The Zoe and Silas Show

It started off as a lovely weekend celebrating the new year with friends. On New Year's Eve, me & the kids went over to visit The Geist's. Wendy made chili and cornbread and we had some prosecco while Sydney, Ivy, Silas & Zoe toodled around. We hang out so frequently that we never take pictures anymore! We will definitely have to get one of the two sets of twins together at our next playdate. On New Year's Day, The Deeks had an open house. We went early in the day so that Derek could join us. Becky & Jay have two adorable little girls, Sylvie, 3 and Margeaux, 7 months. Silas & Zoe had fun checking out Sylvie & Margeaux and all their toys. We couldn't stay too long because 3/4 of my family goes to bed after lunch, but it was so fun to go visiting first thing in the new year. On Saturday night I went out for dinner with my friends Iris and Kristin. I figured out a few months ago that I can pretty easily get out of the house between 7:30 and ...

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have experienced some tough times in my 35 years -- the divorce of my parents, a divorce of my own, and a catastrophic flood, just to name a few. I can pretty easily say, however, that 2010 was the hardest year of my life. When S&Z were born in October of  '09 I was so overcome by joy, excitement, hormones, a survival instinct, and sheer exhaustion that it took a few months for reality to set in. Being a mother is tougher than I ever anticipated, and one might say that having twins takes that to another level. Earlier this year I went back to work. I quickly learned how hard it is to be a working mom - much of the time I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job at anything. I have also had glimpses of what it would be like to be a stay-at-home mom, and those glimpses have given me a lot of admiration and appreciation for my friends who are SAHMs. I would like to believe as S&Z get older that things will get easier. As time goes on, I am learning that is probabl...

This is one of my "I'm too tired to cook" meals. It's going on the stove as I write down the recipe. All of the items can be found at Trader Joe's. Olive oil Frozen chopped onion Minced garlic 1 bag turkey meatballs 1 bag organic foursome frozen vegetables 1 carton + 1 can low-sodium chicken broth Pepper to taste I have some fresh spinach that is about to go, so I'm putting it in the soup for a taste of fresh cooked greens. You could also use fresh chopped herbs for this same effect. Another delicious addition is Harvest Grains blend, orzo or leftover cooked rice. 1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Saute onion until translucent, ~ 5-7 minutes. Watch it closer than I did, because my onions are a little crispy :) Add 1-2 cloves garlic and saute for 30 seconds. 2. Add vegetables and saute for a minute, coating in oil. Add the chicken broth and meatballs.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add fresh spinach and cook until wilted, just a...

I made this chili and some jazzed up cornbread for our twin parent friends, Wendy & Dave, a few weeks ago. Wendy asked me for the recipe, so I am posting it here. Honestly, all this recipe posting business is selfishly motivated - it is helping me consolidate all my favorites in one searchable spot! Sweet-N-Spicy Chili Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook 2 T. vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped (or frozen chopped onion equivalent, ~ 1/3 of bag) 1 red pepper, chopped (or use frozen chopped peppers, tri-color from Trader Joe's would work great) 2 T. chili powder 1/2 T. cumin 1/4 t. cayenne pepper Salt 3 garlic cloves, minced (1-1/2 t. jarred minced garlic) 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped 1 lb. ground beef 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes 16 oz. tomato sauce (1 regular or 2 small cans) 3-4 T. honey 1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, red pepper, jalapeno, chili powd...

Monday ended up being an impromptu day off due to weather and childcare issues. For me that meant back in the kitchen! Easy Black Beans & Rice Serves 2 big people and 2 little people My wicked smaht friend & co-worker, Vanessa, recently pointed out that beans and rice for a complete protein . This is a great recipe when cooking for vegetarians, or kids who don't inherently love meat. 1 T. vegetable or canola oil 1/2 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can black beans 1 can Ro*Tel Tomatoes and Green Chiles (if your kids don't like spicy food, use regular tomatoes), drained Oregano Cumin Salt & pepper Leftover rice 1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds; add ~ 1 T. cumin and 1 t. oregano, cook until fragrant. Tip : I use store brand frozen chopped onion in all recipes these days where the onion is cooked. You cannot tell the difference b...

Zoe and Silas are our little helpers around the house. You might recall that they like to help empty the dishwasher . They also like to help us get ready for parties. Here they are with the beer cooler! They help put away the groceries when Daddy comes home from errands, Silas does the trash, Although he's a little distractible and sometimes takes off with his car before he finishes! In particular, they're really good helpers with doing laundry, And folding it too! They even helped Gramma Westerlund with her laundry when she visited right before Thanksgiving. What good little helpers!