Grab your spoon...

When I went out tonight to water my seriously parched potted plants, I decided to give my sun-fried Japanese Maple a long, deep drink.  I stood on the warm walkway feeling the heat vapors rising against my feet and legs, and looked up into the clear night sky.  A blessedly cool breeze stirred up the heady aromas of nasturtiums and lemon-mint that had baked all day in the fierce sun.  Way up there in space, framed by dozens of stars that I haven't taken the time to notice in months, a tiny light traced an invisible path in the sky. 

The water gurgled, and from outside, the house seemed quiet.

We have survived five whole days of summer vacation.  So far that includes several movies, twice at the pool, a watermelon, a pineapple, and even a daddy-daughter camp out.  The rhythm of my days has changed and I am having to find new ways to beat this old drum. 

There is time to just beeeeeeeee.

It feels so good not to have to worry about bed times and homework. 

No, not good... FABULOUS! 

In fact, I saw someone tonight that I haven't seen in ages... Fun Mom.

Fun Mom is usually locked in a cluttered closet, bound with dirty laundry and gagged with a slimy kitchen sponge.  We can't risk having her on the loose, telling knock-knock jokes and letting kids think that she is in charge.  Why, if they were to think that, next they would be expecting to stay up all night, eat cookies for dinner, and stop brushing their teeth entirely.

Too late.

Fun Mom took the last of the yummy chocolate pudding, passed out spoons, and sat on the kitchen floor with the girls and ate right out of the bowl.

Don't tell the boys!

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The floating heads

Father's Day Dinner

I made a yummy dinner for Guy on Father's Day.  And since I am not a stingy cook, I will happily share some of the tricks that made this meal turn out so well.  First off, I actually read and followed some directions since winging it with meat can turn it to rubber.  I wanted to put the tender back in to my pork tenderloin.  I was a little scared, but I tried this and it was amazing:

Pre-heat the oven to 550.  Roast the tenderloin in a roasting pan with no lid for EXACTLY 5 1/2 minutes per pound (freaky, huh?  But I promise that it was salmonella-free and thoroughly cooked because you...) turn off the oven and leave the door shut for one hour. 

Then I topped it with a glaze (my own little recipe):

1 mango

2-3 tbsp sugar

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp potato starch (or corn starch)

Puree all ingredients together and then simmer on stove for a few minutes until thickened. 

Add the leaves of 3 stalks of fresh thyme.  Drizzle over meat and serve.  For a great marinade, stir in some Mango Chipotle Chutney from World Market and go nuts.

Oh, and here are my Yum Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes:

1 boiled potato per person, plus 2, skins on

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp fresh minced garlic

a drizzle of milk

(have your cardiologist on stand-by)

Combine ingredients and mash by hand with a potato masher, leaving it slightly lumpy. 

Serve with a smile.

Look! a picture of Ethan without a hand in the way.

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And earlier this week...

Road Rash... this is what happens when a 10% graded road and

a 14 year old boy on a skateboard have a meeting of the minds.

Nibble, anyone?

Yikes!  The dreaded stairs. 

Jonah spent the afternoon going up and down... so far, no falls.

Spoons...?

PUDDING!!!!!

(shhhhh!)