elliemoon

SUNDAY NIGHT DINNER

thank you smitten kitchen for this broccoli, cheddar and wild rice casserole recipe. and thank you meghann for recommending it. and also for suggesting the addition of chicken. you saved me from having to hear big b suggest it afterward. just as you suspected, this went from side dish to meal with that singular extra ingredient::

i baked two bone in, skin on chicken breasts at 375 for about 40 minutes (place on parchment lined sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper before baking). then just cube it up once it's cool. i stirred the chicken in with the wild rice and broccoli and continued with the recipe. i was worried the addition would effect the sauciness of my casserole, but somehow it looks like mine was a lot more saucy and cheesy than hers. all's well that ends well. i served it up with salad and some roasted cabbage. it was delicious! perfect for our rainy sunday. everyone, even ellie, gobbled it up. and no extra tips from big b for next time! success all around!

 

SMOKER FUEL

with another big winter storm on the way (yes, really) i couldn't spend saturday raking the leaves off of the perennials. i wanted too. it was warm enough. but no. they still need the insulation. instead we passed the time filling our bee basket with fuel for the smoker::

with ellie dreaming up camping trips and picnics all the while. always a fun springtime scavenger hunt. now let's hope this storm is the grand finale. 

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!

it's finally here, though it may not exactly feel like it::

thanks for the bouquet mom, and look whats peeping up in the yard despite the freezing temperatures:: 

slowly but surely, right? i'm still holding out hope for our annual march eat-an-ice-cream-cone-outside-with-short-sleeves-on day. it's a long shot, i know, but fingers crossed!

 

 

GREEN IS GOOD

better than good. we've officially joined the green smoothie revolution. and it is great. we monkeyed around for a bit and fell in love with this combination::

 our favorite green smoothie, the recipe::

2 TBSP chia seeds

2 TBSP flax seeds

5 or 6 frozen organic strawberries

about 1 and a half frozen bananas

a handful and a half of frozen organic peaches

four chunks of frozen pineapple

one whole organic lime, peeled

1 cup organic coconut water, plus more as needed

one salad spinner basket filled with a mix of organic spinach, kale and chard

i put things into the blender in the order listed. you will have to blend it down and then continue to stuff in the greens! add more coconut water to assist with the blending or to achieve desired consistency. i add it until the smoothie starts whirling on its on with no assistance from the tamper, then i turn it up to high speed for 20 seconds or so until it's nice and smooth. this will make about 48 ounces? give or take. drink a pint of this stuff and you will feel amazing! the leftovers store well in the fridge and get a little puddingy from the chia seeds. indy loves to eat it with a spoon as green pudding after school! and there you have it::

i know that everyone is in love with the stripey paper straws right now but there is no better way to enjoy a green smoothie than by sipping it up with one of these awesome glass straws. they are the best. if you're local, you can find one at cape cod natural foods in centerville::

and yes, this movement toward green was brought to us by a major holiday splurge. a vitamix blender. i felt bad about spending the money. until it got here. and i realized that this machine should have come before everything else. it can do it all. it is limitless. it is amazing. i am in love. this recipe is meant for a high powered blender but i'm sure it would work with a regular one too. it might just need more coconut water and more blending time. we freeze our bananas and pineapple and use frozen fruits from the store so that the smoothie is cold and thick and delicious! like a green shake!

 

NEW SOCKS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE HEXIPUFFS

sadly, these are the only hexipuffs that have been knitted up since early fall. but happily, three new pairs of socks! i had another obsessive knitting moment and did three pairs at once. lots of dpns and rotated through each of the six individual socks every ten rows. the fact that all three are finished is a miracle. well, not so much a miracle as a bad sign::

because the only time i'm good at finishing projects, is when i'm desperately avoiding finishing bigger projects that should have been finished a year ago. or a couple of years ago, as the case may be. i'm a procrastinator and time slips away. put them together and you get a house full of nearly finished and newly started objects. i haven't seen my countertop in months.