Donut Eaters

I forget that I am aging.

2011-02-18T14:11:00.007-07:00

In my mind I am still 20. In my mind I could go up to BYU and fit in with the college kids. It wasn't until I was looking through some old family photos that I realized that I am getting older. We are all getting older. Darn it. Yeah, I am 17 years older than a college freshman. How did that happen?

I have to say though that I think I looked better when I was pregnant with Henri than I did when I was pregnant with Harriett. Darn those really bad, really short haircuts.

Halloweeners

2010-11-08T12:55:00.004-07:00

Let's just pretend we update our blog regularly.

Here are the kids at Halloween. We had a never ending Halloween weekend starting with watching Henri's kindergarten program, trick or treating at Micah's work, and trunk or treating on two different days. We didn't end up trick or treating around the neighbourhood because it was raining. The kids didn't really complain since they already had tonnes of candy.

Our little Candy Corn.

The cutest Jailbird ever.

Rock'n'Roll Henri. The battle axe shaped guitar was his idea.

Baby Harriett. She has been begging me for years for her very own pacifier. This was the only way I would let her have one. She was allowed to use it for Halloween and that was it. For some reason seeing Harriett with a pacifier totally creeped me out.

Blue Patrick's Day 2010

2010-05-25T15:35:00.004-06:00

Sunday, Henri decided that yesterday was "Blue Patrick's Day." Our celebration consisted of wearing blue (and, of course, pinching people who aren't wearing blue), blueberries for lunch, blue punch with dinner and blue frosted cookies for dessert. Oh, and taking silly pictures on the computer (with our neighbor Tessa).

It was a good time.

Harriett got glasses.

2010-04-12T09:40:00.003-06:00

Don't you think she looks adorable? Crooked half missing teeth and all.

I made bread....

2010-03-24T21:43:00.003-06:00

and it was super tasty.

Hazel turns 2

2010-03-21T14:27:00.007-06:00

Hazel had a birthday yesterday. It was a laid back family affair with a couple presents and a little cake decorating. She is so much fun right now. She is head strong and can throw a tantrum with the best of them but she is also soooo funny, loves to laugh and loves her brother and sisters. She loves to dance and sing and 'play' the piano. We just can't get enough of her.

The cake.

Hazel loading the cake up with sprinkles. She used the whole bottle.

This is what Hazel does when we ask her smile. Love that kid.

Try this recipe.

2010-03-17T13:09:00.002-06:00

So easy, so simple, so tasty. I've had it for lunch three times in the last week and once for supper. It isn't helping get the baby weight off but I just don't care while I'm eating it. It's from Smitten Kitchen.

spaghetti with cheese + black pepper

Go make it.

Henri is Awesome

2010-02-02T13:55:00.010-07:00

The other morning, as I was heading off to work I noticed a piece of paper on my desk. "VAMPIRE JET" was written on it in brown marker in Henri's unmistakable monospaced printing.

"Are you making a story called Vampire Jet?" I asked him.

"No, that's the game I'm making for you." He said.

"That's a great name." I said.

He responded, "I should have called it Battle Bats, huh?"

[photo by Kiera]

A week old and 36

2010-01-20T14:54:00.004-07:00

This week has flown by. Maggie Jane is now a week old and adjusting quite well. All the kids are loving her to death. Hazel is doing much better than I thought she would she just seems a bit more clingy.

In the chaos of the first week of having Maggie home we celebrated (actually, didn't celebrate) Micah's 36th birthday. It was pretty anti-climactic. Sorry Micah.

Micah and his birthday dinner of popcorn and a movie. Who said having four kids would be hard? Nothing to it.

Micah and his three beautiful girls.

Outnumbered 2 to 1

2010-01-14T22:06:00.004-07:00

Yesterday, Bess woke up at 5:30 having contractions, after packing and getting the kids dropped off with friends we arrived at the hospital at 8:40. She delivered the baby naturally at 9:25 after pushing twice. It went so fast that the new mother's first words to her newborn daughter were "Are you serious? Shut your face!"

Everyone is doing great. Bess is the happiest I've seen her in months. The baby is 8 lbs 15 ounces and 20 inches long, cute, purple and chubby. It took us all yesterday to finally decide, but her name is Maggie Jane Harvey Bauer (even though I was pushing heavily for Violet, to match her birth color).

This afternoon, I brought Bess home, where we are now easily outnumbered by our children.

Hot Family Pictures

2010-01-09T12:35:00.005-07:00

Okay, maybe not really hot, but we did have family pics taken this year! Check out my friend Kiera's blog for some of the results. She got some great portraits of the kids.

Twilight + Mystery Science Theater =

2009-11-30T09:49:00.005-07:00

Hi-freaking-larious.

And for more fun check out the reviews and photos on this fantastic Amazon product.

October Upate

2009-11-01T22:29:00.002-07:00

Cowbaby

Wordgirl, Sheriff Henri, and Hazel.

Bess' belly.

Bess just finished knitting these for Hazy.

Holy cute.

Birthdays, Baptisms, Blessings and Back to School

2009-09-03T11:53:00.011-06:00

Harriett got baptized.

We all stood in front of a tree.

Hazel got blessed.

Henri turned 4.

Hazel was happy.

Harriett started 3rd Grade.

A Donut Eaters Official Public Service Announcement

2009-07-27T15:31:00.007-06:00

Bed Bugs

Cute? No.
Imaginary? No.
Make for an adorable goodnight rhyme? Not once you've had them.

Facts About Bed Bugs

They are not a myth, actually they were nearly eradicated in the 50's and 60's by DDT.
They have increased in number 50 fold in the last five years alone.
You can get them from a hotel just by putting your luggage on the floor.
Newly hatched bed bugs are tiny and transparent.
Bedbugs get their reddish brown color after they feed on blood.
They inject their hosts with a numbing agent so they don't feel the bite and and anticoagulant to increase the blood flow.
Signs that you have bed bugs include tiny blood spots on your sheets and itchy red dots on your skin (sometimes in rows or clusters).
Females lay up to 12 eggs a day.
Poisons don't effect them.
They can hide in a space as thin as a single piece of hair.
IKEA furniture does not repel them (in fact they prefer wood and fabric).
The only way to kill bed bugs is with heat (boiling water and steam work the best).
If a hotel room is infested with bed bugs they strip and clean that room as well as the room above, below and on either side of it.

In short: Bed bugs are tiny, evil vampires that are practically indestructible. Be warned. We learned the hard way.

8 and Hair

2009-07-13T16:34:00.005-06:00

So Harriett turned 8 yesterday. Craziness. We had a small party on Saturday. The kids went somewhere else to play (a bounce house), we bought a cake, bought pizza and she only had three friends. Best party ever.

In other news we shaved Henri's head. He has been wanting to shave his head just like dad for a while now. It was a little sad. Luckily he is still pretty cute.

11 Things I Love about Bess

2009-04-29T14:21:00.002-06:00

1. Makes cute chubby kids.
2. No speako Spanishio.
3.
4. Closet Hippie.
5. Beautiful smile.
6. Canadian.
7. Best mom ever.
8. Lacks self control at all the right times.
9. "The Jazz need to start getting some boards."
10. Book obsession.
11. Thinks old men are cute.

Happy 11th Anniversary Bess. Thanks for sticking around.

Thunder Thighs

2009-02-24T23:36:00.002-07:00

We've been crap bloggers lately. This chubbiness should make up for it.

Christmas for Bess

2008-12-30T12:27:00.004-07:00

My friend Reed came over in a snowstorm, just three days before Christmas and took these shots so that I would have something to give Bess for Christmas. I think they turned out great.

Two Short Stories and One Picture

2008-11-21T21:53:00.008-07:00

The other day I went into Harriett's room and she was complaining that her bed was too crowded. Keep in mind that Harriett LIKES tons of stuff on her bed when she's sleeping. So it's interesting to see what she considers "too crowded."

The following is a complete record of the contents of Harriett's top bunk:

1 water cup with lid
1 flashlight
10 stuffed animals (of various sizes)
14 books
1 bean bag
1 cardboard Amazon box with 2 toy train bridges, 1 wooden block, 1 musical Santa toy, 1 Pez dispenser, 2 ring toys, 1 wooden hammer, 1 chopstick, 1 plastic lid, 1 harmonica & 2 Legos
1 bed pillow
1 round pillow
2 throw pillows
1 blue Lego
2 blankets
1 duvet
1 duvet cover (not on the duvet)
3 T-shirts
1 pair of pajama shorts
1 Kleenex box
1 CareBear in a (tiny) sleeping bag

The above picture is Henri, as he calls it, "dressed rock 'n roll."

This is a conversation that he and I had the other day:

Henri: I'm a bad guy.
Henri: (After a moment) Dad, you're a bad guy too.
Dad: Okay.
Henri: Sometimes we try to steal... and we can transformer into crocodiles.

As Requested

2008-11-06T09:49:00.004-07:00

Some pics of the kids!

An old flame returns.

2008-10-23T16:39:00.002-06:00

I used to knit, and then I stopped, and then I started again. I started knitting again because I wanted to knit Hazel some wool pants. Not only are they cute but by some woolly magic they make a great cover for cloth diapers. (Yes I am doing cloth again).
Here is what I have done in the last couple of months.

Short sleeve tunic for Hazie

Action shot!

Wool pants (these are called longies is cloth diapering jargon)

Loving her toes.

I dyed my own wool with Kool-Aid.

The result. I am not sure what I am going to make with it yet.

And now that I have refound the love I have about a billion things I want to knit.

chopped my hair!

2008-09-13T15:01:00.008-06:00

I like it. I have no idea what it will look like curly but the stylist said it will look good. We shall see. It doesn't look like me when I look in the mirror but I love how light it feels. And think of all the money I'll save on shampoo.

yes we still have a third child

2008-09-06T11:22:00.003-06:00

She has the most infectious smile ever.

Best of the Beijing Olympics

2008-08-27T13:52:00.002-06:00

If you enjoyed the Olympics as much as we did you might also enjoy these photos.

Harriett's political expertise

2008-08-25T13:12:00.004-06:00

After hearing some political chit-chat on CNN..............

Harriett: I am going to vote for Obama.

Me: Oh really. Why?

Harriett: Because McCain rhymes with candy cane and I don't like minty candy canes.

Me: Can't argue with that.

Darn Good

2008-08-20T14:01:00.002-06:00

If you want a good hot dog eat these. We had some for lunch today and holy cow, they are delicious. We started buying them a while ago and I can't eat any other kind at home.

Winner and Answers

2008-08-17T12:03:00.005-06:00

Rebecca Nelson is the crossword winner! Woohoo! An awesome prize will be coming your way soon. E-mail me with your address.

This has probably been long forgotten but here are the answers to the crossword puzzle.

Across:
2 – 2pac
6 – Seal
7 – Madonna
10 – Ministry
14 – Silverchair
16 – Radiohead
17 – Oasis
18 – Smashing Pumpkins
19 – Prince
20 – Bush
21 – Matchbox Twenty
22 – Nine Inch Nails

Down:
1 – Black Crowes
3 – Cranberries
4 – Hole
5 – Bare Naked Ladies
8 – The Offspring
9 – Crash Test Dummies
11 – Modest Mouse
12 – The Pixies
13 – Blur
15 – Garbage

90's Bands (Crossword Contest)

2008-07-17T10:31:00.004-06:00

Veer comes out with a summer fun activity book every year and this one had a couple of great crossword puzzles that I thought everyone might enjoy. This one is 90's bands, the other (which I will post later) is movies.

Just to sweeten the deal a bit I thought we would offer a prize for the first person (or couple) to complete the puzzle. I'm not sure what the prize will be yet, but I'm sure it will be awesome.

Bess and I finished both puzzles without checking the answers (though it took a day or two), so we know that it's possible. Be warned though that a few of them are pretty tricky.

Just Email your answers to us when you finish. And we will announce the winner in the comments when we have one.

Good luck everyone and have fun.

Link to Crossword Puzzle

7 years of the girl

2008-07-13T18:19:00.006-06:00

Harriett turned 7 yesterday. She went to bed actually crying because her 6th year was gone and it was such a good year. I should have reminded her of all the days she told me were the 'worst day ever'.
The last 7 years have been filled with much laughter, and love, and all the drama I think I can handle. Here's to 7 more.

I love you Big H.

Did I really just say that?

2008-06-26T12:13:00.002-06:00

"Please don't sit on the baby ever again"!

Something I never thought I would have to say to a six year old.

New Shoes

2008-06-09T11:48:00.004-06:00

I just bought these. Aren't they cute? I am trying so hard to branch out a little. This is my first attempt and they are even cuter in real life.

It finally happened:)

2008-06-03T14:16:00.002-06:00

Harriett finally lost her first tooth. It fell out while she was brushing her teeth. The blood totally scared her but once she was over that she was so excited. Let the totally awkward looking stage begin.

Renovating

2008-05-23T14:33:00.001-06:00

Micah had to make some changes. Soon we will have a cooler looking blog. Maybe.

Three Beauties...or two beauties and a cutie

2008-05-23T14:08:00.004-06:00

Hazel had her 2 month checkup yesterday. She is tall and healthy little girl. She weighs 13 pounds 7 oz and is 24 inches long. She is in the 95% for both weight and height . She is still working on sleeping well at night . Micah and I are hoping she figures it out soon. I am not asking for her to sleep through the night, just more than two hours at a time.

Harriett is anxiously waiting for her first tooth to fall out. It is on the bottom and so close. She only has a week of school left. She is getting too big too fast.

Henri has been a bit of a stinker lately (not listening, writing on walls, tearing books, peeing his pants and that sort of fun stuff). Luckily he says super cute stuff to make up for his craziness right now. The other day we were watching Star Wars. When C3P0 came on screen Henri points to him and says "D2 and D2, those are my brothers". He loves Star Wars, not sure where he gets it from............

Someone's Getting Chubby.....

2008-05-12T09:34:00.003-06:00

No, it's not Micah.

Please forgive the baby acne and bad photography.

I'm So Vain

2008-05-02T09:49:00.003-06:00

After 10 years of marriage we have finally decided to become a two car family. Adding another to the family took some research and some savings, but we finally adopted her....

We got a 2004 Honda Pilot EXL. It has leather (including heated seats) and a DVD player. We weren't necessarily looking for those features but once we drove it around for a bit we fell in love. Welcome her to the family.
A van would probably have been a little bit more practical but I just couldn't do it. No offense to the van drivers but I can't picture myself driving one. Vans do have more room for the kids to get around but this purchase was all about me. I look so much better in this than I would in a van. Isn't that what it is all about, how good you look while driving around town?

Quick catch up

2008-04-23T14:00:00.005-06:00

When I get free time these days it seems I need to clean or sleep so that is what I have been doing. No time for witty blog entries for me. Here are a few pics of the kids.

Hazel turned a month old on Sunday. Who do you think she looks like? I still can't decide.

This is Hazel in her I'm thinking pose.....thinking she needs her mom to wash her greasy face.

Just chillin' on our filthy couch. You can see in this pic that she has long legs and toes. The exact opposite of Harriett when she was this age.

Harriett was throwing Hazel's stuffed animal Martha the hippo around and it landed sitting up and cute on our beautiful ceiling fan. She was so amazed. We were all amazed actually. How cute and chubby is that stuffed animal?

Henri finally got a haircut (happy Grampy?). Not the best looking picture of it but it does display Henri's camera ready smile.

Oh the style

2008-04-07T14:45:00.003-06:00

This is a recently discovered picture of my mom and dad. Mom is 21 and Dad is 25. I love the clothes and the furnishings. My mom could totally fit in to todays crowd with the shirt she is wearing. The pants my dad is wearing in this pic are made by my mom. Love them. I bet Micah wishes I was such a good seamstress.

Quickie

2008-04-02T15:55:00.003-06:00

Things are going surprisingly well here. So far the three kid adjustment hasn't been so bad. I think I was bracing for the worst possible experience so I think that helped. The kids have been really good and Hazel still sleeps a tonne so really nothing crazy going on. I am expecting it all to crash and burn any day now though. Hazel (or Hazie as she is really known as around these parts) has her 2 week appointment tomorrow. She doesn't seem to be chunking up all that much to me but we shall see. She still likes to be awake a lot at night but she is working on that. We love her to death, the kids can't get enough of her still.

Kind of a crazy picture of her but I love her mouth in it. Her hands never stay still. She doesn't like to be swaddled because she can't move her them.

Sleeping and foaming at the mouth. She has some seriously big lips. So cute.

This is what happens when the kids go unsupervised in the garage. Notice the lack of variety in our footwear. Converse and flip flops. Some day we will branch out.

The HHH

2008-03-24T11:25:00.006-06:00

I am going to start out by saying that we are aware that we now have three children who all have names that start with the letter 'H'. It wasn't planned and we are aware of the repercussions. We know we will have to explain for the rest of our lives that it just kind of happened and that it is not intentional. We fell in love with the name Hazel and couldn't turn our backs on it. That is the only explanation. We understand what we are in for.

The following is a quick summary of the last few days.

Wednesday March 19: I had an appointment with my midwife and found out I was already 5+ centimetres dilated. Yippee. My midwife was slightly concerned about me being out and about that far along and giving birth in the car or in line at Target, so we set up an induction the following morning. Also yippee.

Thursday March 20: I got about four hours of sleep. I woke up at 3:30 in the morning super antsy and super excited to not be pregnant anymore. I just had to lay in bed and wait until 6:00 rolled around.

Me on the day of birth. Not quite as huge as Micah made me out to be in the previous post but pretty close. Also I made it through three pregnancies without any stretch marks. Happy for me.

We got to the hospital around 6:45. I got admitted and settled in. My midwife Betty (who I love) came over at around 8:30 and checked me and broke my water. At this point I was 6 centimetres dilated. For the next two hours the contractions were bearable and pretty consistent. Around 11:00 the contractions got really strong and really painful and I started to question my decision not to get the epidural. Lucky for me I had Micah and my sister Amie, my friend Jannica and my midwife to coach me through it all and keep me focused. I started to get back pains so I turned around and laboured on my hands and knees and had four people massaging my back and legs and arms and it really helped. By 11:30ish I was ready to push and out popped little Hazel only 10 minutes or so later. I really had the best help ever. Everyone was great.

Hazel Christine Bauer was born at 11:41 am on March 20th. She weighed in at 9 pounds even and was 20.5 inches long. Big happy baby.

Hazel's chunky thighs. She actually lost weight in the hospital and her thighs aren't quite so round and squishy.

Harriett and Henri came to the hospital in the afternoon and got to meet her for the first time.
Cute big brother Henri. He may or may not need a haircut.

Sweet big sister Harriett.

They seemed to like her but weren't all that excited. They were much more excited to find out that we bought them the movie Enchanted and went on to happily watch that while the adults got to enjoy the baby.

March 21st. I went home in the evening after baby and I were given a clean bill of health. My mom also flew in this day at 2:30 in the morning after missing flights and major weather delays. Micah being the good man he is went and picked her up.
Since being home Hazel has decided that she really enjoys sleeping during the warm sunny days and being awake for the long chilly nights.

Sleeping happily during the day.

We are all a bit tired but adjusting pretty well. The kids love her and giggle every time she makes a noise. It is really cute to see. They seem to be adjusting pretty well. They have been a bit whinier but that should hopefully die down soon. My mom has been a big help and Micah is able to take some time off of work. I am feeling pretty good, a bit delirious but good.

This is Hazel in her first cloth diaper. It barely fits but it is so so cute.

Hazel in her second cloth diaper about 10 minutes later. Bring on the poop.

Harriett and Henri looking for Easter eggs in the front yard. It was 60 degrees and absolutely gorgeous outside. We even busted out the BBQ.

Hazel Christine Bauer

2008-03-20T16:22:00.001-06:00

Bess wanted me to put up a quick picture of the baby. More to come.

Pregnancy Update

2008-03-14T11:19:00.002-06:00

This is how Bess feels.

Sleepyheads

2008-02-13T22:56:00.005-07:00

I love my kids so much when they are asleep. I love them all the time but even more when they are snoring and cuddled up with their blankets. Every night when I check on them before I go to bed I wonder at how lucky I am. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Happy Super Tuesday Birthday to ME.

2008-02-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday and I have to say I am happy to share it with Super Tuesday.
I have been following the primaries closely and I am super excited to see how it all turns out.
So thats my birthday, turning 32, eating my new favourite meal (see previous post) having a slice of cake and watching the primary results. I have officially reached old age.
Go Obama and go Mitt!

New Best Friend

2008-01-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

I have been addicted to my Cooks Illustrated cookbooks and magazines lately. So many good recipes. These are my favourites right now. I am not sure what their policy is for copying their recipes so don't tell. Sorry about all the weird spacing and random sized type. There are all these tabs and lines and stuff from copying the recipe from the Cooks Illustrated site and I can't seem to get rid of them. I will have Micah fix it when he comes back from playing D & D with his buddies tonight.

Penne alla Vodka...This is my absolute favourite new recipe. When I went to the liquor store to buy the vodka for this dish I got carded. Everyone who doesn't look 60 probably gets carded but it still made me happy.

So that the sauce and pasta finish cooking at the same time, drop the pasta into boiling water just after adding the vodka to the sauce. If possible, use premium vodka; inexpensive brands will taste harsh in this sauce. Pepper vodka imparts a pleasant flavor and can be substituted for plain.
Serves 4

						1	(28 ounce) can whole tomatoes , drained, liquid reserved
						2	tablespoons olive oil
						1/2	small onion , minced (about 1/4 cup)
						1	tablespoon tomato paste
						2	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
						1/4-1/2	teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
							Table salt
						1/3	cup vodka
						1/2	cup heavy cream
						1	pound penne pasta
						2	tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
							Grated Parmesan cheese , for serving

1. Puree half of tomatoes in food processor until smooth. Dice remaining tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding cores. Combine pureed and diced tomatoes in liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 2/3 cups). Add reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden around edges, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes too vigorous. Stir in cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just shy of al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to Dutch oven. Add sauce to pasta and toss over medium heat until pasta absorbs some of sauce, 1 to 2 minutes, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick. Stir in basil and adjust seasoning with salt. Divide among pasta bowls and serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

Chicken Tikka Masala... For all the Provo people past and present...this is not quite the same as Bombay House Tikka Masala (what could be?) but it is still super yummy. I add some veggies in the simmer stage of the recipe.

This dish is best when prepared with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted. For a spicier dish, do not remove the ribs and seeds from the chile. If you prefer, substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper for the garam masala. The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve with basmati rice.
Serves 4 to 6

*Chicken Tikka*
1/2	teaspoon ground cumin
1/2	teaspoon ground coriander
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	teaspoon table salt
2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1	cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
2	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1	tablespoon grated fresh ginger
*Masala Sauce*
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	medium onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2	teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1	fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above)
1	tablespoon tomato paste
1	tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
1	(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2	teaspoons sugar
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2/3	cup heavy cream
1/4	cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

STEP BY STEP: Chicken Tikka Masala

1. RUB: Coat chicken in salt and spice mixture and refrigerate.	2. MAKE SAUCE: Prepare creamy tomato-masala sauce.
3. DIP: Dunk chicken in protective coating of yogurt and oil.	4. BROIL: Broil chicken, then allow to rest.

German Apple Pancake... This isn't as sweet as it sounds. Also I use a 12 inch skillet and add another half recipe of the batter .

A 10-inch ovenproof skillet is necessary for this recipe; we highly recommend using a nonstick skillet for the sake of easy cleanup, but a regular skillet will work as well. You can also use a cast-iron pan; if you do, set the oven temperature to 425 degrees in step 1, and when cooking the apples in step 3, cook them only until just barely golden, about 6 minutes. Cast iron retains heat better than stainless steel, making the higher oven temperature unnecessary. If you prefer tart apples, use Granny Smiths; if you prefer sweet ones, use Braeburns. For serving, dust the apple pancake with confectioners' sugar and pass warm maple syrup or caramel sauce (recipe linked) separately, if desired.
Serves 4

1/2	cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1	tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2	large eggs
2/3	cup half-and-half
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
2	tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4	pounds Granny Smith apples or Braeburn apples (3 to 4 large apples), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4	cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
1/4	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1	teaspoon lemon juice
	confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 500 degrees.

2. Whisk to combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla until combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and whisk until no lumps remain, about 20 seconds; set batter aside.

3. Heat butter in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently with heatproof rubber spatula, until apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice.

4. Working quickly, pour batter around and over apples (see illustration 1 from "Step by Step: Preparing the Pancake). Place skillet in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees; bake until pancake edges are brown and puffy and have risen above edges of skillet, about 18 minutes.

5. Using oven mitts to protect hands, remove hot skillet from oven and loosen pancake edges with heatproof rubber spatula; invert pancake onto serving platter (see illustrations 2 and 3 from "Step by Step: Preparing the Pancake"). Dust with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges, and serve.

32

2008-01-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

32 weeks today! Can't sleep, can't breathe, but I can eat. Good times. I swear I look and feel way bigger in real life.

On Repeat

2008-01-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Jeremy did his annual ”Best Albums of 2007“ post a few weeks back and as much as I would have liked to participate, I don't think I actually bought any albums last year. If I had, I doubt the albums would have been released in 2007. So instead I'm doing my own version which I'm just calling "On Repeat" which only includes songs that I couldn't get enough of this past year. And as a bonus treat, I'm posting the actual songs for download, so you can sample them as well (if you are interested). Enjoy.

No One's Gonna Love You by Band of Horses. I have to thank Jared Strain for introducing me to Band of Horses. This song and "Great Salt Lake" make me very interested in picking up an album of theirs.
Floating by Jape (Explicit lyrics warning!) This song I heard on the Etnies Grounded Video. I don't think you have to be watching BMX to enjoy the song, but in my case it doesn't hurt.

Wild Mountain Nation by Blitzen Trapper. This song was stuck in my head for a week, and I still don't hate it (Consider yourself warned).
Jesus the Mexican Boy by Iron and Wine. This is about as beautiful as a song can get.

Detheme by Dethklok. I'm pretty sure the opening lyrics to this song are something like: "Jubbley juh juh jub jub."
The Former Millionaire by The Eames Era. This is just a really fun pop song.

Easter Parade by Emmy the Great. A beautifully blasphemous song.
Rain by Bishop Allen. This entire album is actually really good. Jannica supplied Bess with all of their albums so she would be prepared to see them back in October.

Dance Music by The Mountain Goats. I think I actually put this song on repeat for about an hour one day. It was my first Mountain Goats song, and I think I'm a fan.
First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes. This is a beautiful song with a beautiful video as well.

Strange Powers The Shins covering a Magnetic Fields song. I downloaded the Magnetic Fields version as well, and though it's good I think I prefer this one. Feel free to argue with me over it.
Our Life is Not a Movie, or Maybe by Okkervil River. This song is fantastic, in a sad, emotionally moving way.

Put There By The Land (Live) by The Great Lake Swimmers. This is off of a Free live EP, and all the songs are great. I need to look into hearing more of these guys.
Left and Leaving by The Weakerthans. Who would have guessed that the former lead-singer of Propagandhi could put together such poetic and beautiful songs?

Star Mile by Josh Radin. This is a perfect break-up song.
Grip Like a Vice by The Go Team. I don't think I'm cool enough, black enough, or female enough to like this song, but for some reason I just can't get enough of it.

Rootless Tree by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan (Explicit lyrics warning!) I didn't think it was possible to make the "F" word sound so pretty.
West Coast by Coconut Records. I fell in love with this song and later found out it is Jason Schwartzman's post Phantom Planet endeavor. I actually bought the album which was pretty mediocre, but this song is fun to listen to. I'm sure some TV show will use it for their credits and I'll be sick of it by 2009.

Lets Talk About Spaceships by Say Hi to Your Mom. This is a great song by a fairly obscure little band (which is actually called "Say Hi" now). I picked up the album and it was a lot of the same (songs that made me reminiscent and happy at the same time).
Still in Monochrome by Pop Unknown. I don't know if this song is good or not, but I sure listen to it a lot. It's a good one to sing when you are driving by yourself.

To get all the songs at once click here.

Winter Kids

2008-01-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Harriett and Henri both love to play outside. Henri would go out in the snow and play everyday if I wasn't such a lazy mom. It takes so long to get all of his winter gear on. I can't imagine having to get three or four kids ready. Anyhow, Saturday we had a wonderful snowstorm, about four or five inches (that is considered a snowstorm around these parts) it was beautiful. The kids got to play outside while Micah and I shoveled sidewalks and driveways. It felt so good to be outside and actually use my muscles.

Pretending to be asleep in their beds of snow.

Whirlwind Christmas

2007-12-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

The tree on Christmas morning. Keep in mind there were eleven of us.

Christmas promised to be chaotic this year since within the space of 4 days we had the arrival and departure of the majority of my family (my Mom and Dad, Jared and Miya, David and Sheena, and Granny), Christmas Eve festivities, Christmas Day activities, meeting a new future sister-in-law, 4 guests sleeping over, two trips to the airport, one trip to Temple Square, and one traditional/vegetarian Christmas meal.

It actually turned out to be not so stressful and a lot of fun, though I added to the potential chaos by arming all the men with dartguns on Christmas morning. All of our careful guidance to the kids about not pointing toy guns at people went out the window though.

It seemed to us like everyone had a good time. Sheena seemed to not be too intimidated by the Bauer insanity. Everyone got really good gifts. Mom and Dad made chopping blocks for everyone that were super cool and turned out really well. Bess gave all the women homemade aprons which were really cool and were graciously received. The kids got some great toys that they were very excited about, cars and dinosaurs for Henri, Books and art supplies for Harriett. And they both got a bunch of train tracks to add to our current railway system. Bess got a few cookbooks that she is really excited about and I ended up with a bunch of good stuff (mostly books and movies).

Henri waiting patiently for Grandma and Grandpa and Granny to arrive on Christmas morning.

David and Sheena. Aren't they adorable.

Jared and Miya. Miya is currently in the lead for favorite aunt.

Look closely, you can see the beautiful stuffed and sliced tofurkey.

Granny and Henri reading Wizard of Oz.

Best day ever.

2007-12-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

Harriett and I had the best time making these cookies on Sunday. You paint them with an egg yolk and food coloring wash before you cook them and then ice them afterwards. Neither one of us pay a lot of attention to detail but I love how they turned out. Harriett said she had the best day ever after we were finished. She makes me smile.

Also I made a butt-load of burp cloths for the new baby. I make them out of pre-folded cloth diapers (very spit-up absorbant) and sew a strip of cute fabric down the middle. Super easy, super cheap and I think they are super cute. Our local quilt shop has been getting the best fabric in lately. Go Corn Wagon Quilt Company! I may have gone overboard on the polka-dots.

Rain, Rain

2007-12-07T17:08:00.001-07:00

Poor Harriett and her friend Tessa walked home from school today in the pouring rain. She was soaked through but in good spirits. A snack of hot chocolate and popcorn was all she needed to warm up. (Please ignore our neighbours white trash yard. There is nothing better than looking across to street to a broken down truck on the lawn.)

No Underwear Bum.

2007-12-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

We are on day six of Henri wearing underwear and so far only two accidents. He was also dry after sleeping last night. I was prepared for the worst week ever but so far he is proving me wrong. Cheers to him.

Not about a boy.

2007-11-09T10:11:00.001-07:00

We were told on Wednesday that as predicted we are having a little baby with girl parts. I think I was still holding out for a boy but I am now very excited for another girl. We saw all of her parts. It is amazing that at 20 weeks you can see all four chambers of her heart and her brain and bones and bladder and toes and fingers. We saw a face on shot of her and it looks like she has giant lips. Who knows what she will look like in real life and we are certainly excited to find out. We can tell in this profile shot that she doesn't have the same profile as Henri. That is about it.

This is her little foot and toes. Actually it looks like her little foot and fifteen toes. I guess we'll see!
We have a few names we like for this little girl but nothing for sure. And for some reason they all seem to start with M. We like Mary, Matilda, Maggie, Millie, and Miriam. I would love to hear suggestions.

The last single boy Bauer bites the dust

2007-11-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Micah's brother David are in order. He got engaged last weekend to Sheena.
We haven't met her yet, actually I don't think anyone else in the family has met her either. The whole Bauer clan is getting together at Christmas so I think that will be our first chance to meet her and her first chance to meet the entire Bauer family.
We do know that she is hot and Micah and I both agree that she has a great voice (as heard on speakerphone.)

The costumes

2007-11-01T22:18:00.000-06:00

We had a good Halloween. As you can see Harriett was a witch and Henri was a housewife. They both had a tonne of fun trick or treating around Micah's work and around our great neighbourhood.

Oh that smile!

Our little girl Henrietta.

Henri, Harriett and neighbour Tessa.

Me and Micah just because we are so good looking.

Are we educated out of our creativity?

2007-10-24T10:15:00.000-06:00

This is fascinating and really entertaining. Definitely worth a watch.

Ken and Harry

2007-10-22T09:50:00.000-06:00

I read two interesting articles/interviews this morning and I wanted to share them. The first is an interview with Ken Jennings. If you don't recall he was the dude who won three million dollars on Jeopardy a few years ago. He also happens to be LDS and I think he is hilarious. Read what he has to say about religion, his new book and Mitt Romney. I hope non Mormons and Mormons alike will like this. I have a huge crush on him that may have clouded my judgment.

http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/10/18/interview-with-ken-jennings/

The second is from a Design Mom who went and saw JK Rowling speak at Carnegie Hall. She gave a synopsis of some of the questions that JK answered about some of the Harry Potter characters. Don't read it if you plan on reading the books. There isn't anything life shattering but I am a nerd and love to know all I can, especially when if come straight from the authors mouth.

http://www.designmom.com/2007/10/jk-rowling-report.html

NaNoWriMo

2007-10-04T13:17:00.001-06:00

Next month is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) and the challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel (175 pages) between November 1st and November 30th. I've always wanted to write a novel (on what, I don't really know yet), but I've always planned on doing it someday down the road. Someday has now become next month for me.

I'm all about the mandatory (do or die) deadlines. Apparently thousands of people participate each year (79,000 signed up last year and almost 13,000 actually finished it), so I'll actually be participating in and working through the same challenge that many others will be facing (it's not fun to suffer alone). So, I'm kind of excited about the idea.

We'll see if that persists when Nov 1st arrives.

Not ready

2007-09-30T19:46:00.000-06:00

We were mentally prepared for some cold weather on Saturday but not for this....

The kids had a fabulous time except for the fact that Harriett didn't have any boots to wear. It was still September. I really didn't think I needed to be that on top of things. Henri was wearing Harriett's boots from last year. Only a few sizes too big.

My new crush

2007-09-25T15:34:00.000-06:00

Micah and I just finished watching the first and only season of Freaks and Geeks. Thanks to the Georges for recommending it to us. The show has some really great characters.

Initially I was in love with Sam ( I think it is because I looked like him when I was in junior high. Dimples, big teeth, wavy hair and skinny),

but as the show progressed I fell in love with Bill. He made me teary eyed a few times with how nice and genuine and funny he was.

It is possible we may have been the last people on earth to watch this series but if we aren't I highly recommend renting the dvd's and getting yourself your own crush.

Is the third time a charm?

2007-09-23T13:38:00.000-06:00

This is what I have been doing in the absent weeks.

- laying on the couch
- not cleaning my house
- not cooking any meals
- liking almost no food
- letting the kids watch way, way too much tv
- spending many hours with my head over the toilet or sink
- losing ten pounds
- being saved from my death bed by Leslie (my mother in law)

Most recently I have been

- eating three tomato and cheese sandwiches a day (thanks to a neigbour's beautiful tomato plants)
- actually getting up in the morning
- only throwing up in the morning
- put on four of the missing pounds
- leaving the house
- hearing a little tiny heartbeat

Our family has survived fourteen weeks of me being pregnant and whiny. Let's hope for more eating and cooking and leaving the house and less of me driving Micah crazy.

As a side note I had an ultrasound at 12 weeks because of some spotting. All was well and even though they said it was too early to tell they got a good shot and guessed we are having a girl. Time to start thinking of names.

Yet another random picture post.

2007-08-01T13:19:00.000-06:00

I have been pretty lame at updating lately. It seems that we have been traveling a lot and going here and there. Things are finally starting to settle down. Harriett starts grade one in less than three weeks. She will now be spending more time with kids and teachers at school each day than she does with me. It is a little intimidating. Anyway here are some pictures from Harriett's sixth birthday party and our trip to Wyoming to visit Micah's mom and dad. They live in a really beautiful part of Wyoming. (Maybe the only beautiful part of Wyoming from what we could see on our drive there!)
On to the pictures.

Harriett trying out the slip and slide at her birthday.

Me enjoying the slip and slide. (It was over 100 degrees that day.)

Happy birthday girl!

Notice the beautiful Wal-Mart PowerPuff Girl Cupcakes. This is what you end up with when you wait until the last minute to buy a yummy Dairy Queen ice cream cake.

Henri is wearing a beautiful necklace from my moms throw away jewelry collection. He reminds me of a 40 year old man from New Jersey.

Grandpa and the kids throwing rocks into Yellowstone Lake. There really isn't anything more fun than that.

The best shot I got of Old Faithful. Pretty sad!

The best shot of us as a family. Pretty sad!

Grandpa and Henri.

Harriett and Henri looking cute in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard.

Grandma taking the kids on the little trail in their backyard.

The view from their backyard.

Harriett enjoying the amenities of Grandma's bathroom.

Cowpokes!

The kids did really good on the horses.

We didn't get any pictures of Harriett on the horse. She rode with me and loved it. She especially loved it when I had the horse trot a little.

Quick trip review and pics.

2007-07-17T13:07:00.000-06:00

Our computer is finally back and I am back from my visit to Canada. It has taken a little while to get organized since being home. The trip was great. Amie (my sister) and I got on really well. We flew from Utah to New Hampshire and then drove to New Brunswick together. We decided we would do really well on The Amazing Race. It was so great to see most of my family and some old friends. The weather was FANTASTIC, meaning not 100 degrees everyday and the landscape was so green and lush. I am seriously considering moving back someday. I am not sure what Micah thinks of that prospect just yet though.

Lots of pictures in no particular order.

My old friend Kelly Folkins and her new baby Norah. I don't think I have ever seen a more glowing mother.

This is the house that I spent most of my childhood in.

Quite possibly the only not hideous picture ever taken of Sandy and me. We saw her and Derek in Boston.

This lobster was totally eyeing us.

My hot brother. If anyone has a hot sister or friend, he is available.

Me in Fundy National Park

Mom and dad just built a new house so they didn't have the indoor shower finished yet. This was a refreshing alternative.

Some great friends from high school and beyond. Maize, Tanis and Jan.

Lawn bowling balls. We always go lawn bowling as a family when we go to Fundy.

Mom and dad swinging together. I love this picture.

The siblings minus our sister Mary. It was fun being together. My sister Jenny (beside Ronnie) is also single and hot.

Mom and Dad.

Beautiful foggy coastal views.

Random Happenings.

2007-07-02T15:56:00.000-06:00

We still don't have our computer back but one of Micah's co-workers has graciously been letting us use his laptop for the past little while. Happy day. I decided I would just load a bunch of our recent pictures onto his computer so I could have some visuals for a new blog entry and then erase them from his computer later. He will never know.
Without further fanfare here are some random events from the Bauer household over the past little while.

We went camping about an hour from here with some friends. We had a really good time and brought way, way, way too much stuff. However we were well prepared. The kids had a really good time. They slept well, we didn't. We saw squirrels, tonnes of snakes, spiders, a deer and we had raccoons for visitors although we never saw them.

Henri and his friend Ben. I love this picture because Ben has his hand down his pants and Henri has mismatched shoes and his pants are falling off. Funny little boys.

Harriett taking in the beauty.

The beauty!

Dad helping Harriett cast the rod or whatever it is called. I am pretty much fishingtarded.

And so is Henri!

Micah's parents came through for a quick visit a little while ago. They played a little Wii boxing. Leslie got into it. It was fun to watch them play even though Steven pretended he wasn't enjoying himself. I know he was.

Henri having a roll in the dirt. As you can see he had a good time helping build the pile.

Henri enjoying the free transportation.

I joined a recreational soccer league. It is so much fun. We are good (for a recreational soccer team anyway) and that probably makes it all the more fun. I had Micah take some cheesy soccer pictures. There were actually much cheesier pictures than this but I am just too embarrassed.

This is our friend Matt Deford. He is building a raft and planning on traveling 32 miles down a river in Louisiana. He is waiting till spring so there aren't so many mosquito's and the alligators aren't out in full force. We love Matt.

Quick Check-in

2007-06-18T14:00:00.000-06:00

Still no computer at home. We've had a busy few of weeks.

Mary came to visit.

I went to Atlanta for a design conference.

And Bess and the kids are still cute.

No Computer - New Computer

2007-06-01T09:47:00.000-06:00

In case anyone is wondering why Bess has been so antisocial lately it's because our computer has been in the shop for over a week now. So she has no access to the internet for the time being.

Basically, our computer has been running super slow ever since we got it (see illustration above). If you are wondering what is up with our computer here is the story:

****WARNING: TECHNICAL COMPUTER-NERD TALK*****

After two years of complaining about our computer not being able to take any extra RAM (I've been running 512mb of RAM on our Dual 2.5gh G5) we finally took it into the shop to find out that the Logic Board need to be replaced. LUCKILY we talked Apple into supplying the $900 part and we would just pay labor. UNLUCKILY once the Logic Board was replaced the shop found that the Processor was also bad. LUCKILY it was also covered by Apple. UNLUCKILY, however, Apple didn't have any in stock, so we are waiting on the new part still.

LUCKILY, if we ever get our computer back we will be able to add 2gb of RAM to it and that coupled with the new Logic Board and Processor we will have a super speedy computer that (in my imagination) will look something like this:

Henri Plans His Day

2007-05-23T14:08:00.000-06:00

In the car yesterday I asked Henri what he was going to do that day. The conversation went something like this:

Micah: Henri, what are you going to do today while I'm at work?

Henri: (No response)

Micah: Play with toys?

Henri: Play toys.

Micah: Watch cartoons?

Henri: Watch.

Micah: Play outside?

Henri: Outside.

Micah: Eat lunch?

Henri: EAT BABOONS!

Kari Mason

2007-05-15T09:24:00.000-06:00

Kari Mason, a co-worker of mine died yesterday after a long fight with Cancer. I wasn't really close to Kari or her husband Evan but all of the interaction that I did have with them was positive. Kari was one of those people who was always positive, energetic, and genuine.

I think this whole experience for me has just reminded me that I need to make the most of my days, because I really don't know what will happen tomorrow. Kari seemed to live each day to the fullest, even when she was struggling. It makes me feel ashamed for days when I think that I have problems, because in comparison my struggles are really insignificant.

I really wish the best for Evan and Ellie, and the rest of Kari's friends and family. A fund for Kari has been set up here.

9 Years!

2007-04-30T12:37:00.000-06:00

Bess and I celebrated our 9th anniversary this weekend. We spent Friday night and Saturday in Salt Lake. It was a lot of fun, we ate sushi, shopped for furniture, bought some books, and neither of us got tattooed.

Hot Or Cold

2007-04-24T12:41:00.000-06:00

I brush and rinse my teeth with warm water. I think it makes the toothbrush bristles softer and just feels better in my mouth.
Micah brushes with cold water (gross to me) and thinks warm is a little weird.
I am curious to know if one of us is the oddball or are we both normal (normal tooth brushers not normal people). What temperature do you use? Please tell.

Mom's Blog?

2007-04-17T09:36:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I'm as surprised as anyone, but it's true my mom is blogging.

Happy Food

2007-03-28T10:38:00.000-06:00

I am not sure if I have mentioned this in a previous post but my sister Jenny is getting married this summer. Congratulations to her:) She is getting married in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is also having a reception there and a reception where we grew up. I am very excited for her. And I am also very excited to go home. Going home brings me to the reason for this post. Food. My taste buds are dying for the many things I miss from my growing up days. Don't get me wrong there are no good restaurants in Sussex and I already make most of my mom's recipes that I enjoyed in my growing up years. What I really miss are the calorie, and preservative heavy goodies that aren't available in the U.S. or western Canada for that matter.

These lovely things are Mrs Dunsters Donuts. Half cake, half donut, half heaven. They even have whole wheat donuts. I actually like them better. Ohhhhhh I could eat them all day every day.

Pizza Delight is a chain pizza joint. Their pizza isn't fabulous or anything but they make the best and I mean the best garlic cheese fingers. I have made respectable replicas of these cheesy fingers but have never gotten them quite right. I used to be a cook for them so you'd think I could of figured it out by now. So good.

This is the store front for the Cream Puff Bakery, home of the most divine Oatmeal Date cookies. I couldn't find any pictures of the cookies but I promise they are amazing. It has a yummy date filling sandwiched between two lightly spiced very soft oatmeal cookies.

Many of you non Canadians may have heard of Tim Hortons donuts. It is a donut store franchise. The donuts are better than many chain donuts but nothing spectacular. The real donut goodness comes from the many memories of eating there. Walking to Tim's at lunch when I was in junior high, ( a few times skipping class to get a yummy crocodile pastry) late night donut runs and hanging out there when nothing else was open. Many hours of eating and talking and laughing. It was a fun hang out. Thinking back I am sure we were those obnoxious kids that everybody hated and still do.

These Vachon Cakes are the Canadian equivalent of Hostess Snack cakes only so much freaking better. The Flakie (fourth one over) is my favourite.

Lastly there is the Deep N Delicious chocolate cake made by McCains. Just a frozen chocolate cake you can buy at the supermarket. Chocolate processed yumminess.

So as you can see I will need to loose about 15 pounds before I go home so I can enjoy all these tasty treats without feeling too guilty and without getting too fat.
Thanks for getting married Jenny.

Get those kids outside!

2007-03-14T16:23:00.000-06:00

We have had incredible weather this week. The kids have really enjoyed being outside and I have enjoyed that the kids have enjoyed being outside.
Henri is finally getting brave enough (or maybe it is coordinated enough) to play on the outdoor toys. He is so cute.

Harriett is enjoying climbing as well.

Henri trying to make a sexy pose.

Harriett decided today that she wanted to play outside in her bathing suit. Initially I resisted but then I thought I would teach her about natural consequences (freezing her butt off) so I let her. She enjoyed every minute of it and I heard no complaints about being cold. Only begging to turn the sprinklers on. I sure showed her!

Here is Harriett helping to ready our raised garden beds for planting.

Henri doing the same. They both really enjoyed watching the worms. There were many worms. I hope this means a good gardening season ahead. I plan on planting sugar snap peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes and carrots tomorrow. Yum!

David Bauer: Congressional Man of Action

2007-03-11T11:33:00.000-06:00

I'm totally into this new show. It's kind of a like 24 meets Law and Order meets The Fall Guy.

David sent this to me, he said it's from King Abdullah's appearance before the Joint Session of Congress Friday. And, by watching it you can see that David is now 8 feet tall.

Pancakes and Soup

2007-03-02T16:20:00.001-07:00

I am not sure what the policy is on passing along recipes from Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country but I must share two recipes I really enjoy.
First blueberry pancakes. I have used my mom's recipe for pancakes my whole life but decided to try these pancakes and I am so glad I did. Sorry mom.

Blueberry Pancakes

1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 cups milk
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, preferably wild, rinsed and dried. Rinse and dry frozen blueberries (rinse until water runs clear).

1. Whisk lemon juice and milk in medium bowl or large measuring cup; set aside to thicken while preparing other ingredients. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to combine.

2. Whisk egg and melted butter into milk until combined. Make well in center of dry ingredients in bowl; pour in milk mixture and whisk gently until just combined. ( a few lumps should remain) Do not overmix.

3. Heat skillet or griddle add 1 teaspoon of oil and brush to coat bottom evenly. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake; sprinkle 1 tablespoon blueberries over each pancake. Cook pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using thin wide spatula, flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on second side. Serve immediately and repeat with remaining batter, using remaining vegetable oil only if necessary.

The recipe is for blueberry pancakes but I usually make them plain.
Also it says if you happen to have buttermilk on hand then go ahead and use that instead of souring the milk with the lemon juice.
I LOVE these pancakes. I won't be offended if you don't but give them a try.

CHICKEN AND CORN CHOWDER WITH SWEET POTATOES
serves 8-10

3 cups whole milk
1 cup yellow corn muffin mix (they say Jiffy is the best)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless , skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 cups frozen corn (not thawed)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper

1. Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large dutch oven over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.

2. Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

This recipe makes a tonne. I am sure you could halve it and have plenty for supper. But it works well as leftovers.
I used 1% milk because that is what I had and it was fine. Although I suspect it would be thicker and creamier with the whole milk.
I also mixed chicken bouillon granules and water to make the 2 quarts (8 cups) of chicken broth. That also seemed fine.
Micah and I both enjoyed this soup a lot. We also shared it the next day with friends and they loved it. Go ahead and give it a try while it is still a little chilly outside.

Stickers?

2007-02-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

Bess and I have been considering doing some vinyl shapes on Harriett's walls, but after comping it, I'm not sure. I think the vinyl itself looks good, but with the busy and colorful bedding (and cluttered room) it looks really hectic. At this point I'm open to suggestions.

Severus Sexy?

2007-02-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have been rereading the whole Harry Potter series over the last few weeks and have been enjoying it quite immensely. I just started number 6 today. The kids have been a bit neglected but they are still alive. I forget movies and books about two weeks after I read or watch them so it is really like reading them for the first time.

What I really started out this post to say is that I think the movie version of Professor Snape (played by Alan Rickman) is pretty sexy. I don't know if it his moodiness or greasy hair, or crooked nose but I think he is hot. Am I alone in this? Does anyone else like the mudblood hating Professor? Don't be embarrassed. Or maybe I should be.

Just My Size

2007-02-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was on the Odyssey BMX site this morning looking through their selection of "Close Out" T-shirts and getting pretty bummed because they didn't have anything in my size, when I came across this:

(Enlarge pic and check the size)

My Favourite Mom

2007-02-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my mom's book group. They read Zorro. Great fun.
If you want to read more about it click on my mom's link on the right.
I don't think they always dress up but they always prepare a meal that goes along with the book they were reading. For example they read a book about a seal hunt and had seal meat for supper. Yum Yum. I think it is such a great idea.
(my mom is the bottom right)

Jared and Miya's Wedding Photos

2007-02-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Jared and Miya posted the photos from their wedding. I browsed through and pulled out a few of my favorites. The rest can be found here. Don't be intimidated by the number of photos (over 300), they are quick to glance through and really beautiful. They give a good idea of what it was like to be at the wedding.

Hmmm...This may gross you out.

2007-01-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

After about 5 minutes of Harriett begging and me saying "no" she decided to draw me a picture of her poop since I wouldn't come and look at it. She was excited it was in the shape of a heart and she had eaten a heart shaped candy yesterday.

"Teaching" etc.

2007-01-30T11:23:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody, It's Micah. I'm currently teaching a class at UVSC and really enjoying it. It's called Interactive Design, and it's basically a graphic designer's crash course in basic web design.

It's funny because of all the things I know about design, web design is not something I learned in school. I actually sat down one weekend, after going to a job interview where I was told "we would hire you right now if you knew html," found a website with some html tutorials and put together my first website. Ever since then I've been toying with code here and there in my spare time and I've actually gotten a few jobs doing websites.

At the moment my class is in serious trouble. They were supposed to have their first site done by today, but they aren't understanding it very well so I'm giving them extra time. I'm struggling trying to figure out how I could have taught the material better so they would understand it. Teaching is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'm still enjoying it, I just want to teach the best I can and up until now I don't think I have.

If anyone is interested, I am currently working on a few (hundred) side projects, some of which I have online. Below are the links:

The Directive [A site for my experimental work]
F15teen Magazine [An online magazine for creative BMXers]
Graphic Journal 2 [A blog for random work]

New things for ME!!!

2007-01-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Micah got me a new gas stove for Christmas. He
did an extra freelance job so he could pay for it. How nice.

This is it. It actually looks much better in real life. I had
a really crappy electric stove before and I am so happy to be
cooking with a gas stove again. So much better.

I also bought a new pair of shoes. This may not sound like
a major event but for me it is. I have been wearing Chuck Taylors
for the last 15 years of my life and to buy a different kind of
hanging out shoe is a big deal for me. I literally wear them every
day in the winter even though they are
not really winter friendly shoes. Not that these are any more winter friendly.
Here they are.

I really like them. I hope I will wear them.

Happy Birthday

2007-01-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MICAH!!!!!!!!!

Still sexy at 33.

Harry news

2007-01-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

There really isn't any news. Just a blog about Harriett and how cute she is.
I went to her first parent /teacher review today. I was a little nervous but all was good. Harriett's teacher had nothing but positive things to say and had lots of stories about funny things that Harriett has said over time. She is starting to read really well. It is amazing how fast she has picked it up. I like that kid.
The following is a picture of the 'flamingo' that Harriett made with some play-doh she got for Christmas. She was so excited to have pink and brown so she could make one. It might be the cutest thing she has ever produced. What a cutie.

This would be Harriett sleeping last night. She always kicks her blankets off. I guess she got cold so she cuddled with our giant stuffed aligator (or croc) Monty. It totally looks staged but that is really her sleeping. She looks so uncomfortable to me.

This is Harriett with her new hair cut. She and I were both tired of the daily hair combing so she got it cut. It is so much easier. It isn't the best picture but you can see her hair.

Post Holiday Wrap up

2007-01-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

The holidays were fantastic. Nothing beats a holiday that includes snow, food, family, presents, friends and more food.

Harriett enjoying a great snow fall. She loves playing outside in the cold. It must be the Canadian side of her showing through.

Henri is wearing a t-shirt that Derek and Sandy made for him. He loves the water gun that he has in his hands. Somehow he knows to make shooting noises with it. Not something he learned from me.

Temple square in Salt Lake City. We went with Micah's mom and dad. It had just snowed and it was beautiful. Harriett wore herself out running around and looking at everything with Grandma.

Growing up we always did the fancy dinner on Christmas Eve. It is hard to tell but this was our fancy dinner. We have no fancy dinnerware so it looked pretty plain (the measuring cup as gravy boat adds to the Christmas ambiance don't you think?). We always had Christmas crackers growing up as well. There are always paper crowns in the crackers and you must wear them during the meal.

The tree on Christmas morning. There were never gifts under the tree until we woke up Christmas morning. It was always so exciting going out to the tree. I miss that part.

Henri. Not sure what to think.

Harriett waiting patiently.

A new bouncing horse from Grandma and Grandpa.

Happy Day

2006-12-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Henri slept in until 9:30 today. Life is good.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2006-12-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

We put up our Christmas tree yesterday.
Growing up we always listened to Christmas music, ate potato chips, cracked open nuts and drank some pop as we decorated. (eating those tasty foods was a rare occurence in our house growing up so it was a very exciting part of the Christmas tradition.) Even though those tasty foods are not as rare as they should be in our house we brought on the junk, turned on some classic Christmas music and decorated away.
Harriett was very excited. She put on most of the ornaments by herself and did a great job. She was equally excited about having a bottle of cream soda. As any kid should be. Henri also had a great time but he was a little bit insane. If he didn't like the ornament that Micah handed him he would throw it on the ground and yell until he got the one he wanted or continue to yell when he didn't get any ornament at all. He did enjoy some lovely Christmas candy.
Here are a couple of pictures of my favourite Christmas ornaments. The first is an ornament Micah made when he was three. If you can't tell it is a piece of yarn stuck to a cardboard circle. It is so cute. The next is a pic of what I call a festive peanut man that Mom made many years ago and a paper snowman that I made when I was little. Sorry the pics are a little blurry.
I love Christmas.

Gold Star

2006-12-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

I realized today that it has been a month since we posted anything. There is good reason. I have been sick and Micah has been taking care of me. I am finally on the mend after two weeks of spending 18-20 hours a day in bed or in the bathroom. Micah had no time to post anything since he became Mom and Dad. He managed to keep the kids fed and clean and warm and still take care of me and he even managed to get some dishes done and a couple loads of laundry. (underwear won't wash itself) Micah deserves a gold star.
I am still not 100% but almost there. Even though Micah did a great job taking care of everything the house needs a little attention so I have been busy mending my body and cleaning the house.
Soon all will be back to normal and we will resume our very entertaining and informative blog.

Tricking and Treating

2006-11-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

You can't have a blog and not post pictures of your kids dressed up for Halloween. I think that is just the rule. Here they are. I shouldn't forget Micah. He was a good sport and dressed up like a lady bug with Harriett. Harriett thought it was great. So did I. Micah is not usually a Halloween dresser upper.
The first picture of Harriett is totally blown and and blurry but I love it anyway.
Harriett had a Halloween program at school with her kindergarten class. She was by far the cutest kid there. We could here her singing too. It was really fun to watch.

Perception of Beauty

2006-10-19T10:17:00.000-06:00

I think this a pretty fantastic commercial (which is part of a pretty fantastic campaign). I posted a Quicktime and Flash Video version for your viewing pleasure.

View in Quicktime View in Flash

I love cloth diapering.

2006-10-11T11:02:00.000-06:00

So as a slight closet-hippie I am now coming out to talk about my affair with cloth diapers. Yep cloth diapers. I use cloth diapers....on henri, not for myself (that is still ten years off, or so).

With Harriett I always felt horrible about how many diapers I would throw away. Of course never quite bad enough to do anything about it. So with Henri I started using disposables, again feeling guilty but not quite ready to commit to sticking my hand in the toilet and dealing with pins and ugly, leaky, saggy cloth diapers. Then my friend Rachel came over with her six month old son and he was wearing the cutest diapers, and they were cloth!

So I started to do some cloth diaper research and since I'm a nerd, I got excited about them, and eventually got a few. It was actually quite addictive once I started researching all the info. There are so many cute ones out there and even though it was a considerable investment initially the savings have been great and I feel good that I'm not throwing all those diapers away.

The kind that I got are called Fuzzi Bunz. They are pocket diapers, which are completely different than the old cloth diapers. The outside is waterproof and the inside is microfleece. An insert goes inside (the pocket) to absorb pee and they have a snap closure. I have been using the same size on Henri for a year now (they are adjustable).

I have also tried Bum Genius, another brand of pocket diapers, but instead of snaps it has velcro closures. They are super easy to use especially for squirmy kids. There are a bazillion different kinds of cloth diapers out there. I got mine at CottonBabies.com they have had really great customer service and all kinds of info on cloth diapering. They have really good resources for anyone getting started.

I also started using cloth wipes. I just throw them in the washer with the diapers. While I am out shopping or running errands I use cloth diapers and regular wipes. It really isn't hard. I wash mine every two to three days in the washing machine.

This is a picture of Henri wearing one. It is from quite a while ago but how cute is he?

*not intended to make anyone feel bad for wasting money and ruining the environment.

New Links to New Blogs

2006-10-04T14:14:00.000-06:00

In case you haven't noticed, we updated our links. Two notable additions include:

Jenny's blog

and Francine's blog (for mature audiences only*).

*just kidding

photography

2006-09-28T17:26:00.000-06:00

Harriett has been dabbling in photography. Check it out. She has a good knack for capturing the creepy don't you think.

Blood

2006-09-21T15:56:00.000-06:00

I gave blood last night. It was my third time this year. It really isn't so bad. You should all try it if you can. They check your blood pressure and your iron levels. Think of it as getting a free mini physical and free treats at the end. The only payment is giving someone else the gift of life. (cue cheesy music) Really it is a good thing.

Halloween

2006-09-18T15:27:00.000-06:00

Harriett wants to be a lady bug for Halloween.
What should Henri be?
Perhaps a drooly international man of mystery?

On Summer

2006-09-13T09:53:00.000-06:00

Summer is coming to an end (even though it is supposed to be 91 degrees today). I guess it is technically coming to an end. Anyhow, it was a great summer. I got to see my friend Julie Deford and family. I hadn't seen Julie for three years and her family for five years. It was a great visit. I also got to see my friend Karen and her children. I hadn't seen her in over five years. It was a treat. I also saw my friend Janell who currently resides in Australia. The thing I love about good friends is how natural it is to be together even when you haven't seen them in forever.
On the family front Micah's family was entirely together for Jared and Maya's wedding so that was great. And my Mom and sister Jenny were just here for a visit. Harriett and Henri are lucky if they get to see my mom once a year. I wish it was more. That is what happens when you live thousands of miles away. It was a fun visit though.
Unfortuneately I have no proof that any of these visits happened. I failed to get any pictures (besides the wedding) of any of our friends and family visiting us here.
Instead you can enjoy this picture of Henri. Ride em girly cowboy!

Kindergarten and Frosting

2006-08-29T14:21:00.000-06:00

So yesterday was Harriett's first day of school. She did so good and so did I. We of course were running a few minutes late but managed to get her there on time and get a few pictures along the way. Micah had to carry her part way in order to accomplish the on time thing. (she is a bit of a slow walker)
When we got to school there weren't as many dorky moms taking pictures of their kids as I thought there would be. I wanted to get a bunch of her in her classroom but I felt like too much of a psycho mom. Oh well. I did get this picture of her hanging up her backpack. She had a really hard time reaching the hook. She managed though.
I was sure I was going to start bawling as soon as I dropped her off at school but I didn't. In fact I didn't cry at all. I guess I was looking forward to it more than I thought I was. She is still so small to be going to school though.
Harriett said she had a good day at school. She seems to like her teacher, as do I. Mrs Tanner is her name.

As I mentioned previously Henri just had his birthday. He turned one on the 18th. He is a fun kid. It is so funny to see the difference between him and Harriett. Henri laughs at everything. He is a pretty happy kid in general. Harriett on the other hand was pretty hard to crack. She has always had a very quarky sense of humour. Anyway, back to Henri's birthday. All I need to say is that he loved his applesauce spice cake with cream cheese frosting. Here is some evidence.

Such Big Kids

2006-08-24T10:25:00.000-06:00

So Henri is now one and Harriett grew a moustache. The kids are growing up so fast.