Soup Weather

I've been ready for some soup weather, so I'm hoping that making soup will encourage it to head our way. (that's how it works - right?) It's been cooler at night the past few days, so that's a start. Tonight I made a double batch of lentil soup. It was so fantastically awesome - I'm glad there is more for another day! yay! This soup is packed full of flavors with its leeks and bacon and slight vinegary zing. It's a recipe my mom has been making forever that I didn't appreciate quite as much when I was younger. (One of those foods you don't realize you miss until you're on the other side of the country and it makes the list of "foods to make Mom cook when she visits")

Lentil Soup

from McCall's Cookbook, Random House c.1963

• 1/2 lb. Lentils
• 4 Bacon slices
• 1 Cup Chopped Leek
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Onion - one onion
• 1/4 Cup Chopped carrot - one carrot
• 3/4 Cup Chopped Green Pepper
• 3/4 Cup Chopped Tomato
• 3 Tbs  Butter or Margarine
• 3 Tbs  Flour
• 1 can (10.5oz) Condensed Beef Boullion, undiluted or equivalent of water and bullion cubes  (mom uses "a heaping cup of water and 2 heaping teaspoons of beef bouillon stuff")
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 Tbs Vinegar

1) Wash lentils. Put them in 5 cups cold water in a large kettle. Bring to boil.

2) Reduce heat; simmer covered 1 hour.

3) Meanwhile, cut bacon into small pieces; sauté in large skillet until crisp.

4) To bacon in skillet, add leek, onion, carrot, pepper and tomato; sauté over low heat about 5 minutes.

5) Combine with lentils in kettle.

6) Melt butter in same skillet. Remove from heat

7) Stir in flour until smooth; then gradually stir in boullion.

8) Add salt and vinegar; bring to boiling point, stirring. 

9) Pour into Lentils; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

random acts of randomness

So in order to rid our shelves of some books and movies, I joined PaperBack Swap and SwapADVD. I realize this might not work to decrease the number of books and DVDs, but at least we can trade for something we want to watch or read. I sent off my first 2 DVDs today and felt like there should be something more than just the movies in the package....

I'm looking forward to shipping out some more randomness!

more apron making

Danielle told me in advance (more than 6 months in advance) that she wanted me to make her an apron for her birthday.  The other sisters have already been outfitted in aprons, so hers was LONG overdue. I used the criss cross apron pattern again and she seems to be happy with it. We also did a lot of girly fun things for her birthday - like pedicures, face masks, lots of pinning and style quizzes. It was a fun weekend!

FAIL!

This is what I'd envisioned for the finished product

Danielle requested a lemon icebox cake for her birthday this year, and I love trying out a new recipe, so I jumped right in.  Of course I didn't leave it as the instructions said to make it.. SURELY it would be better with some lemon curd added to the filling... right?

Well, I don't think I understood how lemon juice thickens sweetened condensed milk. And I had no idea that adding nice thick lemon curd would actually thin it right back out. Who knew? That combined with a very light and crumbly box cake mix meant my four 9" layers of lemony perfection turned into this:

fail.

They were unceremoniously smashed into a 9x13 and coated with lots of lemony icing to hide my shame.




It was still yummy though!

Kindergartner

Oscar has been in kindergarten for a month now, and is loving it.  He has the same teacher that Jeremy had for kindergarten, so she is parent tested and approved.  Here are a few pictures of his first day of school.

and his very first school lunch and snack.

Inside Oscar's PlanetBox

 

So here is a bit more about Oscar's PlanetBox, since it's awesome. He's got the rocket magnet set, blue carry bag and the ice pack to go with. There is a elastic place for his napkin and silverware. He loves taking his lunch to school and eating healthy foods to help him grow big muscles. He makes me very proud with some of his food choices, he even said it would be ok if I didn't put a treat in EVERY day.

During summer crafty days I pieced him together some napkins. Mom is worried that they will get tossed in the trash on accident, but since there is no other trash to throw out, I'm optimistic. 

 Here are a couple lunch examples from everyday, not as cool as batman, lunches. I can squeeze a massive amount of fruit and veggies in this, and most of the time it comes back empty. (there were a few times he said he ran out of time because he was talking to his friend, which I totally believe because he loves to talk.. and talk and talk and talk.)

I believe that top sandwich is egg salad on pumpernickel, and then bottom wrap might be orange glazed chicken with veggies. I made some teeny tiny cookies that fit in the treat section, and he loves cucumbers with carrot compartments. Lunch packing is a major time suck in the evenings, but so far we're all loving it (Jeremy included, since I'm packing his now, too).

Batman Lunch

Oscar started kindergarten at the beginning of August, so he needed some sort of lunch box device. We settled on a PlanetBox, and I'm LOVING it. (and i think oscar likes it too...) I generally do a protein/grain combo, cheese, veggie, two fruits and a small treat. Tomorrow night, Jeremy and Oscar are going to be renting Batman and Robin and having a sleepover, so Jeremy requested that I make Oscar a Batman lunch. He's got  grapes, cucumber strips with cheese letters, bat shaped PB&J, cantaloupe bats and some chocolate chips. It's definitely not as awesome as this, but it was fun!