Archives for 2011

Crafts: Scrabble Tiles + Magnets = Alphabet Magnets

August 30, 2011 · Craft Ideas, Narrative

Remember that game in school where the teacher would give you a big word and you had to see how many other words you could make out of it? That was always one of my favorite games in between tests and lessons, and I was really good at it. Still am. Not that I get a chance to practice that very often, mind you. We had a contest in 8th grade to see how many words we could make out of the word Washington. I won. The prize was a Snickers bar. The only reason I remember this is because I forgot my lunch that day, and without Washington and that Snickers bar, it would have been a very long day.

For as long as I can remember, we’ve always had alphabet letters on our fridge. When Nick was much younger, we had those Leap Frog sets where it will say the letter and sound it out and give example words, and then you could use the letters on the refrigerator to spell out words. Love Leap Frog! The Ex and I would make words and leave messages for each other. Now, you know, since we’re divorced, we kinda don’t do stuff like that. But I still do it all the time with the kids. And now Mystic.

The Leap Frog set long gone, we now have this weird collection of random wooden letter magnets that I got from a garage sale a few years ago. It wasn’t a full set at the time and with two moves since then, it has become even less full. So the challenge is even more fun. How many words can you make out of some crazy assortment of mismatched letters and not enough vowels? Mystic holds the record with six words.

I was itching to buy a new set of letters so we could all play along and spell out way more than Siam, and then I thought I would make some. In fact, I bought a package of wooden discs and some transfer letters and was just about to get started on it this weekend, but then inspiration struck. Scrabble tiles!

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Kid-Friendly Visit: Washington DC International Spy Museum

August 29, 2011 · Narrative

For the past six months or so, Nick has been obsessed with spies and espionage. Fingerprinting kits. Secret recording devices. Alarms and the like. Many items of which made his birthday list earlier in the month. I have since explained that he can take this newfound interest and parlay it into a career with the CIA, FBI or Secret Service and he was more than a little thrilled . Which makes me happy. I would love for him to have a career that he is passionate about, and although his future direction is his choice, even better if he finds something early on and can direct his decisions appropriately to follow that path.

When we were googling things to see in Washington DC for our recent weekend escape, this spy museum was one of the links that Nick found, and given his penchant for all things spy-related, it quickly got added to our must-see list. All the better to break up the monuments, historical stuff and endless walking. On this 800 block, there is the spy museum, a cafe and a gift shop, all related and connected. Is it terrible to say that we completely skipped the museum and opted for the gift shop and cafe instead? No? Good. ‘Cause that’s precisely what we did. The museum is a little on the spendy side – normally $92 for a family of four, but currently discounted to $65 (no discount for AAA) – and if I thought all four of us would get the benefit, I would have done it. But there’s a lot of reading, and I knew Madeline wouldn’t be up for it. I didn’t want to push her, nor waste my money, so we did the next best thing. We ate and shopped.

First, a quick stop in the corner Spy City Cafe for cookies, french fries and Diet Coke. We had already done all our White House and assorted other area sightseeing, so this was a perfect spot to duck in for a few minutes of air-conditioned relief and a quick snack. They have a light breakfast and lunch menu and pretty decent seating. The fries were slightly crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. The chocolate chip cookies were adored by the kids. I’ve never seen them inhale cookies so fast.

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Recipe: Cream Cheese Cookies

August 28, 2011 · Narrative

With a state-wide emergency declared on New Jersey (as well as Connecticut, New York, Virginia and North Carolina off the top of my head), we have been housebound since mid-day Saturday. I stocked up at the grocery store and we made Cheeseburger Soup (an old favorite), Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, OMG Fried Calamari, Buttermilk Pancakes, Four Ingredient Nutella Brownies, Meatloaf, steamers and Mexican Wedding Cookies. Thank God the storm has passed. Another day of being homebound and you’d have to roll me out of my front door. I totally got rid of my recent “I feel like I haven’t cooked in ages” guilt. Ten-fold. Unfortunately since we were housebound, I took hardly any pictures. I would say it’s because I was feeling lazy, but I also did four loads of the dishwasher and five loads of laundry. Oh and worked on a flooded basement. Lazy, but not so much.

So instead of a flood (no pun intended) of weekend photos, will a new recipe work just as well? I made these cookies the other night when we had our completely Pinterest-inspired meal. Mystic is quite funny on his (growing) list of what he doesn’t eat. Well, I think it’s funny. Whenever I mention it, and add something else to the list, he just rolls his eyes. Which, of course, I ignore. This is one reason why we work. Methinks. When we first started dating, he mentioned he doesn’t eat sour cream. Or cream cheese. Or yogurt. It took me a second, and then I was all “hey, you don’t eat white foods?” What? What are you talking about? “Well, everything is white. Coincidence or deliberate?” I have nothing against the color. “Ok, then.” But then, I have come to find out that he doesn’t eat rice. Or coconut. Or oats. Or eggs. Um, yeah. Totally no white food theme here, right?

Sometimes I make him try a bite of something even though it has one of his listed whites in it. When I pulled these cookies out of the oven, I waited a few minutes for them to cool. ‘Cause I’m good like that. And then I broke one in half and put it in his mouth. He shot me a look and then chewed and nodded.

“Do you like it?”

Yeah, what is it?

“Cream cheese cookies.”

He laughed. And then minutes later, I caught him sneaking another one on his own. You know, without being force-fed.

So it seems there is a tad bit of flexibility on the whole growing list of white foods he doesn’t like. Thank goodness for that because I think it’s much easier to work with someone who just doesn’t eat vegetables. Mystic’s list happens to be ingredients in a lot of stuff, and a bit more of a challenge. But he’s a good sport and while I won’t make him eat the dreaded white item on its own, mostly because I’ve grown super fond of him and would like him to stick around, I’m happy to know that he will try it as part of a greater good.

Phew.

So. These cookies? Uber-simple to make. With ingredients you likely have on hand. Don’t you just love that? They’re pretty soft on the inside with just the tiniest hint of cream cheese.

Delicate little things. But good. Just ask Mystic.

PS – If you are a Luna fan, check out the giveaway here. You just may be one of five lucky winners scoring a fun package from Luna.

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Giveaway: Luna Protein Bars

August 26, 2011 · Ad-Free, Narrative

Thank you to LUNA Protein for providing me a LUNA Protein sample pack to review. The opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint.

When I started clean eating and overhauled my whole way of thinking, one of the things I added to my cobbled together program was to have snacks in between meals. Handfuls of nuts. Hummus and whole wheat crackers. Greek yogurt. Granola bars. Frozen grapes. You get the picture. Since we’re always on the go, I also make sure to keep a stash of reasonably healthy Cate-approved snacks in my purse, work tote, car and work desk drawer. This way, there are no excuses. Well, except if I forget to replenish said stash.

The folks at Luna sent me a few of their protein bars to give a look-see. Or a bite-see. Natch. I will be the first to say, I am super picky about protein and granola bars. Mostly because a lot of them taste like cardboard. This was my first foray with the offerings from Luna. The bars are gluten-free, have 12 grams of protein, folic acid, calcium, iron and vitamin D. They are a nougat bar, which I totally wasn’t expecting and had to get used to. Mostly because my mind’s tastebuds weren’t expecting nougat chewiness. Reading the label first might have fixed that problem. I went through all the flavors and I think my favorite was the chocolate peanut butter one. You can taste the chocolate goodness on the outside with a hint of the peanut butter on the inside. I wouldn’t go so far as saying it tastes like a Reese’s Peanut Putter Cup. ‘Cause this is pretty healthy and that, um, is not. But when you have the munchies on the go, these are the perfect little thing to have within arm’s reach.

Beyond these tasty little treats, Luna has been in production for ten years now and is a company big on sustainability. I have to say, I kind of love that.

Need some Luna protein bars of your very own? ‘Tis your lucky day, my friends. Five lucky readers will receive a fun little giveaway pack from Luna. To enter, leave a comment below sharing your favorite grab-and-go snack – I love new ideas! Your comment will be your entry. You can tweet this post (and come back here to let me know) and that will count as a second entry. Contest closes at 11:59 pm on Friday, September 2nd (winner chosen by random.org), so you have all week to enter and spread the Luna goodness. Good luck and happy weekend!

Please click here to learn more about LUNA Protein. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #cleverLUNA

Proof that summer was good to us

August 25, 2011 · Photos

Less than two weeks to go until Summer 2011 draws to a close, this week we had the aftereffects of an earthquake and a hurricane on the way. But Summer 2011? We loved nearly every second of it.

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Recipe: Italian Gorgonzola Bread

August 24, 2011 · Narrative

I have one, two, three, four filing cabinets filled with paper. A lot of it are files upon files of things that I can’t shred or get rid of. You know, pesky items like IRS tax returns for the last umpteen years, life insurance policies and other high falutin’ must-save paperwork. But at least some three or four drawers are clippings I’ve culled from my magazine reading over the years. Home ideas, crafts to make with the kids, parties to have, vacations to plan, make-up ideas. And recipes. Recipes galore. But recently I have begun a giant purge. I honestly just don’t want to be burdened down by anything extra. Extra stuff. Extra papers. Just anything extra material, period. I can’t tell you how good it actually feels to take the files and heave them into the recycling cans. Totally and utterly cleansing.

But I couldn’t go completely cold turkey.

I had to have an inspiration fix in some way. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I get inspiration regularly from a multitude of sources, but I still wanted a go-to place where I could organize some favorite ideas.

When I discovered Pinterest some months ago, that became my spot. And really, it made it so much easier to get rid of all those files. And beyond that, I found that little beyond a year old doesn’t hold the same allure for me. Recipes that I liked five years ago make me roll my eyes. Wallpaper ideas seem completely implausible. Tastes change. So do I.

So today when I decided I wanted to cook, and cook big, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration. Specifically my “Food Things to Make” board. I know, catchy title, right? Within minutes, I had printed out a recipe for a main course, a stuffed bread and a dessert. All new recipes. All originally sourced from elsewhere.

The cookies? Divine. Super simple. And coming here soon. In the next few days.

The main course pasta dish? A recipe that was from Martha Stewart and, unfortunately, not worthy of a repeat performance. Once again, Martha has failed me in the kitchen.

But the bread?

Oh.

My.

Word.

The bread.

Amazing.

OMG good.

Like, if you like Gorgonzola you must make this.

The schmear tasted good before the bread baked.

The garlic smell on my hands when I was done chopping was heavenly.

And the finished bite. To.die.for.

Make it.

August 24, 2011 – Bonus Photo

Madeline asked for her “laptop,” so she could do her homework. Let’s hope she’s as interested in schoolwork when she is old enough to be obligated to actually do it….

Skateboard Park, Washington DC

August 23, 2011 · Narrative

When Chris and I were talking about what we would see and do over our weekend trip, “visit skateboard park” was not on the list. But I should have known better. For it is always the unscripted stops that quickly become fan favorites. Knowing how into the skateboarding scene Nick is, I’m glad this was part of our trip. And as I mentioned Sunday, he deemed it one of his highlights from the weekend.

It was after we were leaving Ben’s Chili Bowl that we happened to pass by this neighborhood skateboard park. I asked Chris to let us off for a few minutes… which turned into some 45. As soon as I sat down on the bench, I knew Nick would be enraptured.

It was a mixed crowd hanging out that afternoon, from a young six-year-old learning the ropes with his Dad and sister, to a 36-year-old who hadn’t been skateboarding for awhile and couldn’t fight the itch to get back to it. Yes, I know this because we talked to all of them.

This young man came up to me with his friend, asking me to take a picture of him. He wanted to check out how his hat looked. It got the seal of approval.

This was the 36-year-old who couldn’t resist the lure of the board. One of the other skateboarders loaned him this board so he could scratch his itch. So to speak. And they bonded over his shiny boots.

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Review: Flour Bakery, Massachusetts

August 22, 2011 · Narrative

On our epic road trip this weekend, I started compiling a list of topics that still need to be written about here … places we’ve been, restaurants we’ve eaten at, thoughts swirling around my head. I was trying to capture it in a list before I lose track of something and the list, well, it’s a little long. Like I stopped numbering it around the 70s mark. So we need to get busy.

Flour Bakery is one of the spots that Patsy, Joanne and I visited when we were in Boston last month. Was it only last month guys?? Luckily since Joanne lived in the area for a few years, she knew right where to take us for breakfast the morning of our conference. Which was a good thing because a) the conference was just providing coffee that you had to drink before walking in and taking your seat and b) we needed to get introduced to the meringues and scones that come out of Flour. True dat.

Joanne Chang-Myers is the owner/proprietor (follow her on Twitter here), and there are three locations in MA. We stopped into the Central Square location in Cambridge, which has awesome, easy on-street parking.

Since it was my first visit there, the menu was a little overwhelming. And, really, I wanted it all. Some for breakfast. Some for the ride home. Some to bring as gifts for my fam and friends. One of everything, please.

I restrained myself.

Well, only a little.

A loaf of French bread, which was exceptionally hard to resist being it was seriously still warm from the oven.

A giant fat almond meringue in a cellophane wrapper and dark blue ribbon tying it closed.

Fresh, homemade granola.

And a blueberry muffin top.

Oh and a Cheddar Scallion scone.

Loved, loved, loved the chalkboard menu. And the weekly quote. And the greenness of the bakery using real silverware for guests staying in.

And that you could see the bakers working away behind a clear glass partition.

Which I totally should have gotten a picture of.

My total was around twenty bucks or so, and my bag was bulging.

I tend to be very picky about scones, because more often than not, they can be dry. Not so with the one at Flour. Slightly moist, with a hint of flavor, it didn’t crumble to the touch, which was awesome….

Weekend Photos in Review

August 22, 2011 · Photos

Oh Sweetnickers, what a whirlwind weekend it was. Friday afternoon, we headed far South to visit a friend, Chris, in Virginia. Since he lives so close to Washington DC, it was a chance for us to see all the sights. And see them we did. I don’t think we could have crammed more into our weekend if we tried. We walked for miles and miles and miles, and I’m amazed that Madeline’s little legs carried her as far as they did. She was quite the trooper, along with her brother, and everyone will be recuperating this week for sure.

In our journey, we managed to cross four states off our list, as we ventured through Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and DC. It was our first time in DC, and it was fun taking it all in with the littles. Hopefully my poor friend Chris survived our visit!

This was my first road trip with the kids on my own beyond just the shore. Although we have traveled before since The Ex and I divorced, it was always with another family or two. Believe me when I tell you, it was a proud moment for me. Just getting to DC and back without getting lost makes me burst with pride, but doing it on my own is an accomplishment. I never want my being single to stop us from any adventures, and this was a good testament to that. Considering just going to the grocery store is sometimes an adventure on its own, this was way beyond that. We survived, had fun and have some 500 pictures to prove it.

Whittled it down to just 42 for the weekend recap, trying to spare you! The rest will be broken out into separate posts over the coming weeks. Hope your weekend was filled with just as much awesomeness!

xoxo

My co-pilots forty-five minutes into the trip. She’s fast asleep. And do you see Nick? No? That’s ’cause he’s lying down across the back row, already konked out.

Madeline made me stop and take a picture of this statue. She’s huge – look at her tower over that house! In Delaware, outside a church.

Love this one. Maryland waters.

Omygosh, do you know how hard it was to get this sign? On the bridge? Seriously, Virginia government, help a family out! Thank goodness Nick was awake and ready for this one.

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Parenting: Leading with Intention

August 18, 2011 · Narrative

*Completely random unrelated picture (sunset from last night) just because I can’t bring myself to lead a post without a picture.

Beth and I stood in Kohl’s this past Saturday.

Dumbfounded.

Completely and utterly speechless.

A mom was berating her son in the middle of the lingerie section.

Loud.

Belligerent.

Mean.

Downright nasty.

My heart ached for the little boy.

He looked to be a few years older than Nick. He said nothing as his Mom shrieked at him.

His grandmother stood by and said nothing.

Perhaps that’s the way she raised her daughter. I don’t think it is, but I don’t know.

As the family walked to the cash register to pay, the mom’s loudly raised voice continued to echo throughout the whole store.

We made our way to the back of the store, intent on checking out white servingware.

We could still hear her.

Beth shook her head. “Anyone can be a parent.”

Isn’t that the truth?

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Wordless Wednesday: The Drinking Edition

August 17, 2011 · Wordless Wednesday

I’m a little addicted to caffeine. Although I have cut out about 80% of my Diet Coke consumption, it was, of course replaced with the coffee kind of caffeine.

Mystic is no help. He often arrives bearing gifts in the extra large, caffeinated version. Which I do so love.

And Beth is much of the same.

These pictures in this post represent the drinks consumed by us in a 24 hour period this past weekend.

Nine drinks total for each of us.

Augmented by copious amounts of water.

We may or may not know where every bathroom is in Ocean County.

But considering our day started with us leaving the house at 7:30 am on Saturday, I do believe caffeine was the only perfect way to go.

If nothing else, we are exceptionally well-hydrated. And caffeinated. No doubt.

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Photography: Tips and Tricks

August 16, 2011 · Narrative, Photography

Now that I’ve officially hung out the shingle on my new photography business, the pressure is on more than ever. It’s one thing to be at a family function, be the resident photographer and only get one or two good shots, but when people are paying me, it’s a whole different ball game. I have to produce. And then some. This is, of course, a first class problem.

At my niece’s second birthday in June, I was the one charged with capturing the day. With the flurry of activity and a group of little ones under foot, there aren’t too many moments when you can say, “Wait, can you do that again? I didn’t get it the first time.”

My first line of defense? Take a million pictures. And I’m not kidding. The total for two events that weekend surpassed 600. I wanted to do right by my sister and, hey, my niece is only going to turn two once. The more pictures I have to play with at the end of the day, the better the outcome will be.

After your picture-taking session is over, the work has just begun. Downloading your pictures. Fixing lighting. Red eyes. Cropping out an errant hydrant, passerby or light pole. And then sometimes resurrecting a bad picture.

There are two pictures from my niece’s birthday party that are an excellent example of how a few simple changes can yield a completely stunning, and otherwise previously hidden, photo.

When I looked through the dozen or so photos of Sadie and her birthday cake, I was getting a bit discouraged. There wasn’t one “that’s it!” shot. So I did the next best thing. I took the best one of the lot and started playing with it. Darkening. Lightening. Cropping. Sepia tones. Black and white.

The end result is a awesome picture that highlights Sadie, her cake and her big moment. A true Phoenix from the ashes, that picture came from an original that was completely unworthy of showing a client.

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