Herb Seasoned Eggplant!

I was trying to figure out if these eggplant were ready to pick - and google told me the answer - YES!  So, then the question was what to do with them.  Apparently I'm a culinary genius (or just quite good at frying stuff which always makes it taste better.  Here's the recipe so you can make up your mind for yourself :)

***Disclaimer...  Patrick, who does not eat vegetables devoured this.  Granted, eggplant is technically a berry...but since he doesn't actually eat those either I'd say you better watch out because this is obviously really good ;)

Step 1 - pick eggplant (we're growing Ichiban variety) and any other herb you want to season with.  I used Basil (finely chopped), marjoram (dried), salt, pepper, Italian Seasoned bread crumbs and 5 LARGE cloves of garlic (minced).  No measurements taken so you'll have to play it by ear.

Step 2 - slice eggplant, salt and roll into paper towls for 20 minutes.

Step 3 - While eggplant is wrapped up in the towel mix all the herbed ingredients together in a bowl.

Step 4 - Pour 1/2c EVOO into a frying pan or skillet.  While it's heating up toss the eggplant in the herbs until fully coated.

Step 5 - Lay eggplant in 1 layer in pan and cook until lightly browned on 1 side. Turn to cook the other side.

Step 6 - shred cheese over hot eggplant and Serve!  I have a huge chunk of Jarlsberg that I grated and it was delish.  The adults enjoyed this with a Viognier (which is what we had open and it was yum together).  If you have kids at home they may attempt to lick the fried up bits off the plate afterward.  ;)

This is SO exciting!

I won, I won, I won!  Okay, actually my kids won since they have the cutest feet ever!  My entry in The Paper Mama's photo challenge was chosen and has qualified me in a vote off!  So, for now I get to glow for a few moments and appeal to all my readers to go check out her site (because it rocks!) and see some of the other photos that lots of fab people have contributed and vote for Natalie & Paddy's tootsies (of course!)...

Well, FHIT!!

Hey world, I have a new acronym.  It's the FHIT and it stands for Future Husband In Training.  And when you say FHIT it must be accompanied by the level of annoyance in your tone that you associate w/ the FHIT behavior. 

A little background.  Yesterday I took Paddy to the ENT since he's in the middle of his 8th ear infection....

It was a long appt. Saw the Resident, saw the surgeon, saw the audiologist, had a full hearing screen done, pics taken of his ears, etc. Very thorough...I can see why this group comes so highly recommended. Essentially, their conclusions are that Patrick is never w/out fluid behind his ears. His med records indicate and if my memory serves, even when he's being checked for well visits and is symptom free there is never a time when they don't comment that "he's got fluid but it's not infected so it should be okay" which only leads to an infection w/in days. They also felt after spending some time w/ him that his "noisy" breathing, etc is due to trouble w/ his adenoids and that if he's being anesthetized once we might as well whack those out rather than having to put him back under in a few months. Their conclusion is that the bacteria in his adenoids is directly impacting his sinuses, ears, etc and that he's better off w/out them. I wanted to cry. I'm relieved in a way and terrified in others. So, we're looking at 1-2w for surgery.

And when, you ask, did I discover that Patrick is a FHIT?  Well, it was during his hearing screen...

Patrick passed his hearing test w/ flying colors. We're in the booth and he's sitting in my lap, facing the audiologist. She's talking to him and playing noises thru different speakers, etc. He's not looking away from the toys he's playing w/ on the table so I become terrified and completely convinced that he's stone deaf. Nope, apparently every time she would cue him his eyes would flick consistently in the correct direction and then a look of annoyance would come over his face. He would not turn to the noise, or respond to it, only do the eye flick thing.

Yeah.  Uh huh.  You see it now, don't you?  FHIT!

Photo Challenge!

This is one of my all time favorite pictures.  How sweet to have my brand new baby's tootsies lined up w/ my lovely gal on her 3rd birthday.  *love*

Recent pictures - and Paddy "Danger" Webster

I was digging around recently in my camera bag and found a UV filter that I have never used.  I popped it on the camera w/ the new zoom and had some fun.  Have to say I'm sorry I didn't find it sooner.  Here are some straight out of the camera shots, a few slightly edited as far as cropping or trying to eliminate a shadow, and one taken w/ my cell phone that is priceless :)

These two are unedited - I am thrilled w/ the look of the water and once again, Natalie takes my breath away.

These two are the one's that were cropped & edited for shadows. I love the way Nat's face is lit up by the candles. And of course Paddy's is lit up by pure joy!

 
 

 

And this was one morning I won't soon forget. I bent to tie Nat's shoes and when I looked back up this is where I found Patrick. He is 12m 25d. We are in big BIG trouble with this kid! 

Sweater for me!

Yes, I realize I should NEVER appear w/out make up but I was pleased w/ my sweater and had about 3 minutes to take this picture in between running around outside w/ the kids and working in the garden.  So, confession, not only am I appearing sans make-up...I'm also dirty!  Anyway, hope you can overlook all of this and just focus on my pretty sweater.

I used Vanna's Glamour Yarn in diamond (sparkly white)!

and actually created this pattern for myself.  Will post details if I have a chance but essentially I used a chevron pattern and worked from the top down.  Once I get the details up at Ravelry I'll post the directions!

Can you tell I'm pleased w/ myself?  I am!

The waiting game...

Soooooo close, but patience is still required!

Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

I totally snagged this from a post at Magically Ordinary but it's fantastic and exactly what I needed to get my out of my funkadazesickymood today.  That's right, I'm in a funk, a daze, and I'm getting sick so I'm in a mood.  At some point (maybe tomorrow) I'll have a few moments to catch the blog up on the happenings...til then, enjoy!

Happy 5th Anniversary to US!

Paddy's stats, Natalie's birthday and my exhale...

Patrick had his 1 year well visit yesterday afternoon.  He is...
22lbs (30%)
30.5" (70%)
Fiesty (100%)

He's ahead of the game for milestones and development.  And definitely the least compliant patient on record.  Okay, maybe not for all of history - but definitely yesterday.  And by noon today he should have another ear infection so I have an Rx on standby.  When she checked him yesterday his temp was 99.9* and his ears were red and filled w/ fluid. Based on his history we know where this is headed....

He screamed so long and hard he broke blood vessels in his cheeks and neck, and flailed around to the point that she couldn't check his leg/hip joints.  But she's seen him prior and said that unless we had concerns she wasn't going to press because she was afraid she'd wind up hurting him.

We did manage to avoid needing a 3rd person to restrain him for vax but it was not ideal and his thighs are all bruised today from kicking around while she was trying to poke.

Yeah, that's my kid!
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Yesterday I took cupcakes to preschool and treated Natalie to her friends singing and some chocolate.  It was rainy so I treated the teacher to 10 kids on a sugar high trapped indoors.  Actually, it wasn't too bad since she put on music and I got to dance around the room like a 4yo for 15 minutes.

Since her party was on 5/1 she decided that was the day she turned 4 and refused to believe that yesterday was not her 5th birthday.  Remember how much fun it used to be to get older!?  And lucky girl got treated to cupcakes for afternoon snack too since another Mom brought in some as a happy accident just to be sweet to her own daughter.  After Paddy's appt I went back to get Natalie and home for our family paaaaartay! She opened all her presents in less than 10 minutes and barely stopped to notice what she'd gotten in her quest to rip rip rip!

Hilarious!

She requested mac n cheese for dinner and then we had cake.  Again. 

Girlfriend better be lovin' life right now because she had cake 3x yesterday and probably lost 2lb from running around like a maniac on a sugar high.  Oh, to eat cake 3x a day and not gain an oz and have a strong desire to age. 
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I am exhausted.  Fully wrung out and ready to drop.  But my kids had great birthdays!  And I am incredibly thankful that it's another year until I need to do this marathon again.

exhale....

Photography challenge!

Oh, I can never pass up the chance to try and win something.  It's the competitor in me...deep down, only a teensy, tiny bit beneath the surface!

Theme here is nature - this picture was taken at sunset in Bermuda.  I love how the yellows and blues play off eachother.  The rocks there were really neat.

And my all time favorite shade of blue.  Mr. P's eyes.  Second only to The Hub's eyes.  Blue blue blue.  And of course blue just happens to be my favorite color - bonus! 

Paper Mama

Happy FOURTH Birthday, My Miss Natalie!

Dear Natalie,

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)

i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)

i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

ee cummings