Food Review

You know how every now and then you see/eat/hear/whatever something that simply amazes you? This cheese is my new delight!
I discovered it at a wine tasting and food sampling event in Fairbury (really!) last Saturday, and seriously, my life is improved.
Up until then, I wouldn't have considered myself a bleu cheese person. Not really. I tended to find the flavor overwhelming. But I have slowly been getting a little more into it - I had a dip that I raved about for a while made with bleu cheese. Which is probably why I sampled this stuff at the tasting. And it was creamy, nutty, melt in the mouth, oh so delicious...
And it's made right in Illinois! By Ludwig Farmstead Creamery. For you locals, they sell some of their cheese at Kilgus Dairy, although I can't say if this particular cheese is there.
You must try some.
Note: The monogrammed cheese board and knife is from The Antique Shoppe about 4 or 5 years ago. I've just been dying for the perfect chance to use it! Thanks, Wendy. :)

Simple DIY Projects

The "before" picture. I actually didn't mind the lamp this way but it really needed some more color to fit into my living room.

Spray painted a glossy red with flowers hot glued to the shade. I was originally thinking gold for the base but couldn't find a gold spray paint that I could live with.

I saw an idea of using an old window as art ages ago online and had Jeremy save one for me when he tore down one of our old sheds. Pictures by A Glimpse in Time Photography

A close up of one of the panes - chipboard L that I covered with some of my favorite paper and some embellishments from Hobby Lobby. I was looking for something a little more awesome for the details but didn't find what I was looking for.

It's happy hour at this house - two sweetly sleeping children, leaving me to get some things done for Sharemy Sales. Not my absolute favorite way to spend the quiet time but business before pleasure!
I'm feeling wishful of a few things lately. Wishing that I took better pictures. Wishing that I thought to take more pictures of the little moments. Wishing that I was a pro already on my Adobe CS6 program. Wishing I had a exercise program. Wishing I could sew better. Wishing my niece and nephew were here already. Wishing my bookwork would do itself and spare me the trouble.
And I will leave you on that note...

6 months

I hear all kinds of things about looks so I thought I'd post a picture of all of my family at 6 months so you can see how much we all do/don't look alike.
Enjoy!

Toddlers

Anyone else have a problem keeping toddlers happy? At least while you are also happy...
I read a while back somewhere about a mother's idea to keep her toddlers busy playing in a tub of rice on a mat on the floor. It seemed like River was ready for such a project.
I first put all the fun on the kitchen table. Riv still managed to get rice everywhere. Then I moved him to the floor on a mat. Still more rice everywhere. I finally got smart and moved everything outside.

Not only do I have a hard time finding good things to keep him busy, he also has serious opinions. He has to have 3 bowls of cereal each morning in certain bowls with certain spoons. He wants certain bibs. He has to have certain cups. They must contain chocolate milk. He doesn't want his diaper changed or to get out of his pajamas. I could go on.
To keep my sanity, I've been reading a compilation of Erma Bombeck's columns.
Let me share her insights.
"I've never met three children who could understand me less. When I laid out pajamas, put the sides up on the crib and turned on the night-light, they came alive like the "big midnight show," standing on their heads, bringing out all the toys and playing patty-cake with the dog.
When I picked up the phone, like mechanical robots on schedule they gargled bleach, rolled potatoes across the floor, climbed on the top of the TV set and took off all their clothes.
When I said "No," they giggled; "Not now," they bit me; "Come to Mama," they ran into the traffic; "Let me see what you have in your hand," they ate it; "The strained lamb is good for you," they blew it back in my face.
Communicate with a toddler? I'd sooner take my chances with an untrained, excited puppy on a new white carpet."
I still laugh helplessly every time I read those lines. She hits the nail on the head. Why don't we just admit to the fear and frustration of parenting and have a good time with it?

She looks about how I felt about the whole "fun" project. Suspicious.

Peanut Butter Granola

I believe I may have mentioned having some unwanted flab in a previous post or possibly posts. So I've been exerting some effort to eat healthier, if for no other reason than it may make it so that I don't have to really exercise. I am so uninspired to jog around or run or what-have-you.
Breakfast seemed like the easiest place to start a change in my diet so I have pretty much stopped eating cereal and now alternate between green smoothies and peanut butter granola with greek yogurt.
In testament to how good this granola is, Jeremy's late night snack last night was granola in a glass of milk. (You can see why the diet thing might be a little slow in coming around here, what with all the snacking that goes on.) And I think he even ate it with some yogurt this morning. This from a guy who, up until now, said he hated yogurt.
Recipe is from my oft referred to Sterling Cookbook

Coming back...

 I totally thought I would do better at posting than I have. I can't believe it's been well over a month since I last got on this blog!
 So what have I been doing? Jeremy, the kids, and I traveled to the east coast to visit some friends, then Jeremy, Madeira, and I turned around and went to Texas to get a truck for Sealtite.
After all the vacationing, it was time to get down to business. My dear mother came over one day and we made a double batch of salsa, spaghetti sauce, and tomato cocktail.
Also last week one of my sister's longtime friends came to visit so we had a progressive supper, with the finale at our house for dessert. I made a 6 layer chocolate salted caramel cake (thank you, Martha Stewart Living!!) with some help from jr.
Other than that, it's business as usual around here. I won't even go into the boring routine of every day life since I'm sure most of you are well acquainted with it.
I will be at the Fairbury Fair judging the culinary entries this afternoon for an exciting break! I will take the opportunity to tell you that the entries from last year weren't all the impressive (sorry if I'm insulting you here) but I'm sure most of you could do better so go ahead and enter stuff! Just don't tell me if you do so I'm an impartial judge. :)

Rustin and River on a ride at a carnival in Vernon, CT

River and Jeremy at Harkness Beach, CT

Chocolate caramel cake on pink and gold dishes! :)

My sous chef

Some much needed help while canning tomato stuff

Ah! The sweetness that is a little girl!

Uncle Ev, Madeira, and River

A Chicago 4th of July

River, enjoying his view of the river

I am not a 4th of July celebration fan (although this is not to be confused with not being a fan of the 4th in general). This is primarily because I hate loud noises, to the point where the idea of sitting and listening to eardrum shattering fireworks brings on a panic attack. But Jeremy assured me that it's not as loud in Chicago by the lake. I guess I must really trust him - I agreed this sounded fun!?!?!
We had a stay at swissotel purchased from the MFB auction this spring, plus a gift certificate to Keefer's, one of Chicago's best steak houses. So we've heard anyway.

Waiting at the Pier

Let me just cut to the chase here on the fireworks.
Point 1: We took the kids because it seemed cruel to leave River out of the fun. But hauling 2 kids with strollers down and up several flights of steps to get to the pier = totally unfun.
Point 2: The fireworks were scheduled to start at 9 pm. We probably left for the pier around 7 along with a HERD of other people. I don't mean this as an exaggeration either.
Point 3: We somehow missed the ramp leading up the upper part of the pier (by the ferris wheel) so we took the elevator up. This required like a 10 minute jaunt through the boardwalk. Once on the elevator, there was no sign to get off by the "ferris wheel"so we ended up getting on a random floor. Parking garage. Just so you know, if you ever find yourself at Navy Pier on the elevator, trying to get to the ferris wheel, get off at the Shakespeare Theater level. :)
Point 4: It's not like we missed this, but it was like a million degrees outside. We staked out some chairs and then waited and waited and waited. All this waiting started working on my mind. It was 100 degrees out. River was antsy (surprise!). And I just knew that Jeremy's definition of "not loud" was not going to match up with mine. I wanted to go back to the hotel. Immediately. Unfortunately we'd waited forever so I was just planning to plug my ears and tough it out.
At 9 promptly there was a countdown and the fireworks started. Jeremy was right - it wasn't that loud. I'm not an expert on fireworks and I couldn't see much of them on the lake but Jeremy thought Sibley's were just as good as Chicago's so that was a little disappointing. I say, whatever. Fireworks, fireschmorks.
The real joy was getting out of there. Half the population of Chicago was trying to leave Navy Pier at the same time and there we were, with 2 strollers. The one I happened to have was like trying to navigate a mower through a herd of pigs. River had a love/hate relationship with his stroller. On the way out, he hated it. Good thing it had straps. I drove the stroller on some lady's foot because, well, there were feet everywhere and I was just trying to get back together with Jeremy. I almost felt bad about it.
After lugging the strollers back up 2 more flights of steps, we arrived, dripping and weary, back to the hotel. I've often wanted to take a cold shower and then when I get in, I decide that maybe a cold shower isn't exactly the thing I want. Not last night. I took the coldest shower I've ever planned to take in my life.
This morning, while in the hot tub on the 42nd floor of the hotel, I realized that I had the perfect view of the pier from there. I could have avoided stroller lugging, crowds, heat, and any noise last night, right there in the lap of luxury. Maybe next year. Maybe.
I am NEVER going to Navy Pier on the 4th again. You are all my witnesses to this declaration. It just ain't worth it.

My lady M, being her sweet little self at the Pier.

 I haven't said much about the hotel. I don't want to sound jaded - it was a perfectly nice hotel, located in a lovely, quiet part of Chicago. It basically sits on the end of Wacker Drive so there is no through traffic. The view was great - River loved it especially. Blah, blah.
But then we had breakfast this morning and I fell in love with swissotel.

 Assorted fresh fruits, perfectly cut and perfectly ripe.

 Greek yogurt, assorted cheeses and Swiss meats.

 Smoked salmon, capers, hard boiled egg yolks, and egg whites.

 Toppings for oatmeal.

 Herb butter, vanilla butter, and plain butter.
I didn't capture the poached eggs florentine or the display of croissants, or scrambled eggs that actually looked good.
It was so awesome! I had smoked salmon and cream cheese on a whole grain bread. These are the times that I wish that I had 4 stomachs so I could have had room to try at least a little bit of everything. Alas.
Of course, all this beauty comes with a cost. The breakfast buffet is 26 clams per person, should you ever find yourself at the swissotel.

This guy was washing windows today. It was pretty cool to behold the efficient way he worked.
For the record, I made it to Pizano's and PaperSource, but not Keefers. We'll be enjoying that dinner sans children. :)