.Easter basket.

Last year we didn't get Amelia an Easter basket because at 3 months old it seemed kind of pointless and dumb. This year however, we've decided that it would be fun to get her one and next year we can expand on the Easter Bunny traditions even more. Since she's only going to be 15 months old I don't want to put candy & sweets in her basket {I actually would prefer to tone down the candy in all future baskets as well - it's not Halloween part II after all} so I've come up with some really cute alternatives. I know that a few friends that read this blog also have little ones about the same age, I hope these ideas help you if you are a bit stumped as I was! If you have any other ideas that you think would be great please let me know!

I adore this sweet & classic Peter Rabbit Easter basket from Pottery Barn Kids and I have a total obsession for all things monogrammed! Oh my gosh how cool is this? Instead of getting that annoying plastic messy fake "Easter grass" you can grow real Easter grass right inside of your Easter basket! These smart little kits come with all you need to grow two basket's full of grass. You simply line your kids' baskets with foil, and then take the coconut husk disk, which when mixed with water makes a fine dirt. Dump the dirt into the baskets, sprinkle the grass seeds, and cover with plastic wrap. Done. In just a couple of days you'll have grass that grows surprisingly fast, even if you're like me and have a black thumb. Seriously. You can order this from Plumb Party!

We are readers in this family and what better thing for Easter than a beautiful Beatrix Potter book? this version is from Amazon.com

And of course, a few stuffed animals are required. In keeping with the Peter Rabbit theme I'm going with this adorable Peter Rabbit & Jeremy Fisher {my favorite...Squirrel Nutkin is a close second} from Amazon.com

Lastly, I thought this dish set would be perfect. It's along the same theme & Amelia is at the point where she insists on feeding herself like a big girl. This set is from Potter Barn Kids.

.Recipe of the week.

It's almost Easter {April 24th} and as with every holiday I have had my menu planned months in advance. I thought it would be "fun" {aka easy} to share my menu with you via the weekly recipes of the week. To shake things up a bit I've decided to go in reverse order and start with dessert {the way I imagine meals would begin in a wonderland where I am ruler}. Normally I go with a carrot cake to stay with an Eastery theme but this year I wanted something different and lighter since the main course is so heavy {lamb}. Coconut cake is one of my all time favorites and this one with a twist should be extra delicious! It's a lot of ingredients but I figure that holidays are the best excuse for over the top dishes! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ginger-Lime Coconut Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients:

For the ginger-lime curd -

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup lime zest {takes about 12 limes}

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons butter cut into pieces at room temp

For the cake -

5 cups of sifted flour {sifted first then measured}

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups {3 sticks} unsalted butter at room temp

3 cups sugar

8 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk at room temp

Bamboo scewers {these are in every grocery store}

For the frosting -

1.5 cups sugar

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoon light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 {7oz.} package of sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:

For ginger-lime curd:

Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, lime juice, lime peel, ginger, and salt in large metal bowl to blend. Place bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch simmering water); whisk constantly until curd thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from over simmering water; whisk butter into curd. Strain through fine strainer set over bowl; discard solids in strainer. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd; chill overnight. (Curd can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

For cake:

1. Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter four 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper rounds. Butter parchment; dust with flour. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until very well blended, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Divide batter equally among prepared cake pans.

2. Place 2 cake pans on top rack of oven and 2 pans on bottom rack; bake until golden and tester inserted into cake centers comes out clean, reversing pans after 15 minutes, about 30 minutes total. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off parchment paper. Turn cakes right side up on racks; cool cakes completely.

3. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1/3 of ginger-lime curd (about 1/2 cup) over, leaving 1/2-inch plain border around edge of cake. Repeat procedure on 2 more cake layers. Let each cake layer stand 10 minutes. Stack cake layers, curd side up. Top with fourth cake layer. Let cake stand at room temperature while preparing frosting. Insert 3 or 4 bamboo skewers from top to bottom into cake to hold stacked cake layers in place while frosting.

For frosting:

Whisk sugar, egg whites, 1/3 cup water, light corn syrup, and cream of tartar in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch simmering water). Using handheld electric mixer, beat on medium speed until mixture resembles soft marshmallow fluff, about 4 minutes. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick, about 3 minutes longer. Remove bowl from over simmering water. Add vanilla extract and continue beating until marshmallow frosting is completely cool, about 5 minutes longer.

Spread marshmallow frosting thinly over top and sides of cake. Remove bamboo skewers. Press flaked coconut into marshmallow frosting on top and sides of cake. (Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.)

.That doll everyone is talking about.

There's a new baby doll out in Spain called the Bebe Gloton that was created for children to promote breastfeeding. I've heard so many people talking about it and freaking out. The thing is, I don't know what they are bothered about. I think it's a great idea and if it were available in America I would get it for Amelia over a baby doll that uses a bottle in a heartbeat.

Quite frankly, I think it's kind of gross that there are so many dolls that promote bottle feeding as the first and only option and it teaches children the wrong thing. Someday, when we have another child Amelia will surely be around when her sibling is being fed and I think that if she had a doll that pretend breastfed then it would only make sense to her when mommy fed her brother/sister and wouldn't register on her radar as something to be bothered by or concerned about. I think it's a great teaching tool in that regard as well as from a health education standpoint.

Now all I need to do is fly to Spain and get one...

.Our tornado.

If there is one word that I had to use to describe our 14 month old it would be "messy". Little Miss Independent insists on feeding herself these days {starting with a spoon then ending with her fist/shovel}, taking her clothes off, exploring every nook & cranny, and paling around with the cat.
No matter how many times I wipe her off or try to keep her clean the moment that I turn around she's a mess again. She looks like a Dickensian street urchin with her hair in her face, food smudged everywhere, and random bits of fuzz here and there. To make the picture more complete she's taken to falling asleep where ever she lands if she needs a little power nap before her actual nap time. Lately I've found her in the toy box, on her drum, standing at the couch with just her head on it, and {her favorite} on her blankie next to the baby gate {maybe because of it's proximity to freedom?}.
For now i've stopped fighting it, unless we're going out in public. She's our little tornado and we love her.

.Petri dish.

Cheyenne works in a large business office which basically means that he works in a petri dish. Every time we hear of someone in the office taking a sick day we know that it's only a matter of time before whatever strain it is gets to our household. This would be one of those weeks.
Cheyenne woke up in the middle of the night on Tuesday with a sore throat, 36 hours later it turned into a sinus infection. Blast!
Since we're an affectionate family there's lots of snuggling and kissing which means that if one of us gets sick there is 100% certainty that the other two are soon to follow. Yesterday it hit Amelia. The good thing is that it seems to be very mild - more of an irritant really. Sadly, for now it means that my two favorite people in the world have had their noses replaced with leaky facets....and that I'm going to join their ranks any day now. Looks like it's a chicken soup weekend at Clark Manor.

.TGIF.

This week has been a "margarita week". We've had things to celebrate {friends getting job offers} and things to need escape from {Cheyenne & Amelia both have colds} and it's officially spring! I thought that I would share a margarita recipe that's a twist on the original for something new. Since Cheyenne spent a good portion of his life in the tropics {St. Lucia in the Caribbean and the big island of Hawaii} he has a slight addiction to guava - this drink, created by Public in New York, is one of his favorites. Enjoy!

Red Chile Guava Margarita

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Chile-Infused Tequila
1 1/2 cups Triple Sec
1 1/2 cups guava nectar
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice
10 lime wedges
Salt, for rimming the glasses
Ice
10 small red chiles, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Combine tequila, Triple Sec, guava nectar, orange juice, and lime juice in a pitcher and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To serve, rim a rocks glass with salt by rubbing a lime wedge around the outside and then dipping the glass in salt. Fill the glass with ice, add the margarita mixture, and garnish with a skewered chile pepper (if using).

.Recipe of the week.

I love brunch. It is by far my favorite meal with it's combination of sweet and savory and a light little drink and it's always so social. Going through my recipe box today I notice that so many of my recipes are either for brunch or holidays - since we're not close to a holiday I thought I would share a brunch recipe. I have been making this waffle recipe from Williams-Sonoma for ages and I always get rave reviews. It is by far my favorite waffle recipe and I hope that you give it a try and love it as much as I do!

Waffles with Honey-Caramelized Peaches & Crème Fraiche

Ingredients

For the waffles:

3/4 cup crème fraîche
1 Tbs. honey
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. sugar
For the honey-caramelized peaches:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup hot water
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
5 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Have all the ingredients (except the hot water) at room temperature. Preheat an oven to 200°F. Preheat a Belgian waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and honey until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Over a sheet of parchment paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth.

4. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold half of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites. Ladle a heaping 1/3 cup batter into each well of the waffle maker and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the waffles to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter.

5. To make the honey-caramelized peaches, in a bowl, stir together the honey, cinnamon, ginger and hot water until the honey is dissolved; set aside.

6. In a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the peaches, cut side down, and cook until browned underneath, about 10 minutes. Pour in the honey mixture and cook, turning the peaches over occasionally, until they are tender and caramelized and the liquid is syrupy, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer the peaches to a plate and stir the lemon juice into the syrup.

7. Serve the waffles warm, topped with the honey-caramelized peaches, syrup and sweetened crème fraîche.

.Peek.

How super cute are these toddler tee shirts from Peek {available at Nordstrom}?! I love love love them to bits! I can assure you that my own little one will be sporting at least the Emily Dickenson one in the very near future!

.Congrats Maya & P.T.

I love actress & comedienne Maya Rudolph and her partner Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my favorite directors. They announced today that they are expecting baby #3 {yay for really cool people bringing new people into the world}. I found an interview with Maya shortly before her second child was born concerning life as a mom to her eldest daughter {they have two girls named Pearl & Lucille}. I thought I would post it here because I really really identified with every word of it and just think her answers were so perfect and reflect exactly how I too feel.

Q: Did you set out thinking that you’d be a specific type of mother to Pearl?

A: There’s definitely this fantasy that’s like, “I’m not going to be a mother, I’m going to be Mother-f-ing Theresa.” And then you realize that you’re still the same person, the same things still bother you, you’re not perfect, but you can still be someone’s parent, someone’s mother, and it can still be okay. There’s no question that you want to give them everything and you want their lives to be perfect. Has any human achieved that? No, probably not.

Q: Once Pearl was born, was she just as you imagined she’d be?

A: We didn’t know if she was going to be a boy or a girl, and, when she finally came out, there was a really quick snip and suddenly, she was resting on my chest, staring at me. And her eyes were super-black. She looked like Marlon Brando in The Island of Doctor Moreau, because she was covered in all of these white blankets staring at me. I remember, in that moment, thinking, Yes, this is my baby. I’d always tried to picture what my baby would look like, and in that second, I was like, Yes, this is the baby I’ve been expecting. And then the doctor said, “Oops, we forgot to see what it was.” I didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl, but I knew it was my baby—you spend so much time being pregnant, not knowing who the hell is coming.

Q: how has it been for you to watch a person forming her own world, using you as her mothership and then going off on her own?

A: There’s no question: you get that proud mom grin sometimes, when it’s like, Check it out. That’s my kid. But, yeah, she is who I thought she’d be in a lot of ways. Let’s put it this way: If she had come out as a total wallflower, and said stuff like, “I hate reading and I don’t like to perform,” then I’d be like, That’s not my kid. So it doesn’t really surprise me that she’s like, “Hey, I’m funny and I like to hang out.”

Congratulations to Maya, P.T., Pearl, & Lucille!

.24 days and counting.

That's how many shopping days remain between now & my birthday {the very best day of the year}. I've done some rearranging of gift lists and moved the beautiful cake stands that I posted about not too long ago over to either the parents {as in my parents} list or to the mothers day list {or as I call it "birthday part 2"}.

Why have I taken my beloved cake stands off of Cheyenne's list you ask? Because After going back and forth for over a year I have fallen in love with the Kindle and am now totally desperate for one. Since my husband is a tech junkie he'll have more fun getting a Kindle for me than he would have getting a set of cake stands {my mother on the other hand is the exact polar opposite}.

For those that don't know what a Kindle is {ahem - grandparents} it's a "wireless reading device" aka an electronic library that holds up to 3,500 books but is itself slimmer than an actual paper book.

I love love love to read and in all honesty I have a pretty low tolerance and/or opinion for those that don't...I wont go into specifics but lets just say when I get on the subject the word "moron" gets thrown around a lot. I also really love my collection of books. Sadly, with baby proofing came packing up and clearing off over half of my bookshelves so that a certain someone doesn't literally eat her words. Sigh. This is the biggest reason that I have become a Kindle convert - until I can have my real bookshelves back I can indulge with my virtual one.

Happy reading!

.St Paddy's Day photos round 1.

.Happy Birthday Dad.

As I've mentioned, today is not only St. Patrick's Day but also my dad's birthday! My dad is pretty awesome I have to say. I was going to post more photos but of course my scanner is being insolent. I was an only child who was pretty shy and introverted with children my own age so my dad {the oldest of 7} took it upon himself to be my best friend. we have photos of my painting his nails, putting bows in his hair, of him pretending to be "Willamina" {his name is William} and putting on a bright yellow towel on his head to pretend that he had long pretty blond hair all to make me laugh. When I was a "young adult" {between 15-21} we would go on weekly "dad & daughter dates" to the movies or restaurants so that we could catch up.

He's a wonderful father in law {if i didn't know better i would think that he liked Cheyenne more than me - they totally gang up against me now} and he's such a great grandpa to Amelia that there just really aren't words to describe it. She totally lights up when he's around and when he walks through the door every Sunday {our standing Grandpa date} she squeals in pure delight. I have the feeling that Willamina is going to come out of retirement in a few years when Amelia is older...and I cant wait!

Happy birthday Dad!

.Yummy.

I have a total sweet tooth and I love cupcakes. If you're like me and in the Portland area today you should pop over to Cupcake Jones for a "Bailey's Cake" cupcake {chocolate Irish cream cake filled with Irish cream pastry cream topped with Irish cream buttercream and rich chocolate sauce}! I'm thinking Amelia and I might just brave the cool rainy spring weather for a trip to the Pearl District for this reason alone {she can have a mini "thin mint" cupcake in lieu of the liqueur flavored one}.

.T.G.I.TH..

I thought that since today is St. Patricks day I would go ahead and post the recipe for a "drink of the week" a day early {Thank Goodness It's Thursday}. In honor of the day I thought the best drink {aside from a Guinness} to share with friends is an Irish Coffee. I must admit, Irish coffee makes an appearance at most of our holidays around here. Our good friend David Peterson {soon to be Dr. Peterson} has paid his way through grad school by bartending and is called upon to "Irish up the coffee" by a whole household of people at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc. I think that Irish coffee tastes best when made by a friend and served with a house full of happy people. However, drinking it as a nightcap after the baby has gone to bed is a close second. However you enjoy it go ahead and indulge today/tonight!

The Buena Vista Irish Coffee

Ingredients:

Freshly brewed coffee {my husband grew up in Hawaii and works with people from the Middle East so it's insisted in our house that we have high quality Kona coffee and it's strong enough to cut with a pair of scissors}

Sugar cubes

Irish whiskey {I like Jameson}

Fresh lightly whipped heavy whipping cream {seriously, get heavy cream and whip it yourself until soft peaks form - don't use the canned crap, it'll make a difference}

Directions:

1. Fill a latte glass {or whatever glass you have} with boiling water to heat up the glass while you get your ingredients all together. Once you're ready to make you drink dump the water out.

2. Pour the hot coffee into the hot glass until about 3/4 full and drop in two sugar cubes. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Add a full jigger of whiskey and stir.

4. Top with a collar of the lightly whipped cream by pouring it over a spoon into the glass.

5. Enjoy while it's still piping hot!

.Oh no she didn't.

I love that Amelia is growing up and becoming more independent and really turning into her own little person with a unique personality. I do, I love it. What I don't love is the boundary pushing that comes along with it. We're on the very brink of toddlerhood and we have already seen little glimpses of what is in store.
I would describe Cheyenne and I as being on the stricter side of parenting {at least this is the intention} so the few little tantrums that Amelia has been having lately are something that we both agree needs to be nipped in the bud. What do I mean by tantrums? Well, today for example, I was feeding her breakfast and she started to fuss. I said {and signed} that she needed to eat a little more {i would have settled for a bite}, when I had the spoon halfway to her mouth she screamed {the mad kind not the sad kind} and smacked my hand away {carrots flying everywhere} and threw the bowl across the room. Um. No. Just, no. I grabbed her hands and looked her directly in the eyes and calmly but firmly said "No. We do not throw things". Then, of course the lower lip stuck out and she got that look that says "you hate me!!!!!!!!!!!" and 1 nano second later there was hysterical crying.
Ugh. The problem is that she's old enough to act naughty/bratty on purpose but still so young that she cant grasp being reprimanded. I'm at a loss. I refuse to raise a brat child {every time I see a brat child all I can think is "You are awful and your parents are awful for letting you be this way}. Hmmm.
I've recently been going over this whole situation with my friend and fellow mom Wendy {her daughter Lily was born on the exact same day as Amelia} and she and her husband {Edgar} are at the same impasse. How do you go about disciplining a one year old in a way that is teaching them how to be good people and getting your point across without using anger and fear? How do you explain to a one year why you are upset or why they cant do the thing that brings them so much amusement but is very much not allowed? I'm not totally sure what the answer is. I do know that in our house it does not mean spanking and it does not mean yelling but I do want well mannered and well behaved children.
For now we're relying on ourselves to do everything to keep the situations that may cause trouble from arising {for example, today when we had the carrot incident I knew that she was getting fussy and shouldn't have pushed it. I could easily have saved the rest of the carrots for her lunch or snack} and on the occasion that we miss a step and she does something we don't approve of we'll be firm and authoritative but not hold a grudge {I'm big on "hugging it out" after the lesson has been learned}.
I'm sure there are many more posts on discipline to come as she gets older {I'm less than 12 months away from the dreaded "Terrible twos"}. What has/does work for your family {I'm always open to advice}?

.Recipe of the week.

St. Patricks Day is always a giant Irish feast at my house because March 17th also happens to be my dad's birthday. Every year {upon request} I make the same menu: corned beef, cabbage, & carrots, champ, and Irish soda bread followed by bread pudding {my freak dad dislikes cake & bread pudding is more Irish} all washed down with pints of Guinness. We all look forward to this meal all year and with St. Patricks day coming up this week I thought that the recipe for corned beef would be perfect to share. I got this recipe about 5 years ago from Epicurious and have yet to find another that I like as much. Éirinn go Brách!!!

Corned Beef & Cabbage with Carrots

Ingredients:

5 pounds corned brisket of beef
6 peppercorns, or packaged pickling spices
3 carrots, peeled and quartered
3 onions, peeled and quartered
1 medium-sized green cabbage, quartered or cut in wedges
Melted butter (about 4 tablespoons)

Directions:
Place the corned beef in water to cover with the peppercorns or mixed pickling spices (in supermarkets, these often come packaged with the corned beef). Cover the pot or kettle, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 hours or until tender, skimming occasionally. During the last hour, add the carrots and onions and cover again. During the last 15 minutes, add the cabbage. Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter and brush the vegetables with the melted butter.

T.G.I.F.

Every other weekend we have brunch with our friends David & Abigail Adams-Martin {we take turns hosting}. This weekend is our turn to host which has me going through my breakfast/brunch recipes. I love brunch, it's my very favorite meal {the combo of sweet & savory with a cocktail at 10:30am is the perfect way to start the weekend}. We usually have one of our three standby brunch drinks on hand {Mimosa, Peach Bellini, Bloody Mary} but I found this recipe for a new spin on a classic and the color {light green} seems perfect for the month of March. Enjoy!

Honeydew Mellon Bellini

Ingredients:
5 cups of diced honeydew melon {about ½ of a large melon}
2 tbs lime juice
Sugar to taste based on the sweetness of the melon
1 bottle of chilled prosecco, champagne, cava or other sparkling wine

Directions:
1. Combine the diced honeydew melon with the lime juice and sugar in a blender & blend until you have a smooth puree.

2. Strain the puree, chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.

3. Pour the honeydew melon puree into champagne flutes, no more than half full.

4. Add the prosecco or other sparkling wine, pouring it gently to avoid making a bubbly mess.

5. Stir lightly and serve immediately.