9 Aug
Mom and Dave welcomed us for a short visit this weekend. As always, we made the most of the peaceful locale: we played golf, slept in, took long naps and let Mom handle Olivia’s 2 am wake up calls. Mom and Dave spoiled us–not only with round-the-clock childcare–but with fabulous food and a gorgeous view.
We’ll be back soon!
6 Aug
In an effort to make use of a ridiculous number of cucumbers, I decided mix them with . . . vodka. I realize this sounds like something you might do after cocktail hour, but this was before I’d actually had anything to drink.
I vaguely remember having a cucumber martini somewhere–maybe the Blue Velvet in Madison? Anyway, I couldn’t quite find a recipe that looked just right, so I decided to create my own. I will share it with you, as long as you promise not to recreate it. Tweak it, maybe. Start from scratch, sure. But definitely do not follow this one.
1 1/2 ounces vodka
6 slices of cucumber
A dash of lemon juice
Pour into a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake and strain. Pour all but two sips down the drain and open a bottle of wine.
4 Aug
Tis the season…
As I made my ninth batch of this tried and true pesto recipe this weekend, my blender started spewing smoke. I took it apart and found the coupling driver in pieces. Fortunately, the $6 part is easily replaceable. (I had to order a new glass pitcher a few months ago due to an unfortunate incident involving strawberry-banana smoothies and the kitchen floor. If I keep this up, I’ll have a completely new blender assembled by early next year!)
My food processor was a fine stand-in on the last batch.
3 Aug
For the past few days, our normally sweet toddler has been holding us captive, torturing us with her most powerful tool of terror: sleep deprivation. Instead of snoozing soundly for 11 hours a night, she’s waking multiple times, screaming so loudly I’m surprised we haven’t had a visit from the city police. Apparently, she’s cutting two-year molars just a bit ahead of schedule.
By 2 am this morning, we reached a breaking point. I went to Walgreens and bought every teething-related product they sold. I covered all possible bases, from the extra strength Ora-Gel to the homeopathic teething tablets. Nothing worked—not even the normally helpful Motrin/Tylenol cocktail. I’d guess we got about four hours of sleep between the three of us.
I took her to the doctor this morning, practically begging the doctor to find something wrong with her that could be effectively medicated. No such luck, but the doctor did suggest Benadryl to help her sleep. “One half teaspoon for Olivia,” she said. “Four teaspoons for mom and dad.”
I don’t think that will be necessary for us, but I am counting down the minutes until Olivia’s eyes become droopy.
1 Aug
I heard a news report last night that said Kansas City had its third coldest July on record—in 115 years. We’ve spent a majority of the month outside, which isn’t something you can normally—or at least comfortably—do in Kansas this time of year. I hope the same holds true for August.
Our little garden is doing well as a result. The bugs made short work of our brussel sprouts, and the broccoli doesn’t look much like broccoli at all, but the cucumbers are going crazy. And, we had our first real harvest of tomatoes last week.
I’m planning to spend tomorrow taming the basil and making a few batches of pesto.
30 Jul
We’ve been on a sparkling wine kick this summer—it seems to beat the heat better than anything else. This recipe is from “In the Land of Cocktails,” a book my friend Dawn gave me last year. Bryan pointed out that this wasn’t the most masculine of drinks, but he didn’t seem to mind!
Melon Coolia
1 ounce Midori
1 1/4 ounce simple syrup
1 1/4 ounce sour mix
2 ounces Champagne
Combine the Midori, simple syrup and sour mix to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a flute and top with Champagne. Garnish with honeydew melon and a maraschino cherry on a cocktail pick.
29 Jul
Ava had her final ballet class last night, and the parents (squirming toddlers optional) were invited into the classroom to observe and take photos. I’ll post videos later this week, but here are a few quick shots.
Smith Family Weblog 