I know I've mentioned this before but I have a lot of henvy (hen-envy) of my friend Lisa's egg laying gals. Their blue and green eggs are so beautiful and delicious. Last time my mom was in town, she picked Lisa up this ceramic egg holder from Anthropologie. Isn't is perfect? I want one too now that I have found beautiful, local eggs at the farmers market.
This Nigella Lawson via Amazon egg cup is good too.
Love and eggs are best when they are fresh." - Russian Proverb
last week Marc took Ryan to his parent's for the day so that April and I could do a girl's night. It went like this: go to coffee (actually chocolate milk) at Starbucks, go shoe shopping at Target, buy new nail polish and do pedicures, play many rounds of the princess matching game then have a bath and do matching hair-do's and finally go out to dinner at Mimi's! It was a lot of fun.
she drew me this picture at the end of the night. It's a "curtain of rainbow" with "mom" and "april" written next to it. She said "mommy, I very very love you." I drew her a rainbow heart and said "April, you are the rainbow in my heart."
For local Sacramento readers, have you ever made it to Pancake Circus? Check it out well Sunday we stopped in for lunch after a playdate at the Train Museum in Old Sac. Oh the retro, funky, dingy goodness! Really all you have to do is say those two words: pancake. circus. and kids are excited.
Marc got the blueberry cakes. I totally messed up and got a waffle! What? The three kids were all happy with their pancakes, chicken fingers and such. NPR did a spot on the place which has been around since 1960 and it looks like they have yet to remodel! I found it fun, but I don't think you go there for the food per se. And you probably shouldn't go if you find clowns freaky!
What do you put on your pancakes: Butter? Syrup? Honey? Fruit? Peanut butter? Bacon? Jam? Whipped cream? All of the above?
future pyromaniac.
brown-eyed girl.
heirloom gems have arrived!
green garden goodness. Living in Northern California is awesome.
summer culinary goal kept! I figured out onion rings. I am a big fan of the onion. Once I heard the CEO of Applebee's on NPR saying she wanted her chef to perfect their onion rings and I swear to God I could not rest until Marc drove me to Applebee's to try their rings. They were fine.
A few notes on the rings: chilling the onion in water in the fridge is important. Patting them dry is crucial too. I used a recipe from The El Paso Chile Company cookbook which is a cookbook I bought about 15 years ago based solely on it's cover. It's a good one. It calls for a bottle of flat beer, like Heineken and I used Stella Artois which wasn't quite flat. After your oil reaches temp put like 5 rings in the oil and let them cook. Once they are done you have to wait for the oil to come up to temp again (this is important) for crispy, not soggy rings.
the beer/cornmeal batter has baking powder and only 1 tbs of sugar (I used a squeeze of agave nectar instead). This I did not chill. Salt immediately!
The result: DELICIOUS. ADDICTIVE. WAY BETTER THAN APPLEBEE'S!
Check out the July issue of Sacramento Parent Magazine with my article Class Size on the Rise here ...more bad news for our kids I am afraid. And for teachers!
I really appreciate every wonderful teacher I have had along the way. If it wasn't for them I would not have learned how to look at books, words, the world, people in a different and non judgemental way. I would not have learned to laugh and love the way I do. And I wouldn't have learned how to find joy in the experience of learning. Teachers are a special type of saint.
Modern cynics and skeptics... see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing. ~John F. Kennedy
for my birthday Marc bought me a white tea kit from Teavana check it out and I am loving these Peach Momotaro bundles which flower. I do them in my press so I can watch them unfurl. If you believe what you read about white tea it is chock full of great health benefits: fights cancer, lowers blood pressure, even fights wrinkles! Sounds pretty good!
Caffeine Confession: Last week I had a coffee slip up. A jackhammer in my head sent me straight for a latte. I regretted it almost immediately. I'm back on track now, back with tea and feeing fine.
tea leaves
tea loves
loves tea
lives tea
leaves tea?
never.
~Uniek Swain
Thomas Keller's Fried Egg/BLT/Cheese sandwich via Food and Wine here I've got to make this for my dad some time.
Friday flights of fancy: am skipping out on all housework, laundry and cooking, want to join me?
"Fireworks" necklace from Anthropologie.
"Hippo" is so darn cute - also Anthro.
Jeanine Payer with Walt Whitman quote: "I believe in you my soul."
anatomical heart locket from Jeanine Payer with this quote:
The windows of my soul I throw
Wide open to the sun.
-John Greenleaf Whittier
Ina's kitchen via House Beautiful..yep, she nailed it. Rustic, elegant, clean and functional. I'm adding this to my dream house folder.
Bobby Flay's LA burger via Food Network. This is a little embarassing, but I am totally hooked on the Next Food Network Star. This from a woman who has never even seen American Idol.
**Summer Culinary Goals** perfect the turkey burger...learn to make onion rings...find that perfect banana bread recipe...make more bluberry mojitos...learn better knife skills.
| "I just hate health food” Julia Child | |
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