A Sparkly, Shiny, Elmo Shirt

Kami loves three shirts.

Foxy Shirt, Bambi Shirt, and Sparkly Cupcake Shirt.

Tears erupted this morning when all three were in the laundry at the same time.

She was devastated. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her hair bounced as she shook her head vigorously from side to side. "No!" She did not want to wear the Elmo shirt. Still, she had to wear something so I tried to sell her on the shirt, pointing out the sparkles and hearts."No!" "NOT!"  She yelled.

In the end, I won because I'm bigger and faster and pulled the shirt on before she could escape.

She was still crying when I put her in the car seat.

We drove.

As we got close to home I asked the girls what they wanted to play with she said "Elmo". I asked her if she wanted to show him her shirt she smiled and nodded. I smiled too.

We finished a long car ride and I gave the girls chocolate milk for a treat when we got home. I could hear them whispering and giggling as I came upstairs. I found them hiding in the closet sipping their milk. 

Carrots

Carrots.

Lovely sweet carrots.

Sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Tossed with olive oil.

Roasted with fresh thyme and rosemary.

Topped with chopped Brazil nuts.

Drizzled with honey and freshly squeezed mandarin juice.

Ice Cream, Lollipops, and Licorice

Short days and long, dark evenings set the perfect stage for playing games. 

I have fond memories of raucous games played with my siblings and parents, and from what I remember,  they were played almost exclusively in the winter time. 

I remember fiercely competitive games of Monopoly that stretched on for several days. Uno, Skip-Bo, and Dutch Blitz were among some of our favorite card games.  

Yesterday while the rain fell outside, the girls and I pulled Candy Land off the shelf. We set up three little gingerbread tokens and began our journey down the brightly colored path toward the candy castle. 

The board has changed since I was little. The Gumdrop Mountains are now the Gummy Hills and the Molasses Swamp is no more. 

Kami picked a blue card right away and sailed ahead through peppermint pass. We pretended that our gingerbread tokens were snacking on gummy bears and stealing little licks from the ice cream slopes.

As we played, we snuck past Lord Licorice, and sighed with delight at Princess Lolly. 

The game still holds its charm and I suspect we shall be playing it often this winter.

Driving Through November

The skies are especially heavy. You can almost feel the weight of the clouds bearing down some days.

The rain falls daily. Sometimes just a sprinkle, sometimes a fast and furious downpour.

Streams of water etch through fields, and creeks threaten to spill over their muddy banks.

Soft, heavy leaves carpet the ground.

A Week of Feasting

I love this time of year.

I love plotting and planning what tasty things will appear on the table on Thanksgiving Day.

I love the too-early Christmas music already being played on the radio.

I love getting together with my family to share good food.

I love explaining the traditions to our girls. Ximena has begun proclaiming that it is almost Christmas time, that it is winter, and it will soon be snowy. She is mixing together images she has gleaned from movies along with her own excitement.

Yesterday was stormy and rain poured all day. For lunch I made a bowl of brussel sprouts. I learned this recipe from my sister a few years ago and continue to make it over and over again.

- brussel sprouts halved or quartered
- garlic- unpeeled
- salt + pepper
- olive oil

Ten minutes after I put them in the oven, the power went out. I was starving, so I finished them in a skillet, thankful for a gas stove.

I squeezed a lemon over the steamy bowl, and added capers and parmesan for the finishing touch.

Lunch by candle light.

Apple Cider Caramel Glazed Cake

It was a baking kind of day.

The rain was falling steadily outside, large rain drops splashed against the windows, and the girls were playing unusually well together in the next room.

While the butter softened and eggs came to room temperature I sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

I took out the mixer and began to cream the butter and sugar. Hearing the sound of the mixer, suddenly two little girls were winding themselves around my legs peering up at the counter to see what was going on. The beaters jumped and sugar spilled out to the counter. I showed them how to lick their finger and dip it into the sugar.

Two sets of fingers dipped furiously.

I tried out this recipe for caramel cake from Lottie + Doof that had been growing dusty sitting in my bookmarks for way too long.

The cake turned out beautifully: moist inside with a lovely crust.  Instead of using the caramel the original recipe calls for,  I reduced apple cider to a caramel and poured that over the cake.

It was delicious.

White bean cakes

Every once in a while, I cook something and I fail to calculate how much I need to feed my small family.

It has been quite chilly the past few days, and I was in the mood for something toasty to warm me up from the inside. I looked in the cupboard and spotted a little bag of cannellini beans. Bean soup it would be.

Without hesitation, I poured the entire package of small, cream-colored beans into a bowl to soak overnight.

The next day as my soup was bubbling on the stove, I realized I had made enough soup to feed my family and the neighbors - for a week.

Two days and three meals later, I was no longer craving a warm bowl of bean soup.

I considered tossing the remaining beans, but felt guilty for my excess, so  I decided to try making them into little cakes.

They were fantastic. Crispy on the outside and perfectly paired with a runny egg, chopped kale, cilantro and spicy Sriracha sauce.

I fully intend to soak the whole bag of beans again next time.

For the cakes:
- beans- use a slotted spoon to remove the beans without the broth
-panko bread crumbs
- a clove of garlic - grated
-grated parmesan
- fresh thyme
-salt and pepper to taste

Smash the beans with a fork and add in the remaining ingredients. In a skillet, heat olive oil and cook the cakes until crispy.

Pat-A-Cake, Pat-A-Cake

Almost every day now, Ximena wakes up before her sister. I hear her close the door to their room, and I hold my breath.

Today, she came down and explained with great satisfaction that she was not tired anymore and that Kami was still sleeping. Success.

We made a fresh batch of play dough using this recipe,  which is my favorite. I've found that in order to get good play dough that is not sticky you must stir until your arms feel like they will fall off and then stop right before they do.

We pretended we were baking.

We rolled and pinched and squished.

A blackberry pie, a raspberry tart.

She sang me happy birthday as she handed me the cake.