Ice Skating

I took Caroline and Clayton ice skating on Saturday.  It was Caroline's second time (she went once last winter) and Clayton's first.  They were hysterical. Since the rink was outside, there was no wall to hold on to.  I am guessing there will be no Olympic-caliber figure skaters in our family!
They were great though. I thought they would start getting frustrated and upset, and want to go home after falling 7,000 times. They didn't. They showed great determination! I was very proud.

 

Three Little Pigs Day

On Monday, we had a "Three Little Pigs" day.  We started by reading the "Three Little Pigs" story. Then we took an old cereal box, cut out a long rectangle for the walls and a smaller rectangle for the roof. We folded and glued to make little cardboard houses. The kids then glued cut up yellow yarn to make "straw houses".  I drew a pig, they colored it pink, and we cut it out and glued it onto the house. -Voila - the first little pig in his straw house.

 We then made "stick houses" out of lincoln logs.

Using another old cereal box, I made a larger house which Caroline colored red. I helped her draw the "bricks" with permanent marker.

 We capped off our three little pigs day with piggy pancakes for lunch...( a larger pancake, a small pancake for the nose, 2 quarters of a small pancake for the ears, and chocolae chips for the snout holes and eyes. )

 

First Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Caroline lost her FIRST tooth on Saturday!

She was very excited to get a dollar in her tooth fairy pillow!

A downtown date and a sleepover

Kevin's parents very generously took the kids Friday afternoon for an overnight and day of play at their house on Saturday.
Kevin and I got to have a curfew-free date downtown. Woo hoo! (Of course, Kevin had gotten up at 5 am for Men's Fraternity that morning, so we knew our old and tired bones wouldn't make it too late!)

We dined at a newly-renovated and overhauled  "Pump Room" at the Public Hotel. The place couldn't look more different from the old school Pump Room.  So modern and chic.
Dinner (for the most part) was delicious -
Tuna Tartare with ginger dressing and spicy radishes,
Beet salad with Homemade Yogurt and Balsamic Vinegar (who knew we both would love beets so much!)
Scallops in a cauliflower-lemon broth with sofrito and raisins. (Delicious! even for someone that is not a cauliflower or raisin lover!)
Crispy Suckling pig in a bacon marmalade (This was Kevin's entree. I give him MAJOR props for trying something different and not going with the easy route of fried chicken. Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite different from what we were expecting and maybe a little too "wierd" for our tastes. )
Luckily, we ended well with homemade butterscotch pudding (a Kevin fav), and a salted caramel ice cream sundae with candied peanuts &popcorn, whipped cream & chocolate sauce.
It was a wonderful evening.  The next day, we had the house to ourselves. (It was SO quiet!)

The kids had a BLAST with Gamma and Boppy. They played at the park, made their own pizza pockets, did a groundhogs day pudding craft/dessert, and made a candle craft.

 The highlight was going to the "Choo Choo Restaurant" in Des Plaines where a model train actually brings you your food. As Gamma put it "I wish you could have seen Austin's face when that train came around..."

 

Baby, it's cold outside...

so we've been stuck INSIDE.  We've been making lots of forts, playing puzzles, playing legos, playing dolls, coloring, drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows, and doing a few crafty things.

 

Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Onions

Potato and Leek Soup with Crispy onions

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse & the Pioneer Woman

Soup Ingredients
1 large or 2 small leeks, about 1 pound
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp butter
2 - 3 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 lb russet potatoes, diced
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
3/4 tsp cracked pepper
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp chopped chives (for garnish, optional)

Crispy Fried Onions Ingredients
1 whole large onion

2 cups buttermilk (or you can use 2 cups milk with 2 tbsp lemon juice)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

vegetable oil

 

Preparation

Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish or tupperware and cover with buttermilk and soak for at least an hour. 

Trim the green portions of the leek and, using 2 of the longest leaves, make a bouquet garni by folding the 2 leaves around the bay leaves and thyme. Tie into a package shaped bundle with kitchen twine and set aside. (Or you can tie the thyme and bay leaves together in a piece of cheesecloth).

Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.

In a large soup ot ovr medioum heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, untilt he bacon is soft and has rendered most of its fat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful. 

 

While the soup is simmering, you can start preparing the onions. Combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cayenne) in a bowl.

Pour oil into a wide pot with high sides until it comes up about 1/2 inch.  Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tap to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown and place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.  Repeat in batches with the rest of the onions.

 

After soup has been simmering for 30 minutes, remove the bouquet garni, and working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor. (Or if you have an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot. So much quicker and less mess!)

Stir in the cream and adjust the seasoning to your tastes. Serve immediately with the chopped chives and crispy onions.

Girl Scout Spa Event

Caroline's daisy scout troup attended a "Spa science" event a few weeks ago. They got to make their own sugar scrub, lip gloss, and bath salts. They even tried out a mud mask with cucumbers on their eyes. It was a huge hit with the girls!

The many faces of Clayton...

I love these shots of Clayton (taken when we were in Florida in early December.)

I love you my quirky, creative, and caring little boy!

New Years Eve!

We had our good friends, the Harveys, over for New Years Eve.  Annette brought 2 delicious versions of baked brie - one in a baked pastry, and one with a homemade cranberry chutney. Delicious!  She also brought the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. 
We ate french mussel bisque, beef tenderloin with horseradish cream sauce, leek-mushroom bread pudding, and peanut butter mousse black-bottom pie.  We had lots of fun, despite Austin and Kevin not feeling their best.

Christmas Part 3

After celebrating with the Scotts, we drove over to my parents' house for a "Wood family Christmas".

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All the Wood grandchildren! Christmas together at last!