White Chili

Since there is no such thing as too much good chili, here's another recipe, totally different from traditional tomato and chili powder versions. This was a big hit last night with our friends too. I like my chili on the thick side...if you like it thinner, just add more broth! We had some homemade gluten free biscuits to go with it (recipe coming soon!).

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, or chicken thighs, cut up into bite size pieces 1 T canola oil 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 garnet yam, chopped into small pieces 1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt

2t cumin 2 cans pinto beans in their sauce 2t vinegar (any light colored one) 1/4 cup flour ( I used rice) 3 T butter or margarine 3 cups chicken broth Garnish: chopped cilantro, lime juice, avocado, green hot sauce

Directions:

1.	In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken, and saute until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan.
2.	Saute the onion, red bell pepper, green pepper and garlic in the same skillet. Return the chicken, along with the ginger, salt, cumin. Mix thoroughly.
3.	In a separate small saucepan or skillet, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a roux. Whisk in the chicken broth and mix all together. Stir this mixture into the sauteed chicken and vegetables. Add in the sweet potato and beans, simmer for 15-20 minutes until sweet potato is tender. Add in vinegar. You may also add in the lime juice and cilantro at this point, or allow everyone to add to their own taste.

Mom's Lasagna - Gluten and dairy free if you like!

Maybe because I grew up eating it...but I have always loved my mom's lasagna the best. We are creatures of habit. But anyone who eats her recipe always enjoys it, so it must be good by itself too! I have also noticed that a lot of people avoid making it, making the wrong assumption that it is time consuming...not at all!! Best of all, you can easily make a double batch, freeze one pan for later or share it with a lucky friend. Of course, I have been CRAVING this, in fact I had a pan in the freezer I had made before Kaden was born waiting for us. Then of course food intolerances galore set in, and the gluten and dairy in it were out. So for those of you still able to, use regular lasagna noodles, and the cheese mix to follow...or try something new...remember....it has to be pretty darn delicious for me to post it here...and I am a foodie!!

Mom's Lasagna: Makes one 11 X 17 pan

1 small box lasagna noodles (there is no real science here, if you like yours really noodly, then add more!! If you get a box with mostly broken noodles, break them all up and layer pieces instead, lasagna is juts a casserole after all!)

Red sauce:

• 1 pound ground meat
• 1 large jar favorite spaghetti sauce (or 24oz crushed tomatoes and a can of paste)
• herbs of choice (I added basil, oregano)
• garlic salt to taste

Cheese Sauce I

• 8oz shredded mozzarella
  
• 8 oz cottage cheese
• 8 oz grated parmesan or pecorino romano

"Cheese" Sauce II

• 8oz mozzarella style Daiya cheese
• 1 cup pine nuts soaked in cold water 2 hours
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T nutritional yeast

Directions:

Boil lasagna noodles following the directions (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice noodles- yum!), rinse with cool water, toss with a bit of oil to keep them from sticking, set aside. Brown the ground meat with some garlic salt. Add in the tomato sauce of your choice, along with the herbs. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning to your personal taste. Choose your cheese sauce and prepare:
Cheese sauce I, just mix all the cheeses together in bowl.
Cheese sauce II, put soaked pine nuts in the food processor and puree with the lemon juice and nutritional yeast, scraping the down the sides as necessary. Let it puree until it is silky smooth (and if you are feeling creative, add some herbs in here too for added pizazz). When smooth, add the Daiya cheese, and pulse a couple times to mix.

Assembling: Put a ladleful of red sauce to coat the bottom of the pan...this is a little trick so the noodles don't stick to the bottom. The layer the noodle, cheese sauce, red sauce, and repeat until ingredients are used up. I like to end with the red sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. Cover and freeze at this point if you are saving for later.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for apx 30 minutes until heated through.

Mexican Eggs

Granted, my husband and I adore Mexican food...the real stuff. But our pantry is almost always stocked with ingredients for this recipe, perfect for breakfast or dinner. It is super delicious, and super easy to make, and lends itself to the creative cook who likes to add little bits of things to be used up or that suit family preferences. You could play around the ingredients a lot here....let me know if you find a winning combo, I am sure I will never make this recipe exactly the same every time myself! Enjoy!

(Inspired by a Sunset Magazine recipe)

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, chopped (Trader Joe's Applewood Smoked bacon)
  
• 1 can (16 oz.) refried beans (I used Trader Joe's Salsa style)
  
• 2 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded any cheese (Daiya for me, sharp cheddar for Mike)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado, chopped
• Warm corn tortillas (or not if you can't do flour or corn like me!)
• Salsa (I love taqueria style made by Herdez, found in Mexican food sections in a can)
  

Preparation

1. Brown bacon in a 12-in. frying pan. Drain on a paper towel, leaving 1 tbsp. bacon fat in pan. Cook beans chiles, and most of the green onions in the pan over medium heat, stirring often, until simmering.

2. Make 4 wells in beans with a spoon and crack an egg into each. Cook, covered, just until eggs set, about 4 minutes. Top with cheese, more green onions, tomato, cilantro, avocado, and reserved bacon. Serve with tortillas and salsa.

Apple Breakfast Cake

So even though I can't do gluten for now...I still I have a mean craving for yummy, wholesome and whole grain baked goods. Lots of people think that going gluten-free is healthy. But the vast majority of popular cookbooks I have delved into have created breads and baked goods from starchy and refined flours...everything is WHITE!! My poor body is used to Dave's Killer Bread people! I need some yummy whole grain goodness! This recipe balances some whole grain flours into it, and the results are DELISH...regardless of your dietary needs (my very picky and non-food adventurous sister-in-law thought this was divine!). I tweaked a recipe from "Gluten Free Girl and the Chef."

Grease 9" pan, preheat oven to 350.

4 medium apples, peeled, cored
2 tablespoons agave or honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
8 tablespoons melted butter or Earth Balance (or canola oil or shortening)
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup teff flour
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup dry milk powder (I used Vance's DariFree)
1 t guar gum
1 cup brown sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a food processor, throw 3 of the apples (the rest is diced and mixed in at the end), honey, and cinnamon in and puree (scrape down sides as necessary). Add remaining wet ingredients and pulse a few times to thoroughly mix. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Mix in the wet. Dice the remaining apple and mix in. Pour into a prepared 9" pan. Bake 30-40 minutes (done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean!)

Easy Chili

Never underestimate the power of ease in the life of a mom. Sometimes it's all we can do to get a meal on the table, and it is certainly nice to have some recipes in your repertoire that you're likely to have all the ingredients on hand to throw together at the last minute. The beauty of chili is that you can clean your fridge of all sorts of things as it is so easy to adapt. A red pepper on it's last limpy leg? Throw it in! No ground beef but a lump of some strange meat starting to collect frost in the recesses of the freezer..perfect! No meat, well that's no big deal either! And don;t want to store any unused onion, throw the whole thing in. Here's an easy recipe I build from, only changing it to use up necessary items!

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 t minced garlic
  
• 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
  
• 1 (8 ounce) jar salsa ( I use Trader Joe's)
  
• 4 tablespoons chili powder (I use fiesta salt-free seasoning from the bulk aisle)
  
• 2 cans pinto beans (or any beans of your choice!)
  

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.

Peanut Butter Quinoa Cookies

When I went gluten free...I made some really nasty things that were destined straight for the garbage can. It was totally frustrating for this experienced cook! When I made these....I was is cookie heaven again...doesn't matter if you have to be gluten free or not, these rock! Even better, they are wholesome to boot (perfect after school snack!) I Got the original recipe from Gluten Free Goddess.


Peanut Butter Quinoa Cookies (vegan, gluten, soy and corn free)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes
1/4 cup millet Flour
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon guar gum

Add in:

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey or agave
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flax meal (optional)
1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water till frothy (or one egg)
2-4 tablespoons any milk (start with less, add one spoon at a time)

Beat or stir the dough until all the ingredients are incorporated and you have a smooth, sturdy cookie dough that sticks together when you grab a piece and form a ball. It should not be wet or sticky. Add just enough rice milk until this occurs- start with one tablespoon at a time and add more slowly, as you need it to make the dough malleable. Form the dough into 18 balls and place the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheet. Press down slightly to flatten just a bit- not too thin. Mine looked like domes.

Place the baking sheet into the center of a pre-heated oven and bake until firm and golden- about 18-20 minutes. They will appear slightly soft to a light touch, but firm in the center; they firm up more as they cool.

Roasted Chicken w/ Scallion Oil

This is a meal my family could eat every single week...and for those of you that know me...that really says something! It is easy to prepare and cook and SO delicious in it's simplicity. Don't forgo the scallion oil, it is really delicious! Serve over rice or any grain of your choice and steamed broccoli. The chicken marinades for a day, so plan ahead. Another adaptation from Andrea Nguyen.


Marinade:
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons Maggi seasoning sauce OR soy sauce OR coconut aminos to make it soy free
2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

4 pounds chicken (drumsticks, thighs), skins removed.

1. To make the marinade, in a bowl large enough to accommodate the chicken, combine the garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and oil and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and use your fingers to massage the marinade into the flesh, distributing the seasonings as evenly as possible. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours for the best flavor.

2. Thirty minutes before roasting, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and put the chicken on the sheet. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

3. Put the chicken in the oven. Roast until nicely browned and the juices run clear when a piece is poked in the meatiest part with a toothpick. The roasting time depends on the size of the pieces, but in general it will take 40 to 60 minutes total . Serve the chicken hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Scallion Oil

1/2 cup canola

6-10 sliced green onions (white and green parts)

Heat the oil to hot, add in green onions, swirl for about 30 seconds and remove from heat. Cool. Ready to serve.

Tex-Mex Pasta

Mexican food is a favorite in our household, by and large. Imagine my disappointment to learn that corn was no longer an option.....no more corn tortillas....and flour tortillas have gluten! And of course Teff tortillas are OK..but have corn in them too. Of course Mexican food does not have to have tortillas, but I will certainly miss them until I can add in them back in again. Here is a yummy dinner that comes together quickly and appealed to the kiddos too! It is still very Mexican, even without the tortillas! The inspiration recipe (which I have greatly Tessafied) came from Cooking Light via my lovely sister Kirsten!

Tex-Mex Pasta (dairy, soy, corn, gluten free)

• 12 oz Trader Joe's Brown Rice Rotini Noodles
  
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground meat
• 2T chili powder (to taste)
  
• 2t cumin
• salt and pepper
  
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup grated daiya cheese, or sharp cheddar, or more to taste
• Optional add in's: salsa, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos
  

Vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and sugar
• 2 t chipotle puree (to taste)
• 2T oil
• 1T vinegar (you choice of cider, plain, or rice)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Make vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients together, set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add meat and spices; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Add in tomatoes, green onions, and beans, cook to heat through.

Combine pasta, meat mixture, cheese. Toss in vinaigrette to taste. Serve warm or cold, your choice! Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Thai Chicken Stir-Fried w/ Lemongrass

A very simple, quick cooking dinner to get on the table with YUMMY results! A definite keeper in our household. Serve with a rice or grain of choice! I adpated this from Andrea Nguyen's book, "Into the Vietnamese Kitchen"

• 1 1/3 pounds well-trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons thai curry paste of choice (red or green)
  
• 2 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 or 2 Thai or Serrano chilies, finely chopped (I used jalapenos)
  
• 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¾ inch squares
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 or 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken, salt, sugar, curry paste, and fish sauce and turn several times to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and for up to 1 hour, (I put it together at naptime!)
   
2. In a wok or large skillet heat the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shallot, chile, and lemongrass and stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
   
3. Add the chicken mixture and the bell pepper, quickly move them around to coat them with the aromatics, and then let the chicken cook, undisturbed, for about 1 minute, or until nicely seared. Using a spatula, flip the chicken pieces over and cook, undisturbed, for about 1 minute, or until nicely seared on the second side.
4. Add the coconut milk, lower heat to a simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. As the coconut milk reduces, it will simmer vigorously. The chicken is done when the coconut milk is barely visible; it may have even begun to render some of its oil.
5. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

My Favorite Salad

I have been addicted to this salad for sometime. My only hang up was how expensive those darn delicious candied pecans were at Trader Joe's....normally my most reliable source for affordable nuts! So...I hunted for a good recipe to make my own...and these are fabulous! If you can't do eggs, I have done this same recipe with no eggs and maple syrup instead of the sugar. It works well too, just not quite as much coating sticks to the nut, but still delicious!

Baby Lettuce with Papaya Poppy Seed Dressing, Candied Pecans, and Cranberries

Lettuce (Pre-washed and ready to go!)
Annie's Papaya Poppy Seed Dressing to taste
Dried Cranberries to taste
Candied Pecans

To make pecans:

1 pound pecan pieces (usually cheaper than whole pecans, and you break them up anyways!)
1 egg white, whipped (I used the egg white from a carton of the cage-free ones at Trader Joes)
1/2 cup sugar
2 T brown sugar or maple syrup
1/2 t salt (optional)
1/2 t vanilla (optional)

Mix the egg white and sugars, salt, and vanilla. Toss in nuts to evenly coat. Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment. Bake for apx 30 minutes in a 300 oven! Cool and break into a ziploc bag to have at your fingers for all sorts of things!

Yummy Shepards Pie - Tessafied

Anyone who knows me knows I love to tweak recipes almost from the get go. I tweak things for lots of reasons: dietary retrictions, nutrition, and most importantly - taste! Here is a perfect example of this tendency. It was a recipe I adapted from GlutenFreeGoddess. I was unsure how it would go over with the ever picky family troop (I only added the white potatoes b/c my husband and oldest are averse to sweet potatoes), but it was delicious! Enjoy! This recipe is gluten, dairy, soy, and corn free.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the topping:
2 medium sweet potatoes (I like Garnet or Jewell varieties), peeled and diced
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1-2 T Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1/2 cup Daiya Cheese, or grated sharp cheddar if you can have it
1 or 2 yellow or russet potatoes, peeled and diced

For the filling:
1 pounds ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T rice flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup beef broth (I used Better than Boullion from Costco)
2 T ketchup
1 can cut green beans
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Place the sweet potatoes in a pot of fresh salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until under fork tender and mashable. Remove and do the same with the others. Meanwhile...Saute the ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large hot skillet till lightly browned; pour off the fat; return the skillet to the stove. Stir in rice flour. Stir in the ketchup, broth and herbs, vinegar, Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer to thicken.

Drain the cooked sweet potatoes and mash them lightly. Mix in cheese and Earth balance spread (I did this all in my food processor) Season with sea salt, ground pepper. Add a couple of tablespoons of any milk if necessary to achieve desired texture. Mash the other potatoes with a little buttery spread and milk ( by hand or they will get gummy)

Layer the beef and veggie mixture in a casserole or baking dish. Top with the mashed sweet potatoes, then the white. Bake in the center of a preheated oven until bubbling and hot- about 25 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Getting ready for Kindergarten

It's hard to believe that Eva could be starting Kinder in less than 2 weeks....scary!! It was quite cute, as I sent Eva out to get the mail yesterday, and low a behold....there was a surprise package for her! When she read the name on it, she was squealing with delight, "Ooh, it's for me! It's for me! What could the mailman have brought me?!" Thank you Grandma Susan and crew for making her day with the Kinder Care package. I didn't get the original (which is always the best), but the star glasses inspired her "Musical Star" song (but she is very into putting talent shows for us lately), and she took sharing and discovering all the surprises with her sister in stride...her usual. (Check out the hot do on Kira!)
We're ready whenever Baby Kaden decides it's time to come out...hard to believe we're there! Eva is thrilled about having another sibling, and Kira doesn't quite get it...but ready or not, round 3 is starting! I am sure I will start blogging again more consistently with a new addition...but who knows! (I threw a couple or airshow pictures in for good measure!)

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change? - Petition Signatories

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change? - Petition Signatories

Busy Bee's

I am happyto report that the girls have been doing SO much better together....mommy is regaining some of her sanity! My little Kira who has always been a breeze when it comes to sleep has been putting up a little resistant on occasion. "No, not yet!" is a common phrase we're hearing from her, and a couple of odd napping days too. WHo knows?! They're always changing at this age. SHe is quite ecstatic about her new Elmo shirt, and wore it to bed last night and has had it on all day today too. Pretty soon, she is not going to fall for the, "Oh, it's dirty honey" trick. I knew I couldn't get away with two girls who had no opinion on their daily attire! She reallyloves going to preschool a couple of days a week when I go to the gym, and is very affectionate with the other kids. Family movie night was a big hit too...thanks Papa Jefe and G-ma Susan! Meeting Santa oat the Pearson Air Museum was very exciting too, and both girls loved him! No shyness to speak of! Flying a helicopter got high points too. Our fingers are crossed as we head out to Seattle for the Santa Train tomorrow...no getting sick...please!!!!

Thanskgiving

Mom, and the Moreno's braved the I5 traffic to spend Thanksgiving with us this year, a real treat! The girls had a lot of fun together and loved putting up the Christmas decor. Poor Eva had a 24 hour flu thing...par for the course, but she still managed to muster some spark to help decorate the tree...until she felt nauseous again. I fear she has gotten my weak stomach...the lady who gets food poisoning at least once a year! Eva has really come into her own, and is much more even-keel that she used to be. She uses her imagination really well and goes with the flow much more now. Just as her sister moves into the two's......................

Halloween

OK, a bit tardy (December, instead of Octber) but I am doing it! Halloween was very exciting with the girls. Eva picked out her very own costume from the hundreds at the store. It was narrowed down to a princess, Darth Vader, and a witch. A girls after her daddy's heart! Kira got to wear Eva's old costume! Trick-or-Treating was pretty fun, although Eva got a belly ache almost right away (who knows what it is with er and getting sick on holidays...remember last Xmas, and this Thanksgiving too!) so she stayed in the stroller, and her sister wold bring her candy. Kira thought it was the greatest thing ever, the candy addict. She gets sweets plenty, but she is one of those who is angry and mean about it if she doesn't get it. I guess she'll eventually learn all her her drama will get her nowhere with us. Mike, Toby, and I all dressed up to...all for the immense pleasure of the girls!

Sibling Craziness

I know I am certainly not alone. Sibling strife has been around as long as we have! I remember distinctly some very aggressive altercations between me and my sister (Kirst). And we love each other today very much. That being said, my kiddos have been less than pleasant to deal with for Mike and me lately@! They have this weird dichotomy of adoring each other and insisting on being next to each other at almost all times, but it has been truing to conflict almost instantly. Since Kira's birthday, we have been trying to survive this mayhem, but finally I reached my threshold. I was angry at them all the time, they were sad and mad most of the time....this did NOT feel good, and our ideas were not helping the situation any. So what does any self-respecting teacher do? Research!! I got a hold of a whole battery of highly rated books at the library. I found a particular gem, "Love and Logic from Birth to 6 Years". Short, to the point, lots of real world stories from the parenthood trenches. And I suppose the most telling bonus, the ideas resounded with me. Week one of tweaking? Well, my house feels a WHOLE lot different! My cute little sisters actually PLAYING together with no conflict for large chunks of time?! I keep holding my breath..but it seems to be working! As Cesar Milan of Dog Whisperer likes to point out, it's usually the owners that are the issue, not the dog. Now this may not be 100% true, we have definite genes and personality at work here in our spawn, but it is interesting to think about! We all are trying the best we can, and when you're trying to feed the dog,make dinner, clean up, change diapers, and discipline all in a few moments time....well, I certainly have a breaking point. It's important to take those few deep breaths, re-center, and deal with your kids calmly and not with anger (repeat, repeat, repeat....in my head all the time of late!). And some cute pics, just cause you got to post pictures too!

Happy Birthday Kira Sorrel!

Kira's 2, and I am still trying to grapple with that! We had a mellow day celebrating by doing simple things she enjoys, likes a trip to the park, then an evening restaurant visit for rice and chicken and tortillas, and finally an outdoor neighborhood cake celebration. She loved opening her gifts, definitely old enough to be into it now. Of course Eva was trying to open all the gifts for her ("I just trying to help her!") Yes Eva, we know Eva, but back off anyways! And Eva was also easily as excited about the new gifts as Kira too, I am sure it will be like that for a while. Kira seemed very into the Birthday song, and was singing it as we walked back inside to go to bed, she strings little sentences (3 or 4 words) together now, quite cute!

Crazy Sisters

Yes, Kira and Eva have really been driving me crazy lately. Here, they are just sweet little peas having fun at Ace's 2nd b-day at the Pumpkin Patch. Fast forward to time at home together...well it is a different story. They do everything physical to each other. Last night, Kira found a pair of child's scissors somewhere (I know, how did she get those?! Who knows...she can climb up onto ANYTHING these days, including the kitchen counters to access the upper cupboards--oh yeah, you read it right.)They can't stand to be away from each other, but quickly get frustrated with one another, and do something physical to express that....hit,pinch, kick,pull, spit...you get the picture. I wonder in my head, "My lord...where have I gone so miserably wrong in rearing my children that they do these things?!" I think I need a book on siblings, I am feeling quite inept as a mommy right now. On a positive note, Eva did quite well after a several month break from swim lessons yesterday..picked up right where she left off! And when I finally figure out why my camera cord is not registering my camera's presence, I wil upload some new videos of the girsl too....

Kiddo Roundup

At the end of another day with both the kiddos home..I relish the quiet around me. No one screaming their sister, no crying, no naughtiness, just peace and quiet. I feel like my life sometimes reads like an Erma Bombeck story, but really, which of us in the parent trenches can't claim the same thing? Eva got to harvest several of her garden wares today..she found stray carrot at the community garden plot (which she promptly gobbled down) and them we dug up our sparse school-project potato plant. It never really grew, but lived, so the 4 fingerlings dug out will be all hers! She thought it was very cool to dig them up, and wanted to replant them all right away...we'll try that again next year! She is my avid little gardener, totally in love with watching her plants grow and produce food!
Kira has been especially into fine motor things lately (puzzles, tinker toys, etc) and has become quite adept at her peg puzzles. She can still be pretty shy, but little snippets of coming out of her shell peak out now and then. She is putting basic sentences together now, and loves to climb and jump. Her new catch phrase is "Silly!", which was once an Eva one too! "What's Sat?" is another phrase used alot with books and out and about. She is getting big so fast.