Wednesday Whine

Yesterday afternoon made me feel like my two year old.  I just wanted to turn my face up and launch into an epic whine at top volume.  So let me get this off my chest, enjoy your sympathy, then I will resume looking on the bright side.

1.  The swing ran out of batteries.  Right when Mr. Deeds was being a fusspot and refusing naps in anything but his swing.

2.  Deeds is going through a wonder week, and being a tough nut.  I think he might be having a growth spurt as well.  Awesome.

3.  Dell Harper cut her nap in half, then disappeared to my bathroom to go potty while I was feeding her brother.  She is not potty trained, but occasionally goes, so I just let her roam.  Plus, I was stuck feeding.  Now the toilet is clogged and there is a lot of missing toilet paper.

4.  The day improved with a way too pricey trip to Target, then home to some bubbles outside during the brief burst of sunshine and dinner.

I made a stove top pasta and cheese from this month's Martha Stewart Living, as well a big pan of roasted red peppers and onions.  Deeds was hollering his head off, so I hurriedly made a picnic on the floor for Miss Priss.  While I was doing that Buddy jumps on the counter and eats half the pan of vegetables.  Cursing, I put him outside to incessantly bark at us.

I look up to see her dumping her plate on the floor, and announcing "Dat so ew-ey, Mama!  Ew!  I no eat dat." I told her it was pasta with cheese, and she likes it.  She proceeds to pick it up and put it in her bucket, then scatter around the house.

 Grr. I put away my own plate, and gave her a cup of raisins and peanut butter crackers.  Dinner of champions.  She is thankfully occupied with a Frozen magnet set while I head off to do Deeds' bath and bed. Have I mentioned Morgan is out of town?

Everything seems to be turning around.  One child in bed, I let Buddy in to clean up the pasta, and get DH in her pjs and toward her bedroom with a minimum of fuss (just about ten minutes of chasing her).
FInally, she is in bed.

5.  Ahhh.  I pull some leftover roasted chicken from the fridge, and proceed to cut some meat off the bone to enjoy with my dinner.  Then I hear a wail.  I put my plate of chicken still on the bone on the highest counter, and head to Miss Priss.

I came back into a happy dog and a missing piece of chicken, bones and all.  Off to the emergency vet.  Thanks to Mama for coming and sitting with my slumbering kids.

 Buddy had to stay overnight and get fluids and charcoal.  He was thrilled.  Hope he likes ramen noodles because after his vet bill that's all I will be able to afford.

6.  I have a sty on my eye.

7.  Last night I tried on a pair of jeans I wore last month.  I could not even button them.  I think they accidentally got put in the dryer for a long period, but it was all I could do not to burst into tears.

Okay.  All done.  Today will be better.

tl;dr
I had a shitty evening yesterday.

Ham for Eternity

Dorothy Parker once quipped that "Eternity is a ham and two people."  Now, as y'all can surmise from the amount of pork that I eat, that's the kind of eternity I can handle.  However, in the post-Easter aftermath of egg salad for days, one simply does not have time for ham sandwiches.  While perusing "A Private Collection" (my nose is in the air just typing that), that snooty snoo cookbook from the Junior League of Palo Alto, I happened upon this pasta dish that is just a perfect way to use up leftover ham.  It's downright delicious as well.

It even looks nice and springy with Easter egg colors.  It calls for fettuccine but I substituted whole wheat angel hair as (1) I don't really care for fettuccine and (2) I forgot to buy pasta and it was what I had in the pantry.  Also, I used only 1/2 a pound of pasta, because I like super saucy pasta.  Morgan made fun of me because I commented on how deceptively rich this dish is- he reminded me it was because I had in effect doubled the cream and butter content by halving the pasta.  Thank goodness for jazzercise and toddler chasing.

Fettuccine Ferrari (oh, you fancy Palo Altoans! Adapted from A Private Collection)

1 lb pasta noodles of your choice
1/2 cup butter
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 heaping cup of quartered cherry tomatoes (I used both red and yellow)
1 cup of ham, chopped
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in heavily salted water until it is al dente as described on the box.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet.  Add the green onions and the garlic, cooking gently on medium low heat until the onions are tender.

Add the tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the ham and heat through.

Best the egg yolk and then beat the cream into the egg until well-mixed.  Slowly stir into the veggie and ham mixture with a whisk.  Cook until it is just thickened and well blended.  Add the cheese, and season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Add the sauce to the warm pasta, toss, sprinkle with more Parmesan and try to restrain yourself.

I served it with simple roasted asparagus, but a green salad with a simple vinaigrette would also be good.  The Palo Alto Junior League says, "The cherry tomatoes give it extra appeal for a summer supper."  I disagree wholeheartedly.  Good cherry tomatoes are easily found year round, so they in fact give a bright taste, which would be so refreshing in the dead of winter.  Also, then you wouldn't have to worry about your figure in a swimsuit after devouring copious amounts of this pasta.  

One day  I will begin to eat like a lady, in tiny bird like portions.  That day is not today.  Or tomorrow.  Especially with these leftovers around.  And the rest of that eternity ham.

Weekend Review

Friday started out well- delirious with lack of sleep I met some ladies from church at the flower wholesale place to get flowers for Sunday.  The cooler was freezing, but at least it revived me somewhat.  I also rallied enough to accept my mom's invitation to join her at Costco, especially while I already had a babysitter. (FYI- our Costco has Hanna Anderson dress/legging sets for under $20!).  I made an excellent dinner (recipe to follow), and got to watch my silly Hart of Dixie while Morgan met up with some friends after the babes were in bed.

Saturday was fun and flower filled- creating the arrangement at church (with extra care as my niece was baptized this weekend), Trader Joe's, Aquatots, Chick-fil-a, then working on planting my containers.  Dell Harper is a bit confused right now with Target and the grocery store. "I get dis at grocery store!" she proudly proclaims, holding aloft whatever item from the dollar hot spot she is carrying around that week like a made in China plastic talisman.  Nope, that's Target, kiddo. "Oh." she says, "I get dis at Tar-gay!".  Thatta, girl.  Now we've thrown Trader Joe's in, and she is really confused.

Dell Harper helped me plant some nasturtium seeds.  She then proceeded to absolutely drown them with water from her watering can "all by myself!".  Repeatedly. I might have to procure some more seeds, and secretly plant them in the dead of night.  

Deeds and Buddy also assisted.

During all these gardening, Morgan suggested calling a babysitter and going out. I scoffed at the idea.  Exhausted, sweaty and still smelling like chlorine, putting on makeup sounded equivalent to marathon running.  Then he said "You need a break.  Doesn't getting out of the house and having someone else do baths and bed sound good?"  I called a babysitter immediately.

 Cheers to an adult dinner out!

Sunday I got these two cuties up and dressed, with time for some quick pictures. Conveniently I captured the four minutes Miss Priss deemed a bow acceptable before replacing it with a pink sequined tiara "Just like Fi-fi!".  That would be Sofia the First.

Being the exhausted parent that I am, I rolled with it.  She looked quite royal in Sunday school, and I loved it. A friend remarked that I was fun, for not insisting on a bow and removing said tiara, but it's less a matter of being fun, and more that I think it's funny.

 My niece was just precious and perfect during the baptism.  We dropped the kids off with a babysitter at home, then headed over to my brother's house for a little party.  The party was lovely- weather was perfect and it was a great celebration.  There were several of Deeds' peer group there, but this toddler would have been a tornado.

 After nap we headed up to a local watering hole that has been revamped to meet some friends.  She picked out her own outfit and accessories.

 No one was there so the kids got to go free range, while we sipped on some beers.

Deeds just wore himself out.

 Milkshakes were had and enjoyed.

Then storm clouds came in, we picked up pizza from a new-to-us New York style place, and headed home for a pizza picnic on the floor while it thundered and rained.  It doesn't get much better than that.