Weekend update

This weekend, we attended the birthday party of one of the girls' classmates. The party was held indoors, and the girls really loved playing on the inflatable slides. In fact, they jumped, slid, boxed and otherwise navigated the inflatable obstacle courses for 1.5 hours. The only break taken was after Gracie's unfortunate dismount -- a back lay-out (for those of you in the gymnastics know) with an equally unfortunate face-down landing on the flooring. Following that incident, she took about five minutes or so to have some water, rest and shake the experience off.



On Sunday, we had church, a nice lunch and an afternoon date, sans girls.



How was your weekend?

Friday's quote

Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit. We cannot flower and grow without it.

-Jesse Lair

Pajama day

A few days before Christmas, we joined my mom at Cracker Barrell for breakfast. This has become a big tradition with the girls, and they associate nothing but goodness with the Cracker Barrell -- except for the fireplace. Gracie does not like the fire.

Anyrate, afterward, my mom was going to watch the girls so that we could handle some last minute Christmas business. We had completed our final grocery shop, but the one thing missing was that we were in need of a rolling pin. (Wal-Mart had sold out of their inventory.) So I casually mentioned that if they were going to run errands (and they were), could they please pop into Target to see if a rolling pin could be located. What was, I'm sure, $100+ later, my mom produced a new rolling pin (thanks again!), and the girls were sporting new pajamas. Never mind that Santa had already packed several pairs of new pajamas onto his sleigh; the girls (and cousin Lexy) had conned Grammie into new PJ's and slippers.

During the time Grammie was being "rolled" in the sleepwear department, there were efforts to dissuade Gracie out of her Elmo pajama purchase. The Elmo pajamas were a snug size 4, with no size 5 to be located, and they proffered an array of pajamas, all meeting the size 5 requirement. Gracie would not budge from her choice, and the purchase was made.

I cannot count the number of times the above photographed pajamas have been worn in the five weeks since Christmas. Needless to say when "pajama day" was announced at school, there was no question as to which pajamas would be worn. Certainly, none of the pajamas Santa carefully selected and brought would suffice. Lauren was intent on wearing her cotton Princess pajamas, despite that they are not warm enough, and Gracie would not have left the house in anything other than her green Elmo pajamas, despite the fact that they are Christmas themed.

So yesterday was pajama day at preschool, and they had been talking about wearing their favorite PJ's for weeks. The only painful part of pajama day was having to not wear the chosen ones in the nights leading up to the big day. Well, that and explaining that mommies do not participate in pajama day, and therefore, no, I did not wear PJ's to school drop off Thursday morning, much to Lauren and Gracie's disappointment.

Recipe of the week: more slow cooker ideas

I stumbled upon a slideshow of ideas for the slow cooker at MyRecipes.com via Manic Mommies. Although I only found these yesterday (and therefore, have not tried them personally), I am always open to new slow cooker options and plan to utilitize these in the coming weeks. Instead of posting a single recipe this week, take a look at 13 beef recipes for the slow cooker, of which the first four look particularly appealing.

Find the slideshow here.

Nora Ephron

If you're female and have gone to the movies at any time in the last 25 years, you have probably seen the work of Nora Ephron. With little exception, most of her films have enjoyed huge commercial success. (In full disclosure, I have only seen five from this list of 15.)

I tend to be a more consistent patron with her essays. Her wit, self-deprecation and stark observations make for a read that is impossible to put down. I picked up "I Feel Bad About My Neck" shortly after its release, and I recently finished "I Remember Nothing". After completing the latter, I realized that she had released an additional essay collection in 2007. Without giving the title much thought, I sent a request to my local library branch for a "book purchase" (if you're shouting "nerd!" at your screen right now, I completely understand) of this 2007 book, entitled "Wallflower at the Orgy." Since it has been more than 60 days, I am assuming there has been some sort of hold-up with my book. I am virtually certain that none of the essays are about orgies, per se, and this book is being unfairly judged by its title.

I am obviously bitter that I am going to have to pony up $10 of my own money to make the online purchase. Until then, here's a brief interview she provided New York Mag.

Weekend

This past weekend went to Atlanta to visit family, and we had a great time. Because we have been feeling a little cabin fever-ish, what with the weather, school closures, etc., we spent Saturday morning and afternoon shopping and having a nice lunch. Ikea was a main stop, and here are the girls enjoying some of the office displays:



Afterward we celebrated cousin Will's birthday, and we went to Riley & Will's baptism Sunday morning. The girls were fascinated with the "pool," at the church, and enjoyed playing with their cousins.

However, it wasn't all fun and games, as the girls were a smidge too excitable at the hotel (HO-TALE!) and stayed awake until at least 1:00 a.m. Saturday night. I say "at least" because they were still awake when I dozed off at that time. And, finally, there was a major glitch wherein Lauren's favorite "kitty" was left behind, creating a serious trip FAIL.

Other than the above, everything was fabulous, and we had a great time.

Extreme parenting

Amy Chua has created significant buzz with the release of "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," wherein she recommends limiting routine social and extracurricular activities while at the same time creating a hard core environment for excellence. Much discussion has ensued; here are a couple of interesting points from David Brooks of the NY Times.

Friday's quote

"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

iPhone apps

We love our nice camera, but sometimes there is a need/want to take a more casual or discreet photo --- without looking like the papparazzi or a crazy "helicopter parent," intent on capturing playground action at Chick-Fil-A. I vacillate between using the iPhone to snap casual photos versus using a tiny point-and-shoot that fits into even the smallest of purses or bags. The various apps make the iPhone a tempting option (my favorites are Photoshop and Tiltshift Generator), but this post makes me want to give Instagram a try, too.

Recipe of the week: Thai Cashew Chicken

(Photo courtesy of D. Schmidt)

We love Thai food. Unfortunately, the nearest Thai restaurant is 30 minutes away and not especially child-friendly. Although once when we were there, sans children, the host attempted to seat us next to a table whose occupants included a screaming child. While we empathized (greatly, in fact), we asked to sit across the room, assuring the screaming-child-table's occupants that we merely wanted to sit by the windows and that their noisy angel was not a determining factor AT ALL. Again, we sympathized, having been the folks sitting at the noisy table many, many, many times... but we preferred to sympathize from across the room.

Due to the commute, we have attempted a couple of recipes at home to mimic the favorites we enjoy. Truthfully, Asian fare has been a challenge for us, probably because it simply is not something we cook weekly at home. Due to the many steps, the timing of each step and the clean-up that seems to accompany all those steps, we tend to tackle these dishes on the weekends.

Here is one of our favorites:

Thai Cashew Chicken (via about.com):

Thai Cashew Chicken is one of many stir fry recipes that came to Thailand via the Chinese. Very popular in Thai restaurants, this famous chicken stir fry recipe is made with lean chicken breast, shiitake mushrooms, plus suey choy, bok choy, or other Chinese greens. Cashew chicken is a simple stir fry recipe that is easy to make, plus healthy and delicious. Enjoy it with Thai jasmine-scented rice or Thai sticky rice (see recipe link below) for a nutritious and satisfying meal.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:


• SERVES 4

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces or strips

• 1 cooking onion, sliced

• 4 spring onions, cut into thirds

• 5-8 large leaves suey choy (or other Chinese cabbage), cut into square bite-size pieces

• 1/2 cup cashews, dry roasted, unsalted

• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced, fresh or dried (if dried, soak in hot water for at least 4 hours beforehand)

• 1-2 red chillies, de-seeded and diced (omit if you like it mild, or if kids are involved)

• 3 cloves garlic

• marinade: 2 tsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water and 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

• 1/4 cup chicken broth or white wine (or white cooking wine or sherry)


• SAUCE:

• 3 Tbsp. white cooking wine

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

• 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce

• 1 lemongrass stalk, pale section sliced and minced, OR 2 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass (available at Asian stores)

• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian/Chinese food stores)

• 2 heaping Tbsp. brown sugar


• OTHER:

• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot or cornstarch powder, dissolved in 3 Tbsp. water

• 1-2 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying


Preparation:

1. Place arrowroot or cornstarch powder (dissolved in water and soy sauce) in a medium-size bowl. Add chicken pieces and stir well to combine. Set aside to marinate.

2. To make the stir-fry sauce, pound or process sliced lemongrass in pestle & morter or a food processor until fine. (For more on how to buy and prepare lemongrass, see: Buying and Using Lemongrass.)

3. Now combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl or large cup, stirring well. Set aside.

4. In a large wok or frying pan, fry the cooking onion, garlic, and chillies (if using) in oil over medium-high heat (1-2 minutes).

5. Add the chicken (with the soy sauce marinade) and mushrooms. Continue stir frying until chicken is cooked (2-5 minutes). When the wok or frying pan becomes too dry, add a little of the broth or cooking wine, 1 Tbsp. at a time.

6. Add the rest of the vegetables and continue stir frying until they soften and turn bright green (about 1 minute).

7. Finally, add the sauce you made earlier, plus the cashews. Then add the arrowroot or cornstarch powder dissolved in water. Continuing stirring until everything is well combined and the sauce thickens (1-2 more minutes).

8. Do a taste test for salt and sweetness, adding more sugar if too sour for your taste, or more fish sauce if not salty enough (the sauce should taste tangy and a little sweet).

9. If you prefer a darker, richer sauce, add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. more dark soy sauce.

10. Serve with Thai jasmine-scented rice or Thai Sticky Rice Recipe. Enjoy!

Milkshake Wednesday

Every now and then an emergency measure is required when a school week has been especially challenging. This week qualified as a challenging because the girls enjoyed a week of "no school" last week. Returning this week was a harsh jolt back to reality. Therefore, a milkshake was in order this afternoon.

Since we are now officially the only small town in America without a Dairy Queen (ours closed, but certainly not due to lack of business from us), I made shakes at home using our trusty "Magic Bullet".



Gracie enjoyed her shake (as did I), while Lauren preferred ice water with lemon.

Hallelujah

Today Lauren and Gracie returned to school for the first time in over a week. You see, school was closed all last week due to "Ice Storm 2011". Now, I love my children, obviously. Let's go ahead and stipulate to the fact that they are greatly loved, cherished and deeply missed when they are not around. Stipped, yes?

However, with the pre-holiday school excitement, the holidays themselves and the brief return to school (They were literally back in school for three days prior to the ice closure.), and then the week hiatus due to inclement weather and "impassable secondary roads," it seems like they have been out of school for a month. I suppose it seems that way because, with the exception of the brief three-day return, it, in fact, has been an entire month.

Therefore, this morning, after dropping the girls at school, I came home to bask in the quiet, enjoy a perfectly chilled Diet Coke and listen to the "Hallelujah Chorus" playing within my soul.

Sunday lunch

Sales

The sales! Oh, the sales!

For locals, here is a listing of upcoming consignment sales in the area. Happy shopping!

Friday's quote

"No man ever reached to excellence in any one art or profession without having passed through the slow and painful process of study and preparation."

Horace

Cooking Thursday

(Photo from MarthaStewart.com)

Today I want to talk about a recipe that completely changed my opinion of the pork chop. Prior to this recipe, I had lukewarm feelings at best. Enter the Loveless Cafe and their book, "Southern Country Cooking from the Loveless Cafe," via Martha Stewart (2007), and my thoughts regarding the boring pork chop have been permanently altered. This is a regular menu option now.

Braised Pork Chops
(Serves 6)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
Six 6-ounce boneless center-cut pork chops, trimmed of any fat
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish


Directions

1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Brown pork chops on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together mustard, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt with 1/3 cup water. Pour over pork chops. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until tender, about 1 hour.

3. Transfer pork to a serving platter. Raise heat to medium-high and cook sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over pork chops; garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

We have found that using pork cutlets works best, and Skip swears by the trick of searing the pork with a cold pan (i.e., do not heat the pan first, but turn the burner on once the chops are in place). Also, any time "an hour" increment of time is listed in a recipe, I tend to shy away from the recipe as a weeknight option. However, I cannot stress enough that steps 1 and 2 take approximately five minutes, maximum. Then, you put the lid on the pan and literally walk away for an hour.

Give it a try.

Current events

For anyone following the Winklevoss v. Facebook battle, here is an update on the latest appeal.

And, finally (finally!) an alternative to AT&T's spotty service. I am still comfortably rockin' my 3GS, but will definitely make the move when the time comes to upgrade iPhones with a future iteration.

Snow bunnies

Like many parts of the country, we received some snow and ice that has left us home bound since Sunday, what with school being canceled. Accordingly, we bundled up and struck out for the snow/ice (snice?) for some good play time.




We have enjoyed ourselves, but are ready to resume our regular routines.

Friday's quote

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."

Dalai Lama

Cooking Thursdays

After reading and hearing about the cinnamon rolls -- the yummy ones from Ree Drummond -- all throughout the month of December, I finally made some on New Years Day. They were as delicious as everyone promised, and surprisingly easy to make.

You can find the recipe here.

Belated update

For some reason I am still at a loss for words in recapping the holidays, but here is a pictoral update:

A couple of chefs at Grammie's house:



Dining at the children's table:



Making toast in our new toaster:



Helping Gran set the table:



PS: Aunt Melinda, we thought Gracie was going to live in that apron and hat!

Opening stockings on Christmas morning:



Opening presents:



Accessorizing:



We couldn't decide whether to join a roller derby team or continue opening presents:



Gracie really layering the accessories:



Opening more and more:



A reflective moment:



Watching the fish at Paw Paw and Miss Eva's:



We hope your holidays were merry and bright.

The overused and outdated

So I took a brief technology break after Christmas, and I am having some trouble getting back into the swing of things. I have queued some pics from Christmas for an update, and I will try to get those up later this week.

In the meantime, I have been perusing all of the year-end 2010 articles, as well as the insight provided by those looking forward to 2011. This particular Times article caught my attention because it discusses worn-out fashion lingo, and nothing makes my eye twitch more than buzz words that are used beyond their expiration date, although I am definitely as guilty as the next person. Overused work jargon is especially vexing. Attacking fashion terms is, of course, a much more light-hearted way to address our tendency to latch on to buzz words.