Saturday, November 27, 2010
The tree is up!
We are going all out this year. We put up the tree (and it's a real one this year!) and we got a menorah.... I'm telling you, things are really coming together! We had so much fun driving out the tree farm and picking out our tree with the Graves family. We're making it a tradition for sure. Anyone have a tree farm they love? The one we went to is fine, but I think there's probably a better one out there. Oh and while I'm surveying the crowd, I'm also taking recommendations on how to keep a toddler away from the tree. Abby is obsessed with the lights and the ornaments. I'm just hoping we can make it to Christmas without her pulling down the tree. :)
Thanksgiving
I love Thanksgiving because I love my family. I always wanted a big family growing up and Abby has just that, aunts, uncles, cousins, Memes, Bubbies, Gooses and Pappies and lots of dogs... she's lucky and so loved. She hardly napped on Thanksgiving, but thanks to a team of loved ones she stayed happy and full of energy and giggles the whole day. I just love to watch Abby in a crowd of people. She LOVES to be the center of attention. It's pretty cute and she fills me with thanks every day, but especially on Thanksgiving. Thank you family and friends, I love you!
Abby and my Mom's dog Scout doing a little digging in the toy box.
Look at my little pilgrim. Abby loves shoes and will gleefully steel yours if given the chance.
Abby's favorite part of Thanksgiving? Singing Happy Birthday over and over and blowing out my votive candles. She might have some confusion over Thanksgiving for a while...
Meme and Penny and Scout. Abby loves Penny and Scout and for being old, little and not used to little ones they put up with Abby amazingly well.
Too much turkey!
Abby and my Mom's dog Scout doing a little digging in the toy box.
Look at my little pilgrim. Abby loves shoes and will gleefully steel yours if given the chance.
Abby's favorite part of Thanksgiving? Singing Happy Birthday over and over and blowing out my votive candles. She might have some confusion over Thanksgiving for a while...
Meme and Penny and Scout. Abby loves Penny and Scout and for being old, little and not used to little ones they put up with Abby amazingly well.
Too much turkey!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Snow Day
Abby has been really enjoying these snow days, so far she got to sled with her friend Zoey, her Dad is home to play with her all day and she gets to come inside and warm up with cider and dance parties. Someone is going to have a lot to be thankful for tomorrow...
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Cabin Fever
Suddenly the weather is not just cool, but COLD, so Abby and I have been spending a lot more times cooped up in the house. It's not so bad though, we love to dance, we love to bake, we love to read and we love play-doh, so I think we're handling the cold pretty well so far, but I'm still not sure I'm ready for snow...
My cozy little reader:
Let's DANCE!
I love play-doh and was so proud of this creation that I had to take a picture to show the world.
And tonight we're having Ina Garten's Roasted Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Shallots - we couldn't really, really enjoy that without a little cold weather, right?
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)
1/4 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving
6 to 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces creme fraiche
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Crispy Shallots, recipe follows, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.
In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.
When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan and crispy shallots, if using.
Crispy Shallots:
1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings
Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown. The temperature should stay below 260 degrees F. Stir the shallots occasionally to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well, and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days.
Yield: about 1/2 cup
My cozy little reader:
Let's DANCE!
I love play-doh and was so proud of this creation that I had to take a picture to show the world.
And tonight we're having Ina Garten's Roasted Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Shallots - we couldn't really, really enjoy that without a little cold weather, right?
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)
1/4 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving
6 to 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces creme fraiche
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Crispy Shallots, recipe follows, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.
In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.
When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan and crispy shallots, if using.
Crispy Shallots:
1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings
Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown. The temperature should stay below 260 degrees F. Stir the shallots occasionally to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well, and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days.
Yield: about 1/2 cup
Monday, November 15, 2010
Please take my scissors away...
I used to have bangs and part of the reason I grew them out is that I could not stop myself from trimming them. I am a disaster with tiny scissors. I always think, I'll just snip a little here and it will be perfect! Err... not perfect, just shorter and crooked-er....
Well, I no longer have bangs, but I do have Abby and an aversion to paying $25+tip for her to sit in a fancy chair and have a teeny, tiny bit of hair cut off. I really only wanted her mullet chopped off, but instead she ended up with a bob. Did I mean for her hair to be this short? No! But do I like it? YES! Somehow she suddenly looks older and like she arrived in a time machine from the 20's and she is really cute.
Well, I no longer have bangs, but I do have Abby and an aversion to paying $25+tip for her to sit in a fancy chair and have a teeny, tiny bit of hair cut off. I really only wanted her mullet chopped off, but instead she ended up with a bob. Did I mean for her hair to be this short? No! But do I like it? YES! Somehow she suddenly looks older and like she arrived in a time machine from the 20's and she is really cute.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Happy Veterans and Sammy Doodle Malley Appreciation Day
Today is a special day, it's Veterans Day and it's the 4 year anniversary of bringing home a special little doodle named Sammy Doodle Malley. If only I could give a little Sammy to all the veterans out there, now that would be the best way to say THANK YOU that I could think of! Well, since I can't do that I'll just say, thank you veterans and here's a big drink of water and a chicken treat to Sammy the best doodle ever!
Love at first sight. Here's Sammy in the car on the way home from her doodle family...
...and here's Sammy now with her best friend and little sister!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
My little ballerina
Abby loves to dance and I can't think of a cuter get up than a tutu so I signed Abby up for dance class. It wasn't as big a hit as soccer, but she seemed to warm up to it by the end of our first class and it was fun to watch her stomp around the dance floor. I can't wait for her to show off some of her new moves!
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