7.26.2012

today or yesterday or everyday

these days are good
we've been living
the days all blend together....


today,
i'm super into this album.
listen...
hear it?


yesterday, 
he read her a story.



today,
i am packing for a long trip.


everyday.
i load and unload.


yesterday,
she skipped and sang her songs.


everyday, 
since i got it, i've worn my new ring.


yesterday,
they all got on the board


yesterday, 
he lay on his tummy to warm up as jake and i took turns paddling him over the green water.
his hair was sandy and his back has tiny blond hairs all down the middle.
i think that may be my very favorite part of summer.
those tiny blond hairs


yesterday,
 we rinsed the sand off.


today, 
i worked on my hankie quilt


everyday,
he tries to help.


just the other day,
i had a few hours to float with lena.


today,
i took the three stooges to lunch.


everyday,
lately,
we've been listening to the Beatles...

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7.23.2012

you treat me badly, i love you madly

these two have a love/hate relationship happening.
they are who the song is about.
i am sure of it.
when they get along, it's like the heavens open up and streams of light shine down on them.
and when they don't...well...it's not pretty.
so i took the opportunity to capture a good moment as we made cookies this weekend.
i will look back on these in the near future, i'm sure.
maybe on the road trip we are planning next month.
i'm sure that will be a REAL pleasure.


(these photos are all taken with my iPhone.)



"i love you and all i want you to do is just hold me, hold me, hold me...."


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7.21.2012

memories of the farm...

these are a few more of my favorites.
 it makes me smile to just think about our little trip...
it was so rad.
a lot of work and not very relaxing.
but so fun
and as time goes by, i'm sure our memories will start to match our photographs more that the reality that is 6 small children.












there is a shocking amount of me in a swimsuit in this post...and i'm right there with you saying'...wow. 
not sure why i'm so brave...i just am.
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7.12.2012

beach baby





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pie wisdom; it's more than a recipe

i don't like making dinner.


i mean, cooking doesn't bother me, but i think at this point i'm just so used to the picky eaters in my house that i associate cooking food with half of the people looking at me with tortured eyes.
seriously?
i'm not that bad of a cook!
lots of things go through my head...
...i remember eating the things MY mom made whether i liked it or not,
...there are children who don't have enough to eat
...i have created this by spoiling them.
but, i have decided, at this point, to just let it go.
they are picky.
most of them don't like my food.
so i am going to put less energy into making dinner.
and more into...pie!
and fun stuff.
while we are having turkey sandwiches AGAIN for dinner tonight, i might make sugar cookies with them this afternoon.
and while you might want to judge, i say, it's neat that your kids eat your food...go pay attention to THEM...i'm eating cookies.

with all that said, i want to share with you a little wisdom from the bible....
the bible of cooking.


Good old Joy
my mom gave this to me the year i got married.


lots of people have asked about my mini jar pies.
and while i could give you lots of different recipes, i thought i'd just point you toward inventing your own!
that's my style!
i'm not one to follow a recipe to the tee.

joy of cooking taught me this basic fruit pie filling recipe.
this makes enough for one big pie or 9 jar pies.


5 cups sliced fruit or berries
3/4 cup sugar
3 tblspns cornstarch
1 tblspn fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
2 tblspns cold butter cut into tiny peices

now, i sometimes do less sugar if the fruit is really sweet.
i sometimes don't use the lemon juice or salt.
just use your own judgement.
they've always turned out great. lemon juice or not.
it's not worth going to the store.
sometimes you just need pie.


as for the crust, i use trader joes frozen crusts.
they are great.
they run out around thanksgiving and then again in summer when the fruit is great, so if you see them, buy 5.
they can just hang out in the freezer until you NEED them!

for 9 jar pies i use a box and half. three crusts.
i thaw the crusts, uses the jar lids to cut out 9 circles for the tops of the pies, and then use the rest to press into the jars covering up the sides.


fill those guys with filling and cover with the circles and use a fork to crimp the tops tot he crust on the sides.
then vent the top by sticking a knife in the top a couple times. i like to make it a star.

i bake mine on a cookie sheet, on the bottom half of the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
then move them to the top for maybe 10 minutes.

bubbling! mmmm

and if the kids don't like them.... GREAT!!!


what kind of fruit are you gonna try?


i've made peach and boysenberry and apple.
i want to try cherry next.


to me, the best way to do it is with fresh picked fruit!
so get cute pickers!


PS.
these can be frozen unbaked.
just pop the jar lids on them and put them in the freezer!
you can then put them in the oven frozen,
just add a few extra minutes on to the baking time.



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