love it with green onions but basil or cilantro would be fun too. Again, it was a crowd pleaser and minus the pantry items, only costs about $4 for the whole meal. Here's the link to Ms. PW's other yummy recipe. It seems endlessly adaptable. Happy cooking!

Thursday

Almost there...

One more...

Perfect...

And now my half-hearted clown impersonations

If you have to spend eleven hours a day with someone and you decide that you're only going to eat if that other someone has to hand feed you while singing The Wheels on the Bus, it's helpful if you are this cute.

Family Camp-In

Well this has been a loooong month in the Hsieh household. I cannot believe it is still February. Between the abundance of rain and the monthlong freeze I put on family spending, we've had to get extra creative just to get through the long days. Ava and I finally decided we would have a proper camp-out in our living room. I told Ben about it but by the look on his face I think he was still a little surprised to come home and find the Christmas lights stapled to the ceiling.

We started with a trip to the library and collected all of their camping books. Then we spent a few days preparing to transform our cozy space into a wooded wonderland. I will not divulge how many hours we actually spent on this one night adventure, but when you're not spending any money you might as well get crafty around the house. Surprisingly I found hot dogs and buns in the freezer and there were even chocolate bars, and graham crackers in the cupboard. We had to be a little flexible with the marshmallows as the choices were either strawberry flavored or gingerbread men shaped but I just called it gourmet and went with it. Here's a peek at our mis-adventure.

Do-A-Dot Marker Trees

Bob Dylan is our camping soundtrack staple

The set-up

The best book ever, camping or otherwise. We took turns to see who could read it in the scariest voice. Oh, how I wish I had videotaped Ian's rendition. His eyes wide, looking back and forth, "dar dar woo...a mouf!" When you actually read the book this will make more sense.

Ava made the poor choice of going with strawberry. It was so hard she got a hand cramp trying to toast it.

Our owl friend, looking a little sad after Miss Sabrina thought he was an intruder and tried to attack him.

Camping chairs for storytelling (thanks Anne!)

Playing peek-a-boo in the tent

My kids actually never noticed the lights on the ceiling until I said it was dark enough for the stars and turned them on. It would have been very dramatic if I didn't make the mistake of saying I had a surprise for them, which of course led to Ava saying, Oh, I like it Mommy but I thought you were going to give us presents."

Getting ready for bed. Poor Ian actually asked me to put him back in his crib, and Daddy eventually disappeared so only Ava and I "roughed" it.

Overall I would call it a huge success and (earmuffs Ben) I hope it becomes a yearly tradition.

Knock Knock

Me: Who's there?

Ava: Who.

Me: Who who?

Ava: Who who loves You? (whispering, "it's me Mama." followed by a violent eruption of giggles.)

And then she had to get a sponge and mop my heart off the floor. Too gross? You know, because it melted from the love. Anyway, I thought I would record this one since her other jokes are so bad. She has the best timing. It always sounds like it's going to be really good and then...

Mama?

Yes?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Why?

Because he had the chicken pox! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Mama?

Yes?

What did the car say to the bus?

What?

I'm turning around and going to McDonald's! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Mama?

Yes?

A priest, a rabbi, and a pastor walk into a bar

Ok, just kidding on the last one. But it wouldn't surprise me. Unfortunately, it would end with, and then the turtle farted. Ha, ha, ha, ha!

Ah February...

I guess I was hoping if I didn't blog that it would just go a little faster...I was wrong. It's such a weird month isn't it? Last week I sort of fell off a cliff...emotionally speaking. There was some stuff but it still felt like it came out of nowhere, and I couldn't even shake it with a pan of s'more brownies. You know there's trouble when chocolate doesn't help. I've decided to blame it on February. I really don't know what to do with myself. This in-between ness is unsettling. I'm kind of sick of pot roast and the grill is still in the garage. I want to wear my cute new flats but my warm coat doesn't match. I want an adventure but I don't want to get off the couch. The holidays are gone but spring feels so far away.

So here's what i've decided, the best thing this month has going for it, besides valentine's day (which within our budget is going to mean a card and both of us remembering to shower) is that everyone is in the same boat. So anything goes. No one cares if you nap every day or watch american idol. No one expects you to mow your grass or update your blog. You have the green light to wear out your favorite sweatpants and order pizza hut two nights a week. So let's all raise a glass to the shortest month of the year and try to find the cozy in the midst of all this middle.

And I'll see you back here in march!