#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Bhel Puri

September 1, 2005 · Narrative

The first day of our official The Husband Cooks Wednesdays. Although he does cook every now and then, it’s nice to have a set day where I don’t need to do any planning. It’s all about him. I had some chicken thighs and drumsticks in the refrigerator, so he ended up using that and making his very delicious roast chicken. Not sure about his method since he usually wings it, but it involves green olives, chicken broth, mojo and seasonings. Whatever he does, it works. He also made rice and black beans. As often as he makes that (a couple times a month), tonight was the best he’s ever made it. Now if only he would write down what he’s doing, he could reproduce it. :)

Nicholas told The Husband that his dinner was good, and I told him that every Wednesday, Daddy would be cooking dinner. Nicholas then asked if he could make dinner tomorrow night. I said sure.

“All by myself?” he asked.

 “Yes, all by yourself.”

“But I have to be careful so I don’t burn my fingers, right?”

“Yes, you do.” (Of course, we’re not going to let him anywhere near the stove by himself).

We’ll play along tomorrow to see what menu he comes up with. Brace yourselves … it could be a granola bar with yogurt drink. Healthy, yes, but we might be a bit hungry later on.

Had a few requests for the “recipe” for the Bhel Puri I made yesterday. Like asking an Italian how they make their lasagna, the more people you ask, the more different recipes you’ll get. It’s the same with Bhel Puri, which you can see by googling it. I got my recipe from our old neighbors, who are Indian, and it could not be simpler. More layering, than a recipe per se.

Put a thin layer of siev noodles on your plate (thin crunchy noodles that you can find in an Indian store).
Top with boiled, cooked potato, finely chopped (I used two potatoes for the dish pictured yesterday; enough for 2 of us)
Then add a layer of diced tomatoes (I used 3)
Add a layer of finely chopped onion (I used half an onion)
Dollop plain yogurt over it
Top with a little bit of garam masala powder (again, found in an Indian grocery store; drop me a line if you can’t find it)
Dig in!

Since today’s the last day of the month, I rounded up all the new recipes that I made for the month. I’m pretty pleased with myself – 34 new recipes! I’ve listed them below, in case you’ve missed any. If you need to find one of the recipes listed, you can type it into the search box at the top of my web site and it will use google to bring up the referenced posts.

Nicholas’ latest favorite activity is walking around with my shoes on, cracking himself up hysterically in giggles while doing it. Very cute at 3. When he’s a bit older, we’ll have to have a talk though.


Cute shoes, no?

All for tonight. Tune in tomorrow to see what Nicholas plans for dinner. Should be interesting.

August New Recipe Round-Up
Swedish Pancakes
European Chocolate Truffle Tart with Chocolate Ganache
Pommes Anna
Hickory House Barbeque Baked Beans
Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad
Melty Portobello Sandwiches
Garlic Shrimp with Chili
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Drive Your Neighbors Nuts Grilled Chicken
Roasted Olives
Grandma’s Moist Apple Cake
Buttermilk Chicken
Aussie Chicken
Herbed Zucchini Soup
Unbaked Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Chopped Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Salad
Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza
Coconut Shrimp Ceviche
Anzac Biscuits
Beer and Onion Brats
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes, Rocket (Arugula) and Parmesan
Oven Pancakes
Snapper Tacos with Chipotle Cream
Black Magic Cake
Gourmet Chicken Pizza
Cheesy Beer Spinach Dip
Macaroni and Cheese
Apple and Red Wine Braised Pork Shoulder
Easy White Chocolate Macaroons
Chopped Salad
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad
Fleas Navidad Muffins

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Jeff says

    September 1, 2005 at 1:19 am

    Those shoes are quite the fashion statement for Nicholas :p

    Kudos to The Husband for what sounds like a great job! Can’t wait to find out tomorrow what Nicholas comes up with!!

    If it were me, dinner would revolve around Oreos…..

    Reply
  2. Lex says

    September 1, 2005 at 2:21 am

    Sweetnicks,

    I googled siev noodles because I don’t know what they are and nothing came up. Can you point me in the right direction to learn about these noodles? Thanks.
    Love your site and the shoes and your little boys.
    Lex

    Reply
  3. Lex says

    September 1, 2005 at 2:22 am

    well, your one little boy. I mean to say boy’s pictures…
    Lex

    Reply
  4. Cate says

    September 1, 2005 at 2:45 am

    My bag has it spelled sIev, but I’ve also seen it spelled sev and if you google that, there’s TONS of hits. They’re thin little crispy noodle made from chick pea flour and come in cellophane bags. I’ll take a picture of my bag and put it up tomorrow. Let me know if you need more help. :)

    Reply
  5. Cate says

    September 1, 2005 at 2:46 am

    Jeff – shh about the Oreos. Nicholas is real partial to the chocolate ones. Not that I’m not, but dinner might need to be a little more than just that. ;) Fashion statement? Might be more like a fashion risk. :)

    Reply
  6. Mona says

    September 1, 2005 at 5:38 pm

    So, I noticed the beautiful bernese in the picture!
    We had one named Toby who sadly passed away last fall :(
    What’s his/her name?
    I know this is a food site, but from one berner lover to another :)
    You can also check out my nyc restaurant blog if you’re interested. Found yours off feasting in phoenix :)

    Reply
  7. Michelle says

    September 1, 2005 at 5:45 pm

    have you tried Rachel Ray’s children’s cookbook? It is rather well done and has recipe’s organized by age group. My 3-year old niece & nephew love to make pasta cheese & trees! the kids actually love to look through the book and ask ‘how old do I have to be to make this one?’. I know that Rachel Ray can be a ‘bit much’ for adults (me included), but kids really seem to love her and say what you will, her recipes do work well!

    Reply
  8. Cate says

    September 2, 2005 at 1:12 am

    Mona Li – thanks for visiting my site. I’ll add a link for you to mine. Always nice to meet another Berner fan. The one pictured with Nicholas is Eli. You can see another picture of him here:
    http://sweetnicks.blogspot.com/2005/08/dog-days-of-summer.html. We actually have two Berners, the other a female. You can see Bella in this post > http://sweetnicks.blogspot.com/2005/07/busy-day.html. She’s the one in front. I’m sorry to hear about Toby – I know how hard it is to lose a pet. I know a great rescue group, if you ever want to open up your home to Berners again (both of ours are rescues). Thanks again for dropping by!

    Michelle – that Rachael Ray book is actually the only one of hers I DON’T have, but just ordered it today. I’m looking forward to going through it with Nicholas and choosing some recipes together. Thanks for the recommendation.

    Reply
  9. Nupur says

    September 2, 2005 at 10:13 am

    You made bhel puri at home !! Thats awesome, I am very impressed! It is called “sev”, thats right.
    BTW one other darling children’s cookbook is “Pretend Soup” by Molly Katzen.

    Reply
  10. Cate says

    September 2, 2005 at 11:22 am

    Nupur – thanks for visiting, and for the tip on the cookbook. I’ll definitely check it out.

    Reply
  11. Culinarily Obsessed says

    September 8, 2005 at 5:28 am

    OoOooh those are cute shoes!! I want them..lol

    Reply
  12. Cate says

    September 9, 2005 at 1:15 am

    Culinarily Obsessed – Marshalls, $22,. They even come in lime green and pink. I was real tempted on the pink, but restrained myself.

    Reply

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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