Best Laid Plans

I am finally going to make some cheese. I eat a lot of cheese, but I've never made it before.

While I was breast feeding little Auggie I had to give up a few of my favorite things: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy and cheese. I knew that I was missing cheese, but I guess I missed it more than I realized. One day, while at Whole Foods, I found this cheese making kit and I had to have it. It has been sitting in my kitchen for months, looking at me, waiting.

Now that cheese is back on my "can eat" list, I'm going to try it out. We are also spending a lazy weekend with friends up on San Juan Island. This place always invites a lot of rest and kitchen creativity. Along with this cheese I am also going to bake up batch of G-free brownies, and my original peanut butter chip/chocolate chip cookie. One of our friends is going to try a milk poached whole chicken for dinner tonight--should be interesting.

(After a few hours)

Even the best laid plans may not work out. Due to timing issues and failing to ensure that I had all the ingredients on hand, I still have not made cookies or brownies. As for the cheese, I just got lazy. Kind of. I decided that I had to go on my all time favorite run, make a fort with Charlie and help Aug with his pulling-up-to-standing technique. Not a bad trade off. Charlie did spend some time in the garden looking for something for our table. This is what she brought in:

Alas, no baking. But, there are two whole chickens doing their thing in the two ovens. Like my best laid plans, our friend decided to not go with the milk braised chicken. Instead, one chicken is being simply roasted--always super yummy. The 2nd chicken, after being browned, is in a giant pot in the oven sitting on a pile of onions, brussels sprouts, red potatoes, carrots, white wine, chicken stock, and garlic. I love being up at the cabin.

(After a few more hours)

I was able to bake the cookies, so yummy.

Enjoy!

It's Crazy in Here

I've lost count of the number of projects/things to do residing on my counter. Here is what you don't see: post pumpkin muffin mess, dishes from the kid's dinner, my dinner prep, and a little fake Nemo fish growing in a bowl (see photo at the bottom of this post). At least I'm eyeball deep in artwork (the purple thing is Charlie's Octagon Octopus from "O" week at school).

Charlie has a new and exciting addition to her art area--a jet pack that she made at school. They are at the tail end of their solar system and space exploration series at school. For the last few weeks I have been re-learning about planets and non-planets from a preschool perspective, it's pretty interesting stuff. It might be hard to tell, but her jet pack is made from a cereal box covered with foil, Duck Tape as straps and even includes orange/red streamers representing propulsion flames. When we got home from school she put it on upside down (the flames on the top, not the bottom). I politely mentioned that it was on upside down. Well, she quickly informed me that she could wear it anyway that she wanted. I think I might be in trouble with this little one, but you gotta love her independence.

One of the best parts of my cluttered counter are the projects that are just starting to take shape. This past summer Charlie and I (mainly me) tended to our garden. As a result she is really into planting, harvesting, flowers, digging and watching seeds turn into baby plants. It will be great to watch August learn about the garden this summer--hopefully by then he will have dropped the need to put everything and anything in his mouth. Anyway, I stopped by City People's today and picked up some early Spring seeds and windowsill starting containers. As of dinner this evening we have a few different lettuce options, cilantro, green onions and (for fun) spaghetti squash seeds nicely tucked away in their little dirt beds. Grow well little seeds.

And here is Nemo.

Until next time, Enjoy.