Last night I attended an informal get together at a friend's house, and it was great to have a night out, and just talk with friends (new and old). I loved how it was a small enough group, that we could each grab a glass of wine, punch or water, and just talk around the coffee table.
What I found interesting, was that there were a few bloggers around the table, and they talked about their own blog, and the category it fell under, which most was "lifestyle." While I know I have a blog, last night I discovered within myself that it is not just a "recipe" blog, and while I don't have to aspire to be the SMITTEN KITCHEN blog, (which I LOVE LOVE LOVE), my blog is still my own creative work, and something to be proud of and not to say "it is just a simple blog." It is my own work. My blog is more than recipes, or updates about my kids. Sometimes I go off on a topic that is important to me (women in the workforce treated and paid as equals) or how I get everything done (super organized).
But, my blog is written by me, and I have a voice! And it is an important voice.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Mr. Mark and the Ice Bucket Challenge
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
HE IS HOME
Summer is over!!! Seven weeks have passed, and I have my son home! Cue up the eye doctor and the braces!
Monday, August 11, 2014
Lake Day
Friends invited us to their lake house, and we accepted. Of course, I made them a few things to bring:
Back to the lake . . . Naomi had never been in a lake before! We have spent time in pools and at the beach, so this was a new experience. Of course, I had forgotten that our hosts had a brand new dog! So, Naomi not only played with the dog, but spent most of the afternoon in the lake, and it was hard to get her out (five more minutes PLEASE?).
Naomi swam, kayaked but her favorite thing was a noodle in the shape of a horse. She had never seen one, and loved it. She created a whole world in the lake, in which she just played and hummed. She liked when a boat went by and created a wake.
And of course the best sign of a great day is when your child falls asleep on the drive home! See the last photo!
- One fresh challah
- Salted Chocolate Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
- Zucchini Muffins and Bread
- Brown Butter Salted Rice Krispie Treats
Back to the lake . . . Naomi had never been in a lake before! We have spent time in pools and at the beach, so this was a new experience. Of course, I had forgotten that our hosts had a brand new dog! So, Naomi not only played with the dog, but spent most of the afternoon in the lake, and it was hard to get her out (five more minutes PLEASE?).
Naomi swam, kayaked but her favorite thing was a noodle in the shape of a horse. She had never seen one, and loved it. She created a whole world in the lake, in which she just played and hummed. She liked when a boat went by and created a wake.
And of course the best sign of a great day is when your child falls asleep on the drive home! See the last photo!
Friday, August 8, 2014
Muffins and Breads
It is harvest season in Boston! If you have a garden, you should be enjoying tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini. And, if you don't have a garden (like me), either you are loving the farmers markets, or can't wait for friends to bring you the over flow!
The other day a friend brought me two good sized zucchini and a zucchini that could be used for a bat at Fenway park. I grilled up the smaller two, and knew what I was going to do with the baseball bat! Zucchini bread! And it made a double batch - FIVE small breads and 36 glorious muffins!
Zucchini Bread
The other day a friend brought me two good sized zucchini and a zucchini that could be used for a bat at Fenway park. I grilled up the smaller two, and knew what I was going to do with the baseball bat! Zucchini bread! And it made a double batch - FIVE small breads and 36 glorious muffins!
Zucchini Bread
This recipe was given to me by my mom. When I was little we grew zucchini's in the garden, and they looked like baseball bats. Here is one way to use alot of zucchini (especially if you make two or three batches).
It is dairy free!
3 cups zucchini (NOT peeled, ends cut off)
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
4 t vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 /2 t. baking powder
4 1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 c nuts (chopped walnuts or chopped pecans) (Optional)
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Don't over mix. Pour into well greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 70 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. (If making muffins, bake for 18-22 minutes, and check for doneness with a toothpick.)
It is dairy free!
3 cups zucchini (NOT peeled, ends cut off)
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
4 t vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 /2 t. baking powder
4 1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 c nuts (chopped walnuts or chopped pecans) (Optional)
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Don't over mix. Pour into well greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 70 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. (If making muffins, bake for 18-22 minutes, and check for doneness with a toothpick.)
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Parenting a 12 year old
So, my eldest child is at overnight camp, and will be coming home on Wednesday! I can't wait to see him and hear about camp (after I ask all the questions, which he will answer quickly). In yesterday's mail, he received a Bar Mitzvah invitation . . . . and it took all of my might NOT to rip it open and look at the invitation and put the date on the calendar. Instead, I texted the mom to let her know that my son got the invitation, and since I was waiting for him to open it, would she let me know the date so that I can put it on the calendar.
The next BIG thing I have to do is schedule meetings with invitations people. . . . . I get excited over food (the caterer) and the music (the DJ). Somehow I need to get myself excited over the invitation.
But today, my husband and I are meeting with the caterer and we are going to start making the big decisions - sit down or buffet. And what the adults will eat. We will wait for our son to come home from camp to give us his opinion about the under 14's menu.
Stay tuned!
The next BIG thing I have to do is schedule meetings with invitations people. . . . . I get excited over food (the caterer) and the music (the DJ). Somehow I need to get myself excited over the invitation.
But today, my husband and I are meeting with the caterer and we are going to start making the big decisions - sit down or buffet. And what the adults will eat. We will wait for our son to come home from camp to give us his opinion about the under 14's menu.
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Summer Colds
I haven't gotten a summer cold in a long time, and I can tell you that they are NOT fun.
Besides feeling terrible, I have been using a ton of tissues, and now my nose is red and cracked (good bye modeling career for the week).
And I haven't been sleeping well (between the bat and the cold).
I think I have finally turned a corner, and I should be feeling better soon.
But, really, summer colds stink.
Besides feeling terrible, I have been using a ton of tissues, and now my nose is red and cracked (good bye modeling career for the week).
And I haven't been sleeping well (between the bat and the cold).
I think I have finally turned a corner, and I should be feeling better soon.
But, really, summer colds stink.
Friday, August 1, 2014
An Evening at home with me, my hubby, my daughter and a BAT????
Last night, our little one was snug as a bug, in her bed. . . and we were catching up on "House of Cards" when my husband yelled out "BAT." My reaction is to fall to the floor with a blanket over my head (somehow I resisted screaming like a lunatic like I usually do) . . . . he opened the front door, and I opened the back door, and this DING bat could not find his way out of our living room. At one point, I told hubby, that I was going upstairs to our daughters room, to make sure she was okay.
I crawled to her room, and closed the door behind me, shoving a towel between the end of the door and the floor. . . . just in case. Turned on the light, and she was asleep. After a bit, I asked my husband to slide me the cell phone, so I could call some bat removal experts.
As I called our usual company (Needham Woburn Pest Control), I heard Adam slam my son's room door closed (son is at overnight camp). Needham Woburn Pest Control didn't have a 24 hour guy. Fine, call me in the morning. Next call was to Baystate Wildlife, and they have a 24 hour guy. Talked to Alex, and he would be there in less than 45 minutes. It was $350 to come down - fine, come on down! Get this thing out of my house!
Alex arrives at 11 PM, with gloves, tennis racket and I give him a Ziplock bag and a Tupperware container. (Yes, I know the drill.) It takes him 10 minutes to catch the bat and put him in the container. He is about to give me the container and says I can take it to city hall, or I can pay him $50 to do it. . . . . we will make out the check for $400.
After Alex leaves with the adult bat, we go upstairs, wake up the girl, and examine her body. She is scratch free and blemish free. She goes back to bed and doesn't believe me that there was a bat in the house, nor that she was up at 11 PM.
How do I know this drill so well . . . this isn't my first bat. The Saturday after we bought the house in 1998, we had our first one, and the next night, we had either the same bat or a different one. Turns out that bats return to the same place, over and over again. They can smell themselves (great). And since you can't mass kill bats, you have to provide a way for them to leave at night (and they leave nightly to get dinner), but can't get back in. The added drama is that it is baby bat season, and baby bats haven't learned how to fly yet. . . .. and you don't want dead baby bats in the walls.
So, today I will call both companies for estimates of re-bat proofing the house. (The warranty only lasts two years, and after looking at my "bat" file last night, I can see that the longest we have ever gone without a bat is three years.)
If I wasn't so afraid of the thing, I could go into business removing them from people's houses, but since I can't stand them, that is not going to be my new profession. I am NOT going to be the new bat girl.
I crawled to her room, and closed the door behind me, shoving a towel between the end of the door and the floor. . . . just in case. Turned on the light, and she was asleep. After a bit, I asked my husband to slide me the cell phone, so I could call some bat removal experts.
As I called our usual company (Needham Woburn Pest Control), I heard Adam slam my son's room door closed (son is at overnight camp). Needham Woburn Pest Control didn't have a 24 hour guy. Fine, call me in the morning. Next call was to Baystate Wildlife, and they have a 24 hour guy. Talked to Alex, and he would be there in less than 45 minutes. It was $350 to come down - fine, come on down! Get this thing out of my house!
Alex arrives at 11 PM, with gloves, tennis racket and I give him a Ziplock bag and a Tupperware container. (Yes, I know the drill.) It takes him 10 minutes to catch the bat and put him in the container. He is about to give me the container and says I can take it to city hall, or I can pay him $50 to do it. . . . . we will make out the check for $400.
After Alex leaves with the adult bat, we go upstairs, wake up the girl, and examine her body. She is scratch free and blemish free. She goes back to bed and doesn't believe me that there was a bat in the house, nor that she was up at 11 PM.
How do I know this drill so well . . . this isn't my first bat. The Saturday after we bought the house in 1998, we had our first one, and the next night, we had either the same bat or a different one. Turns out that bats return to the same place, over and over again. They can smell themselves (great). And since you can't mass kill bats, you have to provide a way for them to leave at night (and they leave nightly to get dinner), but can't get back in. The added drama is that it is baby bat season, and baby bats haven't learned how to fly yet. . . .. and you don't want dead baby bats in the walls.
So, today I will call both companies for estimates of re-bat proofing the house. (The warranty only lasts two years, and after looking at my "bat" file last night, I can see that the longest we have ever gone without a bat is three years.)
If I wasn't so afraid of the thing, I could go into business removing them from people's houses, but since I can't stand them, that is not going to be my new profession. I am NOT going to be the new bat girl.
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