Abstract Shortbread

I made shortbread a while back and was amused by the results. I baked it in a baking pan and cut it into pieces before deciding it needed melted chocolate on top (because when has shortbread ever been ruined by adding melted chocolate on top?). The chocolate didn't stick very well to the crumbly tops of the pieces so, as each piece was taken out to be eaten, various bits of extra chocolate often came along, which of course begged to be consumed as well.

Hiking Close to Home

Alanna the Fashionista 

(her choice in hat and layering)

Last weekend we decided to hike from the front door, especially since the weather has been nice and warm (although since it's February, it's a little disconcerting). One block to the north of us is the edge of town, and we can get on a trail that heads up the top of the mesa nearest our side of White Rock. As we climbed up the side of the mesa, we explored some of the caves that may or may not have been native homes at one point in history.

 The day was so clear and lovely. 

The Sangre de Cristos to the east presented a 

blue horizon, viewed from the top of the mesa.

 Also from the top of the mesa we could see our house: 

it's the red roof to the left of the red roof that's in 

the center of the photo.

(I think. It's hard to tell in this small format).

Alanna has become such an independent girl that 

she had to hike until it was too hard for her short little legs to climb. 

She then fought, screeching and thrashing, having to go in the Ergo.

All the hiking and fit-throwing tired her out, however, and she 

had to take a mid-hike nap.

Finally, on the way home we had to stop at the park to swing for a bit.

Homegrown Cowboy Beans

Aaron had been itchin' to plant us some pintos, so we done did it last summer. And we were able to harvest a (small) mess of 'em. Here half of 'em are in one of our favorite recipes: Cowboy Beans (thanks, Dad!). They were pretty durn tasty, iffin ya ask me.

Cowboy Beans:

2 or 3 strips of thick-cut bacon (or whatever you have available)
2 can pintos, undrained (or homegrown crock-pot cooked equivalent)
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped (or one can)
a couple of roasted chilies or poblanos, chopped, depending on taste
about 1 cup of corn kernels

Brown the bacon in a stock/large pot. I usually cut it up in the pot as it cooks. Add the onion and let it cook for a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Let simmer about 30 minutes. Serve with grated cheese and cornbread. Yum!

Ding Dongs

Not what you think...

Alanna and I have been nuggling ("snuggling"- Rhys coined this when he was little and couldn't pronounce the s) before bed and nap time. After reading stories, we turn out the light and nuggle up. She then tells me, "Ding dongs, Mommy." And so we sing some songs before I tuck her in in her crib.

Life's pretty dweet.

It's Art!

Last week, I had the table all set  for my book club. (Ha! I won't show you what it looks like now- you can't even see the table top because of all the junk that's piled there) The highlight of the afternoon was when Rhys walked past, stopped to get a closer look at the table runner, and declared, "It's art!" I'm glad to know that his life till now (all 4 and a half years of it!) has included enough art that he recognized abstract painting as "art". And indeed, the runner is a compilation of two of my college paintings- I was exploring the qualities of letting the paint move on its own by manipulating the unstretched canvas and treating it with different products that affected the paint. The painting on the wall behind the table was done by actually draping and stuffing the canvas in the cracks of rocks and  pouring and dripping the paint on top, then letting it flow where it would. I don't actually remember painting the canvases on the runner, but I think I did it in a similar manner. Ah, art. I miss doing it.

(Belated) Chinese New Year

Last Monday was the Chinese New Year. I had intended to celebrate more, but a broken furnace waylaid my plans. All we did was burn the old prayer flags, hang new ones, and put these paper stars in the window. Red is a good luck color, but, well... the furnace broke. On the other hand, it was fixed pretty quickly and cheaply (yay warranty parts!), so maybe the red helped...

We still have the stars hanging in the windows, which is a cheery look as the light comes into the living room. I was trying to remember what the new year is in the Chinese calendar, but can't remember since I did all my research last week. May it be a prosperous one for everyone anyway.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a special Valentine's Day. Our new wood stove was installed this morning and we are now enjoying its warmth! Rhys is holding a Valentine we made for the Teddy Bear Luncheon that we attended at preschool (in his favorite outfit: Batman Jammies). We are hoping it will get colder (and snow!!) so that we can really appreciate the wood stove, but it creates a nice atmosphere, anyway.

I made pink noodles (with beet juice) for dinner, with a tomato and zucchini sauce. And we'll probably have a piece of Valentine's candy for dessert. Yum!

On another note, the furnace is fixed and we are none the worse for wear. Now we have a wood stove, so who cares if the furnace goes out... Ha!

Irony

So, I'm sitting on the couch at 3 in the afternoon with one child napping and one child taking his rest time. It's snowing outside in lovely, huge flakes and the house smells like the posole stew I'm making for my book (and dining) group meeting tonight. Pretty wonderful.

Then the space heater whooshing directly at me distracts me for a moment, and wait- is that the furnace I hear trying to fire up? A glance at the dining room shows that I still have quite a bit of cleaning to do to get ready to host said book group (I can't see the kitchen from my spot on the couch, but it's even worse). And is that the furnace again?

So, yes, the furnace is out. Thank goodness it decided to go out after it warmed up the house this morning, and the furnace guy managed to get the motor to run once more and we got up to 68 degrees this afternoon. Now, we seem to be on a long, cold slide into night (without a new motor available until next Tuesday). And yes, I'm having 7 other lovely ladies over tonight for a potluck dinner to talk about Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. I did email them and recommend they bring an extra sweater when they come over. Oh, and it's snowing.

There goes the furnace again- trying to get the darn motor to engage....

And here's the irony:

We bought a wood burning stove this weekend. And the contractor who's installing it was over this morning to measure, etc.

And as he left he said, "As soon as there's no more snow on your roof, give me a call- you're first on the list!"

We'll be getting out the down sleeping bags and down comforter (we keep the house warm enough with two small ones that it's too hot to sleep with a down comforter- unless, of course, the furnace is out). And who knows, we may be snuggling together as a family in bed tonight. I actually don't mind the idea of the cold so much as the possibility of pipes freezing and breaking. I feel like we (the live creatures in the house) can deal with cold, even if we have to spend time elsewhere for a few days. But the pipes? They have no defenses. Or escape plans.

And there's the darn furnace again...

"Go to Canada!"

This is what Rhys has been telling me today. Apparently, it's where "bad" people have to go. And I fit into that category in his mind because I've been telling him to clean up his messes and that, no, he can't watch a movie until the messes are cleaned up.

Canada is more and more appealing as the afternoon wears on...

Summer 2010

Brown Sugar

Interesting: Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses. So, make your own! Then you can avoid the garbage of throwing away the plastic bag the brown sugar comes in, and white sugar mixed with molasses is a richer tasting sugar, too.

The ratio I've seen is:

1 T. molasses
1 cup sugar

Mix well and store in the fridge.

I have found that this is definitely a dark brown mixture, so if you like a lighter taste, use less molasses.

I have yet to do a cost analysis, so I don't know where it falls on the cost vs. time for prep scale.