The Valentine Tea Party

For six years, my friends Mandi and Jess and I have thrown a lovely Valentine tea party. Each year, we go about it in exactly the same way. The three of us gather over hot tea and a sweet treat to create our invitations (which boast a different handmade design every year, but always read "The pleasure of your company is requested for tea and valentine-making.") and plan who will contribute which delicious food item for our long and mouth-watering menu, who will bring what serving wares, craft supplies, and, of course, the extra tables and chairs.
Before the party, we rearrange furniture to accommodate our 10-16 guests and our vast assortment of card-making supplies. We carefully set out and arrange the supplies. We dress the tables with vintage tablecloths, mismatched plates, saucers, teacups, vintage tumblers, trays, platters, cake stands, bowls, and lacy hankies for our delicate hands. We finish the last-minute brewing and baking (you know, you must eat scones fresh from the oven!) and fill the tables with our sweet and savory treats.
Our menu is different every year, but the dishes always fall into the same basic categories: sandwich, scone (with devonshire cream or lemon curd), fruit, bite-size sweet, bite-size savory, full-size sweet, hot tea, and cold beverage. We have served cheese blintzes with blueberries, chocolate-clementine tart, the Scarlet Empress charlotte (from The Cake Bible), homemade pink marshmallows, double-chocolate torte with chai glaze, mini-heart-shaped lemon cheesecakes, chocolate-covered cherry cookies, strawberries piped full of lemon cream, saffron madeleines, several varieties of scones, sandwiches, cookies, etc. All delicious!
After we've consumed to our satisfaction, we clear and undress the tables and begin the drawing, cutting, gluing, stitching, punching, beading, deliberating, and composing that goes into making valentines for our friends and family. By the end of the party, we have many lovely, sweet or funny, unique cards to ooh and ahh over, many leftovers to dole out and many dishes to wash.
I love our party.
This year, however, with 3 kids under the age of 4, I've decided it's a bit more than I can handle. Not wanting to abandon the idea completely, though, I do intend to share a relaxed evening with a few friends over a few delicious treats and a warm beverage. We will create something lovely together using few craft supplies. I'll have to post the outcome later.
Meanwhile, here are a few pics from parties past. (You know I rarely take quality photos and I never take as many as I intend to-I'm completely lacking 2 years worth-so a few of these are from Jess).

Nice wheels

Since we're still knee deep in our crafting lull around here, I thought I'd share a vintage goody. I didn't count these as part of my truck collection (I've since run across others in our home, too, that I neglected to include), but these seem to be in a class of their own. These 1950s-ish tin cars are about the size of a Hot Wheels car. I have a cement mixer (minus its barrel), a taxi, a logging truck, and a family car. Sadly, my family never had a hot pink car sporting the image of a bird and rabbit riding an ostrich.

Grocery list (or I need peanut butter, purple wiggly cheese, a camera, cucumbers, a shirt...

...pink wiggly cheese, a calendar, bread, milk, trains, red hot marshmallow squirters....)
I recently saw grocery list activities at Angry Chicken and Make and Takes and thought some variation of these would be great for us.
For our project, I spent some time in the evening cutting out a zillion food/household pictures from those horrible sales ads that end up all over the entryway downstairs. Then, together, we separated the cut-outs into categories: produce, meat, dairy, grains, dessert/snacks, household supplies (with a couple cell phones and toy cars thrown in). I gave the kids glue sticks and let them decide what they wanted on their grocery lists. After completing his list, my son had me label a few of his items. My daughter didn't have much space for writing on hers so she started another page where she practiced writing some of the food names.
This was a really good activity for my kids. I was impressed with how well they worked together and how engaged they were in the activity.
I have some leftover cut-outs and would be willing to spend more time cutting to repeat this project. As it is, I try to avoid doing very much grocery shopping with all 3 kids in tow, so we probably won't use these in public, but they can use them here with their grocery cart and play kitchen. It's got to be more fun than their normal routine which is dictating to me the crazy things they want on their shopping lists and watching me write for them. Next time, maybe we'll glue pics of the real items and write/illustrate the crazy ones.

Super-Fudgy Triple Chocolate Espresso Brownies

Or, let's just call them "Really Good Brownies." Thought I'd share a recipe. This is a Cook's Illustrated variation on one of their own recipes. I love Cook's Illustrated, but I don't have much access to them, since I don't have a subscription and don't want to pay to access it online. I hate it when they make you do that. Somehow, I got this recipe a few years ago and have been enjoying it since.

5 oz semisweet choc (I sometimes use part dark chocolate)
2 oz unsweetened choc
3 Tbs cocoa powder (again, I experiment with regular, dutch-processed, dark)
1 1/2 Tbs instant espresso or coffee powder
8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 c all-purpose flour

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Fold two 12-inch lengths of foil lengthwise so that they measure 7 inches wide. Fit one sheet in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; overhang will help in removal of baked brownies. Fit second sheet in pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. Whisk in cocoa and espresso powder until incorporated. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture; then stir in flour until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners and level surface with rubber spatula; bake until slightly puffed and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a small amount of moise batter clinging to it, 35-40 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours (yeah, right!), then remove brownies from pan using foil handles. Cut into 1-inch squares and serve. Do not cut brownies until ready to serve; brownies can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 5 days.

Shortcuts (as I've always known brownies to be a spur-of-the-moment dessert and not one that's planned ahead of time):
I didn't read the article that accompanied it (assuming it had one), so I'm just guessing they want you to cool the brownies forever and not cut them all at once to allow the flavors to meld (is it appropriate to say that about brownies or is that just for sauces and stuff?) and because hot brownies don't cut well. I let mine cool a bit, throw a towel over them and finish cooling them in the fridge, then take them out and eat them, cutting them as they're served.
The foil in the pan is nice for quick cleaning when the brownies are gone, but you can also just spray your pan.
And, I usually melt my chocolate and butter in the microwave. Short zaps and stir in between until it's melted.

Recipe: 2 for 1

I'm so in love with baking and eating sweets that I usually end up posting a recipe in that category, but today it's main dishes. I'm going with two of my favorites: a pretty quick noodle salad and a rich, comforting potato dish.

Peanut Chicken Soba Salad

2 cups water
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons roasted peanut oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked soba noodles (about 4 ounces uncooked)
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 teaspoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
Lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan, and discard peppercorns, bay leaf, and cooking liquid. Shred chicken; place in a large bowl.

Combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients (vinegar through salt), stirring with a whisk. Pour over chicken; let stand 5 minutes. Add soba noodles and the next 4 ingredients (noodles through chopped basil) to chicken mixture, and toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

(I often use part of a rotisserie chicken to make this meal even faster).

Recipe and image from Cooking Light, May 2004

Sausage and Potato Casserole

1/4 c oil
1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 c milk
7-10 potatoes, boiled, peeled and sliced
1 lb. ground sausage, browned
1 c shredded American cheese

Combine oil, flour, salt and pepper in a large skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat until hot. Whisk in milk, stirring constantly, until thickened; remove from heat. Layer half of potatoes, flour mixture and sausage into an ungreased 13"x9" baking dish; repeat layers. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese begins to brown slightly.

(I have no idea where this recipe comes from and haven't taken the two minutes to call and ask my mom.)

Weekend organizing

I thought I'd share a few organizational projects today since that's how I've been spending my time recently.
I always take the opportunity while my mom is in town to tackle one or more long-been-a-pain-in-the-rear projects around the house. Projects that I either need physical, mental, financial, or parental help with. Wow, that includes so many things, it's a wonder I get anything done on my own.
This time, since we just moved our 3rd child in with the older two, I needed to do some bedroom rearranging. I've decided to sell the vintage dresser I've been using as changing table and clothes storage for my daughters. The drawers are difficult for little hands to maneuver and that's becoming more important as the kids learn to choose their clothes and dress themselves. Plus, three beds, 2 dressers, books and random toys are a lot in a medium-sized bedroom with multiple walls interrupted by doors, windows, and a potentially scalding hot radiator.
Anyway, my mom treated me to these great collapsible fabric boxes from The Container Store (they are having a nice summer sale) and I filled them with my daughters' clothes and slid them under the crib. Perfect fit. And easy for the kids to pull out and open themselves. My oldest "organized" her clothes box herself which has helped make her excited about the new system.
Oh yes, we used to have nice crib clothes on the bed including a lovely bed skirt, but it was removed after an unfortunate incident last year (mentioned at the end of this list). I imagine this wouldn't work quite as well if it was still in place.

I also chose to rearrange their book collection. We've had them shelved in one of those hideous stackable plastic cube things you get in college (which I did get in college) which is a safety hazard (they try to climb it) and awkward for sliding books in and out.
I was recently reminded that there's a very reasonable explanation for young children emptying out their bookshelves. They choose books by looking at the covers, not by reading the spines. After having one of those, "Ohhh, right" moments, I decided to place their books in bins so they can reach them without climbing, return them easily, and make their selections without carpeting the floor with books. It's nice to be able to conveniently cart a load of books to the other room, too.
These are plastic collapsible bins from The Container Store.

While at The Container Store, we couldn't pass up these crunch bags (which I have found very handy and sturdy enough for kids, also on sale) for storing some items in the living room.
I wanted them to have access to all of their own games and be able to put them away. That has been key in much or our reorganizing. These bags now house some of their games (the others still reside on a low shelf), and their train collection. The vintage basket is housing random baby toys.

Last, but by no means least, we finished organizing the outgrown clothes that have been nagging me for years. This was a huge project (though due largely in part to my not being organized from the beginning) and I felt a massive sense of relief when we finished.
We've been saving all decent outgrown children's clothing to pass on down the line, big sister to little sister (and to my husband's chagrin, sometimes to little brother). Every time the season changes, we have to hit the storage. For one reason, we can't store a year's worth of clothing in the dressers, and also the kids outgrow and need new sizes practically every season.
We finally sorted every item by gender, season, and size, labeled them all, and shoved them in the closet. I used small clear garment zip bags for storing small chunks of clothes-like Girls, 0-6 months, Summer-and then put 4 of these small garment bags into a larger one, labeled something like Girls, 0-6 months-2T, Summer. Making sure all labels and zippers were facing the same direction and easy to read and access, no zippers hiding on the bottom of the bag, but all right at the top where the large bag opens in case I just need to just stick my hand in and grab a few items.
Now when I need to pull out or put away clothes, I can see exactly which bag I need instead of dragging out the seemingly thousands of bags, big and small, and rifling through to find exactly what I'm looking for and then likely missing articles that could have been worn.
This summer, I was so happy to find that my baby didn't need any new clothes (thanks to hand-me-downs) and my older 2 needed very little (thank goodness they grow a little more slowly now).
I'm interested. How do you store your hand-me-downs? Or do you? If you have an idea that is far more outstanding and efficient than mine, tell me at your own risk. I may find out where you live. Or perhaps I'll just be grown-up about it and decide to pass it on to some other plagued parent.

Spaghetti dogs

A friend sent me the link to this disgusting food art knowing full well that I'd be compelled to try it with my kids. And I did. And they loved it.
If you want to try it, just stick dry spaghetti noodles through hot dogs and boil. I thought about adding a sauce, but I think the kids would see that as detracting from the fun.

Chewy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

This recipe swap is happening over at i have to say... and I thought I'd put a recipe in and check out the other entries. My first time to participate in a group blogger activity! I haven't had a chance to actually make these for picture-taking purposes, so I'll just have to say loudly that these ARE VERY GOOD. I'm often asked for the recipe.
The original Chocolate Chews recipe comes from Nick Malgieri's How to Bake. I've left out his add-ins, changed the size of the cookie and added filling.

Chewy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

8 oz. semisweet choc.

3 oz. unsweetened choc.

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 eggs

1 1/4 c sugar

2 t vanilla

2/3 c bleached all-purpose flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1. Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

2. Place the chocolates and butter in a bowl or the top of a double boiler and place over hot, not simmering, water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted. Cool.

3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until lightened. Whisk in the chocolate mixture and vanilla.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the chocolate mixture.

5. Drop teaspoon-size cookies onto prepared pans (lined with parchment). Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are just slightly firm and cracked. (Watch carefully, as baking time is adjusted for smaller-size cookies than original recipe). For smaller cookies, drop smallers balls and shorten baking time.

6. Cool on the pans.

(These cookies are best the day they're made. If they bake too long, they get dry and crumbly pretty quickly, so best to watch the first batch carefully and taste test before determining your oven's perfect bake time.)

Chocolate Ganache Filling

Classic ganache is made of equal parts chocolate and cream. Use semisweet or bittersweet or a combination of both.

(I don't know the ideal amount to make for filling these cookies, but if you have leftover ganache, it freezes very well for a long time.)

Put 8 oz. chocolate in large bowl (chopped in small pieces or use chips)

Bring 8 oz. heavy cream just to a boil.

Pour cream over chocolate. Let stand for about 3-5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.

Allow to cool and firm up a bit before filling/sandwiching your cookies.

(It may be a good idea to put the filled cookies in the fridge to help the filling set.)

Family night and Valentine's fun

I was challenged by an older and much wiser mom recently to institute regular family nights into our routine. It's not a new idea, rather one we've always liked the idea of, but never put into regular practice.
The good thing, for people who shrink at the thought of having to create new and exciting activities from scratch every week, is that we have so many holidays and special occasions as a family, as a country and across the globe from which to draw inspiration. More on that later.
Our family values giving gifts made by hand and sharing kind words through home made cards. We don't, however, manage our time particularly well and have always had trouble separating the kids and giving them each a chance to make something special for their siblings and parents. I mean, you wouldn't want to see your card being made, right?
After hearing another family's experience in card-making, though, it occurred to me that I could go about this in a completely different way and actually accomplish our goals of enjoying a creative activity together and blessing everyone in the family with a heartfelt gift.
We set aside time Friday evening to be home together making Valentine cookies and cards. We brought all the cookie ingredients into the dining room so we could all fit around the table, versus crowding up in one chair in order to reach the available corner of counter space in the kitchen, and mixed up a batch of those peanut butter blossoms from the back of the Hershey kiss bag.
While the first pan baked, we cleaned the table and brought out some card-making supplies. Felt, buttons, glues, papers, craft foam, scissors, markers, etc. After pressing the kisses into the tops of the hot cookies, we began making cards. The goal was for each of us to make one card for every member of the family.
My husband surprised us and turned out some very cute and catchy cards. (He doesn't expect much from himself in the craft department). My oldest daughter quickly made two cards for everyone, losing momentum as she went until her final card (mine) simply said Mom on one side and featured a minimalistic spiderweb-ish design on the back. My youngest daughter had to be put to bed before the cookies were completely mixed and therefore didn't attempt making any cards. My son made four cards all illustrated with a multi-humped camel flying over a land dominated by moles. And all for his older sister.
I foresee many cards in the future starring the Heep family Valentine camel.
We had some unpleasant bumps and some very pleasant quality time. Today, however, everyone was thoroughly excited to exchange Valentine cards and eat cookies. We had lunch together (kind of a rare treat for us) and then distributed the cards. They loved the personal messages from their dad, the pretty pictures from their mom, and the sheer receipt of anything from their siblings. I gave them each one of the decorated pb jars filled with a box of animal crackers (my sister's genius idea), a couple chocolate kisses, and a couple mini raisin boxes. They were thrilled. I think they're discussing their Valentine's day adventures as I write, wishing they'd fall asleep, which is pretty cute.
Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you enjoy time spent with your family this weekend.

I was going to write a bit more on family nights, in general, but realize I've written a lengthy narrative on Valentine's Day alone. This just means I'll have to blog more.

Green Clean Sample Kit

Green cleaning (using cleaning products and methods that are non-toxic to people, Earth and its environment) has not become habitual in our home yet, but I am taking some steps toward becoming more eco-minded when it comes to what we do and how we clean in our home.
To stock our pantry, and share the fun of playing chemist, I compiled some recipes for simple cleaners, gathered the supplies and led a group in making their own Green Clean Sample Kits at the Craft Social last night. I chose these because they are the most-used cleaners in our home (kitchen, bath, laundry) and because these particular recipes could be quickly and safely made in our venue.
I purchased some small spray and squeeze bottles and raided our recyclables for screw-top glass and plastic jars to share with the group. (Some guests planned ahead and brought their own recyclable containers to fill). Most of us made one spray, one scrub and one batch of detergent.
The ingredient list for these solutions is short: white vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, castile soap, glycerin, essential oil, a few aspirin, and tap water. I found the washing soda at a local Jewel/Albertson's grocery store, the castile, oils and glycerin at Whole Foods.

I considered sewing very simple bags for guests to use in carrying their cleaners, but you know how things go (well, you do if you're a procrastinator like I am), but I did happen to come across directions for this great newspaper cleaner caddy in a book at the library. I couldn't resist trying it out. I love it! It's from The Newspaper Everything Book: How to Make 150 Useful Objects From Old Newspapers by Vivienne Eisner and Adelle Weiss, 1975. I'll have to make some time to practice modifications for other uses and then write up a tutorial for it.
For now, here are the recipes I made available for use in our sample kits. For more green cleaning tips, follow the links below.

Green Clean Sample Kit

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda
¼ cup liquid castile soap

Mix well and store in sealed container (glass or plastic jar).
Note from article author: I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stir in the washing soda, baking soda, and add vinegar in small batches. The mixture will foam at first, become a thick paste then break down into a heavy powdered detergent as you stir. Break down any hard clumps while stirring. (It helps to make sure the baking soda isn't clumpy to begin with). I used ½ cup per full with great results.
From Tipnut

Soft Scrub for toilets and tubs (and more)
1 cup baking soda
3-5 drops tea tree oil
¼ cup liquid castile soap
2 aspirins, powdered

Mix all ingredients and add enough water to make a paste. Store in a squeeze bottle. To use, apply with a sponge, scrub and rinse thoroughly.
From Make Your Place by Raleigh Briggs, 2009.

Creamy Soft Scrub
baking soda
liquid castile soap
vegetable glycerin

Pour about ½ cup baking soda into a bowl. Add enough liquid detergent (castile soap) to make a texture like frosting. Add 1 teaspoon of glycerin to the mixture to keep the product moist and store in a sealed glass jar. To use, scoop the mixture onto a sponge and wash surface. Perfect for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn't leave grit.
5-10 drops essential oil can be used to scent the scrub. For a citrus scrub, add 5-10 drops orange or lemon essential oil.
From Care 2 Make a Difference and Best Green Home Tips

All Purpose Spray
½ teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid castile soap
2 cups hot tap water
Combine ingredients in a jar and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Pour into spray bottle. Spray and wipe with a sponge or rag.
From Care 2 Make a Difference

Disinfectant All Purpose Spray
liquid castile soap
2 cups water
tea tree essential oil
lavender essential oil

Mix a few drops of natural soap (castile), 2 cups water, and 15 drops each of tea tree and lavender oils. Spray on all surfaces like cutting boards, counters, toilets, and walls, but not glass.
Note from article author: You can use 30 drops of one oil, I just like the mix. You need to keep either the tea tree or lavender essential oil in the mix to make it a disinfectant. Castile (like Bronner's) is great for general cleaning, but real essential oils of tea tree or lavender have antiseptic/antibacterial aspects. I like to mix them, because too much tea tree scent alone makes me loopy.
From Tree Hugging Family

Camping for a day

I love camping. Funny, because we didn't camp as a family when I was growing up, but I've since discovered it's one of my favorite ways to spend a weekend. We haven't had many opportunities to camp in recent years, or maybe just haven't seized the opportunities, but are still excited about introducing our children to the joys of living for a weekend in the great outdoors.
Last time we camped, my oldest was 16 months old and I was 7 months pregnant suffering from sharp back pain. At that time, I came up with some criteria for our camping eligibility: must be less than 7 months pregnant, must have immobile lap baby or walking baby (I wasn't keen on the idea of keeping a crawling baby out of danger at the campsite. I think that's why we didn't camp the summer I wasn't pregnant.), and must camp with other people (unless children are old enough to help out or at least be free from danger for a few minutes). That's it.
But this summer I was hit hard with the camping bug. I was hesitant to break my second rule, however, so to test the waters, we spent a day camping with some friends. This turned out to be loads of fun (minus, of course, some setbacks like getting the day started much later than planned and having a child fall and scream in alleged pain for an hour or two--yes, same child that fell at the grocery store).
First, it was a beautiful weekend. We began our adventure with a picnic when we arrived at the state park. We walked for an up-close view of the river then hit the creek. I've mentioned before that I love wading. This time was no exception, just different. With a baby strapped to you and a small child or two pulling on your hands, your sense of fallibility is a lot keener (or your sense of fall-ability, whatever you want to call that). Still, I loved pointing out the crawdads, minnows, clam shells, slippery moss-covered rocks, etc. just as I loved my dad pointing them out to me and my sister. And, of course, I loved the feel of the clear, cool water over my feet and up my to my knees. We walked, waded, and climbed until the creek joined the river then paused for snacks at the river's edge.
Several times this summer, my daughter and I have played "campfire" at the playground and have eaten imaginary s'mores, so I was looking forward to seeing her reaction to the real thing. After our wading trip and some time spent at the playground, we set up "camp" and prepared our fire. The kids loved playing in the tent, although, without being staked down it became a game to bounce around inside causing the tent to roll over. No matter.
We roasted hot dogs, marshmallows, instructed the kids in the art of building the perfect s'more, played around in the moonlight (gorgeous full moon), stargazed a bit and packed up. At the end of the day, I figured the only things we lacked in making this an actual camping trip was sleeping and eating breakfast, which I felt pretty confident we could handle. Wow, I had even broken rule number two.
Unfortunately, it's too late for us to squeeze in a camping trip this summer, but I'm going to plan early next year (Can someone hold me accountable to that?) and wholeheartedly recommend to anyone dragging their feet about family camping that you try a day camping adventure to get your feet wet (actual wading, optional).
In case you're wondering, here are the criteria I went with for choosing a park: accessible water for playing, picnic space, playground, fire pit, drive under 2 hours, no park fees, convenient bathrooms, space for free play and crawling. Additional criteria could be: stroller-accessible trails, fishing, swimming, canoeing, etc. So many options!
Happy belated camping!

P.S. Pardon me for being so wordy this week or thank me for the brief nap you may have taken while attempting to read my blog.