18 Jul

It’s never too early for a cupcake

Posted by Rebecca in In the kitchen.

Ginger zucchini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from Martha Stewart.

If there was a cupcake suitable for morning, this would have to be it. It’s actually from a cake recipe, one that I made in college when I had a lot of extra time on my hands.

Now, baking is more therapeutic. Or maybe it’s a penance, I don’t know. I feel guilty about not always being able to work the traditional 8-5 because I have small children, and I feel even more guilt about not being fully engaged at home. The laundry isn’t done, the house isn’t picked up, the fridge needed to be cleaned out two weeks ago, and I’m working on the email I didn’t get to that afternoon because one of the kids needed to go to the doctor.

But, I can involve the kids (the healthy ones, anyway) in a baking project. Even Liv can wield a measuring spoon. I feel better about doing something that’s at least somewhat domestic, and I can take the finished project in for my coworkers.

It’s a win-win.

Actually, it’s a win-win-win, as there are cupcakes for breakfast.

17 Jul

Ava Fix: A retrospective

Posted by Rebecca in Ava.

9 months…

19 months…

Two and a half…

Three and a half…

17 Jul

(Sub)urban wildlife

Posted by Rebecca in Outdoor life.

16 Jul

First bites

Posted by Rebecca in Olivia.

Zucchini, which despite appearances, has quickly become a favorite of Olivia’s.

She really must be a Bornemeier baby!

16 Jul

At the Smiths…

Posted by Rebecca in Ava, Family.

I mentioned that we went back to Nebraska last weekend for pancakes. Wait, no, we went back for a birthday party. It was delicious. I mean, fun.

But also delicious. See below.

Ava had a chance to play in the playhouse with Grandma Smith.

And we enjoyed the beautiful view…

But did I mention the pancakes?

We’ll be back.

15 Jul

Sweets for the sweet

Posted by Rebecca in Ava, Family, In the kitchen.

While we were visiting Mom, I told her that I was in the mood to bake something. She simply pointed me toward the cherry tree outside.

This is truly baking from scratch…as long as you don’t count the crust!

My mom, who picks and freezes quarts and quarts of cherries each summer, has a handy little pitting tool. Still, this chore took about three times as long as the picking.

I followed a recipe for fresh cherry pie from a vintage Better Homes and Gardens cookbook–remember the one with the picnic-plaid cover? It simply called for three cups of cherries, a cup and a half of sugar and a quarter cup of flower. I added a bit of salt and vanilla.

Lattice tops are my favorite, usually because it makes rolling the top crust less stressful as there’s no need for a perfectly smooth round. Recent time crunches have pushed me to turn to Pillsbury, but I still love a pretty lattice.

Eighteen hours of pitting and picking later, here’s the finished product!

It was totally worth it.

15 Jul

Olivia’s tree

Posted by Rebecca in Ava, Family, Olivia.

I’m running about a week and a half behind on the blog, and I’m starting to get my posts out of order. Please know that I’m not chronologically challenged, just poorly organized.

With that, step back in time with me to the Fourth of July weekend for just a bit.

When Ava was born, Mom and Dave planted a tree that would bloom around her birthday. Three years later, it’s taller than she is:

While we were visiting, they planted Olivia’s tree, a variety of hibiscus called Rose of Sharon.

Of course, they had some help.

15 Jul

Down on the farm

Posted by Rebecca in Ava, Family, Olivia, Outdoor life.

We stopped by my grandpa’s farm last weekend while we were in Nebraska. It was a gorgeous day, and I was reminded how much I loved this place as a child.

This sweet pea is visible from Grandpa’s living room, and Grandma always loved it. It grows along the pasture fence, though, and the calves seem to love it, too. Grandpa rigged up a fence from old window screens along the ground below to protect it.

I recall playing under this incredible old pine tree when we were little. It was always shady and cool among the Lily of the Valley and periwinkle flowers.

Bryan spotted this nest of robins in a low branch.

Rose and Olivia:

Grandpa, Rose, Olivia, Rebecca and a suddenly shy Ava Kate:

14 Jul

Little Leo turns two

Posted by Rebecca in Ava, Family, Olivia.

We traveled to Nebraska again this weekend, this time for my nephew Leo’s second birthday party. It was a whirlwind trip, but we wouldn’t have missed helping this sweet boy celebrate.



13 Jul

Ava Fix

Posted by Rebecca in Ava.

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