Kitchen Reader Review - My Life from Scratch

This months selection was My Life from Scratch by Gesine Bullock - Prado chosen by me.

My Life from Scratch is about a woman, Gesine Bullock - Prado who once worked in Hollywood and chose to leave the life that she felt was dragging her down to pursue her true love, baking.

I was so exited to read this book and was looking forward to getting a glimpse into the life of a baker, having not read one before.  Sadly, I was a bit disappointed.  I found Gesine self-absorbed and a bit standoffish.  I'm not sure how to describe what I felt each time she mentioned her sister is Sandra Bullock?  It did however make me wonder if she felt she needed her sisters fame to get her own?

Disappointment aside, I did laugh on occasion for some of her stories about her customers were quite funny!  I especially enjoyed the one about the little boy who wouldn't stop screaming his head off until he had a chocolate croissant!!!  (Maybe that's because I could feel her pain, ahem.)  Or the time she ate an entire bag of Oreos and the mayhem that ensued because of it!

I also loved reading about her time spent in Germany and the memories of her mother which were heartwarming and sincere.  Those are the words I crave when I read a memoir.  For me, there were not enough of them.

Gesine shares recipes at the end of each chapter and they are recipes that can not be missed!  I am a lover of sweets and am looking forward to making some if not all the recipes in this book.

First on my list is zuetschgendatschi.  Love, love, love plums . . . yummy!

image souce

Book selection for May:  Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky, chosen by Stacy of Little Blue Hen. 

Kitchen Reader - My Life From Scratch

It's a very busy weekend for our family, A will have her first confession today and her First Holy Communion tomorrow.  We will busy celebrating most of the weekend so I will be back later tonight with my review of My Life from Scratch by Gesine Bullock - Prado.  Stay Tuned!

Happy Birthday Memere

image source here

Miss you . . . 

Some New Favorites

here we go : :

• Pinterest is at the top of my list.  I can not go a day without checking it out.  I asked to join and found out when I was invited to do so, that you must have a Facebook account or a Twitter account.  I've never written about this here but I and not a fan of Facebook and have no reason to tweet.  So what's a girl to do???  Why of why must you have a Facebook account or a twitter account to be a part of something so super duper awesome!!!!???
• The Gracious Pantry, my new go to for clean eating recipes.  Trying to stick with this but it's so hard sometimes!  I do love my sweets so.
• Soap Making!  I really want to make my own soap.  Very inspired by Tara at On a Branch. Take look at the beautiful soap she has made.  I'm hoping she'll put some on Etsy.  I will definitely be a customer!
• Green Snack Bags  a tutorial I found at Angry Chicken.  I have the fabric and all the necessary notions, now I need to get to it! No more plastic bags.  Yippee! good for the kids and good for the environment.
• Foodjules.  This woman amazes me everyday.  Her daughter and A went to preschool together and this is how I know her.  Just three months ago her precious baby Julian passed away.  She created this blog in memory of him and to showcase her food and family.  Every post she writes about Julian has made me cry, smile, wonder, and be amazed by her beauty and strength.  I only wish I could be so courageous. . . 
• Last but not least I want to make these.  How fun, right???

Randomness on a Monday

Today was one of those days when I could have danced around the house because of the amount of things I got done.  I cleaned every room, did a few loads of laundry, delivered the Project Linus blankets (finally!), made all the necessary phone calls and scheduled all the necessary appointments, made a trip to the Good Will releasing things we no longer need to those who could use it, I even had a chance to read my book, which I highly recommend.  


I honestly haven't stopped smiling.  It just feels so good to know everything is done and I can go to bed tonight and not lay there making "mental lists" of things to do. 


Tomorrow will bring new chores and activities but I am ready to face them knowing there will not be anything from days prior to compete with what must be done.

On another note, I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend!  

Here are my chickadees on Easter morning:

J's Super Late B-Day Party

J's Birthday party was last month and here I am just getting around to posting about it.  I like to look at it as 'better late than never".  Anywho, the theme was "Indoor Camp-out".  Indoor because I'm lazy, didn't want to be cold, and I'm afraid of the wild animals that roam my yard at night, and believe me I know they are there, I've heard them!

Camp J

I made a birthday bunting using old scrapbook paper, large foam letters, 

and then sewed it all together

a super awesome tent large enough for 4 boys (borrowed from a friend)

make your own trail mix

watching Star Wars

eating a camp-out dinner (hot dogs, chips, etc)

roasting marshmallows in the fire place

(I promise it was very safe The Husband and I were right there)

my campground cake with the killer worms 

(obviously I am no cake decorator!)

bed time

creating a camping adventure book

A little photo shoot before everyone went home.

The boys had a great time!  It was a successful party and I'm thrilled J was happy with his party and spending time with his best friends.

Surprise!

A birthday surprise from The Husband:

We left Saturday morning for a day and night in New York City!

We had lunch in Bryant Park

Went to see Wicked at the Gershwin Theater

Dinner at Ristorante DeGrazia.

It was all such a surprise, I had no idea!  He had planned the entire event some time in September.  Ordering tickets for the show, booking a hotel, reservation at the restaurant, a baby sitter for the night,  everything!!  

This was truly one of my best birthdays ever!

And really, who couldn't love a man like this??????

P.S.  He gave me a new laptop too!!!!

This Moment

inspired by Amanda

My little birthday celebration with a few good friends . . .

Decorations by my good friend Jean . . .

Cake created by my dear friend Michelle . . .

Lorin, Me, Jean, and Michelle.

It was a lovely evening with good food and great friends.

My Little Harry Potter

For the past several weeks the kids have been playing "Harry Pottter".  It's been so fun to watch them recreate the story.  The Husband has been reading to them each night and we are currently on book #4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  When they play "Harry Potter" they make each room in the house a classroom from the books or "Hagrid"s Hut" or the "Burrow".  They make signs and have created wands from sticks they found in the yard.  They also made a red lightening bolt scar from red paper and taped it to J's head because he is always Harry, A is Hermione and C is Ron.  


We have a "rule" in our house where we ask that you first read the book before you see the movie.  As was the case with Harry Potter.  Once we read the first book we then watched the first movie and so on.  We are currently waiting for Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban from Netflix.  


The kids in the movies wear ties when they are at Hogwarts as part of their school uniform.  This is why my C has been wearing a red tie each day, because he IS Harry Potter (when J is not home), and because I assume from all the pretend playing they have been doing for weeks.


So that's the story behind My little Harry Potter.

Meatless Monday

We had a successful Meatless Monday this week so I thought I would share.

We made:

Mixed Potato Gratin with a Spinach and Strawberry Salad

with a homemade dressing found here (delicious!!!)

No pictures because, well, I just didn't think about it.  

I found the recipe here:

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup all -purpose four

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound red potatoes peeled and sliced 1/4 " thick

1 pound Idaho potatoes peeled and sliced 1/4" thick

1/2 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1 tomato chopped

1/2 cup 1 % milk or vegetable broth

Preheat the oven to 350.  Coat a 2 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray ( I used butter)

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender.

In a large food storage bag, combine the flour, Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic salt and pepper.  (I doubled the flour mixture) Shake to mix.  Add the red potatoes and Idaho potatoes .  (I added a few potatos at a time) Close the bag and shake to coat.  Arrange the potatoes in the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle with the Gruyere or Swiss and tomato.  Drizzle the milk or broth over the top. (I used milk) Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake 20 - 25 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender.  (I needed to cook it about 15 minutes longer before all the potatoes were tender)

This was a very yummy meal and the kids loved it!!  And honestly I was thrilled they liked it because as many of you know Meatless Mondays has been a bit of a struggle with my chickadees.  J asked me this past week if you could go back to "meat on Mondays" even after he hate his entire plate of Mixed Potato Gratin!!!!

I Did It!

Dear Shelley,

Your final assignments were, once again, very well done!  My comments pertaining to each are as follows:

Culture & Science:   A

It is evident that you appreciate how the Culture and Science activities can pique a child’s interest and inspire them to further explore and discover the world around them. The Culture and Science curriculum is really only limited by our imaginations, and it is always such fun helping the children to explore and discover some of the wonders of our world! You obviously understand the importance of providing an enriched Culture and Science curriculum, and of taking advantage of opportunities to inspire the exploration and appreciation of cultural diversity.  You provided some unique ideas for extending a child's knowledge with regards to the months of the year, the flags of the world, and the study of birds. Chicken Soup with Rice is always a popular book that helps to reinforce the months of the year, and I know the children would be delighted to make their own calendars.  It is clear that you understand that providing enriched and hands-on presentations and activities help to cultivate a love of learning that lasts a lifetime! 

Math:   A 

The Montessori Math curriculum is one of a kind in that it is both accessible and full of practical application.   I am confident that you have a deep understanding of the Math materials and presentations, as well as the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ behind them. You obviously understand that providing children with concrete presentations using the materials leads them to a deeper understanding of the abstract concepts. It is also clear that you appreciate the importance of following each individual child’s development and readiness, as well as the significance of control of error. Well done!

I am so happy to congratulate you on the successful completion of your course, Shelley!  It has been a real pleasure working with you, and I am thrilled to hear that you have found our program to be a positive and enjoyable experience.  You should receive your Diploma within a few weeks time. I wish you all the best with all your future Montessori endeavors!

Kind regards,

Collean

Meet Harry Potter

I'll explain next week.  

My mother insisted I post this, even though I HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO!

I'm So Close

to finishing!

I'll be away from this space until next week.  My FINAL Montessori assignment is due in the next few days and I'll be celebrating my birthday a little early with a mini party here at home this coming weekend.  


I am so thrilled to have completed (almost) this program and have my fingers crossed I will receive my Montessori Teaching Degree.   It was hard work but I loved every minute of it and hope to apply for the Infant/Toddler Program in the future.  


Wish me luck and see you next week.

Congratulations

To The Husband

His dream has come true!

GO HUSKIES!

Something to Aspire to 2kcbwday6 & Your Knitting Time 2kcbwday7

Something to aspire to.  Is there a pattern or skill you don't yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to?  Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication, and mastery of the craft?

I still consider myself a beginner so most things continue to frighten me.  I am however getting braver and that's a good thing for I'd still be knitting scarves and baby blankets.  I''m determined to learn how to knit on double pointed needles so I can make socks and cute little toys.  I also want to make more clothes.  I'm not afraid to do these things I just need to find the time, a teacher, and the right yarn.  If you recall I do not have that many local yarn stores to chose from and well, not so much $$ either!  

I do know that as for something that boggles my mind, it is inertia.  I know I will NEVER do it.  Not only does it scare me, I just have no desire to do it.  It's quite lovely but I just have no desire to even try it.  

image found here - Heather Knitz

The last day of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week!!  I had a super fun time doing this and hope to participate again next year.  Thank you Eskimimi for putting it all together!

Your knitting and Crochet Time.  Write about your crafting time.  When, where, alone or with others, etc.

My knitting time takes place at night and on the weekends.  Once the Little's are in bed and I've cleaned up a bit, I'll make a cup of tea, turn on the T.V. and pull out my latest project.  I'll work until bed.  


I'll be in this space very little this week because my last component assignment for my Montessori Teaching Degree is due this week.  I'm almost done!  Yay Me!!!

Now for Something Completely Different - 2kcbwday5

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