memorial day weekend highlights

// Willa had her last day of her first season of soccer. She did great with all the drills and practice, but had trouble with the scrimmages against other teams. Glad she tried it, but don't think we'll be signing her up for another season for awhile.

// We got bánh mì at Vinh Xuong Bakery 2. So good. I love the spicy tofu with added avocado. I think they're the best in Denver, but please correct me if you know better! Last time we were there the kids didn't love their sandwich, so this time we got them pork egg rolls and sesame balls, which were both a hit. Willa even asked us to order her a second egg roll! Dan also got a quail egg and pork bao from their refrigerator case to eat a couple days later and reported it was delicious. Also, if you go for lunch get their coffee! The best. 

// After Vinh Xuong, we walked across the parking lot to the Pacific Ocean International Marketplace. I was delighted to find frozen radish cake so I can make Char Kuih Kak soon, and then we bought way too many sweet treats. The best thing about Asian cookies, let me tell you, is that even though they have plenty of crap in them, they don't taste super sweet. They're just the right amount of sweet. The kids also loved looking at the live sea creatures for sale. Cam was squealing as he watched the crabs scramble overtop one another.

// On Sunday, we made a cherry galette and lots of other deliciousness for a BBQ with my sister. Dan grilled Colorado trout and corn, and Alison made a fantastic salad. Willa set the table and was very proud of her (plastic) flower arrangement centerpiece. We also made delicious cocktails and mocktails with cherry juice. The kids were floored when I rimmed their mini martini glasses with sugar. Livin' large! 

// On Monday morning we hit up a newish playground which was a ton of fun for all. Then in the afternoon I drove wayyyyy too far to get Willa a bike for her birthday (shhhhhh don't tell!) at REI. 

// 20.5 weeks! Told ya I was ready for maxi dress season ;)

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! 

mother's day weekend

So many things about parenting have surprised me over the past five years. Stages have come way earlier than I expected them to, both in good ways and in bad ways. Willa's ability to express her appreciation and love for me completely caught me off guard this year. I, perhaps, might have expected that when she's 10, but not at 4. However, when she's 10 I might be sorely disappointed, eh? Parenting is unpredictable, that's for sure. 

I truly love being a mother. I always like a good challenge, and parenting is the greatest challenge I've found in life so far. I also love how my experience in this role has helped deepen my own appreciation for my mother. So often, I realize how my mother must have felt when I did or said something to her. Or I ponder how she might have parented in a certain situation. Or I just ask her! 

I wasn't able to spend time with my mom this Mother's Day, but otherwise it was a fantastic weekend:
The kids were delightful. We had family in town visiting. I got a massage. I ate lots of good food. I drank a smidgen of wine. Willa made me tons of artwork. I slept in until 7am on Sunday. Dan got me a completely unexpected and absolutely fantastic present. The weather was great. 

^^fancy family dinner @ north in cherry creek with grandpa and cuppy. willa filled up on calamari and didn't eat too much else until dessert. cam loved the tortelloni. and dessert. i liked everything.^^

^^"M" pancakes for first breakfast on mother's day. and brunch with friends at abejas for second breakfast. both delicious and highly enjoyable.^^

cameron's second birthday!

As I write this, Cameron is completely and utterly consumed driving a Hot Wheels car carrier around the living room. He recently moved on to that after using his Bruder Loader Backhoe to move around a Thomas the Train engine. 

He loves toys. Things with wheels, especially. But his love for toys is pretty remarkable (particularly after I'd been used to a first child who was only rarely vaguely amused by something manufactured especially for children). 

Yesterday, we celebrated Cameron. It's always nice when a birthday falls on a weekend day, so we can all be together as a family. 

We started the day with sprinkle waffles and two kids delighted with a ride-in water-spraying fire truck thanks to Grandpa. We attempted to go to the Children's Museum, but didn't realize there was a trick-or-treat event happening (side note: is it just me or do there seem to be an excessive number of opportunities to celebrate an already excessive holiday?) so we enjoyed some fresh air and sunshine at Jefferson Park instead. 

After Cam's naptime, serious celebrations commenced. More presents (thanks, all!) and then Auntie Al and Uncle "Jay-bit" arrived for a mango lemonade cheers and pasta dinner.

Cam was so enthralled with his new toys, that even shouting "cupcakes!?" elicited no response. So finally we decided to just light the candles and sing "happy birthday." Once he saw a double-decker cupcake coming his way, he knew what was up and wasted no time blowing out the candles ("I blew out candles!"). He put away an impressive amount of cupcakes and ice cream (homemade banana chip!) before diving back into playing. 

I found myself wanting to video the entire evening, because everything that came out of Cameron's mouth made me smile. He excitedly exclaimed "Daddy's pasta!" at dinner. He yelled "boom shaka-laka" at one point; not sure why. He can express himself better and better each day, and it's fantastic to hear his thoughts. He regularly says "thank you, mommy," which totally melts my heart.

He had trouble falling asleep after all the excitement, but had a purple Hot Wheel in one hand and Thomas the Train in the other. He woke up this morning asking for his loader and car carrier. "Keep playing!" is his mantra. We love you Cameron!

new season, new goals

With the start of a new season, there's often an urge to make promises to yourself; to strive to accomplish goals you've set awhile ago. Lately, I've been really feeling this. I want to work harder on several things that are important to me. A few big goals, but mostly little ones. Some are things I used to do but have fallen by the wayside. Some are things I've always wanted to do but haven't gotten to. Some are random. Some are predictable. I know I won't get an A+ on this endeavor. But I'm going to try my best. (And be glad the days of getting grades are long behind me.)

Goals for the rest of 2016:

• Send more letters and cards by post.
• Cook more. Mostly whole foods. Don't cave and give the kids things we don't really want them to be eating.
• Spend 10 minutes of focused play time with each of my kids, twice a day. (Read this, and this for more on the topic, plus numerous parenting books!)
• Blog more. At least one post a week. Do the updates/reformatting I've been planning for way too long.
• Create our "family yearbook" of photos for 2015. (Nope, that year is not a typo.) Start the 2016 one.
• Complete the household projects that we've been thinking about forever: new curtains, craft area for kids, laundry room organization, pictures in various spots around the house, the guest room closet...
• Don't plan on exercising during Cameron's naptime.  It never works.
• Host a party occasionally. I like parties.
• Plan a new activity/park/outing once a week. I love our neighborhood, but I tend to do the same things and go to the same places all the time. I need to keep expanding my/our horizons.
• Don't drive if I can walk or bike. Unless the weather is really bad. But sometimes, go places I have to drive to.
• Continue to reduce our waste. Don't buy things in packaging if they can be obtained without packaging.
• Minimize screen time before bedtime. Find an alarm clock to replace our phones.
• Complain less. Just address the "problem."

while i was snapping...

I've been given a hard time lately for a dearth of Instagram photos. I used to post at least once a day, but in recent months I've waned. Mostly, my aging phone has been to blame. Every picture I took was blurry and not Instagram-able. But, also, I must admit, Snapchat has been dominating my social media time. I really like Snapchat. It's fun. And quick. However, Snaps do indeed disappear unless manually saved, so I best post some pictures on this here blog lest we forget everything we've been up to lately. Here's a roundup of pictures from the past month or so!

^^spring has been coming and going, but i think the nice weather is finally here to stay!^^

^^biker cam! we've been biking a lot more, but the two kids are pretty heavy in the trailer, so when the whole family bikes, we put one of them on the back of dan's bike.^^

^^one of those bad shots i referenced from a roller-skating birthday party!^^

^^flowers on our cherry tree!^^

^^that montage is called: "eating out with kids is fun..."^^

^^so much magna tile fun with grandpa!^^

^^yay for backyard time!^^^^celebrating A&J's birthday!^^

^^girls' spa day in boulder for our dear friend sara's baby sprinkle!^^

^^mother's day lunch at taste of thailand. SOOOOO GOOD!^^

^^her "celebration of learning" at school. she was so excited to show us what they'd been working on but mostly she was thrilled to "be in charge" all night. ;)^^

^^pizza delivery race at her school's field day!^^

go-to recipe :: sweet potato tacos

A few times this week, dinnertime has been less than ideal. Kids crying. Short tempers. No fun. It's definitely not always that way chez nous, but those hours at the end of the day can frequently be trying. I don't think it's necessary to spell it out here; I'm sure lots of you know what I'm talking about.

That time of day can be even harder when I have no idea what I'm making for dinner. Usually, I'm pretty good at meal planning. However, sometimes, it's 5pm and I realize that I haven't even thought about what I'll make for dinner. Oops. So for times like that, it's good to have a few go-tos in my back pocket. These are my number one. I make them probably twice a month. You should make them too. I mean, if you want.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Pesto

SWEET POTATOES: 2 large sweet potatoes, roughly peeled olive oil 1T ground cumin 1/4t cayenne pepper 1-2 cups black beans

CILANTRO PESTO: 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled juice of 1 lime 1 serrano (or jalapeño) chile pepper 2/3 cup olive oil

TO SERVE: tortillas feta or jack cheese lime wedges green onions hot sauce

1. Cut sweet potatoes into 1cm cubes. Toss to coat with olive oil, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees until they reach the desired softness. About 30 minutes.

2. A few minutes before sweet potatoes are finished, toss the black beans into the pan to warm.

3. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make the cilantro pesto. Mix all ingredients in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Add more olive oil if needed to reach the desired consistency.

4. If you're feeling fancy, warm or char your tortillas on the stove or microwave.

5. Assemble tacos with desired accoutrements and enjoy!

burmatown, california

Last month, I went on a trip ALL BY MYSELF to California. I was there for some work stuff, but also as a mini vacation and a chance to spend time with family.  And I was so lucky: they really made sure I had a fun and restful stay. On my first night there, they took me to Burmatown in Corte Madera.

Obviously, I love an Asian restaurant! And San Francisco boasts numerous exceptional ones. During a previous visit, we went to Burma Superstar in the city, but I dare say Burmatown was better. It was sensational. From the ambiance to the food, everything was divine. The service was exceptional too. And the tea leaf salad! Who doesn't love tea leaf salad? Well if you haven't had one, you probably don't know you love it...But you should try it. Preferable this one. (Although I imagine one in Burma would probably be pretty darn good too...)

Anyway! Everything about Burmatown was delightful. Perhaps I was influenced by the profound enjoyment of dining without little kids to wrangle. But, it doesn't really matter. A fantastic eating experienced is colored by several factors, and the stars all aligned that night. Thanks so much R + B for such a wonderful dinner and visit!

spicy pork lettuce wraps

There are many, MANY reasons why I am not and could not be a food blogger. One of them is that I never remember to take pictures of food while I'm making it. Sometimes I strike upon a great dinner by chance/luck/skills and I'm like, "man, if only I'd taken pictures, I could blog about this!" But then again, since my blog has no real specific direction, I can blog about whatever the heck I feel like, pictures or not. Right? Right. A week or so ago, I made the best (BEST!) pork lettuce cups. I often make some version of stir-fried ground meat with Asian seasonings and serve it in lettuce leaves. But, for years, I've never really had a go-to recipe. I've made different ones, or just improvised, but I've never found a go-to, staple recipe. The wait is over. This one is it. A keeper. It was so good. Easy to make, yet super flavorful. Pretty much what we're all striving for in the dinner department, no?

And then, icing on the cake, I made it again the other day and remembered to take pictures. So, basically, I am a food blogger?

Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps Serves 2-3. Easily doubled.

1lb ground pork
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1c shredded or sliced carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2T minced peeled ginger
1t Siracha 1t sugar
2T fish sauce
2t sesame oil
2T plus
1T grapeseed oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2T oyster sauce
1/4c (large handful) mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4c (large handful) fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4c (large handful) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
24 Boston or iceberg lettuce leaves

1. Mix the pork, red bell pepper, carrots, garlic, ginger, siracha, sugar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and 2T grapeseed oil in a bowl.

2. Heat remaining 1T grapeseed oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bowl of meat, vegertables and seasonings. Stir-fry until the pork is cooked through. Don't stir constantly; allow the pork to brown in spots.

3. Remove from heat, and add the oyster sauce, scallions, mint, basil, and cilantro. Stir to combine. (Alternatively, allow meat to cool to room temperature, and then add the herbs. This will keep them from wilting as much.)

4. Serve alongside lettuce leaves, with additional Siracha if desired.

frikadelle + other fun

FRIKADELLE!!!! That's German for "meat patty." Apparently, during the industrial revolution, German immigrants in NYC needed a way to eat them faster and on-the-go, so they put the frikadelle between two slices of bread, and the hamburger was born. We had frikadelle a week or so ago, thanks to my friend Marret who was visiting for a few weeks last month. She's from Hamburg, Germany, and was an exchange student with my parents 10 years ago (what!? 10 years!?). It was so fun to have her here to spend time with us. We were able to reconnect, have a lot of laughs, and eat a lot of good food. And it was amazing to watch her get to know the kids. (The day we took her to the airport, as I was getting Willa ready for her nap, she suggested we take "a lot of planes" to Germany "next weekend." Melted my heart.)

^^There's the frikadelle. On greens with roasted butternut squash and potatoes. It was delicious. Marret made the disclaimer that it wasn't really a "German dinner" that she made us. But, I say, she's German and she made a dinner that she would make at home, so that's pretty much a German dinner. No? Whatever you call it, it was healthy and delicious and it was so nice of her to do the cooking. (Not to mention all the dishes she did while she was visiting!)^^

^^There was a sunny hike with Willa's playschool group. And on another day, a trip to the mountains to snowboard!^^

^^Falafel was made! ^^

^^And a marzipan cake! (Willa is always game to help with baking. She loves to cook and/or knows she'll get to lick some batter.)^^

^^We went to Union Station and hit up Zoe Ma Ma for lunch.^^

^^Willa learned where Germany is. Or at least that Germany, is.^^

^^Pizza salad and gelato at Parisi!^^

^^Girls' night out at The Source. Comida tacos of course. Hold the cilantro for Marret. And the avocado thanks to my newly developed intolerance (aka the worst development ever!).^^

^^Most importantly, chocolates were exchanged.^^

THANK YOU for coming to visit Marret! We loved having you!

friends + burgers

Our neighborhood is undergoing massive changes. Store front after store front is coming up for sale, mostly being replaced by bars and restaurants. It's sad. It's exciting. It's controversial. But when it's 5pm and I haven't planned any dinner, it is quite nice to have more food options within walking distance.

Last week, we were lucky enough to have a good friend visiting, and a future family member in town as well, so we all met up and went to dinner at Royal Burger. We'd been a few times before, but I think they've finally hit their stride. We got there around 6 (a.k.a. baby hour, as shown by the baby present in every other party at the restaurant), and by 6:30 the entire place was packed. They have great burgers, solid fries, and decadent floats, as well as delicious salads. Another key to their success is that they've managed to strike a nice balance between casual and hip, making it a great place to grab a bite no matter who you are.

One thing to note: all of their burgers are cooked medium well unless you specify otherwise. Our server didn't even ask. (She was just a teeny tiny bit surly though, so perhaps it was her?)

^^"the turk" with beef instead of turkey. (i ordered the veggie, which was good, but not something i'd get again.)^^

^^i was quite pleased slash surprised that she chose edamame over fries with her kids meal!^^

^^so happy to have marret in denver!^^

valentine's day weekend

lots of love and fun:

^^we started valentine's day off with sprinkle pancakes. i suppose they probably should have been pink or red or heart-shaped, but sprinkles seemed festive and fun! and of course delicious. it was pretty much dessert for breakfast which made willa's morning. mine too, actually.^^

^^dan and i went to brunch at argyll whisky beer. we don't typically plan much for valentine's day, but a month or so back i decided that by february we'd probably be ready for our first (non-family) babysitter, so i made a brunch reservation, and told dan the surprise plans on friday night. we were so excited to get out on our own for a couple hours, and argyll was a great spot. their menu and vibe had british flair, the servers were wearing flannel, and everything was delicious.^^

^^in the afternoon, we needed to run an errand on south pearl street, and while we were down there willa announced that she wanted pizza for "snack." sexy pizza was nearby, so even though it was only 4:30, we decided to go in for a family valentine's day dinner. willa ate more pizza than she ever has before - almost 3 pieces! she got very mad when we tried to cut them up or in half. "i want the whole piece!"^^

^^willa was thrilled to get a valentine's day balloon from her babysitter, and after that she was throwing a lot of "parties" in her play corner. here's cameron, attending one such party with her balloon around his wrist. i love it once they reach the bumbo phase and can sit up and be a part of things!^^

willa's best night ever

On New Year's Day, Willa woke up two hours later than normal, and was two times crankier than normal at the breakfast table. As she whined and wailed, we joked that she must be a bit hung over. She'd not only stayed up late on New Year's Eve (not midnight-late, but 10pm-late!) but she'd also had pretty much the best night her 2.5 year old self could ever want. There's always a let down when you realize such fun is over, right?

We went over to our friends' house and continued our family tradition of making pizzas (we just started it last year, but at least we're 2 for 2). It's always fun to have an activity on NYE, and pizzas are always a great thing to eat, no?

So, for Willa there was pizza-making (= cheese eating). There was lots of milk to drink. Then there were chocolate chip cookies for dessert. There was lots of playing with her friend Henry and all his awesome toys. There was a viewing of the best movie ever (Frozen), and then there was more toy playing. And she wore not only sparkly shoes but also a sparkly barrette. Plus the staying up late. And dancing too. Like I said: best night ever.

And don't worry. The rest of us had a great night too. Happy New Year!

recently loved recipes

My mom is a recipe organization genius. When I was growing up, she always had tidy binders of recipes she'd clipped from magazines or got from friends. More recently, she reorganized all of these, along with newer finds from the internet, into larger binders. One for each type of dish. Then there's me. I mostly use Pinterest. And don't get me wrong, I love Pinterest as much as the next gal on the internet. I find it a great way to keep heaps of content organized. But, sometimes, I get concerned about those heaps. What if Pinterest crashes? Where will all my recipes go? How will I ever cook again? I suppose I do also have a box of recipe clippings that I never remember to look in. I am actually not even sure where it is.

So. In an effort to bypass Pinterest (but not exerting anywhere near the impressive effort my mom does), here are a few of the recipes we've been enjoying in the past few months:

^^Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with Mango Salsa^^

^^Slow Cooker Coconut Green Curry & Pork^^

^^Homemade Pizza with "Lazy Pizza Dough"^^

//

PICTURE-LESS DELIGHTS:

1 Can of Chiles in Adobo, 5 Dinners Both the Kale and Pasta and the White Bean Chili recipes are surprisingly delicious given the minimal effort they require!

Summer Grilled Mexican Sweet Corn Quinoa Salad Bookmark for next summer! Lots of work, but so good.

Caponata Panzanella

Shaved Brussles Sprouts and Sweet Potato Salad

//

SWEETER TREATS:

Cranberry and Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread (So good, but definitely a dessert! I'm adding cream cheese frosting when I thaw another loaf from our freezer.)

Flourless Apple Pie Pancakes

//

 What about you? What dishes have you been enjoying? And how do you keep your favorite recipes organized?

palisade peach salad

Over labor day weekend, we were lucky enough to have friends from Seattle in town for a quick visit. They'd been to a wedding up in Breckenridge, and thankfully had some time in Denver before heading back west. They arrived just moments after we got back from our trip to Minnesota, and while I do love to make a fancy dinner on occasion, pregnant post-road trip me did not have much umph to spare. But my dear friend Meg is always able to revive my energy, and so we got ourselves down the street to the grocery to pick up some dinner supplies. You've heard about Palisade peaches, right?

They're a thing. I don't totally know why or what makes them such a thing, but word on the street is they are Colorado's late summer claim to fame. What I do know is, they're quite good. Just our luck, they still had them at the store, so we manhandled a few and picked the ones that felt just the right ripeness. I remembered a salad recipe with peaches I'd pinned awhile back, so I figured that would be a good way to go. Although all I really remembered was that I'd pinned it; I had only a faint recollection of what was in it, so I made my best guess and what do you know? We came up with a darn good salad.

We got all crazy, too, and enjoyed it after Willa went to bed. With a side of sausages. And lots of solid conversation.

So next time you want something fancy that takes minimal forethought or effort, I highly recommend this guy. And I'm sure it would be delightful even if your peaches aren't Coloradan.

Grilled Palisade Peach Salad with Ricotta and Arugula
Serves 4, but easily increased for more

1 whole peach per person
1 slice prosciutto per person
1c whole milk ricotta cheese
2T lemon juice
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
fresh arugula

1. Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Brush non-skin sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on a barbeque or grill pan over high heat, cut sides down, just until lightly charred. Let cool and then slice into fourths or sixths or eights, depending on the size of the peaches.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix ricotta with lemon juice, 1T olive oil, 1t balsamic, and salt and pepper.

3. To serve, put a handful of arugula on each plate. Arrange peaches on top. Tear apart one slice of prosciutto into pieces and place on the salad. Top with a few spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture. Serve with additional olive oil and balsamic.

tofu scramble

I like consuming soy. Soy milk. Tofu. Seitan. Edamame. Soy paper wrapped sushi. But. I've heard a lot recently about some of the potential health drawbacks of processed soy. I get it. It's pretty processed, and when the trend caught on, companies were making an over abundance of products with some sort of soy. But, as with most things, the jury is still out. There are definitely some health benefits to eating soy, but it also has potential risks. This article is a nice quick read about the scientific research on soy. Thankfully, I'm pretty good at summing up these tricky situations with my usual "all things in moderation" mantra. There was a time I ate a lot of soy. Now I just eat a little.

I just cannot give up tofu. It's definitely one of my favorite foods. So versatile! So cheap! Such great shelf life! I could go on and on about all the best tofu recipes but today all I want to share is my simple recipe for tofu scramble. It's one of my go-tos for when we need an easy, healthy, hearty dinner that can come together pretty quickly. Add whatever vegetables you have on hand, and you can of course adjust the spices to your own taste.

^^see that scallion? it's from my backyard garden. i'm pretty proud.^^

Tofu Scramble
Most measurements are approximate, except the spices (and I know that ½T isn't a really a "real" measurement, but I don't always like to dirty a bunch of measuring spoons when I'm making a dinner that's supposed to be easy. ½T = 1½ teaspoons). Add whatever vegetables you have on hand. I've listed my favorite combination, but frozen peas, carrots, and cauliflower would all work well too. Sometimes I add a second block of tofu so that we have leftovers. It's good for any meal of the day.

firm or extra firm tofu
1 block yellow onion, diced
1 head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
bell pepper, diced
handful of mushrooms, roughly chopped
cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 green onions, finely sliced
olive oil
1T dried oregano
1T ground cumin
½T paprika
½T turmeric
dash cayenne or chili pepper

1. Press your tofu. Wrap the block in a paper towel and then with a dish towel (or just with a dish towel if your towels are cleaner than my towels) and place it under something heavy while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

2. Chop the veggies. Set the tomatoes and green onions aside in your serving bowl.

3. In a large pan or wok, heat a tablespoon or so of oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until softened. Next add the veggies that take longest to cook (peppers, carrots, broccoli, etc.) followed by those that will cook more quickly (mushrooms, peas).

4. Take the pressed tofu and crumble it on top of the cooked vegetables. Use your cooking utensil to break it up more. Sprinkle the spices over top, and cook until everything is mixed well and the tofu is hot.

5. Transfer to the serving bowl with the tomatoes and green onions. Mix well and serve.

All things in moderation!