Friday, October 29, 2010

i just want to remember...

today for what it was, so before i post the recipes from the artist party, i though i would get a quick post in because i wanted to bottle the not-very-exciting, but perfectly normal fun we had tonight.

like any other day, i ran around the house cleaning up and tidying. de-cluttering the crap that seems magnetic around here. honestly, it is never ending. finally, a serviceman stopped by to fix our broken down washer that i forgot was broken because, well...i guess because it is a phenomenal excuse to NOT do the laundry so i must have blocked out the broken down washer. so i answered the door and i had forgotten that i looked like death on a saltine cracker...an old cracker, maybe old cracker crumbs. i don't know, but it was bad.

anyway, i let the guy in as he received a phone call, so here we were in my living room, and i'm trying not to look at him but i can't help it because, well he was a stranger in my living room. i saw him look around the house and in my insecure, crappy-looking frame of mind, i assumed he was looking around thinking things to himself like, "wow, she looks like crap, her house is a mess, and her kid is running around in his underwear and wearing batman cape."

so, i sound myself having an internal argument with the guy..."dude, you don't me. i work hard. i was up late last night working hard. and i forgot you were coming, so that's why i look like a troll and hey, i'm a good mom. okay, i don't suck as bad as i look like i may!"

ha.
well, he fixed the washer the guest bathroom and bid me a farewell.

so, then i decided to make one of my mom's special soup recipes. it's called crazy soup and given the day so far...i think i decided to make the perfect soup for the day!

my grandma used to make a similar soup, but my mom made a few tweaks and she calls it her favorite soup.

my mom is a wonderful cook. she makes what all moms make...the most comfortable and loving food. i remember how well my mom could keep a house, make dinner every night of the week, and still have time to raise six kids. two sets of twins and two singles.

the house was clean, her carpet was stain free, and the kids didn't sass back. damn, she was better than i thought.

my mom is the master soup maker. she should own her own soup stand and ladle bowls of goodness to anyone and everyone. i think the world would be a better place if she did.

my mom makes a pot a soup a week for my dad. my dad in turn raves about it to anyone that will listen because deep down he believes she made it just for him. he has a proud way of speaking about my mom. like she's still his young bride and he hit the jackpot that she said yes.

so here is her crazy soup recipe. i think she calls it crazy because you can throw just about anything in that pot and it will taste amazing. (or she has a crazy daughter...not sure)

mom's crazy soup

i pound hot or mild italian sausage (can do half chorizo)
one large onion, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped,
7 large carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 boxes low-sodium chicken broth
7 stems of kale or swiss chard, cut stems off, and chop up.
2-3 cans of your favorite beans (i used cannellini and great northern)
2 potatoes, peeled
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
oregano
bay leaf
1 cup ditalini pasta, cooked
optional: asiago cheese rind

in a saute pan saute celery and carrots in olive oil for about 5 minutes, add the onion and garlic and saute a few
more minutes. in a soup pot (i used my la creuset), add your sausage and a tablespoon of olive oil and cook until done. pour the veggies mixture in the pot, add the broth, the seasonings, the kale, and the potatoes. cook for an hour and a half. take pots out and mash with the back of fork and add back to soup. you can do the same with a half cup of beans. this thicken the soup. at the very end, add a rind of asiago cheese or grated cheese.

make a cup of pasta and throw some in with each bowl. this way you can freeze the leftovers and not worry about mushy pasta.

enjoy it like your grandma made because it's that good!
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i think your kids will like it too...

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beckham:
mmmm, mama. i like this soup. did you buy this?

mama: {laughing at the nerve of my little guy} no, honey. i didn't buy the soup. i bought the ingredients and made the soup myself...today...in front of you!

beckham: mmm. i really like this. you bought this from the store.

scout's honor. that kid cracks me up!

then, we took two perfectly orange orbs and plopped them on the front lawn
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broke out the sharpies and designed our little jacks.

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peyton wanted heart eyes and a heart nose. easy.

it was another one of those moments where i felt grateful for the small, simple, and normal graces of our life. as we sat on the grass, sawing out eyes and a smooth mouth...i was once again amazed that i was the mother helping my own children carve their pumpkins and i wasn't the child needing help from my parents. sometimes being the adult seems so surreal. is that weird?

i was just happy to see my kids so happy. ewwing and grossing out over the slimy and seedy insides of the familiar smell of our pumpkins. when i didn't think it could get any more fun...it started thundering.

"mama, is their a raindrop on my nose?"

"no, honey. i don't see one but it could be there!"


she ran in the house to look in the mirror.

we finally carved the pumpkins, the kids plopped their battery operated lights in them and set out to roast the seeds!

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you can do all sorts of fun herbs to roast pumpkin seeds...cayenne pepper, soy sauce, rosemary...i just went traditional
tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon of butter, melted. poured it on top of the seeds, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and baked it on a baking sheet at 300 degrees.

so good!
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and i had received two messages on what i pack my kids for lunch. since, i am not very consistent in the lunch department, i didn't feel i should really share. well, i received another request today, so i decided to post a pic of what i packed my daughter for lunch for tomorrow.

i know how it feels to be completely uninspired when it comes to packing a school lunch every day. i think it's because we want our kids lunch to show them that we really care and love them. it's pressure. if peyton is having a rough day at school or even if she's not, i want her to be able to open her lunch box and remember that her mama loves her.

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so tomorrow's lunch will be:
three slices of salami (my kids adore salami but don't often get it so this will be a treat for her)
a couple slices of sharp cheddar cheese and triscuits.
half a honey crisp apple
and sliced carrots with fresh dill dip (dip is in the center of the container)

other ideas that work for my kiddies:
~pepperoni and ritz crackers
~ few slices of boar's head black forest ham with pita chips and boursin cheese

i always include fruit and a water! we are cutting back on the juice!

***
pumpkin seeds, happy pumpkins, and soup simmering on the stove...lovely day.
happy fall celebrations and safe trick-or-treating! i hope your nights are filled with life's little pleasures and big pot of crazy!!!

xoxoxoxoxo

26 comments:

Patti said...

such a sweet mama you are, heidi:) love those pumpkins, and can't wait to try the soup!

Anonymous said...

OH I had a laugh. seriously, BECKHAM! Oh my word, that kid is funny!!

What a day. We've all had em. I love arguing in my mind with someone who hasn't at all said a word, but with every look in their eyes and body language, has gotten your hackles up and your defenses in full force. Love that.

xoxo!
Lori

Leah said...

Yum. Yum. Yum.... To your recipe, pictures and your thoughts!! Great post Heidi!

Anonymous said...

I think we all have those troll moments when company inevitably stops by. It's Murphy's Law.
I have trouble keeping things fresh and fun in Charlie's lunch too, so I found this website and there are some GREAT ideas on this site.

http://www.anotherlunch.com/

PS. I argue with people in my mind all the time too. Totally normal. That's how us non-confrontational people roll.

Have a great Halloween with your adorable babies, Heidi!!!

Lafleche

iColossus / Monster said...

The other day a neighbor dude who I don't know stopped by around 10 in the morning on a Sunday to find out if it was my car that was blocking his driveway. Needless to say, I was not ready at all for visitors. I had just taken a shower and had a towel turban on my head and was holding a stinky diapered-Spike, who I was just about to change.

A couple days later, the Verizon guy stopped by to make a pitch and as I was talking with him outside our door, Mingus was lifting up my shirt and blowing raspberries on my washboard-with-a-load-of-laundry-on-it stomach.

And you know what? I couldn't care less, ha! Because I now know that people are so busy caring about what other people think about them, that they are almost oblivious to what's going on with anyone else. That's the beauty of it!

Love your pumpkins carving the pumpkins! We still need to do that, I'm pretty behind on all that stuff, oh well.

I think I'm going to have to try that soup recipe. LOVE the kale in it!

love you, miss you!

Joann said...

Great post! The pumpkins look great:o)
I have the same problem...it always seems like the worst moment when someone comes to the door. Why is it that when the house is looking OK...no one arrives???? Happy Halloween!

Maria said...

Thanks for the crazy soup receipe..making it tonight.
Friends 'n family are always stopping by & what better to serve them on a freezing (to me, anyway) night. Temps are dropping
into the low 40's & it's sure starting to feel like hibernation time to me.
Oh, & back when we used to come home from school for lunch, my mom would get a slice of white (we didn't know from whole grains back then..lol) bread, put a slice of good old processed American cheese on it, roll it up & wrap it in a bacon slice, stick it with a toothpick & shove it under the broiler until the bacon cooked. Cheese rolls, she called it. Crisp bacon, gooey cheese, cold milk. Heaven I tell you.

AJ said...

I started blogging in an effort to stop talking to myself..I tend to have pretend conversations exactly how you described...however I started blogging and I still have converstations to myself...oh well!

Kris said...

"i was once again amazed that i was the mother helping my own children carve their pumpkins and i wasn't the child needing help from my parents. sometimes being the adult seems so surreal. is that weird?"
No! Not to me. Becuase I often feel the very same way. What? I'm all grown up and I have a 5 year old. When did this happen? lol
For real!
Your recipe sounds so good and totally crazy ...and I love it!
Pumpkins came out perfect. I love when they have a personality of thier own! Too cute!
xo
Kris

Anna Ruth said...

You are such a homemaker. I love all the receipes you are giving.

Sarah said...

yes, a wonderful homemaker you are!! And your mom...two sets of twins?!??! WOW!!! I'd love to know about those relationships one day. My brother is my best friend and I really hope my girls will be close, and in general sibling relationships are so sweet. Your family is precious! Oh, and I'm a vegetarian ...do you think the soup would be good without the meat???

Amie said...

What a nice, simple post. Somehow, the kids' pumpkins resemble them!! Have a great weekend!

Rosa said...

Heidi: Love the lunch-box ideas. It's a never ending struggle with me to pack a healthy (but something they will eat) lunch!

Sallinger said...

I don't believe for a second that you looked like a troll!

Have you ever tried butter, cinnamon and brown sugar pumpkin seeds? They are incredible.

I, too, have moments when I can't believe I'm the adult in our house. It's weird! And, I assume people think I'm driving my parents' minivan. I look at myself in the mirror and don't think I've aged a day. So weird!!

Malu said...

I came here just to wish you a happy halloween !!! Nice pictures and the soup seems very tasty ...:)xoxo

Shaams said...

What a great post! I can't wait to make the soup, looks delicious! Hope you are well and that lunch box for Peyton, perfect!

Raina said...

That soup looks SO YUMMY!!!

My three year old had the same words for me after I made muffins a few weeks back. "mommy, did you get those muffins from the store"..."no, I made them"..."no, you got them from the store, mom" Granted my culinary skills are minimal at best, but I can make a decent muffin!!

Can't wait to buy, I mean TRY your soup :-) !

Lizzy Vega said...

LOVE the new header and I adore this long post!! Now, I'm ready for a new one -- what's up? ;)

sdm said...

LOVE the new header!!!
glad to hear you all are doing well!!
xoxo

Daniele said...

TWO sets of twins and two singles?!?! Your mama is my hero!!! :D

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P-nut said...

I"M BACK! well for now... i should be xmas shopping but its rainy, cold and a perfect day to fill my wine glass full of peanut m&m's and catch up on my peyton and beckham fix :)
wowzers - 2 sets of twins and 2 singles... hearing about other moms who can handle it all so well really makes me feel like i suck! ha ha. but then i went on to read about your lovely visitor in the midst of chaos and went "oh, okay, we ALL have those days" :) and i'm sure your mama did too.. and perhaps, beckham won't even rem running around half naked with a messy house - he will also carry the preception of you that you have of your mom!
man, you even know how to make a 6 year olds lunch look delicious! ha ha... xo

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