Pineapples to Pineapples

Over the weekend I checked my local grocery store for pineapples. They had smallish ones that didn't smell very sweet to my nose. They whole lot was pretty sad, but priced at $4.99/pineapple. No thanks. Yesterday, I stopped in at Whole Foods Market for a fruit fix and kabobs:

• Beef Top Sirloin Steak - $16.54
• Vidalia Onion - $1.31
• Red Bell Pepper - $2.89
• Cherry Tomatoes - $2.99
• Golden Pineapple (whole trade) - $3.99

$3.99?! I got two. One for kabobs and one for snacking. My WFM total was $27.72, which is a steal for six delicious beef kabobs.

My Latte Factor

Remember Oprah's flavor of the month, Richard Bachman? He often preached about the downward financial spiral brought upon by lattes or those incidental purchases that people make on a daily basis. His theory in a nutshell: incidental purchases can break you. Well, I don't do lattes (chai, maybe, but no coffee), but I do dig a good burrito.

I'd forgotten to eat breakfast one morning as we rushed to violin lesson and from that day forward, my "latte factor" was spawned: a breakfast burrito with eggs, potatoes, cheese, chorizo, and green chili from the little kiosk at The Dairy. It's heaven in a tortilla for $4.50. That's like a gazillion times more than it costs to make the darn thing, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't buy one today - at 3:30 in the afternoon. Yeah, it's that good.

Aerobic Baking

If you have small children (like me) and love baking (me, again!) but you awake too late to get in your morning run, then get your groove on while getting your bake on with my custom iMix. Strangely, Pumpkin muffins taste so much better when baked to the banging beats of Usher.

The Breakfast of Snow Angels

On snowy mornings, I like to give the girls a breakfast that will stick with them. Something that will warm them from the inside out as we make the frosty, five minute trek to school. Usually, oatmeal fits the bill quite nicely but for a change-up, warm Rice Pudding is my personal favorite:

Warm Rice Pudding with Currants

- 1 c. Arborio rice
- 2 c. water
- 2 c. whole milk
- One-half cup of currants
- Dark brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon

:

~ Cook rice until fork tender & remove from heat
~ Add milk & currants; simmer on low -stirring continuously- until most of the liquid is absorbed
~ Stir in dark brown sugar and ground cinnamon to taste
~ Serve warm

Bundt, Baby, Bundt

Week Rounded Out - 11.10.06

How can the weather go from eighty degrees and beautiful, to forty-five degrees and downright chilly? With a chance of snow?! It's crazy. I should be used to the temperature swings, having lived here for nearly eleven years, but I don't think I will ever be on the same wavelength as our climate. Amazingly, our weather forecasters are eerily accurate.

REGISTRATION
Yesterday, was Registration Day. Remember? Well, it was an unholy mess. I had my classes all picked out and arranged in a most harmonious way and the registration system took my choices and spit them back in my face. Every single class was closed with a waitlist. All five of them. What are the odds that all the classes I want are full? About 335-to-1.

I did manage to find some open classes in which I have a mild interest. They are in the evening (when I want to be sleeping and not attending class) but they fulfill the very important role of getting me closer to graduation.


OPEN ENROLLMENT
Speaking of registration, open enrollment is upon us. In BVSD, we have a choice about which schools our children attend. For some time now, I have been discussing the pros and cons of sending Lizzie to the neighborhood middle school versus driving ten miles away for a (arguably) better educational experience. You can read about it here and here.

So, in anticipation of this weighty decision, I have scheduled school tours of our two, top middle school choices. One choice is the local charter school that supports multi-aged classrooms and individual learning plans, which allow the children to learn at their own pace - even if that pace is above grade level.

The other choice is a neighborhood school where a lot of Lizzie's old friends will be attending. Really, it's my first choice because it has all the elements for a positive school experience: friends, academically rigourous and a variety of social activities, including yoga and knitting! Lizzie is "super excited" to possibly attend the yoga/knitting school.

These tours aren't until the end of the month, so we have some time to add other stops (including our neighborhood school) to our schedule.

And, finally, Anna over at Pleasant View Schoolhouse has a delicious soup simmering. Stop in, sit a spell, and borrow her recipe or create your own. Either way, get inspired! I did. And, my family came home to a crockpot full of Vegetable Beef with Barley and Lentil soup; a warm start to a great weekend! See you, Monday.

You cook. Therefore, I knit.

I knit these colorful potholders for the woman who used to be my mother-in-law. Her 65th birthday is approaching and she both knows how to prepare and enjoy a good meal. So, I had the idea of giving her something unique, useful, and beautiful. I think I've accomplished all three.

Winter Pot Roast with New Potatoes

PREP TIME: 20 min. COOKING TIME: 4-9 hrs.

4-6 pound Round or Rump Roast
8 New potatotes
4 Bay leaves
2 Celery heels (the bottom of the stalk)
1 yellow onion
Baby carrrots
Olive Oil
48oz. Beef broth
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Sea Salt
.................................................................................................................................................................................................

BRAISING: Braising meat seals in the flavor of the meat and results in a more tender (and flavorful!) meal

-Lightly coat both sides of roast with Olive Oil
-Season to taste with black pepper and sea salt
-Place meat into very hot saute pan
-Braise each side until brown
-Once browned, remove the roast from the saute pan and place into slow cooker.

PREP WORK:

-Halve onion and dice
-Clean and quarter new potatoes (DO NOT remove the skins)
-Clean Celery heels
-Clean carrots
-Add vegetables, beef broth and Bay leaves to slow cooker

Cook on low (9 hours) or high (4+ hours)
Serve Warm with French Bread