This weeks menu

It's supposed to be cold, rainy and a little snowy this week. We're cooking for comfort:

Monday--chicken vegetable soup

Tuesday--St. Patricks Day--green roasted veggies with green poached egg on top

Wednesday--broiled fish with vegetable curry quinoa

Thursday--broccoli and apple quiche (from Chocolate and Zucchini--new yummy cookbook) and chorizo veggie sausage

Friday--Mushroom casserole (101 cookbooks) (Yea Spring!!)

Creativity?

As I take Sam to school we drive by the Hollywood Hills Elementary school's marquis. As all (school) marquis do they inform the passerby's of the upcoming events or sometimes just a congratulatory note to outstanding students. One week we drove by and we saw Sela Seraphin's name listed as one of the winners of a "Reflections" contest. It was so exciting to see her name in "lights". Sam was thrilled. He asked what she did and not being certain at the time I said she must have written a really wonderful paper. Well he came home shortly thereafter and showed me a paper he had written. I wish I could put the actual picture but I'll write verbatim his story. Picture this:  The paper is approximately 12 X 16 dotted lined with stamps of 14 bikes in succession going up a hill and subsequently flipping over and coming down--but still landing on the 2 wheel.. Not unlike the "bike or die" game on the IPhone. Here is his sentences: I Rode mI bIke I did a flip in the eR I did a flip ugen. How I love Phonics! He's learning and that is what is so amazing to me. How the brain develops. Sam has now finished all the "Bob" books and though not a graduate of Evelyn Woods by any means it's exciting to sit and hear him sound out and actually comprehend what he's reading. I got him a Lighting McQueen book to read the other day and he thought he'd died and gone to heaven. I wonder how sad he was when he actually read that "Lightening's" name was really McQueen rather than "the queen" 

To continue with our creative juices--mainly Dave's and Sam's--I thought I would show you our body art from yesterday. This is how the Sharps keep the Sabbath day holy. We draw on each other--I'm hoping that Carrie doesn't come home sometime and find Sam, Dave and me all dead on the floor from lead poisoning. At least we will die with sparkly ink. I can assure you Sam's dream death.

The eye and the mouth are on Sam's foot. Dave's doodling at Church. (he claims he can listen better while doodling. While I find that hard to believe I just heard that same philosophy on NPR---so it must be true!) Dave's artistry on my back at home. (Mike Wickousky from Monsters Inc.) Sam wanted dragons and lizards. So that's what he got. Aunt Cydney helped as well with the green lizard. I drew the black dragon on Dave. As you can see in my free time I'll be needing to sign up for art class. 

Orange, Green and Black

Black as in blackmail, black mood and the black bean cakes: So for tonight's dinner I decided to forgo the entire shrimp 'taco' meal and only make parts. I have to say my marinade for the shrimp was pretty good. A little lime juice, olive oil, garlic, honey and a small kick of red pepper and of course salt. Let the shrimp marinate for 1/2 hour and then roasted them at 500 degrees about 3 minutes. They would be better grilled but we're out of propane. I sound like Kolette!  Now for the black bean cakes.  Sam decided he didn't like them but finished it off in about 5 bites. I topped mine with the avocado creme which added just the right amount of something, something. As Bob Saad would say je ne sais quoi. I would have taken a picture but my camera is out of juice. I'm not sure they look all that tempting anyways but the taste...... I halved this recipe for Sam and I and got about 4, 3" diameter cakes.

Black Bean Cakes

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 C chopped Onion

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 C chopped green pepper (I used red)

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chili powder

2 - 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or do dried and prepare accordingly)

1 egg beaten

1 C plain bread crumbs

1 C grated sweet potato

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic 3 minutes; add bell pepper and continue cooking as additional 3 minutes, or until onions are tender. Stir in cumin and chili powder, set aside.

Next, add beans to a large bowl mash with a large fork or potato masher, leaving some of the beans whole. Stir in inion mixture, egg, bread crumbs and potato; season generously with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into equal size patties and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Last bake in oven 7 minutes, or until crispy. Using a spatula, carefully turn cakes and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes, or until second side is crispy. Serve with sour cream or avocado creme.

Avocado Creme

1 avocado diced

2 Tbs  fresh lime juice

1/4 C sour cream

1/4 tsp ground cu

min

1-3 Tbs water, (depending on consistency you want--I didn't use any)

Combine in a food processor--or blender to puree. Season with salt and

 pepper

I am not a happy dieter today. I have really watched my caloric intake and exercising just enough to where my hips don't hurt, but I see no results. Hence my black mood. I even bought a black sweater today which I intend to take back. It's really not that cute but I was hoping a purchase would lift my spirits. Or at least make me look thin. Neither worked.

Green--It's not easy being green as Kermit would say. With envy that is. The last 2 weeks I have gotten together with my friend Ashley at her home. She's quite easily my idol. Everything she does is beautiful, simple and wonderful. She's the mother that is quite frankly "mother earth".  She nourishes everything she touches. Right now she's living the dream. Even Dave is green with envy. Which is fine because it really brings out his hazel eyes. Ashley and Zig and their family of 3 (with one on the way) beautiful children live on a 5 acre piece of heaven. They have chickens, the biggest dog I have ever seen and a garden that is not unlike what we as creationist would think as Eden. Not only do they have veggies but yummy berries (all sorts) all organic. An enormous tree house that I'm quite sure will need to have it's own property tax attached and a lovely, lovely home. Dave and I would like this too but we have procrastinated so much that the housing market here is shot and we couldn't give this house away. Which may be good right now because I'm thinking Dave may be leaning toward Star Valley. Yes, you heard me right--otherwise known as frozen wasteland. County number 12--where snow doesn't melt until August and then starts up again mid Sept. There are no gardens there, there are no berries, forget about the chickens. Maybe we could start up a snow cone kiosk. I'm kidding (I hope!)

This is the amazing chicken coup. On the other side is where Sela (and Nina) gather the beautifully colored eggs. I just love to see the chickens roaming the yard without any interference from Kona (I wonder if Clifford (the big red dog) would have been a more fitting name? 

Orange: Thank goodness Sam is playing on the Red Sox t-ball team this year. We can possibly "lose" the orange socks. Sam LOVES these socks. He would wear them everyday if I would let him. Those and that Lightening McQueen sweatshirt grandma gave him. Thanks ever so much mom. Is this payback for all the times I embarrassed you with my fashion style? Below is a picture of the day I let Sam choose his own school clothes. Don't get me wrong all about free agency but when poor choices (like this) show up it's almost too unbearable for a mother. I would much prefer a daughter flaunting around in her Jasmine costume. The next day he chose Lighting McQueen with jersey material blue shorts that were too big so he belted them with his waffle belt and he wore his rain boots. Now mind you we just received 3 new inches of snow that very morning. You may be thinking this was surely Wacky Wednesday. I assure you it was no other day than just a typical Tuesday. I will however use this photo to blackmail him in the future. 

Orange Continued: I have to write and show you this yummy little snack I made last week. It's called Requeson. It's basically an orange flavored ricotta. It tastes yummy on rye crackers or bread  and topped with orange marmalade. 

Requeson -- adapted from WednesdayChef

1/2 gallon whole milk

1 C sour orange juice (1/2 C orange to 1/2 C grapefruit)

Grated peel from 1 regular orange

Salt to taste

Scald the milk in heavy pot over medium heat. While the milk is heating, lay cheesecloth over an empty pot for draining.

When the milk is about to boil, turn off the heat and add the orange juice and zest. Mix briefly. The milk will immediately start to curdle. Slowly pour the milk into the cheesecloth. Drain the requeson for about half and hour, or longer, depending on the desired consistency of the cheese.

Scoop the requeson into a container, season with salt to taste, let cool if not yet room temperature and refrigerate. 

This weeks Menu

Monday

White Bean and Rosemary soup with spinach, broccoli and asparagus "pizza"

Tuesday

Lentil "sloppy joe"

Wednesday

Shrimp BLT tacos with avocado creme and black bean cakes

Thursday

Turkey, apple and cheddar open faced (hot) sandwich with sweet potato fries

Friday

Halibut with artichoke pesto and roasted veggies

Sofieisms

She's a smart one that little miss. The things she would come up with were a hoot. She definitely has older brothers. Here are some of her isms.......

Sofieim #1 One of the first days she was with us, Sofie and Sam went outside barefoot into the bark--hey isn't that a movie? As all barefooters in the bark do, their feet became stung by dozens of little "sticks" (some--not Sofie--would say splinters). Well we could tell she was in pain because she would limp. Dave eventually convinced her to sit down and he would

get the tweezers to pull the stick out. Well she sat on Carrie's lap and howled. She cried. Yes, she was in anguish--for approximately 3 seconds. Then she was done. As most bark surgeries tend to be, the tools and the "thought" of what pain MAY occur, not the actual procedure, is the most painful.  That realization came to her approximately 3 seconds post tweezer removal of stick. As I was talking with her the next day. She expressed her disappointment that she had cried. I said I thought her brave and that she really hadn't cried all but a moment. She then said: "Well nobody likes a cry baby".

Sofieism #2 We had just eaten dinner and Sof and Sam were playing wildly upstairs. As it was nearing bedtime I went to gather the troops and get them in their jammies. As I got to Sof I noticed a strange smell. Almost sewer like. Well this child drinks gallons of water a day and never once had she peed her pants except the day we ate asparagus for dinner--pee yoooo! She had pulled a Sam and gotten all caught up in play and neglected nature--and nature

had called all over her little red leggings. She was aghast! Could I please wash them right away and by the way, was I mad at her? I replied no (I mean let's be honest, this was not my first rodeo with someone peeing their pants because they ignored natures call) It was an accident. And then she said "So are you not going to call me pee pee panties?" She was quite relieved. 

 

Sofieims #3 She's  boob girl. That child is obsessed with my itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny breasts! As I was getting dressed one day she came in and said: " Those can't be your boobs, they are too small. They belong to a little girl." The following day she came in and said: " Are you going to wear those boobs again? You need to take them back, they don't fit you---I would sure like to be there if she ever saw moms!

Sofieism #4. Sofie flirted quite heavily with Dave this time. It was fun to watch. She loved me to sing the song Bye Loo (Sofie) at night as I put her to bed. It was never a quick ending for that song however, not only would I  have to include everyone she ever knew but I would have to sing "daddy David would love her" at least 3 times in a row. I think I may have been chopped liver at this point. 

They would banter back and forth. "Don't have a fit or you'll have to go to bed."  This, of course is Dave throwing a fit as he would like nothing more than to have to go to bed. 

Sofieism #5 She one day just ran up to Dave and sat on his lap and told him to "zip it, lock it and put it in his pocket."  I wish I could have zipped and locked up those two. Even in church Dave and Sof wouldn't put it to rest. 

She is a beauty. She is clever and never shuts up. There are a million more wonderful isms but I'm tired and growing a little sad now. She loves makeup, mostly lip gloss and nail polish (it's all over my kitchen table.) She's a tease and drama queen. When she laughs you want to laugh with her. When she cries, your heart could burst with sorrow. She's 3 going on 18. I would love nothing more than to have her right here right now. But she is happy and healthy where she is and that is what I have to see. I wanted a miracle and I got one. Just not the one I had hoped for. My miracle was seeing just for 1 week the heavens open. Thank heaven for little girls.

 

Specific Science Center

To be more "specific" with Sam's 2 front teeth still MIA the Specific Science center sounds even more charming. That kid loves that place. To interest him in going 14 nights without a wet diaper we promised him a visit to Pacific Science Center. Well he has surpassed Dave and my greatest expectations and we are now a diaper free family! Just our little way of going just a little more "green". Thank you Sam for providing us a way to be little more politically correct.  

So most kids, I would say would rather visit the zoo--not Sam--not that he has such a love for learning, I'm not quite certain he does, but the

 PSC has a giant robot that will play tic tac toe against you. Mind you he's not the only child there that enjoys challenging the robot, the line is always long, but he may be the most patient. Far more patient then myself. I'd much rather go see the liquid nitrogen show. Fabulous! To be fair, Sam too enjoyed that little venue but one could tell his heart still belonged to Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto in the other room. I feel bad, I only got a picture of him operating Mr. Roboto's cousin the robotic backhoe which he likes just fine but Sam is a competitor and the backhoe is a piece of cake to captain. No one actually wins either.

So my second favorite place at PSC is the butterfly room. Sam too likes it but what is really cool is being able to hold a giant cockroach. Gross. I can see in the picture he doesn't really look all that thrilled but going through the butterfly after having a this little anthropoda climbing

up his arm. Did you know a cockroach can live an entire week with his head "cut" off because his brain is not in his head? It's spread out through his entire body! And this little fact is for Matt. A female cockroach mates only once in her life and is pregnant the rest of her life. Yikes. How's that for married bliss? Apparently, she's pretty heartless as well. Her heart is really a simple tube with valves that run blood back and forth. The heart could stop beating causing the insect no harm. Gross. 
Still I must add, of late I've been a little concerned of the soy Sam's been ingesting since, well, he could eat solids--1 year. And you know what "they" say about too much soy for the male gender.....There's a good chance he'll be a little light in his loafers. I mean when the boy's report card praises his skill of chopping, dicing and sewing, yet nary a word of his prowess in reading, writing or arithmetic, a mother starts to question which way the pendulum will "swing" (so to speak) So I was a playing the part of the disgusted mother but inside my heart was leaping with joy that he was certainly all boy.......He showed not an inkling of aversion in allowing that 6 legged creature to climb all over him. Rather quite the opposite. I believe if the PSC worker guy would have allowed he would have been living happily as our new pet. Thank goodness for small favors.