My Name is Wakefield.

This really shouldn’t suprise me anymore…

andy — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:04:22 +0000

For Evelyn Charlotte Townsend

katherine — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:52:15 +0000

“She looks at me intently, as she always would — pale, beautiful, raven-haired, they would have called her, had she been a heroine though she was not, I could have told her; neither then nor now — not to me, not to anyone. No one will remember you, I want to say to her. No one. But I don’t have the heart. Her wrists are so thin — is she already starving?”

Books are a funny thing. You can love a book for entirely different reasons, and the person sitting next to you could hate it. This such book, I loved for a variety of reasons. Not for its ease of reading, when in actuality, it is meaty, difficult, and sometimes exhausting to dissect the who and the what. Kate Walbert’s A Short History of Women, struck me. As a woman, as a daughter and a granddaughter, there is a connectedness that is almost unnamed, and difficult to grasp. In her novel she brilliantly captures this essence. You must read it, you must fall in love with Evelyn.

“I find it is the dark of the night when you least expect it — whatever this thing is — regret, perhaps, but not, it is bigger than that, more epic, somehow, padded and full and weirdly historical: this restlessness, this discontent. You’ve done it all wrong, again, and you were going to do it perfectly. You’ve lost the forest for the trees.”

Read this great review!

Creamy custard blushing apple

katherine — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:00:45 +0000

I know, inside jokes are annoying, right? But whatever, my title belongs to that class and I like it. I made this for my kids, with a good pile of berries on top, they loved it. So did I. I ate it in bed, while reading a book, and I don’t feel bad about it. I am not usually a regular dessert eater, but in the last week I have contributed to the consumption of: 1 loaf banana bread, 1 loaf zucchini bread, a large serving of custard and 2 ice cream cones.

Vanilla Custard
by La Tartine Gourmande

2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup blond cane sugar or granulated sugar
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from a vanilla bean
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Strawberries, diced, to serve

To make the custard:
In a pot, bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer.

While waiting for the milk, combine the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat until mixed well.

Add the salt and cornstarch, set aside.

Once your milk reaches a simmer, slowly pour into the egg mixture, while continuously stirring.

Transfer the custard back to the pot and reheat until small bubbles form, then cook 1-3 more minutes until it thickens. (mine had bubbles upon transferring back, so I just reheated until it thickened).

Transfer the custard back to the bowl and set in an ice bath. Cover with saran wrap and let cool in the refrigerator until served.

Our New House, or we don’t own any furniture and we’re major cheap asses pt. II.

andy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:21:09 +0000

Four mismatched $5 thrift store chairs + $15 thrift store table + 1 Quart of Paint = New Dining Area

Our New House, or we don’t own any furniture and we’re major cheap asses.

andy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:00:57 +0000

$50 of MDF + Free Craigslist Cabinets + 1 Gallon of White Paint + Old Picture Frames + 1 can of Brown Spray Paint = New Office

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Baby Balooga

katherine — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:43:53 +0000

Owen gets very little attention on this blog, which is not an accurate depiction of how much we adore him. He is growing up more each day, increasing his vocabulary and constantly learning new things. Such a sweet and fun kid, he adores Addy and wants to do everything she does. Half the time he just calls her “sister” and the other half its dee dee.

He loves singing his favorite, jingle bells. He tells me, It’s ok mommy, I’m fine. (after sneezing). I want that cut! (I think he means kind?). Can I go with you? (plays on repeat). I want two binkies! (plays on repeat as well). Bless you mommy (aw shucks). I wanna run in the sprinkle too! ( really, he does not).

agua fresca con sandia

katherine — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:04:12 +0000

We went to a restaurant recently, Porque No?, and it was, and is, amazing. The house made chips and guacamole, the tacos, everything was so very good. The most surprising thing I loved was the agua fresca. They had three types, all house made, and we chose the watermelon. I think I died a little when I drank it, and have since been pining for some more — especially as I sit in a very warm house the last few days. So, I bought a small watermelon and went to town. It’s quite easy to make, specifically since you can tailor it to your taste preferences by adding just a bit of water, or thinning it down considerably, all to your liking. Depending on the sweetness of your watermelon (mine was meh), you can add sugar in the same fashion. Traditionally agua fresca is made from mashing the fruit with a fork, not with a blender. I started out that way, but my fruit was only semi soft and I was a lot impatient. So I blended it in my Cuisinart and it worked well.

Since we had bought a second watermelon, Addy and I had a bit of fun with it. She kept laughing saying, “it hurts, it hurts!” You don’t know how correct you are Addy. It does hurt like hell. I thought I had a bit more time before this happened to her. Then I attacked her and ate her. And no, I’m not pregnant.

Agua Fresca con sandia (fresh water with watermelon)

1 watermelon (mine was about 8lbs) or other melon of your choice
1/4 - 1/3 c sugar (I added a tablespoon at a time and ended with 6T)
2 cups cold water
Juice of 1 lime

Cut the watermelon in 1 inch cubes, then mash well with a fork or blend to a puree. Push through a fine mesh strainer, using the back of spoon to force the pulp through. Add the cold water in small portions, tasting as you go along to your liking. I went for a less watered down, more intense flavor. Add the sugar in similar fashion to your desired sweetness. Add the lime juice, and stir. Allow to refrigerate for 30 minutes, as the flavors seem to set and perk up after cooling. Serve with or without ice, garnished with pieces of fruit OR add a splash of rum or vodka for a lovely, refreshing adult beverage (that’s what I did!). I am excited to try this recipe with cantaloupe and honeydew, both sound wonderful right now in my heat induced coma. I also read a recipe online that used rose water, which would be an interesting addition if you have it.

It’s getting hot in here!

katherine — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:36:58 +0000

It’s currently 84 degrees in my house. It’s 8pm. The high was 97 today. Yes, Heidi, I know it’s hot in Phoenix — but you have air conditioning! And we have NO air conditioning, and our car’s air conditioner sucks in a bad way. Meaning it’s nonexistent. But despite all the heat, the sweating and the crankiness, we are trying to salvage it. I keep thinking of Alishia toting around three kids in the Portland heat last year, one of which was strapped to her body, and then I don’t feel so bad.

I had a great run this morning before it got hot, and then we had a lovely brunch, courtesy of kind people who invited us along. They served: corn studded pancakes topped with roasted leg of lamb, a poached egg and then drizzled with a sorrel sauce (along with mimosas and bloody marys!). It was amazing. Then we baked in the car as we drove to a small water park outside of the city to meet my brother and his family. Let me tell you, THAT felt good. Then we got Sonic shakes, so you see, I really have nothing to complain about.

So now I sit here, in the silence and darkness, waiting for the cool to set in. I leave you with one of my favorite green bean sides. So light and refreshing. I love vacations or staycations, or whatever the heck it is I am doing.

Photo of the Day {OMSI}

katherine — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:42:00 +0000

Photo of the Day {Zucchini Bread + Street Fare}

katherine — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 03:15:49 +0000

1. Warm, nutty zucchini bread. This photo is the only remnant of my 2 loaves. I tried this recipe, but omitted all the optional ingredients, as well as the curry. Good stuff. 2. Our trip downtown to the Deschutes Brew Pub street fare. Delicious food from 10 different street carts and beer tasters. Bonus: we were given 7 free tokens (each $4 value). Thanks random strangers!