Market Meal

What do you get when you cut up some asparagus, add some eggs and cheese, salt and pepper?


I was inspired by the evening meal when I saw the asparagus sitting so prettily at the market. The asparagus man convinced me to buy the beautiful shoots even more when he said that they were just picked this morning. My next stop was for apples, but as I was getting ready to pay, I saw the free range eggs in front of me.

And voila, as simple as that, I had a meal - at least in my head at that point.


Back at home, after sauteing some portabello mushrooms with onions, I added asparagus and broccoli. Then I scrambled some eggs with milk, and added that to the saute. And to top it off, I sprinkled grated gruyere cheese, salt and pepper to taste. After a few minutes on the stove, I put the whole pan in the 400 degree preheated oven for a few more minutes.

It may not look so pretty here (because my camera can't seem to take good pictures at night), but it really turned out quite delicious. I love it when the market inspires me to make a simple meal like this!

Spring

Spring officially begins tomorrow, I believe. We are lucky to be in a place where it actually feels like Spring. The poor Yankees in New England are still digging out snow and avoiding icicles from falling on their heads. If they are lucky, they may see one or two crocuses trying to make it out from the still frozen ground. That will be us next year! The return to icicles and frozen grounds... What are we thinking?


These cherry blossoms are on the tree in front of our house. The whole street is lined with these cherry trees and when they are in bloom, they add such a sweetness to the neighborhood this time of year. It may sound cliche, but these blossoms truly make me feel like I am walking in heaven sometimes. At least, that is how I imagine heaven to be.


Claire loves flowers just as much, it seems. She enjoys gathering whatever flowers that she is allowed to pick. Then she turns them into pretend-soup, pretend-cake, or a birthday bouquet. She may have trouble finding bouquets next Spring, you think?

Bloom

These two trees stand right next to each other, and appear to be of the same species. Why is one more clustered with blooms and the other more sparse? I think they are both quite beautiful in their own unique ways. They remind me of our children. Momo and Claire share the exact same starting point in life, almost to the minute. Yet each one was given unique genetic codes and specific characters not so different from these trees. So beautiful, yet so individualistic, even when they stand right next to one another. May our children always grow, blossom, and spread their branches like these trees do.

Trikes

Today we bought Momo and Claire their frist tricycles. They had tried other trikes before, at school or at friends' houses. But now they have their own! They both seem very comfortable on the trikes. Momo, naturally, is already trying to find new tricks he can do with his. Both Brown Clouds get a ride in the back bucket as the children pretend to take them to school.


My favorite thing about this new phase is seeing the kids with their bike helmets. Momo tries to find a way out of wearing his, whereas Claire embraces her so very pink one. Oh, the difference between the genders!

Flowers and Lemons

I would die a happy woman if the back of my truck looked like this. But... I don't have a truck. And I am not ready to say goodbye. So, it was just enough to see and smell. No need for more.


My love for spring flowers isn't all peachy. Lately the back of my throat has been very itchy. And I sneeze about 27 times a day. Any clue as to why this is happening to me?


Perhaps I should stick to fruits and veggies. Meyer lemons in particular has the most brilliant color, and a rather sweet taste as far as lemons go. They make amazing lemon bars, lemon tarts, lemon pudding... This just gave me an idea!

Jasmine

Just this small blossom fills the air with sweet aroma. Happy Friday!

Sunday

This is what we found on our car when we returned from playing at a playground in Santa Rosa: a friendly parokeet. He was so friendly that we almost brought him home with us lest he was going to get injured if we didn't. The children, of course, were thrilled about having a little pet bird. "Please, can we bring him home with us?", they begged. Their wish would have been realized if the little guy didn't end up flying away to the other side of the street. Is it good luck to find a parokeet on your windshield, I wonder? I'll bet somewhere in this world, someone believes that such is a sign of prosperity, no?





Prosperity or not, we were blessed with a beautiful day in Santa Rosa. A new town to us just north of Sonoma, we had never explored it before. Luckily, we were told about a park with a train ride, ponies, and playgrounds: the children's haven. So that's where we spent most of our morning before returning to Sonoma to greet our family who had just returned from a two week trip to Australia.



I have been posting so much about Sonoma because we have been spending a lot of time there lately... No, we have not moved there. But maybe someday!

Eye Candy

Like I said, more colors are coming up as spring nears. You can actually eat the fruits in one of these photos: the kumquats. In the same family as other citrus fruits, Kumquats are like miniature oranges. You can either pop them in your mouth whole, or you cook or make jam or tea with them. Personally, I just like to look at them: they are like little jewels in a box. Eye candy that you can indeed eat!

Aquarium

For our (hopefully) last open house day, we went away to Monterey Bay Aquarium. Each time we go, it seems, the children would take interest in different parts of the exhibits. This time they enjoyed the pretend fishing station, the gigantic octopus, and the even bigger fish tank filled with enormous tuna, sharks, sunfish, sea turtles.




Outside the aquarium we found a lovely tea house with a fish pond, and a fountain. The children enjoyed the water and the fish as Jim and I enjoyed the tea and the architecture of the place. It was a little gem we hadn't found before.


We ended up with a good open house. A backup offer! No real celebration, though, until close of escrow in a month.

Loving Cowboy

He's a gentle loving cowboy who will probably never have a duel in his life. Ever. And how he will protect his sister!

Colors

There were some bright colors at the farmer's market yesterday as though someone decided to add life into the already lively atmosphere. I am looking forward to even more colors in the few weeks to come. If I closed my eyes, I could almost start to smell the sweet scents of sweet peas - our wedding flowers!



There were also several kinds of cabbages. I was introduced to a variety new to me: arrowhead cabbage. It looks like a cross between endive and cabbage, and is supposed to be nuttier and sweeter than the regular varieties. I got some and will let you know what I think! They sure are beautiful!

Train

During our stop over in San Francisco last weekend, we pretended like we were going to take the trolley somewhere. It was enough to satisfy Momo's love for trains.


He is currently fascinated by electric trains versus steam trains. But he still likes them all: steam, diesel, electric, sky, subway. As long as they are trains, he has declared his love for them.

Spring Getaway

Spring is in the air. The daffodils are in bloom, the magnolias are bursting, the sweet scents of cherry and plum blossoms are delectable. It is my favorite season in California.


We went to Sonoma on this long weekend, partly to get out of our house for the open house, partly to show our friends Case and Maude the wine country. The weather could not have been better for us: sunny and unusually warm for this time of year. We got to enjoy Sonoma at its best.


In between wineries where the kids did not set foot into the tasting rooms, but elsewhere on the outdoor grounds, we visited Jack London State Park. It is now a peaceful valley with vineyards, eucalyptus groves, remnants of buildings that used to make up this estate, and his house that is now a museum. We walked about the place, explored the sites, before refueling at the lovely Fig Cafe in Glen Ellen.


We also played at the Sonoma main square where the kids enjoyed the playgrounds. It was here that Jim and I were informed that we received an offer for our house. After a few phone calls, on the walk back home, it was confirmed to us that we are now in escrow. We have not signed on the dotted line. We have not seen the large sum of money. But we are in contract, on our way to selling our first home. It is a feeling I am not able to describe as part of me feels like I should be happy, but part of me knows that it is not quite real until it is a done deal.


Feeling a bit overwhelmed, we were lucky to be distracted by the beauty of Sonoma and the fun that we were all having. Meanwhile, the house is still ours until the closing date in mid-March. Spring has been a sweet one so far!

Open House

Our house is officially for sale! The first big open house is this weekend and we plan to stay far away from the house itself. Our friends Case and Maude will be visiting us from Los Angeles, to help us keep our minds from wondering who will be tramping through our home and who might want to spend money on it.


The process has just begun, but I am already feeling the unpredictability of this procedure. It may be easier with no children since there are times when I will be given moments of notice that I will have to prepare the house for a private viewing, mobilize the children, and leave the house in perfect condition. Stay tuned for the progress! And oh yes, wish us luck!

Valentine's

Happy Valentine's Day!

Clouds

It has been a rainy stretch of weather here, so when we saw the first glimpse of sunshine on Sunday, we took the chance and headed for the beach. On the way, Jim reminded me how lucky we are to live here. His parents had called that morning telling us how cold and snowy it was in Michigan, with something like 7F as a high temperature. We clearly have forgotten what that feels like!


The clouds in the sky show remnants of the rain storm of the previous days. The waves were big and fierce enough that we didn't go anywhere near the shore. But we all had fun finding treasure, climbing on drift wood, and wading in a shallow creek where the ocean meets the river.

Naan

There is a new Indian food stall at our farmer's market. Not only is it fun to have ethnic foods to snack on, it's also a lot of fun to watch the making of the naan. I think I enjoy it as much as the kids do.

Naan resembles pita bread and, like pita bread, is usually leavened with yeast. Naan usually cooks in a clay oven, although the one at the market does not look like one. Typically, the naan will be served hot and brushed with ghee or butter. It can be used to scoop other foods, or served stuffed with a filling. My favorite is naan stuffed with curry potatoes and peas. I have not had one since my Cambridge days (there is a plethora of great Indian restaurants in Central Square... Watch out, here we come!).


A typical naan recipe involves mixing white flour with salt, a yeast culture, and enough yogurt to make a smooth, elastic dough. The dough is kneaded for a few minutes, then set aside to rise for a few hours. Once risen, the dough is divided into balls, which are flattened and cooked.

I have made chapati in the past (a thinner version of naan, also eaten in India), but I think I would like to try making naan now that I am reintroduced to its delicious textures and flavors. And more importantly, our kids love it!