They Start So Young…

Nicholas went on his first field trip today and had a blast. The Husband accompanied him … gotta love a guy that would go on a field trip with some 30+ preschoolers on a bus, topped off by being the only Dad that went. :) Nicholas partnered with one of his “girlfriends” today on the field trip, Isabela.

Young Love

The Husband overheard a conversation between them:

“Do you like me?” Isabela to Nicholas
“Yes, I like you. Do you like me?” Nicholas to Isabela

What?! When did young love start so … well … young? I don’t remember the first time I started to think about boys, but I can guarantee you it wasn’t at three years old! I can see we’re going to have our hands full with our little Romeo … too cute!

For tonight’s dinner, I HAD A PLAN! Ahhh, things always go much more smoothly when you have a plan. I made Brazilian Spare Ribs and The Husband made his House Specialty Yellow Rice. A perfect combination, and a great meal. The rib recipe was SO simple to make, and the meat fell off the bone. The soy sauce gives it a nice ting, but at just the right subtlety that it doesn’t overpower. I doubled the recipe, knowing The Husband’s penchant for ribs. Because of this, the water didn’t cook off the way it should have, so after the 25 minutes, I transferred the ribs to another pan, no liquid, and browned all sides. I then put a little bit of the cooking liquid in that pan and caramelized it and poured it over the finished ribs.

Nicholas’ “kids” birthday party is tomorrow. I know one of the mothers that is coming likes a Strawberry Bread that I’ve made before, so I made a batch to bring her some. Dashed out tonight to pick up a bunch of Elmo balloons, the birthday cake and already have the favors, so I should be all set.

Strawberry Bread

The comment section of yesterday’s post was quite the happening spot. Through the kindness of strangers (thanks, Tami!), I think I might be getting my much-sought-after anti-gravity chairs shipped to me from AZ, and it looks like Jen and Stephanie have a trade worked out with cinnamon chips. I love the cooking community … whether it’s chairs or chips, we’ve got each other covered! :)

OK, head’s pounding, so I’m off to pop some Tylenol and call it a night. The house is quiet, so I’m going to take advantage of that and catch up on some of my Tivo. Until tomorrow…

Strawberry Bread
(makes 2 loaves)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh chopped strawberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

In large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Add egg and oil; mix well. Stir in berries and nuts until evenly distributed – batter will be thick. Grease & flour two 9″ loaf pans and divide batter evenly into each. Bake at 350 approx. 1 hour. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Brazilian Ribs
10 pork spareribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 lime, juiced
10 sprigs fresh cilantro
ground black pepper to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place the spare ribs into a large pot, and fill with just enough water to cover. Add the soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, lime juice and 3/4 of the cilantro. Bring to a boil, then boil uncovered over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated, about 25 minutes. When all of the water is gone, remove the bay leaves, and allow meat to brown, turning occasionally. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits and softened garlic from the bottom of the pot, and toss them with the pork. The garlic will dissolve onto the meat. Remove the meat, and drain on paper towels. Season with black pepper and garnish with lime wedges and remaining cilantro.