I talked with my mom last night and she urged me to post more often on the blog. Perhaps I'll make her a deal, I'll post everytime she calls me on the phone... eh? ;)

Sadly for her I'm posting something I've already shared with her.

I wanted to make a cake for the ward halloween party (the fact that there was no scary cake contest this year, unlike the previous six years did not make it through to my consciousness- honestly people, stop messing with tradition) and stumbled across a cute idea from Martha Stewart.

I was worried that the frosting wouldn't be super white and would therefore clash with the marshmellows so I, because I'd read a blurb about it on google, decided to add one drop of blue (?!) food coloring to the frosting. The second I started mixing it together I knew I'd made an ENORMOUS mistake that I could never recover from and started moaning about the kitchen and berating myself for my stupidity.

In the midst of this drama-fest Tessa calmly says "Mom, it will look fine, lets just keep going, don't give up." Me: "Do you really think so...?" Tessa: "Yes, now come back over here and lets make the cake."

In the end it was a disaster, but a cute, rather oozy looking disaster (thats a good thing) - and since no one else showed up with a cake for the ward trunk-or-treat party - I declared myself the winner of the 2010 Scary Cake Contest!

And now for comparison's sake (and a good laugh)

Martha's Cake - -


My cake - -

Photo Catch-up Meg's Birthday

Someone just (as in 6 weeks ago) turned ONE.


Meg shares her birthday with a little boy in our ward. When his mom and I talked about doing a joint "party" I warned her I had an idea for a theme but it might be a bit girlie (as in, not trucks). She gave me carte blanche so I went ahead with my idea.

Last year the kids were born on a 90 degree day in April and all the trees blossomed at once. So the theme was "Popcorn popping on the apricot tree" and I spent a good deal of my day making this...



Which as you can see had three cupcakes at the top that could be pulled off to make 2 birthday "cakes" and a pity "don't feel left out" cake for Tessa.

Which she enjoyed

A note on resolutions (how original)

I haven't been really inspired by resolution setting this year. Some years I have tons and tons of ideas that I want to do, but this year I got hit with the bettering myself motivation a few months ago and so I am already trying to do most of the things I would generally resolve to do. Not that you could tell...sadly, the whole "start slow and taper off" sort of thing is my general modus operandi.

And thats the thing - I have the best of intentions but the results are less than stellar (does that sound familiar because I refuse to believe I am the only one who deals with this!). As a result my plans for betterment begin to sound ridiculous as they are repeated over and over. But trust me (Aaron - I'm talking to you!) I mean it every time I say it.

And then there was this blog post I read that contained this sentence:

"That same girl who was never organized for class, is the same woman who who still struggles with cluttered areas throughout her house, yet embraces hospitality by opening her home (even when boxes are stacked in the corner)."

And so you see - I am often embarrassed at the condition that so many have seen my house in. The type of embarrassed that I laugh at outwardly -

"Oh, its messy - you know me"

But inside I'm deep, down truly mortified by it.

I mean seriously - I held book club at my house with bare roof rafters over our heads! I once had my in-laws stay in a tent in our study. And now anyone who walks up our front stairs is essentially standing in our master bedroom; aka, the kitchen; aka the place we pile all our clothes, books, blankets, toys, and tools for world domination.

But you are still welcome to come over.

Happy New Year.

A match made in ...

A few months ago: (I don't care to know the exact date, it would just make me sigh louder) Aaron took the bathroom sink off the wall - and it hasn't worked since.

This week: He finally replaced the tiny little piece that needed to be fixed to get it working again.

An hour ago: I slipped into a nice little "baby on your chest after nursing" doze and when I woke up I was informed that Aaron got that gouge on his nose (which luckily for me was not still spilling blood down his face when I saw it) while trying to reconnect the kitchen sink sprayer and that it was broken.

"Your nose?"

"No, the sink."

"That's okay, it hasn't worked in 2 years."

"No, not just the sprayer...the whole sink doesn't work."

All of this happened in twenty minutes and less than 20 feet from where I was sleeping.

"Don't worry though, I cleared a path to the bathroom sink* so use that until I get back from H--- D----.**"

Sigh...

I grumble about the house, wishing we would just order pizza for dinner to save me the hard labor of frying up already formed hamburger patties***. But I bite the frugal bullet and decide to get everything ready to eat the minute the intrepid remodeler and his bubbly little sidekick return from the store.

Eight minutes later: The microwave beeps that the thaw cycle is done...a few reminder beeps go by and I head into the kitchen. I open the door. No hamburger. Did I take it out already? I look again. And again. And finally I find the hamburger, in a bowl, next to the window. And having never made it into the microwave at all they are of course, still frozen.

I'm really just worried about the children.

---***---

*We hadn't been using the long awaited bathroom sink because there was construction debris blocking the way, and because dirty doesn't come near describing its condition.

** I have grown to loath this particular construction supply store and would rather not mention its name in entirety.

***Edited to add: It turns out that having to use the bathroom sink while cooking makes for a pretty inefficient work triangle.

Edited once again with this update: The kitchen sink was fixed within two hours of this post. This means that I am now blessed with TWO working sinks...can you imagine?

Handiwork

I have two hand-craft projects I'm working on right now.

I have big plans to crochet Tessa a doll before the baby comes...but I'm not a skilled crochet-er so I am starting small. Look at this excellent carrot I crocheted. Can anyone think of a use for a carrot made of yarn?



I am now in the middle of crocheting a mouse...then I'll move up to a cute pig.

But I am taking a break from that to work on some quilt blocks I'm supposed to have done months ago for a group of quilters from my church...I'm incredibly embarrassed it has taken me this long - but now that I've started I'm pretty excited about it.


I'm doing "English Paper Piecing" which I can do almost entirely whilst laying down. Super super fun.

The reason for the 7 year itch

This year I've really noticed that all the stuff we got for our wedding is...old. I think this may be why couples experience the seven year itch. All the irons/towels/frying pans that symbolize their happy union are broken/dingy/peeling - leading inevitably to dissatisfaction.

Case in point - (or case and point...not sure which it is) - behold the very last of the beautiful glasses we were given seven (almost eight) years ago...


It was one of eight but one by one they were knocked off (quite literally) leaving just this little guy. We drank from him for a long time even though he had a short little crack down the side. And just a few days ago (after drinking milk, that is why he looks so dingy) I noticed the crack had extended all the way around and now connected to itself. Somehow it had not broken - but I decided to just put him out of his misery and tossed him.

But - don't you fear. You see we are in our eighth year of marriage, with the 9th just around the corner, and as such have mastered all there is too know about teamwork and cooperation.

Case in/and point -

One of my year long goals is to be organized, and I had broken this down into a monthly goal for January of having the dishes done each night before bed.

If you've ever lived with me you'll know that this goal is HUGE and I was going pretty well with it...then bedrest hit and I thought that goal would go out the window.

Enter my eternal companion, who knew about my goal (it would have been hard not to notice the drastic reduction in kitchen clutter). He stepped up and as a team, I feel like we accomplished this goal.

Okay - yes, DUMB little thing, but if he hadn't done that it would have been another goal I had that I failed to accomplish. And having something in the "I accomplished this" catagory means a lot to me.

So thank you honey!

Good - Better - Best

When I took the "Best" cookies to a friends house I was asked "Emily - are you the evil genius behind these?" I was quite flattered.

---------

This was the 3rd in a series of incidents though that have made me wonder about what people think of me. (I don't actually want to know, so don't tell me...I'm just wondering aloud) They go as follows...

1 - "Emily - did you bring this bean dip...it looks like your work."
2 - "Emily - you made these brownies didn't you?... I thought so"
3 - "Emily - are you the evil genius behind these?"
4 - "I thought those reminded me of Emily's cookies."

and number 5 - is a bit off topic but "Do you have names picked out? Yeah, right. I forgot who I was talking to."

So...I'm choosing to take each of these as a compliment...but - each time I just wanted to ask "What do you mean by that?"

ETA: I just remembered the time that Aaron and I met a very well-known architectural critic...we were introduced as having just moved from Idaho and the woman said to Aaron "You LOOK like Idaho!" - another one of those - "um....thanks" moments.

Suggestions please

I saw a great idea for an advent activity on one of my favorite blogs...

The Crafty Crow

The idea is to have a different Christmas book to read each day in December. I figure it'll take me around 5 years to collect 25 Christmas books if I only buy a few a year (actually, if I only buy a few a year that will take 10 years...but I'm not going to be THAT frugal!)

Anyway - I was hoping you could offer suggestions on children's Christmas books you love. I want uplifting (but not too heart rending in order to give my hormonal self a fighting chance) with cute pictures...not too much to ask. A good moral would also be nice.

Don't worry - I already have a special place reserved for "Poochy the Christmas Pup."

Stay tuned for travel adventure updates...

Fait au Hasard

Sometimes I go to a store just to get some candy. (I know Aaron will have a comment or two about that fact alone.) Friday I went to the store solely to get ingredients to make the first FUDGE of the season! Mmmm!

(Aaron before you finish that eye roll you should be proud - I was also tempted to buy a roll of cookie dough and white chocolate covered Oreos and I RESISTED!!)

Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum.

While I was in the checkout line two adult women employees got in a fist fight.

Desire

Friday night, after Tessa had gone to bed I was quite flattered when Aaron leaned over to me and whispered

"I want you.

Then he continued with

"To take a picture of this meal I made and post it on your blog.

Don't worry, I wasn't too disappointed because the meal he MADE was WONDERFUL.



P.S. Christin - The fish came from Haymarket, which means I actually remembered to ask Aaron to pick some stuff up! Yeah me!

October Side Note - Major Clue #4

Here is a picture of the whole family in costume, under the glare of the always flattering fluorescent lights.

Just in case you don't get it Aaron is a baker and I am an oven.

Get it...Get it...?

Cause a lot of people at the party didn't.
"Oh I get it, he's a chef and you're a microwave..."

Of course you all have the benefit of 3 previous clues...and above average intelligence.

I was afraid that this costume/announcement would be bordering on tacky (and who knows, perhaps it was), but so many people didn't get it that it ended up being rather clever*.


*Since I'm now addicted to using asterisks you should check out this funny post about Halloween costumes on the blog "Stuff White People Like" ...

Doctor Overdose

Today I ended up going to three doctor's appointments.

Aaron had a sinus infection and so I gave him a ride to the doc at 8:00, then to the subway.

Quincy has been vomiting so off to the vet he went at 2:00.

And between those I had a doctor's appointment at 10:30*.

I wonder if Tessa knows how lucky she is/that she is being left out...actually, she has a pedi appointment sometime soon, I better find out when. I have to get her blood drawn before I take her...quadruple ugh...Aaron? You wanna do it?

*Clue #1

Delightfully Unhealthy

It seemed to me that we were eating just a bit too healthy around these parts. In fact it had been weeks (gasp) since I'd made any desserts.

Luckily - quick, decisive action remedied the healthy eating problem...



I'll try not to let it get out of hand anymore.

Green soup

Veggie adventures continue.

This week was kale soup!

I thought I'd have to wait until the fall to make this but luckily it's been raining buckets for more than a week so soup was definitely needed.

I used this recipe : Potato Kale Soup in Yankee Magazine

With my own adjustments:

Using a tip I read in a magazine, I substituted 1/2 of the potatoes with turnip to slightly reduce the fat and greatly reduce the carbohydrates. Actually what I did was double the recipe because the smallest turnip I could find at the grocery store was easily the size of 4 medium potatoes.

I also didn't saute the potatoes or turnips, I just started boiling them (in the chicken stock) while I cut everything else up, so that I could get it done faster. I boiled the turnips for 10 minutes before putting the softer potatoes in.

Oh - and I should add - despite the fact that it looks like green cream of wheat - the result was DELECTABLE & NUTRITIOUS!

Bok Choi, Kale, Swiss Chard, Something that is not Swiss Chard...or Kale, Collard Greens

We are in our 5th of 15 weeks that we will be getting veggies grown and picked speccially for us by a local farmer. So far its been an adventure. The first week I had to google each item in the list of that week's produce and compare it to what I held in my hand. Sometimes I got it right - but leafy greens look a lot like leafy greens, so sometimes I didn't.

So I google my food, then google a recipe to cook it and most of the time (unless I mis-identified) the recipes were really good. I believe we will add bok choi and collard greens to our list of veggies-we-like-that-are-not-peas-and-corn. I'll get back to you on the kale - I ended up freezing it because all the recipes I found that looked yummy were for creamy potato soup and at 82 degrees with 75 percent humidity soup (particularly making it) sounds beyond horrible.

I am glad that as the season progresses we are getting more and more veggies that I recognize, like corn-on-the-cob. Mmmmmmm. Oh yes, and zucchini.

Bok Choi with Shrimp Stir-Fry

Curry with ... I forgot which veggie I used

Behind

Oh so behind.

We just got back from a fun trip to Upstate NY and I still haven't finished posting about my trip to Idaho Falls last month.

Or the many visits from friends and family we've had in the month of June.

Or how freakin' busy Aaron and I have been this month.

Or Aaron's 31st birthday.

I've been wanting to post a picture of Tessa in the dress that I MADE. But since she doesn't really stand up that well right now its hard to get a good shot. So here is a picture of her in the hat that I MADE, a separate picture of the dress...oh and I did find one of her in the whole ensemble.And yes, I did tell everyone who commented on her hat that I MADE it.

(And yes, I did have (heaps of) help...thanks Gloria!)

Lessons Learned

Lesson #1 - be careful what you ask...

I was thinking to myself how I had planned to go to the gym but when it came down to it I wussed out and did something else (grocery shopping if you must know). Out loud I said to Tessa "Your momma is a loser, did you know that?" and she responded in her sweet voice - "Ya!"

Lesson #2 - The more (copies of) keys you have the better.

Yes, I should have known better than to let Tessa play with the keys...the automatic lock thingy in particular. The memory of having the firemen come to my house, ladder truck and all, to get her out of the car will hopefully remind me not to let it happen again.

The whole situation is particularly embarrassing, but add to it the fact that in the past month I've locked myself out of the house twice (in the same week)...and it seems like there might be a problem...



...have I ever told you about the time Aaron called me a goldfish?

Quilt Captain

Look what I did -

I was an official "Quilt Captain" as part of a Stake Relief Society service project. A title which I brandished with only slightly less pride than that of "Wife and Mother."

And of course I must acknowledge those at the activity who tied the quilt very energetically!

(If you are wondering the quilt pattern is called "Scrappy Diamonds" and was in the April/May 2008 issue of "For the Love of Quilting"...and it is really fast and easy)

I ate Brussel Sprouts

According to Women's Health magazine Brussel Sprouts are the healthiest vegetable (they listed no scientific evidence...thats just what they said.) I figured since I eat so few veggies I might as well get the most bang for my buck. I googled "what do brussel sprouts taste like" and found this recipe. I love Indian food and happen to have "masala" seasoning from a previous, unsuccessful attempt to make it at home so I thought I'd try it. However I don't have all the spices it asked for so I had to modify, as usual, and for once I wrote down how I changed it. And yes, this was a successful attempt at Indian food.

Totally Americanized Brussels Sprouts Curry

15 fresh Brussels sprouts (outer leaves removed and hard bottom chopped off) - finely chopped legnthwise.
2 medium sweet potatoes - peeled, cubed and boiled.
1 large can of garbanzo beans
1/2 red onion finely sliced lengthwise
1 teaspoon meat masala (in the spice aisle maybe?)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1+ teaspoon fresh ginger (mmmmm.mmmm.mmm) or powder will do
1+ teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoons curry powder

In a big skillet heat 1 teaspoon canola (or peanut) oil. Add and toast cumin, mustard and curry. One by one add onions, garbanzo beans, brussels sprouts. Continue to add masala, coconut milk, ginger and salt. Cover and cook for a few minutes until sprouts start to wilt. Add sweet potatoes. If it is too spicy add more brussels sprouts and/or potatoes and coconut milk. Also add more coconut milk if it seems too dry. Cover and cook for 10-15 more minutes, until sprouts are just tender.

Serve over rice.


Edited to add: By the way - while I bragging about eating a vegetable Christin has a post on her blog about cooking a whole fish (yes, head included, and yes, pictures included). I am in awe, but I really don't see me doing that any time soon/ever.

Cupcakes, Cupcakes, Cupcakes

For Tessa's party we had a few friends over and took funny pictures with bug bodies and decorated cupcakes. As you can see, Tessa takes after her Dad in more than one way!

Then on Tessa's actual birthday I took cupcakes (and Tessa) into Aaron's office. She was swarmed by coo-ing women who, among other things, loved her shoes.

Finally that night I decorated an official "birthday cake" cupcake for Tessa.

She was very excited to have one of her own...

but upon sampling the frosting...

gave Dad a look and said "I can't believe you actually EAT this stuff :P !"

and quickly turned her attention back to her (low sugar) Cheerios.

Good girl...I don't know where she got it, but good girl!