Hello Again...

I have been neglecting...

It isn't for the lack of ideas like pictures of making popcorn balls in the spring, or a cute crochet hat and pattern that I designed, or super cute oven hot pads I made for Mother's Day, or pie making.  Perhaps it is because of a lack of free time, or complete frustration with the endlessly putting away the same toys and doing the same dishes, and re-cleaning the same room.  I would be an amazing housekeeper, by the way, if there were no kids.  I think this, and then realize that I'm pretty guilty of throwing all of my clothes next to the basket until I come back later and sort it all out. 

But I have an amazingly long weekend.  I don't go back to work until Wednesday, and I technically have nothing planned.  I have Father's Day (at least for Jeff--I seriously have to come up with ideas for the grandpas.  No moment like the last moment) under control.  So I think I'm going to make a skirt for me or Lucy.  I have this book

for me, which I've been meaning to make something out of for a long time.
And this

with adorable bright fabric to make a skirt for Lucy.

I also have a few fun links to share:
*I am in LOVE with these embellished tees, and am dying to make some for the kids.
*I need to make a teacher's gift, and think that this bookmark/gift card idea from Family Fun might just be perfect.
*And, as it is the weekend, I will of course need to make dessert.  Probably make something with blueberries because my husband loves them.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Okay, the photo does not do this justice.  It was a-maz-ing!  But, I am not a photographer, so you will sadly have to endure my horrible lack of proper focus, and make your own.
Recipe (It is the result of a few different ones I found, and logistics.  I only had so much rhubarb.)
Ingredients:
3/4 lb  Rhubarb, chopped
1 1/2 pints Strawberries (approximately) cut into quarters
2/3 cup Sugar
Zest and Juice of One Orange
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cube butter, unsalted (8 tablespoons) cut into small pieces
1/2 cup rolled instant oats

Grease 9x9 baking dish.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, orange juice and zest, and sugar.  Put into 9x9 baking dish.  Add enough strawberries to make the dish a little more than 3/4 full.  In another bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, oats and butter, until it makes a crumbly topping.  I used a fork, got impatient and finished with my fingers.  It doesn't have to be all perfectly combined, just mostly.  Spread as evenly as possible over the fruit.  Put in the oven for more or less 40-45 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.  Serve warm with ice cream.  And then again for breakfast.  Brilliant for breakfast.    

Another Thing about Apricot Jam

A little over a year ago, I had the privilege of going on a sabbatical through Hades.  Thrilling.  The River Styx is not to be missed.  All cynicism aside, it was a dark time.  At the worst moments, I used to dream of living in a cabin, far from anyone else making jam.  I used to hold images of steaming sweet preserves and clean, vintage jars, and the cute labels I would make for them in my head.  It was my sanity.  Why jam?  I don't really know how to explain why jam.  Perhaps because it is so opposite from what I was doing.  Perhaps because to me it was the quintessential homemaker-ish thing to do.  Probably because I just like jam.  (And cute labels)

Apricots?  My grandparents used to have two apricot trees right next to their driveway.  Some of my literally sweetest memories from childhood involve sitting up in those trees, eating the juicy sun-warmed fruit.  They would be so ripe that they were nearly falling off the pit inside.  Apricots like that taste quite truly like sunshine should.  Interestingly we never made jam with them that I can remember.  We would can them in syrup to enjoy over cottage cheese in the winter. 

So perhaps the best explanation of Apricot Jam comes from the idea of escaping away and having the time to make homey, handmade-ness from blissful, sunshine fruit. 

Quiet

It is quiet. 

So quiet that I can hear someone laughing next door, and a door shutting, and the heater clicking on and off. 

The chaos of the day is put away (This is only because I exercised a very large amount of will power and didn't immediately sit down with my laptop the instant the kids were in bed.  Instead I set the timer and cleaned things up for 15 minutes.  I really deserve very shiny gold stars for this.)  And it almost looks like nice, neat people live here.  Almost.

And I know if I open their bedroom door it will smell like sleep, and I will hear the soft sounds of their breathing, and they will be curled up in their little blanket nests.  My kids have never been fans of sleeping straight in blankets, curled into messy nests is much more cozy. 

I love this quiet, this peace.  I love sitting here deciding which project to play with next (probably making three of these for Easter).  I love how beautiful my kids are, how much my boys look like their dad.  It is so easy to imagine that being a mommy is blissful right now.

Actually right now, it is.  

Playing Hooky! (Or My Crazy Crochet Weekend)

I went a little crazy this last weekend.  I have a new nephew on his way in about a month, and thoughts about opening an etsy store, which culminated in a lot of crocheting.  I made some insanely cute hats, and found a few very inspirational people and places.
First, I love this girl's blog and her shell hat pattern.  I made one up to give to a gal that I visit teach who just had a beautiful baby girl this last week.  (I was supposed to make dinner, but may have been slightly distracted by crochet hooks and the pack of wild monkeys that live in my house.  So she got pizza, and a cute hat.  Oh well.)

I also love this one and I great plans for her cute beanie with brim pattern.  I made up a different beanie pattern, and I like it.  But I think the one from Angel's Chest might be my more favorite.
Then I was inspired by a few different versions of bug hats that I saw around online, but none of the patterns I found was exactly what I wanted.  So, I spent a ridiculous amount of time (meaning that I may have still been playing hooky around 2 am) making my own pattern.  This is the result.  I am so completely stoked at the thought of taking pictures of my new nephew with antennae that stick up.

Now, I'm working on a cocoon for the new baby.  And, my arm is completely sore at the top of my forearm by my elbow.  Perhaps a little too much hooky for one weekend.
I am really excited about figuring out the etsy thing.  It is kind of crazy to think that someone would want to buy my stuff, although it really is very cute!

Homemade Cleaners

I have to confess a bit of an obsession with my homemade cleaners.  I love them!  They smell good, work wonderfully, and I think they cost me about $.25 a bottle to make (I actually priced the ingredients.  It is around $.06 cents without the scent), including scenting them with essential oils.  They are also pretty non-toxic, and safe to use around kids.

I put ammonia in mine because ammonia is amazing at lifting dirt.  My sister, the hair stylist, reminded me that ammonia is what they use to lift color and make you blonde.  But, ammonia isn't the nicest chemical.  On it's own, it has a wretched scent, and it is a pretty serious chemical.  You can make this cleaner without ammonia, but I don't think it works as well.  Cleaners that you buy in the store, especially ones like 409 have a lot of ammonia in them (just smell it next time--I'm pretty much sure when they were testing different formulas that they finally settled on the one with the most ammonia and colored it blue).  My cleaner uses a tablespoon of ammonia (.5 oz) to 28 oz of water, meaning that it is very well diluted.  It is the smallest amount I could use, and still get some lift.  By the way, if you look on the cleaning aisle, ammonia is usually hiding in an innocent jug of clear liquid on the bottom shelf. 

The Recipes:

All Purpose Cleaner
In a spray bottle (I just saved empty ones that I had bought) pour in:
1/4 cup  Distilled White Vinegar
1 tablespoon Ammonia
1 teaspoon Borax (found by the laundry soaps)
A few drops dish soap (as in 5-7 little drops)
10 or so drops of essential oil (technically optional--but it is my favorite part.  I love mint, lavender, any citrus, and ylang-ylang.  I've also tried coconut extract, but the oils work better.  The oils that you use in those burners with the tea lights also work.)
A drop of food coloring (because then it doesn't look homemade.  This is completely unessential, but I like it)
Hot water

Instructions:
Mix the vinegar, ammonia, borax, and dish soap in the bottom of your spray bottle by shaking it a little.  Add your essential oil.  I add about 10 drops, swirl it and then check to see if I can still smell the vinegar and ammonia.  I hate the smell of those two, and I've found if the essential oil overpowers their scent before I add the water, I'm golden.  Then fill the bottle with hot tap water, swirl and if you want, add the drop or two of food coloring.

Window Cleaner
2 T Ammonia
2 T Vinegar
2 T Rubbing Alcohol (it helps it evaporate a little faster and streak less)
10 drops Mint essential oil 

Mix in a spray bottle, fill the rest with hot water. 

Simple things make me happy.  I have busy, messy little ones, and I used to get frustrated with how much surface cleaner I would go through because it is expensive.  Now, no more guilt, it works just as well, and smells better!

It is rumored that my aunt has an amazing, easy laundry soap recipe.  As soon as I get it, I will share!

The Very Best Mac and Cheese

This is the really the best Mac and Cheese.  It causes my daughter to swoon and follow me around the kitchen, and my son to declare me "The Very Best Cooker in the World".

Many Mac and Cheese recipes depend on a cheese sauce made from a simple roux.  Roux may be great, but I think it yields a cheese sauce that is rather grainy, almost doughy, and not smooth.  This recipe is simple.  It uses corn starch as a thickener, which is smoother, less fattening, and easier.  The real secret to amazing Mac and Cheese, is amazing cheese.  Hands down, amazing aged cheddar is going to be way better, but this recipe works well with regular store brand cheese (which is what we usually use).  Also, I love to plan this meal for the day before I go grocery shopping, and I also try to just keep the ingredients on hand because they do not spoil quickly, which means I don't have to worry that I didn't get to it when I planned.  

Yield: 9x9 dish
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (approx 1/2 lb)
3 cups grated cheese (mix 2/3 sharp cheddar, 1/3 Parmesan)
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard (more if you want)
1 tbsp corn starch

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the noodles, as usual, drain and do not rinse.  They will stick to the sauce better.

Mix the sour cream with the Dijon mustard in a sauce pan.  Put on medium to low heat, and start to melt.  Add all the cheese and mix it together. 

Gradually heat the sauce to melt the cheese.  Mix with a spoon.  As the sauce gets more melted, whisk together.

In a little bowl, mix the cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry.  Dump the slurry into the sauce, and whisk the sauce together.

Allow the sauce to get fully melted and bubbly while continuing to stir or whisk it so that it remains smooth.  Mix the noodles into the sauce.  You can stop here if you want, but the next step makes it just that much better.

Pour the Mac and Cheese into the 9x9 baking dish.  Cover with a little more grated cheese. 

Put in the oven until the top is bubbly and browned, approximately 15 minutes.

My son would now announce that you are "The Best Cooker in the World"!

Variations:
I love to mix chopped cauliflower in with the noodles during the last couple minutes that they are cooking, and then they are mixed throughout the noodles in the final dish.  Cauliflower and cheddar cheese are a match made in heaven, but my daughter hates when I mess with her Noodies and Cheese.  You can also add garlic to the mixture, or black pepper--or truly a million things--but this is the basic, unadulterated, perfect Mac and Cheese.
Also, these cheese sauce is amazing with potatoes to make Potatoes Au Gratin (better known as Funeral Potatoes). 

Roast Chicken

This is perhaps my most essential recipe.  It is quick, simple, healthy, extremely useful and very economical.  What more could you ask?
At first, a whole chicken with its guts, bones and skin intimidated me to death.  How do you know it's done?  How do you cut it?  What do you do with it?  My husband insisted that it was easy, and promised to cut it in the end, so I tried it.  It has since become a staple, and I probably roast at least one chicken a week.  I promise you will love it, and the endless options with the leftovers.  Besides, could there be a more quintessential Sunday Supper?

Ingredients:
1 whole 3-5 lb chicken  (Yes, quality matters.  Yes, you can taste the difference between Organic, Natural and the scary cheap ones that have clearly never moved in their lives.  I can't afford organic on a regular basis, or I at least cannot stomach paying between $12 and $15 for ONE chicken.  I settle for the natural ones from in-state farms.  The extra cheap ones are injected with chicken broth, and do not have the same muscle tone, and do not taste as good.)
Fresh Herbs--Sage, Thyme, Rosemary  (dried just isn't the same)
Spices--Paprika, Coriander, Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper
1 Onion
Olive Oil

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 415 degrees.

Cut the onion into rings, put on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.

Make spice rub in a little bowl.  A couple teaspoons of salt, a good amount of fresh ground pepper.  One teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 tsp of all the other spices.  Mix together and taste.  Adjust to your taste.

Set out things for chicken before you get your hands all messy.  You will need several paper towels, a piece of kitchen twine or thread, your fresh herbs, your spice rub and your olive oil already opened.

Remove chicken from its packaging.  Remove innards, and rinse in sink inside and out.  Discard packaging and innards.  (You could be creative with those, but personally, that is going a bit far.)

Dry chicken on the paper towels.  Put on top of the onions in your pan.
Rub down skin on top and under the skin with the spice rub and olive oil.

Fill the cavity with the fresh herbs.  I don't cut them, but I do give them a little twist to start releasing their flavors.

Tuck the wings as shown.

Tie up the legs with the kitchen twine as shown.

Put the chicken in the oven.  To temp the chicken, place a metal stick thermometer straight into where you think the hip joint is.  I also like to temp the thickest, deepest part of the breast.  When the chicken reads 165 to 170 degrees, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.  It is important to let it rest.

Look how pretty!

Serve with oven roasted potatoes or any other favorite starch, and a great vegetable like asparagus or broccoli.  Occasionally I will make an amazing pan sauce with sour cream,  Dijon mustard, pan juices and a little white wine to go on top of the chicken, but I will have to take pictures of that another day.  Tonight, it's just the kids and I, so we are just eating chicken, potatoes and trees with cheese (broccoli).  Tomorrow, I plan on making my to-die-for chicken enchiladas with the leftovers.

A Few Words of Introduction

Apricot Jam is better than Strawberry Jam.

It doesn't stain or show as much on little faces, little clothes and furniture.  It is also extremely versatile, making both great PB&J sandwiches, and a surprisingly complex base to braised carnitas. 

I am married to a chef, a real, and very good Executive Chef, who does not cook at home.  I do the cooking, while he does the kitchen version of backseat driving.  The recipes here are the results of my attempts to create in real life, with home kitchen stuff, truly good food.  In addition to cooking, I love to make things.  I try not to limit myself to too few types of crafting. 

I aspire to be Supermom.  I tried therapy for the Supermom delusions.  It didn't work.  I was never completely convinced that Supermom is figment of my imagination, and I got more out of talking with my mom.  My mom also contributes to this blog, thankfully and rather out of necessity.
 

In essence, this blog is a collection of the great ideas from my husband the chef, my mom, and the many amazing, talented women in my life.  Just like jam, it is the realization of first-rate ingredients preserved for a rainy day.