Unplanned Cooking

All I wanted to do today was get to the grocery store. Then she woke with a fever, and even that seemed next to impossible.

Just a quick note, need to clean up from last night’s dinner party… winner of the $25 Visa Gift Card is Rebecca from Chow and Chatter.

Rebecca, email your address to unplannedcooking at gmail.com, and your gift card will be on its way!

I took him to lunch today, for special time between us. He talked non stop, as if he hadn’t gotten a word in since our baby was born, and I swore I’d make more time in my life to just listen.

Click here to win a $25 Visa Gift Card.

I don’t feel the time passing, but our hair marks it for us. She’s got what I was born with. And I’m sporting my mother’s gray strands.

Click here to win a $25 Visa Gift Card.

On Saturday, I joined my blogging buddy, Kate from Kate in the Kitchen, at a Yoplait yogurt tasting event*, while Matt took all three kids to TwinsFest. Which attracted 34,000 baseball fans.

God bless him. (I wouldn’t have done it, but apparently with enough soda, cotton candy, and cracker jacks you can take your kids just about anywhere.)

Yoplait has launched a new product called Fiber One, which – did you guess it? – is yogurt with 5 grams of fiber in it, and they invited us downtown to try it.

What’s great about hanging out with your blogging buddy is that awkward moments don’t exist. It’s not that we don’t clam up occasionally (An old joke: how do you become a writer? By being an outcast in elementary school. Thanks, Mom, for the nerdy glasses that darkened when I stepped into the sun. Kidding! Love ya!). It’s because I read Kate’s blog, so her writing voice speaks to me even when she’s silent. And usually it’s telling me about chocolate or cross-country skiing, which makes for interesting listening.

Back to that $25 Visa Gift Card. Yoplait was kind enough to bestow one on us, and now it’s yours if you leave a comment below telling me what voice you channel. Winner is randomly drawn, so it’s okay if you don’t hear one. I may be slightly insane; see Exhibit A above.

*Sponsored content. Must reside in US to win and comment by midnight Central on 2/5/10.

We walked across a wooded lot, and he stuffed her stockinged legs inside his down jacket so she’d stay warm. In that moment I knew he’d always take care of her, and something in me settled.

The experts say children do well in structure; the truth is, so do I. And that is why a vacation with young children sometimes feels more like – well, triage. Flashback to San Diego.

I’ve got this one. You take that one over there.

At home, my body is on auto pilot. I know what needs to get done, and I get it done. But on vacation, it’s not clear which one of us – Matt or me – is “on,” and so often we find ourselves negotiating under fire. Which can cause a teensy bit of stress.

It’s your turn to chase her. I just sat down.

And, on Saturday, after touring Legoland…

With our baby (and occasionally our 3-year-old, thanks to an ear infection) napping on my front…

Both of us returned home too tired to cook or think about what to cook. At home, we plan ahead for dinner. Otherwise, we turn to processed foods. But who plans ahead on vacation?

Apparently, our friend, Michael. He joined us at the beach house on Saturday night, and prepared a gourmet meal.

Tip: Marinate your meat the night before you plan to serve it. Not only does it give you one less dish to worry about come dinner time – just stick it in the oven or throw it on the grill – but it also makes your meat tender and flavorful.

What are your tips for getting dinner on the table?

Here’s his marinate for lamb chops (but you can use it on any meat), adapted from the Union Square Cafe cookbook:

• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup basil, chopped

Mix all ingredients together, and seal, along with meat, in a ziplock bag for 4 hours or longer. Turn at least once.

PS: Michael recommends you trim off as much of the lamb fat as possible, as it can catch fire on the grill.

We turned on a movie for our boys, put our baby to bed and opened a bottle of wine. And then another.

All week we scrambled to get his paperwork done for kindergarten registration. It felt like a lot of work, but tonight we left dinner giddy about his future.

And here they are, Pamela Diedrich’s wonderful photographs from Friday night’s celebratory Turn the Tub Around party. We ditched our men for a few hours, and met up at Hot Mama for a glass of wine. And not butter. Lots of not butter.

But unfortunately no live performance from Liz. (Simon Cowell, did you hear her?)

Catharine and Jilene braved the cold and icy roads to join us. (Such style! Love the neck scarves, ladies.)

As did Crystal from Bite of Minnesota and Lindsay from Red Stamp.

As well as another Red-Stamper, Jen. (Is she hiding a shopping bag from the camera? Because I certainly didn’t walk out of there with a pair of Joe’s Jeans. And leggings. And clogs. I may forget to brush my teeth, but I never forget my credit card.)

We were thrilled to see Monica, who left at home what I did: 3 kids 5 and under. (Yes, she is always this calm, which amazes me. I only aspire to brush my hair every day like she does.)

And Allison, who will be calling me soon, telling me to take this photograph down. (Even pregnant she manages to be gorgeous. And sassy. Gotta love her.)

Thanks so much, ladies, for celebrating with us! And thanks, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, for all the tubs.

Click here to view all party pictures.

Last spring, we planted a cherry tree. For three days straight, our boys stood on their tip toes on a boulder in our backyard and picked it clean. I washed dishes; I cooked dinner. I caught up on thank-you notes I’ve been meaning to write since our wedding. (When I get time to buy stamps, I’ll send them out.)

And now that we’re locked indoors during a harsh winter, I’m fantasizing about how many hours of entertainment we’d get out of a garden. Because right now, our only entertainment is who can scream the loudest in the car. (Answer: it’s me.)

Our mama sure is crazy.

So I was thrilled when I read A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa was starting a series on how to grow your own food. (I’m all about letting somebody else do the research. That’s why I make friends who are smarter than me. Then I can follow their lead: hire their painters, buy the same type of car, apply to their preschools, move into their neighborhood. Sure, you lose a few friends that way, but at least you end up with quality stuff.)

Now is the time to order seed catalogs. She’s got a list of companies on her web site, but I went with Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Why? Because I like the word heirloom. Now you see why I don’t do my own research.

What about you? Are you planting a garden come spring?