rock hopper

lemieux island

a gorgeous autumn day.

we walked the trestle bridge across the river...

to a greenspace mostly used as dog park.  

the kids and canines both were

fascinated by the fresh water and the scent of fall.

we spent quite some time throwing rocks into the mighty ottawa,

trying for the biggest splashes,

drawn to the mesmerizing patterns those splashes carve on the still water.

fairy cakes

esther and i thought it might be nice to have a few of the ladies over for tea...

we made a guest list,

she helped me set a lovely table.

there are occasions where only great grandma's china, and great-great grannie's tea set will do.

this was one of them.

the ladies were charming and polite;

discussion ranged from wiggly teeth,

(who has 'em)

the names of the third grade 1 teacher, 

(is it mme julie?)

to the villains on Wild Kratts.

("i'm sure it is Vector, not Victor...")

and they did leave the cupcakes for last.

and to make the party complete?

a visit from a clown.

"ugly but good"

is the translation of the name of these Italian confections...

i finally tried this recipe from the Complete Canadian Living Cookbook...

with dark chocolate, these are lactose free, and they lend themselves to a variety of add-ins...

chopped toasted nuts, nougat, dried fruit...

i think they should be called "simple yet fabulous" instead.

using a stand mixer for part two makes it even easier.

Brutti ma Buoni Cookies

4 egg whites

1 C granulated sugar

whisk these together in a double boiler

until the whites are glossy and opaque.

(about 10 minutes)

they needn't be whisked the whole time...

multitask, and chop up:

2 C good quality dark chocolate.

remove the eggwhite/sugar mix from heat, and

beat until cool and thickened

(about 7 minutes)

then gently fold in:

3 T flour

1 t vanilla

the chocolate.

drop by heaping tablespoons onto

parchment lined baking sheets.

bake, 1 sheet at a time, in the centre of a 350 degree oven

for about 25 minutes...

check at 20 minutes, though...trust your instincts.

cool on a wire rack, then store at room temperature.

that is it.  a special treat.  just keep an eye on your sneaky housemates.

especially the really short ones.

socks first, then shoes.

first week of school, and the girl is adapting to early mornings by using a

tried and true organization method...

check, and....check.

breakfast and...lunch?

this past weekend we hopped in the van to camp-out at our friend's farm near Perth.

it was the perfect evening for a bonfire and a glass of wine,

and the kids were shadowy giggles, roaming and exploring the dusk until tent-time.

~

in the morning, 

i tagged along with joanna to a neighbouring farm to pick up some bacon. 

while josh and david made pancakes, the four small people 

(once they had helped dig up and wash the potatoes) 

 got to relax on the "playground" until mealtime.

and later i was introduced to a future supper date...

star wears

the girl (a.k.a. princess padme amidala) contrived a very convincing tough-girl costume

 while playing star wars with thomas and edgar.

~

(and none of these kids have even seen any of the films...)

little nuts

offering the kids peanuts in the shell was a bigger hit than i had imagined...

edgar joyfully cracked his apart by bashing two together 

while making super-hero/bomb noises;

 the girl nibbled at the nuts, then deftly turned 

each of her fingers into little shell-helmeted puppets.

and the squirrels could only observe, with hunger and bewilderment.