Pebble Beach

I am reluctant to even talk about this amazing trip, spoiled rotten with the opportunity to go to a place like this and see this part of our country.

But there have been picture requests, so I thought I'd share some of my favorites.  Scott and I headed out to Pebble Beach for a few days in the middle of the month, with a ministry called Equip.  Scott played golf and I enjoyed lots and lots of time by. my. self.   Which was heavenly.  

There were many opportunities for the two of us to connect though, we had a memorable dinner at The Inn at Spanish Bay our first night and spent the afternoons tooling around the Peninsula exploring the coastline and taking pictures.  

We built our own tower on the actual "Pebble Beach"

Standing on the 18th green of the historic course, breathtaking! 

My eyes just ate up the sights and sounds of the coastline.

The beach at Carmel, my newest favorite city in the US.

The Lone Cypress on a foggy afternoon

And every night, a bagpiper walks on a stone path, along the golf course at Spanish Bay, playing a selection of hymns and tunes, and then finally stands behind the hotel and plays as the sun sets into the Pacific.  You can order a glass of wine and sit beside a firepit to enjoy the experience.  I cried, it was so beautiful.

Pumpkin Bars

Well Halloween is almost upon us and my world is surrounded by all things pumpkin.  Literally.  Scott counted 68 gourd-related items strewn haphazardly about the house.

Anyways, I was looking for something pumpkin-y to make for Bible Study this past Thursday and decided to try a new recipe, (to me at least) it's been around and comes from the highest possible source: Mary Gieser.  I added a bit of sugar to the frosting and increased the cream cheese, but aside from that, it's all Mary.

Three really nice things about this recipe: it makes a ton, filling a half sheet/jelly roll pan; it uses an entire can of pumpkin; and third, you can make it the day ahead of time with no discernible difference, perfect for a Halloween party.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 & 2/3's cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 (15 oz) can of plain pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven 350 degrees.  Spray a metal half sheet pan (or jelly roll pan) with Pam.  In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin until it's well mixed.  In a separate small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and then add them to the wet.  Mix thoroughly.  Spread the batter evenly into the pan.  Bake for 25-30 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool the bars completely.

As the bars bake, make the Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer until smooth.  Slowly add in the remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy.  Use it to frost the bars when they're cool.

These are delicious, delicate with a strong flavor of pumpkin.  Closer to a cake then a cookie, but you can still pick it up with your hand.  Try them!

My Latest Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie

So I'll admit it, I am not a monogamous chocolate chip cookie baker.  I bounce around from recipe to recipe, trying different ingredients and techniques in search of the holy grail: the perfect cookie.  A cookie that is rounded and moist in the middle, doesn't spread too much while baking, uses really good chocolate and stands up well to travel.

I've settled into a committed relationship with an adaption of Thomas Keller's Chocolate Chip cookie, out of his Ad Hoc cookbook.  Chef and Owner of The French Laundry in Napa Valley, Bouchon in New York and Vegas and a few other notable places, this guy obviously knows his stuff.(This being the understatement of the year.)  I, however do not have time to chop up a 55% chocolate bar and a 70-72% chocolate bar, SIFT THE CRUMBS out to keep the cookie looking "clean", and other such nonsense.  So here is my version.  I hope you enjoy.

2 & 1/3 cups flour, plus 1 TB.
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. good vanilla

6 oz. semi sweet Ghiradeli chocolate chips

6 oz. 60% chocolate Ghiradeli chocolate chips (to taste, sometimes I add more, eyeball it)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the first three dry ingredients in a small bowl.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle beat the butter on medium spead until smooth but not creamed.  Add the sugars and mix, don't beat too much air into it.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egss, one at a time, beating until mixed.  Add the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Add the chocolate chips.  

Using a small ice cream scoop (2 TB size) scoop balls of dough onto a wax paper covered rimmed baking sheet.  Fill the sheet with balls and then stick it in the freezer until they are frozen fairly solid.  Dump them all in a zip lock bag to store in the freezer, or bake them from frozen form on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for five minutes, one sheet at a time, then rotate the cookie sheet and bake another 4 & 1/2 or 5 minutes.  

A Very Serious Ring Bearer

Next Saturday Sam will be the ring bearer in our cousin Ally's wedding, the one where she's marrying our other cousin (third one from the other side), Ben.  We take our official wedding roles very seriously around here.

Sam is very excited and proud of his new "man" clothes.  I however, am overwhelmed with all the new components to worry about: man socks, man shoes, a mini-man belt, a dress shirt, tie, vest, jacket, and then, of course, the most important piece of the equation:

This bag of carefully chosen jelly beans that will be waiting for him at the end of the aisle, dangled by his beloved aunt "Gecka" in the pew, where he will sit and eat them quietly for the duration of the ceremony.  If all goes according to plan.  Is that ok with you, Jess?  I forgot to ask.  Ha ha.

"How slow do I need to walk, Mom?"  "How far do we need to walk to the wedding?"  "Can I throw the pillow?"  These are a few of the questions being asked currently.

We will keep you updated as to how it goes.  Stand by.

Early Christmas Card

Just kidding. TOTALLY kidding.

In August, I co-hosted a bridal shower for a my sweet cousin Ally who is marrying a third cousin of mine (no relation to each other, I swear!) this October.  Sam gets to be the ringbearer.  He has a tiny suit and purple tie.  More on that to come I'm sure.

  

It was a magical day, my mom and dad hosted it at their house and the yard was like something out of a magazine.  Ally glowed the entire time, and her future mother-in-law, Anita, took most of these pictures.  She is an amazing artist, I wish I could BE her sometimes.  Check out some of her pictures on her blog.

Also for fun, can you tell which pictures Anita took and which are mine?  I'll give you a clue: it ain't hard.

And just for fun, here's the menu:

-Austin's pulled pork on hawaiian rolls, coleslaw and pickles on the side

-Golden Corn Summer Salad

-Aunt Cindy's Broccili Salad with Ramen Noodles

-Ina Garten's guac, chips and homemade salsa

-Teeny tiny pecan pies, black bottom cheesecake cupcakes, 

raspberry shortbread cookies and mini Baked brownies 

And So It Begins

Or began, I should say.  I meant to post this back on September 8th.  

Sam had his first ever soccer game earlier this month.  The first of what feels like 10,000 that potentially lie in front of us.  It was pure comedy gold, screaming and cheering and crying because the other team was SO pitifully bad that Skip (Scott's twin brother, the head coach) finally took three of his own players out and left only his son Spencer (above) on the field to face six players of the opposing team.

Spencer still scored.  

It was 27 to 0.  The coaches decided to get on the field and help the blue team's cause.  It involved: holding onto the back of the yellow team's jerseys to keep them from the ball, kicking the ball to the blue team, Scott carries a poor sweet crying girl in his arms, running with her down the field, dribbling to the goal, stopping the ball, sets her down behind it and watches proudly as she timidly tapped it into our goal.  A girl from the opposing team, mind you.

Every parent on the sidelines broke out into a massive roar of support for her.  She tearfully ran to her mom with her arms in the air, "I did it Mommy!"  I may have cried a little.  

What I learned: preschool soccer is awesome; that Sam hates it when I yell for him or any other player; that he doesn't stop beaming while he's on the field; and finally, that my husband looks really really hot in his soccer shoes, Mr. Assistant Coach himself.  

Charlotte's first attempt at applying "make up"

Luckily they were the washable kind.  I think the blue and green marker on her chin really brings out her eyes, don't you?

Golden Corn Salad with Fresh Basil

This is one of those recipes that symbolizes this particular summer to me.  I had it first at a graduation party in June, then stole the recipe from Kathy who got it from Karla and made it many times myself the remainder of the summer.  Here goes:

For the salad:
8 oz. small yellow potatoes or small red potatoes
3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cups assorted tear drop cherry tomatoes, halved
1 & 1/2 cups chopped red pepper
6 cups arugula (or mixed spring lettuce, I like the latter better I think)
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves (the more the better)
2 oz. goat/blue/feta cheese

For the dressing:
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 TB. white balsamic vinegar (I used an awesome cranberry pear white balsamic from this great store in our town, The Bleu Olive)
1 TB. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 TB. extra virgin olive oil

Place potatoes in a small saucepan, cover with water.  Bring to a boil, cook 11 minutes or until tender.  Drain and chill.  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.  Combine potatoes, corn, tomatoes and bell pepper in a large bowl.

Combine shallots and the next 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Slowly pour oil into shallot mixture, stirring constantly.  Drizzle over corn mixture, toss well.  Add lettuce, toss.  Sprinkle with basil, top evenly with cheese.

Shots from the Pool

Summer is almost over.  And what a summer it was.  Sam starts preschool on the 7th, so we still have a few days to enjoy picnics in the park and doing basically whatever we want each day.  Most of this summer was spent at the pool, Sam learned to swim and to dive (kind of, see below) and Charlotte showed off six different bathing suits, most of which were inherited.  We knew the lifeguards by name and had our favorite lunches that I packed each day.  Lord knows I'll probably never have a tan like this one again.  

"Do I look a little hippy in the pink one, Mom?"  "No?  Great."

This little blue ring MADE OUR SUMMER pretty much.  Sam wore an identical one until the beginning of June this year, Little Swimmers makes it and you can buy it online at Target.  Charlotte got the hang of it at 15 months and it sure buys you some peace of mind as you frantically try to keep a toddler and preschooler within your sight at the pool.  Good news is that you can slowly deflate it too, so they work harder to keep themselves afloat as they get older.  Don't tell Charlotte that though.

"Look Mom!  I dived!  My belly hurts."  

Marigolds

I have been severely absent these past few months, haven't I?  Busy at the pool, running after the 18 month old who thinks she can swim and trying to keep the four year old from hoarding all the dive rings.  In between all that, I was able to get away by myself, for the first time in almost four years.  More on that later, but these pictures make me feel happy, so I thought I'd share them first.  Marigolds, growing at the base of the coastal mountains near San Luis Obispo, CA.  

And, the colors make me think of FALL, which is only days away in my book.  No worries, my pumpkins are already out.

My First Experience with 911

We awoke abruptly this morning to an ominous, alien-spaceship-sounding, deep HUM.  And the power in our house surged and flickered.

Thinking immediately of the large tree limb that had landed on the live power lines right in front of our house in the wake of Monday's damaging storm, Scott raced to the window in Sam's bedroom above the porch to see what happened.  

He was greeted by 5 and 6 foot red flames, coursing up from the spot where a now downed live wire danced madly, eight feet from our rotting wood porch.

I cannot describe to you the adrenaline rush created in me at the sound of my husband's voice yelling "Fire!  Fire!  Get Charlotte!" at 7 am in the morning.  It's not a wave I'd like to ride again.

I bolted out of bed, raced into the baby's room, yanked her bleary-eyed from her crib, grabbed the phone and dialed 911 for the first time in my life.

It rings forever, ringing and ringing.  Scott is still running around the house, Sam in his arms, yelling "Fire!" over and over again.  I think he was trying to alert our neighbors?  A nice lady answers and I garble into the receiver, "There's a downed wire in front of our house!  Fire!  Big flames!  Scary!" and helpful information of that nature, as I pound down the stairs.

She asks something repeatedly, and I can't quite hear her over the sound of Scott still yelling "FIRE!"  I think she asks, "MA'AM, is your HOUSE ON FIRE."  

All I can say is "I don't know!  I just hear my husband screaming 'fire'!"  And at this point I'm down the stairs, Charlotte in my arms, out the side door, attempting to peek around the front of our house to see if the flames have actually touched it yet.

Aaaand the flames are just about out.  Maybe 6 inches off the ground at this point.  I come out of my adrenaline stupor enough to answer the woman, "No.  The house is not on fire."  

In a few minutes, police men surround us, fire engines on either side of the block.  I am still in my jammies, hadn't even gone to the bathroom, fully bed-headed and complete with stinky morning breath, holding Charlotte in her mint green sleep sack.  

The neighbors peer at us from their front porch.  And from across the street.  I guess Scott successfully alerted them.  

The police tape off our house.  The whole block.  The firemen stare at it for a while.  And then leave.  Nothing they can do unless our actual house is ON FIRE.

And the wires sizzle.  And we wait for Com Ed.  And wait.  We've been waiting since Monday morning, really, when the branch initially landed on the wires.  And the black scorched patch of ash grows.  And grows.

Still waiting at 5:04 pm.  Not sure if we should be staying here or go.  The woman at ComEd said we should stay and "monitor the situation."  Hmm.

Poor Sam is traumatized for life by all this.  His eyes were the size of saucers and he keeps asking me if the wires will "throw fire again."  We both are looking out the windows every 10 minutes, wondering if "the fire is back."

I hope not, Sam.  I sure hope not.

The Second Annual Father-Son Campout

Over the 4th of July weekend, Scott decided to run a repeat of his "summer" camp out in our backyard with Sam, this time during the actual summertime vs. October.  

Friday night ended up with a low of a steamy 82 degrees.  Both were still excited though, and made a lovely roaring fire.  It also seemed to help keep away the skunks and our resident coyote.

Sam eyes the new "jumbo" sized marshmallows.  They are truly the size of an apple.  Tough to even get in your mouth.  We managed.

It was 10:15 pm when they finally turned in, after a late night showing of the Disney movie, Tangled.  Sam fell asleep around midnight, Scott said, and was up at 5:15 am that morning with the birds.  

I, am happy to tell you, slept blissfully through the night this year, after a large glass of sangria on the couch and some late night TV.  Win-win for everyone.  

Dirt

Charlotte Grace wanted to share with you what she's into these days...

Dirt facials.

Dining on dirt.

Finger painting with dirt on our (inherited) white couches.

She highly recommends all of it.

P.S. Does anyone want the palm tree?

Fresh Corn Salad with Lime and Nectarines

This was one of those recipes that I attempted to throw together based on the memory of a salad I had long ago, at a party catered by A Movable Feast in Geneva.  It was fresh corn, diced cantaloupe (in theirs), basil I think and lots of fresh lime juice.  The combination of flavors at the height of summer was over the top with deliciousness.

Our salad last night easily rivaled it, enough so that I wanted to share.  You can add or subtract ingredients based on what you have on hand and what is ripe.  Here's what we used:

-4 ears of sweet corn, cooked but still crunchy, cut off the cob

-2 ripe nectarines, chopped small (I also had a ripe apricot that I threw in there, yum)

-1 red bell pepper, chopped small

-about 8 basil leaves, chiffonaded, more or less to taste

-salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

-the juice of one lime, or two if you want a stronger flavor, taste it before adding more

-a handful of feta cheese, to taste

-you could also add a splash of fruity olive oil, although I did not  

This would be the perfect dish to bring to a 4th of July barbecue, just about everything can be bought at Saturday's farmer's market, and it'll stand at room temperature really well.  Hope you enjoy!

A Ridiculously Amazing Weekend

I am hesitant to even talk about the pure bliss that we were able to experience last weekend, mostly for free, due to the generosity of one of the vendors Scott uses for his work.  They put us (and 250 of their other favorite independent financial advisors) up at the Peninsula Hotel for two nights.    

This was the same firm that I had worked for, years ago, as an inside wholesaler.  I was so young and obnoxious, full of blond, bubble-headed giddiness, that it made me slightly reticent to show my face as Scott's "guest."  Thankfully, everyone I ran into was nothing but gracious, and that made me realize how awesome those early years out of school really were, for many reasons.

The pool area on the 20th floor is one of the best spots in the city to nap, read a magazine, zone out, whatever.  Incredible views!

Friday morning Scott had meetings from 8:00am-2:15pm, so after joining him just for kicks for the first hour, I took the opportunity to spend time with a friend I don't see enough of, starting with a great breakfast at Pierrot Gourmet in the bottom of the hotel.  Besides the unparalleled lattes, it is a wonderful spot to pretend that you are in Paris, lolling the day away on their sidewalk cafe, chic black sunglasses come in handy.  I didn't have any, so they didn't let us sit outside.

Just kidding.  It's also a good stop for a bowl of homemade soup and good bread in the winter, really warm and cozy.  The almond croissant I tried left much to be desired, so I'd save your food calories for something else.  Or walk to Fox and Obel and get one of theirs instead.

One of the highlights of our time there was Scott's midday text to me, "I am eating lunch 8 feet from Tom Hanks.  Come to the lobby."

He took this grainy picture with his phone, under the guise of checking email, and caught poor Mr. Hanks eating something that looks delicious.  Steven Spielberg was sitting next to him, curly grey hair, wire rim glasses and a fedora on his head.  We thought they were in town to do publicity for the Larry Crowne release that weekend.

But perhaps my favorite moment of the weekend was walking to a spur of the moment dinner at Frontera Grill, just me and my best friend, a gorgeous night downtown in my favorite city.

Thanks for letting me be your "guest," honey.

Best. Prank. Ever.

I am laughing and there are tears all over my face.  Can't stop laughing.

"It's not coming!!!"  The poor kid.

Enjoy your day.

Life Right Now

Filmed back in early May, here's a picture of what happens at our house after dinner--we are cleaning up the dishes and the kids are playing and roaming.  Especially amusing is the look of fear/terror in Charlotte's eyes as Sam hugs her around the neck...around the 50 second mark.  She is a resilient child.

"Chhheeeesse!"