pumpkin patch

We made our trip to the pumpkin patch a few days ago. There were cider donuts involved, which made it even better than usual. Here are a few shots of the girls picking out pumpkins and exploring the corn maze.

halloween chicken

Our deliberations over Abby's Halloween costume have officially ended. She's going to be a chicken. She couldn't relate to my Marvin the Martian idea, but she has fully thrown herself into preparing for her big debut as a chicken, practicing her clucks and boks all day long. 

Mira decided on dressing as fairy and of course wanted one of those pre-fab jobs from the costume store. Oh well. We'll have to flex our creative muscles on Abby's costume this year instead. Here's the picture/inspiration for our little chicken (from Martha Stewart). We've got all the parts (feather boas, the makings for the feet and comb, and I'm going to try and work in a beak somewhere). You'll have to wait and see how the end result turns out.

daily bulletin

As a mother who works from a home office, there are times when my corporate world and my parenting world collide. Sometimes those collisions are stressful, sometimes they are merely irritating, and sometimes they are just funny. File this one under "funny as heck."

Today is a holiday, so there's no school and I've given my nanny the day off. This morning I was trying to squeeze in some work while the girls played. I was on a work-related conference call when Mira had a very important message for me. She didn't want to interrupt my phone call, so she wrote the message on a notepad. Here it is:

The message, while maybe not immediately clear to you was immediately clear to me. I had to mute my phone so that my coworkers weren't distracted by hysterical laughter. Translation of this note: "My little sister has a dirty diaper. Please change her ASAP!" The drawing on the page was meant to provide a graphical illustration for the message.

I suppose I should also be glad that Mira has been learning her letter sounds and was able to sound out and spell this note all by herself.

southwestern-ish eggs & hash

When we're hungry for a quick and satisfying meal, this one is a staple. We almost always have the goods in the fridge and it works equally well for brunch, dinner, or a late night snack. Takes a few minutes of chopping, but comes together quickly.

The hash is sweet potato, bell pepper, and onion seasoned with cumin and chili powder. After a quick saute, the hash is topped with shredded sharp chedder, fried eggs, salsa and sour cream. If you really want to get fancy, throw some fresh cilantro on there and call it a day.

I hope you make this and to encourage you further, I'm spelling out step-by-step instructions here.

1) Prep a sweet potato, bell pepper, and 1/2 red onion by peeling, seeding, chopping, etc.

2) Put a skillet on over med-high heat. Add your vegetables/hash mixture and a couple tablespoons of olive oil/butter combo. Season with salt/pepper.

3) While the hash cooks, assemble and prep your sour cream, salsa, shredded cheddar and cilantro (if using).

4) After about 5 or so minutes, your hash will begin to soften and get slightly browned. Now's the time to add your seasonings. I like a hefty teaspoon of cumin and a good tablespoon of chili powder. If you want some kick, add a pinch of cayenne at this point. Continue to saute the mixture until soft and nicely caramelized.

5) Turn the cooked hash out onto the serving plate, top with shredded cheese and cover to melt cheese and keep warm while you cook the eggs.

6) Wipe out your skillet and fry a couple eggs to your preferred doneness. We like ours a bit runny. Top the hash and cheese with your cooked eggs and finish off with a hefty spoon of salsa and a dollop of sour cream.

7) Immediately scarf it down. It will cure what ails you and tastes even better when you consider that you prepared it in only 15 minutes.