photo op

 

 

grandpa and grandma swain recently had all of their grandchildren

in the same place at the same time,

and even managed to have them all seated in the same area at once!

esther, julian, alexia, lily-anna and edgar.

we missed having all of the of the uncles there though...

 



bubbles

as long as it has nothing to do with a bath,

the children find soap a very interesting substance...

 

 

bubbles are considered to be such fun, in fact, that some rainy-day times 

 I just fill a very soapy sink

and let the kids scoop out handfuls of foam

for free-form art projects, disguises, or just plain hurling about.

 

the best place to enjoy the world's best toy,

 though, is out in the street, where they shimmer and float like feathers,

and invite passers-by to stretch out a finger and pop a few along their way.

safety first

scene yesterday:

the family is in the van, racing to the girl's dance class.

daddy is driving.

 chaos reigns in the back seats;

cheerful, rowdy, pain and suffering exchanges between the two siblings.

a bellow from the driver is issued:

"HEY!!!   settle down back there!!!!  i could have an accident!!"

silence, then a small voice replies:

"you mean pee your pants?"

~~~

i almost peed my pants.

apricot red lentil soup.

tulip sprouts are popping up, so comfort food should be loosening its alluring grip,

but this april snowfall had me turning to the soup pages of my recipe books. 

this one I have already made 3 times...mmm.

 

apricot red lentil soup

 

(adapted from 'color me vegan' by colleen patrick-goudreau)

 

sauté in 1T oil:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 minced garlic cloves

 1/2 C chopped dried apricots

 

when soft, add:

1 1/2 C red lentils (rinsed and picked)

5 C stock of choice (i used chicken)

cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes.

 

then add:

3 chopped tomatoes

1 t ground cumin

1 t dried thyme

1/2 t dried rosemary

1/2 t salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper.

 

simmer until soft and smooth.

 

the original recipe added 1 can of rinsed chickpeas,

but I stopped short.

 

super yummy served over piping hot brown rice.

the apricots are a lovely sweet surprise.