Henry's First Talk

This last month, Henry gave his first talk in Primary. In case you aren't familiar with what this is, every Sunday a child prepares and presents a talk to the other children at church. It usually has something to do with the monthly theme and is usually between 30 seconds to 3 minutes depending on the age of the child. This month the theme was "Families Can Be Together Forever."
 I pretty much wrote Henry's talk but as he is three, that is acceptable. He did so well though. He came right up to the microphone, held up each picture and repeated the sentence clearly. It was so cute.
And for posterity's sake, here it is. Except these pictures were taken afterwards as he is NOT wearing church clothes:

"I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday."

"Temple marriage is being sealed for eternity."

"This is a gift from Heavenly Father and Jesus."

"I went to the temple with my family. I love my family and we will be together forever."

eaten: Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce and Chicken Parmesan Paillards

I cannot even describe how fresh and light and delicious this dish was. I could go on and on. It might be one of my favorite things I have come across all year. And it is so simple. This whole meal was a testament to the beauty of simple, fresh ingredients.

So I am mixing two different recipes. We had the fresh pasta recipe paired with the Parmesan chicken from another recipe. I really liked the lighter preparation of the chicken. Pounding it flat, yields a faster cooking time and less time in the oil. In the original recipe, they only coated one side of the chicken and that could be a great option too but I put cheese on both sides.

For the pasta I ended up making it as stated but I couldn't find the fettuccine so I used fresh cheese ravioli instead. Half a package, 20 oz. I froze the other half to be used for another meal because I will be making this again. And again. And again.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce
Recipe and Picture from Cooking Light

• 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine, we used half a 20 oz fresh ravioli package
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved, about 1 pint
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (about 1/2 cup)

Preparation

1. 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place pasta in a large bowl.
2. 2. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and salt; cover and cook 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in basil and pepper. Add tomato mixture to pasta; toss well to combine. Top with cheese.

Barbara Seelig Brown, Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2010

Chicken Parmesan Paillards  
Recipe and Picture from Cooking Light

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves $
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Preparation

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine cheese and flour in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each chicken breast half in cheese mixture.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 chicken breast halves; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken breast halves. Remove from pan; serve immediately.

Lia Huber, Cooking Light
MARCH 2007

Henry Colors Up a Storm

 Henry has been really into coloring lately. He'll color every inch of pages in his coloring books. He is getting a lot better at focusing his color on specific areas. He doesn't stay within the lines but he does completely fill between the lines.

 Its also fun to see how he is progressing at free drawing. He seems to have more of a plan and he builds on his pictures now more than just scribbling whatever. He'll start with the center and then build outward like this one ^^^

 He said this one was a mushroom.

I love this one. You can tell his composition has greatly improved over the past few months. Its so interesting to see glimpses of how his mind works.

eaten: sirloin skewers with grilled veggie coucous and fiery red pepper sauce

I love couscous.

I just do. But I always forget about it.

Its delicious and I love the texture. And add this pepper sauce and it is divine.

I have been a total nerd lately and have been checking out stacks of cook books from the library and reading them straight through like novels. One of my favorite finds recently was The New Way to Cook Light. And the great thing is that all of the recipes are also online with lots of helpful reviews and adjustments. I pinned a bunch of them on my Menu Making board.

And while I am not on a diet at all, I do enjoy cooking healthy foods with lots of fresh flavor and ingredients. This complete meal looked so tasty and was perfect for summer grilling. The steaks were sadly a little overcooked for me-Darn! but I loved the couscous and veggies and the sauce is amazing. This would also be wonderful with naan bread. Next time since the grill will already be on, I am going to whip up a batch of freshly grilled naan to soak up the extra pepper sauce.

I did make some adjustments to the couscous prep and we just cooked steaks instead of doing skewers. I typed up the recipe as I prepared it, click through for original version.  

Sirloin Skewers with Grilled Vegetable Couscous and Fiery Pepper Sauce

Recipe and pic from Cooking Light

 Pepper sauce:

•   3 red bell peppers, or just use jarred roasted peppers to save a step
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt--Steve thinks it needed more salt, adjust accordingly
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds--I left this out
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper--I used black pepper

Couscous:

•   3/4 cup water
• 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
•   1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp butter, divided 
• 8 ounces eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 8 ounces squash, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices $
• 8 ounces zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices $
• We also used half a box of mushrooms that I had in the fridge
• 4 green onions, trimmed
• Cooking spray 

Skewers:

• 1 1/2 pounds top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2.  To prepare pepper sauce, cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil for 12 minutes or until blackened. You can also just grill them up whole until black or save this step all together and use jarred ones. Place in a paper bag, and fold to close tightly. Let stand for 20 minutes. Peel. Place peppers and the next 8 ingredients (through red pepper) in a blender, and process until smooth.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
4. To prepare couscous: melt 1 TBSP butter in a pan, add couscous and cook until toasted light brown, remove from pan to medium bowl. Melt remaining butter in pan and saute onion until translucent, add to couscous. Meanwhile bring water and broth to a boil. Pour boiling liquid over couscous; cover tightly with saran wrap. Let stand 10-12 minutes, fluff with fork.
5. Arrange eggplant and veggies on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until vegetables are tender and well marked. Remove from heat; coarsely chop vegetables. Combine 1/2 cup pepper sauce, couscous, and chopped vegetables in a large bowl; toss gently. Keep warm.
6. To prepare skewers, thread beef onto 12 (7-inch) skewers. Lightly coat beef with cooking spray, and sprinkle with black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning once. Serve with couscous mixture and remaining sauce.

Robin Bashinsky, Cooking Light
JULY 2011

Lately,

Here are some things that have been happening lately...

• Steve taught me how to play Texas Hold 'Em and we have been playing a couple of times a week. We have poker chips and everything. Its fun even though I always lose. Poker night, anyone?
• Henry's favorite song is "Deck the Halls." As in the Christmas carol. And he only likes to sing it at the top of his lungs. "Deck the halls with bows of holly, fa la la la la la la la la..."
• I enjoyed my 100 workouts massage on Saturday. Totally worth it. And I am plugging away at the next 100 already. 
• Have you heard about the Humans of New York project? I love it. People fascinate me. 
• I just finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Its a bit crass and has profanity in it but man, oh man is it good. I devoured it and was constantly on the edge of seat. Who is guilty? Who is sane? Who can I trust? Its a great read.
• While perusing around, I read this blog post about how to be photogenic. Its an interesting read with lots of great tips plus pictures to show the difference lip color makes, etc. It ends with a great mantra to get in front of the camera. I like this quote from Theresa Porter, “ Life doesn’t wait until you “get thin” enough to capture it. Life is happening . . . it is happening right now and the only moment we are guaranteed is the one we are living.” 
• A family in our ward goes to South Carolina every summer to get the best peaches. I bought a 25 lb. box and canned it into 5 quarts of peach pie filling, 6 quarts of peaches and made one stunning cobbler. I forgot how much I love canning. It was my first solo experience and everything sealed. Lets hope they aren't mush in the jars.  
• I have received a few questions about the kitchen gadgets I have purchased. Here is a great blog post on how to take care of your cast iron skillet.  I have found it really easy to clean. Even after the cake sat in it for a few days, I just filled it with water and brought it to a boil on the stove, the cake cleaned right out. I also liberally season it with oil after each use. The knife sharpener I got isn't that great, in fact I don't think it will last very long. This is the one and if I had seen the reviews beforehand I wouldn't have gotten it. Next time I think I will go with a whetstone. My knives were 6 years dull so this did improve them significantly (like from crushing tomatoes while slicing to just slicing) but I can already tell they will need to be resharpened again soon.
• We've been back at the beach and splash pad this week. As a Pacific Northwest girl, I am ashamed at how the recent rain has gotten me down. I guess I just acclimatize too easily.

eaten: gooey chocolate skillet cake

Another perk of having a cast iron skillet is that I got to make this delicious chocolate cake. What a great excuse, right?

After the first success with the skillet, I ventured online to find more recipes. I searched "skillet" on Pinterest and guess what? There is a band named Skillet. They are apparently very popular with their small fan base as to incite enough enthusiasm to motivate people to tattoo their lyrics on their flesh. I saw a few pictures of this. Scary. But I also saw a number of yummy looking desserts and entrees to keep my skillet busy for months.

First up, the Gooey Chocolate Cake. We were having friends over for dinner. It was last minute and I had exactly 4 TB of cocoa powder. Coincidence? I think not. This cake is moist, rich and divine with a small dollop of vanilla ice cream.

gooey chocolate skillet cake

Recipe and Picture from Hummingbirdhigh
Ingredients

Special Equipment:

• a 10-inch cast iron skillet, I used my 12 inch skillet and just reduced the baking time by a couple of minutes.

For the Chocolate Cake:

(enough for a 10-inch cake)

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• a dash of salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the Chocolate Frosting:

(enough for a 10-inch cake)

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 (F).
   


2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and a dash of salt together. Set aside.
   


3. In your 10-inch cast iron skillet, bring 4 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup water to a boil:
   
   
   Remove from heat.


4. Whisk in the dry ingredients (from the first step) into the butter/oil/cocoa powder mixture. At first the mixture will be clumpy, but with enough whisking the ingredients will incorporate together to create a smooth, thick batter:
5. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla
   Don't rush this process. You're basically forcing more liquid into an already fatty mixture that doesn't want to make room for the liquid. There should be no streaks of fat or liquid before you move on to the next step:
   I found the most effective way of mixing was to actually fold the ingredients together. That way, I didn't get batter running out the sides of the skillet from violent mixing.
6. Once the batter is ready, bake the skillet in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let rest on a cooling rack.
   
7. As the cake starts to cool, make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter.
   
8. Once the butter has melted, add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 4 tablespoons milk, using a rubber spatula to combine the ingredients.
   
9. Remove from heat and add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir to combine, making sure that all the powdered sugar lumps have been disintegrated by the chopped pecans.
   
10. Once the frosting is ready, pour over the warm cake and spread with a spatula. The frosting will initially appear too liquidy, but will harden as the cake cools.

eaten: skillet roasted lemon chicken with potatoes

One of the best things about all this new cooking is acquiring new kitchen gear. I have been slowly starting to fill in the gaps in my kitchen arsenal. Three new cutting boards, a knife sharpener, a spoon rest. Simple things that I have been slowly buying. My favorite new purchase by far is a cast iron skillet. For awhile now I have wanted/needed a pan I can use on the stove and then pop in the oven.

Anyway, my first recipe with the skillet turned out really great. It was super easy and flavorful. I had jotted it down in my mead recipe notebook years ago so I don't know where it is from. I also only used half the chicken since there were just three of us. Since I put less chicken, I actually overcooked it a bit. So watch your times if you are using less chicken or potatoes. Everything tasted good though and the lemon slices added a nice tartness.

Pictures are bad. They are from my phone.

skillet roasted lemon chicken with potatoes

1 large lemon, sliced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp rosemary
6 chicken breasts
1 pint cherry tomatoes
8-10 small red potatoes, quartered

1. Preheat oven to 450*
2. Arrange lemon slices in a single layer on bottom of cast iron skillet or roasting pan.
3. Combine oil and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken, tomatoes, and potatoes. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange chicken on top of lemon slices in a single layer. Top with vegetables.

4. Bake for 45-55 minutes.

Missionary Primary Activity

The day before I was released from Primary, we had a little missionary activity. Each child received a special mission call in the mail. Henry got called to serve in Mexico and was thrilled to get mail that was all his own.

He didn't really know what or where that was but we looked it up on the map together.

Here is a shot of all the primary children, they are wearing Future Missionary tags and have marked on the map where they are going to serve their missions. Of course Henry refused to come and be in the picture.
As sad as it is to not be in Primary anymore, I am 100% relieved to no longer have to deal with him acting out in front of me. He is so reverent and respectful when I am not around. Hooray.

eaten: squash casserole

At a recent Relief Society potluck-picnic, I was brave and sampled a delicious looking casserole. Having experienced some unfortunate tuna surprises, I am hesitant to dig in to unknown casseroles. This dish had me going back for seconds before I even asked what it was. All I knew was that it was good.

Simple summer squash mixed with gooey cream and sandwiched between a stuffing crust. If you're looking for a new way to serve summer's bounty of zucchini, this is it. Steve even had two helpings. He said he really liked it because it basically just tastes like stuffing and not vegetables. Henry did not like it and actually threw it up in defiance.

I bet this would be even better with homemade stuffing topping. Day old bread and herbs. Hmm... I will play around with it and get back to you with an edited version. And you could even lighten it up with less soup and low fat sour cream.

Squash Casserole
Recipe from Debbie Johnson

8 oz dry stuffing mix-I use cornbread mix
1/2 C melted butter
1-2 onions diced (depends on how well you like onions)
2 lbs or so of yellow squash  You can also mix with zucchini
1 can crm of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Boil squash and onions, drain and mash.
Combine with soup, sour cream, salt and pepper.
Mix stuffing mix and melted butter.
Cover bottom of baking dish with 1/2 of stuffing mix, cover with squash mixture and then top with remaining stuffing.
Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until bubbly on edges.

100 Workouts

Spoiler Alert: Sorry people, no pictures of me working out. And I tried to get a good shot of my awesome biceps and shoulder muscles but none of the pictures did them justice.

At the beginning of the year I made some resolutions, like everyone else, right? The goal was to work out more. Not to diet, not to lose X number of pounds, just to good, old-fashioned hit the gym. Sweat and get my heart rate up. Time for me and my body.

I had seen things where each time a person exercises, they get to put $1 in a jar to buy something but who has cash? So I came up with a simple plan, mark a star on my calendar for each day I workout and then once I got to 100 I would get to treat myself to a massage or something equally indulgent. My goal was to make it by June 30-six months-and I missed it by 3 days. Oh well. 

Overall I would say that joining the gym has changed my life. Sounds dramatic. Well it is. I actually look forward to going and when I don't, I regret it. There is something so empowering about seeing your body change. The first month was brutal and as I continue to learn more and push myself, I still get sore and beat up. But its that good type of sore. The kind that means I actually accomplished something.

I have figured out how to have enough clean sports bras each week, what to eat after a power strength class so I can function on outings with Henry, to pack my gym bag the night before so I don't forget crucial things like underwear, towels or shoes. I have learned to love free weights and feel confident in that part of the gym. And while I am still unstable on the swiss ball, I can laugh at myself when I roll off and flop onto the floor. I have come to enjoy stretching and often stretch while watching tv at night because it feels so good.

There is also a great, supportive community at a gym. I have made friends with class instructors, built deeper friendships with girls I know and have the smiling-nods of friendship with people I see daily but never talk to. I know if I don't come to a certain class, Jenny will ask where I was. She will also push me to pick up a heavier weight since she knows I can do it. She looks at me when she gives the "die-hard" option. Lindsey will chat with me endlessly about working out and we'll push each other to push ourselves. Stacey is the most fit person I know in real life and she constantly amazes me with her strength and her genuine approval of my improvements.

I also learned that I have been working out incorrectly my entire life. If you really want to see your body change, you can't just do cardio. I thought if I did the elliptical for 40 minutes and then did abs I would get into great shape. Wrong. I have seen the most success by doing more weightlifting. Instead of just wanting to be skinny, I want to be strong. And while I have lost some weight, I know I have gained the most muscle I've ever had in my thirty years. I can flex and see muscle. That might not seem like a huge deal but oh, it is. Sometimes I like to flex my bicep and just feel it. Or my shoulders. Or my butt. Seriously. Its sounds crazy and egotistical but I can see the results and I am proud of my body. 

Proud, not because I'm super thin but proud that I am getting stronger. Like I mentioned before about becoming empowered, there is an immense power from being able to accomplish something new. For example, the first month I started at the Omni I began doing a class called Group Power. It is weight lifting to music. Barbells set with lighter weights that you lift for an entire song. Over the course of going to that class 3-4 times a month, I have been able to more than double my weight on most areas. Except triceps because I am perpetually weak on my flappers. But double. What was once a struggle is now too easy. Its amazing how fast your body can adapt and change and even plateau. I have learned to mix it up and try new things and classes. 

So if you are thinking about joining a gym or working out or just doing something for yourself, I say do it. And if you need someone to talk to about it, call me. And if you need someone to help you find a plan, let me know. I'm not an expert but I do pay attention. 

So here is to another 100 workouts!

the 4th of July

 We had a pretty disappointing 4th of July this year. Due to lots of rain, most of our activities were cancelled and we were grumpy and home bound. We started the day bright and early at our Ward Flag Raising and Breakfast. Luckily it was moved inside as it was pouring. I woke up early and made star shaped biscuits that were delicious and patriotic. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture. The breakfast was pretty good and they had games to play. We cut out early to make the morning showing of Rio.

Steve came with us which was a fun treat and we had other friends there as well. After the movie we sat around waiting to decide if the rain was going to stop. We had planned a BBQ/pool party which probably wasn't going to happen. Steve and I both took naps.

The weather looked kind of like it was going to hold steady at just cloudy and not rainy so we packed up the car for the BBQ. As soon as I was getting Henry in his carseat, the rain came down in sheets. Seriously. 

Five minutes before the party.

Monsoon.

The party was abandoned, the fireworks cancelled and we tried to hold it together with an incredibly antsy and whiny kid. "I don't want to go to a pool party!" "Why aren't we going to the pool?"

Luckily, our friends invited us over to play and hang out and salvage the evening. It continued to rain and hasn't really stopped for more than a few hours since. As much as I love the rain, I can see it affecting us especially Henry.

Lately,

 All of these pictures were taken this Sunday. I sent Henry and Steve outside to play and for some fresh air. Henry was supposed to ride his bike but wanted to sweep all the little flowers that had fallen out of the tree by our porch. He loves "sgweeping."

 He also started trying to ride his bike by standing on the back. He sure isn't letting his lack of being able to use the pedals stop him from having a great time. 

The other day I realized that everything I was wearing was from Target. Dress, sandals, necklace, bag. Luckily, I didn't go to Target. That would have been embarrassing.

We brown papered Henry's bedroom windows to see if he would sleep past sunrise (6:20 am). It was sad the first morning to hear him crawling into our room at 6:30, it was also sad to start the day by saying, "It didn't work." Failure is bleak at dawn.

Even though I am diligent about sunscreen and wearing a sun hat, we have reached that time in the summer where my makeup is too light for my face. Blend, blend, blend.

We have had rainy, rainy weather here. I LOVE IT! And it has been a much needed break from being outside in the sun. 

Oh and I finally hit 100 work outs! Massage or mani-pedi here I come. I will be posting more about that later. 

eaten: Oven Baked Fries

When I was in college, I had a roommate who thought those bags of frozen french fries were healthy. "They're just potatoes," she claimed. It was heartbreaking to show her the ingredients. The plates and plates consumed showed on her face.

And while I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I also love french fries. Let's see if we can make them baked and still delicious, with only potato and a little bit of oil. And I know I am not delusional to believe these are healthy, they are just a healthier option than the deep fried variety. So it took me about three times making these to finally get it right. I tried Gwyneth's version first but I had lackluster-stuck-to-the-pan results, this is the same recipe but tweaked a bit by Annie.

Lightly oiling the pan and then sprinkling salt and pepper on it was, I think the saving technique. Also flipping each wedge individually is kind of a pain but worth it. 

Baked Oven Fries

Yield: about 4 servings

Picture and Recipe courtesy of Annie's Eats

Ingredients

3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided--I would use even a little less
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.
• When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Summer Reading

 I continue to be impressed by our wonderful, local library. For the summer, they have all sorts of weekly activities to entertain and educate kids. And while I think we have outgrown story time, there is still much to keep us busy there. This summer we chose to participate in their reading program. The goal is 50 books and you get little prizes along the way for every 10 books you read.

 Henry and I completed our goal this week and he got to pick out a free book. We chose Miss Nelson is Missing because he loves Miss Viola Swamp, the creepy alter ego of the sweet teacher. He was also very proud about moving his name to the "50 books wall."

 Some of the other prizes were a free kids meal to Raising Cane's, stickers, a tattoo and a watercolor page. Or course the true prize was spending time together reading. Ahhh....

We tried to read 50 different books and I think we only got one repeat: The Cat in the Hat snuck in there twice. Sneaky Cat.