A Very Awesome Day.

Posted by Ethne~

Lori is coming to town!  Wanna know why?  It’s Girls Trip ’13, or as my bionic phone calls it when I text, GT’13.  Seriously, the Samsung Galaxy is creepy smart, you lame-o iPhone stodgies [namely, Dad and Whit].

We’ll be going off the grid, but I’m in one of my moods and I have half a mind to submit to y’all a fine essay on why the Kimye baby shoulda been named Mid West, after this fine part of the country.  I would, after all, be remiss NOT to comment on THE STUPIDEST BABY NAME EVER (besides Hashtag).

And finally, if you do not support gay rights, this post is done and we’ll see you back soon.  (No judging either way.)  But if you do, didn’t the Supremes rock it today?!?  (I’m such a nerd that I actually read their decision and reported it play-by-play to Shaun.)  Lori and I are thrilled!  LOVE=LOVE!  Check out The Bloggess here for more.

I'm always planning ahead. You're Welcome, Shaun.

Posted by Ethne~

Conversation between Shaun and me one morning:

Me: Honey, when I’m dead someday, please smash an alarm clock at my funeral.

Shaun: Humph [with wonderment].

Me: True, we’ll be old and get up at 5 a.m. anyway, but on principle.

Shaun: Whatever.

(He’s totally Christian Grey in the morning, *am I right*?)

RHUBARB CRUMB CAKE

Posted by Lori~

I wish I had a photo of our rhubarb plant before I trimmed it.  It was over 7 feet tall, taller than the fence, and had gone to seed.  Mom (Crafty G-Ma) recommended that I trim it ASAP and discard the rhubarb stems that had gone to seed.  (I can’t exactly explain it, but when you see it you will know).

I was able to get several cups out of the first pick of the summer.  Mur-man was eager to help clean the stalks and I cut.

It was actually father’s day.  Remember here, where I featured a recap of Steve’s father’s day celebration.  Mur-Man and I whipped up a rhubarb crumb cake and it turned out delicious.

 

 

Cake Supplies needed:

1 cup butter

1 egg

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ cups rhubarb-chopped

1 ½ cups of brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

½ cup nuts – chopped (optional)

Cream together butter and brown sugar.  Stir in egg and vanilla.  Blend well.  Combine soda, salt, and sour cream.  Add to butter mixture alternately with flour.  Stir in rhubarb.  Turn batter into pan.

Topping Supplies needed:

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together and sprinkle mixture on the cake.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

It's really that easy.  I like to serve it warm with iced cream or whipped topping. 

MINI: GO-GURT SQUEEZER!

Posted by Lori~

Mur-Man LOVES yogurt, he loves smoothies, and he REALLY loves Go-Gurt (those squeezable yogurt tubes).  They are great; however not the easiest thing for a 3-year-old to eat.

One night it came to me!  Why not put a toothpaste squeezer on the Go-Gurt tube.  FABULOUS IDEA--RIGHT?!? 

I purchased my toothpaste squeezer at Wal-Mart in a 2-pack for under $3.00.

It worked great...check-out the play-by-play Go-Gurt squeezing photos below. 
 

This tip=less mess, less work, and more Go-Gurt in Mur-Man's belly.  Mur-Man even asks for the squeezer!

WOMS--Have you noticed that you can now get Greek Yogurt in the tube? LOVE IT! 

Ripe Tomatoes on Grilled Crusty Bread. {recipe}

Posted by Ethne~

Lori and I are revving up for Girls Trip ’13 next weekend – we can’t wait!  One of the things we LOVE to do together is cook.  We’re even hitting up a farmer’s market this year for groceries.

While checking out at the grocery store recently, I saw this dreamy tomato on grilled artisan bread on the cover of Martha Stewart Living.  YUM.  I didn’t buy the mag; I make up my own recipes all the time, right?  They can get the credit for inspiration, but Shaun and I are totally doing this ourselves today.  If it’s good, it’s gonna be a re-do at GT next weekend.

I almost bought the magazine, but then just looked at the recipe.  Those *ripe* colored tomatoes are beautiful, huh?

We’re also having marinated veggie kebabs and flank steak.  Totally fresh and delicious to take advantage of grilling and produce available here in the Midwest.  I can’t wait!  (I’m writing this as we cook!!)

flank steak marinatin' away

We debated whether to brush the bread with olive oil before grilling, and decided to do so.  Here’s a grilling pic, snuck through the screen door.  Shaun would shoo me away if I tried to take a picture over his shoulder while he was grilling.

bread brushed with olive oil

sneaky-sneak picture

Theodore watched the grilling with me

My assembly of ingredients: bread, garlic, olive oil, 2 tomatoes sliced (I cut up another tomato after this pic) + salt & pepper

When the toast came off the grill (it had grill marks but not charred all-over), I drizzled lightly with olive oil and rubbed a peeled, fresh clove of garlic on the toasty insides.  I laid the tomato slices onto the bread, drizzled with a bit more olive oil, salt and pepper.

We don't have the fancy-pants colored tomatoes at our local Target or Cub.  These red tomatoes were perfectly ripe though.

It was so good.

Shaun suggested a slightly crustier bread (such as a ciabatta or baguette) that has lots of holes inside would toast better, so we’ll have to try that; he also said I didn’t need one of my two coats of olive oil (in his opinion); and we thought that in the future, roasting a whole clove of garlic and spreading that on this like butter would be divine.

Things to try on a really good recipe already.  Perfect, since I probably never make one thing the same way twice anyway!

PS, check out our new way of storing vitamins - we kept forgetting to take our vitamins when they're up in the cupboard, so I got cute jars and now we don't forget!