Wordless Wednesday: Superheroes Fighting Rain

Hope Your Harvest Was Better Than Mine

This picture of my garden was taken in early May. The bed on the left held tomatoes and herbs and the the bed on the right was made up of bell peppers and squash.

Such promise.

And then along came June, July and August with it's lack of rain and scorching heat.


Bleh.

I think we only got three squash and a couple of peppers throughout the whole summer. The tomatoes fared better. We did have to douse them with some pesticide when the hornworms showed up but I was able to freeze a few batches of tomato sauce. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for better weather next summer!

"To Remember And Rebuild"

Nine years. I can't believe it's been that long. Unbelievable and unforgettable. I just thought I would pass along the complete poem that VP Joe Biden recited at this morning's memorial at Ground Zero.

The Builders by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

All are architects of Fate,
Working in these walls of Time;
Some with massive deeds and great,
Some with ornaments of rhyme.

Nothing useless is, or low;
Each thing in its place is best;
And what seems but idle show
Strengthens and supports the rest.

For the structure that we raise,
Time is with materials filled;
Our to-days and yesterdays
Are the blocks with which we build.

Truly shape and fashion these;
Leave no yawning gaps between;
Think not, because no man sees,
Such things will remain unseen.

In the elder days of Art,
Builders wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part;
For the Gods see everywhere.

Let us do our work as well,
Both the unseen and the seen;
Make the house, where Gods may dwell,
Beautiful, entire, and clean.

Else our lives are incomplete,
Standing in these walls of Time,
Broken stairways, where the feet
Stumble as they seek to climb.

Build to-day, then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base;
And ascending and secure
Shall to-morrow find its place.

Thus alone can we attain
To those turrets, where the eye
Sees the world as one vast plain,
And one boundless reach of sky.

Curried Carrot Soup

I'm so glad it's September. I can start posting soup recipes again! Both my husband and I love soup and we gladly have it during the heat of summer. I know some folks can't take that sort of craziness so I've been patiently waiting to post this recipe from Rachael Ray. A lot of Rachael's recipes have me shaking my head sometimes (remember when she cut up hot dogs and mixed it with ground beef and made burgers? Ewwww.) but this one is a keeper. It's so creamy and curry-y and perfect for anytime of the year if you ask me.

Curried Carrot Soup (adapted from Rachael Ray)

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs packaged baby carrots
6 cups chicken stock, divided use
1 1/2 TBS curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 can coconut milk
sour cream, optional

Preheat medium pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil, butter, onions and carrots and saute 5 minutes. Add 4 cups chicken stock, curry and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes. Add coconut milk and process the soup in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot and heat through. Add more stock if you want a thinner consistency. Ladle into individual bowls and top with sour cream.

Wordless Wednesday: Two Of My Favorite Things

My Baby and Basil

Smoooooooch! Right On The Kisser!

I was reading one of the uber Daddy bloggers one day when he mentioned that when his daughter was born, he and his wife made the decision to never kiss her on her lips.

Huh? Wha?

I know that as parents we are faced with numerous issues--breastfeeding, co-sleeping, spanking, daycare--but I had no idea kissing your kids on the mouth was an issue. I'm not judging. I'm sure his daughter will grow up to be a well-adjusted adult while my boys are headed straight to therapy. After all, I sneak into their rooms at night and clip their toenails while they're sleeping. But I just can't imagine not kissing my 2 knuckleheads on the lips. It's not something I'm going to do forever, of course, and at 6- and 8-years old I realize my kissing days are numbered BUT until then I'm going to keep on kissin'.

Welcome To The Family!

It's a beautiful, bouncing, baby SUV!

We bought (gulp) a 2010 Hyundai Tucson last week and I'm lovin' it. How did I ever live without cruise control, leather seats, keyless entry and XM radio?

I must admit it was hard saying goodbye to my old minivan. We've been through a lot together. It was made even more difficult when my 8 year old started crying at the dealership. We were removing the booster seats and making sure the van was empty when the tears started to roll. We got that van when he was 7 months old--they grew up together. He didn't want anything new. He didn't care that the power locks no longer worked or that the dome lights came on spontaneously or that it put up a fight whenever I asked it to go more than 60 mph. He just wanted his familiar, comfy minivan. That is...until he discovered the MLB network on XM radio. And now he likes it as much as I do:)

Wordless Wednesday: Hot Dog