hopeful

I had the best idea for getting back into this blogging thing. As mentioned in my previous post, we're getting ready for our annual trip to Montana. I remembered that I had filed away a recipe I found online for homemade breakfast bars, and thought that would be just the thing for our bright and early departure.

It was the perfect recipe. Healthy, full of nuts and oats and good stuff, I could make it in advance and pack it for the car. Oh yes, it was going to be a grand re-entrance to the blogging world.We were going to enjoy those bars all the way through Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Once I started assembling the ingredients, it seemed a bit off...sort of like soggy oatmeal baked until it becomes bar-like. But I plunged forward, determined to provide my family with sustenance for the eight hour adventure.

Finn joined me in the kitchen, so I was able to get the obligatory "my kid helps me cook!" photo:

I couldn't find an 8x8 pan, so I thought I'd try something different (this was perhaps my fatal error); instead of throwing the mix into a parchment paper lined pan, I (or rather Finn) spooned it into a greased mini muffin pan. And then we put it into the oven to bake.

Finn and I spent the next 35-40 minutes working on a sewing project. All was feeling right in the world. The buzzer beeped, we went into the kitchen, pried the "breakfast bars" out of the pan, took a bite, and both spit it out. "It takes like burnt oatmeal," Finn says. I couldn't agree more. Epic fail.
 

When Emmett woke up, he and Finn decided to scrape out what they could from the muffin pan. And, well, I let them...they were destined for the trash can anyway. Emmett was the only one who found them bearable, but even he rejected them eventually.

So there you have it. My completely honest disclosure that not every blog-bound effort is wrapped up in sunshine and daisies. Time to go find something new to make for the trip. Or perhaps we'll just bring a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter...

I can't believe a year has passed since we were preparing for our epic road trip last June. So much has changed - Finn is getting ready to start Kindergarten, Emmett is a lot less baby and a lot more boy, Sean is a permanent principal, I'm a year into this full time working mom gig - and yet some things feel exactly the same. Despite all the external things that pull us in different directions through the school year, our world remains focused on the four of us, finding our rhythms, sitting down to dinner each night, appreciating the time we are spending together.

We're preparing to head to Montana once again - this time our journey involves a day's drive to visit dear friends in Minnesota then flying from there to Helena. Eight hours in the car + 2.5 hours on an airplane. And the thing is, I'm kind of sad about it. Sure, three days in the car had its ups and downs, but ultimately we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's none the worst for wear and maybe even a little closer. I loved that crazy road trip last summer that took us through nine states and allowed us to see so many friends and family members in so many different places.

There's preparation to be done, regardless of the means of travel. I'm getting the bags packed up once again, and I'm loving that we don't have any diapers or strollers or portable cribs on this trip. Just four people and four suitcases. How did that happen?


This awaits. And we can't wait.

I'm just a few short weeks from completing my first school year as the full time working mother of two, and I think that overall it has been a success. When I am home, I'm happy to be home; when I am at work, I'm happy to be at work...so I guess that is a win. But on those occasional days when I've got a sick kid who has to stay home from day care, I like to pretend I'm still a stay at home mom. The thing is, I'm really good at it. My boys and I spent those two and a half years fine-tuning a highly functional system, and when I'm unexpectedly handed a day at home with the kids, it comes back so naturally. Don't get me wrong, having a sick kid is, hands-down, the hardest part of being a working parent, particularly when you work in education and have to deal with subs and sub plans and the terror of finding out what happened in the library in your absence the next day. But once I've got the professional details handled, I sink so happily into the familiarity of being home with my boys.

Emmett came down with an out of nowhere crazy high fever at dinner time last night. Finn could have gone to school but, as he so eloquently explained to me this morning, "I just kind of feel like I need a day at home." Don't we all, kid? So home we stayed. Sean actually spent the morning with the boys and passed the baton to me at lunchtime when I returned from a morning at work. And how did I spend my afternoon? In between stories and snuggles and naps, I made a batch of homemade chicken broth which led naturally into making a wonderful pot of risotto.

Risotto is, in my opinion, the perfect dish for enjoying the experience of being in the kitchen. It's not super quick, and it is definitely not hands-off, but for those evenings when you have the time and inclination to stand at the stove stirring, it can be a really blissful process. Tonight was that night for me. This recipe features the beautiful spring flavors of asparagus and baby peas...so if your farmer's market, like mine, kicks off the season this weekend, get your hands on some early asparagus and make some of this. You won't regret it.

Happy spring, all!

1. In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook three minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove all the asparagus from the broth. Set asparagus aside to cool.
2. Lower the heat under the broth and keep at a simmer.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until coated with the oil, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it is absorbed. Add the simmering broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is tender but firm in the center, about 20 minutes total.
4. Stir in the asparagus and peas with the last addition of broth. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.