Tilslørte bondepiker (otherwise known as Veiled Farmers Daughter dessert)

This might be the easiest dessert you've ever made. So fast and quick, and most likely you have all these things in your kitchen already. It's Norwegian, and the translation is Veiled Farmer's Daughter - don't ask me why. That's just what they call it (and by they I mean Norwegians).

It's so easy, I don't even have measurements.

All you need is:

• Bread crumbs mixed with a bit of sugar and cinnamon (to your liking)
• Applesauce (we prefer the chunky style from TJs, but anything will work)
• Whipped cream (I hate CoolWhip, but if you must - I suppose that would work)

That's it.

Now toast your breadcrumb mixture until golden brown. Watch carefully as they go fast from 'almost done' to 'throw it in the garbage and start over' very quickly!! Now, get the fanciest glass bowl you have - a trifle bowl or individual glasses and begin to layer. I start with a bit of breadcrumbs and then applesauce, followed by whipped cream. Keep layering until your at the top of the bowl, or your ingredients are gone. I usually end with cream and crumbs.

Easy. And really very good.

Funny story. We had this the other night and it was met with shear delight on the kids part. They love this dessert. So much in fact, that today on the way home from school Christian asked me, "Could I have a Farmers Daughter today?" The quick witted person I am replied "Maybe you can someday if your lucky like your father was!!" haha

Photography class

I've started taking a photography class to learn our new digital SLR camera and all it's functionalites a bit better. Wow, is there alot of stuff to keep track of - ISO, Apeture, White Balance, Histograms, yadda, yadda, yadda. At our first class a few weeks ago our assignment was to take a variety of pictures - not using the automatic setup, but to really challenge ourselves and learn manual settings. We had to bring in 20-30 proofs of our photos and discuss them as a class. The instructor then helped identify which were the top 3 photos of our collection. And these were my winners:

To be honest, I think it helps to have some adorable subjects to capture... probably more than any of my skills that I'm aquiring!

For next class, we have to bring these top prints enlarged to 8x10s. I'm excited about hanging the crayon one in the kids' space.

Look out Annie Lebowitz... here I come National Geographic -- there's a new photographer coming to town!! :-) haha

Banana Chocolate-Chip Muffins

We always seem to have a few bananas lying around a bit too long.  And I've made so much banana bread that I think we've all gotten about sick of it.  So the other day I went online to find a new use for those over ripe ones.    This recipe makes really good muffins.

 

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with foil muffin liners. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Mix mashed bananas, egg, melted butter and milk in medium bowl. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out with some melted chocolate attached but no crumbs, about 32 minutes. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

Campbelle the Graduate!

Many of my readers know about our regional grocery store out here called Fred Meyers and their greatest little service called "Freddy's Playland."  You see its a place where kids, between the ages of 2 and 5, can go for one hour while their parents do their grocery shopping.  There are a couple really great things about this:  1) it's free  2) the store is huge, along the lines of a Super Target with all your shopping needs  3) it has a Starbucks inside  4) my kids love going there.  I don't always have 1 hours worth of shopping to do, but many times I have a need for a 1 hour break of all parenting obligations.  So when the need arises, we head to Freddy's. 

Last week I needed one of those breaks, and I was really in need of a grande vanilla latte to be drunk with peace and quite around me - so we went to Freddy's.  I was getting the kids signed in and they were bursting with excitement to get inside.  Nemo was playing on the TV and Christian loves Nemo, and there were 2 other little girls playing dolls in the house and guess who loves that??  As they were about to enter the children's door and I was about to escape for my cup of joe, the day care lady says "Oh, I'm sorry, I think your daughter is too tall."  What?!?  Too tall.  Too tall for what?  for the Doll house, or to color a picture or to sit and watch a movie?  What do you mean too tall?

I knew that there was a rule about being 5 and not being in kindergarten.  I knew that I had only a precious few months before the luxury that is Freddy's would no longer be available to me... but I was planning on milking to for a while yet.

But too tall?  What does that mean?  I explain to the lady that she really may look older than she is, but she is indeed only 4 and still in preschool.  She proceeds to show me clearly the rule written in the waiver form that 1. The child must be a preschooler, aged 5 and under, and 2. must be able to walk into the playland free and clear through the child entrance gate.  WHAT?!?  So she has to duck a little to walk in.  She's still just 4!!  I think that's discrimination of some kind, don't you?

Anyway, not wanting to make a huge stink to this little old day care lady, I say "No problem" (this rule sucks) "She's a good shopper anyway" (I'm writing a letter to the chairman of Fred Meyer)  "It was fun while it lasted" (I'm calling the ACLU when I get home).  However, Christian begins to throw a fit because he will not (and I know never will) enter that place without Campbelle ,and Campbelle begins to cry, apologizing to Christian for the fact that she's too tall to go in with him.  PLEASE!!  TOO TALL?!?!  So the day care lady says, "OK, how about one more time and then she'll have to graduate from Freddy's"  Both kids eyes light up as she opens the door for them.

"Don't hit your head on the way through Campbelle"  I laughingly joke.  But that was not returned with any type of smile or chuckle from anyone. 

I spent my last hour of easy, carefree shopping roaming the aisles of Fred Meyers - relishing what is sure to be the last of its kind for some days.

When I go to pick up the kids after my time is up, there is a certificate of graduation with Campbelle's name on it.  Just in case she wants to hang it in her bedroom.  She is sad leaving for the last time.  I am sad as well.  So long Freddy's.  It sure made grocery shopping more enjoyable.

Side note:  I could spend a whole other post on the fact that I can't stand all those silly little 'Graduations.'  Like Kindergarten graduation or 8th grade graduation.  Please.... let's hold our children to a little higher standard of education than to reward them for such mediocrity!  And a Freddy's Playland Graduate!!  Good gracious!

Side side note:  I never did write a letter to Fred Meyers Corporation or to the ACLU.  I think this blog entry will suffice my need to vent.  Thanks.

We rocked the house!

On Saturday, we had a bunch of friends over for pizza and fun.  The kids (9 total) had a blast playing with every toy in the house.  The adults, too, had a blast - playing Rock Band.

And we were good!

Notice their little groupies!!

Even the girls had a turn.

We had such a great time!  Who knew a bunch of middle aged people could really jam!

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams

Have I told you about my strange little son and his bizarre eating likes?? This morning he woke up and told me he dreamed about caviar and that's what he'd like for breakfast.  That's usually his dream about 70% of the time... he dreams of eating caviar.  Kinda like Pooh dreaming about honey - Christian dreams of caviar.  He would choose caviar over candy any day.  His supplier is his Farfar (it's imported from Norway, not Russia)- who also shares this special liking - and as you can see, we are fully stocked for a while. 

Leek and Asparagus Frittata

Ok, for those of you who really know me, know I  like to cook.  So in order to keep my blog from being a totally 'Mommy Blog' I've made a resolution to start more posts about other things that interest me.... one being Cooking.

So here is my first of many weekly installments of a new "What's Cooking" post.

2 tbl butter

1 cup chopped leek (white and green parts)

1 12 oz bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut on diagonal into 1 inch pieces - about 2 1/2 cups

1 cup sliced stemmed shittake mushrooms

8 large eggs

1 cup diced Fontina cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler.  Melt butter in heavy broilerproof 10 inch skillet over medium heat.  Add leeks and saute 4 minutes.  Add asparagus and shiitake mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and saute until tender - 6 minutes.  Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup Fontina, salt and pepper in medium bowl.  Add egg mixture to skilled; fold gently to combine.  Cook until almost set.  Sprinkle remaining fontina the parmesan cheese over.  Broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes.  Serve.

Both Leif and I really like this frittata.  The melted fontina cheese is so so good.  The kids ate it as well, although the bribe of left over birthday cake for dessert I think helped them power through all the 'green stuff.'  

SNOW DAY!

The kids were so excited when they woke up this morning to find the snow still on the ground.  It started snowing last night and I told them that if there was no school and if the snow was still there that we'd go out sledding.  And that's just what happened.  The park right down the street from us has the best little sledding hill.  The kids had a blast.

And I got to walk around and explore our new camera from August.  I've enrolled in a photography class where the assignment is to take our camera's off auto and take all photos in manual mode.  Believe me, that's not as easy as it looks.  But after a few more classes, hopefully I'll get a little better.

Say it Ain't So!!

Yep, yesterday was my 35th birthday... and I celebrated like a rock star. Thanks to Leif's brother Tor, I got the Rock Band Xbox game. I spent the better part of my birthday singing my heart out, while Leif and the kids made up the rest of the band. I hate to brag or anything, but for my age - I sing a pretty damn good rendition of Weezer's "Say it Ain't So"!! Thanks Tor

Kit has arrived!!

Well finally, after about 3 months of saving and earning money (and a little help from grandparents) - Campbelle has earned enough money to buy her beloved Kit doll and today it arrived in the mail. Yahoo!! She was just a little bit excited, can't you tell?

Super Dad

Yes, you are seeing correctly.  Leif is sewing!!

Yesterday, as I was napping and recovering from a cold, he got a great idea to make the kids a 'stage' to put on puppet shows.

And there's been show after show after show ever since!  I do believe I'll nominate him for some Super Dad award!!

When you get little snow out here in the Seattle area, you just have to make due with what you get and be grateful. I think the kids scrape the backyard clear of all snow to make this little guy yesterday morning.