Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Craft-a-day


I just love the quiet focus that comes with these projects. Even if it only lasts for 20 minutes, it is well worth it!


Then on day two of save your a$* crafts, we made these homages to the sun for the summer solstice. They were a lot of fun and totally a last minute idea. When their other Mom got home from work they held up their masks, sure that she would have no idea who was hiding in the front yard to greet her. It was very cute indeed!


Saturday, June 18, 2011

Steamer Pot!

Nothing says summer to me like a steamer pot for dinner. When I was a kid growing up on the Jersey Shore we would have clams or mussels and sometimes lobster all steamed up on a late summer night. The classic was little necks, red potatoes, chicken, lemon, lots of celery salt and some other things I'm sure I missed.

My little family has re-created that feel with a twist.

Our kids LOVE crab, so we had to add that and I love old bay spice, and what says old bay better than a shrimp boil. So here it is, one of our favorite summertime meals...
spicy andouille sausage, lemon


old bay and fresh, sweet corn, "shucked" or "husked" by the kids is a must!


opps, one got away!


LUCKY DOG!




Snow Crab


A little liquid summer for Mommy (spiked lemonade :)


Oh yeah baby, there it is, in all it's steamy goodness!


No need for plates, we pour it onto trays, provide a shell bowl and a roll of paper towels and dig in!

It's so good, it kind of makes you feel like dancing at the dinner table!


Summer dinner bliss!


So, we left a few potatoes, this family knows what to eat first!

Recipe courtesy of Old Bay's website:

Ingredients (I cut this in half and added two pounds of snow crab and a lemon halfed)

4 quarts water (16 cups)

1 can (12 ounces) beer (optional)

1/2 cup OLD BAY® Seasoning

2 tablespoons salt

8 medium red potatoes, quartered

2 large onions, cut into wedges

2 pounds lean smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces

8 ears fresh corn, shucked and halved crosswise

4 pounds unpeeled jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 count)

Directions

Bring water, beer, OLD BAY Seasoning and salt to boil in 12-quart stockpot on high heat. Add potatoes and onions. Cook 8 minutes. Add smoked sausage. Cook 5 minutes. Add corn. Cook 7 minutes.

Stir in shrimp. Cook 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

Drain cooking liquid. Pour contents of pot into large serving bowl or platter. Or, mound on paper-covered table. Sprinkle with additional OLD BAY Seasoning, if desired.

Wishing you wonderful dinner, liquid summer style!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

How to make the BEST pizza ever!

Let me start by telling you that at our last family dinner at my Dad's we were treated to an amazing homemede meal. My Dad's wife is great cook and always makes delicious food for us when we descend upon their house for a Sunday meal. This week, homemade hummus, homemade tomato sauce with sausage and meatballs and her famous salad. Delicious! But we also had a very special starter... my brother was giving lessons in how to make homemade pizza. I never knew he had such skills at pizza throwing! So to answer the question, How to make the BEST pizza ever... is this...begin with fresh ingredients and great toppings


throw that dough high


higher


and higher still!


then bake to crispy perfection!


Really, this is some of the best pizza I have ever had!
Thank you brother!

Oh, I forgot the most important ingredient...


a little fan spice!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

A weekend beach picnic with friends


Swimming with friends



Now that is some good chicken!


CHEESE!


Just a magical place!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Inspired paver passion


So, I stumbled upon some pavers. There is a long story behind them and maybe I will get into it another day. But the short version (because I am exhusted from moving them) is this.

I got three pallets of reclaimed pavers for a great deal! I was so excited to get them home that I hand loaded the first pallet into the back of my mini-van with the kids waiting patiently in the car. ( the other two were fork lifted into the back of our pick up when it was available the next day, a much more reasonable way to go, but I was on a mission) Then I got home and unloaded them. Then I leveled just a small area to lay out a few to see how they would look. I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I stayed up that night until I could no longer see working on my project of passion. You see, when I decided to purchase them, the plan was to set them aside until we could hire someone to install them. You know, look around the yard together, come up with a design concept...think about how they would best be used. HA

This weekend, I unearthed a part of myself that has been dormant since before I had children. The impulsive, FAST paced doer in me was awakened. LOUDLY! My sweet wife has indulged me in at least two full days of crazed paver mania. I was obsessed, not stopping, in the mid day heat. All of this with kids around looking for things to do. I was gone on brickville. I'm not sure that I have fully returned.

Don't get me wrong, the whole family was roped into my plan. They carried and laid bricks. It was fun and sweet and we all had a hand in the work. But I was really nuts about it. And it felt good.

Now, all of this being said; that part of me, the impulsive one, tends to skip important details. This is why she has been tucked away and traded for patience and functionality. This has saved me so much time and taught me so much. So, i dove in knowingly, allowing her to resurface with awareness.

The ground was quickly leveled and kind of compacted. It was rushed at best. But the sheer joy and instant gratification of looking around me to see the finished project materializing so quickly was just amazing. So, here are the pictures.....since them, I have put the concrete boarder around, and tomorrow I will fill the cracks with sand. And frankly, if a few years down the line we do need to hire someone to reinstall them so be it! I got a new patio for the summer in two days, and it looks great. There are no toe stubbers as of yet, and I can not wait to be finished and soak it up!

unloading


it begins to take shape....you can see the dirt, shell that was our yard before!


My assistant


a girl on a mission


and our fairy, who sprinkled the patio with magic!


the view from the back!!!!


sweet glory!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Thursdays at Mommom & Bob's


Thursdays are a special day in our house. We get to go visit my grandparents. We have been making these special visits once a week for the past three years or so. It has been so beautiful to watch my children develop a relationship with their great grandparents. They are not your average great grandparents. Both in their nineties and sharp, active, joyful and full of energy. They don't miss a beat and keep up with these wild ones for a good two hours. They are one of my greatest inspirations and I could go on for far too long explaining why but for now I will stick to reporting our weekly visits.

When I was young I remember visiting them as well. Many of the things I remember are the same. There were always interesting paintings and sculptures. Each has a special story, many were collected from their travels around the world.

There has always been a scrabble table set up where my grandmother was ready for a game. These days that table is set up with upwords, one of her new passions.



Then there is the light up globe. Always fascinating. There is also the largest dictionary I have ever seen. (not pictured) It is always left open, ready to inform.


As a child I was enchanted with these crystal candle holders which were my great grandmothers. They have been at the center of the dining room table for as long as I can remember and have been witness to countless birthdays and Thanksgivings and family dinners.


My grandparents have also always have a beautiful piano in their music room. Our little fish girl loves to compose her own compositions for one of her favorite audiences.


After dinner we stay for dessert. My grandfather's love of good, ripe fruit has been passed down to these kids for sure. This week, we were treated to lyche fruits and beautiful, ripe mangoes.






They are expertly cut and dripping down their sticky, joyful faces.


Yum!



Thank you for these special days together. There is a certain magic to watching the love that grows within these visits.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Our Sweet Little Beach


Today we packed lunch again, little fish worked hard to help get it ready! We were headed to our sweet little beach ! This is a local beach that our children and their community of friends have grown up on. I remember the froggy potty training there the summer his sister was learning to sit up. Season after season we have found ourselves there, amazed at the natural beauty and awesome sea creatures! We have watched lots of friends and their siblings grow and change in these salty waters. The Moms and sometimes Dads pack lunches and buckets and we "land" at this special spot for a few hours to get a break from the heat. The grown ups chat and the kids swim and play. It has been such a pleasure to watch the activities change as the kids do! This beach is one of our very favorite spots in the world!

As soon as we arrived, the kids lined up at the bench. Buckets full of crabs, jellyfish, sea stars, and fish that they had found. This activity lasts throughout the day. They take such good care of the creatures and delight in the capture and release.





Then it is time to venture into the crystal waters for a swim! Really, need I say more? It is just a great gift to live in such a beautiful place!
The seagrapes provide a natural playground. And, we learned last year that at a certain time of year, you can eat the seagrapes right of the tree. They are sweet-tart and the novelty of a beach snack right at our fingertips is a lot of fun. When they are not in season, they are fun to collect or throw from up high to the shoreline.





After a great day of playing with friends, I take a deep, sweet breath. Hoping that these are the times that will fill our children's memory banks. Carefree summer days, exploring the beach with good, longtime friends and a group of adults that they know yand trust. These are the days when I know I am living my dream!