Ladybug Rocks for the garden

This was my favorite project from our spring fling. The bugs look so cute in the garden and were easy to make. The rocks did take several coats of paint to get really red though. I thought Camilla and Moriah might enjoy this little craft.



















What you'll need:
• Smooth, round or oval rocks, washed and dried
• Red Acrylic craft paint
• Black acrylic craft paint
• 2 wiggle eyes for each ladybug
• Black Sharpie marker
• Acrylic matte sealer spray
• White craft glue (Tacky Glue)
How to make it:
1. Completely wash and dry all rocks.
2. Paint rocks in desired colors, allow to dry. Apply second and third coats if needed. Lighter colors will require more coats than darker shades.
3. Paint head on using black acrylic craft paint. There is no pattern needed, simply paint about ¼ of the rock black in the “front”.
4. Use a black Sharpie to draw a straight line down the center of the rock, starting at the center of the base of the “head”.
5. Paint dots on the back of the rocks, also with the sharpie pen.
6. Once the paint is dry, spray the rock(s) with acrylic sealer spray. Allow sealer to dry completely.
7. using white craft glue, attach wiggle eyes and let dry.

What a week...

A week ago I commented to my neighbor, Serena, how happy I am that our family has seemed to avoid any major sickness this year. I was especially thankful I hadn't had the flu.

On Sunday I made an attempt at a plan for the week. I even planned the meals. I arranged 3 play dates for Nina who has been begging for weeks me me to invite her favorite friends over. It was a fairly busy week and the major thing looming over me was the Spring Fling party for the children at church. I had been collecting ideas for a couple of weeks but planned to do all the running around and prep on Wednesday and Thursday and a bit of Friday. The party was Friday evening. Fortunately, I was able to get most of shopping done on Wednesday while the kids were at friends' houses.

Zig had mentioned he would not be traveling this week, but it was like he was gone because he had off-site meetings each night at the Woodmark until about 10pm. Had I known he would be eating at a 4-star restaurant all week, I would have tweaked my menu a bit and not made the kids suffer through tomato goat cheese tarts :) They are fairly adventurous eaters, but when a meal with just fresh tomatoes, onions, and goat cheese shows up, they aren't as enthusiastic as usual!

Wednesday night I started feeling a bit "off" at book club. I didn't know if it was fatigue, body aches from running errands all day, or what. But I ended up coming down with some type of stomach bug (there is NOTHING I hate worse). It was quick and the symptoms only lasted through the night, but left me in a lot of pain and totally fatigued. I went to the midwives Thursday because last time I had the flu, the cramping started my labor with Rollin. But, thankfully, baby is not ready to make his debut just yet. I measured smaller but that's because of a little bit of dehydration. Heike (my midwife) made me promise to stay in bed, get a babysitter, and rest for several days. She would have freaked if she knew I was still trying to make it to the Spring Fling!

Thursday I rested and kept all the kids home from school. I was afraid if I sent Sela and she happened to also be sick, I couldn't get out of bed to go and pick her up. She needed a day of rest anyway and she ran the show around here until Zig was able to come home early. Lots of movies on Thursday!

Friday I started to regain a lot of strength and by the end of the day I felt back to normal. Luckily, I was able to get the projects together for the most part and the other Primary ladies did all the setting up, which was a huge help. The party was very fun and a little crazy at times. The kids played games, made bird feeders, painted lady bug rocks, Tissue Paper Eggs, planted seeds and painted/decoupaged terra cotta pots. They ended the night with ice cream sundaes (with artificial toppings), which was not my idea, but I ran out of time to make what I had in mind. The Senior Primary was kind enough to share their treats, and of course the kids were very pleased with their sundaes. Beggars can't be choosers!

I came home, headed straight to the tub (with a new cookbook in hand) for a nice long bath and to rest my achy body. And now it is officially the weekend. I don't have too many more commitments before the baby comes, but plenty of "to-do's" that may or may not get done. Maybe some mellowing out and a bit more snuggling with the kids before the the new baby.

Spring, huh?

The birds are singing sweetly. The flowers are starting to bloom everywhere. The calendar says it is Spring, but something big, round, and bright has been noticeably absent from the sky! And it's killing me!

I have noticed when I get outside even if it's rainy, the air is sweet and I am totally refreshed. It is just hard to want to go outside.









































We are having typical Seattle weather this week. Rainy, overcast, a little gray. It's a real bummer this time of year, even though it's normal. It begins to affect my moods. And sadly, when I am impatient or moody, the kids pick right up on it and mirror the behavior. It's like almost instant. It's one of the hardest things as a parent. I feel like these past couple of weeks I've been more tired, sleeping less, and generally just a bit on edge with the kids. The nights I sleep really poorly, I get headaches the next day and I just don't have the energy I usually do. It's amazing how quickly these changes in me show up in their behavior. They seem to bicker more, whine, cry, complain, etc. The most troublesome being the petty fighting between the kids. It's like all the kindness and patience I've shown them and tried to teach them is gone in a flash after a couple of sub par weeks from Mom. Not that there isn't fighting and crankiness at other times (we all have our moments), but it's certainly amplified lately. Plus, it's just time for them to be outside more so hopefully the weather will get better here soon.

After school today, we tried to create a little bit of sunshine indoors by drawing our own versions of Van Gogh's Sunflowers. Even Rollin got in on the action. I finished making some Cranberry Granola while they put the finishing touches on their flowers. I think the results were very cheery and hanging the prints on the window brought a touch of sunshine to an otherwise gloomy afternoon.





































































Further "sunshine" came in the form of a high school musical performance put on by the girls this evening! And by Rollin's decision to hit the sack at 7!

Breakfast Muffins

I tried a new muffin recipe this morning. I love muffins and these were super delish! The recipe made 12 regular sized muffins and 24 mini-muffins, perfect for snacking.

Apple-Carrot Muffins

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup flaxseed meal
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup brown sugar
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 T cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c carrots
2 apples, shredded
1/2 cup raisins, optional
1 cup walnuts, chopped or ground
3/4 cup 1% milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pans or line with paper cups. Mix together flours, flaxseed meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins and walnuts. Combine milk, beaten eggs and vanilla in another bowl. Pur liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients moistened. Do not overmix. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

I know you're bigger than me, but listen up!

Despite spending several days in his dog house last week for digging up Zig's newly planted cherry tree and munching on a chicken, Kona is getting better and more loveable all the time. He has mellowed out tremendously with the kids.

He's a good boy.

Fancy Nancy

Nina is our fancy girl. Glitter, jewels, tutus, jewelry, lip gloss, fingernail polish, several outfit changes a day, lover of shoes, etc. She dresses herself first thing in the morning. And she coordinates her outfits with her own special touch. You can always spot a "Nina outfit." She is growing her hair long so it will look "beautiful." (I love her hair short because of her tiny features, but I'm going with it. She said if I cut her hair short, she might cut mine in the night!)And she loves when Mommy gets dressed up.

When our neighbors asked us to join them for a Fancy Nancy event at the library, I knew it would be right up Nina's alley. The library always puts on great special events, but this one was really over the top. The girls arrived dressed in their fanciest outfits, they put their name badges on, they walked the red carpet, made jeweled sunglasses, necklaces, and hair pieces. Then they had fancy little parfaits and sparkling punch. They listened to a Fancy Nancy story, and then were given their own little goody bags with more fancy treats. Nina just loved it all! I wish I had pictures of all the other little girls. There were about 40 or so, some sporting gloves and hats, feather boas, and fancy dresses. And there was one boy amidst the sea of pink and sparkles. Good odds for that little guy!

I splurged on a new Nikon which will be totally off limits to the kids. I will also need some photography lessons before I start to use it. It's so intimidating I haven't even opened it and I've had it for several days. In the meantime, I am using this smaller pocket sized camera that is supposed to be indestructible, waterproof, rainproof, snow proof, whatever. I'm sure the kids will find a way to break it too, but hopefully not for awhile. I didn't have time to set it up properly, so these first few photos are messed up. But, you can see fancy Nina despite the blur.


I wasn't ready for the photo, but Nina sure was!





















Even fancy girls act silly sometimes.

What's for dinner?

Last week was quite busy and I was lamenting the fact that I did no meal planning. We did okay because Zig was gone and the kids were happy having baked potatoes and veggies, quesadillas, etc. But come Friday, I was dying for some real food. I made some salmon cakes, mashed potatoes, sauteed kale and garlic, and of course, champagne mangos for dessert. This week I have a plan and hope to eat much better!

Sunday: Taco Salads
Monday: Sweet and Sour Chicken, rice
Tuesday: Mustard Roasted Halibut, veggies
Wednesday: Shrimp Tacos
Thursday: Roasted Potato Leek Soup, salad
Friday: Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts, salad
Saturday: Slow Roasted Salmon, veggies

Texas isn't looking too bad :)

No photos for a few days....

My second Nikon bit the dust this week...I'm sure with a bit of help from at least one of the little people in our house. See, you try to nap, you lose a camera!

My camera won't take photos now, but I can see that some of the last shots are of nostrils, ceilings, dinosaurs, and toes. Hmmmm, wonder who had some fun?

And we had one of my favorite meals tonight...Halibut with Cilantro Carrot Broth with a side of coconut mango rice. The colors were so bright, and the flavor so light and fresh. I'll just have to fix the image in my head.

A tiny update on the kids:

Sela has a new interest...she has been teaching herself to make slide shows on Powerpoint. She already knows more than I do. Her first one was titled "Nina Serafin's life so far." She had lots of slides with photos and fun details based on the interview she had with Nina. She made one of her own life as well.

Sela has also been doing lots of work with her watercolors and is currently drawing birds, flamingos, and hummingbirds. She is really painting some beautiful stuff! She told me this week that she no longer wants to be a vet when she grows up, but an artist who has a basement where she can keep lots of rescue animals.

Nina is loving her gymnastics and the new friends she has made. Friends are big to Nina and she can never have enough playdates or social time. She spent the day with Zig alone on Saturday doing some errands in Seattle and was absolutely thrilled about the one-on-one time. They ended the day by getting chocolate sundaes and renting videos...the closest thing to heaven for Nina.

Rollin is convinced he is in charge and runs the show around here. He gets really confused when I remind him that I'm the parent, and then roars at me like the meanest dinosaur! He and Zig have tea together each evening while they sit at the table and chat. It's the cutest thing. Rollin always wants to taste Zig's to make sure it isn't better than his.

And there is a little update...hopefully this weekend will bring a new camera and I'll catch up on the photos...I can't have a baby without a camera!

Early to bed, Early to rise.

I put Rollin to sleep very early one night this week. He repaid me by waking me a little before 5 am just as chipper as could be, and hungry. He only needed one snuggle he said, and he was ready to go. After I tried to stall by letting him call relatives in later time zones, I rolled out of bed.

I usually wake up by the first bit of light outside which is not 5am, yet. Fortunately I went to bed fairly early anticipating this possible scenario. We got a lot done together, Rollin and I. By the time the girls woke up, I had managed to do the following:

Get myself ready for the day :)
Made scones for friends.
Made 4 sack lunches (now we can have lunch at the park)
Made dinner and put it in the crock pot.
Did 2 loads of laundry
Put away everyone's full laundry baskets.
Dressed the kids and packed them up for their activities
Read the news
Cleaned the kitchen
Addressed thank you notes to be written during Rollin and Nina's gymnastics class.
Made breakfast and tried out Julia Child's method for scrambled eggs (reading her biography right now).


I might have to make this early rising a habit, though not quite this early.

33

(something is messed up here with the way this post looks, I can't fix it!)

There is so much to be grateful for today as I celebrate 33 years! There are blessings big and small, many I feel very undeserving of, but am so grateful for nonetheless.

I am thankful for my family. I know 90% of my happiest memories are memories with my family. I miss them all and how I would love to be celebrating with them!

Speaking of family, I'm so thankful for the sweet note I received from my Dad this morning, remembering one of my first successful fishing experiences and expressing his love for me. I am strengthened by my family and cherish each memory with them.

I was especially thankful for the DVDs Babcia Tina sent as part of a birthday package for Rollin and I. They kept the kids busy for a bit this morning while I prepared my art docent lesson for this afternoon!

After about a year of phone tag, I am thankful I was able to speak with my dear friend Jody last night. Such a treat!

And I'm thankful for all the phone calls and emails today from friends and family. I appreciate each of them so much. Our stake president calls everyone on their birthday, which amazes me given the time that must take. What a kind man. We talked about good restaurants and my birthday plans.

Imagine my surprise when I picked up my kids from my good friend Suzanne's house and she had made my VERY favorite cupcakes. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. So very sweet and thoughtful. Baby agreed as he was doing flips in my belly all the way home from her house!

And I am SO thankful for some news I received this week....my iron levels are rising and I won't need injections this pregnancy. I was shocked to hear the message as I was just sure nothing had changed.

I am thankful for Rollin, Nina, and Sela. I adore them. They bring me such joy. Their homemade gifts put a smile on my face and even brought a laugh or two! They are always very creative and resourceful. Zig found a heart-shaped rock this weekend when he was digging holes for fruit trees and Sela painted it for me. She also gave me a piece of very unique looking bark ;) Nina, with Sela's help, made me a really sweet card on the computer with images of puppies on it...yes, they are still trying to make me a dog lover! Nina also wrapped up the present she had previously given me for Christmas, a little calendar, and gave it to me again. She was just as proud of it now as she was three months ago. Love that girl! The funniest part was when I opened it, she said, can I have the pretty ribbon back, Mom?



Birthday Bark...I know you're all jealous :)



















Everyone needs a heart rock!




















We enjoyed dinner together and came home and made our own version of Almond Joy Sundaes with Fran's dark chocolate sauce. Zig and I had planned to watch a movie at home together, but Sela began to feel sick to her stomach so I decided I needed to sleep in case she was coming down with something. I was elated to wake up and find her tired, but well.










































I'm so thankful for my unborn child, and anxious to meet him, though I still need 8 weeks to prepare!

I'm thankful I can still get a decent night's rest most of the time.

I'm thankful for Zig. He is a man of many talents and interests and has really taken the lead this year on projects for our home, both inside and out. He most enjoys being at home with our family or being busy outdoors. He seems to do it all and do it well and I'm so grateful for his dedication to our family and his zest for life.

And finally, I'm thankful for the champagne mangoes that appeared this week at the grocery store. They are one fruit that is not even remotely local, but I just can't pass them up. They are my absolute favorite fruit and I could eat my weight in them, which is saying A LOT right now.

Well, I can't stop at just one food...I'm thankful for dark chocolate, grape nuts, and creamy wheat, and vanilla hazelnut herbal tea. These have been my late night treats this pregnancy. My comfort foods, if you will.

And I'm really excited about the amazing artist Zig has found to create pieces for the living room and kitchen. His work is just our style, very organic, simple, with sometimes whimsical and lifelike depictions of nature... especially birds, flowers, fruit and bees. We can't wait to see the final product which will have elements of the following two pieces:









































It's been a good year, fast and furious at times. I'm looking forward to further simplifying my life this year and living in the moment as best I can.

And I'd really like to figure out a way to get rid of the two wrinkles that just burst on the scene out of nowhere this year! I thought you weren't supposed to get wrinkles in Seattle?! I guess I can blame all my years of tennis in the grueling Texas heat for these beauties!

Art Card Swap

Several weeks ago I signed the girls up to participate in an Artist Trading Card swap with other children their age. Most of the participants were from the U.S. but Sela and Nina also received cards from children in London, Canada, and Brazil.

Sela and Nina each made five trading cards and we were given the names and addresses of five children their age to send them to.

After they put their own cards in the mail, they were anxious to check the mailbox each afternoon. Nina received the first two cards. It's so fun to get personal mail, especially for a child! The cards are about 2X3 inches. Many of the children also sent little letters about themselves with their interests, pets, hobbies, and sometimes a photo which was fun.

The cards are still coming but here are a few of the ones the girls have received so far...

Sela working on her cards:
























This was the first card Sela made.



















Nina with cards from other 5 year olds
























My favorite so far..



















Sela's favorite from Verity, an 8 year old in London.

At home...

I don't know if it's having kids or living in the northwest, but I'm certain I never paid attention to the forecast or the weather as much as I do now. I kind of feel like the old folks with how much the weather chatter enters my conversations with others.

With snow and rain in the forecast this weekend, we were sure to head outdoors this morning as soon as possible. Nina and Rollin had friends over to play today and by 10am the sun was shining brightly and the kids were quickly shedding their layers.

We've had some very strange and unpredictable weather this year, at least it seems so to me. The temperatures have been more extreme than usual and I'm certain we've had quite a bit more snow than average. But we've also had plenty of clear and sunny days in the mix, enough that although I'm ready for Spring, I'm not near crazy yet. We've had just enough variety in the weather that I've really enjoyed it all this year. The snow, though cold, still makes for a bright and cheery view from the inside.

Today as the kids played, I walked around the yard, pruned back some of our plants and bushes and noticed how much new life is sprouting up all over.

I just love Spring and this year is more exciting because we get to see all we've planted come to life. We worked pretty long and hard during the fall, so it's rewarding to see the buds popping up all over. We already have daffodils in bloom.

Here are the first couple of tiny bits of color/new growth we've seen:


























































































After the playmates went home, Rollin took a nap and Nina followed me around in the yard and we visited. She was asking all sorts of questions about what I was like when I was little. She also wanted to know what Granny looked like when she was little. Was I always older than Erin? Did I like to look pretty and dress up? She told me she was sorry I got paddled in third grade for talking too much :) I explained that we lived in a small German town and there were a few hard core teachers who didn't put up with anything!

When I was working in a garden bed right by the house, Nina cuddled up in her blanket on the patio outside our bedroom like a little kitten to soak up the sun. As I glanced at her all peaceful and happy with her tired little eyes, I was overcome with such a feeling of love for both Nina and this stage of our lives. Childhood is a magical thing and in the back of my mind, there is always a twinge of sadness at how quickly the days go by.














































I wanted so badly to pick Sela up from school early today...knowing how much she enjoys being outside on warm afternoons. And I just missed her. It's been a long week. But before we knew it, we were walking to the bus to pick her up. Let the weekend begin!

Which animal are you?

While driving home from dinner the other night, the kids were giving themselves animal names.

We had "Sela the Salamander (cute).

And we had "Nina night owl." (accurate)

"Rollin the roaring tiger" (he tries)

And guess what? These darling children of mine were even kind enough to give me a special name.

"Mommy the chubby cow."

The truth hurts. But laughing hysterically at these little monkeys temporarily eased the pain :)



Roaring Tiger and Chubby Cow

Starts

This weekend, Zig and the kids disappeared for a couple of hours in the greenhouse. He successfully got them very excited about planting and they were all very busy when I finally went out to bring them in for a late dinner. My other reason for heading out was to gently remind Zig not to burn them out on gardening on the first day...but I was so surprised at how much fun they were having! They chose which vegetables they wanted to plant and there were trays and trays of starts lining the floor when they were done for the night. And they felt very proud of their efforts.

Sela planted pumpkins, squash, cabbage and Easter radishes.

Nina planted Red Bell Peppers, climbing peas, star watermelons, and asparagus.

Rollin's job was to put the dirt into all the trays, which he took very seriously.

I had fun looking through all of the seed packets and envisioning all these beauties growing in our garden. We brought back a bunch of seeds last year from Monticello and Zig has a collection of seed catalogs he has ordered the others from. I can't wait for the growing season...there's not much in season locally right now and we're finally getting tired of apples and pears.

There are buds coming up all over the yard, thankfully, given the hours and hours we spent planting this fall. We've had some wacky weather for this area and some extreme temperatures so I was actually getting a little nervous this December. But all is well by the looks of things.

This will hopefully be the first year I won't have to buy fresh flowers, and I don't anticipate needing much produce from the store either.

We'll be off the grid in no time! The girls asked when we were getting a cow...ha ha! Never. There are limits to my farm dream.

Look who's 3!

3 years ago I had no idea what an adventure I was in for when I gave birth to little Rollin. Boys were new territory.

Fast forward to today and I truly cannot imagine our lives without this little guy in them. Rollin certainly has my heart wrapped up in the palm of his chubby little hand. I love my sweet boy more than I ever could have imagined.

He has brought so much joy and life to our family and I feel like we have bonded so deeply from the very beginning. There is definitely a unique bond between mothers and sons and I'm so grateful I have been able to experience it.

Even though a little brother will be here quite soon, Rollin is still very much my baby boy.

He insists he is a big boy on some days and a little boy on others.He still needs to cuddle, "mooch", and sniff mommy several times throughout the day.

He adores and looks up to his Dad which is such a wonderful thing to behold. He watches Zig closely and loves to work alongside him. He loves a job or task.

His enthusiasm for life, his sense of humor, sweetness, and his gift of self-expression are the traits I will remember most from this age. We've had a wonderful year and I absolutely love being a mother to him. He expresses his love so freely and frequently, whenever the thought comes to mind. He melts my heart.

I am happy about this new baby, and we are all looking very forward to meeting him, but I have to be honest, I feel quite melancholy inside when I think about how things will change, especially as it relates to Rollin. I am savoring these last couple of months and I know he'll be a wonderful big brother when it's time for him to hand over the title of "baby boy" to a new little fellow.



Zig is in New York this week so we are celebrating with the family later this weekend. After getting calls from all his little girl cousins, we went on a birthday bike ride on the river trail, and it must be noted that there was sun. Unfortunately there was also some youth minister preacher gentleman who would not leave me alone and talked to me for at least half an hour as I followed the kids on bikes. After we sent him on his way, kindly, I was able to enjoy just watching the kids and the beauty around me.

After school we went to dinner and Rollin had a big birthday sundae which we all tried to steal from him! During the meal he kept saying "hi," waving, and turning around to look at the woman sitting in the booth next to us. He must have really charmed her because when it came time to pay, we were so surprised to learn that someone had taken care of our bill. It was the woman Rollin had been talking to and our waitress told us once she realized it was his birthday, she wanted to do something special. The girls were really touched by her generosity, as was I. Because I had not picked a gift for Rollin yet (I put Zig in charge of that), we went to the toy store and let Rollin pick out whatever he wanted. He chose more dinosaurs because the enormous flock (is that what you call it?) we currently have is apparently insufficient. He also got a little shark and a coloring book and was just so pleased to be able to choose his own gifts. We came home and watched Annie and we all went to bed much too late.

Happy Birthday Rollin!

Tasty Frittata

I made this easy fritatta on Friday when Zig came home. The kids were having something else and I had a few extra minutes so I decided to try this out. I substituted red peppers for the zucchini and left out the pumpkin seeds in favor of tomatoes on top. The cilantro sauce was simple and really made it something special. Obviously, there can be lots of variations on this recipe.
























Cilantro Chile Sauce

2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 small bunch cilantro
1 green (serrano) chile, seeds removed
2 pinches ground cumin
a couple big pinches of salt

Frittata
6 large organic eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 small potatoes, very very thinly sliced
1/2 cup yellow zucchini or cauliflower,1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
couple pinches of salt

Preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Make the cilantro chile sauce by pureeing the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, chile, cumin, and salt until very smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt. Set aside. In a (small) 8 1/2-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, onion, and another pinch of salt. Saute, stirring constantly, until the onion starts to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini (or cauliflower), cover, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Slide everything out of the skillet onto a plate and set aside.

Turn down the heat a bit. Using the same skillet, add the eggs and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are just set and there isn't a lot of liquid running around the pan. To facilitate this, run a spatula underneath the sides of the frittata and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs run to the underside and cook. Drizzle the eggs with a few tablespoons of the cilantro chile sauce, now sprinkle the potato onion mixture over the top.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 9 minutes, or until well set and puffy. Add a crumble of goat cheese and the pumpkin seeds across the top of the frittata in the final 2 minutes of baking. Remove from oven (be careful the handle is hot!), cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 2 to 4.