Swallow-ing

Did you have a nice weekend?  I hope so.  My weekend included several unusual adventures.  Most notably, a pair of barn swallows moved into one of the eaves on our front porch.  A pair visited us a couple of years ago and built a nest in the exact same spot ~ perched in the corner above our front door.  It was fascinating to watch them assemble their mud nest, keep watch over their eggs, and then feed their babies. 

This weekend the current pair of swallows laid a mud foundation for the nest they were planning to construct over our front door.  While I was pleased to see the swallows back again, discovering their blueprints for our front porch was bitter-sweet.  I'm all for experiencing nature close to home, but these things are messy!   I'm pretty sure that regularly cleaning bird droppings from our front door is NOT a hobby I want to re-visit in my current condition.  So I made an executive decision.  The birds can stay, but not directly over our front door.  The only problem is how to explain that to our new avian friends.

I read online that swallows will sometimes take up residence in a location you select.  All you have to do is build a little next box and place the prime real estate in a prime location at the same time you knock down the old nest.  My resourceful hubby got to work.

He sawed.  He measured.  And finally, he glued the nest together with wood glue.

The nest box is now sitting in another, much more desirable, corner of our porch.  We left it a bit dusty so the birds would find the barn-i-ness they are looking for. Then I spread some bird seed on the nearby ledges.  I wanted to be neighborly, afterall.

I hope the darling swallows aren't too terribly offended that we disassembled the start of their first nest.  The spot we've made for them really does have a lot to offer.  Now that everything is in position  and our For Rent sign has officially been hung, all we can do is wait.

Meatless Mondays: Start it out right!

I am a huge believer in breakfast, probably because my body seems to be programmed to eat a full meal within a few hours of waking up.  (I wake up hungry, people, hungry!)  In my experience, it's important to eat healthy (and hearty!) in the morning to start a day out right. 

As a vegetarian, I also find it's important to be sure there's a decent dose of protein in every meal, including breakfast.  Don't be fooled - "vegetarian protein in the morning" does not necessarily have to mean eggs.  In fact, I find that I can get a nice dose of protein simply by eating whole grains. 

This weekend I whipped up my first batch of baked oatmeal, which I've been reading about all over the internet.  I used a very basic recipe, and I look forward to jazzin' it up in future versions with some dried or fresh fruit and other flavor combinations. 

Oatmeal has a nice dose of protein built right in, plus it makes a great base to combine with other protein sources.  By my count a serving of this baked oatmeal recipe has about 5 grams of protein (based on a 12-serving recipe), which isn't bad for something that smells as good as a freshly baked oatmeal cookie! 

This morning I had it with yogurt and berries, which was great.  Tomorrow I might try it with warm milk, which I imagine will be closer to a true bowl of oatmeal.  The oatmeal-dairy combo puts my protein tally closer to 12 grams, which I consider to be quite respectable for breakfast.

In case I'm selling this stuff short, this recipe is truly enticing!  It absolutely smelled like a cookies as it baked.  I was thrilled when it won over my hubby, who typically turns his nose at traditional oatmeal.  Plus, it satisfied my morning sweet tooth without being quite as sweet as an actual cookie.  I'm the queen of leftovers, so I was doubly pleased to discover how well it warmed up in the toaster oven the next day.  Yay for a week of baked oatmeal!

Baked Oatmeal - the Basic Recipe
Serves 8-12

• 3 cups oatmeal
• 3/4 brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.  Mix all of the ingredients together.  Pour into a buttered 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

A Nod to St. Patty's Day

I won't comment on the fact that I barely post anymore.  Really, I won't.  I also won't comment on the fact that this blog has become a holiday blog, at best.  Nobody wants to read about my regrets or my promises to do better, right?  OK, good.  I'm glad we're clear on that.

This year St. Patrick's Day is all about beer at our house.  My home-brewing hubby decided to host a home-brew day with buddies from his home-brew club. Can you tell there's a lot of home-brewing happening around here these days?

I wanted to pay a tiny tribute to St. Patrick's Day, and I figured the best way to get a bunch of home-brew guys on board was to . . . well, add some home-brew of course.  So, out popped this chocolate stout cake.

All I did was pull a chocolate cake mix from my cupboard and replace the milk with my hubby's home brewed stout.  The package called for 1 1/4 cups of liquid, so there was quite a bit of beer in my version.  It was a little frothy as it mixed up, and you could definitely smell the aroma of the stout as it cooked.

I didn't want the beer to be overpowering, so I topped it with a straight-up chocolate frosting.  I used the frosting recipe on the cake mix box, which turned out to be extra chocolate-ly.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chocolate Frosting
Makes enough to ice 2 - 9" x 13" cakes or a 2-layer cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. brewed coffee
• 1 tbsp. vanilla

Mix the butter, coffee, vanilla, and cocoa until blended.  Add in sugar and milk, alternating between the two as you mix on medium speed.  Then mix on medium-high for 2 minutes.  Spread the frosting on your cake. 

So Saucy

{Green Bean Casserole}

I have a new secret sauce. I think it's pretty great, but my hubby absolutely loves it. He's always had a taste for creamy sauces ~ alfredo, bechamel, creamy pesto. Basically, if there's cream in it he loves it. Of course this hasn't always worked out so well for him. I mean, a busy dad can only squeeze in so many runs to stay ahead of the cream sauces. You know what I mean!

This creamy sauce isn't actually creamy ~ its texture comes from someplace other than cream. It has very little fat and lots of flavor, not to mention a dose of protein and fiber. So far I've used it with veggies and as a pasta sauce. Success, success, success! I plan to continue adapting this recipe for as many uses as I can. Tonight I'll share my basic recipe, and I'll share a few of my variations soon.

Consider trying it out. I think you'll be surprised how flavorful and satisfying it is ~ especially when you don't feel like running off a real cream sauce!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Garlic and Herb "Cream" Sauce

• 1 15 oz. can canellini or white kidney beans, undrained
• Up to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Up to 2 tsp. of dried herbs (try thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, or a combination)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  

Place all ingredients in a blender (or use a hand blender) and blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy. It's that simple!

Why I Love Spring

~The swish of pretty spring dresses~

~The sunny flowers my hubby brings home~

~The tea parties~

Questions

I am in the habit of asking my hubby silly questions on topics that I know he doesn't care about. Sometimes I do this because I really am desperate for advice. Other times I do it just because I know he'll have some funny response. And sometimes I do it truly out of habit, without thinking about whether or not he'll actually have input on what I'm asking. I asked one of these "habitual" questions last night as I was writing out a card for one of my friends. He was in the process of setting up his new Wii at the time.

Me: Hey, do you think that JW will like this card?
Hubby: Sure.

[He hadn't even looked over, so I was sure that he hadn't even thought about his response.]

Me: No, I'm serious. Does it look like something she would like?

[I held out a card with a dress on it. He looked.]

Hubby: Yeah, probably. I mean, I guess it looks more like your friend MK than your friend JW, but she'll still probably like it.
Me: Huh? What do you mean?
Hubby: You know. MK is more likely to wear something more sleek and streamlined. JW's skirts are broader and more poofy. MK is much more likely to wear that exact dress. But I think JW would like the dress also.
Me: [speechless]

Who knew my hubby paid such close attention to my friends' fashion sense?

Ooey Gooey

My hubby's birthday was last weekend, so my toddler and I set out to make him a special birthday treat. I settled on a recipe from here for a Snicker's ice cream cake.


I've never made an ice cream cake before, but I will definitely be doing this again. First of all, this recipe was truly decadent. It took less time than making a real cake. And, as an added bonus, I didn't have to use the oven at all. That makes it perfect for my toddler-assistant, and a great hot-weather dessert. (Note to self: remember this in August. Please!)

To make the cake we mixed chocolate ice cream with creamy peanut butter. Then we layered it with cookies and caramel. I added a few special touches of my own, including crushed, salted peanuts to the caramel layer and a few chocolate chips on the bottom of the pan. My toddler put her mark on the cake by arranging the cookies in her own charming way.


You'll see it's not the prettiest of desserts.


But my, was it tasty. Do you see the parts that are oozing a bit? That's the caramel layer. Yum!

Oh, the Symbolism

A couple of weeks ago I bought an amaryllis bulb and planted it with my toddler. It was a fun little project, and it's been exciting to watch it grow. What I didn't expect was how symbolic this little living thing would become.

For me this bulb represents both tradition and the passage of time. My mom had an amaryllis that grew in our yard each year at our home in Houston, and I always loved watching it shoot from the ground and grow into a beautiful winter flower. Now it reminds me of the coming holiday and my *much needed* break from school.

For my daughter, this plant represents responsibility. When we planted it we talked about how things grow, and specifically about how plants need soil, water, and light. It's so dark when we get home in the evenings, that she becomes concerned about there being no sunlight for the flower. So she sits there a while each night, helping it out a bit.


It seems to be working because the amaryllis is growing quickly.


Very quickly, in fact.


Which brings me to the plant's final meaning. You see, each time my hubby looks at this innocent little bulb he gets spooked. It seems to be growing right before our eyes. If you look away and look back, it's taller. So to my hubby, this seemingly harmless amaryllis represents....well, FEAR.

Dating

Dating is not what it used to be. My husband and I are high school sweethearts, so our first dates were “school dance dates,” complete with silly pictures and everything. Eventually we had traditional “grown up dates.” You know, like “movie dates,” “pool hall dates,” “concert dates,” “fancy restaurant dates,” and even “opera dates.” Then when our daughter was born, my husband and I started going on “house dates.” We would make some special meal or order takeout and have wine or cocktails. And we’d really try to savor the evening, just enjoying each other’s company. It was surprisingly fun.

But dating has changed again. Sure, we still do “house dates,” but I also find myself planning dates with my daughter. We make some special dessert or watch a ballerina movie. I try to squeeze in dates with girlfriends, and we go out for lunch or drinks. And I also arrange playdates for my daughter and a friend to get together as often as possible. Sure, dating is not what it once was, but it’s still pretty darn fun. Maybe MORE fun since it involves a little more creativity.

Strangely, I had already written this post when I came home and found this surprise from my husband, which I think will be tonight’s date:



So what was your last date like? High school dance, takeout, or a ballerina movie?