Wednesday, August 31, 2011

bak 2 skuL.


Well, this has been quite a week.

I forgot all about blogging this week.  I guess I was too busy looking at all the flood pictures of Vermont!



You never really think a really big storm is going to hit a place YOU call home...and then it does.

It's still hard to believe.


A week like this really makes you pause and count your blessings.

I'm so thankful my family in Vermont is safe and well, but so sad for all the damage that was done. ♥

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In-between looking at flood pictures this week, we've been gearing up for a brand new semester! 

It's here already?!

For Josh, this means setting his alarm extra early and dusting off his schoolbooks...he started his first classes today!  It's going to be another busy semester but we're ready. 

Bring it!


For Knox, the beginning of a new semester means, well...

It means learning more and more new words (like peepee, for example, which wasn't exactly next on my list of words I was hoping he would learn...though I guess in retrospect it is a good one to know).

It means getting to play with Daddy's school bag...




And, apparently, it means printing fax confirmations for faxes we have never sent. :)



(I have no idea how he does it but confirmations keep appearing out of nowhere on the printer!!)

For me the start of this new semester means working out the details of a brand new SWING group I'm heading up this year. 

I'm super excited to get started!!!



So...

Vermont, we love you!

And Semester #7 (of ?), we're glad you're here.

Friday, August 26, 2011

When Life Throws You Beets, Make Pancakes


One thing we have been very thankful for during our time at seminary is that Josh's brother Mark and Vanessa (and now Eli!) have been here with us the entire time. 

We all moved to Dallas on the same 110 degree day three years ago...sharing the same big moving truck. 

And we've all been here ever since. 

They've been a blessing in so many ways...it's good to have family close by.

This week, though, Mark, Vanessa and Eli are gone away on a trip.  And they left us with a very important black bin when they left.

It's their veggie bin that they use to pick up local (mostly) organic veggies every Saturday. 

That's right, we get to eat their veggies while they're away. :)




 Don't you feel healthier just looking at all those veggies?

It was really fun to get this bin.  There was a little bit of everything in there.  Including this kale, which Josh has been using in green super smoothies all week:


Bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, an onion, mini peaches, oranges, green beans, the cutest little eggplant, broccoli...

and beets.


Beets. 

The beets are what stumped me.  I had absolutely no idea what we were going to do with the beets.

I don't hate beets, but I don't love them either.  I'm just kind of on the fence about beets, you know what I'm saying? 

But I didn't want them to go to waste, so I found a recipe for beet, carrot & onion pancakes.  Doesn't that sound like a good way to consume beets?!

(Unfortunately) these aren't the kind of pancakes you smother with maple syrup.  No, these are the kind of pancakes you douse with salt instead.

It was an interesting experiment, and came out pretty good.  If you hate beets, you will tolerate these pancakes.  If you are on the fence about beets, you will like these pancakes.  And if you love beets you will LOVE these pancakes.  We would make them again.

And one thing is for sure:  No matter what your opinion is about beets, you will definitely feel like a health super hero and be very happy with yourself for eating so healthily after eating these pancakes.  :) 

So the moral of this story is:

Next time life throws you a box of beets...

Make pancakes.










Beet and Carrot Pancakes
  • 1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely shredded peeled beets (from 2 medium)
  • 1 cup coarsely shredded peeled carrots (from 2 medium)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced onion
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (I used a little less)
  • Extra Salt (lots)
  • Low-fat sour cream or cottage cheese
Preheat oven to 300°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Combine beets, carrots and onion in large bowl. Mix in egg, salt and pepper. Add flour; stir to blend well.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Using 1/3 cup beet mixture for each pancake, drop 4 pancakes into skillet. Flatten each into 3-inch round. Cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven; keep warm. Repeat with remaining beet mixture, making 4 more pancakes.

Serve pancakes as a side dish with sour cream or as a main dish with cottage cheese.  Sprinkle pancakes generously with salt.




Sweet Beet Baby



Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Grandpa Porter's Photos & Photography 101


Last week my family was invited to a reception at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (the hospital where I was born) :) in Brattleboro, VT because the hospital hung a display of enlargements of my great-grandfather Porter's photographs in their administration wing.   

My great-grandparents, Porter C. Thayer and Edith Webster Thayer, were photographers when photography was till somewhat of a novelty.  

They held a photography studio in Townsend, VT in the early 1900s and Grandpa Porter traveled (by horse-drawn cart) all around Southern Vermont capturing and preserving on camera images of rural life...working people, towns and landscapes.  

His photos are now quite well-known and have become an important piece of Vermont history.

If you stop at a General Store in Vermont today you are likely to find some black and white postcards with Grandpa Thayer's trademark white descriptions at the bottom of each picture.  His photos pop up all over the place.

This past year Brooks Memorial Library and the University of Vermont have been working together to digitize 1,250 of my great-grandfather's photos in order to preserve them, which I think is very exciting.

And the display at the hospital is an honor.  Here are some photos of the reception last week, courtesy of Bratteboro Memorial Hospital.






My Dad & his brother Bill, Porter's grandsons

 




Dad & Mom, Aunt Mary, Uncle Bill, my cousins Bill & Becky

So...with Grandpa Porter's photography skills on one side and Josh's photography skills on the other we're expecting great things from Knox in the photo realm...  (no pressure) :)

We've started his training early, check it out.  :)

Porter's Great Great Grandson, Photographer in Training

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Chickpea Salad with Lemon, Parmesan & Fresh Herbs


I just found my new favorite summer side of the season!!

It was another Epicurious find...Epicurious never lets me down.

I was going to make this for a "salad bar" potluck this past week but I wasn't able to go at the last minute so later in the week I made half a batch for Josh and Knox and me. 

And then we all wished I had made a whole batch. 

We polished off most of it with grilled chicken and vegetable kebabs for dinner and then Josh and I fought over shared the remainder for a late night snack the same evening.

And then I licked the bowl.

I did.

Who knew chickpeas could be so glamorous?!  It's the fresh lemon juice, garlic, basil, parsley and salt...they make them POP. 

I will be making the other half of my batch this week. 

We can't wait.






Chickpea Salad with
Lemon, Parmesan & Fresh Herbs
  • 4, 15-to 15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 small garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 1/3 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Coarse kosher salt
Combine rinsed and drained chickpeas, chopped fresh basil, chopped Italian parsley, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and pressed garlic clove in medium bowl. Add grated Parmesan cheese and toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season chickpea salad to taste with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: Chickpea salad can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Serve salad chilled or at room temperature.



Thursday, August 18, 2011

Dinosaur Sandwich

That's right!

I don't have any idea what you just ate for lunch, but I guarantee it wasn't as exciting as these bad boys:


One day last fall I was out shopping and found this stop-you-in-your-tracks, amazing, wonderful dinosaur sandwich cutter at Williams-Sonoma. 



When I "shop" at Williams-Sonoma that means I am checking to see if they have any hot apple cider or candy or other free samples out for me to try.  :)  There isn't a lot in my price range at that store.

But while I was sipping my free mini cup of spiced cider I spotted this dinosaur sandwich cutter and knew in a split second that it was a MUST HAVE item for my family.  (Even though Knox was 3 1/2 months old at the time and hadn't even tried his first bite of rice cereal yet.)  :)

So when a couple of weeks later Nana asked for Christmas present ideas for the baby I may have given her a big hint about this sandwich cutter...and Knox may have found it in his stocking on Christmas morning. :)


Some people get really excited about, you know...music, books, toys.  I get really excited about dinosaur sandwich cutters.

Please do not rain on my parade by asking if, really, a cookie cutter would work just as well.  It clearly wouldn't.  This dinosaur cutter is sharper and thicker than a regular cookie cutter...you know...for that occasional REALLY thick peanut butter and jelly sandwich...and a cookie cutter wouldn't come with this handy dandy sandwich box now would it?!


Knox is still a little bit young to handle whole sandwiches but I just couldn't wait any longer.  I woke up thinking, "Today is a day destined for dinosaur sandwiches." 

And a terrific dinosaur sandwich day it turned out to be.


Heads or tails??


HEADS WIN! 


Happy Thursday!



Sunday, August 14, 2011

Donut Coma

Score!  Uncle Nick's here!
Uncles share lots of bites of their donuts. :)


Friday, August 12, 2011

Kimberly's Shells


It's hard to believe Knox's first birthday is behind us.

No more counting the months...now we start counting the years!  It's a little surreal.

Year #1 has been such a joy...an adventure every day.  And we can't wait to see what exciting things happen in Year #2.

Our little party might be over, but we're still singing "Happy Birthday" a couple times a day. 

It's just such a great song.  :) 

We also have a big pile of awesome new toys to remind us of that happy day... 

And this trusty truck balloon, which isn't sagging too badly yet:


Happily, we also still have a little leftover pasta salad!


So you see, the celebrating goes on. :)

My cousin Kim made this salad for us when I was in Vermont this summer.  I never think to make pasta salad, but when she served this tasty salad I couldn't get enough of it.  There's nothing more satisfying than biting into soft shells.  I love it.

I also love this recipe because it gives me a chance to use two ingredients that I hardly ever use otherwise.

Ham...


...and radishes. 


Aren't they pretty? 

(The radishes...not the ham.)  :) 

The radishes are halved and sliced very thin so there isn't a bitter taste, just a delightful color and tiny bit of crunch.

Kimberly's shells were perfect for our 1st birthday hot dog cookout.  We might have to make this a tradition. :)

Kimberly's Shells

1 lb. medium shells (I used large since they were on sale), cooked and drained
3 c. diced ham
1 cucumber, diced
1/2 cup celery (or fresh Italian parsley, which is what I used this time instead)
1/2 cup radishes, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayo
4 tsp. dijon mustard
1 + tsp. garlic salt, to taste