Daddy's Day

It's nearly impossible to get them both to behave for a picture.






And then they are distracted by sticks and dirt and I'm left in the dust.



Happy Father's Day Dad. All my love.

Rhubarb Cheesecake

When you have rhubarb start to take over your garden, looking like a rain forest, big enough for your kid to tie a rope from it and swing through it or build a tree house, it's time to do something with it. I always thought rhubarb was just for picking and dipping into a big bowl of sugar. At least that's what I thought as a kid. Well, this year I decided to get a little more creative and actually cook something with it. That's when I found it. The perfect recipe.




Rhubarb cheesecake. It's beautiful. I don't regularly choose cheesecake as a desert, but this really is different. It really is sooooo good. Give it a try. I bet you can't just eat one piece. You'll sneak another when no one is looking, hide in a corner and devour it. I don't personally know anyone who would do such a thing, but that's just what I'm guessing.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs

1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Mix until crumbly and pat into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
In a medium bowl, toss together the chopped rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour. Pour onto crust. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Pour over hot rhubarb in the pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until filling is set. (I turned the over off and let it cook for about 10 minutes longer and it seems to set really well) Cover with sour cream topping while still hot.
To make the sour cream topping: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well and spread on top of cake.

Remember Him?

Rolls? Well, he's turning one!!! It's hard believe these little ones grow that quickly. I get so excited to see them, just to see how much they've changed. And since he has politics running through his veins, we decided the perfect place for portraits was the Capitol. It was extremely fitting.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

How does your garden grow???......

It has been brought to my attention that I have slacked at the photo challenge project. By 7 weeks. 7. Oopsie daisies. sooooo, um, well....I need to catch up. So to ease into it again I'm using an easy week.

Week 22: Flowers (I'm going to be skipping around a little) because that's what I took pictures of before I went to work. I tiptoed through the grass bright and early.

Much like cooking, I was absolutely uninterested in gardening when I was younger. But the difference is, my mother was interested. The more she tried to get me involved, the more I resisted. That's the kind of girl I was or am. I can always remember loving to photograph them. But growing them....well, I had better things to do. Sports to play. Phones to talk on. Nails to paint. As I got older, I became so intrigued at the miracle of growth. It was so beautiful to me. And now, I could spend entire days just waiting and watching for sprouts.

Yes... for some reason, I still have tulips blooming. You've got me?!

Constant Tug

I've been walking behind him all day long pulling them back up or telling him his tush is hanging out and repeatedly, without a doubt, make him giggle which makes me giggle and we both fall to the ground giggling about his tush. It was a good day.

Sweet Summer Nights

I don't believe that there is anything that can compare to a perfect summer evening. There is nothing that attaches itself so deeply to my sense of memory. Sweet youthful memories. The way the breeze twirls and plays with my hair and feels so good at the end of a hot day. The way the setting sun makes my skin glow even though I rarely have glowing skin. The way all the summer smells meld into one to make one beautiful scent that can never be bottled.....but experienced. The way the grass feels between my toes as if it's sole purpose is to massage and tickle them. The way the sunlight turns into moonlight and never a shiver comes over me except just to witness the awe of the milky way. There simply aren't many better things in life than a summer evening.
Except......

maybe a tickle war in the grass! I almost always win, and I love to win. But I think he lets me.

Green Acres

My dad is a bit of a collector. He accumulates quite a hodgepodge of randomness. You could say to him "I'm looking for a chartreuse can opener from the 1940's" and my dad would get up and go to the garage and come back with one or at least he would know where to get one. He also collects land. He has quite a few little pieces here and there. In this state and that state. He likes land like I like wool coats. This little piece my kiddo is on is right close to his home and now he is able to keep some visitors on it.

Meet Red. Wonder why in the world his name is Red? This is the best shot I could get as he was much too distracted with the grain we just fed him.

Crash

Some might say that I might have too many wool coats.

Some might say it's a little ludicrous and that I probably didn't need that last wool coat that looks remotely like 70's vintage carpet.

Some might say I need to scale down the amount of coats I own.

Some might say that a nine foot closet is a little much for coats.

Some probably don't feel bad that such closet came tumbling down while I'm home alone and in the middle of another home improvement project.

.......welll....here's the way I see it. It's an optimistic approach really. Obviously my coats and I have outgrown this house. It's time to move. See, the solution was simple as that. I've always been pretty good at problem solving.

Oh and dad will you help me fix the closet ?

Small Wonder

In my opinion people who don't believe in miracles haven't spent enough time with one of these.

She's a mere 4 weeks old.....and most definately a beautiful wonder.

Fresh Face

We're giving her a fresh look. (there I go with that word "fresh again"...just can't stop myself). Not bad for a 15 minute shoot huh T.?

Star Shine

Something out of the ordinary found it's way into my fridge. A Star Fruit. So I decided to do my best to make it feel at home and turn it into something fabulous....and something refreshing and cold and so good in so many many ways.

I found this recipe for a Star fruit and Ginger drink that I have been wanting to try, and today was the perfect day.

Star Fruit and Ginger Drink

1 pound star fruit

1 thumb of ginger (freshly ground)

1 teaspoon lime juice

4 cups of water

sugar to taste

Blend star fruit and ginger with water and lime juice then strain. (It's still a little pulpy when you strain it) Add sugar and serve chilled.

Also to give it a little twist, for a more adult drink.....instead of adding sugar, throw in a shot of Cointreau or Triple Sec or favored vodka.

Firey Red Head

I'm fairly certain I am one of the luckiest people. I get to spend wonderful afternoons with adorable children and then hand them back to their parents when I've worn them out. This little one travels 5 hours to have her picture taken and I'm more than humbled to be the one to capture these moments. I always thought she was a little ornery, but now I know why.....she's turning out to be a redhead! Curly at that. It takes quite a bit a persuasion to get a hug from her...but I got one.

Pesto Pasta

By the time summer rolls around I crave fresh veggies to the point of craziness. I love fresh veggies. I love to use the word "fresh" in the summertime. It's the best adjective for almost everything.

The real name for this recipe is "Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto" ...which was entirely too much for my mind to wrap around at the end of the day let alone get a two year old to pronounce (though I tried it and it was really funny)...so I renamed it Pesto Pasta. It rolls off the tongue easier.

This recipe is fabulous for pesto lovers. It's got a little kick to it. Non-pesto lovers...you're missing out. ( I'm pretty sure my mother told me that a million times growing up. )


Pesto Pasta

1 pound Penne rigate
1/2 pound asparagus (cut into pieces)
1 small zucchini cut into long pieces (or round pieces whatever is easiest)
1/4 pound haricot verts (thin green beans) with trimmed ends
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup basil (about 20 leaves)
handful flat leaf parsley
1 lemon zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (plus more to pass at the table)
coarsely ground pepper
1/3 cup virgin olive oil

Boil pasta in salt water to give it a little extra oomph, or if you're watching salt intake....don't use salt. Add vegetables to pasta after the pasta has been cooking for about 5 minutes. (I think they taste best when they are a little crunchy, but that's a personal preference)

While pasta is cooking, toast pine nuts in small pan until golden, then cool. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese, oil and a little salt and pepper in food processor (I just use the little magic bullet...less mess)

Add a ladle of hot water from veggies to the pesto and then toss with the drained pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with extra grated cheese.

** I cut this recipe way down, because it's pretty big*****

Baby eyelashes and baby noses.



Missing teeth and perfect hair.

Soul searching eyes.




These are just a few things that make me love what I do.

Naked Peek-a-Boo

He's going through a little stage right now. The naked stage. Randomly, during the day, he'll shed his clothes (not the diaper) and I'll find them in the toybox or some such place. Today he played naked peek-a-boo for what seemed like hours. He kind of cheats. But when I squeal with delight so he'll uncover his eyes......my cup runs over with his laughter. Pay no attention to his outwardly sticking ribs. I do feed him. But unfortunately he inherited my picky eating habits.