corn and black bean salsa

We had friends over on Saturday and I made this salsa for an afternoon snack on the lake and it was enjoyed by the adults and the kids. Well, except for Thomas...if I would've left out the tomato and avocado he would've happily ate it! I've made this many, many times and it usually disappears pretty quickly.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed and cooked
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 cup red bell peper, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, sliced very thin
2 teaspoons pickled jalapeno pepper, minced
3 average size limes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 ripe avocodos, chopped

Combine beans and corn in a medium bowl. Add cilantro, red pepper, onions, and jalapeno pepper; mix well. Add the juice of 2 of the limes, olive oil, cumin, salt and black pepper; stir to blend. At this point the salsa should be covered and put in the fridge to allow the flavors to blend for a few hours.

If you aren't a fan of tomatoes or avocado this is where you would stop with the recipe. It's great without them, especially when you can't find good tomatoes and ripe avocado. But to really 'kick it up a notch'....

An hour or so before serving add the chopped tomatoes and avocado to the salsa. Squeeze the juice of the 3rd lime over the chopped avocado before stirring to prevent it from browning. Mix everything together and then pour into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

just fyi

In this post I linked to a recipe that I was going to try for a frappe using my white chocolate raspberry coffee creamer. I made it this afternoon and didn't drink but a few sips. I even added some chocolate syrup hoping to save it and make it drinkable. (Isn't everything better with chocolate syrup?!) It was totally not worth the calories to drink it though so I poured it down the sink. I'll be saving my creamer for my hot coffee in the morning.

little copycat

This afternoon I was sitting on the porch reading a book and enjoying a drink. Ava must have thought that it looked like fun because she went and found one of her books and sippy cup and sat in the chair just like mama. I had Thomas run and get the camera she looked so sweet!

more cookbooks

I've already confessed my weakness for cookbooks here on my blog so it should come as no surprise that I got these in the mail today to add to my collection. :)

I used to belong to a cookbook club and recently received an offer in the mail from them to pick 4 cookbooks for $1 each plus shipping and my only obligation is to buy 1 more book from them throughout the year. How could I turn that offer down when they had Giada's latest cookbook and Martha's new Homekeeping Handbook (I realize this isn't a cookbook but I love homemaking books as much as I do cookbooks!)?! Two books I have had on my wishlist! :) I have heard such great things about The Joy of Cooking and when I briefly flipped through it I think what I've heard is going to be true. It will be a great reference guide to go to when I need to cut up a whole chicken or things like that that I do not do very often when I cook. I've also wanted to learn more about incorporating whole grains into our diet so the King Arthur book was right up my alley. I can't wait to get reading!

ava loves popsicles

Here is Ava eating a popsicle this afternoon.

This was Ava after eating a popsicle yesterday. :)

how to not cry when chopping onions

I bought a 2 lb bag of onions a few weeks ago and have been storing them in a basket in my pantry. One of them went bad recently but all of the others were fine so I decided to just have one big cry session and get all of them chopped and in the freezer ready to use. And cry I did! I decided to go online and get some ideas to minimize the tears the next time I do this. Here are some of the suggestions I found -

- Light a candle next to the cutting board while chopping the onions.
- Chew gum. (I did try this half way through the basket of onions and I think it helped a little.)
- Wear swimming goggles.
- Hold water in your mouth.
- Hold an unlit match in your mouth.
- Put the onion in the freezer for awhile before chopping it.

My favorite is this one though -
'Place a mini marshmallow in each nostril. It is the tetrasodium pyrophosphate that neutralizes the chemical released by the onion. Break off the first 3 pieces of a Hershey bar and place in between two graham crackers. Place this sandwich in between your front teeth. The chocolate is what works, the cracker just keeps it from melting. Then, chop away!' So this is what I might look like the next time I chop onions.

Of course I had my kids model! This idea is so practical because after you are done chopping onions you have a snack all ready. :)

brother and sister

This afternoon I got about 1 1/2 hours of peace and quiet while Ava napped and Thomas and Elle played outside. I hadn't heard any fights during this time and there was no tattling. When Ava woke up we went outside together to see what Thomas and Elle were up to and they were happily riding their bikes in the driveway. I asked them what they'd been playing and they said that they were playing brother and sister and that right now they were doing some BMX tricks on a ramp they built. Now if I could only get them to play as nicely when they are just being brother and sister in real life and not playing it. :)

birthday anticipation

This morning I was sitting at the counter enjoying a cup of coffee, eating my breakfast, and reading a few blogs while Thomas was washing up the breakfast dishes. He looked over at me and very seriously said, "This would be a good time to go over my birthday list since my birthday is in 11 days. You might want to type it down so you can remember it." I just smiled and said ok. :)

Everything he listed was Star Wars stuff. I suggested more practical things such as socks, underwear, or new jeans since all the pairs he owns either have holes in the knees or are too short now but he didn't think those were good ideas.

a perfect chocolate dessert

[photo and recipe from foodnetwork.com]
Doesn't this dessert look fabulous?! Tonight I watched an episode of Nigella Lawson's show on the Food Network that I had recorded and she made this. It was all ooey and gooey and chocolately. I have to try this out soon!

Chocohotopots

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, with 60 percent cocoa solids
2 eggs
3/4 cup superfine sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Butter 4 (1 cup capacity) ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter.

Either in a microwave or in a bowl suspended over a pan over simmering water, melt the dark chocolate and 1 stick butter, then set aside to cool a little.

In another bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar and flour with a hand whisk and beat in the cooled butter and chocolate mixture. Divide the mixture between the 4 buttered ramekins. Bake for about 20 minutes, by which time the tops will be cooked and cracked and the chocolate gooey underneath.

Place each ramekin on a small plate with a teaspoon and serve. Make sure to warn people that these desserts will be HOT!

picture of the day

This picture cracks me up!

an ava update

Our baby girl just isn't staying a baby. She's doing all kinds of big girl things now.....

- She is finally signing 'please'. We'd been working with her for months trying to get her to learn this sign. We cheer and clap for her when she does it to encourage her to keep it up! We are still working on the sign for 'all done'. So far she thinks it's more fun to just throw all of her food off of her tray and onto the floor when she is all done instead.

- She knows where to find her shoes in the hall closet. She calls them 'oosh'. I asked her one day to go get her pretty shoes and she came back with her little Bobux shoes....the only pair she will wear.

- She waves bye-bye now. A cute little backwards bye-bye.

- She likes to dance, which means stomping around really fast to music.

- She makes a snorting sound when you ask her what a pig says. This gets big laughs! She makes the silliest face when she does it. I'll have to capture it in a picture sometime.

- She loves to play patty-cake and The Itsy Bitsy Spider. She will grab my hands and start clapping them together to let me know she wants to play.

This is such a fun stage with all of the new things she is always learning but very challenging at the same time as she pushes the boundaries and has to learn that she can't do and have everthing that she wants. And the messes she makes....I won't even get started on that! :)

juicy, delicious raspberries

On Saturday afternoon Elle and I picked raspberries at a local farm for awhile. The plants were loaded with ripe berries and within an hour we had 4 overflowing quarts of berries and hadn't even made it 1/3 of the way down the row. It was fun picking! While we were out there Elle said, "Mommy, you should blog about this!" I thought that was pretty cute. :)

These are the berries that I have left after making two fruit pizzas and after sharing a quart with my neighbor who gives us tomatoes and squash from his garden. I am going to put them in the freezer to use this winter in smoothies. I plan to go pick again and make some raspberry jam and hopefully some raspberry topping for pancakes and icecream as well.

I thought I would share the recipe for the fruit pizza. I never was a big fan of this dessert until I tried my neighbor's. This is her recipe and I think it's the best!

Fruit Pizza

1 roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough - Press into a jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Combine:
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Spread this frosting over the cookie. Then arrange the fruit of your choice on top. My favorite combination is strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

Glaze:
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 Tbsp water

Melt in the microwave and then drizzle over the fruit. I like to put the glaze on the pizza about an hour before serving. If it's done too soon in advance the cookie crust will get too soggy.

coffee grounds for the garden

A Starbucks just opened in town so while our kids were at vacation bible school this morning a friend and I stopped in for a frappacino. On the way out I noticed these bags of used coffee grounds that were available for free to use in the garden. I did a little research online about how to use them and why they are beneficial. Here is what I found out -

- Coffee grounds are rich in nutrients and would benefit a backyard compost pile.
- Use them to mulch garden pathways.
- They are a good source of nitrogen making them a good mulch in the vegetable garden.
- Keep the slugs away from your hostas, lillies, daffodils and other spring bulbs by mulching around the plants with the grounds.
- They are a good soil ammendment for plants that like an acidic soil such as hydrangeas, roses and azaleas.

Just be sure to do some reading before using them to find out the appropriate amount to use for your soil. I happen to have a yellow rose bush that is waiting to be planted as well as 4 hostas so I found these used grounds at just the right time.

what is wrong with my plant?

I am in need of some gardening help. I'm hoping there is someone who reads this blog that might have just the answer I am looking for.

This plant (I do not know what the name of it is anymore. The tag for it has gone missing.) is located right by the steps to the front porch. It has slowly been dying over the past few weeks. Any ideas what these spots could mean and how to treat it to try to save it? I don't think it's because of lack of water because I water it every other day at the same time I water my hanging baskets. Here is a picture of what it looked like this spring when it was healthy. Any advice would be appreciated!

like mama, like daughter

Elle has loved the leopard print ballet flats that I bought for myself this spring. We were in Target last weekend and found a similar pair for her on clearance! She was thrilled, even though they are a tad too big.

she can't decide

Bottle with milk or sippy cup with juice....hard decisions for a one year old to make!

window marker fun

My mom gave the kids these Crayola Window Markers at Christmas with the thought that they could write on the windows of the vehicle on the long drive home. Um...no. I'm not that cool of a mom! :) I didn't want to have to clean the windows in the vehicle in the middle of the winter plus I could see them falling on the seats or floor with the lids off and leaving marks that may not come out.

Today I ran across them in a drawer and I let them draw to their hearts content on the patio doors since they were in need of cleaning anyway. I think they probably spent an hour doing this. They say 'Thanks Grandma!' :)

If you click on the picture you can see the sweet phrases Thomas wrote to his sister - "Elle's Weird" and "You are a do-do bird." Such brotherly love!

without power today for 7 hours

The wind was blowing terribly this morning when we woke up. There are little branches, and a couple of big ones, strewn all over the yard. A neighbor had a large pine tree fall over in her yard. Around 11:00 the power went out and didn't come back on until 6:00 tonight.

The kids learned a big lesson today about how important electricity is and just how much we depend on it. They kept turning on the faucet, trying to flush the toilet, flipping on a light, pushing the button to open the garage doors, etc. It inspired Elle to make up a song about how important water is and all the things we can't do without it. I wish I could put a voice clip here of her singing it but she would be too shy and just laugh through the whole recording process.

a new favorite from the grocery store

I found this at the grocery store yesterday - White Chocolate Raspberry coffee creamer. I made a little pot of coffee this morning and tried it out. It's delish! I love trying these limited edition coffee creamer flavors and have liked almost all of them that we've tried, but this one is definately my favorite. I will have to make this recipe for a frappe some afternoon with leftover coffee!

This isn't paid advertising. I'm just passing on a good find! :)

perfect pie crust

Last night we ended our weekend with a scrumptious summer meal - BBQ Chicken, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Potato Salad and Baked Beans. Dessert was peach pie with cool whip. I was going to make homemade icecream so we could have pie ala mode but my whipping cream had gone sour. Everything turned out so tasty! We all kept saying 'mmmm' over and over....it reminded me of the movie What About Bob when Bob was eating dinner with his therapist's family. :)

I thought I would post the pie crust recipe that I have been using for the last year or so. I had always had trouble making a good pie crust until I found this one. And of course it is Martha's crust! It's pretty much a no-fail recipe.

Perfect Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.

With the machine running, add the cold water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

**It's really important that the butter and water are very cold. I cut the butter into small squares and then place them in a bowl and stick it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or so before preparing the crust. **

Now I need to find the perfect cherry pie filling recipe to make to put in this crust. One that calls for almond extract. A couple of times we have visited Scott's parents they have served a cherry pie for dessert that they purchased locally and only had to bake. They have been the best cherry pies I've ever had.

family car wash, water fights, and basketball

Tonight while our ribs were on the barbeque we decided to pass the time with a family car wash. Ava even helped out! It was so cute. She found a rag that someone had left on the driveway, dipped it in the sudsy water and then took it to the vehicle and started scrubbing away all on her own. We got a good laugh out of it! Of course the car wash turned into a water fight with Mama in charge of the hose. :) That is always fun!

After the car wash we played some basketball. The hoop was lowered for awhile for the kids and then we put it back to regular height and Scott beat me bad in a game of knock out, best of 10 games. Then we played a game of horse and I won. I think he was just being sweet though! :)





I just love this picture. Look at those baby legs!

breakfast on the porch

tubing fun

Yesterday was such a good day. We spent the morning working and the whole afternoon and evening playing. The weather was hot (88 degrees), there was a breeze blowing, a bright blue sky, and the water temperature of the lake is just right! The kids spent lots of time swimming...even Ava. She got in the water for awhile with Scott. She just loves to splash around!

Thomas and I double tubed for awhile. He was on his orange kneeling tube and I was on the big, round super screamer. This was the first time I'd been tubing this year. I'm not counting the two times I went in Thomas's tube. It won't go out of the wake so it's not what I consider serious tubing. :) But it's perfect for Thomas! Oh man, I am feeling the aches and pains of it today! Scott has the driving down to a T for tubing. He knows just how and when to turn to make sure I hit the big waves and make it a challenge to stay on. It is a fun time!

Here are some pictures from the day -


Naptime for Ava Mae.

Yummy Twizzlers!
This is Thomas's tough guy pose in his cool shades.

a picture update

Here are some pictures from the 2nd of July when we were on the lake waiting for the fireworks to start at one of the resorts by us.

happy 4th of july!

Scott took this week off from work. It's been so nice to have him home! We have been having lots of fun as a family - many hours swimming, tubing and relaxing on the lake, attending a parade, watching fireworks from the boat, grilling, and having a fire and just visiting. Today a neighbor is having a big 4th of July party with a pig roast, a big inflatable jumping castle for the kids, water volleyball, water balloons.....it's sure to be a fun time!

Hope you all have a fun-filled 4th!