Cows, clay, and cousins

I am not a country girl.  I like the idea of it in many ways, a simpler lifestyle, kids being raised in the good ol' outdoors, growing your own food and learning to fix and make things yourself.  But, I also like sidewalks, coffee shops, boutique restaurants, quick 911 service, and about 1,000 other things that are probably tricky to come by in the country.  Luckily for us, my sister-in-law and her husband live in the country.  Not too far away from civilization, just enough to get a small glimpse of it. 
Last week we went there for a birthday party and it struck me as fortunate that my kids get to glimpse this way of life that is in many ways different from their own.  They live down a dirt road on land that my brother-in-law grew up on.  There are cows directly behind their back yard and in the winter, they need to be fed and cared for.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, whatever, my brother-in-law and nephew leave family functions or anything else to go "feed."  The kids like to say hi to the cattle and one day, they will be invited to help in the feeding of them when we are out for a visit.  I will be terrified of this but will let them go anyway.  What an opportunity!
In addition to cattle, my sister-in-law has a pottery studio that also doubles as a shop for tractors, 4 wheelers, and miscellaneous "country" stuff.  She gave each of my children their very own ball of clay to take home and "create" with.  When the masterpieces are created, we will take them back to the shop where they will be glazed and fired.
And the best part of the visit for my baby boy?  Playing basketball with his cousin, who at 14 years old is easily 6'4".  You know, they grow them that way in the country...it's all the beef and corn and walking 5 miles uphill to the bus stop!
Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives and working down the "to do" list that it's hard to remember to stop and spend some time just hanging out, picking wildflowers and waving at cows.  It's easier to remember to do that in the country.  I am thankful that my kids will grow up with a place where they can be "country kids" at least for the afternoon.  And, I'm thankful that at the end of the afternoon, we can hit the Starbucks on our way back to suburbia!

I'm International!!!

Okay, so my cousin lives in Brazil (love you Christy)!  BUT, my blog is now also being viewed in the UK, Denmark, and France!  For that I say:

Mange Tak
Cheers!
Merci beaucoup
Muito obrigado

Potting Project

As a child, I really loved playing with "helicopters" in the Spring.  You know, those little maple seeds that twirl and fall everywhere when there is a maple nearby.  In addition to playing with them, I really liked to plant the seeds in little pots and grow baby trees.  As a matter of fact, nearly every tree in my parents' back yard started out in a tiny cup by me 25-ish years ago.  There used to be more, but my mom has recently been on the losing end of her ongoing fight with the power company tree trimmers.  I'm pretty sure she's on some tree hugger, environmental activist/terrorist list.  I am, of course, exaggerating.  Slightly. 

So, yesterday on a lazy afternoon, I got to idea to share the experience with my own kids.  There is a humongo maple tree in our front yard and Hubby occasionally says it may need to be cut down some day.  That is, unless his mother in law-decides to camp in it in protest! Anyway, I guess I'd better start on some replacement maples just in case.  Each kiddo picked out their pot.

Then they apparently decided it was break time.  Surprisingly, my daughter chose the smaller pot!  Then we went on a search for the perfect helicopter.  They are very excited about growing baby  helicopters.  Maybe I should have explained this better!  Oh well, they'll figure it out.  Or else be hugely disappointed. 

They were actually great about filling their pots with dirt, using their little fingers to bore a hole, and dropping in their little seed.  My son managed to unearth his about 37 times so we'll have to wait and see how tough those little seeds are.    My daughter thinks hers needs to go in the rock garden.
I think Hubby w ill veto that.  Actually, my plan (if they grow) is to buy larger pots to paint and give them away as Mother's Day presents.  You know, tree-lover Grandma and all.  First, we have to wait and see if the little guys actually grow.  Stay tuned for an update!

Spring Veggie Quiche

I don't know about you but my kids will eat anything nestled in eggs and surrounded by pastry.  What a great way to sneak in the veggies!  In April in Oklahoma, there is not a hug selection of local veggies at the farmer's market but they do have a couple of my favorites: green onions and asparagus.  I paired this with some mushrooms from J&M Farms (an Oklahoma-based business), and some Braums (another Oklahoma business) eggs.  So the ham is from Target, whatever, I'm not Barbara Kingsolver but at least I'm trying!  So, here is my recipe for Spring on a plate! 

1 small bunch thin asparagus, washed, trimmed of woody ends, and cut into 2 inch pieces
4-5 medium button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
4 green onions, chopped
2T butter, spread, or olive oil
6 large eggs
1/2 C milk
4 oz. feta cheese
Several slices chopped deli  ham
Sea salt, pepper, and chopped fresh parsley
1 deep dish frozen pie shell

Saute veggies in butter/oil until tender-crisp, about 8 minutes. 

Meanwhile, whip eggs with milk.  Add cheese, parsley, ham, and seasonings. 

Fill pie crust with veggie mixture, then egg mixture.  If necessary, use a spoon or spatula to evenly spread mixture.  Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked.  Serve warm, room temperature, whatever floats your boat!  This is what my "friend" Rachael Ray would call a BLD (breakfast, lunch, or dinner).  Yummity, yum!

Fancy Fun!

Last night our local library hosted a Fancy Nancy Tea Party.  For the occasion, my daughter donned her Fancy Nancy dress, her pink feather boa, her tiara, her "magic" wand, and about a dozen butterfly clips.  We clearly were not going to miss an opportunity to over-accessorize!  Oh, and did I mention Frenchy the dog?  And the ruffly socks?  And the sparkly shoes?  So, or course, the first thing we had to do when we arrived was hit the dress-up area, just to make sure we had enough "stuff" draped over us!

Then, it was time to sample some delectable (that's a fancy word for yummy), tea sandwiches.  A little coloring, a sip of juice in a princess cup (pinky raised of course), and it was time for dancing with a REAL ballerina!

I'm not sure if she's having a good time, what do you think?  Finally, it was off to make a ribbon tiara and a ring.  'Cuz we didn't have enough accessories, don't you know!  Overall, I think she would rate the event spectacular (that's a fancy word for really, really, really good)/

I love my library!

Hats off to the Chef!

Occasionally, I take off my mommy hat and put on the librarian hat.  Yesterday was just such a day.  Unfortunately, because our library is open until 6pm on Sundays, this means that I get home long after our early-bird dinner.  Typically I will prepare something in the Crock Pot, or make sure we have plenty of leftovers so that Hubby has something to feed himself and the kids.  For some reason, I dropped the ball yesterday and informed Hubby that he was in charge of feeding the munchkins.  I did pick up some burger and dog buns on my morning milk run because (like most men), my husband considers himself King of the Grill. 
In true "extreme man" fashion, this is what he prepared (for himself, and two very small children):
6 hamburger patties
16 (yes, 16) hot dogs
Stuffed mushrooms

Whew, talk about a wild hair!  The man grilled everything grill-able in the fridge and then decided to whip up a new recipe.  I did give him the "make sure they eat some sort of veggie" instructions but I was thinking along the lines of frozen peas, not a semi-gourmet and super tasty veggie dish.  And, for bonus points, he chopped up the mushroom stems and "hid" them in the burger patties along with onions, garlic, and fresh parsley.  Hmmm...has he secretly been reading Jessica Seinfeld?
I wish I had taken a picture of these little beauties.  Truly, he is a master of presentation.  Whereas I just flop the food on a plate, Hubby carefully arranges and garnishes.  Here is an example, this is a ham and cheese crepe from my Valentine's Day breakfast.  Notice the parsley garnish and strawberry fan:

This from a man who has no less than 4 motorcycle boots laying about the house at any given time!

Anyway, he said I could share the mushroom recipe, so here goes:

1 package button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

1 slice stale sourdough (or other good quality bread), chopped finely in food processor.

1 T melted butter (apparently my husband used bacon grease, something he likes to hide into his recipies and then giggle when I go on about how tasty it is...do what you like)

1/8 onion or shallot, finely chopped

1t herbs de provence

1t Greek seasoning (Greek seasoning typically has spearmint, oregano, garlic and sea salt)

Good handful mix of grated parm and crumbled feta cheese

Equally good handful of chopped fresh parsley

1 egg

Dash of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients and stuff into mushrooms.  Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.  Or, if for some reason, you too think these go with burgers then just place on an oven-safe dish and pop right onto a covered grill with the burgers.  I wish I had taken a picture of these little beauties before I scarfed them down.  They even went really well with the hot dogs.  I love a grilled hot dog.  It pretty much goes against everything I stand for food-wise but man, it tastes good!  Mmmm.....

And, lest I be accused of shameless bragging: I assure you that I could write an equally lengthy post on the many aggravating things this man does.  The boots are only the beginning.  But, I choose to focus on the positive, it makes life a lot more fun!  So go out and grill yourself some burgers, dogs, and 'shrooms!



Sring has sprung in the Great Plains!

For the second time!  Let's hope it stays this time.  What an awesome weekend of events here in Norman. 

Yesterday we did a quick trip to the Medieval Fair here in Norman.  It was such a beautiful day and a great experience for my older daughter.  The baby, not so much.  But, then again, he's been sick.  I think as the kids get older this will be a must-do annual outing.  My favorite was seeing the "craftsmen" do traditional things the traditional way, like blacksmithing.  There's something for everyone here, from Indian tacos (which is always a head scratcher), to jousting and other medieval sports, to some truly crazy, beautiful, baudy, outrageous, you-name-it costumes.  It's an experience that's for sure.  If you live near Norman, the fair will go on through Sunday the 3rd.

Yesteday was a great day for finally planting.  We picked cucumber (my daughter's favorite), heirloom tomatos, red bell peppers, rosemary, thyme, Italian parsley, and lots and lots of petunias.  My garden looks and smells great!  Yes, my veggies always die a slow and pitiful death, usually after producing little to no produce, but I don't think about that in April.  I think about how this year, by gosh, they are going to flourish.  Isn't that wonderfully  optimistic of me?

And, my personal signal of Spring:the Norman Farmer's Market, which I LOVE.  What a great way to teach your kids that food doesn't come pre-packaged and sterilized on grocery store shelves.  I love the experience of having my kids pick out a vegetable then hand cash to the farmer who grew that very same vegetable.  There is not much local produce yet, but they have a great selection of plants, from flowers to veggies and herbs.  The market is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 8-12 through October.  Go see those farmers and tell them thank you for their hard work and dedication!

Next on the agenda: cleaning our beautiful church!  So it wasn't glamorous, but if you concentrate really, really, really, really hard, there is something spirital about cleaning the baseboards in God's house.  Plus, we got to eat cheap pizza with college students, a  bittersweet nostalgic experience for for a 32 year-old mommy with a purse full of snacky snacks and coupons.

Finally, Girls' Night Out tonight with some spectacular ladies!  Mmmmm....can't wait for two hours away from kids where we will, hmmmm, probably discuss kids!  Once a mom, always a mom! 

What a great weekend!  What great weather!  Get out and enjoy the sunshine!!!  Was that enough exclamation points for you?