tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79406479263179553132024-03-12T17:25:29.595-07:00four four tencups of tea in my kitchen and everything else that goes along in this busy mama's life with my charming husband, busy daughter and baby boy in mostly rainy portland, oregoncassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.comBlogger325125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-60257655220085380092023-01-01T15:27:00.002-08:002023-01-02T13:56:03.669-08:00Happy New Year 2023!<p> <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7FN3bH3Q2hnRPQC7kNMAeNbxxAJ2kssGBtrSecnBXWhsf0KE0VGsbymaaSmYXtJXtNK2faM-6PylOFvAgMZksXTua3ylpMVaJegwmZlHRevQYS4W6_SrJBNJI7kQ8EI_zBMA_yFN9lml2jqqgkZw3m2NirA7YDYYhdKfo8uf8JJRIh5gy0Qk29g0/s1280/IMG_9522.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7FN3bH3Q2hnRPQC7kNMAeNbxxAJ2kssGBtrSecnBXWhsf0KE0VGsbymaaSmYXtJXtNK2faM-6PylOFvAgMZksXTua3ylpMVaJegwmZlHRevQYS4W6_SrJBNJI7kQ8EI_zBMA_yFN9lml2jqqgkZw3m2NirA7YDYYhdKfo8uf8JJRIh5gy0Qk29g0/w640-h480/IMG_9522.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbqFV1tQbuoqeuO7kj-uaLWlhUuZ9lzYzZZdikxB-Kzs5LWsBhUYHM3hCe42ZGcibd_VMEIFZYXo8Ru1OIyp9xz3GweEBQcEfDfb0xULaV_AMCi9cNQJDLeEkUyPbIJwd77CsmlKDIpar9kZFaSlMBdr4_zytI1V2SEO7TtcxwBIYs8dEqNCapK6q/s1280/IMG_9524.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbqFV1tQbuoqeuO7kj-uaLWlhUuZ9lzYzZZdikxB-Kzs5LWsBhUYHM3hCe42ZGcibd_VMEIFZYXo8Ru1OIyp9xz3GweEBQcEfDfb0xULaV_AMCi9cNQJDLeEkUyPbIJwd77CsmlKDIpar9kZFaSlMBdr4_zytI1V2SEO7TtcxwBIYs8dEqNCapK6q/w640-h480/IMG_9524.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrXeld1wVwPNESYOypGHCYG_nyyBnuDgjGMnjJ4bx4_9tnp17nBL_iwgs1h9L3dAdvtq1I_V6OQbbElK7wr5MCuaVkHpL0RNa9tPmCUKLdTxdLNencfsz3eCPlbiVEAkCqUVMBhwptMxLsmZHlwDgEUKVfFA3Zx7sSZfFxpoPinnesvPm3ix69UkA/s1280/IMG_1432.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrXeld1wVwPNESYOypGHCYG_nyyBnuDgjGMnjJ4bx4_9tnp17nBL_iwgs1h9L3dAdvtq1I_V6OQbbElK7wr5MCuaVkHpL0RNa9tPmCUKLdTxdLNencfsz3eCPlbiVEAkCqUVMBhwptMxLsmZHlwDgEUKVfFA3Zx7sSZfFxpoPinnesvPm3ix69UkA/w640-h428/IMG_1432.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDRNRqX4n3Qex82c4A8HT8TjEpqLHZHdXQQ0VLqUcFSelej-awWE72GaTb3-YegSsugS9hpaWtfwEhnGp-Zmd_CuP2MgFTEQG7nw8aBHSKmm1j0c13dSpIcCP_RDqvcQ31gr1FpCCfy9DX1jV9KrcFVSm_Wk0H1o4yVVPM_to6T-dC_G2t9Z5e42w/s1280/IMG_1428.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDRNRqX4n3Qex82c4A8HT8TjEpqLHZHdXQQ0VLqUcFSelej-awWE72GaTb3-YegSsugS9hpaWtfwEhnGp-Zmd_CuP2MgFTEQG7nw8aBHSKmm1j0c13dSpIcCP_RDqvcQ31gr1FpCCfy9DX1jV9KrcFVSm_Wk0H1o4yVVPM_to6T-dC_G2t9Z5e42w/w640-h428/IMG_1428.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKMdj83bZgoME1UQMTOtZrce95lP3Q0xSS42H2b15V7dbwn-rJeSbahaz1HyE8VhF4jdWBm74PoAVa2dluKA3i1LB8TVHthshQZV_b9QxAb1ikGawVF81dMgGx3UN3sDnZxGff68514h_ADr9Q0NpWZhKCrDSl7wHqZXniCEmViOlxydfiQI5fxtd/s1280/IMG_9525.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKMdj83bZgoME1UQMTOtZrce95lP3Q0xSS42H2b15V7dbwn-rJeSbahaz1HyE8VhF4jdWBm74PoAVa2dluKA3i1LB8TVHthshQZV_b9QxAb1ikGawVF81dMgGx3UN3sDnZxGff68514h_ADr9Q0NpWZhKCrDSl7wHqZXniCEmViOlxydfiQI5fxtd/w640-h480/IMG_9525.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Welcome back to my neglected blog! <div><br /></div><div>It's January 1st, 2023. In an effort to get something into my hands other than my phone, I have am taking Instagram and the Apple News app off of my phone. I'm hoping to do more knitting and sewing, continue cooking delicious food, read more books, keep going to the gym, and expand our garden. My chicken-scratch drawing is above, with plans for some new beds and what I will grown in them. A couple of months ago I watched <a href="https://www.floretflowers.com/growing-floret/">Gowing Floret</a> and now I'm very excited to really dedicate some space to flowers. </div><div><br /></div><div>I would have posted more photos today but my battery died in my camera and I don't even know where the charger for it is. I didn't post on this blog once in 2022. It's actually amazing that I remembered how to format photos and upload them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, Happy New Year and I hope to see you again soon.</div>cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-55343366243688982262021-02-16T15:49:00.000-08:002021-02-16T15:49:22.269-08:00Three Storms<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutfNgObpNVlQiVNouXfKtGYygDCwVzbPLB7MhzGJwBgVToL0zi8y84C6P1rllw9yHVoeuITRBWOhT9Jn3e4oZnnOLVlwocssM49jLH9lsktDGPv-OThojnnXYfsAxYa0wx-8ov68AhmU/s1280/IMG_5893.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1184" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutfNgObpNVlQiVNouXfKtGYygDCwVzbPLB7MhzGJwBgVToL0zi8y84C6P1rllw9yHVoeuITRBWOhT9Jn3e4oZnnOLVlwocssM49jLH9lsktDGPv-OThojnnXYfsAxYa0wx-8ov68AhmU/w592-h640/IMG_5893.jpeg" width="592" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfeWeIeA2NCZ9m-ITJJjJpcF01TSfaI0WnDlfcW3VBlSbXMNXAOdbWUhqo6KWIxFnLF5G_ME83NDg7ASzM6gAtc2SoHJjEkZbQu9F_xBcwKISvuKM_shnXsPyS61OEajr3C7E549tho0/s1280/IMG_5849.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfeWeIeA2NCZ9m-ITJJjJpcF01TSfaI0WnDlfcW3VBlSbXMNXAOdbWUhqo6KWIxFnLF5G_ME83NDg7ASzM6gAtc2SoHJjEkZbQu9F_xBcwKISvuKM_shnXsPyS61OEajr3C7E549tho0/w640-h480/IMG_5849.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUN_hy-XN9gwdVQeqXDU-CHnGHlcx-Va1VsggoAi2n3rGcG63RU7dQMeA2tKnkWd4qirUr94WJTsOflWahvAPYftEAb-Zt80XgBnyAd5IIwFCT6mg3NqDOXncg0PlCK1J5BoVFBYdDV0/s1280/IMG_5842.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1227" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUN_hy-XN9gwdVQeqXDU-CHnGHlcx-Va1VsggoAi2n3rGcG63RU7dQMeA2tKnkWd4qirUr94WJTsOflWahvAPYftEAb-Zt80XgBnyAd5IIwFCT6mg3NqDOXncg0PlCK1J5BoVFBYdDV0/w614-h640/IMG_5842.jpeg" width="614" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>What a strange last few days we have had here! Snow was predicted for Thursday afternoon of last week and three storms were supposedly headed our way. A few weeks earlier snow had been predicted but it turned out to be just a dusting, so I was skeptical this time. Well, we ended up with more snow than we have had in the last few years! We had a few rounds of snow plus a few rounds of ice. One of the days we took the kids sledding at the park a few streets over. It was 24 degrees and raining (sleeting?) ice pellets. By the time we got home our coats were covered in a fine sheet of ice.</p><p>Our days alternated between playing outside in the snow (mainly the kids) and playing games inside. Wingspan is our current favorite. I can't resist beautiful illustrations of birds. We started our Valentine's Day celebration with a virtual school party on Friday, and then heart shaped cinnamon rolls and lots of cards and chocolate on Sunday. I spent a lot of time making sure the hummingbird feeder didn't freeze. Hummingbirds need to eat twice their body weight every day, no matter the weather. They're so tiny! </p><p>When the ice storm arrived lots of houses in the area lost power. Many are still without it. School (distance learning) was canceled today and the doctor's office is without power, so that appointment has to be rescheduled. Last week I had ordered a King Cake for Fat Tuesday (today) but the bakery is without power so we'll have to postpone that celebration. It has been a hard weekend for so many businesses losing power on Valentine's Day. So many bakeries and florists had to cancel everything due to ice, snow and power loss. I feel so fortunate that we haven't lost power. It's been fun to have snow, since we get it so rarely, but I'm glad it is already melting. Give me a winter full of plain old rain over snow and ice storms any day!</p><div><br /></div>cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-86784915091485631972021-02-02T15:57:00.000-08:002021-02-02T15:57:57.908-08:00Into the Woods<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqDn0rZ0370itOTy-ySvy7JUGa1sfTjK7lslIRIemLcnLtefA5Rfh7CzQj_SbZZmwaBf2Nlffg9AZXAQjn2l98K-_Bpqvwu4krmNHvO2W543J9twiUQepbG3aJAG0ZxG_wkOvtH3ZhgA/s1280/IMG_5713.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqDn0rZ0370itOTy-ySvy7JUGa1sfTjK7lslIRIemLcnLtefA5Rfh7CzQj_SbZZmwaBf2Nlffg9AZXAQjn2l98K-_Bpqvwu4krmNHvO2W543J9twiUQepbG3aJAG0ZxG_wkOvtH3ZhgA/w640-h480/IMG_5713.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmD8V-12ib3jWhHTVuXBIU4r-gNSFJiwQp4hpCDTegnZLQdMc_oEfkxQ-FKjB_ZHcelIT0DW8J3QO3qUqbze2Txt_yGMk24xHLhhJVIIW9W4xlZ6r5DfQBBOVOk2xlto5hrOgIfXWyCf8/s1280/IMG_5741.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmD8V-12ib3jWhHTVuXBIU4r-gNSFJiwQp4hpCDTegnZLQdMc_oEfkxQ-FKjB_ZHcelIT0DW8J3QO3qUqbze2Txt_yGMk24xHLhhJVIIW9W4xlZ6r5DfQBBOVOk2xlto5hrOgIfXWyCf8/w640-h480/IMG_5741.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Last week we played hooky and left Portland for two nights in a cabin on the river at the foot of the mountain. It snowed in town the day before we left and I worried that we'd get stuck on our way to the cabin. We'd never gone to that part of the state before and I didn't know what to expect. We aren't seasoned snow people, living here. It hardly ever snows, and when it does the whole city freaks out and shuts down, even for an inch or two. Fortunately for us, the roads were all clear for our drive. </p><p>The cabin was perfect; very cozy with handmade quilts, and a bit rustic with knotty pine walls. We kept the wood stove burning while we played darts, put together puzzles, and watched the water go by outside. We took a walk by the river and the kids delighted in the snow on the ground. </p><p>To get a break from the eternal task of cooking all the time, we got a pizza and kale salad the first night, and some local barbecue the second night. I brought a lemon poppyseed loaf that I had baked ahead. It was the perfect thing to eat while sipping a quiet cup of tea in the morning while everyone else slept. I'm always an early riser and sleeping somewhere different exacerbates it. I woke up at 4:15 both mornings. The last morning I was up early enough to catch the full moon before it slipped behind the hills. </p>cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-78029924522412712842020-08-09T11:23:00.000-07:002020-08-09T11:23:04.040-07:00An Escape<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGaBN_4JUt7m4gph4VkWSgrJQurn9cbKU1V8wzk0i08h2UbJuLrzOAs_8TwxsJsD_2pDhiKtxVA3e9wgIk7RtYRrXIcwkWD733TctamRgUZrtWzws4c-1WQwzNQqmfKaLv2j89RPa6P4/s1280/IMG_4474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGaBN_4JUt7m4gph4VkWSgrJQurn9cbKU1V8wzk0i08h2UbJuLrzOAs_8TwxsJsD_2pDhiKtxVA3e9wgIk7RtYRrXIcwkWD733TctamRgUZrtWzws4c-1WQwzNQqmfKaLv2j89RPa6P4/s640/IMG_4474.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's me!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7QJJoqHrqCxrFtSB5MTTCkF-NntWnY5ZpmXYOOQISEpk9O1_PATLzmZmA-7RMx86oxlu8Zwcfe2vy5D0cRS0bz8aSvrbGWMWqz9ZUH94wQli5PJzYm3rMOzyYvP5w4sHDriXguZMVzE/s1280/IMG_4465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; 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padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIvStVs4ZHfv22_t_J0ma2qAICI663Sl4SGVorOhTbMvDUOe9PAnN1vdQlisA-pzmYh9yF4fBa6v_Ss8WoRxHOHJg7lD3aE7mr8UTn2vRRd4itmiJWrLe_6O2RwQE6L3GfFI5SyVUit0/s640/IMG_3748.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYPtUttrxW6z82Z__DHnc-TgUHiW7uzqU62hJicBPhb6_Oom-B3SnMU4NDLeBOWd743u1wLJJ3ReKnDy4obktqmbC1yRnM1w46_AiFqB3Ib0JARR-OO67hO2G-KMvMmj7AgxLbsTxa60/s1280/IMG_3746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYPtUttrxW6z82Z__DHnc-TgUHiW7uzqU62hJicBPhb6_Oom-B3SnMU4NDLeBOWd743u1wLJJ3ReKnDy4obktqmbC1yRnM1w46_AiFqB3Ib0JARR-OO67hO2G-KMvMmj7AgxLbsTxa60/s640/IMG_3746.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this little dogwood type flower that was all over.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UiprKOKOpqGikYDKI4GgK1tmcL7j36JAT1cB10smT9imqJzUW3w4iL4BVlJz5RetjhGkc60rMAkdbmxVik0dER9DFN4dxHV3hjsinmbnLVe-iKcSUsmZHx2zQx_JTFtLIQCOQJirnIk/s1280/IMG_3742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UiprKOKOpqGikYDKI4GgK1tmcL7j36JAT1cB10smT9imqJzUW3w4iL4BVlJz5RetjhGkc60rMAkdbmxVik0dER9DFN4dxHV3hjsinmbnLVe-iKcSUsmZHx2zQx_JTFtLIQCOQJirnIk/s640/IMG_3742.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2HmvMMz9Xja9FcaXtkfQArjz0K1qm7No9ySEyuivF-YYZEOKliruz645NPooXCbWflWcKtYbs7MbcWD-bBeIlnTgt7Xv3_4wsTzm7qTOFFDPAoish-tUI2VVa43YHc-dWGIUHU72ZuY/s1280/IMG_3741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1165" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2HmvMMz9Xja9FcaXtkfQArjz0K1qm7No9ySEyuivF-YYZEOKliruz645NPooXCbWflWcKtYbs7MbcWD-bBeIlnTgt7Xv3_4wsTzm7qTOFFDPAoish-tUI2VVa43YHc-dWGIUHU72ZuY/s640/IMG_3741.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huckleberry Cheesecake Ice Cream <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The highlight of July (probably the highlight of 2020 so far) was a camping trip to Lost Lake near Hood River, Oregon. I won't say it was relaxing, because camping is never relaxing for me, but it was a nice change from being home. It was great to be somewhere different and it's always wonderful to be surrounded by nature. We borrowed a friend's kayak and had so much fun taking turns with it on the lake. We are definitely going to become kayak people. <p></p><p>I felt fairly safe as camping is an outdoor activity, but there were reminders everywhere of COVID-19. Most people were wearing masks in public spaces, but not everyone. Nothing feels normal this year. </p><p>I prepped a bunch of food in advance. For the first night we kept it easy and did hotdogs and burgers, s'mores too. I mixed and shaped the burgers the night before. The second night we had steak, melon, and garlic bread (pre-made garlic bread from the grocery store). The leftover steak was so good with eggs the next morning for breakfast. The last evening we had beef bulgogi and rice, recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen's <a href="https://kristinsfavoriterecipes.wordpress.com/2018/01/04/smitten-kitchen-sizzling-beef-bulgogi-tacos/" target="_blank">Bulgogi Tacos</a> in Smitten Kitchen Everyday. I cooked and mixed it up at home and warmed it up in a cast-iron skillet in camp. We spent our last day there kayaking so we were very tired and hungry when we got back to camp. It was so nice to have something I could just heat and eat. For lunches I made an <a href="https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/antipasto-pasta-salad/" target="_blank">antipasto pasta salad</a> from Gimme Some Oven. I love how adaptable it is. It made an enormous amount. Next time I will cut the recipe in half. </p><p>This trip reminded me to make everything as easy as possible for a camping trip. Buy the baby carrots, don't bring the carrots from the CSA no matter how beautiful they are. It sounds lazy but being able to grab a handful of carrots versus having to peel and chop them while dirtying a cutting board, knife and peeler in the process can make me choose to leave the carrots in the cooler. Easy wins the day! </p><div><br /></div>cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-71338720784989961272020-08-07T15:42:00.000-07:002020-08-07T15:42:01.422-07:00July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lots of cooking, baking and eating here this summer. <div><br /></div><div>I baked some sourdough loaves, a flag cake, and a plum cake. I made pelmeni filled with potatoes and cheese. </div><div><br /></div><div>We are part of a CSA and once a week we drive 30 minutes into the country to pick up veggies at the farm. If there's an excess of something a sign will say "take as much of this as you can eat!" There were a few weeks in a row when bok choy was in the all-you-can-eat category. I made weekly dinners of teriyaki chicken meatballs, spicy bok choy, and buttered kohlrabi. Kohlrabi has been the best discovery from the CSA so far. It's a strange looking vegetable that tastes like broccoli stems. I peel it, slice it into sticks and steam it. I told the kids it was broccoli stems (they both love broccoli) and they gobbled it up. After dinner I told them it was actually kohlrabi and now there's another veggie that they eat!</div>cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-34827125928017303832020-07-20T20:25:00.001-07:002020-07-20T20:25:52.613-07:00Our New Addition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last summer we had a bathroom added onto our small house and it was such a good addition. Even though it's a small room, it makes our house feel so much bigger. We had flirted with the idea of adding another living space onto our house for a while and once we saw how much adding a small bathroom effected the feel of our home, we knew that adding more living space would be a huge benefit. In January we signed the construction contract and put down a deposit, securing our spot in line with the contractor. Our contractor came by the week of March 13 to drop off some paperwork for the permits and then the world changed. Construction was supposed to start in March, but of course that changed. Everything was up in the air.<br />
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The project officially got started the week of June 10th, coinciding with the kids' last day of online school and our 13th wedding anniversary. So much change! We watched them tear down the awning, bringing light into the kitchen for the first time. I love it so much. We watched the excavator break up the patio and dig down for the foundation. They built the concrete forms and the city inspector said they were "Beautiful." The day the concrete was poured we skipped our usual hour of quiet time because it we didn't want to miss a moment of it. Last Friday they put on the sub flooring so we had a very large deck, or stage, for the weekend. Today, Monday, they put up the frame for two of the walls! Each day gives another glimpse into what it will eventually become.<br />
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It is exciting, stressful, and very inconvenient. Essentially shutting down the backyard during a pandemic when we've already been at home for four months, and everything we would normally be doing (swimming, library, etc) is closed, is hard. We set up a play area in the front yard, but it really doesn't make up for the freedom of being able to tell your kids to go run off their energy in the backyard! I'm not complaining, it's just lousy timing. I know we are very privileged to get to do this. I grew up in apartments and rental houses where we weren't allowed to paint the walls or do any gardening. I never dreamed that someday I would be in the position we are in now. I feel very fortunate and don't take it for granted.cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-64100398904124630312020-06-14T16:06:00.000-07:002020-06-14T16:06:53.166-07:00May<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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May was another month spent at home cooking, admiring the flowers, distance learning and making treats. I think getting to spend the school day with a cat in your lap is the best perk of having to stay home.cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-11600116614433625852020-05-10T16:16:00.000-07:002020-05-10T16:16:02.301-07:00A Different Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi there. My first round of peonies are blooming and I am glad. We are having a warm week and they went from tight buds to fully open quickly.<br />
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This week the kids' school district announced that they were cutting back the school week by one day for the remainder of the school year. Aside from it changing some of the curriculum, which is unfortunate, not having online school on Fridays anymore is a welcome change. By Friday, I am really over trying to get them motivated for school. On our first no-school Friday we hauled lumber for a new fence that Vincent is building in the backyard (because the old one is literally falling apart) and cleaned the house. It must be a universal rule that within 24 hours of mopping the floors something must be spilled on them, right? Saturday the kids made ice cream in a bag and dripped salt water all over the kitchen. They dried the floor with a towel and now it has a white, salty sheen. At least they were busy and happy for a bit, right?<br />
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I'm still cooking a lot, like everyone else. It's so strange. Other than preparing lunch for everyone almost everyday, I probably am cooking the same amount as I was in the Before Times. It feels so different though. It's probably because it is unrelenting and there isn't a choice. Before, when I was planning out the week's meals, I would see what was on sale at my favorite grocery store and try to plan something delicious and nutritious. Now, my goal is to provide comfort and to work with what food we already have on hand and what I can order ahead and pick up at the farmer's market. We have eaten more homemade burgers in the time we've been home than we ever have. We bought a share of beef last summer from Kookoolan Farms, so the meat is readily available in our freezer, and a burger is one of my favorite comfort foods. I like to mix grated cheese into the meat instead of putting a slice of cheese on top. It's great to eat comforting foods, but I'm also starting to get tired of it. In a week and a half the CSA we signed up starts so hopefully that will inspire me again.<br />
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I made Alison Roman's famous <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/salted-butter-and-chocolate-chunk-shortbread">Salted Shortbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies</a>. They weren't my favorite. For me, the cookie wasn't sweet enough to balance out the bitterness of the chocolate. I had one that hardly had any chocolate in it and I really liked it. I could make them again with less chocolate, but really I'd rather make a different cookie altogether.cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-84693397363284451602020-03-27T15:40:00.000-07:002020-03-27T15:40:24.461-07:00Home Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are on Day 14 of being home during this corona virus social distancing time. My husband is working from home out in his studio in the backyard. The kids and I, and our newish kitten, spend our days in the house, the backyard, and go for the occasional bike ride or walk. Last week the weather was beautiful, which was so nice for our first week at home. This week it's 15-20 degrees cooler and rainy. Monday morning was a lot harder this week.<br />
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I jumped into this time with a bunch of gusto. I am a stay at home parent already and I love to cook. I loaded up my Libby App (digital library card) with books to read and listen to. I started dreaming about all of the knitting projects I could finish. This wasn't going to be hard. I thought it would be similar to Summer for us. What I didn't count on is that a lot of our Summer is built around little excursions; to the library, to the park, out for ice cream, swimming at the community center, swimming in the inflatable pool on our back patio. All of that isn't available right now. I usually make up a daily schedule during the summer, mainly so I can point to Snack Time when a kid tells me they're hungry. I've got a schedule now and you know what? I've been so busy that I haven't done any reading. So many kid squabbles to break up. Trying to help with online math? Yikes! This is hard.<br />
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Most days I break up the day into half hour increments, focusing on that chunk of time and not the unknown length of time this is going to go on for. I tell myself that I used to spend the majority of my day at home, so this isn't really that much of a change.<br />
<br />
Over the last year or two we've maybe gone out to breakfast once or twice, but over the last week I've been craving a big diner breakfast, with crunchy hash browns and sausage links and a bite of something covered in syrup that my kids would order. If we weren't stuck at home I would be dismissing thoughts of going out to breakfast because it's such a hassle, but here I am thinking about what I can't have. Sure, I can make all of that at home (and I'm sure I will) but it's just not the same.<br />
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<br />
Cooking is my Love Language. Here's what I've been cooking:<br />
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<a href="https://finerkitchens.com/swap/forum1/260546_Smitten_Kitchen's_Baked_Oatmeal_with_Caramelized_Pears_and_Vanilla_Cream">Baked Oatmeal with Caramelized Pears</a><br />
<a href="https://joythebaker.com/2020/03/upside-down-bananas-foster-cake/">Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake</a><br />
<a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020934-parmesan-broth?action=click&module=RecipeBox&pgType=recipebox-page&region=all&rank=6">Parmesan Broth</a><br />
<a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020933-mushroom-farro-soup-with-parmesan-broth?action=click&module=RecipeBox&pgType=recipebox-page&region=all&rank=7">Mushroom-Farro Soup with Parmesan Broth</a><br />
Meatloaf<br />
Spatchcocked Chicken<br />
<a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/slow-roasted-salmon-with-harissa">Slow-Roasted Salmon with Harissa </a><br />
<a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014800-lemon-poppy-seed-pound-cake">Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins</a><br />
Pizza<br />
<a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229544/chex-muddy-buddies/">Muddy Buddies</a><br />
<a href="http://laundryroomkitchen.blogspot.com/2016/02/citrus-braised-pork.html">Citrus-Braised Pork</a><br />
Teriyaki Chicken<br />
Pasta with Meat Sauce<br />
Many plates of fried eggs and toast<br />
Many quesadillas<br />
So Many Snacks<br />
<br />
I've also been doing a lot of dishes. So Many Dishes.<br />
<br />
<br />
It is so easy to focus on what is hard right now, so here's a little list of good things:<br />
<br />
-Everyone I see while out walking in my neighborhood smiles and says hi<br />
-Flowers and trees are blooming<br />
-I turned over one of our garden beds and sowed some seeds<br />
-I listened to one of my <a href="https://www.annieblooms.com/book/9780525619260">favorite books</a> again<br />
-Kitten snuggles<br />
-I'm so glad we added on a second bathroom last summer<br />
-I picked up an old knitting project and started working on it<br />
-My youngest learned how to ride a bike last week!<br />
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<br />
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<br />cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-64274610237372666752019-12-31T09:51:00.001-08:002019-12-31T09:51:25.785-08:00~~December~~<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had a wonderful December, full of ups and downs, just like it is every year. Last year I was so overwhelmed by the time Christmas came around that the day after Christmas I made a plan for the following year. Starting with September I put holiday to do list post it notes on the calendar. It was very helpful and a huge improvement over the previous year. I got my shopping done a lot earlier and it helped me not buy extra stuff. This year every time I walked through a shop and saw something little and cute I thought, "I don't need to buy that. Christmas shopping, especially stocking stuffers, is done already." This year, like last year, I helped organize the school Book Fair at Annie Bloom's Books, a local bookstore, in November and did a bunch of holiday shopping at that. The post it notes ensured that I had shopping and wrapping mostly finished early, the holiday menus planned early, and Christmas cards in the mail before Christmas. If I had followed all of my instructions I would have also baked and frozen cookies and lasagna in November and not saved making the teachers' gifts (jam) for the day before they were needed. As it turned out I made and froze the lasagnas less than a week before Christmas, made spritz cookies (my favorite) two days before Christmas, and still have yet to bake and frost traditional sugar cookies. Next year I will do the baking in November; lesson learned.<br />
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This is our kitty's first Christmas and he has had so much fun climbing the Christmas tree. Some days he climbs it multiple times, other days he doesn't even look at it. We have also discovered his love of white bread products, finding bite marks through plastic bags into rolls and tortillas. So strange (and annoying). Every evening he curls up on the floor of the kitchen while I make dinner and try not to step on him. Dean made him a last minute stocking this year, complete with a drawing of him on it.<br />
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Every year my mom makes ornaments to give to everyone. Last year her ornaments were pieced out of paper, the year before she collected seed pods, painted them and added ribbon, a few years before that she repurposed cat food can lids (the funniest!), and this year she used buttons and pins. They're all unique and so beautiful.<br />
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For Christmas Eve I made Cornish Game Hens, mashed potatoes, and roasted brussels sprouts. Even with all of my earlier planning, I was still overwhelmed and in tears on Christmas Eve morning, staring at a huge list of things still to do. The previous day I had listened to a podcast from The Lazy Genius titled "<a href="http://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/lazy">A Christmas Pep Talk</a>" and I totally needed it. As I was feeling overwhelmed I remember her saying something like, 'remember what matters and put your energy toward that.' I told my family I needed help. My husband smiled, said this happens every year, and asked how he could help. I scrapped the plans to bake and frost cookies (sorry kids), and sent my husband to the store for rolls and cinnamon rolls in a can. I just couldn't do it all from scratch this year. I still had to do some cooking, yes, but also enjoy the day which is the whole point of it.<br />
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We wouldn't have had mashed potatoes that night if I hadn't already made them in advance. Also, I learned that if russet potatoes are gently boiled with their skins on, the skins can be easily peeled off once they're cooked and cooled a bit. My least favorite aspect of making mashed potatoes is peeling them, and now I don't ever have to do it again. Hooray for small wins!<br />
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After dinner we watched "<a href="https://youtu.be/Yo2D-aK06ak">Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas</a>," our family tradition and drank hot chocolate. The kids reluctantly went to bed. I put on Love Actually, sadly one of the only Christmas movies we managed to watch this year, and started getting everything ready. I loaded the dishwasher and finished wrapping gifts in the garage. My mom always spends the night on Christmas Eve so she can be with us Christmas morning. I missed many parts of the movie but got to see Hugh Grant do his dance, which is my favorite part. It's so awkward and funny!<br />
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Christmas Day was busy and great. We thoroughly enjoyed the cinnamon rolls from a can. Dean got lots of craft projects and started putting them together as soon as possible. Gianna got a polaroid camera and had a lot of fun documenting the day. In the late afternoon some friends and family joined us for lasagna (freezer to oven!), kale/brussels sprouts slaw (more about that in an upcoming post), and rolls. Dean's gift from Santa was a beyblade arena and a bunch of beyblades. They're basically spinning tops that battle each other. Kids and adults were taking turns with the tops in the arena and having a great time. For dessert I made a Baked Alaska Tree. I chose it mainly because I could make and freeze it three days ahead and then apply the meringue and torch it right before serving it. Because I didn't do a trial run, it came out lopsided. We joked that it was a crooked santa hat, a tipping tree, or the sorting hat from Harry Potter. It was hard to slice into but it was delicious. It was filled with peppermint ice cream (vanilla ice cream that I added crushed candy canes and peppermint extract to) and chocolate chocolate chip ice cream. My husband had gotten some very nice tequila as a gift and after dinner we all had a taste. It was a wonderful, gluttonous couple of days, as it should be.<br />
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In the days since Christmas we have mainly been at home. We took a hike and grilled some pork chops. I finished a book and started another. Today is New Year's Eve and we are going to a party tonight. The family hosting it has a wood fired pizza oven and I'm excited! Usually we do a First Day of the Year Hike the morning of Januray 1st. We'll see if any of us have the energy for that tomorrow. Happy New Year Friends!<br />
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<br />cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-28549289830031309952019-12-01T09:35:00.002-08:002019-12-01T09:35:53.525-08:00Baking Buddy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I prepared my Thanksgiving cooking schedule, Dean volunteered to help me make the pies, specifically the pumpkin pie. He helped get <a href="https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sour_cream_pie_crust/print/">the dough</a> together and then came back when I was shaping the crust. He used some dough scraps to make a tiny crust. I put a little filling in it and baked it up. It was so cute, about the size of a quarter. He popped it into his mouth before I could snap a picture of it! Also, showing my kid a sweater at the resale shop while thinking there's no way he'd be interested, only to have him declare it his favorite sweater and want to wear it all the time, even when in the kitchen, was the best.<br />
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I got the pumpkin pie in the oven, only to forget to start the timer. Eventually I checked on it.<br />
The crust is a bit burned, and it has more cracks than I'd prefer, but everyone seems to love it. Whew! I made Gianna's favorite, a Brown Sugar Yogurt Tart. I had planned on making a Tart Tatin, which I've never made, but then I saw the frozen peach pie filling in the freezer and decided that it was meant to be. It was a gamble, trying something untested for a family holiday, but it totally paid off! It took over an hour to bake. It smelled like summer. I also made a <a href="https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/">Green Bean Casserole</a> from Smitten Kitchen. It is so good. I make it every year.<br />
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Our approach to Black Friday is to avoid stores (too much of a zoo!) and get out in nature as a family. We played two games and took a walk in the forest. It was great. For dinner I made one of my favorite comfort food dishes: <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/basically-spaghetti-pomodoro">Pasta Pomodoro</a>. I love it because it is delicious - like restaurant pasta delicious - and I almost always have the ingredients on hand. Canned tomatoes, garlic, spaghetti, parmesan; so easy and simple.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago we were at the park with friends. The park is across the street from the kids' old preschool. When there were in school there they got to participate in Soup Day once a month where each kid would bring in a vegetable and they would all prepare the veggies and turn them into a big pot of soup for lunch. Such sweet memories. Well, it happened to be Soup Day when we were at the park that day, and as we were shivering at the picnic table while Gianna ran with her friends, preschool teacher Brynn walked over to us bearing bowls of hot leftover Soup Day soup. It was such a treat. Dean especially loved it and continued the talk about how delicious it was the next day. I took note and decided to make my own special soup yesterday for lunch. One of the great thing about Soup Day soup is that it is different every time because kids bring different veggies each time. So I just used what I had; carrots, celery, a few tablespoons of starina pasta, onion, garlic, dry herbs, a can of cannellini beans, and chicken broth. I made a small amount of soup figuring that only Dean and I would eat it. Vincent isn't much of a soup eater and it had too many veggies for Gianna's taste. It was delicious and Dean and I both really enjoyed it. I was especially surprised to walk into the kitchen and see that Vincent had eaten the rest of it and enjoyed it! I fall in the trap of assuming that my family won't eat something new/different a lot. This was a great reminder that we aren't all completely set in our ways and making something as simple as soup can open new doors.<br />
<br />cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-66416514857916856022019-11-26T16:04:00.001-08:002019-11-26T16:04:42.487-08:00This and That<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier this month I took Gianna to The Portland Book Festival where we got to see a panel of some her favorite graphic novel author/illustrators. Despite standing in a long line to get in, another line to get a seat, and an even longer line to get books signed, we had a great time. We came home that night, told Dean all about it, and then both kids disappeared into their rooms to draw and write their own comics. The best!<br />
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On Friday we got a new front door! After living here for five years we finally got the house painted last summer. It has looked amazing, except for the old scratched up purple front door that we never liked. Now when I pull up to the house it all looks like it should. The only funny thing is that the previous door didn't have windows in it and now the light coming through catches my eye and instinctively I think the door is ajar. While the door installer was here I sorted through the kitchen cabinets, throwing out candy from last Christmas, and weeded out extraneous mugs. While sorting I found a baby tooth I had stashed one night in a cup after the tooth fairy came to visit. I'm crossing my fingers that I can figure out which kid it belongs too...<br />
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This week is Thanksgiving and the kids have the whole week off of school. Yesterday and today they had their parent/teacher conferences. Great reports for both of them! We ran some errands, chatted with a sweet elderly German woman in the grocery store check out line who encouraged us to visit her homeland, and went to visit a new bakery. It was glorious. We each picked something out. I chose a croissant stuffed with whipped cream and strawberries, dusted with powdered sugar. Gianna picked an almond croissant, Dean a pastry covered with raspberry jam, whipped cream and fresh raspberries. We were all very happy. And now we are home and I am cuddled under a blanket, ignoring all of the baking and cooking that is waiting for me in the kitchen. I've written up my Thanksgiving cooking schedule and I'm already behind by one pumpkin pie. Send reinforcements!cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-72473741814626508752019-11-21T13:32:00.001-08:002019-11-21T13:32:10.585-08:00Minimal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband was out of town for almost two weeks and my cooking got quite minimal. So minimal that most of it wasn't worthy of snapping a photo or two. Lots of beans and rice, take out burritos, pasta, and chili. Once he came back, and I didn't have to do everything anymore, I braised some pork, made custard for our Great British Baking Show viewing, and baked some Jam Buns. I tried putting raspberry jam and lemon curd in the buns (which are more like biscuits) and, while the lemon curd was delicious, it spilled everywhere. The jam is a better choice, especially since I made them to go backpacks to be eaten for snacks at school. This week I've been consumed with listening to the impeachment hearings, so I've kept cooking fairly minimal; spatchcocked chicken, sausage with squash and orzo, beans and rice, pasta with meat sauce, chili, etc. Easy and pleasing.<br />
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We've had a knitting renaissance here, with both kids picking up their needles after many months or possibly even a year off of knitting. They're both working on scarves. I'm working on a <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/karusellen">hat</a> that I started forever ago as well.cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-7737956862668257382019-11-09T16:59:00.001-08:002019-11-09T16:59:58.767-08:00Full Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last night I made a fire in our wood stove because it was so cold, but now that it is the next afternoon it is warm and wonderful outside. Usually the 6-9 months long rainy season has begun by November 1st, but not this year. This is my favorite part of fall; wearing sweaters, sitting by the fire, warm-ish afternoon walks, chilly nights. I recently got two new sweaters. Well, really the same sweater in two colors; blue and pink. I'm wearing it in the bathroom selfie pictured above. So cozy.<br />
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After the cinnamon croissant loaf that we all loved in my last post I decided to bake a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread. It was good, but needed to be rolled thinner to accommodate more cinnamon/sugar goodness in every slice. Lessons for next time... Over the weekend I made French toast with it which was really, really good. I roast a whole chicken almost every week, usually spatchcocked. It cooks quicker that way and more of the skin gets crispy, which is a huge bonus. This week I tried a technique I read about in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1524759007/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ei1WDbBJ1A8D2">Dynamite Chicken</a> where the chicken is coated in cornstarch and seared breast side down for the first half of the cooking time. It did result in a crispier chicken, although the skin tore a bit when I flipped it. I think I'll do it again. The crispy chicken is the only reason my kids eat the chicken at all. Honestly it's what I want too!cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-88490771768375752332019-10-25T15:24:00.000-07:002019-10-25T15:24:32.634-07:00Reading & Feeding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My youngest has caught the reading bug! Two or three weeks ago he would only "preview" books by flipping through them, but he wouldn't really try to read the words. Then something clicked in his head and he decided to read. He had brought home a Captain Underpants chapter book the previous week and I guess the chapter I was reading to him at bedtime just wasn't enough. After a week or two of him wanting to read and re-read the first chapter or two of Captain Underpants, he switched to the first Harry Potter book. Every chance he gets he asks me if he can read to me. He keeps starting over at the beginning, learning the words so much that he has memorized it. He even wrote out part of it at school!<br />
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I've been cooking up a storm lately. A few months ago I subscribed to NYTimes Cooking. They send me emails a few times a week with recipe and menu suggestions. Normally I am routinely unsubscribing from email lists, but I love these emails. Anyway, recently I've made Linguine with Crispy Chickpeas (where the rosemary infuses the oil and thus the whole dish with it's essence), Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric (I ate this for lunch all week and looked forward to it each day, even the last serving!) both from NYTimes Cooking, plus my standard brined and spatchcocked chicken (eternally loved), pasta with sausage and broccoli (something I just made up), <a href="https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/slow-cooker-vodka-bolognese-pasta/">Bolognese with Vodka Sauce</a> (I had planned on making it in my slow cooker but ran out of time and just made it on the stove - really good!), <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-paprikash-with-buttered-egg-noodles?mbid=social_pinterest_0118">Chicken Paprikash</a>, and roasted delicata squash with maple syrup. This is the season for winter squash. I have a table full of picky eaters, myself included, and we all enjoy this squash.<br />
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Last week I decided I wouldn't try to make something to go along with the theme of the Great British Baking Show and instead just made my <a href="http://snoqfalls.com/oatmeal-dream-cookies/">favorite oatmeal cookies</a>. They are so good. I've been making the same recipe since I was in high school. What's left of them is now in a bag in the freezer and I think pulling one out of the freezer and eating right away is possibly even better than eating them freshly baked! As it is Friday today we will watch another baking episode tonight. One of the bakers' challenges has to do with ice cream (I always peek ahead!) so I bought some chocolate covered ice cream bon-bons. While I was picking up the bon-bons I bought a cinnamon croissant loaf and it is really, really good. The kids each had two toasted slices after school. I had one with a cup of tea and secretly wanted a second one too...<br />
<br />cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-25523193802711642642019-10-19T15:55:00.000-07:002019-10-19T15:55:05.444-07:00Sliding Into Autumn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We closed out summer by picking peaches, apples and pears. I made peach pies (two for the freezer!), pear custard pie, caramelized pear baked oatmeal, and many jars of apple-pear sauce. Once again, I ran out of energy and time to put up tomatoes. Perhaps next year?<br />
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Last spring we said goodbye to our beloved family cat. This fall we welcomed a new furry friend into our home. We've named him Winston, but I've nicknamed him Tripper because he runs right in front of me every time I walk into the kitchen. He is black with yellow eyes; a true Halloween cat.<br />
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We've been watching the Great British Baking Show on Friday nights. I've been sneaking a peek ahead and baking something that goes with the theme of the show. Even after eating dinner, it is impossible to watch that show and not want something sweet to eat. I baked snickerdoodles for Biscuit Week, even though they were nothing like the cookies they made on the show. Last week I looked up the official recipe for the technical challenge, thinking I could surprise everyone with it. Now I have even more respect for those bakers! I utterly failed with my original plan, but we all enjoyed the store bought puff pastry slathered with store bought lemon curd. Sometimes on a Friday night the easiest way is the best way.cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-60303016030742032272018-12-17T14:48:00.005-08:002018-12-17T14:48:54.915-08:00Advent Calendars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend we celebrated Dean's sixth birthday with kindergarten boys dressed up as dragons, lots of legos, and doughnuts. Now it's time to embrace Winter/Christmas/Solstice. For at least the last two years (possibly three) I have been working on a felt embroidered advent calendar. I really wanted to hang it up but clearly wasn't motivated to finish it because holiday seasons kept passing with it still sitting in my craft drawer, waiting to be finished. To be honest, it still isn't fully finished. I still need to sew beads and sequins onto the ornaments. I gave myself a pass on that for this year. Who knows, maybe I'll get one or two done before the 24th. I spent most of Dec 2 working on it at our dining table. The kids were very interested in what I was doing and spent time sewing their own creations out of felt. Dean even made his own tiny advent calendar. I taught him how to use a needle threader and it was the best decision I made all day. He loved the "trick" of it and I loved not having to re-thread his needle all day long.<br />
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Last month I tried to buy an advent calendar for myself made by the talented knitter/crafter Alicia Paulson of <a href="https://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/">Posie Gets Cozy</a>. Her limited release items sell very quickly. I came home from a PTA meeting at the kids' school and told my husband how I was a few minutes late to the meeting because I was sitting in my car trying to buy this advent calendar on my phone, but the signal was weak and paypal wasn't connecting, and then when it did -three minutes after the sale had started- they were already sold out. I wasn't surprised. That's how it goes with her specialty items. Well, he listened, and earlier this week he presented me with a chalet-style cabin advent calendar that HE MADE for me. The advent calendar I had tried to buy was filled with things specifically for knitters, so he made this one knitting themed as well. See the balls of yarn on it? And the tiny knitting needles? He's so thoughtful. The sweetest. It's amazing. I am amazed. So far I've gotten an ornament, a knitting sticker, a skein of hand dyed merino wool, and cute owl stitch markers. I feel very loved and appreciated. I still kind of can't believe it.<br />
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And the kittens? My mom brought that advent calendar over. How can anyone not love adorable kittens in Santa hats?cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-78460214888778271172018-12-05T17:00:00.002-08:002018-12-05T17:00:52.214-08:00The Cusp of Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently checked out from the library, and then purchased, the fabulous cook book <a href="http://a.co/d/8Ewkw1N">Repertoire</a> by Jessica Battilana. In the last few weeks I've made Candy Pork, Tortilla Soup and Chicken and Herbed Dumplings from the book. The Candy Pork called for palm sugar, which I'd never had before. It has a deep flavor, sort of like maple sugar. So yummy. These cold days call for warming meals. The Chicken and Dumplings and the Tortilla Soup start the same way with breaking down a whole chicken and making broth with it, then shredding it for the soup. It's not super easy, but it makes the best broth I've ever had. I'll be using her technique for years to come, I'm sure of it. My favorite recipe in the book is for a Negroni and potato chips. So simple and good. I haven't even tried the dessert chapter yet, but I'm excited to!<br />
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We are in this strange time of year where it is after Thanksgiving (the apple tart turned out really well, btw!) but before Dean's birthday. We always hold off putting up decorations until after his party, even though it feels like everyone else is already decorating. I'm trying hard to focus on his dragon themed birthday party, but I really just want to be thinking about Christmas...<br />
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Today I spent the whole school day at the kids' school matching kids up with costumes for their Civil War-era unit. There's still a lot to do and I anticipate a few more long days there. I'm sure I'll be dreaming about hoop skirts, and Confederate and Union uniforms.cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-5324138462719250662018-11-12T16:56:00.002-08:002018-11-12T16:56:31.946-08:00Mid-November<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning's sunrise was spectacular. It has been cold, windy and clear here the last few days, with each day making me think 'I should have brought my sunglasses today' which is unusual for this season for us. Normally we have moved into full time rain by now. I'm enjoying the sun and cold, especially with the wood stove to warm up by.<br />
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I impulse bought that cute pumpkin pie banner today. It's my husband's favorite dessert, and really I always want to celebrate baking! This year I'll be making a pumpkin pie for us, plus the best <a href="https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/">green bean casserole</a> from Smitten Kitchen and (probably) the <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/glazed-and-flaky-apple-tart">Glazed and Flakey Apple Tart</a> and <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/fall-spritz">Fall Spritz</a> from the latest issue of Bon Appétit to share with family on Thanksgiving. It's funny, I'm not an apple fan, unless it's an apple pie or tart. This tart looks so delicious. Almonds! Puff Pastry! The Fall Spritz also has apple in it, but it is a dry cider which works for me. Plus the Amaro makes it really bitter, which I like.<br />
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I also impulse bought that Norwegian-inspired table runner today. Halloween ends and suddenly it feels like the holiday pressure is on. Plus, I've got a boy turning six in a month who will need a birthday party! I'm hoping this table runner will guide me through this season with an eye toward simplicity and harmony.<br />
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I've spent the last few months planning my kids' school Book Fair for this year, and it starts tomorrow! I've switched the company we usually partner with and have chosen a local book store instead, complete with students doing a poetry reading one evening. Fingers crossed that it all goes well! I'll be happy to have it off my plate because in two weeks another mom and I are heading up the costume committee for the third, fourth and fifth grade school play about The Underground Railroad. Time to dust off my sewing machine...cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-59273328764590161472018-10-22T11:50:00.002-07:002018-10-22T11:50:46.766-07:00Almost Sweater Weather<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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October is the best. Crisp leaves, wool sweaters in the morning and t-shirts in the afternoon, Japanese Anemones and Chinese Lanterns, a visit to the pumpkin patch, soup and turning on the oven after months of outdoor grilling.<br />
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If you had stopped by this summer you most likely would have found <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/lemon-pepper-chicken">Lemon-Pepper Chicken</a> on the grill. It was the recipe of the summer for us. Vincent even made for his coworkers on a work retreat. It's that good. Now that indoor cooking is back I'm switching to my other favorite recent discovery from Bon Appetit, <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/lemon-chicken-thighs">Lemon Chicken Thighs</a>. I made them last night and everyone ate it. I cannot stress how amazing that is. I altered the recipe a bit, stopping after the thighs were finished in the oven. I didn't bother with the lemon vinaigrette because I'm the only person here who cares for it. Instead I drizzled a bit of honey over the plate of crispy thighs. Not enough to make them really sticky, just a little sweet. So really, these are just crispy chicken thighs, no lemon at all. Of course I don't have photos of either of these chicken meals. I used to snap photos of my dinner in the living room near the window right before sitting down to eat it. It's, of course, too dark at dinner time now for that. Even worse, one night I demonstrated to my kids why we don't bring food into the living room as I accidentally tipped my entire bowl of pasta into a large basket full of magnatiles. Such a mess.<br />
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I pre-ordered and received <a href="http://a.co/d/3ggRyoI">Let's Stay In</a>, a fantastic new cookbook a week or so ago. The author wrote <a href="http://a.co/d/6qhOLY7">Date Night In</a>, one of my all-time favorites. I've already made Chanterelle Corn Chowder with Bacon (and ate it for lunch all last week) and Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from the book. Both are so good. I had to freeze the second half of the bars because they were just too tempted sitting there on the counter every afternoon...<br />
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I ordered that cute sweater pin and card in an attempt to bring my knitting needles out of their slumber. It worked! I've been working on a sweater for Gianna forever. I posted about it last March and promptly set it aside. Last week I wove in all the ends. Now I need to stitch the underarms closed and block it. I had her try it on and she was so delighted, which made me even more delighted.<br />
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<br />cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-23700427947648642002018-03-09T10:59:00.002-08:002018-03-09T10:59:32.274-08:00Sick Days + Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dean is home sick with strep throat this week. I've had to cancel appointments and meetings, leaving me free to do legos with him and make soup that he refuses to eat. Fingers crossed that his appetite returns soon. I have finished knitting the never-ending sweater! I still need to kitchener stitch the underarms, weave in all the loose ends, and block it. The knitting portion may be finished, but the work isn't. Spring is giving us a lot of hints outside. My rhubarb is coming up, no sign of the asparagus yet though.<br />
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Making me happy this week:<br />
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-the podcast series' <a href="https://www.wbez.org/series/making-oprah/db4fff18-4828-4589-b03f-8dd50a5adbbe">Making Opra</a>h and <a href="https://interactive.wbez.org/obama/">Making Obama</a><br />
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-this <a href="http://www.keepitbest.com/fob-delany/">interview</a> with Alex Delaney who has one of my favorite Instagram accounts<br />
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-the podcast <a href="http://www.pantsuitpoliticsshow.com/">Pantsuit Politics</a> - I've really been enjoying their nuanced point of view<br />
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-looking forward to <a href="https://whatsgabycooking.com/the-whats-gaby-cooking-cookbook/">Gaby's new cookbook</a>. Her <a href="https://whatsgabycooking.com/chicken-parmesan-meatballs/">chicken parm meatballs</a> recipe is incredible!<br />
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-this <a href="https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/16942/birthday-party-mug-cake/">recipe</a> for mug cake. It's so easy it's dangerous.<br />
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Lastly, a shoutout to the advice nurse at our doctor's office yesterday who, after telling me to bring Dean in if his symptoms didn't improve in a couple of days and hanging up the phone, changed her mind and got him an appointment to be seen within the hour. I'm so glad she trusted her instincts!cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-38235415620272508082018-03-07T10:43:00.003-08:002018-03-07T10:43:43.077-08:00Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my kitchen over the last week or two: <a href="http://notwithoutsalt.com/creamy-braised-chicken-burritos-pickled-corn-salsa/">Creamy Braised Chicken</a> for tacos (so easy!), <a href="https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/recipe-cinnamon-glazed-popcorn-mix/">Cinnamon Glazed Popcorn</a>, and <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread">No Knead Bread</a>, plus many other things I didn't snap photos of, like Skillet Mac and Cheese with ham and peas, blueberry muffins, omelettes, teriyaki chicken...</div>
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Josephine, the company that I run my cooking business through, announced that they are closing the business, which means my business is also closing. I'd have to do all of my cooking at a commercial kitchen if I wanted to continue making dinners for people, which is more of an investment than I am wanting to make right now. Once Dean is settled in kindergarten in the fall I might look into doing a little baking business, but that's months away. </div>
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A friend and I have been in the process of starting up a Girl Scout troop at Gianna's school. I originally volunteered to be a troop leader because I had just found out Josephine was closing so I had some free time. I had no idea what I was really getting myself into. After the first training session (where you're told that you're going to be molding future leaders) my co-troop leader looked at me and said, "I don't know if I'm qualified to do this. I'm just a lawyer." Wish us luck at our first official meeting later this month!</div>
cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-61258662855404982752018-02-24T13:48:00.003-08:002018-02-24T13:48:32.828-08:00Cozy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We woke up to more snow on wednesday and cancelled school. It was enough snow to cause traffic problems, do a little bit of sledding in, and make everything beautiful for a few hours. Aside from a few patches it has all melted and I am just fine with that. </div>
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I'm part of a group of women that gets together once a month to check in about goals we've made - an accountability group - and I like to bring something yummy to share. We met last weekend and I wanted to make a cherry amaretti galette. They're really easy to make and delicious. I got a tetanus shot the day before and my shoulder HURT SO MUCH! I owe my kids some sympathy for all the shots that they've gotten that I've not been very empathic about. Whoops... So I bought pre made pie dough because rolling out dough was not going to improve my situation. I brought the galette to the meeting and was so disappointed with the crust. It was thin and tough, not flaky at all. The package came with two crusts, so I decided to use the second one on the top of a pot pie. I was already going to roast a chicken and what a great way to use up the leftovers, right? </div>
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The pot pie I made was everything I've ever wanted a pot pie to be. I don't have a good track record with pot pies. The first time I made them I cooked one for dinner and froze the second. I remember it being tasty but a bit soupy. I was pregnant with our first child and trying to stock the freezer for her impending arrival. Well, have you ever heard that you aren't supposed to freeze things with certain types of dairy in them? I hadn't and the pot pie I had thawed really taught me that lesson. The sauce had separated resulting in a chunky/liquidy situation and well, we had something different for dinner that night, probably take out burritos. I've been shy about pot pies ever since. I made a skillet pot pie a few months ago where the filling consisted of shredded chicken and peas tossed with creme fraiche. It was good but the creme fraiche melted away during baking leaving moist, flavorful chicken and peas, but no sauce. I love sauce. I'm one of those people who sometimes eat french fries just so I can justify eating ketchup, same with baguettes and butte, and anything and mayo. I love mayo. A lot. So I turned to the internet and found a very simple recipe that called for cubes of cooked chicken, some veggies, a roux and store bought pie dough. The filling for the pot pie was so good that I just couldn't disgrace it by putting that terrible dough on it. Since my sore shoulder had healed I made the dough from the creme fraiche recipe because that dough is really good. My picky children wouldn't try the pot pie at all, despite having liked it in the past. Vincent and I had half tuesday night and ate the other half for lunch the next day. It was exactly what I wanted to eat on a snowy day. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with that extra store bought crust. Maybe cut out shapes with cookie cutters, sprinkle with sugar and turn them in to cookies? The big takeaway lesson is to always keep a batch of homemade pie dough in the freezer. </div>
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To balance out the decadent pot pie (it had two sticks of butter in it), I made this <a href="https://pinchofyum.com/winter-spa-salad-with-lemon-chicken">Winter Spa Salad</a>. It was so good that I fought back the urge to make myself a second bowl of it after finishing the first bowl for lunch, made my mom a bowl of it for her lunch and made myself a tiny version of it 4 hours later when my brain was getting fuzzy but it wasn't yet dinner time. I'm already looking forward to lunch tomorrow when I can make another one!</div>
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<br />cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-73709074113267566112018-02-20T16:59:00.000-08:002018-02-20T16:59:30.834-08:00Snow Day! + Catch Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello! Here I am, checking in after a few months' absence. Life gets busy and sometimes that's just how it goes.<br />
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Lately the refrain around Portland was how this had been such a mild winter, with only one snow sprinkling on Christmas Eve. In late January and earlier this month we had our annual February Fake-out where Spring teased us with a visit. It was glorious. Then we had a little snow a couple of days ago. This morning it started snowing as the kids were getting ready for school. We got one kid all the way to school, only to decide the conditions were getting worse, pull her out of class and take her back home. Lots of playing in the snow and screen time today.<br />
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Did any of you watch the Olympic Ice Dancing last night? It was AMAZING! Gianna kept asking me if I wished the winning Canadian pair were Americans. I don't care where they are from, they were the best and fully deserved gold. This is the first year we have watched the Olympics with the kids. We aren't sports watchers and I think this is the first time they've watched televised sports. Their minds have been blown by the skaters, skiers, bobsledders, snowboarders, everyone! Its been really fun to watch them discover it all.<br />
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My favorite parts of the day, so far (it's only 5pm), have been watching the snow fall, researching restaurants for an upcoming trip, and counting five visits to our feeder from the male Downy Woodpecker. It always feels special when he or his lady pay us a visit. They never visit together or even on the same day. Maybe she's not his lady?<br />
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I've got a Chicken Mushroom Pea Carrot Skillet Pie in the oven right now. It's snowing. Time to light the wood stove and make a gin-based cocktail. Happy Tuesday, Friends!cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7940647926317955313.post-17406226941497303652017-09-18T13:34:00.000-07:002017-09-18T13:34:00.811-07:00Feeling like Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer left with the smoke from the forest fires and Fall feels here to stay for a while. It's even raining today. This is my very favorite season; cool enough for a sweater with my cup of tea in the morning and warm enough for a t-shirt and sandals in the afternoon.<br />
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I am always happy to move the cooking outdoors in the spring. Grilled food is delicious and there are less dishes to wash. By July and August, however, I am feeling uninspired and only want to cook and eat "Fall Food" like stew, roasted chicken, chili, pie, banana bread, basically anything braised or baked. Chicken pot pie? Yes, please! Six weeks ago we had horribly hot weather (highs 106-108) and I found myself at the library checking out an armload of cookbooks, full of weeknight dinner recipes. I think I was reminding myself that the weather would cool down eventually and that school would, thankfully, start up again, requiring the need for meal planning. That coincided with the start of Vincent's work travel. Those were long, hot, cranky days for me.<br />
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My return to the kitchen this season is extra poignant this year because I am starting a little cooking business! As you all know, I love to cook and am excited to announce that I am now going to get to cook for my community through <a href="https://www.josephine.com/">Josephine</a>. Josephine is a wonderful community where approved cooks (that's me!) sell their home cooked meals to friends and neighbors. I am so happy to be part of this. You just order online, pick up the food from my house, and take it home to enjoy! Check out my first meal <a href="https://www.josephine.com/meals/beef-chili-and-cornbread-2">here</a>. I'm really excited to be branching outside of my own kitchen a bit. I've been having fun thinking up meals and testing out recipes. The Brown Sugar Cream Cheese ice cream I made will have to be part of a fall meal soon.<br />
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We spent the weekend processing the apples and pears we had picked on my birthday into sauce. This is the fourth year I've made apple-pear sauce. The first year I made it Dean was about eight months old and I distinctly remember giving him a bowl of applesauce for one of his first foods the day we were making it. He made such a funny face when he tried it. I'm glad he loves it now because he sure didn't that day. On Saturday I spent the morning in the house chopping and cooking down the apples and pears, occasionally running bowls of hot fruit to the backyard where Vincent and the kids were set up with the grinder. On Sunday I spent over five hours canning it all. We picked 97 lbs of fruit which yielded 30 pints and 14 quarts. It was a long day that ended with takeout burritos. Oh, the irony...<br />
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<br />cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983371922183014811noreply@blogger.com1