They both napped, at the same time, in their own beds. I think this is a first.

I should be cleaning, but instead, I ate a cookie and drank tea. It was really nice.

Grrrr...wasted food.

I'm so annoyed with myself.

Last night, I made Sushi Bowls for dinner. I like these because the are healthy, vegetarian (read inexpensive) and tasty. Hubs says they are not at all like sushi, but he loves Spicy Tuna Rolls. He's right, they are nothing Spicy Tuna Rolls. However, I really love California Rolls and I think this dinner is close to the same flavor.

Anyway, the recipe calls for nori, crumbled. We had Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed, so I just opened the package and took my kitchen scissors to it.

We're happily building our sushi bowls when Lovie takes the nori and dumps the remaining flakes on her plate...along with the DO NOT EAT packet, that has be scissored to shit. Holy crap! We all have the little silicon beads in our food. STOP EATING!!!

Bowls of delicious food wasted. Hubs said, "How did you not know that was in there?"

In my head, I said, "How do you back the blazer onto you son's car-in our driveway?"

Stuffed Wontons

I have a confession to make. While I really, really do want to feed my family healthy, made from scratch meals, I fall short of my goal often. One of my biggest weaknesses is those tasty stupid pre-packaged cheese tortellinis in the refrigerator case at the grocery store. Probably twice a month, when Hubs is working, I throw them into some chicken stock with veggies and make soup for dinner. It's so easy and it really does taste good, but I decided I can do better.

Tonight, I stuffed wonton wrappers with a mix similar to what Martha uses for her Wonton Soup.

I used ground pork, napa cabbage, green onions, ginger (oh, Martha-way too much ginger), garlic, finely grated carrot, soy sauce and sesame oil.

I filled the wonton wrappers and put them on a parchment lined, cookie sheet to freeze.

I'll just throw them in a freezer bag and they'll be ready for my next last-minute dinner throw-down.

I also made a few to fry and try. Ha!

Hubs and I dipped those golden babies in a quick sauce of sesame oil, sesame seeds and soy sauce. Thinly sliced green onion in there is great, too, but I skipped it this time. My sister-in-law is Asian and this awesome dipping sauce is a trick I learned from her.

The wontons were tasty, but I think next time I'll do a version of my sister-in-law's mondu dumplings instead.

Tricky Treat

I have been thinking a lot about traditions. The temp are cooling in Michigan and the brisk winds whisper to me: Thanksgiving, snow, Christmas...

I want so badly to create traditions and memories for my girls. Stuff they will look forward to each year and look back on when they are grown. I was feeling a little sad, like I had been letting them down-not giving them enough of what they deserve.

But the more I thought about it and started to make plans, I realized we already really do have traditions.  

Every Halloween we carve pumpkins. All of us together. Hubs even makes his son do it with us-we like to torture him every once in a while with mandatory Family Time.

Lovie is scooping in this picture, but mostly she just smacks the pumpkin over and over with her spoon.



Tootsie shoveled a handful of pumpkin guts into her mouth. It's a vegetable, right?



I carved the middle one. It's a bird.

Sister loves to stare into the pumpkin.

Here she is last year...staring. What the heck does she see in there?

Lovie was a cowgirl, because she LOVES Woody, Jessie and Bullseye

Tootsie was a fairy. What's cuter than babies in tights?

Lovie said, "Tricky Treat!"

Then she would run back to me and squeal, "Mommy! Look!"

My cowgirl with Jane and Lola-both Sleeping Beauty.

Best Effing Cake on the Planet

I'm not kidding. It may not be pretty, but oh momma, it is the most delicious cake I have ever eaten. Ever.

I found the recipe on one of my favorite blogger's page. Hers was a Plum Upside Down cake. I made it that way once, but then I had pears from my neighbor's tree to use up.

Dig’s Upside Down Cake

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar 
2 pounds Italian plums, pitted and quartered   I used pears
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350°. 

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and pour it in a 9-inch cake pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly in the dish. Arrange the plum (or pear!) wedges in the dish in several concentric circles.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. (I just put it all in my flour sifter and sift onto wax paper.)

In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the remaining stick of butter with the granulated sugar until fluffy

Organic, Creamline AND from Grass-Fed Cows?

 Be still, my heart!

Beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, until incorporated, then beat in the vanilla. Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the milk.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, stir one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites. 

Spread the batter over the plums and bake for about 55 or until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a plate. Cut the cake into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Try not to make a pig of yourself.

*I have made this cake several times and every single time I swear it is the best cake ever.