thanksgiving 2019.

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  The kids had the best time being able to see both sets of grandparents during the break, and I think they definitely wore out our guests!

We had snow coming in little fits and bursts throughout the week, and now our mountains are nice and beautiful.  My favorite thing about winter here is how pretty the mountains look with all of the snow.

(My second favorite thing about winter here is that our garage basically turns into a giant refrigerator, which comes in pretty handy when our actual refrigerator runs out of space for all of our food.)

As far as the dinner went, it was a pretty relaxing Thanksgiving, honestly!  I made the cranberry sauce and the gravy on Tuesday, the stuffed mushrooms and macaroni on Wednesday, which just left the turkey, potatoes, and edamame for Thursday.  I didn't make any new dishes this year (always a dangerous thing to do when you have guests to impress!), so everything was pretty familiar.

(Except for the cheese plate I assembled Thursday morning, which I had never really done in earnest before!  But I thought it turned out well enough.)

Now we have lots of leftovers, which normally gives me lots of anxiety because I try really hard to lower our food waste.  Most of the leftovers get eaten just fine, but those dang mashed potatoes.  Historically, we are terrible at eating our leftover mashed potatoes, and they usually end up thrown away.

EXCEPT THIS YEAR!  Today for lunch I made "Waffled Mashed Potatoes With Scallions, Bacon, and Cheddar" from the Serious Eats website.  It's basically a baked potato waffle, and it is a GAME CHANGER.  I can't even explain what a relief it is to not have to dread leftover mashed potatoes anymore.

It may sound crazy, but I'm already thinking about next year's feast.  There are one or two new recipes I have saved that I want to try out in August or September next year to see if they will earn a spot on my Thanksgiving menu.  In the meantime, I'm just thinking about all of the mashed potato waffles in my future.

our first scandinavian festival.

We finally got to see what Scandinavian Days is all about.  Our participation was pretty low: just fireworks, a parade, walking around to the booths, and eating up all of the festival food for us.  But we had a great time!  Lots of events happen in the county during the summers, but it's especially nice when it's in your own town.

Theo was really hamming it up at the parade, and this was probably the first parade where he actually cared or made an effort to grab some of the candy.  Meanwhile Vivi served up all the glares and bored looks you could possibly imagine.

At one point during the parade Jon was like, "This isn't... super... Scandinavian?"  Haha.  And it's true, basically all of the parade "floats" are not related to anything Scandinavian.  Mostly for local businesses, pageant winners, and various school clubs and teams.  It was fun to see lots of our neighbor teens in the parade, I dorkily called out to each one I saw and waved like a madwoman.  

But then!  We saw a couple of people dressed up as Vikings and this AMAZING dog-wolf-dog!  We happened to see them after the parade and got to take a couple of pictures.  When we asked about the breed we were told "he's mostly wolf," so we like to say we met a wolf.  He was very nice!  A good wolf.

We ate so much good food, including the county-famous Turkey platter and the spiralized/ribboned/tornado potato.  Honestly, it's just a dang potato that is cut prettily and deep-fried, but for some reason it's special!

Anyway, yay for the Scandinavian Festival!  We are big fans and can't wait until next year!

we camped!

Over a month ago we did a quick overnight camping trip and it wasn't a nightmare!  It was our first time camping with Theo and I think for the most part he loved it.  Give him some glow in the dark jewelry, marshmallows, and a tent that doubles as a fort/playhouse and he's good to go.

Theo also got a mini crash course in photography:

Not too shabby!!!

Here's to more camping next summer!  And hopefully then he won't wake up at 2:00 in the morning and decide he's fully awake and decide to play around in the tent.

another weekend and a recipe.

A couple of weeks ago we made a quick weekend trip to New Mexico to visit some of my family members.  It was really fast, but we also had a really good time visiting my grandpa, petting/riding horses, and having a cookout with lots of people I haven't seen in almost ten years.  It was also super fun to spend time with my sister and watch our kids play together!  Hopefully they get to be friends as they get older.

I hardly took any pictures while we were there because we were too busy, but here are a couple.

Not interested in horses.

My mom reminded us that there was a time when Theo did not appreciate sunglasses.

He hid under his blanket because Jon kept poking him.  And then he fell asleep under the blanket.

Anyway, before we left my uncle sent us home with a giant bag of dried beans.  It was pretty timely, because I have been making a lot of "refried" beans lately.  At first it was for a burrito dinner, but I discovered that I liked it as a dip for tortilla chips even better.  So I made it again and again, and now it's time to share the recipe.


Kristin's Refried Beans

6 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch stripes
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
kosher salt
2 cans pinto beans (drained) or 3 cups cooked beans

1. Cook the bacon strips in a heavy-bottomed pot or pan over medium-high heat until bacon is crispy.  Remove bacon strips, set aside.
2. Place the diced onion into the pan with the bacon fat.  Cook the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Partially deglaze the pan with the liquid that draws out from the onions.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then add the spices and a big pinch of salt to the pan.  Mix together and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the beans and 1 to 1.5 cups water to the pot.  Add another big pinch of kosher salt.  Bring to a boil, cook the beans for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. When most of the water is gone, take the pan off the heat.  Mash the beans to desired consistency. Add the bacon back to the dip.  Add salt to taste.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Kristin's notes:
1. Okay so I totally made this recipe up, and I have no idea if I broke any rules.  I also am not 100% sure of the water measurements in step 3, I mostly just eyeball the pot and use whatever amount looks fine.  I definitely never use more than 1.5 cups, though.  (Sorry!  Comments like this always enraged me in the past when I was trying to learn how to make certain foods, and it turns out I do it too!  Just trust yourself!!)
2. You can mash the beans by hand or process them in a food processor or blender.  I do it by hand because I don't want the dip to be completely pureed, and I can control that better when I mash by hand.
3. You don't have to add the bacon back to the dip at the end (the crispiness of the bacon is lost when added to the beans), but it definitely doesn't hurt it.
4. You DO have to use bacon fat in the dish because olive oil just doesn't cut it.  Trust me, I've made it both ways and the bacon way is the best way.
5. No picture for now, hopefully I'll be able to take one that doesn't make it look gross one day and add it back here.


Enjoy!  We sure love this dip around here, and it's also nice knowing that the only thing that's bad for you in this is the bacon fat/bacon.  Can't say the same thing for the canned refried beans.  Never buying those again!!

SLO 2016.

We spent the 4th of July weekend in our tried-and-true escape destination of San Luis Obispo, California.  Every time we visit we feel so lucky to be there, it's just the best place ever!  Here are some pictures:

Top: peeking into the closed Growing Grounds Downtown, a place I have passed by and admired from the outside for years but have never gone in.  Maybe next year!
Bottom: greens for sale at a little farmer's market in Morro Bay.  FANG!

A new-ish establishment in Downtown SLO, the Celadon House.  It is the most beautiful home goods store I have ever been in.  I couldn't not walk in and admire everything each time we walked by (which was a lot, we went downtown at least once a day each day of our trip!)

And of course, a visit to our favorite spot on the coast in Cambria.  It might just be the most photogenic spot ever, I take a bunch of pictures each time we go!

Lastly, a little video I made of Theo roaming one of our favorite parts of the country:

Until next time, SLO!!  We just love you.


UPDATE: I totally spaced and forgot a huge chunk of pictures I wanted to post.  Whoops!

This could be one of my favorite pictures of Theo.  He's got both of his favorite things in each of his hands: his dad and his own fast food cup of water.

A wall we passed in Morro Bay.  Fashion bloggers take note: this is the hottest pose nowadays.

Theo's first encounter with the ocean.  We weren't expecting to stop at a beach so we were not dressed to get wet.  Luckily, Theo mostly ran away from the water (colddd!!!) on this occasion.

And then the next day, he was TOTALLY into it.  Hopefully one day I get to take him to the beaches we loved in Maui where the water temperature is perfect!

And here's evidence proving that I was, in fact, on the trip.  Theo wasn't really interested in taking a nice picture with me.  Also I absolutely photoshopped my legs in the bottom picture because they were blindingly white, and I don't want anyone to think I'm part ghost.

a weekend and a recipe.

We spent our Memorial Day weekend in SJ with Jon's family.  It was a circus of bean bag tossing, animal chasing, and endless "wait, is that my kid waking up from a nap?  who's kid is that?"s.  Theo was particularly fond of the new chickens and the trampoline (not my kid at all) and of course the occasional reprieve from the big group of people where he'd settle in our quiet room with his blanket and a show (okay, yes he is my kid).

The weather could not have been more perfect, and I think what I loved most about the entire visit was seeing Theo roam free in a huge yard almost all day every day.  Not once did I have to worry about heat exhaustion or sunburn or expediting skin cancer or any of the worries we have here in the desert.  Of course, it made it all the more heartbreaking to come back here and confine the kid to the indoors during sunlight hours.  (But hey, more strength for my case for moving!)

Also, this rocking horse:

This gem was ridden by Jon's dad when he was little, Jon and all his siblings, and during our visit, all of the smaller-sized kiddos.  The other day Jon found a picture of himself riding the horse, so I'm excited to print out a picture of Theo on the same horse and put them side-by-side.



Lastly, a bit of our trip lingered with us in the form of a recipe.  One night we had cobbler for dessert, and it prompted me to make Ina's Peach and Blueberry Crumbles for the first time.  And then a second time, because it was THE BEST dessert I've had in a long time and I needed more.  Ask Jon how many times I kept saying "oh my gosh" when I ate it the first time.  (It was like, 30 times.)  And now, you can make it, too!

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles, from Barefoot Contessa at Home

For the Fruit

2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8)

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the crumble

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily.  Place them immediately in cold water.  Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl.  Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour.  Toss well.  Gently mix in the blueberries.  Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.  Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas.  Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it’s in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit.  Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Kristin's notes:

(1) This recipe is easily halved.

(2) I double the amount of brown sugar in the topping.  Obviously.

(3) Use ALL of the crumble when distributing them to all the ramekins.  It initially may seem like too much, but you can never have too much crumble.  Just pile it all on!

(4) Our freezer is currently chock full of peaches and blueberries that I bought at the store and then prepped for freezer storage.  They work just as great as fresh fruit!

(5) Peaches and blueberries are in season over here, so stock up and make room in the freezer for when the crumble craving hits in the future.

(6) We didn't have any vanilla bean ice cream when I made this the first time, and it was still good without.  But it's WAYYYY better with it!

return to schnepf farms.

On Saturday we returned to Schnepf Farms to pick peaches.  After last year's trip, I'd eaten our peach haul in about a week and was pretty regretful that I hadn't picked more.  So this year I picked a whopping 13 pounds.  I will probably feel like I didn't get enough a week from now.  I think it's safe to say that peaches are my favorite fruit and though I generally dread the start of summers here in AZ, it's always softened by the fact that it coincides with the beginning of peach season.  It's finally here, and this year I am going to make that peach pie that I always say I'm going to make but never do because I already ate the peaches.

Theo was quite enamored with the peacocks.  His interest should come as no surprise, seeing as they're birds and he loves birds, but I'm not sure he actually knew they were birds. (birds)

At the bakery/country store, we picked up some fresh vegetables for our dinner the next evening.  (More about that later!)  We also picked up the peach cinnamon rolls I'd ordered the day before (just to be safe!)  I've basically been craving them every since we got one (only one, sadly!) last year.  They are decadent, but they also have peaches inside so it feels kind of healthy...??

It was possibly the very last perfect, not-too-hot Saturday of this part of the year, and it was well spent.  We love you, Schnepf Farms, and your perfect peaches.

disneyland 2016.

We spent last weekend with my family at Disneyland as a this-is-the-last-time-we'll-all-be-together-for-two-years trip.  It was such a fun time, as Disneyland usually is, and taking a kid there for the first time was a new experience.  (I was quite nervous.)

There were a few tough moments, but they were redeemed when it turned out Theo enjoyed the tea cups:

"i think i want to get out now!"

But Theo's all-time favorite Disney experience was watching and following the ducks.

my highlights:

• the Paint the Night parade.  Jon and Theo went home early the first night and missed the evening parade, but I convinced them that we should go back to Disneyland the second day (instead of California Adventure) so they could see it.  We staked our claim to awesome "seats" (a curb) three hours before the show and in my mind it was totally worth it.  When we got home I found a video of the parade online and watched it again.  I think my dream job might be to be a dancer in that parade.  Probably realized that 20 years too late.
• the three Rey costumes I saw worn by little girls and the BB-8 water bottles I spied people carrying.  I finally saw The Force Awakens a couple of weeks ago, and I'm pretty sure that if I was a teenager in the 70s I would have been a through-and-through Star Wars nerd.
• the mesmerizing lights show at the Pixie Hollow pond.  While we were defending our territory for our parade views, we walked the short distance to the pond with Theo to see the mini show.  We probably appreciated it more than he did.
• the edible garden next to Star Tours that I'd never noticed before

Disneyland, I still love you.  Especially when you knock my kid out and he sleeps in.

happy easter 2016.

we're back.

We've just returned from a long stay in Irvine, California.  Jon was called back to work there another two weeks, and after the last reunion between Jon and Theo went horribly wrong sad, Theo and I went with him.

I wasn't 100% looking forward to the trip.  It seemed as though it would be more of a prison sentence than a break of vacation.  We were all together in a studio hotel room, and it turned out we'd learn that Theo is easily prone to cabin fever.  Plus Theo would be without his usual things to play with, and I'd be without my usual things to cook with.  And worst of all, Theo is not old enough to appreciate Disneyland yet.  Oh, the inhumanity.

But we managed to survive by braving the chilly pool, roaming malls, and tallying up all the Teslas we saw. (11) (Jon recently read a biography on Elon Musk and has Tesla on the brain.)

We also went on a grand food adventure of Orange County and ate very well during the two weeks.  There are a million places to eat in the OC, and we didn't even scratch the surface.  But if you're in the area we definitely have a variety of recommendations for you.  (reviews to come soon!)

For the last couple of months I've had the baking itch.  And as evidenced by my last couple of posts, I am rarely eager to turn on the oven during the billion-degree summers here.  So the timing really couldn't be worse.

And speaking of timing: 'tis the season where I deeply lament living in a desert, in a place with only two seasons (hot and warm) instead of four.  Football is starting (!!) and Halloween is coming and all of the autumn decorations are out and it is time for baking... but I am dying inside because according to the weather around here it is still summer.  It's clockwork.  Every year.  Every September.  I never complain more and Jon is never more annoyed with me than he is at the beginning of every September.  Clockwork.

Well last weekend I said to hell with it and I turned on the oven and baked up some dang cinnamon rolls, and all week I've been burning my favorite cider-flavored candle*.  I sit right underneath the vent and the ceiling fan and, if needs be, strip down to bare necessities to feel cool for just a few minutes at a time.  So it's official, desert be damned: it is time to get into an autumn mood.  It is time to bake it up.

*Okay, my favorite candle for the past three years has been a Mulled Cider flavored candle from... Walmart.  It smells amazing, it's not expensive, AND!  The sticker label easily peels off, so if you don't want anyone to know you have a Walmart candle, they don't have to!  This candle is a secret I've kept for a few years, and it feels good to get it off my chest.  Go forth and purchase this candle.  You won't regret it.

from the weekend.

It's summer, guys.  That means being accompanied by ice water 24/7, trying to get away with wearing as little as possible, and tongues (and bellies) hanging out wagging to show everyone how hot we are.

Fortunately, there are random days to celebrate like National Doughnut (Donut?) Day.  I have no idea who comes up with these food holidays or if they are even legitimate (seriously, wasn't there just a donut day last month?), but I love food and the donut is a righteous, holy treat and I'm not going to miss a day to worship it (made up or not).  Our new preferred donut place is LaMar's, and this place can glaze my donut any day.  They are seriously the best.  They even counted Theo as a customer and gave him a free doughnut on Friday too!

On my way out I saw this:

The juxtaposition of these two was just so beautiful.  I was inspired:

Friday was extra special, not just because of the yummies to eat, but because of some rain we got.  Rain is always appreciated by me here, and I'm hoping Theo grows up to love it too.  We sat out on the front porch enjoying the sounds of the drizzles.

We went inside just as it started to pour, and the entire evening was filled with the coming and going of downpours and a few giant bouts of thunder.  Surprising to me, Theo did not seem to be bothered by the crashing noises coming from the sky, even when there were one or two that made me yelp just a little bit.

The next day we went up to Sedona briefly.  We'd never been before, and we wanted to check it out and see what was there.  I think the storm the day before cooled things down and it was absolutely wonderful up there.  It was cool, there was a breeze, and the sky was full of giant puffy clouds.  We didn't spend a lot of time there because I'd started to not feel well, but we definitely want to visit again this year.  But we decided it will probably be on a weekday - probably in September or so when all the kids are back in school and the families are done vacationing.  We are the types (introverts) who are put off a bit by crowds and probably would enjoy it much better during a period of slowness.

Theo had a great time too, until I tried having him wear some sunglasses.  Then things got a little dicey.

But all in all, it was a great weekend, and we hope there are more to come.