3 Feb
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
We had the pleasure of hosting Doug and Karyl over the weekend, and on Sunday, Karyl’s Kansas cousins joined us for brunch. I took the opportunity to make Barefoot Contessa’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake—with a tremendous amount of help from Ava.
I love Ina Garten recipes because of the simple yet transformational tweaks. Here, for instance, she makes the glaze not with water or milk, but maple syrup. It’s amazing!
1 Feb
The Grandparents Great
When I found out I needed another sinus surgery a couple of weeks ago, my grandparents offered to come down and help us out as I recovered. Having been through this before, I politely declined, noting that it was minor, outpatient and really not a big deal.
As I thought about it more, I became a bit worried about being released in time to pick the kids up from daycare that day. I also remembered that I have an embarrassingly low tolerance for pain and discomfort, and my grandma is quite possibly the nicest person on the entire planet.
So, I emailed her again, asking if I could please reconsider my initial response. Happily, they promised to arrive the day before my surgery and stay with the kids through the middle of the week.
Gramma and Grampa came on Monday night, loaded with casseroles for our freezer and the healing elixir that is homemade chicken noodle soup. They spoiled all of us for days, taking great care of us and reminding me they are two of the most generous, caring and utterly selfless people I have ever had the pleasure to know.
And, on top of all of that, Gramma and Ava made sugar cookies . . . I am truly blessed, no?
27 Jan
Dropping in
Apparently, I am not the only one who is appreciating the recent backyard bird activity. This guy stopped in yesterday, but left without lunch.
Props to Gramma Great for the spot. (More on their recent visit soon…with pictures of the kids, too, Mom. ;-))
26 Jan
Good mourning
I have long believed we have a single pair of mourning doves that live in our backyard. Every once in a while, another pair will briefly join them, but our two birds were here each and every day, almost always visible in the trees or on the ground. We’ve watched this couple raise and see off many fledglings over the past summers, and I have come to think of this pair as our own.
This morning, though, I was forced to recognize that perhaps it wasn’t the same two birds we see each day. When I opened the blinds a bit early, I found no less than 26 mourning doves on the ground under the feeder.
Perhaps our birds are hosting a family reunion?
25 Jan
Outdoor life
Bryan has dutifully filled the bird feeders all winter, sometimes in snow that is ankle-deep, and often in only a robe and slippers. The birds have benefited, and I think maybe the squirrels have, too…
24 Jan
Black pepper and mustard braised short ribs
Some of the best recipes I’ve tried in the last few years have come from the Williams-Sonoma catalog. This recipe for black pepper and mustard braised short ribs is no exception.
It’s a slow cooker recipe, which always draws my eye—I love coming home to prepared dinner, and unless I decide to bring on a stay at home mom, the Crock-Pot is really my only option. My 10 year old model leaves a bit to be desired, though, with its two settings (hot and hotter) and lack of a timer. So, most recipes need to be started at noon, not at 8 am when I leave the house. So much for convenience…
This recipe, with bourbon, mustard and honey, made me decide to try braising ribs the traditional way—in the oven. I baked the ribs for two hours at 325, and they were quite tender. The pureed sauce tastes very rich, but is in fact relatively light and full of vegetables.
Give it a try!
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