Conversation #4

I’m seeing a trend in his conversations….. when he gets thrown off by a question, or doesn’t know the answer … he just ‘talks around’ it.    Maybe he does have a future in politics.

Fargo Flooding

We’ve been watching the latest news coverage of our former home in Fargo ND with such heavy hearts.  Massive flooding is underway and the Red River is expected to break all time levels.  We are thinking of all our friends and coworkers and hoping and praying for everyone’s safety. 

I’m not able to properly embed this video for some reason… but follow the link to see the devastation, as well as an amazing community of people banding together to save each others homes.

The midwest spirit of compassion and camaraderie is amazing.  And despite this natural disaster  – one can’t help but be in awe at the goodness of people.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29868108/displaymode/1247/

The Norway letter has arrived

I know you’ve all been counting the days it takes for a letter to arrive in Norway as anxiously and as diligently as we have been counting in this house.  Well finally the suspense and the waiting is over.  It has taken 10 days for the letter to arrive.

Here is Farmor going to check the post.

What does she see?  A letter from the USA.

Ahh… with all those stickers, it must be from Christian.

They read it.

 

The letter:

Thanks for taking all these fun photos August.  The kids loved it!

Pals

(and usually he wears a bib to catch all that drool down the front of his shirt)

new toy

“Um, do you think I should be standing here all by myself already?!?  I don’t totally feel comfortable yet.”

A little blast from the Past … courtesy of PBS (and YOUTUBE)

Came across some of these videos the other day and I had such a fun thinking back to the days of watching them on good old SD Prairie Public Television.  Do you remember any of them? 

 

 

 

Conversation #3

Christian recently took a trip to the Post Office with his preschool class.  When asked what his favorite part of the field trip was…. he replied it was the snack.  Go figure.

 

Christian wrote (dictated) a letter to Farmor and Farfar with explicit instructions to call him when they receive the letter in Norway.  He’s having a countdown.  The letter he mailed to himself arrived in 1 day. 

His two best buddies, Maddi and Trevor, have what was apparently the best snack in the world!

His entire preschool class

New Shoes

Isn’t there a phrase the goes something like … you can make a hippie go to sleep, but you can’t make him take off his Birkenstocks.

 

Christian got his new summer sandals today.  And he loves them.  I mean loves them.  And there is somewhere in my own Grateful Dead loving, Birkenstock wearing, tree hugging self of mine that is so very proud of him.  (Especially seeing him sport them with wool socks.)

 

Makes me want to sing ‘Peace Train’ , you too? 

Conversation #2

Michael Phelps is the topic of conversation today… and apparently Christian hasn’t been dissuaded by his unfortunate incident (nor am I for that matter).

Friday… I’m in Love #8

We did a redecoration of Campbelle’s room this past week.  It involved  moving her furniture around (remember how exciting that was when you were a kid to move furniture in your room… felt new and exciting) and also made our own art to display.  Total cost of the room makeover:  $2.19 (2 packages of tissue paper…. cost of a very happy and excited little girl= priceless!

See Martha’s instructions for making your own pom pom flowers here:

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/pom-poms-and-luminarias

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And this next item I’m about to post will have a few of you think I’m crazy – especially my sister Tammy.  But after attending a Town Hall meeting last night in Snoqualmie about living more Green – I’ve decided to start my own worm bin for composting purposes.  Yep.  Real. Live. Worms.  They eat your food garbage and junk mail and then poop out good, organic soil matter for my garden.  I’ve done quite a bit of thinking and some research into the matter and we are going to buy the bin this weekend.  (There’s a stay at home mom in West Seattle that has a new worm bin business that we are going to visit).  This is what I’m looking to buy……

We already compost what we can, but we have the city haul it away for us.  This way, with minimal effort (with the exception of the 1 pound of worms) we can use the organic compost ourselves.  Plus, I think the kids will really enjoy studying the process and watching it all happen.

Here are some links if you are interested in your own worm bin:

http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com/

http://www.css.cornell.edu/compost/worms/basics.html

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Ok, back to something a bit more lovely. 

Nikki McClure is a local artist from Olympia Wa and I’ve come to really love her work.  She works with cut paper (using simple X-acto knife) to create really bold, beautiful art.   Seasons are one of her main areas of inspiration – lovely as we enter into Spring (well, technical anyway).

 

http://www.nikkimcclure.com/

http://www.buyolympia.com/q/Artist=Nikki+McClure

First Liverpaste Lunch

Every good Norwegian loves liverpaste.  Norwegians think of liverpaste sandwiches as we think of peanut butter and jelly.  A staple of youth.  And yesterday, Beckett experienced his ‘maiden’ lunch.

And contrary to the photo, he did actually enjoy it.

Conversations with Christian

Those of you who have/had a 4 year old know how smart they are.   4 really is such a fun age – seems to be the time when all their thoughts and ideas about the greater world around them can finally be articulated fairly well.   Christian is no different.  I can not tell you how many times during the day that I have to interrupt his many thoughts just to kiss him for being so sweet, funny, curious, smart, goofy, profound, ridiculous, and amazing.  I had the idea to capture some of his thoughts on video to save for future musings (or blackmail) – and then decided to share it with all of you.  He has agreed to appear on my blog every Monday for a brief conversation about whatever strikes his fancy.  Here’s his first installment.  Christian: uncut, uncensored, unprompted and a bit unprepared.  And apparently, thinking pretty highly of our dear president.

Happy Monday!

Blogging

I just realized that I started this blog almost 4 years ago…. and exactly when Christian is the age that Beckett is now. 

Christian’s first picture on my blog back in July 2004 – 7 months old.

Christian and Beckett – 7 months old. 

Guess the messy hair look of his has stood the test of time! :-)

Friday….. I’m in Love #7

Sorry, but this is going to have to be short and sweet.  It’s just been one of those days – naps too short, bus too soon, too many projects afloat.

But I wanted to share this catchy little song and video that the kids and I have been loving all week. 

I found it over at one of my favorite blogs SouleMama.  And just as she predicted, it sent us for our paint brushes.

Have a great weekend.

7 months old!

Beckett’s 7 months old and wow have there been changes this month.   All of a sudden he seems to be getting ready to ‘go’.  He’s sitting pretty well; two teeth – and perhaps two more to break through any day now; eating finger foods; rolls, pushes, pulls his body where he wants to go; and in a constant state of curiousness.  He’s quick to smile and quick to melt our hearts.  Try as I might to slow these days down – he’s getting to be a big boy so quickly.

And next month he’ll be working on growing hair – so he says.

Beckett loves his Jumperoo

A lesson in Germs

Preface… I’m knocking on wood the entire time I’m typing this entry one handed.

We’ve had a relatively healthy winter so far in our house.  I think we’d had a few sniffles here and there – but nothing that the kids have even missed school.  I’d like to think it has something to do with how good the kids are washing their hands, and sanitizing regularly, coughing into their elbow, etc… but ha ha - I know better.  I wish my kids had half of the revolting sense towards germs and icky things that their cousin Will has – but unfortunately they don’t – don’t get it – don’t care.

In my quest to make it through this winter virtually unscathed – enter my lesson in germs.

Here’s how you do it.  Sprinkle tons of some type of spice onto their hands.  I was going to originally use turmeric – since I seem to have a lifetime supply of that spice that not even an Indian family of 5 would use up – but thought better of it because it may have caused their hands to be orange tinted for a spell.  So I went with ‘cinnamon germ’ instead.

And then had them wash their hands with warm, soapy water while singing Happy Birthday until all the cinnamon (germs) was washed off.  They had to sing it about two times before all was washed away. 

The same amount of time it would take to scrub away real germs.  We may notice a slight increase in our water bill – but hopefully it will keep these guys away:

The “Ear-raker” as Christian calls it – actually frightens the kids a bit – as they think that’s the actual thing that gets inside your ear and ‘rakes’ around in there.  Ouch!

Dinner with friends

Saturday night we had some friends of ours over for dinner.  We knew that they had adventurous palates and really like lamb (come on, their Irish and Scottish – I think its mandatory to like lamb) – so we had a Moroccan themed dinner party.  The menu consisted of goat cheese with pistachios and honey appetizer (there is seriously nothing better than warm goat cheese); followed by Lamb meatballs, Saffron couscous and a warm chickpea, red pepper salad.  It was very exotic and very good.  I’m not a huge fan of lamb, but these meatballs were good, and super easy. I did have some troubles finding the two Moroccan spices the recipes called for – so I wikipedia’ed them and made me own concoction.

A great night with good food and great friends.  (and no need to mention dessert – because I cheated and let Costco do the work with their yummy Berry Blossoms).

Goat Cheese with Honey and Pistachios

• 11  to 12 oz. fresh chèvre (goat cheese), at room temperature
• 2  tablespoons  half-and-half
• 3  tablespoons  honey
• 1/3  cup  coarsely chopped salted roasted pistachios
• Sesame crackers or flatbread (Trader Joes has tasty sesame crackers and yummy Flax and Honey flatbread)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, whisk goat cheese and half-and-half until smooth. Spoon into a small, shallow gratin dish, spreading level. Bake until cheese is hot in center and beginning to firm up at edges, about 15 minutes.

2. Drizzle cheese with honey and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve with crackers.

Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Dipping sauce

• 1 1/2  cups  (14 oz.) low-fat Greek yogurt
• Finely shredded zest of 1 lemon
• 1  tablespoon  finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  finely grated or minced garlic

Meatballs

• 2  tablespoons  finely grated or minced fresh ginger
• 1  tablespoon  finely grated or minced garlic
• 1  tablespoon  ras el hanout*
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2  pounds  ground lamb
• 1/2  pound  ground beef chuck
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil or canola oil
• Mint sprigs

1. Make sauce: In a small bowl, stir yogurt with lemon zest, mint, olive oil, salt, and garlic. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Make meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ginger, garlic, ras el hanout, salt, and pepper. Add lamb and beef and gently mix just until seasonings are distributed.

3. In your palms, gently roll meat to form 1 1/2-in. balls; set on a rimmed baking pan.

4. Preheat oven to 200°, line another rimmed baking pan with paper towels, and put it and a heatproof serving bowl in the oven to keep warm. Heat a 12-in. frying pan over medium heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Brown meatballs in 2 batches on all sides, turning as needed, 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer meatballs to the paper towel–lined pan.

5. Transfer meatballs to the warm serving bowl, garnish with mint sprigs, and serve with yogurt sauce.

*Buy at well-stocked supermarkets – which apparetly aren’t any of the ones in Snoqualmie or Issaquah. :-)

Make ahead: Shape, wrap, and chill meatballs up to 1 day (their texture will be a little softer than if just made).

 

Warm Chickpea and Red Pepper Salad

Vinaigrette

• 1  tablespoon  sherry vinegar
• 1/2  tablespoon  Dijon mustard
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  to 4 tsp. harissa*
• 3  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

• 1  medium red bell pepper
• 1  medium yellow bell pepper
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
• 1  can (15 oz). chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
• About 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• About 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1  bag (6 oz.) baby spinach
• 12  large fresh mint leaves, stacked and cut crosswise into thin ribbons
• 1/3  cup  minced red onion, rinsed and drained

1. Make vinaigrette: Whisk vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and 2 tsp. harissa in a bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Taste; add more harissa if you'd like a hotter dressing. Set aside.

2. Salad: heat olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add eggplant and peppers - cook, stirring often, until softened and eggplant beginning to color, about 12 minutes. Add chickpeas, 2 tbsp. water, and 3/4 tsp. each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, to blend flavors, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until vegetables are warm but not hot.

4. In a large bowl, toss spinach, mint, and red onion with half the vinaigrette. Add chickpea mixture, drizzle with additional dressing, and toss again to coat. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Saffron Couscous

• 1  tablespoon  plus 1/2 tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  teaspoon  saffron threads
• About 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2  cups  couscous
• 1/3  cup  shredded carrot
• 1/4  cup  toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, bring broth, 1 tbsp. butter, the saffron, and 1/4 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover tightly, and let stand 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt remaining 1/2 tbsp. butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in a few places, being careful not to burn carrot, 4 to 6 minutes.

3. Stir carrot and almonds into couscous, fluffing with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

(All recipes and photos compliments of Sunset magazine. But I swear, mine looked nearly the same!  :-)