We listen to a lot of show tunes because I’m a closet drama queen and everyone seems to love them. Harper and Roman have recently been requesting “Do You Hear the People Sing” from Les Mis, and they sing it with great enthusiasm and lots of marching. Harper sang it in the car for me today. Roman also knows all the words, but was napping during this particular rendition.
Monthly Archives: February 2011
Bringin’ Home the Bacon
Ada helped Daddy out with a little work this morning while I got some much needed alone time. Only Portman would think to drag her high chair all the way down to his office and park her in front of a computer:
‘Rion
Last week Portman took the kids on a walk after dinner. It was a particularly clear night and he pointed out some of the constellations to them. He wasn’t sure if anything really registered, but when they got home Harper looked straight up and said “hey, there’s ‘rion! I see his belt.” Since then she has been drawing Orion’s belt on just about everything, although she refers to it exclusively as “Rion.” This morning at breakfast she carefully assembled 3 blueberries on the table and declared “there! I made Rion out of bloobs!”
Chicken and Arugula Meatballs
Tonight we made chicken and arugula meatballs using this recipe from Food & Wine Magazine. I’ve made them before using beef instead of chicken, and this recipe just can’t be beat. The only change I made to the meatballs was to cook them in the oven rather than brown them in a skillet. I cannot make a round meatball on the stove to save my life – they always end up as meat pyramids instead. I recently started baking them and find it so much easier. I use a small cookie scoop to make nice round meatballs, bake them on a Silpat at 350 for 15-20 minutes until they just start to brown, then add them into the sauce to finish cooking.
Ada emptied out the sippy-cup drawer while Harper and I cooked:
Pretty, round meatballs before & after cooking in the oven:
I made a few changes to the sauce recipe. I used one 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes and one 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, dry sherry instead of wine, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme instead of fresh.
We served it over twisty noodles (they are easy for the kids to eat) with a little fresh parmesan. I didn’t get a single complaint!
Tickling the Ivories
Harper and I have started piano lessons, the home-schooling way. I put stickers on the keys and wrote the letters next to the notes on the sheet music, and she has been learning to “read” the music. She seems to be absorbing it like a sponge, and really enjoys playing. We’ve been “practicing” for about 20 minutes each day during Roman and Ada’s nap – that is pretty much as long as she can pay attention. This week we worked on using all 5 of her fingers instead of just one, and she did a great job with “Row Row Row Your Boat.” Now we are working on Twinkle Twinkle using all of her fingers. She prefers to use just her index finger since her hands aren’t very strong yet, but we will keep practicing!
Dumpin’
Grandpa taught Roman how to “dump an Ada.” The best part is that Ada thinks it’s hysterical! Roman pushes her around the house in his dump truck, then “dumps her” (with assistance) on the rug.
Roman took a turn in it too:
This just happened
I can’t make the stuff up. This morning I made a spinach pie for the kids, and they just ate more than 3/4 of it in one sitting. There was literally not a crumb left on anyone’s plate/tray, including Ada, which is pretty amazing considering I usually have to use a vacuum on her high chair after meals. Proof:
“Leftovers.” I mean, I know they love it, but seriously?
Snowed In: 2011
Last week was our first really big snow of the season, and the 12 inches that we got seemed positively insignificant compared to last year! 12 inches is still a LOT of snow, and it was enough to cancel school/activities and keep Portman home from the office. Things that are awesome about our new house: big yard, lots of play space, lots of privacy. Things that are not awesome: long-ass driveway. Portman and I each shoveled half of it, and it took us about 4 hours total!
It snowed overnight. Portman took pictures:
The next morning:
Ada checking out the situation on the porch:
Oops. We didn’t budget for this:
For the first time since the kids were born, we had enough sticky snow to make an awesome snowman:
Roman car-surfing:
Dad made a snow-slide. It wasn’t a huge hit:
Recipe Catch-Up
I’m constantly surprised by how many people use the recipes that I post. I think they are good, and I’m glad others agree! Here are a few that I’ve been meaning to share.
I try to do fish at least twice a week, preferably fresh. Fresh fish can be tricky if you don’t get to the store often, and I’m also picky about where it comes from. I used to buy the frozen stuff at Trader Joes, but then I saw a 20/20 special about imported fish and it freaked me out, so now I only buy fresh and wild caught (unless it is specifically labeled to be sustainably farm-raised). What I’ve been doing lately is going to Whole Foods once a week and buying enough for the whole week, and I ask them to package it for the freezer. The fish guy will wrap it in several layers of waxed paper and plastic wrap so that it freezes well. That gives me a little more flexibility in meal planning.
Last night the kids had grilled tilapia filets marinated in a little olive oil and the Tequila Lime seasoning from Whole Foods. This stuff is seriously amazing, and a huge crowd-pleaser. Harper claimed that it was “too spicy,” but ate her whole filet anyway, and Roman drowned his in ketchup before polishing it off. I served it with baked sweet potatoes – I let the kids sprinkle their own brown sugar on them, and they will each eat at least half of a whole potato (including Ada, but she doesn’t get the brown sugar). This fish also make great fish tacos.
Portman and I had Ginger Sea Bass over Wilted Spinach. This is one of our favorite meals ever. Portman says “it just tastes like health.” It is so flavorful, and you feel really good about eating it (seriously!). I do make a few changes to the recipe – I only make two portions, but use the full amount of ginger and garlic divided into two instead of four. So, each packet gets at least 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger and one teaspoon of fresh garlic (but often more – I just pile it on there). Also, I don’t always have Marsala, so I substitute Dry Sherry. Finally, I pack a TON of spinach into each packet, way more than it calls for. It wilts down so much that you really need more. You can serve it with a little bread or sticky rice, but it’s fine on its own. Make sure to ask the fish guy to remove the skin for you – makes it a lot easier to eat, and I think it tastes better!
Tonight we are having steak salad using a family recipe for London Broil (recipe below). I used to request this meal on my birthday every year, and most of my siblings still do! Tonight I’m using skirt steak since we are having it on salad, but it works really well on any kind of steak. Flank steak is best if you are having a traditional “meat and potatoes” meal. My mom usually makes it with boiled potatoes, which we smush up on our plates and drown in the extra marinade. For the extra marinade, you really don’t need as much oil, and make sure you whisk it up really well so that the oil gets incorporated before serving.
London Broil
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped chives
½ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Mix all ingredients and pour over steak in shallow dish. Marinate at least 8 hours. Grill, brush with marinade. Mix more marinade and heat in pan for gravy. Serve with potatoes.
Steak Salad (adapted from my friend Rebecca)
Mixed greens
Dried cranberries
Sliced or slivered toasted almonds
Frozen corn, defrosted
Crumbled feta or goat cheese (feta is better but I don’t always have it)
Good Seasons Italian salad dressing packet made with Balsamic vinegar
Toss everything together with dressing and top with thinly sliced grilled steak.