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Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli
1 cup carrot, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Directions
Sauté onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.

Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Can be puréed in a blender but I don’t. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

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Slaaaacka!

I had good intentions of reviving the every-day-blogging thing when I started back to work, but much like the start-every-day-at-the-gym thing, it hasn't happened. Actually (sadly) the gym thing went better. TWO whole days, not just one.

Anyway, try try again. I like the blog. Facebook just doesn't cut it for memories of my sweet kiddos. And the camera, it must come out again soon. And it probably will.

Soooo … a recap (again).
• After a couple of very lackluster attempts to start Ben on solids (cuz we'd like him to sleep thru the night before he's 2) with rice cereal, we hit paydirt with squash! He loves the squash. Peaches also. Still not rice cereal. Still not sleeping thru the night either, but what'cha gonna do?
• Ran that 10K. Well ran/walked it. Morning was freaking freezing. Never really felt like I got into it. But it was it's own sort of sadistic fun and I'd really like to keep improving and try again. Holly friend (cuz she's a good friend) stuck it out with me even though she could have finished much more quickly. We wheezed (me) and talked (her).
• Had another family reunion. They are always a good time (with more food than you can imagine) and my kid is always just about the only very little girl. Ben made a new friend and slept in her lap for over 2 hours. Party animal that kid.
• We got Mad Men on DVD from the library. LOVE it. Lost will be going back without being watched, though, I fear. Oh well.
• Speaking of the library, they are trying to charge me $15 for a book we returned that was “chewed by a dog.” This book was like this when we checked it out, so I am a bit miffed. I always fess up when we destroy things. Karma and all.
• Back to TV … Gossip Girl starts tonight. w00t! Also, I love Glee. Love it. Almost makes up for Make it Or Break It's hiatus.
• I am attempting to cook all week out of our pantry/freezer and not hit the grocery store for food. I do have to stop by on my way home for diapers and wipes and also a bottle of EVOO which I realize is technically foodstuffs, but you can't cook anything without it and we are out for some reason.
• I have a cold working on me. Hopefully I can bash it's buggy head in before it takes ahold. Since I can't get extra sleep to help out, I am dosing up on Emergen-C.
• Loved Chasing Fire (2nd book of the Hunger Games series). Now I need something new to read. Recommendtions? And don't say Twilight. I'm not a hater, but I am on a really long wait list at the aforementioned library for the audio books.

And … I'm out.

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Hey Peter, What's Haaaapening?

So aside from the ridiculously cute kiddos and the going back to work stuff, what's going on with us? Here's a recap:

Matt and I have a 10K (6.2 miles) to run on (eep!) Saturday. Matt will do fine … me? Well I am trying hard, but I probably will not quite be able to run the whole thing. 2/3 … 3/4? I'm sure to be sore on Sunday. Perhaps that's why there's beer at the after party?

What else? Hmm … The basement is moving right along. We are pretty much done with one of the hardest things: getting it cleaned out. We still have a few items listed on Craigslist, but a bunch have sold and a few we've given up on and hauled off to Goodwill. We've pocketed quite a bit of cash and seriously decluttered our basement. Matt has done the layout for it and we are now getting input on it from some experts. We hope to break ground within the next week or so. To say I'm a bit nervous about this doesn't even come close. I work in construction and know many of the ins and outs of what can go wrong on a job done by professionals … my husband and brother-in-law at the helm? Yikes. But I have a ton of confidence in Matt. He is a perfectionist and researches everything to the nth degree and does quality work and makes good decisions. I'm sure it will be fine.

And after over two years of just faking it, Matt and I are going to finally learn how to be proper parents. I have signed us up for Love and Logic parenting classes, hosted by Matt's employer and our own loving HMO, Kaiser. It is going to be a pretty big time investment – two hours per week for 7 weeks – but I hope it will pay dividends in the future. Continue reading “Hey Peter, What's Haaaapening?”

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So Long Summer

*sigh*
I know we officially have a couple weeks of summer left on the calendar, but it is feeling very much over in this corner of the world. Today the pool closed and tomorrow I start back to work full time. I have had such a nice summer with my little people. In many ways I hate for it to end.

It feels good to hardly have spent any of Ben's first 4 months away from him. I've gotten to have the pleasure of watching him turn from newborn into baby. And I have loved the extra time with my sweet and sassy little girl. She is such a joy to be around and really makes me laugh and keeps me on my toes. I will take away some very good memories from this summer with my kiddos. I have a stack of photos from this summer all ready to bring with me to work to decorate my office. Maybe in the future (perhaps before Tabby starts kindergarten), I can have another summer with them. One can dream, right?

Of course, there is some good about heading back as well. I do thrive on routine and going back to work means more consistency with that. The money is also nice. Got to keep building those college funds and paying off the house. And it will be nice to have more adult interactions and some (relative) peace and quiet in which to check my email and have a cup of tea.

I have no doubt that the transition will be a bit difficult … we will all be getting up earlier, for one. Matt will be getting both kids ready on his own. I will have to fit the tasks that I have had lots of week-day time for this summer into the few hours between work and bed every evening or on the weekends.

I remember when I went back to work after Tabby was born. I'd feel completely together one day and completely in over my head the next. In time it got better. This time I'm more experienced, but I also have twice the number of kids. Wonder how long it will take this go-around before I really feel confident in the role of working mom. We shall see …. Wish me luck!

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Tabby at 2.5

The months have been flying by at an alarming rate. Now here we are, Tabby half way through her third year as a member of our family. Unbelievable.

To say we are enjoying our little lady would be the understatement of the year. Everyday, it seems, she cracks us up with her bigger-than-life personality and impresses us with her observations or empathy. I have thoroughly enjoyed being at home with her this summer and will miss her like heck when I head back to work next week.

Tabby is a big girl in so many ways. She made the transition from crib to bed with nary a hitch. The binky is long gone. We’re going on a full year of feeding herself with proper utensils. And she talks in full and complete sentences. Some of the observations she makes absolutely delight me, like when I showed her the cauliflower I was cooking for dinner and she commented that it was “like broccoli.” And she absolutely slayed us this past weekend when, while trying to figure out how something went together, exclaimed “What the devil?!” Another favorite Tabby “thing” is that she gives select loves names. Her Pound Puppy is named “Rocket,” presumably after Rocket from Little Einsteins. And her Alphabet Worm is called Traycee, presumably after my aunt. When he is turned on, he says “Hi! I’m alphabet worm.” And Tabby corrects him, “No, you Traycee!” Continue reading “Tabby at 2.5”