Mama Cooks: Seasonally Inappropriate Dinner

It was a balmy 61 degrees here in the Pacific Northwest today.  There wasn't a stitch of blue in the sky this afternoon while I prepared dinner, so I opted to make something I typically save for the cooler months:  a whole baked chicken.  I like my chicken tender (who doesn't?) and flavorful.  I use a simple "recipe" and it always turns out well.

one free-range, organic whole chicken
one cup organic olive oil
three large organic yams, sliced into "rings" (peeled, if you like)
one organic onion, diced
four organic carrots, chopped
kosher salt, pepper

Pour a little olive oil into glass baking dish, placing yam circles and half of the chopped onion on the bottom of the dish.  Rinse the chicken and place into baking dish.  Next, pour the remaining oil over the bird and sprinkle the rest of the onion and carrots into the dish.  The chicken should be fairly covered with onion.  Add a healthy dose of salt and pepper.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 450 degrees for about two hours.  Enjoy!

Evelyn Turns Three!

Evelyn at five months.  This is one of my favorite photos.

Make a wish!

Full of life, spark, giggles, curiosity. . . I hope that "three" is a great year for her.

Give Him a Break

Today marked 3.75 days of a miserably high fever for Henry.  He has a double ear infection and he's just completely uncomfortable.  This means he isn't sleeping well at night-- or during the day, for that matter.  This evening, Chris pushed him in the swing while I finished cooking dinner.  The swing offered a nice reprieve from the heat and it lulled Henry to sleep.  Unfortunately, he woke up crying every time we tried to move him from the swing.  Chris finally held Henry's head while he slept in the swing for a little while.  My poor baby; I hope tonight bring some sleep and relief to him!

Officially Summer!

While some parts of the country have been in full summer mode for at least a couple of weeks, the season isn't officially ushered into the Pacific Northwest until the fourth of July.  Sweaters and jackets are still fair game throughout June here.  This took some time to get used to but I certainly do appreicate the beautiful summer weather and crystal clear mountain views now that they're making their annual appearances.  The collective happiness of our neighbors and fellow PNW-ers was palpable at the beach this weekend.

We were lucky enough to spend time this weekend with friends and still manage to create something pretty cool for Evelyn's upcoming birthday party/ family potluck extravaganza.  Mum's the word, for now.  I hope you had a spectacular long weekend as well!

Introducing . . .

Now that she is almost three, Evelyn has reached the rank of pet owner.  A couple of days ago, I took the kids to a pet shop so that Evelyn could choose a fish.  I tried to really "talk up" the beta fish-- they were all packaged to go in small glass bowls and looked very low-maintenance.  She was unimpressed by their solitude.  Evelyn decided on a fancy goldfish with a white body and orange face.  We chose a nice little tank with a filter and Evelyn picked out colorful rocks (blue, like the ocean) and artificial plants.  She also added a miniature eiffel tour, but only because none of the castles would fit in our tank. 

Dorothy, or-- as I am inclined to say-- Dotty, is everything I can handle in a pet.  She is silent, easily contained, and brings joy and pride to my little girl.  Score!  Evelyn gets to feed her pet and turn on and off her light at various times of the day.  Evie also talks to Dorothy and shows off her art projects.  Perhaps the best thing about goldfish is that they are fantastic listeners.  And Evelyn certainly has a lot to say.

A shark!  No, it's just Henry, hoping for some goldfish action.

First Kiss on a Friday

Henry has learned a few new "tricks."  Some are dangerous (see below) while others are purely adorable.  In the heart-melting category, Henry can now shake his head "no" and say "uh uh" and he tries to blow kisses.  He is very good at blowing out.  He also learned to give a kiss.  I was the lucky (and happy) recipient.

Henry climbed up the step stool and hoisted himself onto the hallway bathroom's counter.  He then crawled into the sink.

Almost A Break

It's amazing how much one's perspective can change when deprived of sleep and any semblance of personal space.  I scurried off to the dentist today with a smile on my face.  Yes, I knew that I would need at least three shots and I really don't like them.  I also really don't like the sound of a drill coming from inside my mouth.  Still, my dentist does offer digital TV. 

What would I like to watch?  I had no idea what was on since, if it isn't Mr. Roger's re-runs or an occasional Caillou, we rarely watch TV before 9 PM.  I watched a retired couple look for a second home on HGTV.  It wasn't the worst way to spend an hour.