2/26/16

Things to Do - Random Links & Cherish This Day

darcytroutman (1 of 1)

Dan's mom gave us his old trumpet and now T carries/plays/annoys us with it all the time. On the upside, if I agree to "listen" he'll model for me anywhere. Love that evening backlight!

Have a great weekend! And don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day (and, even more awesome, on 5 Hours 'Til Bedtime!)

RANDOM LINKS:

* For the first time in years, I sort of want another tattoo, but only if I can get one of these.

* I really want to play this videogame (too bad we don't have an xbox).

* Valentine's poems for married people.

* Aren't these free printable NASA posters gorgeous?

* A court-ordered letter from Dora the Explorer's mother.

* The ultimate Virginia waterfalls road trip. Adding this to the bucket list!

* Disney villains without makeup. My favorite is Scar.

* These are my favorite kind of family photos. playing. laughing. dancing. fussing.

* Marriage tip - the 6:00 dinner. Genius!!!

* How yummy does this sauce sound?

* I didn't know it was possible to write a super funny post about a SUCCESSFUL homemade birthday cake, but Melissa managed crack me up while making me hungry as well!

* An awesome list of science-geared youtube channels for kids.

2/24/16

Things to Do - 10 Things I Like (February 2015)

thingsilike

After putting this list together, I realized that the theme seems to be "coziness". Because winter needs cozy, right?

1. Everyday Detox Herbal Tea
- I have no idea if this tea really detoxes anything, but it has a light flavor that tastes perfect on cold winter days.

2. Sephora Sleeping Masks
- I'm totally addicted to these overnight facials. It feels great to wake up with amazing skin. So far I've tried the honey and the Lingzhi, both of which worked miracles on my icky/dry snow day skin.

3. Amazon Echo - The Echo is basically a stand alone Siri, which might not seem that exciting. But when you're making dinner/drinking with friends/playing boardgames it feels wonderful to say, "Alexa, play x song." Like magic.

4. Dr Teals Lavender Epsom Salt - Soothe and Sleep - 3lbs - 1 bag - One bag of these lasts forever. They smell great and afterwards I fall right to sleep.

5. iRobot Roomba 770 Vacuum Cleaning Robot for Pets and Allergies - We have two dogs and Roomba makes all their hair disappear (ha! I rhyme). I love her (yes, I've given my vacuum cleaner a gender and a nickname) so much that the kids always ask, "Mom do you love Roombie for than us?" (If you're wondering, she's female because I didn't want to bring another man into my marriage, such things could become awkward).

6. Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook - A friend gave me this cookbook as a Christmas gift and so far every recipe has proved fantastic. Plus, they're all relatively simple.

7. Martin Parr - Small World - As someone who loves to travel, this is one of my favorite photography books ever. The images are funny and snarky and super clever. It looks like the price has gone up considerably since I bought it two years ago (maybe I should start "investing" in more coffee table books), so if you don't want to pay $85, check out some of Parr's amazing photos here.

8. Peppermint Essential Oil - A few years ago my mother-in-law bought me a diffuser, one of my favorite gifts ever. I've found that when I diffuse peppermint oil, I get so much more done. It's like a huge burst of energy.

9. Trader Joe's Full Cooked Lentils - I love lentils, but I hate cooking them. These make life so much easier, I add them to salads and soups all the time.

10. Comfy PJs - For most of my life I've slept in old sweatpants and stained sweat shirts, but this December I decided to splurge on "real" jammies. And now I never want to take them off. Waking up in "real PJs" makes me feel pretty and sophisticated, totally different from my usual "sloppy mom" vibe.

2/19/16

Things to Do - Grateful List (January 2016)

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For the most part, January was somewhat uneventful, with the exception of two big events - (1) the great blizzard and (2) my 40th birthday.

Dan planned this hysterically fun "frat" party for the occasion, with beer pong, flip cup, jello shots, and a house full of good friends. To make it even more special, FIVE of my best friends drove/flew in from throughout the country to celebrate with me. Do you know how amazing it feels to have so many people you love all in one space for the night? Plus between the free t-shirts and random dance music, we stayed up until 3:30 in the morning. Maybe 40 really is the new 20.

ARTS
* The Peanuts movie at Arlington Drafthouse on New Years Day.
* Watching How to Make a Murderer (Netflix streaming)
* Listening to the Beatles on Spotify
* Reading the The Neopolitan novels
* Watching Overboard and Tootsie with the kids

FOOD
* Dan's brisket (recipe from Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook)
* Rose's Luxury for my birthday dinner
* Kapnos for my birthday lunch

STUFF
* My amazing globe (my friend Janeese purchased a globe for my birthday and then everybody signed it at my party). One of my favorite gifts ever.

ETC.
* In one week, I was able to talk to a South African about growing up listening to Rodriguez's music (made famous in Searching for Sugarman) and a Chilean about teenage life in Chile during the NO campaign (which brought down a dictator), making me realize that I have the coolest/most diverse group of friends and I'm so lucky to know each and every one of them.
* My amazing 40th birthday party and a weekend with my best friends!
* T and his friends making our basement into a pirate ship (it was too cold for the outside fort)
* Three neighborhood happy hours during the great blizzard of 2016
* Playing Lost Cities as a family night after night.
* "Now can you start teaching me important stuff - like how to work the dishwasher?" - T
* My kids overcoming blizzard boredom on their own - T making weapons, F trying out science experiments, and P drawing unicorns

THE KIDS' LISTS

F - A nice house to live in and food to eat, that everything is so great, my family

P - snugglefests, reading the Princess Bride with you at night, happy hour, sleepovers, snow

T - Playing 3 rounds of Lost Cities, reading the Bobsey Twins, a nice house to live in and food to eat, building a snow fort, Cole's birthday party, Kung Fu Panda 3, our weapons cache

2/18/16

Things to Watch - Netflixing (February 2016)

February seems so long. Here is what we've been watching, but I could use some suggestions. Anyone??



JUST ADULTS:

* We just finished Season 1 of Better Call Saul and I'm so sad it's over. Dan was a huge Breaking Bad fan, but I found the show a little too uncomfortable. Luckily Saul is much funnier than Breaking Bad. And he's a lawyer, reminding me that I used to be a lawyer too. I loved the first season.

* I read about Meet the Patels a few months ago when it was still in theaters. The movie - about a 30-something-Indian/American trying to find a wife - is slow at times. But also funny. The film does a great job capturing the push and pulls between the country your parents came from and the country you were born in.



JUST KIDS:

* The final season of Jessie needed binge-watching (of course).

* They also love watching Total Drama, a cartoon poking fun at reality shows.

* And Johnny Test continues to be a big hit as well.



KIDS AND ADULTS TOGETHER:

* We all really enjoy this PBS show called How We Got to Now, which made me appreciate so much of everyday life - like sewers and clocks that correctly reflect the time.

* I tried to watch Clueless with the kids during the snow day, but had to work instead. Oh well, at least they liked it.

[Disclaimer- I receive compensation for posting about Netflix, but I decide what I want to write about and what I want to say.]

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2/17/16

Things to Make/Do - Make a Video

I'm so so so sick of winter. I can't remember ever hating a season this much before. I don't really mind the snow or cold, I just wish my kids would go to school. So I made a video of our summer vacation and it made me happy, for awhile at least.

How are the rest of you braving this February?


2/12/16

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

darcytroutman (1 of 1)

The other night at dinner, F told us she was saving her allowance for her own TV. Then P informed us she's saving up for a new itouch. And T followed that up by saying, "I'm saving up to become a unicorn", so he put a bag on his forehead and spent the rest of the night "unicorning." Love that kid.

Have a great weekend everyone! Don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day.

RANDOM LINKS:

* The best book covers of 2015. And now I want to read them all (just because of their pretty exteriors).

* Love this "as time goes by" photo series. Would be so odd to see myself age in portraits of this type.

* You can now rent Van Gogh's "The Bedroom" on Airbnb for $10 a night in Chicago.

* I really want to stay in this abandoned fishing village. So gorgeous.

* Does anyone want to take this class with me? I think it would be so much more fun if I could take it with a group.

* An online store that only stocks products that last a lifetime.

* The look for less - boys edition. I love those shoes!!

* YES!! YES!! YES!! This made my day!

* Funny.

2/9/16

Things to Make/Do - Coloring "India" With Fancy Markers

markers (1 of 1)

Remember when we used to do craft projects all the time? I keep thinking about that and feeling guilty. A few weeks ago, I brought some of the old craft books out and tried to interest the kids, but instead they built forts and explored science projects and made videos on the ipad, all without me. I guess if you aim for free range, you get free range, even if sometimes you feel like bonding.

Part of me wants to think that all the projects during the early years helped nurture the creativity they all seem to have now. Just like part of me wants to think that I'm responsible for all of the good things they do and blame someone else for the bad. But truth is that they are kids, thus with or without me they would be still curious and explore. That's the definition of childhood, right?

Oh well, during a trip to Barnes and Noble, I picked up this India-themed coloring book and coolio paint tip markers (similar to these). Mainly because it was almost impossible not to buy a coloring book there - as the options are numerous, beautiful, and scattered throughout the store. And now, every morning, I see the girls and their friends coloring in the pages.

I'm not sure if this new hobby really equals any sort of creative leap, but it is peaceful and relaxing. And I like seeing their technicolor designs pop off the page. I keep telling myself I should join them, but then I end up reading something silly on facebook instead. So goes winter . . .


2/8/16

Things to Eat - 9 Week Meal Plan (Dec/Jan 2016)

darcytroutman (1 of 1)

Lots of venison over the last two months (we have over 60 pounds in our deep freezer, yay!) which we've found makes a great substitute for beef. Also lots of dinners out and at friends' houses (tis the season). Oh well, it is what it is, still, we discovered some great new recipes.

LAURA'S HERBED GREEN QUINOA

INGREDIENTS:
* 2 lemons
* 1.5 cups of quinoa (uncooked)
* bouillon or vegetable stock cube
* approximately 9 ounces of broccoli
* a handful of frozen peas
* olive oil
* 1 leek, washed, trimmed and sliced
* a small bunch of basil
* a small bunch of mint
* 3 big handfuls of spinach
* 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
(Optional - avocado slices)

1. Cut one of the lemons in half and place in a pan with the quinoa.
2. Cover with 2.5 cups water and add the bouillon cube, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until most of the water has absorbed.
3. Just before the quinoa has fully absorbed all the water, lay the broccoli and peas directly on top of the quinoa, put a lid on, and allow to steam for a couple of minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and cook the leek for 10 minutes or so, until soft and sweet.
5. Drain the quinoa, remove the lemon halves, and use tongs to squeeze the lemon juice onto the quinoa.
6. Put the quinoa, broccoli, and peas into a bowl with the chopped herbs, shredded spinach, seeds, and a cooked leek.
7. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and squeeze the remaining lemon over the salad.

- adapted very slightly from A Modern Way to Eat: 200+ Satisfying Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing)
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WEEK 1

MONDAY - Dan makes venison steaks with baked red potatoes. YUM!!!

TUESDAY - Dinner at Farmers Fishers Bakers before Bright Star at the Kennedy Center (loved that play!!); Dan makes venison quesadillas for the kids and him.

WEDNESDAY - Laura's herbed green quinoa (via A Modern Way to Eat: 200+ Satisfying Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing)); mac and cheese for the kids. Loved this quinoa salad, I'll be making it a lot in the next few months.

THURSDAY - Warm salad of roasted kale, coconut, and tomatoes (via A Modern Way to Eat: 200+ Satisfying Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing)) ; tortellini for the kids. The salad was good, but not amazing.

FRIDAY - Dinner with friends at Marble & Rye before the Second City show at Arlington Drafthouse.

SATURDAY - Dinner at the neighbors' Christmas party.

SUNDAY - The neighbors' have us over for Christmas party leftovers.
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WEEK 2

MONDAY - Baja style cod tacos (via Dos Caminos Tacos: 100 Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Mexican Street Food). I find cod really tricky to cook, so after this I'm returning to tilipia, but the sauces were really good. I just didn't get the fish right.

TUESDAY - Sweet and sticky tomato and onion bake (via A Modern Way to Eat: 200+ Satisfying Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing)). We all loved this. As in loved. So we made it multiple times in December.

WEDNESDAY - Gwyneth's turkey chili (with venison instead of turkey) (via IT'S ALL GOOD: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great). This is one of our favorite cold weather recipes. There's never any leftovers.

THURSDAY - Lemon spaghetti with turkey sausage and spinach (substitute spaghetti squash for pasta, idea via Not-So-SAHM) (via Clean Eating. I like spaghetti squash but I didn't love it with this recipe, every bite I kept thinking "but where is the pasta? I want the pasta."

FRIDAY - Kitchari (via A Modern Way to Eat: 200+ Satisfying Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing)). So this was a shot in the dark, I assumed everyone would hate it (rice and lentils with spices), but the kids loved it and so did Dan, plus it was relatively easy to put together. I think this is a keeper.

SATURDAY - Dan's parents for dinner - Venison steaks with chimichuri sauce; sweet and sticky tomato and onion bake via A Modern Way to Eat: 200+ Satisfying Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing)) (this is our new go-to-recipe, if you can't tell).

SUNDAY - NYC - Pizza dinner at our friends' house in Queens (thanks for having us!!).
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WEEK 3

MONDAY - NYC - Solstice dinner at the Forager's Table NYC (so. so. good).

TUESDAY - NYC - Street vendor food before seeing Something Rotten on Broadway.

WEDNESDAY - Baja Fresh at a highway rest stop on the drive home from NYC (the VERY RAINY drive home).

THURSDAY - Christmas Eve dinner with Dan's family at our house - Venison roast; last meal salad (via via The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon: Simple and Inspired Whole Foods Recipes to Savor and Share) ; brussels sprouts with bacon and apples (via Martha Stewart).

FRIDAY - Christmas dinner at our house with friends and my mom - Lamb roast; sweet and sticky tomato and onion bake via A Modern Way to Eat: 200+ Satisfying Vegetarian Recipes (That Will Make You Feel Amazing)); mashed potatoes.

SATURDAY - Leftovers (so. many. leftovers).

SUNDAY - We still have more leftovers. Wow.
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WEEK 4

MONDAY - Dinner out at Texas Jack's BBQ (have you been here? It's awesome!)

TUESDAY - Frozen pizza and peas.

WEDNESDAY - Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup (via Pioneer Woman). This was shockingly good. A keeper.

THURSDAY - Progressive party for NYE

FRIDAY - Taylor Gourmet carryout

SATURDAY - Friends for dinner - Gwyneth's turkey chili (with venison instead of turkey) and roasted cauliflower (both recipes via IT'S ALL GOOD: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great).

SUNDAY - Dan roasts a chicken with mashed potatoes.
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WEEK 5

MONDAY - Cauliflower soup (via Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook) with mashed potatoes on the side. This soup was crazy easy (just a little olive oil, lemons, and cauliflower) and it tasted crazy good.

TUESDAY - Spiced braised lentils and tomatoes with toasted coconut (via Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook). Good but not amazing.

WEDNESDAY - Turkey meatballs in tomato sauce (we substituted venison for the turkey) (via The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon: Simple and Inspired Whole Foods Recipes to Savor and Share). I had no idea meatballs could be this good. Even T loved them. Totally worth the extra work and effort.

THURSDAY - Cleansing ginger-chicken soup (via Canal House Cooks Every Day) and "Use a Spoon" chopped salad (via Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook). The soup was simple, yet good. The salad was a total keeper - easy and healthy.

FRIDAY - Leftovers.

SATURDAY- Dan makes beef brisket ((via Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook) and mashed potatoes. Super yummy. We're totally in love with this cookbook lately.

SUNDAY - Leftovers.
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WEEK 6

MONDAY - 3 day juice/soup cleanse (Dan makes dinner for the himself and the kids)

TUESDAY - 3 day juice/soup cleanse (Dan makes dinner for the himself and the kids)

WEDNESDAY - 3 day juice/soup cleanse (Dan makes dinner for the himself and the kids)

THURSDAY - MY BIRTHDAY DINNER - Rose's Luxury (so. so. good.)

FRIDAY - Friends in from out of town - dinner at Marble and Rye.

SATURDAY - Friends in from out of town - takeout from Bangkok 54 before my birthday party.

SUNDAY - Friends in from out of town - Ledo's pizza while we watch the football game.
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WEEK 7

MONDAY - Taylor Gourmet take out (total laziness)

TUESDAY - Chicken Tinga Tacos (via Cooking Light). These were fine, nothing special.

WEDNESDAY - Kale sausage and white bean stew (via Dinner: A Love Story: It all begins at the family table). We've had this multiple times, the kids (somewhat shockingly) really love it, plus it's easy.

THURSDAY - Eggplant pasta sauce and spaghetti (via Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook) & "Use A Spoon" chopped salad (via Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook) . Dan hates eggplant, but I decided to try this anyways. And guess what, he loved it! Everyone loved it! Plus, this salad has become a go-to, super easy and super low in calories. A total win.

FRIDAY - Blizzard happy hour at our neighbor's house.

SATURDAY - Dan roasts a chicken with potatoes during the blizzard. YUMMY!

SUNDAY - Spaghetti with meatballs at a neighbor's happy hour.
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WEEK 8

MONDAY - Dinner out at P Brennan's. It felt so nice to escape the house!!

TUESDAY - The master hash (via Cooking Light); I always forget how wonderful this recipe is until I make it again. Not a bite left over.

WEDNESDAY - Eggplant pasta sauce (via Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook) and spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread (we still don't have our car shoveled out, so we're walking to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for easy dinners).

THURSDAY - Perogies for the kids; a chickpea/cilantro/cucumber/avocado for me.

FRIDAY - Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup (via Pioneer Woman). A repeat from a few weeks ago. The soup is yummy and uses all the ingredients I have in my pantry/refrigerator.

SATURDAY - Dinner at our friends' house.

SUNDAY - Dan makes venison and potatoes. Yum!
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WEEK 9

MONDAY - Veggie night - brussels sprouts with apples; cauliflower with chickpeas (via IT'S ALL GOOD: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great) ; and tomato/lentil salad. Veggie night is always a winner!

TUESDAY - Black bean tacos (via Dinner: A Love Story: It all begins at the family table). We eat these a lot (because they're easy and tasty).

WEDNESDAY - Italian sausage with cabbage and potatoes (via Three Many Cooks). I almost forgot about this recipe, so easy and the kids love it. I need to do this more often.

THURSDAY - Arroz con Pollo (via Dinner: A Love Story: It all begins at the family table. Yum.

FRIDAY - Hot dogs and polish sausage with Trader Joe's pickle sauerkraut. T's been asking for hot dogs forever, so I finally gave in.

SATURDAY - Leftovers.

SUNDAY - Dan makes a huge pot of venison chili for a small Superbowl gathering at our house.

2/5/16

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

darcytroutman (1 of 1)

Happy Friday everyone!! Don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

RANDOM LINKS:

* I'm part of a great new collaborative photography project called Five Hours 'Til Bedtime, click here to check us out!

* A free Smithsonian coloring book.

* The best Superbowl snack ever for board game geeks. If that's not enough food for you, try these 10 Inspired Superbowl recipes. I want to eat everything now!

* I REALLY want to read this (I loved Life of Pi).

* 7 problems I'm not going to solve for my kid.

* I love these surreal photos of different international cities.

* 21 Small Towns You Should Visit on Your Next American Road Trip. Has anyone ever visited Lititz, PA? I'm contemplating a weekend there.

* 10 best backpacking trips in U.S. National Parks (Can you tell I'm full of wanderlust lately?)

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