Soccer

Cory and I have been told many times by keen observers that Harrison has some innate athletic ability. He can throw, run, jump, swing a bat, kick, throw a frisbee surprisingly well. At least for a three year old.  We think this is great but wonder where he got it from because neither of us is particularly athletic (you know, at all...).  We encourage it while we can (until he figures out mommy and daddy are less coordinated than he is and we lose all credibility when it comes to sports..in a year or two..or perhaps six months). Right now we're finishing up our second session of 3 year old soccer. There is not much cuter than a bunch of three year olds playing soccer. The first one was inside at the local rec center and was a good introduction to basic concepts.  Now he's doing a larger outdoor "clinic" that involves drills and short little games at the end.  I think Harrison has a lot of fun. And I'm not gonna lie. The non-athlete in me is secretly proud when he scores at least one goal every week.

Halloween Take One: Baby Wrangling

 Last night our lovely neighbors threw a halloween party and I thought it would be fun to do a nice picture on the front steps in Harrison and Carter's costumes (mommy and daddy have abstained at this point...maybe I'll figure something out for us by next week). Harrison wanted to wear his dragon costume from last year (umm..OK-YES!) and Carter is a butterfly a'la Old Navy (I thought a princess would be fun and go along with dragon but princess costumes I've found are scratchy and sparkly and not fitting for a baby...).  Forgive the ridiculous orange in the first set of pictures.  I just bought hipstamatic for my phone and this setting was definitely a mistake. By the time I got Cory to fix it and sat down with the little squirmers myself they were definitely done.

 (carter: GET THOSE THINGS OFF MY HEAD..NOW!!!!)

 That's Cory's: "seriously. stop taking pictures" expression

WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! Let me GOOOOO!!!!! Funny how the ridiculously active three year old manages to be so patient.

Who eats carrot soup for breakfast???

Last Sunday I made carrot soup and a knock-off Macaroni Grill bread for dinner and both were DELICIOUS. So good, in fact, that I finished most of the remaining soup the next morning (at 6:30 a.m. mind you) for breakfast. The carrots are roasted in the oven first and I added a little balsamic vinegar which was awesome. You should try it....on the other hand-Harrison ate one bite under duress and Cory told me it was a "good side dish." So there you go.

Roasted Carrot & Cilantro Soup (from simplebites.net)

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and uniformly sliced
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp veg oil
• 6 small new or nugget potatoes, about 2/3 lb (Use only waxy varieties)
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup cilantro (lightly packed) (I used dried dill from our garden last year instead)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss sliced carrots in 2 tsp vegetable oil, salt, pepper and cumin. Roast in the center of your oven for 30 minutes, turning once during cooking. Remove when slightly caramelized or blackened. Set aside.
2. In heavy bottomed saucepan, sauté onion on medium heat in 2 tbsp of oil. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into large chunks.
3. Once onions have turned slightly translucent, add potatoes and sauté for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the stock and turn the heat up to high. Once boiling, lower to a simmer.
5. Keep simmering until the potatoes are almost done (about 10-15 minutes), then add the roasted carrots. Cook just enough to bring the carrots up to temperature, then remove from heat.
6. Pour soup into blender or food processor in batches (or use an immersion blender). Add in your cilantro at this point as well. Blend it all up until it’s as smooth as you like.
7. Return soup to saucepan and reheat.
8. Serve with crusty bread for dipping and even a swirl of sour cream or crème fraîche.

And the Bread (I believe originally from All Recipes) 

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.

2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.

4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.

6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 round loaf.