So Hot Right Now

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Hey, Sar!

We've been in our new house for two months now and let me tell you... I am in heaven.  We have functional family living space, an office for Chris (office, pfffffft - try dark room in the back of the house where he can watch nerdy sci-fi movies and play video games), and an amazing safe and quiet neighborhood. After living in a 595 square foot condo with a shared closet, then an old home built in 1918 on a busy street, I am thrilled. I love coming home everyday and have become a total hermit, err, homebody.  But the road to bliss was long, paved with uncertainty in a crazy real estate market, and not to mention 37 days of living with my parents on their 6-acre homestead (not that I was counting.  Mom, if you are reading this, I love you).  And, seriously, what is it about pregnancy and the impending second child that makes one think, "Hey, this is a great time to move!!"  And, let's not even talk about the gawd-awful Seattle real estate market.

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So Summer Goes

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Remember how, when you were a kid, summer was like this separate part of your life?  Like, there was the regular life of the school year, and then there was summer?  And it seemed to go on FOR-EH-VRRRR????

There is this huge part of me that still feels like that - or at least entitled to that.  Like, I should have been born in France and come July 14th, been allowed to vacate for 6 weeks every summer.  Congress would have been an alternative, I guess, but then you'd have to be in Congress.  What is it about summer that just makes me feel a little lighter on my feet, a little more inclined to ignore bedtimes and definitely more than happy to eat all manner of cold food?

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Boy Types

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I am of the belief that all humans are entitled to the same human rights, one of the most important being a right to the self.  Namely, that no one human can control or define the race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity of another, and that each and every individual is entitled to the same rights and protections regardless of the aforementioned differences. I believe that the inherent diversity of humanity is too infinite to pigeon-hole or generalize entire groups of people, or to make anyone feel like they are wrong if they don't fit into someone else's prefabricated mold.

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Blackberry Farm

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Every year, Tygh and I watch the coming and going of blackberry season here in Seattle with a little bit of awe. Nearly everywhere you look - along freeways, backyards, park perimeters, shopping malls - there are these indigenous blackberry plants which, for a weeks every summer, offer up the most amazing, sweet, juicy blackberries.  And every year, while looking at $8 containers of the hard black nuggets you often find at the grocery, Tygh and I say how we are going to go pick those goddam things and, like, eat em all.  

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In Deep

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I’ve been to Chicago exactly once (if we exclude airport stopovers). But I, along with Tygh, my cousin, Jamie, and her hubby, Chris, managed to visit 3 deep-dish pizzerias (in addition to our regular dinner reservations) during those fateful 48 hours, so I feel pretty legit.

Which I is why I am compelled to share this killer, at-home-in-your-very-own-kitchen version I came across not too long ago.  If you have a cast iron skillet and an oven, you can make fabulous deep-dish pizza at home.  Really. 

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Seconds

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The second child thing is funny.  In some ways, they have it better - you’ve learned something from the first go-round, and now, you have two, so you have less time to hover anxiously and disinfect pacifiers.

The second one gets to watch Broad City while nursing, suck on tortilla chips before they have teeth and be held by any number of kind strangers offering to help as you try to help your toddler-aged first child in a public bathroom while dripping an Ergo baby carrier off your aching shoulders (not sure this last one is an upside for the kid, but it helped me out tremendously). 

Plus, you’ve done this before – now you’re an old hand at it – so Second Kid gets the way-less-stressed-much-cooler version of the parent you were with the first (case in point: Harvey ate shit the other day.  Like, literally put some dog shit in his mouth.  The kids were playing outside and I was sort of spacing out - something I never did when overseeing June as a toddler.  At first, I thought it was a rock so I just casually sauntered over to him and told him to spit it out.  When he did, and I realized what it was, I scooped him up frantically hollering at June to bring in the sidewalk chalk ‘cause I was going to have to cart him inside to bleach out his mouth.  Did I call Poison Control?  Maybe…).

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NEW MAIL! Mom of the Year

My friends and family are all such amazing cooks, I look to them to share the wealth when I'm in need of inspiration. So here's one from my cousin, Jamie, who sent this dynamite addition last summer.  Trust me when I tell you if she says its good, then it is.

Sarah,

As you know, I started commuting to a new job about a year ago and now spend over an hour a day in the car.  It wasn't so bad at first, but I was getting kinda bored and listening to news radio had me seriously down by the time I got to the office.  I scanned the different stations and came across 710 AM, ESPN radio.  And now I can honestly say I am a junkie.  My addiction... sports radio.  Now, I love football and more specifically, the Seahawks.  I love getting all of my football gossip, stats, and analysis every day before and after work.

So you can imagine how excited I was when the Hawks clinched a playoff berth after a very rocky 4-5 start.  Russel Wilson had an amazing run later in the season and ended the year with 34 TDs, 8 interceptions, and 4,024 yards.  He was making plays, carrying the team, and throwing from the pocket.  In my mind, we were on our way to a third straight Super Bowl.  But first, we had to defeat Minnesota in the Wild Card round in one of the coldest games in history.  There were all sorts of issues with playing in that kinda of weather (obvi), but for some reason, the Hawks were having trouble managing the play clock.  Frustrating, but hey, these things happen and it was like, -150 degrees.  And we won... on to Carolina.  

Well I don't really know what to say about the Carolina game, other than it was difficult to watch.  Chris was a mess and headed out to do yard work at half time (score 31-0 Carolina).  I decided to hang in there and watch the rest of the game with Charlie.  The game was frustrating to say the least, and the team was STILL having issues with the play clock.  Two weeks of this crap was enough and I snapped.  In a fit of rage during the third quarter, I yelled "SNAP THE F&@*$%# BALL!!"

Shit.

My sweet little angel looked at me with a huge grin and he knew.  I had dropped an F bomb.  For the rest of the afternoon, I was forced re-live that low point in my parenting career.  Charlie happily told me to "SNAP THE F&@*$%# BALL!!" many times that fateful Sunday.  #momoftheyear

This recipe really has nothing to do with football, other than we usually have it on Sundays.  It's super easy, healthy, and delicious.  Make sure to add tons of extra lemon, if you're into that sort of thing.  Enjoy!

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Roasted Sausage, Chard, and Cannellini Beans

1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and ribs removed and leaves roughly torn into 2-inch pieces

1 can cannellini beans (16 or 19 ounces, or about 2 cups), drained and rinsed

Finely grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from one lemon (reserving extra juice for finishing dish)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

3 tablespoons olive oil

16 ounces (about 3 or 4 links) good-quality chicken or pork sausage, removed from casings and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (can also use pre-cooked sausage, sliced into small pieces)

Finely grated Parmesan or pecorino, to serve

Heat oven to 400° F. Combine chard and cannellini beans in a large casserole, baking dish, or ovenproof skillet. It will look like a lot of chard, but it will considerably cook down. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, smoked Spanish paprika, and olive oil. Add to chard and cannellini beans and toss well with hands to evenly coat. Evenly distribute the chard and beans in a single layer—or as close as you can get to a single layer. Nestle the pieces of sausage on top of the chard and beans. Roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chard is tender with crispy edges and the sausage is no longer pink. For extra security, you can toss about halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Top with grated parmesan or pecorino. Serve warm.

Recipe from Food52

Time to Make the Donuts

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It’s probably time I tell you that I’ve never been a huge fan of the raised donut  (doughnut?) – at least as a breakfast food. Warm sugar-covered fried dough served to me after a full meal? Fine.  But, when I’m hungry, raised donuts are just too light; it takes, like, 3 to fill to me up and I’m not sure that falls under anyone’s definition of “in moderation.”  Cake donuts, however, are a different story.  Old fashioned glazed are probably my favorite (which, it turns out, are often double fried, so I guess that fits) but plain old cake donut is a very close second, particularly when they are of the powdered sugar variety.   

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A Wonderful Fruit

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Admittedly, we eat a lot of beans in our house.  I’ve only posted a few bean recipes, but that’s because I have to spread ‘em out so you can ease into flatulence at your own pace.  However, I’ve got dozens of favorites – bean salads, bean soups, baked beans, roasted beans – and, in an effort to spare you one of my rhetorical anecdotes, I want to share with you one of them that is near and dear.

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