Happy Halloween! We went out for sushi (random) and came home and passed out little packs of organic gummi bears to the trick-or-treaters (no, I did not consider giving out bags of carrot sticks) while the kids ran around in their costumes (one bumble bee and one turtle) and we munched on these pumpkin seeds that I had roasted earlier after the pumpkin-carving extravaganza. Here’s the easy recipe …
Here is a little photo of my entryway table, piled high with mail and coupons and FedEx envelopes. A metaphor for my life right now? I think maybe. Sturdy and sure, and cheerful (um, most of the time!), but sometimes scattered. P.S. Don't you love white pumpkins (aka, ghost pumpkins)? My 2 year old is crazy about them.
Read MoreAren't they cute? I was wooed by a carton of fresh, organic cranberries at the store today, and after I put the boys to bed, I made a big batch of cranberry muffins. I don't know how this happens, but I always bake when I'm in procrastination mode. My big goal for the weekend, well, next week when I have the week off from my Glamour.com blog, Vitamin G, is to finally finish the revisions I need to make on my novel--the revisions my agent sent over, um, months ago. (Elisabeth, if you're reading, I have not gone AWOL!) Truth be told, I have been working on my novel. But with my blogging for Glamour, a gazillion magazine assignments, and oh yeah, the boys, I still have a lot left to accomplish with this novel of mine. But I baked tonight. And the book can wait until tomorrow, as can everything else. P.S. These muffins were really good. I followed this recipe, but I changed everything. If I get some energy and time, I promise to post my official adapted recipe (which includes whole wheat flour, buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of pumpkin butter--random, but good!).
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Tonight I was feeling lazy. Not order-takeout-lazy, but, yes, too-lazy-to-make-a-big-dinner lazy. OK, enough with the laziness. But if you really want to break this down: I wasn’t in the mood to make meat. (I’ll write about my husband’s carnivorous ways in another post.) After last night’s carne assada, yeah, I was feeling so over meat. So, after thumbing through the new issue of Real Food (I’m on their comp list, and I love it! Such a pretty magazine–with lots of gorgeous ideas), I found the perfect meal. A frittata! But not just any frittata. This one was made in a pie pan with a brown rice crust. How cool is that? Recipe to follow…
I was visiting Inchmark recently, a blog I adore, and came across this little photo. Of course, I gasped. I don't remember what issue of Martha Stewart Living it's from, but I knew it instantly--it's the photo that started my obsession with white dishes. Martha calls this impressive display in her Maine home "The Great Wall of China" (cute, huh?), and you can see why. My collection of white dishware is far less impressive, but I still love my stacks of white latte bowls and Fiestaware plates and odds and ends from thrift stores (my husband has put me on a lifetime restriction from buying ramekins--I'm obsessed). Anyway, finding this photo was like coming across an old treasure I'd lost in the attic years ago, and I had to post it here.
Read MoreHere is perhaps the most amazing little cake I've had, well, ever. I'd share the recipe, but it's top secret. (Sorry!) So for now, let's just admire it, shall we? P.S. It's made with lots of butter and chardonnay. It made an amazing dessert, and an even more amazing (if not sinful) breakfast with coffee.
Read MoreThe firework show in my backyard is almost over. I've enjoyed it so much! Here are a few of my favorite moments. P.S. Gratitude week got away from me. But I couldn't let it end without a nod to these gorgeous trees that make me absolutely giddy (really). Until next year, my gorgeous maples
Read MoreI love the word twilight, but not in a vampire-y sort of way--in a romantic, wine-at-sunset sort of way. (P.S. My grandparents used to go "twilight golfing"--how cute is that?!) Anyway, I snapped this shot of my kitchen, just as the sun was making its way down. I love looking out the windows of my usually cluttered and often messy kitchen (I have two boys, three if you count the husband!) and checking out my maples that are the most vibrant colors right now. So in this gratitude moment, I am thankful for my kitchen windows. They are old and mildewy and not double paned. But they are perfect.
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Somehow, the fact that we’re recovering from the flu is making me feel grateful–for my health, for my kids, for our home–for life (not that I was going to die or anything, but you know). And that’s where I want to start this week, with this roof over my head, and how I’m grateful for it. We almost got wooed away by a great big dream house on Bainbridge Island over the summer. And when our house in Seattle didn’t sell, the deal fell through, and it was a big fat disappointment. But, you know what? We’re thankful to be here, and over the past month or so, we’ve developed a newfound appreciation for this home of ours. Carson, our 2 year old summed it up perfectly the other day when he came barreling into the kitchen with a huge smile on his face: “Mama! I just love this house!” How sweet is that? Still, I’m convinced that if we lived in a tent, he’d feel the same way. Kids can teach us all a lesson in contentment, huh? So, to kick off gratitude week, I’m sharing photos of the little things, details, colors and corners of my house that I love. Just simple little things that make smile every single day. Come take a look…
We're feeling better here today--thank goodness. The boys are playing. I'm cooking (then again, I didn't stop--we still had to eat!) and writing, writing, writing. In other news: asparagus. I've known that my 2 year old, Carson, was nuts for asparagus for a long time. One day, about 8 months ago, the child who hates most all green vegetables, pulled up his kitchen stool and leaned over to look at what I was making on the stove: sauteed asparagus. "I eat one?" he asked in toddler speak. You can imagine the look of glee on my face. Let's break this down: My 2 year old just asked me for a green veggie. I watched as he ate a small plateful of asparagus. Then he asked me for more. The asparagus love continues today. Whenever I make them, which I did recently--Parmesan-roasted asparagus--Carson's eyes light up. Here he is, eating one raw:
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