one thing

This is how Zig's car looks every single time he returns from a quick trip to to get "one thing." He can't help himself, I'm afraid. The man loves plants. This trip yielded peonies, chocolate mint, stevia, lots of veggie starts, a lemon tree, and who knows what else.

Poppy

Saturday night Zig and I had one of our best meals at a restaurant called Poppy We almost stayed home as we were both working on projects...Zig in the garden rigging traps for some awful pest that is going to town on our strawberries (I fully expect him to camp out with a shotgun if his current 8 tactics do not yield results...haha) And I was planning a menu and preparing for a baby shower, book club, and dinner guests. But I felt too bad to cancel on our babysitter, so rather pathetically, that's what got us out the door.

We never made it to The Herbfarm while Jerry Traunfeld was the executive chef and I always wanted to. Zig couldn't imagine spending that long on one meal, but he was willing :) It seemed like I was always nursing and the meal starts around 4 and ends five hours later, which required too much planning and stress. Anyway, he recently opened his own restaurant on Capitol Hill so naturally I was eager to visit. Zig isn't a big fan of eating out because two or three days a week he eats in restaurants, good ones, for every meal. He loves to stay home and he loves my cooking, which is good I guess (he's easy to please), but sometimes I enjoy a break and want to eat really good food that I did not prepare, so off we went.

Anyway, how could a restaurant called Poppy not be good?! We had high hopes, and our experience far exceeded our expectations. This, for me, has never happened. I've had wonderful meals, but none where every single thing was a hit. The restaurant is named after the owner's Dad. Our kids call my Dad "Poppy" too. It also has a poppy theme and an abundance of the poppy color in the menus, decor, etc. Poppy and teal are my favorite colors. And finally, the whole concept of Thalis, which are little dishes is genius. Every single dish was pure heaven. Local, seasonal and unbelievably fresh. I had just read an article in a Edible Seattle about sea beans and what do you know, they had them on the menu! So cool.


Between Zig and I, we had Anise Hyssop tea (which, I'm proud to say I came home and made!), Rosemary Lemonade,Green garlic soup, Sea Bean,radish and lemon balm salad, Neah Bay King Salmon with herb sauce, Tandoori Lamb Leg with smashed chickpea,paprika, and green olives, Turnips with clove, cardamon, and peanut, Cauliflower with sesame and dill, Swiss chard and oregano gratin, Rhubarb pickle (so good!), Onion poppy naan, Caraway thyme flan with morel mushrooms, Eggplant fries with sea salt and honey(AMAZING!), Chocolate terrine with ginger salted sesame and cumin cashews, Homemade chocolate mint ice cream, and four other little desserts that I can't remember their names. But they were heavenly.

We talked about the food all night. The herbs, both common and uncommon, are the signature of any Jerry Traunfeld meal. I have his two cookbooks, and after our meal, I came home and spent two hours reading through them in bed until 2am and bookmarking things I want to try. I have herbs all over the place so it's a shame not to be doing a better job using them. They make such a difference. I would never order ice cream for dessert in a restaurant, but the waiter told us the homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream was infused with the herb chocolate mint! I had no idea such a thing existed. Both the ice cream, and the actual chocolate chunks had the infused mint. Of course, Zig bought me a chocolate mint plant two days later. I think I'd rather buy the ice cream from the experts, but who knows, maybe I'll experiment this summer.

When I eat out for fun, I like to try things I wouldn't have either the time or skill to make myself, and certainly I wouldn't have the time to make 18 little dishes. So, yeah for Poppy. The menu is the same for this weekend, with some minor changes...anyone want to go again?!!

While on the topic of food, we tend to eat a lot of soup, and I discovered a new favorite this weekend, Asparagus Leek and Lemon Thyme Soup. I am in the process of getting together a document with my 25 favorite soups and their recipes. Just let me know if you would like a copy...that may spur me on to get it done! When I finish, I'll just send an email with the recipes. Gathering my favorite recipes and go-to meals is an ongoing project, but I've made real progress on it lately!

I never thought I would say this, but I have a new favorite pancake! And this has nothing to do with herbs, but I got the Pioneer Woman cookbook this week and this was the first thing I made.

Sour Cream Pancakes
1 cup sour cream, 7 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Combine dry and wet seperately, then mix.



Then I chopped and chopped and chopped herbs and made this Foccacia Bread from The Herbfarm Cookbook. It was AMAZING, truly. The chopping was so worth it. And this is bad photo, the herbs and bread are much prettier.

Next came the Roasted Asparagus with Fried Sage...you roast the asparagus with sage, you fry little sage leaves for a garnish, and you drizzle a dressing with sage on the top. Go sage! This one is from The Herbal Kitchen, by Jerry Traunfeld.

Then we made Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes...why did I not try these sooner? Steam cauliflower heads, leaves, and slices of garlic until soft. Drain and puree with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tbsp butter, 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg, season with salt and pepper. I also cubed and boiled 4 little yukon gold potatoes and added them to the puree because I needed the recipe to make a little bit more. I had a smallish cauliflower.


And I'm hesitant to post this picture because it's not a good one, but this is another favorite soup...white bean and kale soup. So very yum.


And this post has gone on way too long. Then end.

this week

This week was one of those weeks that I looked at my calendar and just had to take a deep breath and plow through. We had field trips, Sela's Pacific Rim presentation, talent show practice, track Junior Olympics, a philanthropy meeting at my neighbor's house, birthday parties, volunteering, teacher appreciation week, tennis, and the list continues on.

It's been a big week for Sela. She finished a track season full of rained out meets yesterday with a 2nd place finish at the Junior Olympics. If you remember her big competition in the cross country final in the fall,then you will understand that 2nd place is still a big accomplishment. She actually came pretty close this year and the race was tight at the end. The other girl had legs about twice as long as Sela (just a slight exaggeration ;) and she ran like a gazelle. Sela ran her heart out and was very nervous the whole day.

What I love most about track and cross country is the comraderie between the kids of all grades. They have such school spirit and are so supportive of one other. It's really quite special. They have an amazing PE coach who is truly one of a kind. Hollywood Hill is a small elementary and they haven't lost a track meet in 34 years (that's how long he's been at the school). None of us are quite sure what Mr. Ed Hogle does but he has a passion for the job and instills such confidence in the kids. He whispered something to Sela when she was lining up for her race and afterwards Zig and I were asking Sela what he told her. She said he gave her a few pointers and then said get to the inside as fast as you can and do your best, buddy. So sweet.

(In the craziness of the day, both Sela and I thought the other had brought the track uniform, and neither of us had.)







The third graders each do a presentation on a country in the Pacific Rim and Sela had Vietnam. Fortunately, our friend, Ti Haynes, had all kinds of clothing, money, books, and information about Vietnam. Sela was in a group with 2 boys who goof off a little bit, so I was proud of her for taking charge. Together they managed to pull off a sound presentation. I went back to Chinatown in Seattle the day before and found a little Vietnamese market for some authentic food to share. Ti told me about this red rice they serve at weddings and other special occasions and we picked some up to share. The rice was so yummy. I think it's cooked with a fruit to color the rice and also coconut milk. Whatever it was, it was good!







At the school auction, which we had to miss, they auctioned off a bedtime stories party with the much loved Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Esping. We were able to get a spot even though we weren't there and this week the party took place. A finer, more wonderful Kindergarten teacher could not be found. Mrs. Esping is exceptional and the kids had a fabulous time playing games, listening to stories, and eating ice cream sundaes.














The family who hosted this event raises Alpacas and two babies were just born. Are they not the cutest things ever?!!





We had a wet field trip to a beautiful farm in Snohomish. It was important for Nina that I chaperone so Zig was able to watch Evan and I had fun being with Nina. There were so many parent volunteers that I was just in charge of Nina and one friend. It's been a wet spring here, but I'm trying not to dwell on it too much.

what? rain in seattle? on a holiday weekend?!

Our plan for this weekend was a last minute trip to one of the San Juan Islands, but the forecast for what seemed like most of Washington was pretty soggy for the entire long weekend, so we decided to stay home. This turned out to be a good thing because I wasn't feeling great part of the time. We watched movies together, made pizza, worked in the garden, went out to dinner at Lola in Seattle, and the rest of the time the kids were so happy to just play, and not get in the car. There was rain, but the temperatures were still warm so they were able to play outside. They pretended to be a family of monkeys and used the ropes under the treehouse for vines. Then they built tunnels and sand castles in the sandpit. Sela decided to make a scarecrow for the garden. Zig put drip lines in our pumpkin patch and I did some cooking and organizing. I felt sick to my stomach all day saturday and stayed in bed. Today I couldn't move my neck when I woke up so I had to get the earliest appointment for a massage that I could find. I've never had a massage for pain, only relaxation, and I definitely prefer the relaxation kind, but this one helped tremendously even though it hurt because I was so sore. I'm not 100%, but much improved. I'm pretty certain part of healing is not picking up Evan all the time, but we all know that won't be happening. Now we're onto another busy week of field trips, projects, meetings, birthdays and other good stuff that I can't wait to be through with :)

Carrot Soup with Lemon and Ginger

Here is the recipe for a wonderfully healthy spring soup I made at a cooking class this week. I didn't have time to take pictures the night of as I was busy trying to make 6 dishes in 1 1/2 hours, but the kids had some leftovers for lunch the next day. They loved it, especially the color.



















Carrot Soup with Lemon and Ginger
Bon Appétit June 1997

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds medium carrots, peeled, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 small carrot, peeled, grated
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes and lemon peel; sauté 1 minute. Add 3 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Ladle into bowls. Top each with sour cream and grated carrot.

Wild Rice-Sour Cherry Soup

Here is the recipe for the soup I mentioned in the previous post (thanks Lisa!) The last time I made the soup, I added shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken (just a little bit) and some white wine to add some depth, but it's delicious even without those additions.



Wild Rice-Sour Cherry Soup

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 or 2 carrots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup dried sour cherries (or cranberries)
1 cup milk or hald and half
*shredded chicken
*1/3 cup dry white wine

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until hte carrot is tender, about 8 minutes. Add hte flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add the stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and dried sour cherries. Reduce the heat;cover and simmer stirring occasionally, until the cherries are softened and plumped, about 15 minutes. Stir in all the remaining ingredients. Stir occasionally until warmed through. Season with satl and pepper to taste.

a break

We have a four day weekend beginning tomorrow and I couldn't be happier. I needed a breather and the timing is perfect. I'm counting down the days till life slows to a crawl. We've been in what feels like a sprint for the past few weeks. The end of school is both exciting and exhausting. I thought it might be time for a little update on a few of the happenings of the past couple weeks.

Nina and Rollin are really playing so well together. Several days this week, they kept each other entertained for 4-5 hours, mostly outside. I try not to interrupt them because they really get into their own little world. I love the days when we have that luxury of not having to be anywhere. Wish we had more, but they're coming.





I was shocked when instead of fighting over the one towel in their bathroom, they came up with this compromise all on their own after getting out of the bathtub!


Kona is still taking his job of chicken protector very seriously. He had another opossum under arrest on the fence this week. It's quite the stand-off and great entertainment during breakfast.







Evan is trying so hard to walk. He has taken several steps and the best thing about it is how excited the other three are. It's like a pep rally every time he makes another attempt. He is used to getting applause so he claps for himself every time. He is also determined to play in the dirt every single day and ruin all his clothes. There might be a lot of diaper pictures this summer!














Sela has been running track. She won two first place ribbons in relay and 440.


Rollin entertaining himself during the track meet.




I've spent lots of time going through my recipes preparing for a cooking class. Aside from creating the menu for the class, I found lots of old favorites to revisit. We've been having soup weather, unfortunately, but the Wild Rice Cherry Soup recipe from Lisa brought a little sunshine to our table. I actually thought the kids would be lukewarm on this one because of the textures and some new flavors, but boy wasI wrong. Everyone cleaned their bowls and Zig said it was his favorite soup ever.

Wild Rice Cherry Soup

Lemon Chicken Salad


Lisa and I have been walking with Rollin, Evan and Sofie on Thursday mornings. We meet around 9, walk along the trail, stop by Hillcrest Bakery, head to the park, feed the ducks, and head back to where we started and to play at the other park. We stop lots along the way to rescue snails and worms and, of course, for snacks. We get back around noon. Rollin rides his bike so he keeps us walking fast. I look forward to this time so much each week for the sunshine (sometimes) and the hours of visiting with Lisa.



And this post is getting too long. I haven't really even mentioned what we've been up to. But it's a start.