three for tea

My niece, Hannah, is visiting us this week so in between all the regular summer outings (pool, mall, beach) we decided to do something extra special.  We left Harriet at home and headed to the big city for Afternoon Tea at the Drake Hotel.  We had such a fantastic time.  It appealed to each of us, a 4 year old, a 13 year old, and...me.  It would be great for grandmas and aunts too and every age in between.

The Drake Hotel is one of the oldest most beautiful hotels in the city.  Afternoon tea takes place in the Palm Court which is a lovely room with a fountain in the center topped with an enormous flower arrangement.  I had been to  afternoon tea a couple times before, years ago, with girlfriends and my mom but it was so fun seeing it through Eloise and Hannah's eyes.

 We each chose our tea variety.  Everyone gets their own pot and there is cream and sugar cubes with little silver tongs which was very exciting for Eloise.  Next comes the three tiered tray of delicious treats.  Scones and breads on the top, tea sandwiches on the middle tier, and pastries on the bottom.  These were served with preserves, lemon curd, and English Double Devon cream.  I really was a little surprised at how delicious everything was, and we were stuffed!  The girls got a kick out of being extra fancy and proper.  For those of you that know Eloise, it should come as no surprise that she thought it would be super fun to talk in British accents the whole time.  Well, it was fun.  Me and Hannah did it for a little bit but you know Eloise was committed to her character and kept it up the whole time.

There was a beautiful harpist playing right by the fountain.  Hannah and Eloise requested "anything from Mary Poppins" and were treated to Chim chiminey.  At one point they had to go check out the very fancy Powder Room and came back with a full report of the decor, details,  and how "every stall had its own sink!!".  I mean we can't be fancy all the time, we had to have some potty talk at the table.

This is definitely something that was not on the "free things to do in Chicago" list but it was very fun for a special occasion.  We will definitely go again.  Oh, and did I mention that the American Girl Store is a mere block and a half away.  I saved that for a surprise after tea.  Heads exploded.

entrance to The Drake Hotel and the iconic font

hotel lobby with beautiful arrangement

tea and treats

Eloise trying to eat "like a little lady"

three for tea

toddy for the party

When the weather starts to heat up, my coffee needs to cool down.  Over the years I have fine tuned, and dare I say, perfected my iced coffee method.  The secret is in using a cold brewing method or toddy coffee.  I don't care how you try to sell it to me, you simply can not chill a hot cup of coffee to get great tasting iced coffee and don't even try to give me that 'just make ice cubes out of coffee' bullshit.

The toddy method is so simple.  I use the Filtron and you can find it here.   It comes with everything you need to get started.   
                                 
You fill up the bottom container with 1 pound coarsely ground coffee and a filter pad.  You can use any kind of beans.  In fact, I usually use a less expensive brand roasted any which way.   Definitely save the best stuff  for the French press.  The beauty of this brewing method is that it results in a cup that is super low in acidity and very mild.  I have even used Chock Full O Nuts or Dunkin Donuts brand and ended up with a winner.  You plug up the bottom of the container with the included stopper.  I would like to mention that by some miracle we have not lost this tiny stopper in almost 5 years!  Although, now that I have just typed that sentence I think I can hear the stopper getting up, packing a bag, and leaving town never to be seen or heard from again.
Fill the top compartment with cold water. It has a teeny tiny whole in the bottom and as you leave it on the counter overnight it slowly drip drips into the grounds and hangs out there brewing the coffee concentrate.
When you get up in the morning and stumble down to the kitchen, remove the stopper and set the container full of coffee and water over a carafe and let all the goodness drain out.  What you now have is a delicious concentrate of delicious coffee.  You can do whatever you want with this concentrate.  It keeps in the fridge for about 6 weeks.  You can add water to it and make a cup of hot or iced coffee. You can add lots of milk and a little water to it and make kind of an iced latte, which is what I do every morning and some afternoons once the temp hits about 70 degrees.  Seriously, you should try this.  

the grounds in the bottom container

I realize this is not a pretty picture

draining the concentrate 

my drink

princess and the pea

Ever since Eloise heard she was getting a younger sibling she has dreamed of one thing and one thing only.  Bunk beds.

I don't think she has ever slept in a bunk bed and she doesn't have any friends or cousins with bunk beds so where this life long desire came from I have no idea.  The other day she really really really wanted to "play bunk bed" with Harriet.  I wasn't exactly sure how to play this game but rest assured that she had a plan.  It went a little something like this...

Eloise gets in the "top bunk"

nothing to see here.  just a dust ruffle...

what the what?  how did she get there?

Eloise arranged a little bed down below so Harriet could be on the

"bottom bunk"

and, we've got bunk beds, people.

retail therapy

Every year I say I will never do a yard sale again and every year I find myself pulling stuff out of the basement and putting it out on my lawn.  I am still not sure how I accumulate enough stuff in ONE YEAR to justify having a sale but there it is.  Today was the day for the sale of 2010.

I think it must be my retail days that I am longing for.  I think that is what gets me pumped up to do the sale every year.  I kind of pretend I am setting up for the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale or something.  I work for weeks to get everything cleaned out of the garage, basement, and all the closets.  I have special staging areas around the house so I can get everything prepped, priced and marked  as much as possible ahead of time.  The morning of the sale I am up at dawn and hauling all the stuff out to the front lawn and setting it up in "departments".  Yes, I know I am the only person having a yard sale with "departments".  Once all the stuff is set  I am out there trying to merchandise it and making sure I have all the correct signage with proper prices that are easy to read.  I am practically doing a planogram for product placement and figuring out what we can put on the endcap that has the highest profit margin. The funny thing is that no matter how hard I try every year it still just looks like a yard full of crap.
 I know I sound like a lunatic and I have to now admit the truth...I love having yard sales!

It is not about the money.  Some years we do awesome, others are just okay.  It is just a really fun summer day.  This year we did it with three other families that brought all their junk over and we had a great time.  I actually think we ended up mostly exchanging goods between the four of us.  Not sure why the onesie that you are selling looks better to me than the 50 that I am trying to get rid of, but somehow it does, and it ends up in my pile.  
We sat outside all day, laughed at ourselves and at the people at our sale, ate great food, and just hung out.  The kids played in the back yard and the babies played on the blanket.
I am exhausted and sunburned and I can barely walk but it was all worth it.  See you next year with more junk.  I mean, treasures.

early morning customers

the team

"how much for the duckie?"

strawberry

We've been up to our ears in strawberries these past few weeks which is fine by me.  The strawberry season is so short and even though you can find strawberries in the grocery store year round those are flavorless, rock-hard blobs compared to home grown, fresh picked strawberries in the late weeks of spring.

Mostly we we just eat them right out of the container and I toss them in my yogurt every morning but this season we tried a few new things to enjoy them even longer.  Because they are so ripe and dark red they are perfect for freezing.  I rinse them, cut off the stems and freeze them whole on sheet pans (but I am actually using a 9 inch cake pan because my dumb freezer is too narrow for a sheet pan, or a frozen pizza incidentally).  Once they are frozen, in about 24 hours, place them in a ziploc bag and enjoy them however and whenever.


We also made ice pops.  They were delish.  Here's the easy breezy recipe.

Strawberry Ice Pops
2-3 cups strawberries (hulled and quartered)
3T sugar
1 1/4 cup low fat plain yogurt

Puree the strawberries with 1T sugar.  I used an immersion blender and it worked great.
Whisk 2T sugar with the yogurt
Pour into popcicle molds alternating layers until full.  Insert sticks and freeze  until solid.


We decided to make Strawberry ice cream.  I would never normally choose strawberry as my flavor for ice cream. I mean give me chocolate, some nuts or something,  but this was so delicious.  It was not too sweet and just the right amount of tanginess and the most beautiful pink color.

We have this ice cream maker and we have been pretty happy with it but it is loud as hell so don't do it during naps or if you want to watch anything on t.v.

***recipe is now below...

Not to leave out the savory folks, I also made one of my favorite salads for several lunches and dinners.
It is nothing fancy or complicated but so fresh and delicious. I don't really measure because I just throw it all together, usually with one hand and hopefully before I hear any rustling on the baby monitor.

Strawberry Salad
Fill a bowl with your favorite greens. I like to use spinach and mixed greens.
Add quartered strawberries, chicken, turkey, or protein of choice, chopped pecans, crumbled goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette ( I do a ratio of 3 olive oil to 1 balsamic vinegar with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper all whisked together).

Hope this might give you some ideas of what to do with all those fresh berries. Try to stock up, this week might be the last of them at the farmer's market.  So, until next year...

***Here is the strawberry ice cream recipe...
3        cups fresh ripe strawberries, stemmed and sliced
4         T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2   cups sugar, divided
1 1/2    cups whole milk
2 3/4    cups heavy cream
1 1/2    t pure vanilla extract


In a small bowl, combine the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar.  Stir gently and allow the berries to macerate in the juices for about 2 hours.  Strain the berries, reserving juices.  Mash or puree half the berries.


In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the heavy cream, reserved strawberry juice, mashed strawberries and vanilla.  Turn the machine on;  pour the mixture into the freezer bowl (of the ice cream machine) and let mix until thickened, about 20-25 minutes.  Five minutes before mixing is completed, add the reserved sliced strawberries and let it mix completely.  The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.  If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an air tight container and place in the freezer for about two hours.   

, 

jillian juniper

Today the world welcomed one of the luckiest little girls.  Little "baby J",  as we had been calling her, was finally born this morning.  She is the daughter of my sister, Jenny, and her partner Liz.  If you know Jenny and Liz then you already know what incredible parents they will be.

Jillian Juniper was born into a long legacy of strong, lovely, smart and beautiful women--all with J names, and all wearing the J ring.  Our great-great grandmother, Johanna wore a simple gold band as her wedding ring.  She gave that ring to her daughter, Jessie who had the letter J put on it in diamonds.  Our great grandmother, Jessie, gave the J ring to our grandma, also Jessie, who gave it to our mom,  Johanna, or Jody, as she is known.  When Jenny told my mom she was gay years ago, my mom gave her the J ring and said that she hoped that one day Jenny would  give it to someone that she loved as much as mom loved Jenny.  Today, with the arrival of Jillian, I know that she finally can.

To Jenny and Liz, as you embark on this new chapter in your lives please remember that there is no such thing as the "perfect parent".  There is the "pretty damn good parent" and the "I'm doing the best I can parent" and of course, the "holy shit, I'm just making this up as I go parent".  Any of those parents would be perfectly suitable at any time.  I remember someone saying that as hard as you imagine being a parent could be, you end up wishing it was that easy.  But don't fret.  It is also filled with moments so wonderful you think your heart just might explode from the overwhelming amount of love and happiness.
I am definitely not an expert on parenting but I am willing to help with anything you need at any time. Middle of the night phone calls through tears are my specialty.  That is what family is for.
I was not given a ton of advice that I remember but some of the best I ever received was, "Teach them how to pump their own legs on the swing as soon as possible."  So simple.  So brilliant.

To baby Jillian, you are so lucky you don't even know it yet.  You have been born into two amazing families and every one of us is just dying to love you.  I will always be there for you.  You can always count on your super cool aunt Liz,  especially when your moms are being totally lame.
Jillian, if you grow up to be half as sweet, hilarious, brave, brilliant, generous, kind, open hearted, and fun as your moms, then you'll be twice as sweet, hilarious, brave, brilliant, generous, kind, open hearted, and fun as anyone I know.
Congratulations.  I love you.  Enjoy.

Jillian and her beaming moms

with the J ring

It's a pillow! It's a pet!

In case you were wondering if marketing to children is effective, look no further than the Pillow Pet.
My 4 year old watches a show on Sprout TV that runs a commercial for these kind of freakish  things that are one part pillow and one part animal and the only thing separating the two identities is a 1/2 inch piece of velcro.

Eloise had been begging for one since before Christmas.  She pretty much memorized the commercial and would constantly extoll the benefits of the Pillow Pet.  I knew it was pretty serious when we saw them in a toy store (or the knock off version of them) and she asked me to check out the "reinforced stitching and hook and loop closure"  all while caressing it in a manner befitting a Price is Right model.

She was absolutely sure that she wanted the Unicorn pet.  She had chosen it from all the different animals.  There was no doubt in her mind.  Well, apparently, all the other 4 year olds had chosen that one too because by the time her birthday rolled around they were sold out.  Devastation.  Instead, for her birthday she got a bike, about 500 other toys, and a swing set but that night she asked about a Pillow Pet again.  A frickin' swing set!!  Are you kidding me with this??

On her last day of school, as a special treat,  I told her we could try to order the Unicorn again (why do I think Unicorn should be capitalized?  they're magical, people).  She was in luck and the order was placed.  I have never seen such excitement.  I explained to her that it would take some time to arrive but that I would let her know if I heard ANYTHING about the status of her order.  Every morning after that she asked me, "Mom, has it been 7 to 10 business days yet?"

As indifferent as I was about this gimmicky and quite frankly, kind of stupid toy,  and as much as I did not want another stuffed animal in this house,  I have to say that it really is true love between Eloise and Pilly.  Short for Pillow Pet, of course.  She sleeps on her every night and yesterday Mike found her reading stories to Pilly early in the morning.  They were both sitting on her bean bag together.  Move over, Commander Flufferton, there's a new pet in town.

realizing that this box has the words pillow and pet on it

now it's a pillow...

now it's a pet.

pure happiness for only $19.95 (plus shipping and handling)

crushing

I think I have a crush on Mr. Singer.  Who?  You might ask.  Mr. Singer, of Mr. Singer and the Sharp Cookies, a local children's band that plays in and around Chicago.  Totally normal, right?                      

I realized that I (and the kids, of course) have gone to see him (and his band, of course) probably about 6 or 7 times in the recent past.  I find myself checking tour dates on their website late at night and buying tickets way in advance for upcoming concerts.  Sometimes rearranging our schedule so we can catch a show.

This is a weird new phenomenon.  It is a far cry from the days when I was following the Grateful Dead or Dave Matthews Band doing all sorts of illegal things.  Nowadays I'm squeezing into tiny venues with the toddler/mommy/nanny set and dozens of oversized strollers trying to score some goldfish crackers or maybe a chair so I can nurse the baby.
I don't get it either, but there it is.

Mr. Singer is awesome.  You might not think so at first glance.  The overalls with loud and wild print shirts, his handlebar mustache and goatee,  his spiky hair and gap between his 2 front teeth...
Whatever. Trust me. It works.  I'm pretty sure he winked at me in the audience today.

He usually plays with his band, which I found out today includes his wife :(  Their songs are catchy, funny, and cute and they really seem to love playing for kids.  This morning we saw them at Lincoln Park Zoo in the Farm.  They play there every Wednesday and  it was a great time as usual.  He mentioned they would be playing this weekend at Midsommarfest in Andersonville so you know where I'll be, with the kids of course.  It's all for the kids.  On second thought, maybe I can find a sitter.

great day at the zoo

Mr. Singer.  

Not a great picture because all of the damn kids in the way

loving the concert

wouldn't be a trip to the zoo without a $19 cup of ice cream

I, Liz, take you, tomato...

Yes.  I love tomatoes so much I wish I could marry one.  Homegrown tomatoes in the summer is about as good as it gets in my opinion.  I'm sure this is the first of many future posts about this perfect food.

So we have to start at the beginning and that is getting the tomatoes planted.  Finally done.  This year, we planted 28 tomato plants!!  We have to make sure we have enough for canning, salsa, drying, chili sauce, slow roasting, tomato sandwiches, grilling, and just popping in our mouths right off the vine.

We must also  plant a few extra for the squirrels.  The damn squirrels!  They are such jerks about it!  They don't just find one that has dropped on the ground and then run away with it to enjoy in the privacy of their own homes.  Oh no!  They actually pick a tomato, and only the ripened ones. They take ONE bite out of it and then leave it on top of the gate or in some other prominent place for us to find.  Just to say, "nyah, nyah, na, nyah, nyah!  You can't eat this one because I took a bite out of it"  Stupid squirrels.  Joke's on them because I DO still eat it sometimes, so there!

We got a variety of tomatoes to try this year.  I have to ask, who is naming these things?  Among others we have Better Boys, Big Boys, Early Girls, and then the ever popular Old German.  We purchased some from The Talking Farm, some from Anton's, a local greenhouse, some from the farmer's market and then some from Home Depot.  I am going to try to keep track of which ones we like best and which ones fared the best.  I say that every year however,  and by August I can't remember a thing.

I am not an expert in planting tomatoes. I do exactly what I have watched my dad do with his tomatoes  since I was 4 years old:
Find a sunny spot.  Dig a hole.  Put the plant in and bury it deeper than you think you should.  Cover with a little compost or grass clippings.  Hammer in stakes.  Tie them to the stakes with some torn strips of fabric.  Pinch the suckers off as you see them. Flip off the squirrels. Water.  Wait.  Enjoy.

pretty maids all in a row

we also planted lots of peppers and herbs but they are kind of second fiddle

these pancakes saved my marriage

I love breakfast food.  Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite treats.  Eggs I can do.  Bacon is not a problem.  But pancakes?  I'll be damned, I could not make a decent pancake.  I even knew they were terrible but I kept making them and trying new things each time.  Don't stir the batter too much. How about whole wheat flour? Maybe butter instead of oil.  One morning as we were all eating our pieces of sawdusty cardboard I knew I had to admit that the pancake had beaten me and I would no longer be willing to fight.
I said to Mike, "god, these are terrible!  I cannot make a pancake to save my life."
He had never once said they were bad.  He just quietly added extra butter and syrup and maybe grabbed another glass of milk to help choke them down.  On this day though, he sensed my defeat and said tentatively, "Hon, you make so many things so well.  Maybe pancakes just aren't your thing."
Sweet, I know, but I was reinvigorated.  I would not give in.

One day I was lamenting about this to my friend, The Baker.  She told me she had nearly the same experience with this troublesome carbohydrate but she had found THE PERFECT recipe!  What?!

A little background on The Baker...  She went to culinary school, married a chef, had three kids, started a blog, opened a bakery business making the most delicious cakes you'll ever taste.  She is a hilarious, generous and creative person and I am so glad we are friends.  Most of all because now I have her pancake recipe!!

The first time I made these they came out perfectly.  Every time after that, even better.  They always get all gobbled up and everyone spends the day in a sleepy dream-like state.  Now, my husband is happier then ever and finally has a wife that can do everything perfectly.  :)

yummy goodness at 7am

I have to do the obligatory "tiny stack" a la Grandpa Nichols

gets her every time

the. end.

last firsts

This week was full of 'firsts' for Harriet.  This time around, the milestones definitely seem different.  I think it is because in the back of my mind I'm realizing that these firsts are the last firsts. We know we won't be having any more children.  It is so hard to hang on to all the little moments, I mean you just can't,  but you try to capture them and you try to appreciate them in between all the other stuff you are doing in your day.

I barely remember any of Eloise's firsts.  In fact, I really only remember what outfit she was wearing at any given time.  I definitely got Mother's Amnesia from the 1st to the 2nd child.  I think we all get Amnesia which is how and why we go back for more.  Once I was back in the thick of things, it all came rushing back to me---the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Oh...that's right...that's what the day after labor feels like.  Oh yeah, that's what vice grips on my nipple feel like.  That's how you buckle that damn car seat 5 times a day.  That's what my face looks like after 4 hours of sleep.  Oh...and that's the pure joy of hearing a baby giggle for the first time.  That's what it's like to always be the most important person in the room to another person.  And, that is how ridiculously excited you get when this little being rolls over for the first time and has their first little taste of food.
It's all coming back to me.

going...

going...

gone!

That's how you roll over, motha fuckas.

and, a little bite to eat

hatched by two chicks

 My sister Jenny and her partner of 13 years, Liz are having a baby girl!  She is expected to arrive sometime in June but it looks like it could possibly be sooner than we thought.  I wanted to share shots of the shower we threw for them last month because I know once she is here, it will be all baby pictures all the time. Who wants to see outdated shower pictures when there are cheeks and toes to go ga ga over?

I always love to plan a party, and this one with the pink and green color story, I loved it even more.   

All of the sisters and sisters-in-law helped to plan the event.  None of us live in the same city, or even country,  so it was a million emails and the coordination of many moving parts.  Although at times I think I got, and may have deserved, my name on the board with a "does not work well with others" behind it, the shower turned out beautiful and the two mamas and guests were delighted.  

shower invite that was inspiration for the decor and theme

pastry table

chick cookies for favors

cupcakes

centerpieces

centerpieces with little nest and an excited little cousin-to-be