Apple Picking with Grandma and Grandpa

Now that we're in the middle of the Hudson Valley, we have tons of options. My favorite farms (those that have kid friendly activities) are on the other side of the Hudson so we decided to try a new one and one close to home. Ellsworth Farm

The corn maze was a lot of fun. We must have been in there for a half hour at least, but we did beat some of the other people. Other than that it was only OK. It was fun to get out after a week of rain and another week of rain forecasted.






The Corn Maize knocked Maddy out!

Have you seen this?

I'm patting myself on the back

It's not easy to have the desire to cook. Especially in the humidity. Especially for a usually ungrateful husband. And especially when there are 3 little ones who 90% of the time care more about putting the food back into the pans than into their tiny tummies.

Thus, much of the time, I cook for myself. Meaning, I'm going to cook something that will make me happy. Something I know I will enjoy while I listen to the rest of them whine. YES, we are eating curried chicken again!

I'm addicted to Food Network and the Cooking Channel. I have so many episodes saved so that I can remember all the recipes I want to test. The other day I was watching Tyler's Ultimate and he made pizza. Awesome! How can the girls not want to eat that?! Not to mention, we have tomatoes coming out of our ears. I miss so many things about NYC, BUT I really do love having our fresh herb and vegetable garden.

I decided to use my own sauce with nothing but fresh ingredients. I always make my own spaghetti sauce, but I use canned tomatoes and dried herbs. So I had no idea how much of this or that to use. Let me tell you, it was delish! I don't know how I'll eat other sauce again. The pizza was good too. Kids ate, I was happy. I'm patting myself on the back for a job well done!

I just got to thinking, I should make a ton and freeze it for non-tomato season. I hope I can proportionally figure everything out for a larger sauce.

2 months

Is your baby 2 months at 8 weeks or on the same day of the second month? Either way, Daisy is now 2 months. Where did the time go? In her first 3 weeks she gained 3 lbs. So I was happy to hear today, 5 and 1/2 weeks later, that she only gained 2.4. She is at a HAPPY and healthy, but chunky 13.4lbs! Just look at her arms :o]


If you're wondering, yes that is Glee in the background and Kaity and Maddy singing along.

Forced to shop online

One of the things I miss about Brooklyn/NYC is availability. ... of anything. You can find everything. I miss all the little boutiques and specialty shops.

Daisy is a sucker. She NEEDS to suck. The pacifier is her best friend. At her tender age of, (gasp, 2 months!!) she can easily toss it half way across the room with little to no effort. So I began looking for a pacifier clip. Shouldn't be so hard, right? Normally you can even find them at your grocer. Grocer, pharmacy, family dollar, didn't have em. So we went out a little farther, meaning 20 miles or so. CVS didn't have them, nor the other grocer's. Unbelievable!

I guess I should mention that I'm not just looking for any clip. I need one for a soothie, but still! It's what you get at the hospital and find at the retailers so why not clips for them?

I had to go online. I bought the soothie clip from babies r us. They sent me a blue one which is so bulky and makes it difficult for her to suck.

I thought about getting the Daisy one from Haba ...



but I knew Maddy would claim it or Kaity and Abby would break it.

So I went to etsy. I found the cutest blankies. Look at this one. Minky Binky Blankies I had a hard time choosing, I want them all, but ultimately bought the Love Birds and it's perfect. She altered it slightly for a soothie. Daisy loves it. And best of all, no more dirty pacifiers!



Look at that face! She's so chunky!!

Minty Brisket

I'm not a steak person, but I love Brisket! It's so easy because it just cooks itself. You can put it on the stove and forget about it, literally because the longer it cooks the more tender it gets.

The meat will have a minty taste, but I thought the flavors blended nicely. No, this was delish!! El said it reminded him of gum and didn't care for it. BUT, he just likes salt.

I know my recipes are vague, I'm sorry! Unless I'm baking, I don't measure anything.

Minty Brisket

Rub your beef with Garlic Powder and a little bit of Salt and Pepper. Brown a little bit of oil on both sides. Fill the pan with water til it reaches the meat half way. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer for about an hour. Then to the broth add 1 1/2 TBSP of chopped fresh chives. 2 "stalks" of fresh mint, whole; and 1 lemon, sliced. Continue to simmer for at least 2 hours til meat is fork tender.

You can leave the mint and lemon in, but I removed them to make a simple gravy. Mix equal parts flour and cold water and slowly add to boiling broth.

I wanted to serve it with this, but I couldn't make it to the store so we just had french fries. I will make these potatoes tonight with the leftovers and some asparagus cooked in garlic and olive oil. Yumm!

Success!

I made another yummy dinner. Everyone liked it.

Beef and Mushroom Sandwiches

I baked a rump roast at 325 sprinkled with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. Just before it's done, I threw in a bunch of fresh mushrooms, sliced. If there isn't much "meat juice", add some water.

Let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Slice thin.

Slice you ciabatta rolls in half. Sprinkle both sides with mozzarella cheese. More garlic powder and oregano if you like. Broil til melted.

Add beef, mushrooms with meat juice, fresh arugula, and some picante sauce (I love the heat!)

Maddy chowed down on my sandwich, the girls just got bread and butter with slices of beef. But everyone ate without me having to prepare PB&J sandwiches...thus it was a success!