Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick

Why is it that children seem unable to understand what is meant by the term "quickly" when asked to...

a. Get in the car?
b. Clean their room/toys/anything?
c. Put on clothes/pajamas?

When they are playing my girls love to run. They race down the hall, across the park, and down the sidewalk. What they are doing at the moment is never as good as what might be happening down the street. But when they need to do any of the above-mentioned tasks all of a sudden they want to look at the clouds, watch the butterflies or just escape into some zone of childhood that is much more fun than doing what I asked. If it isn't enjoyment that is causing the escape it is a sudden, temporary, and unexplainable bodily breakdown. Everything from legs being too tired, to stomachs not working, these mysterious maladies come and go so quickly, doing no permanent damage except to my nerves.

The other day I had had it. We were late and I had asked, and asked, and asked and asked for things to be picked up so we could leave and come home to the house being half-way not messy. So I devolved to raising my voice.

Abbie turned to me and said, "Mom, you could say your pleases, I just don't think you want to."

I can't win. I can never win.

Panini Recipes

Trust me you'll want to read this. Even more you will want to eat these. As previously mentioned, my sister-in-law bought a new panini cookbook, and bless her she has shared the wealth with me. I would like to share the wealth with you.

Why Paninis are the Perfect Summertime Dinner

1 - They are SO fast. It is easy to put an entire meal together in about 20 minutes or less if you aren't adding sides. (Great sides with paninis: corn on the cob, salad, asparagus, fruit of any kind, really anything)

2 - They don't heat up your kitchen. With a west facing kitchen this is a BIG plus for me in the summer time. While I do have a grill going it isn't on for that long, and the heat doesn't seem to radiate from it the same way as it does from the stove or oven.

3 - They are delicious! Truly this is top quality stuff here, that makes people think you slaved to give them such amazing eats. Because I have insanely picky children,  I've also come to appreciate that paninis are easy to leave out some of the more 'adult' ingredients on the kids sandwiches without much effort.

4 - Portability. Paninis are easy to fix then take to the park or up the canyon. While they don't stay super hot they still are warm and crunchy and gooey on the inside.

So here you go....you'll thank me later. I promise.

Tomato, Feta and Basil Panini                      

(serves 2)

2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

pinch salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

4 slices sourdough bread

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 thin slices tomato

1. In a bowl, combine feta, basil, mayonnaise, salt and pepper

2. Brush one side of each bread slice with oil. Place two slices on a work surface, oiled side down, and evenly layer with cheese mixture and tomato.  Cover with top halves, oiled side up and press gently to pack.

3. Place sandwiches in grill, close the top plate and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Bacon, Smoked Gouda and Tomato Panini

(serves 2)

4 slices French bread

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. honey mustard

3 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, thinly sliced

8 slices bacon, cooked crisp

4 thin slices tomato

pinch salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

1. Brush one side of each bread slice with oil.  Place on a work surface, oiled side down, and spread mayonnaise over bottom halves.  Spread mustard over top halves.  On bottom halves, even layer with cheese, bacon, and tomato.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with top halves and press gently to pack.

2. Place sandwiches in grill, close the top plate and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Blue Cheese, Chicken and Apple Panini             

(serves 2)

2 ciabatta rolls, split

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. honey mustard

4 oz. roasted chicken breast, thinly sliced

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

6 thin slices Granny Smith apples

4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp

1. Place rolls, cut side down, on a work surface and brush crusts with oil.  Turn rolls over and spread with mustard.  On bottom halves, evenly layer with chicken, spinach, blue cheese, apple and bacon.  Cover with top halves and press gently to pack.

2. Place sandwiches in grill, close the top plate and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Serve immediately. 

Pepperoni and Cheese Panini (we call this one Pizza Panini)

(serves 2)

2 ciabatta rolls, split

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

2 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese, thinly sliced

1 oz. pepperoni, thinly sliced

pinch dried oregano

pinch salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

1. Place rolls, cut side down, on a work surface and brush crusts with oil.  Turn rolls over and, on bottom halves, evenly layer with mozzarella, Pecorino Romano and pepperoni.  Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper.  Cover with top halves and press gently to pack.

2. Place sandwiches in grill, close the top plate and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Random Thoughts Thursday

You know when you have a day when you just don't want to deal with what is being thrown at you, even when you know you should be completely capable of doing so, yeah, that's today.

I think a lack of sleep is the biggest contributor to the problem. Mine, not my kids.

I have a secret addiction to the Mythbusters. I LOVE that show. That is what contributed to the lack of sleep. But it is all in the name of science....right?

I am really grateful I cleaned my house today. It was a disaster, and about an hour and a half ago I got a request for a showing in another hour. I've never been this glad for a clean house.

I haven't posted recipes in awhile but I need to. My sister-in-law bought a Panini cookbook and has sent me some of her family's favorite recipes. Um....AmAzing!

What are you doing for the 4th?

I never thought I would say it, but I miss swimming lessons.

I think I need chocolate on a day like today.

Summer Swimming

Summer is swim season. Unfortunately before this summer our girls had an on and off relationship with swimming. Abbie liked the water but not putting her face in. Savannah barely tolerated it on the best of days. So like any good parents we decided to torture them with swimming lessons... And like all good torture, we got the results we wanted.(Actually, we far exceeded expectations on this one!)

I didn't get any pictures of Savannah but she will now float on her back (with help) and will stick her entire head in the water, as well as actually have fun at a pool which is considerable progress itself. They are both SO proud of themselves. Can I just tell you that as a parent it is so fun to see your children so proud of themselves for mastering a new skill. While we aren't going to continue the lessons all summer my goal is to take them swimming at least once a week so we can keep moving forward. Thankfully now they love it!

Random Thoughts Thursday

From our trip to Temple Square a few weeks ago

My bike race last Saturday went awesome...for the first 50 miles. From what we can figure, at the last stop when  I set my bike against the railing the front brakes got bumped, and started to rub against the tire. For the last ten miles. In a head wind. Blah. So yeah, I was beat by the end, but I still had a lot of fun and felt great about doing it.

I thought summer was supposed to be relaxing and easy going. Why, then, do I feel like I have been running around like crazy all week.

What should I get my husband for Father's Day?
 
What should we get my father-in-law for Father's Day? (For those of you who know my father-in-law, this is not a hypothetical question. I am drawing a blank and need some help!)

My favorite thing that my daughter says, "Oopsie!" I don't know where she got it but it makes me laugh every. single. time!

We started swimming lessons this week. I think the best thing for us to do would be to go swimming every day this summer, then maybe my girls will stick their heads in the water. But I'm not holding my breath.

Eating healthy is absolutely no fun at all!

Birthday Girl!

Today is Abbie's 5th birthday. We threw her an Artist Party. The girls colored puppets, painted butterflies, played Pictionary and Artist Relay, and decorated pizzas and cupcakes. (They also attacked and tackled Russ but that wasn't specifically on the agenda.) I don't know what everyone thought, but Abbie was in heaven. Abbie has blossomed this year. She has developed such a strong sense of who she is and what she loves. And what she loves is art. She loves to draw, color (markers and crayons), paint and sculpt. She loves color and beauty. It is so fun to see her becoming so passionate about art and artwork.

 Abbie is still my peacemaker and tender heart. She takes such good care of her sister and takes great pains to make sure that the people around her are happy. She is so concerned and caring of those around her. Abbie has also continued her love of learning. She is always looking at and questioning new things. She is a great reader and loves stories. Throughout the year she was obsessed with the Magic Treehouse series and only recently transfered that obsession to Geronimo Stilton and the American Girl Series. This year in her preschool programs she did a wonderful job on her speaking parts.

I love my Abs so much and feel very lucky to be her mom!

Home!

Slightly Less Random Thoughts Thursday

Last week

•  I got a new My Touch phone for free from T-Mobile. (It is their version of the iPhone.) I think my favorite app is Google Books. 
• Abbie "graduated" preschool, and had the cutest ceremony ever produced by 4 and 5-year-olds. Abbie had a speaking part and she did awesome!

(Sorry it is blurry. It is Abbie just about to sit down after welcoming the parents to the program.)

•  I had my  7th Anniversary! 

This week

•  We had a major problem (now fixed) with Russ's paycheck. It nearly gave me heart failure and took  two full days to solve.
• Abbie and Savannah started dance class. Savannah wouldn't let go of my leg for the hour, and Abbie told me it was boring. I am very glad these classes were only $30.
• Abbie's 5th birthday party. Artist party. We will be painting, coloring with marker, playing pictionary and decorating pizzas and cupcakes. It makes me wish I was five.
•  My brother comes home from his mission, is home for a week, then off to California for collage.

Next week

•  Abbie turns five.
•  I am helping my mom put together an open house for my brother.
•  I have my 60 mile bike race!

Life is good. Life is busy, and I am tired.

Saturday

Saturday we celebrated our 7th Anniversary (which actually is today).  Unfortunately I am not in charge of the world so things didn't turn out exactly as planned. But they turned out pretty darn good anyway. That is a pretty accurate summary of the last seven years.

I have a bike race in two weeks. This weekend is my last to get in a good long ride as next weekend is Abbie's birthday party, and my brother coming home from his mission!!!!!!!!

The Plan: Get in a good long ride on Monday so I wouldn't be dead when we went out Saturday night.

What Happened: Utah now has monsoon season, and Saturday morning was the only break in the clouds and rain all weekend, so that is when I rode. I rode 47 miles in 3 hours (Huzzah!), found a new trail, and only needed a nap in the afternoon, and was good to go.

The Plan: Russ have some good old daddy daughter time while I am on my ride.

What Happened: We were woken up to a phone call at 6:30 with someone asking for help moving. The same day. On a holiday weekend. Without explaining everything, the need and the short notice were legitimate (and not the result of lazy, poor planning, and making the ward your personal moving company. Sorry I have issues.) and so Russ spent the morning helping people move while a neighbor watched the girls.

The Plan: Dinner at Cafe Molise and a Real Salt Lake Game

What Happened: Cafe Molise may just have become my new favorite restaurant in town. I honestly can't remember the last time I ate somewhere and the food was so good I couldn't stop smiling, or eating.  Unfortunately the brief hiatus from the monsoon ended while we were at dinner so we went to the soccer game with ponchos ready. While the game was a blast (even though they lost, first home-game loss in 29 games), and I will definitely be going again, we got soaked. The rain was crazy rain. I didn't know how wet you could get while still having a plastic covering over 60% of your body.

So all in all it was a good day, and great anniversary. I feel very lucky to say that for me, marriage gets better and better as the years go on.

WWCD

As I've mentioned before, Savannah loves to pretend that she is a princess, and not just any princess. At any given moment she could be Belle, Sleeping Beauty, or, her favorite, Cinderella. Heaven help the person who addresses her by the wrong name. We all kind of play along and let her imagination run free.

The other day the girls were playing in the bath tub when Russ and I hear Abbie reprimanding her sister through fake tears.

"Savannah, would Cinderella make people cry?"

Silence.

"Well then you shouldn't make people cry."

And...Savannah complies.

The explicit manipulation by one so young is hilarious, but really Cinderella might be a good role model. She cleans the house for her family (while singing I might add) and she can carry three trays of breakfast at the same time. Yeah, I'm okay with my daughter looking up to her.

Random Thoughts Thursday

For all of my relatives in the Pacific Northwest, you can have your weather back now.....please.

This morning because we were tired of being cooped up inside with rainy weather we went to my mom and dad's house to coop up in their house. I made Blondies, Vanilla Cookies with White Chocolate-Blackberry Filling, and Oatmeal Orange Craisen cookies all for my brother's missionary homecoming open house in three weeks!

Savannah has croop. If you are familiar with her high breathy voice, just raise it a couple of octaves, add some scratchiness, and a seal-like bark and you'd have it about right. I feel bad that I think she sounds adorable, miserable, but adorable.

My bike race is also in three weeks. I did a 40 mile ride last Saturday and rather than help me feel more prepared it made me more nervous. By the end my backside was in serious pain. It didn't help that we had massive head winds for 3/4ths of the ride.

Unfortunately, I also have Savannah's cold so I am wanting to take a nap right about now. Too bad I can't.

Last night I gave a presentation at my church about fast meals to fix your family so you don't have to fix them crap. Sadly, because of how lousy I was feeling, the dinner I served my family before this presentation was......Chocolate Chip Pancakes.

If you can admit you are a hypocrite does it still count as hypocrisy?

A/C

When Russ and I spent the summer in London they had an unusual heat wave and the city about died. They were even making announcements on the news about the need to shower every day so you didn't stink up the Tube.* Through that experience I came into the firm belief that if you live in a climate that regularly gets above 85 degrees, working  A/C is a necessity for happy kids, a happy marriage, and a happy life.

Our A/C has not worked yet this spring.


If you live in the area we might become squatters at your house.

*I know that the 90 degree temperatures we experienced in London were not normal. So I'm not commenting on London's happiness level. We both believe London is the happiest place on earth. I'm not joking.