Cancel All Plans- Stay Home & Make This Instead...

Hello my people. Are you looking for the perfect way to tell someone "I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING, AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, JUST LOOK WHAT I MADE FOR YOU?", even if that someone is yourself? Then you should by all means make my new favorite dessert tonight: Roasted Balsamic Pears with Cinnamon-Mascarpone. How could you possibly say "no" to this:

I tested this out on the family last night, and oh my heavens. It passed with flying colors. The husband was begging me to renew our wedding vows, the 3 year old was apologizing for his sassy behavior these last few days and requesting to give me a foot rub, and the baby immediately stopped teething. That's how wonderful this dessert is. There may have even been some passionate plate licking when it was all over...immediately followed by frustration that I didn't think to buy at least a dozen more pears from the Farmer's Market this weekend. Note to self: buy a ridiculous amount of pears at Farmer's next Saturday.

A few words before I get on already with the recipe- there are many reasons to love this dessert. For starters, it's pears. They sort of make you feel light and airy and like you're not really doing anything naughty by eating them, especially if you happened to fall victim to the post-Halloween sugar coma backlash. Like me. Secondly, they are so delightfully simple- but very elegant. They take about 5 minutes to prep, but they look fancy enough to serve for the most special of dinner guests (which means, if you are thinking of inviting me over for dinner, these would be totally appropriate to serve for our dessert together). Thirdly, anytime I can throw in a quirky and unexpected ingredient like balsamic vinegar into my dessert I just know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, it's going to be fantastic.And lastly- cinnamon mixed with mascarpone cheese? Do we even need to say more? Those Italians! They really are God's gift to mankind with their invention of the creamiest of all cream cheeses. My lips are instinctively quivering just thinking about it. I've been longing to incorporate more mascarpone into my life for quite some time now, so the timing is perfect.

Alright. I'll shut up now and let you get on with it. You can thank me later- have fun.

Roasted Balsamic Pears with Cinnamon Mascarpone

Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 medium-large ripe pears (we used a variety close to Bosc, but anything similar would work)
Approx. 2 tsp. brown sugar
Approx. 3 tsp. butter
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
1/4 cup white grape or apple juice (or...a combination of brandy + juice would also be divine)
6 T. mascarpone cheese (Trader Joe's sells it in a small tub!)
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
Kosher salt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Halve pears lengthwise and core with paring knife. (We left ours unpeeled because the peel got so soft in the cooking process that it tasted delicious. But feel free to peel first if you prefer.) Place cored side up in a medium baking dish. Spoon about 1/2 tsp. of butter and 1/2 tsp. of brown sugar into each cavity. Pour grape or apple juice (or BRANDY!) into baking dish. Lightly drizzle balsamic vinegar over all pears, allowing some to drizzle into grape/apple juice as well. Bake 20-25 min., or until pear halves are tender and lightly browned.

2. Meanwhile....stir together mascarpone cheese, granulated sugar, cinnamon and toasted walnuts (if using, and I highly recommend you do!).

3. To serve, arrange one pear half per plate. Top with cinnamon-mascarpone mixture, and then drizzle with the hot apple juice/balsamic juice that's collected in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a dash of kosher salt on top (trust me on this). Enjoy!

Dress Rehearsal

In preparation for the Halloween events that await us tomorrow, I thought it would be wise to have some sort of dress rehearsal for Ella. Seeing that this is her first Halloween experience and that she has never sported a costume in all of her almost 12 months on earth, I wanted to test the waters and see how she handled the whole experience from the safe confines of our home. See? Being an old seasoned mother of 2 now means I learned something the first time around.

At first, everything seemed to go quite well. There were smiles. Lots of curious exploration of the adorable chicken costume that's been loaned to us. Even a still moment and posing for the camera. And of course I went bananas, because come on- am I alone here, or how irresistible are those cheeks? They're edible, actually. Isn't she the most wonderfully precious chubby chicken you've ever seen?

And then without advance warning, things took a turn.

A very bad turn.

Until finally, she was practically screaming the words, "TAKE THIS AWFUL THING OFF ME THIS VERY INSTANT! I HATE HALLOWEEN!"

After giving it the old college try (i.e. redirection by way of dancing, singing, clapping and tickling her) her screaming volume and intensity only increased. Whoopsies. Apparently a baby her age can't be bribed with Butterfinger's or M&M's. Silly Ella! So, I gave up, but I got my 4 pictures and that's all I really needed!  Consequently, it appears that Ella will be dressing up as....Ella this year.

In other news, we received a very sweet invitation from my wonderful sister today to go trick-or-treating at her office. As I was getting Ben ready to make his Spiderman debut (for approximately the 45th time this year), I realized there were several holes in his paper-thin Made in China costume that needed my immediate mending attention. Thankfully, my magnificent sewing machine was ready and waiting (THANK YOU, MARGE!). As I sat there in a heap of threads and needles (yes, plural needles. I have this unfortunate knack for breaking needles) I couldn't help but think of my childhood and my own mother and the way in which she made the entire Halloween costume/dress up ordeal a happy and creative one for me. We never had much money to spend, so creativity was indeed the catalyst for invention when it came to costumes. Usually I took the easy road and resorted to applying layers upon layers of eye makeup and bright lipstick to my face because it was the one day of the year I was allowed to do so. It was my job to take full advantage of this. It didn't really matter what my character was, there would always be the thick makeup. Baseball player? Makeup. Karate girl? Makeup. Old woman? Makeup. Cheerleader? Makeup, double time. And believe me, I thought I looked fantastic every time..Good thing I have an older brother who- still to this day- delights in informing me it was quite the contrary. Whatever.

Anyway, despite the copious amount of tears shed today, I hope Ella will look back one day and think that I approached this bizarre holiday with creativity and happiness, too. As for Ben, I'm just praying that the seam work I did today bought us another 2 years on that hilarious Spiderman costume of his.

Finally, in the spirit of Halloween, if you've never had the pleasure of seeing this (or even if you have), may I be the first to introduce you to a portion of Jerry Seinfeld's stand up performance? In this bit, he touches on candy/costumes/Halloween from the days of his youth. Very apropos and hands-down hilarious. I just love that guy. Enjoy!

For The Children

Image by Cayusa via Flickr

Well, I broke down. I bought a colossal bag of Halloween candy. And with 5 whole days still left until Halloween actually arrives, surely this is a recipe for disaster. A wonderfully delicious chocolaty recipe.

The last 12 times I've been to Target, I've seen the forbidden Halloween section with its seasonal orange and black packaged candy, practically waving at me and begging me to take it home. But being a woman of tremendous self-control, I resisted those bags of artery clogging, thigh enlarging, tummy jiggling Halloween treats. Plus, all of the good candy was still being sold at full-price, and who can justify that ridiculous expense? $8 for a bag of- let's face it- sugar? I might as well dispense tablespoons full of brown sugar to the trick-or-treaters instead. Or its healthier alternative, honey. Or pennies. In this economy, I am not afraid to be the creepy lady on the block that gives out pennies to the children. Anyway, I did this whole temptation/resisting game for 3 whole weeks. I was like Jesus being tempted in the desert except my "desert" was the Halloween section in Target, and I'm not exactly... Jesus. But you get the idea.

Then...I noticed it was all on sale yesterday, including the good stuff (read: Resse's & Snickers). It's painful for me to pass up a good deal, be it toilet paper or clothing or...Halloween candy. So what's a girl to do? I gave in, all the while reminding myself that the greatest gift is truly to give and ohhhh, the smiles these treats would bring to the faces of the trick-or-treaters (that we may or may not have this year). So really, I was doing it all for the children.

And then yesterday, as Dan was reaching his hand into the mysterious already-opened bag of treats, he looked at me with a smile and asked,
"Um, is this supposed to be for Halloween?"
Me, somewhat defensive & irritated: "Yes, babe. It's for the children."

Nevermind the fact that the bag is already 1/3 empty. Don't these children deserve candy that has been pre-tested for safety & freshness? With all of the concerns parents have these days, wouldn't they be happy to know that their child's candy had been thoroughly tested? It just so happens that I took it upon myself to implement my very own system of quality control. It's just the kind of girl I am....willingly taking a hit for the team. For the children. (Incidentally, everything tested out with flying colors in the safety & freshness department. And I'm sorry, but HOW CUTE are those little Snickers bars? Who can possibly eat just one?)

Must Make This!

Alright kids, gather 'round, because Mama has a treat for you! This is a (very Fall) roasted vegetable & ricotta pizza, which I first discovered 3 years ago in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food and have adored it ever since. I've adapted it and put my own spin on it just a bit, creating hands down one of the greatest pizzas I've ever had. It's a simple pizza- topping literally consists only of wonderful roasted fall vegetables (if you're into that sort of thing, and who isn't?), adorned with dollops of ricotta and mozzarella cheese, then drizzled with olive oil. Trust me, you deserve this kind of treatment. What I love about using your own pizza dough is that it allows for making your own "rustic" shape, which I find utterly charming. It just so happens that we are having this tomorrow night for the first time this year, and my mouth is literally watering just anticipating its wonderfulness. I promise you will not regret making this, and it guarantees to make you all warm and cozy inside! (And honestly, have I ever led you astray?)

Roasted Fall Vegetable & Ricotta Pizza

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• Olive oil, for baking sheet and drizzling
• Flour, for dusting surface
• 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, fresh, or thawed if frozen (we absolutely love Trader Joe's fresh whole wheat pizza dough- it yields 2 nice sized thin-crust pizzas, perfect for our family)
  
• Approx. 2 cups (more or less) part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
  
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch golden beets, well scrubbed and halved (leave skin on until after done roasting)
  
• 2 red potatoes, well scrubbed and quartered
• 1 sweet potato, well scrubbed & cut into 1 1/2 in. pieces
  
• 2 leeks, rinsed well (to get rid of sand) halved lengthwise and cut in 1 1/2-in. lengths
  
• 3 medium carrots, halved lengthwise if thick, and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1-2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese (depending on your preference & how much you like)
  
• small handful chopped basil for topping (optional)
• *NOTE: This is a vegetarian pizza, but for those of you who MUST have a little meat with their meal, I'm sure this would taste amazing with some spicy Italian sausage, or even some salty prosciutto thrown on top!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place vegetables and garlic on large rimmed baking sheet (or line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup); toss with olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them once halfway through. Let cool. Peel beets- skin is now soft enough to peel with your hands. Cut veggies into size of your preference- we use chunkier size veggies on this pizza, but you can make them bite size if you prefer.
   
3. Turn oven up to 475 degrees. Brush a large baking sheet with oil, or line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup. (Alternatively, you can also use a pizza stone. I lightly oil mine, place in a 500 degree oven for about 15 min., lightly flour the stone and THEN place rolled pizza dough on top and proceed with pizza directions)
   
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch dough into as large as will fit on baking sheet; transfer to sheet (if not using pizza stone).
5. Sprinkle dough with half the mozzarella. Scatter vegetables on top, and dollop with ricotta; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
   
6. Once pizza is out of the oven, sprinkle chopped basil on top (optional). Serve.

Leftover roasted veggies? Toss them with some penne pasta & parmesan, and have yourself another delicious Fall meal!


Photo courtesy of www.marthastewart.com

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How I Prefer To Start My Day

Ella has fallen in love with the tickle monster. Go ahead, I dare you not to at least smile when you watch this.

Edith, this one is per your request. Enjoy.

All Things Pumpkin

I've always felt there's something particularly marvelous about a pumpkin patch. Maybe it all originates from watching Cinderella for the first time as a little princess myself,  and seeing that jolly old Fairy Godmother transform pumpkins into a carriage with her magical Bippity Boppity Boos. (I always wanted a Fairy Godmother. Or even a Godmother, really. When I realized there was no such thing as a Fairy Godmother, I'm pretty sure I took it much harder than learning there was no Santa Claus. Because Santa never changes ANYthing using Princess magic).

Maybe it's just because pumpkin patches inevitably = Fall. And boy oh boy, do I love this season. Everything about it screams cozy! The clothing, the weather, the food, the colors, the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the invitation to put the flip flops away and replace them with boots, the football games, the decor, the fires waiting to be lit in the fireplace, the persimmon orchard in bloom at my parents house, the Pumpkin Cheesecake I'm going to make later in the week.... it all just feels like one giant hug to me. I want to cuddle up with a soy chai just thinking about this. In fact, that's a great idea. I'm going to indulge in my chai that is suddently urgently calling my name and leave you with pictures from today's first Pumpkin Patch Outing of the year (aside from the one we visit in our side yard, of course). This was Ella's first experience with a Pumpkin Patch and she was a natural. Tried to eat the pumpkins and everything. She was practically figuring out a way to whip up a pumpkin pie right then and there. Isn't she the smartest?

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Changes

Image by [ r ♥ c e y t ♥ y ] {I br♥ke for bokeh} via Flickr

Like the leaves whose colors are rapidly changing all around us, my hair also seems to be taking not-so-subtle cues from this Autumn season. Except- instead of changing into golden oranges and brilliant reds, my hair is slowly transforming itself from a deep dark brown into a dull white-ish gray, a few strands at a time. Sadly, its metamorphosis is not nearly as magical or breathtaking. And unlike those Autumn leaves, the white granny hairs are not found favorable around here.

Persistance

It may have taken close to three-and-a-half years to manifest itself, but it appears that my son has been (more or less) listening to me all along! It's astounding how full our days are, aside from the daily routine and schedule of eating, napping and playing. Most moms would probably agree that a large majority of the days are full of reminders and instructions and corrections and encouragement and positive reinforcements with our kids. Basically, we moms are glorified broken records. Advocates for manners, kindness, social skills, and overall tact. For example:

"How do you ask?" or, "what do you say?" or, "what's the magic word?" or, "why don't you try that again and ask me the correct way?", or "how can you say that in a kinder way?".

You get the idea.

Anyway, it first caught my attention today when we were in line to order a pretzel at Target. Ben sweetly conveyed to me that he was practically dying of hunger, and since I had packed very light snacks that were already consumed on the car ride over in a matter of 5 seconds, I found my Mama guilt caving to his request. Plus, pretzels are the second cheapest item on their menu, and I was even able to scrape up the grand total in loose change. Win-win.

So the food lady hands him his giant pretzel (just about the size of his head) and he ever so sweetly batted his gorgeous blue eyes, smiled and in his sing-song tone said, "thank you!"
Unprompted. By himself. This was huge, but I wasn't expecting this to repeat itself anytime soon.

And THEN! I prepare his lunch, and as he takes his plate and carries it from the kitchen to the dining table, he practically shrieks out, "Ohhhh, wow! Mom, this lunch is MY FAVORITE! Thanks so much!".
Again! Unprompted! But even still, I'm thinking....this is still a coincidence, and really he's just excited because we have KILLER leftover skirt steak and crispy garlic potatoes from dinner last night.

And then, as if to seal the deal, he blew my socks off one last time. Which, for more reasons than I care to even count, I desperately needed tonight. Maybe he sensed this and is beginning to catch on to the whole Take Care of Mommy concept. As I was tucking him in and saying goodnight, he suddently wrapped his little arms around my neck, let out a huge sigh and said, "Mommy? I love you. I love you so much." And then he adorned my face with kisses. It was like being attacked by a warm little puppy with love.

Gulp. Cue misty eyes.

And I started thinking...maybe all of this really is soaking in his little brain. Maybe I am actually getting through to him. Maybe I really am making a difference in my attempt to steer him the right way, and all of these constant reminders (or nagging....let's be honest...) have not been in vain. Tomorrow I'm sure he'll go back to bugging his sister to the point of tears and talking sassy to his mother and refusing to nap and tracking mud all over the recently vacuumed floors, but today felt like a mini success story. Our own little hurdle.

And honestly, even if I never have a moment like this again with him, today somehow made those 3.5 million daily reminders oh so very worth it.

Eggplant, Revisited

For those of you dear ones who have welcomed my Eggplant Parmesan recipe into your kitchen (or for those who are flirting with the idea, let this be the reason to break down and just go for it already), this post is just for you. Recently I made a minor change to the recipe that has taken it to a whole other level. Who knew it was possible to improve upon perfection? If you love cheesy crunchy crispiness (and I ask you, who doesn't?), then you are in luck- because I decided to add some breadcrumbs to the top, drizzle with olive oil and OH MY HEAVENS. It's like a party in your mouth. To die for...if I do say so myself....

Anyway, I updated the original recipe posting to reflect this awesome improvement, so have at it, kids! Of course, let me know how it goes. Buon appetito e ciao.

Pumpkin Update

I realize you all must be having many sleepless nights, anxiously anticipating an update on our cute little surprise pumpkins we have wildly growing. Silly me for waiting so long to give you the update you've been waiting for! I had no idea I could become so attached to a pumpkin patch because as excited as I am to harvest these cuties and proudly display them by our front door, there's a small part of me that doesn't want it to end. I think I just took a silent vow to always plant a pumpkin patch no matter where we live. From this Fall forward.

Anyway, I can't believe how orange and bumpy and imperfectly fantastic they are. Isn't orange the most cheerful color? I can't be depressed when I look at them. That magnificent orange sucks every ounce of bad mood out of my system. There are less now then when they first started growing (gophers, maybe?), and some are still relatively small (but who doesn't love the runt of the litter?), but they've got oodles of character. They aren't the perfectly round, blemish-free pumpkins you find at the store, or even from an actual pumpkin patch farm, but there's something about them that make me want to stop and stare and smile with pride (not that I've had ANYthing to do with their growth and ability to flourish). And even though entering the pumpkin patch and checking on them means inviting hundreds of goat-head thorns to attack my shoes, they leave me no choice but to shower them with love and gratitude for being so gosh-darn adorable. Can you blame me?

 

 

A T-Shirt & A Toast

I have a security blanket. Except it's not a blanket, it's a green Buddha t-shirt from Old Navy (the official Buddha headquarters, of course) that I've had for 6 years. If you know me, then you definitely know this t-shirt- I've worn it just about a million times. My husband was the original rightful owner but he came to me one day and said, "Do you want this shirt? It shrunk and now it's too small for me". That's when I decided to make it official and adopt it, and we've been very close friends ever since. And honestly, ever since this shirt came into my life, I have a deeper understanding of why children bond and cling to comfort items such as blankets or pacifiers, because my Buddha shirt sure makes me feel safe and secure and loved and wonderful. And because it's green, it also reminds me of Christmas. Need I say more?

It's not that there's anything special about it at first (or second or third) glance- it's an unusually soft green cotton shirt. The unusually soft part is what drew me to it in the first place. It has an outline picture of a Buddha-like figure with the words "Happy Buddha" at the top, which- for this Catholic girl, doesn't have much significance for me other then the fact that it's kind of a cute little Buddha. And I have a difficult time saying no to anything that's green. Over the years it has faded and gotten thinner and thinner as I've washed it thousands of times and also insisted upon squeezing my bulging pregnant belly into it with BOTH pregnancies. Because when you're pregnant and miserable, you JUST NEED YOUR SECURITY BLANKET (shirt). I even owe staying somewhat caught up on my laundry to this shirt because heaven forbid I go two or three nights without it. There are a couple of unidentified stains. There is one very odd-shaped blood stain from the time I tried to squirt saline water up my stuffy nose but something went terribly wrong in the process and the next thing I knew blood was squirting out of my nose all over the place --and DANG IT! Blood on my Buddha shirt. For some, this would be reason enough to get rid of the tattered shirt altogether, but I'd like to think the imperfections give it character, so I keep hanging on.

A few weeks ago, we were celebrating my birthday with family and I was the lucky recipient of some very heartfelt toasts and kind words being tossed around. Although I loved every word that was said, I was holding my breath waiting for my husband's toast. (Side note: I don't think we toast our loved ones as often as we should. There should be a national Toast Those You Love Day). He waited for the right moment, raised his wine glass and said:

You know when you impulse buy something because it's the prettiest or the flashiest or has the most bells and whistles? Ever notice how it can quickly become a one-time thing and even more quickly lose its luster? If it's an item of clothing, you only wear it once maybe twice every couple of years for certain occasions.
That's not you.
You are comfortable, Nicole. You are always there for me, ready. Waiting. And at the end of day, when I am tired and looking forward to coming home, I am always excited and ready to put you on to get cozy and be comforted and loved by you. You are my Buddha t-shirt.

Apparently he thinks my imperfections give me character. And he keeps hanging on.

White Noise

I'm sure it's not completely uncommon, but for whatever reason I'm having a major case of Blogger's Block. I've just got nothing creative or exciting or hilarious or urgent to write about. It's not that life hasn't been full. Because I've got the fatigue, crazy hair and bags under my eyes to prove SOMEthing must be happening in this house. I'm just incredibly tired and have given all that I can give in a 24 hour period and when I look at my laptop, waiting for divine inspiration which usually comes one way or another, I'm left with silence and fatigue and an overwhelming desire to take a nap. Maybe it's because Ella is in teething hell, and therefore I am right there with her, begging for her to have mercy on me and my sleep requirements. (It's funny how tooth pain inevitably becomes unbearable during the wee hours of the morning). Or perhaps I'm just experiencing the bitter pain of withdrawal. It's not pretty. In any case, I began looking through many of the pictures I've taken the last couple of weeks and realized that perhaps this time I'll step aside and let the photos do the talking. Mama's tired. Mama needs a spa day.

Anyway, here we are. You can create your own narration to guide you through the photos, but in case you get confused, YES, that is me attempting to be a pirate with my siblings down below. What can I say? We go to a lot of theme parties.