making the move...

Please note that I made the move to Wordpress.

New blog address: http://barsottiblog.wordpress.com

Please update your readers/RSS feeds/email subscriptions/bookmarks/yadda yadda yadda :)

See you on the other side!

random ramblings...Friday edition

I know, you're so excited that you can hardly contain yourselves!

Last night's Project Runway...LOVE! Tim Gunn is a-maze-ing. This is such a great season!

This post by Anna Maria Horner had me in tears. (Somewhat) unrelated: I want this chair.

The new kitchen has a stainless fridge, which is OK, but I can't use magnets on it. I think I might copy this idea to use for the weekly menu/to do list.

In need of a laugh? This is guaranteed to give you a chuckle.

We had these for dinner last night. I used ground turkey instead of beef...mmmmmmm...

I'm realizing that in the past 6 months, Ava has gone through TWO shoe sizes. Mercy.

And while we're at it, Emily has gone from world's easiest child to world's most spirited child. I'm sure my mother thinks it's just karma...she's probably right. As usual.

While I'm loving the new zoo, children's museum, science museum, etc. here in the greater Seattle area, I'm not loving that you have to pay to park everywhere. Oh well...thus is big city living, right?

One of these days, I will make it to the Cake Spy shop. Twice now, we've missed it. So...third time's the charm!

things that make me happy

Cheese. Pure and Simple.

Sneaking up on moments like this:

Playing tourist:

My college dorm cork board repurposed:

Honey taste-testing:

this lovely bouquet:

peskies:

a trip to the beach with these two:

(oh, and picnik...love it!)

it's almost boot season!

What's making you happy today?

meal plan monday

August 23 - August 29

MONDAY
Breakfast: cereal, fruit
Lunch: out with friends
Dinner: eggs benedict with smoked sturgeon, salad

TUESDAY
Breakfast: oatmeal, fruit
Lunch: turkey wraps, chips, veggies
Dinner: grilled Vietnamese pork with rice vermicelli and pickled cucumbers and carrots

WEDNESDAY:
Breakfast: brown rice pudding with fruit
Lunch: smoked chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, veggies, chips
Dinner: caprese panzanella, lemon pepper tilapia

THURSDAY:
Breakfast: yogurt, granola, fruit
Lunch: roast beef sandwiches, pickles, veggies
Dinner: chicken tacos, salad, black beans, rice

FRIDAY:
Breakfast: eggs, toast, fruit
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: BBQ chicken pizza, spinach salad, roasted veggie

SATURDAY:
Breakfast: waffles, sausages, fruit compote
Lunch: picnic with friends
Dinner: graze platter: roasted eggplant bruschetta, cheese, meats, olives, salad

SUNDAY:
Breakfast: eibelskiver, fruit
Lunch: sandwiches, soup, salad
Dinner: bbq meatballs, mashed potatoes, roasted cauliflower and broccoli


Extras:
Oatmeal honey bread, blackberry cornmeal muffins, peach cobbler

summer yummies

This is one of our favorite summer meals:

Corn Cakes with Prosciutto Salad
adapted from Donna Hay's New Food Fast

Ingredients:

1 cup AP or WW pastry flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t coarse salt
2 eggs
1 t ground cumin
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
2 cups corn kernels, fresh if available

6 ounces baby spinach or arugula
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil
8 slices prosciutto
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
good quality olive oil

Method:

In a blender, combine the first 6 ingredients until well blended. Add the corn, blend again until the corn is roughly chopped.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto a heated, oiled griddle and cook for 3 or 4 minutes per side.
Place a corn cake on each plate, top with greens, mozzarella, tomatoes, and prosciutto. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with a bit of olive oil if desired. Top with another corn cake.

playing with our food

I recently bought a set of food safe markers (kind of like these) and we've been having fun decorating our food with them. On this particular day (which happened to be Emily's birthday), we decorated circles of fondant to put on top of cupcakes. This was a really fun activity for the girls, and a lot less mess for me to clean up than when they are allowed to use sprinkles!

Ava's cupcake:

the cupcake I made for Joel:

Emily's cupcake is the one with the 3 on it (I used a fondant cutter, she did the coloring):

it's not summer without...

Rocket pops!