go. now.

As in, "Now. Go make this. Now."

I think I mentioned that I was going to try a new soup from my Barefoot in Paris cookbook this week. Well, I did. And you must make this. For dinner. Tonight. Go to the grocery store, buy the ingredients, and get cooking because it was that good. Lentil Sausage Soup. It was so delicious, and it made the house smell so delicious, and I can barely even talk about it. Here's a link.

I will tell you that I didn't use leeks because there weren't any to be found at the grocery, I forgot to add the cumin, and I used Healthy Choice sausage. I added about an extra cup of onion to make up for the leeks. I'm not sure that the cumin would've added much to the soup...or real sausage for that matter because, I'm telling you, it was so good. In fact, I think I'll go heat up a bowl right now for lunch.

Other than the soup, the P family had a pretty productive weekend. We cleaned up the garden and added a little red fence around it to deter Otis from stomping through it. M also mowed and trimmed at our house and his daddy's. Then I repainted the trim on the front porch, but I never made it to painting the garage door. I'm hoping to get that done this week. It's loads of fun around here, people. Loads. Of course, we had to stay busy to keep our minds off the shellacking that Notre Dame and Tennessee took this weekend at the hands of Michigan and Florida. There are no words to express how devastating it was. At least the Colts won...and UK beat Louisville, which was cool, and it looks like M will win at Fantasy Football this week, which is a whole different breed of excitement.

New mum on the front porch.

I'm off peeps. Have a fantastic Monday. And enjoy the crazy colorful pic of S...just ignore the crusted mucus. We're still working on it.

the tide is high

I think the tide is finally turning. S seems to be feeling better, as evidenced by her lack of screaming fits when I bust out the booger sucker. Now she's back to just not wanting her face washed, which is especially critical when she has mucus smeared across her otherwise adorable face. She has, however, taken her naps today (nap #2 is in progress) without throwing any fits, and she seems to be in an excellent mood. Of course, I let her ride in the buggy at the grocery store today, and she thought it was a blast. It's getting a bit cumbersome to try to wear her while grocery shopping as 1) she's a lot of extra weight to lug around, and 2) having her strapped to my chest puts her within reach of everything I pick up, making my attempts at moving items from the shelves to the cart a constant struggle. So, today, I plopped her in the cart, and she loved it. Of course, I could wear her on my back, but I'm not brave enough to try that on my own the first time.

How did this turn into a recap of the day's grocery excursion? No idea. Anyway...

I am so frickin' excited about the weather. It is pleasant outside again. Plus, we've been sleeping with the windows open and it's just lovely. I'm trying to take advantage of the nice weather by getting the garden all in order. I dug up the dead zucchini plant this morning, and groomed the tomato plants a bit. I'd dig them up, too, but I can still see some little green tomatoes, and I can't bear to miss out on them. Soon enough, there won't be fresh tomatoes. I'm also trying to decide what to do about the basil. Should I make a truckload of pesto and freeze it, or would the plants survive if I put them in pots and moved them inside? I will miss my fresh basil terribly if I have to give it up.

Speaking of tomatoes and pesto, I picked up some fresh mozzarella today, and I'm planning to make tomato, mozzarella, and pesto paninis one day this week. Of course, I don't have a panini maker, but I heard somewhere that I can just use my waffle iron (or a skillet and a weight, but where's the fun in that?). My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I'm also going to try out a new soup next week from Barefoot in Paris and also Scallops Provencal. I'll keep you posted (as always). For now, I'm going to go make an apple cake. Yum. Have a great weekend, my peeps.

FIVE SENSES FRIDAY
Sight: S learning to get down the front step without landing on her face...hysterical
Sound: quiet.
Smell: apples with cinnamon
Taste: vanilla ice cream on warm apple dumplings, homemade chicken soup, tomato tart, spinach pastry, sweet tea (I've been a glutton this week.)
Touch: cool air at night

lord of the flies

So, I built the compost bin, right? Did I mention that I'd been hoarding kitchen scraps in a bucket on the back porch for a few days in anticipation of the compost bin? Probably I failed to mention that. Well, I had this bucket (a red bucket with hearts on it, if you were wondering) that I had been throwing apple peels and banana peels and egg shells and such in for a few days. I had noticed that there were flies flocking to the bucket, but I wasn't too worried about it. Then I noticed that the flies were getting a bit aggressive. That's part of the reason that I made sure I got the compost bin finished yesterday (as it was the first day it hadn't rained this week). The flies aren't on the back porch anymore, but they are creating what seems like a new civilization inside the compost bin. I'm not even sure how they're getting in there since there is a lid, but they're in there, and they are feisty. I'm not exactly sure how to get rid of them, though I did read a little blurb yesterday about killing flies by alcohol poisoning. The problem is I don't know where to put the alcohol...because I've got some banana liqueur that I'd be willing to sacrifice. (I only own banana liqueur because it goes in Bananas Foster, I don't drink the stuff. Barf.)

Any other brilliant ideas? I've already covered the food scraps in the bin with newspaper, so don't bother suggesting that.

Oh, and I had a couple of friends over for lunch today. I made the full-sized tomato tart, which was so yummy, that I feel the need to share:

TOMATO BASIL TART
1 piecrust
4-5 small tomatoes, sliced and drained
1-1/2C shredded mozzarella cheese
1C loosely packed fresh basil
4 cloves garlic
1/4C shredded parmesan
1/4C mayonnaise
1/8tsp pepper

Bake the piecrust according to Pillsbury's directions. (Why would you bother making homemade piecrust??). Sprinkle with 1/2C mozzarella and let cool. Arrange tomatoes over cheese. Process basil and garlic and spread over tomatoes. Combine remaining mozzarella, parmesan, mayonnaise, and pepper and spread evenly over basil mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden.

This is so yummy. I hope you all run out and make it. I also made the Spinach in Puff Pastry last night. It was delish, too, though M's response was, "I wouldn't call it my favorite thing." As long as he doesn't call it his least favorite thing, I can deal. He'll also have to deal because I will be making it again.

Have a great Thursday, peeps.

a new kind of seamstress

I always have these great intentions of sewing things. Like curtains for S's room. I've been staring at the fabric that I bought (and now passionately dislike) for months. As I no longer like it for curtains and the yellow in the fabric doesn't match the yellow of her walls anyway, I think I'll make some napkins out of the fabric. Again- good intentions. It'll likely never happen. If anyone out there will actually use some yellow striped fabric for some eco-friendly napkins, I'll gladly send it to you. Anyway, the sewing machine rarely comes out of its box for any projects. I did a little hand sewing today, though. On the new compost bin. Bizarre, I know. I was following the instructions online, but the screws just weren't working to hold the wire mesh onto the bottom of the bin, so I busted out the garden twine and sewed the mesh to the bin through the holes I'd already made in it. It worked, and after spending a solid 20 minutes digging a hole in which to put said bin, we now have a compost bin in the garden. I am so way excited. It was really nice to be able to work outside in the middle of the day. The high today is supposed to be 75 degrees. That's 20 degrees less than a week ago. Unreal.

The break in the ungodly heat means I also shut off the AC today and opened the windows and turned on all the fans. It is insanely pleasant and fresh in the house right now. I think the fresh air will help the P family get over our little plague. Along with the Vitamin C and chicken soup. in fact, I think I am beating this little cold. M is feeling pretty cruddy, but S seems to be doing better, and I am not really feeling so bad. Just a scratchy throat really. And apparently, S is now old enough for Infant Dimetapp. I called the pediatrician about the Bactriban suggested by Mama Morton, but the nurse said to try the Dimetapp since Bactriban is an antibiotic and S probably doesn't really need it. Thanks for the tip, though. Maybe next time the snot monster attacks baby girl...

I'm off. It's getting close to nap time.
Oh, yeah...my old roommate is scheduled to have her baby girl via c-section today. Keep her and her family in your thoughts. S is so excited about having a new friend.

yum.

I figured something out this summer that managed to escape me last summer. I really, really love my garden. I didn't care last year...mostly because I was so miserably pukey. This year, however, I have actually taken the time to try and do things properly, and it has been wonderful. I love going out into the garden everyday and grabbing handfuls of yummy cherry tomatoes and keeping my eyes peeled for new zucchinis and peppers. While I'm not the biggest fan of looking out for the return of the squash bugs, knowing that I actually grew something that I can eat is more rewarding than I ever thought it would be. And the delicious aroma of all the fresh basil doesn't hurt the situation.

I am quickly becoming overrun with cherry tomatoes, though, so I'm likely going to take some to a friend this afternoon. I'd hang on to them, but I can tell that there are going to be loads more ready for picking tomorrow. I'd rather have someone enjoy them while they're perfect than hang on to them out of selfishness.

The other thing I love about the garden is learning from my mistakes. Like last year when I planted so many tomato plants in the area the size of a bathtub that they were a jumbled mess, making it impossible to harvest anything...also making it impossible for anything else to grow. This year, I actually paid attention to the instructions on the seed packets, but I think they were a little lenient, so I'll plant them even farther apart next year. I'll be more careful about how I sow the basil seeds next year, too. I've had to transplant them so many times this year because some of them ended up growing over others, starving them of sunlight. Oh, and I've learned to pick zucchini before they are as long as my arm...maybe that will help my squash bug problem.

Of course, now I'm itching to try to grow new things, and I'm basically sitting on my hands to keep myself from rushing out and buying something. Next year.

Despite my newfound love of vegetable gardening, I'm still hesitant to try flower gardening. It just seems so completely overwhelming. If anyone has a suggestion on how to get started on that one, let me know. I need something simple to boost my confidence. Until then...

...I'm off to shower. I have dirt all over my knees from crawling around the garden this morning. Happy Wednesday, peeps.

it's not easy being green

S and I did a little work in the garden yesterday afternoon. Correction. She played in the ExerSaucer and "sang" to herself while I worked in the garden. The tomato plants were growing out of control and were beginning to really overtake half of the basil plants. Sooooo, I dug up the endangered basil, moving it to the edge of the garden. I also added another stake for the tomato plants...basically tying up anything that would reach. I can't bear the thought of my beautiful tomatoes rotting on the ground. Plus, we have a bunny that is trying to make our garden into his own private pantry. With everything tied up off the ground, Otis can actually see the bunny and chase him away. Just call Otis "Mr. McGregor." I love it. Besides...I thought bunnies wanted lettuce and carrots. Who ever heard of bunnies trying to swipe zucchini and tomatoes? Beyond that, I actually went to the gym yesterday. With our attempts at getting S into a more predictable napping routine and the nursery being closed from 115-315 in the afternoons, it's actually pretty difficult to get across town to work out while avoiding the mad rush of mommies during the morning classes and the insanity of evening rush hour. I think I've decided I just have to be ready to hop into the car and head that way at a moment's notice. Anywho, I actually ran at the gym. Normally, I am a weights and elliptical machine girl. Yesterday, however, I decided to hop on a treadmill since the machines I like were all occupado. Holy BenGay, Batman. My legs are sore today. It's good, though. It makes me feel like less of a sloth. More like a geriatric, but less like a sloth.

Alright, I'm off to finish the laundry. Happy Wednesday, peeps. Here's a gratuitous S shot.

She's a fish

Baby girl went to the pool today. She didn't like it at first...the water was too cold, I think. But once she got used to the fact that her hat kept the sun out of her eyes and she acclimated to the water temp, she was pretty happy. It was loads of fun.
We also got the garden planted today. And the grass mowed. So, I feel like we were not complete wastes of space all day.

Domestic Goddess??

Not so much.

I have been fairly productive this afternoon, though. Maybe I was making up for the morning...during which I accomplished nothing more than taking a shower, taking S to visit her daddy at work, and going to playgroup. While that's plenty for one morning, it doesn't really count as accomplishing anything, does it? Maybe. Who cares. We had a good morning. Just the same I crossed two "major" things off the to-do list this afternoon.

One: I planted some of the seeds for the garden. We're expanding the garden this year and moving it from one side of the yard to the other. I'm very excited about it- not to mention excited about actually wanting to eat stuff from the garden. So far, I planted the grape tomatoes and regular tomatoes, the bell peppers, and some lettuce. When I ran out of peat pods, I quit, which means all the little sweet basil seeds are still in their package. I'd also like to grow strawberries, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to since I know they have to be grown away from tomatoes and peppers. Maybe I'll try the strawberries in pots on the deck. We'll see. As for now, all of the happy seeds are planted 1/4 inch deep in happy dirt under a happy plastic dome. They are sitting on the stove right now because baby girl is napping next to the back door so I can't move them outside. Later.

Item number two from the to-do list is crafty. Crafty for me at least. I always have great intentions of completing crafty little projects, but somehow I just end up collecting bags of goodies from Michaels. I wanted to finish this one, though. It has a distinct purpose. For the record, I ripped the basic idea off from a friend. As all of our family currently lives at least three hours away, I want S to learn who they are before she is bombarded by and scared out of her wits by "strangers". I've taken pictures of all of her family members and modge-podged them to balsa wood flowers that I painted pink and green to match her room. I'm going to use removable Velcro dots to stick them to the wall over her changing pad. That way, as she gets older, she'll see pictures of all the people who love her and she'll become more familiar with them. Snazzy idea, eh? I'll post a picture once I get them on the wall. Right now, they are hanging out on a Pier One bag on the dining table.

That's about it around here today. We did get a new garage door opener installed yesterday, and M and I are both happy about that. As for food, it's been pretty low key the past few nights. I made a gumbo stew the other night that used a Zatarain's mix. While it was yummy, I won't make it again. I rarely buy "mixes," and now I really remember why. I was checking out the ingredient list on the side of the box, and I couldn't pronounce the names of all the preservatives. It creeped me out. I have a great gumbo recipe from scratch, and I'll stick with it from now on. I much prefer being able to pronounce and recognize all of the ingredients in our food. Last night was a simple dinner: snap peas and roasted new potatoes. Plus raw carrots for M and corn and grape tomatoes for me. Very colorful plates. Made me happy to see M eating things that are legitimate colors (aka not a shade of white, cream, or taupe). Ooooh, I did cook some spinach the other night to put on top of pasta. It was delish. The recipe is over here...

Later peeps.