then the talk

I made the Vegetable Chowder from the Moosewood Cookbook (always a favorite) last night. So good and a great way to use all of the different veggies from this time of year. I used potatoes (purple, red, fingerling), corn, broccoli, carrots, purple onion, cannellini beans and basil and sauted it all in butter and then added almond milk. The recipe calls for (cow's) milk and heavy cream, if you like.

I also made some basil pesto with walnuts and hazelnuts (to make it local and the mix of the two nuts made it really tasty) and froze some and then used some to mix with cannellini beans in the cuisinart to make a pesto bean dip. It is lovely with crackers and Charlie and I really enjoyed it. I have to say it is really fun to live with a rat because if everyone else snubs your food, the rat will always join you for dinner or lunch or a snack or whatever you've got. Every. Single. Time. He sits watching me now as I type and when I look over, he gives me the signal that he would be up for a snack right now!

Eva wants to make lasagna and we are going to pick tomatoes tomorrow in honor of the Autumn Equinox. Not sure if I am up for making lasagna tonight, although we stopped for ricotta cheese on the way home from errands today, so I am all set. It seems fitting to pick tomatoes and then make a lasagna in honor of the Equinox. Usually we pick apples on the Equinox but for some reason this year I am not really feeling like picking more fruit. We are still eating many many pears. I made apple pear sauce and that is a hit but I think I will wait a bit to pick apples. My tree out back is very prolific and this could also be a reason I don't feel like bringing more apples home! They aren't quite ripe, but when they do ripen it will be a bumper crop for sure.

Everyone is very excited and anticipating Grandpa's visit next week. Samuel was going over his plans for what we will eat when he visits. We are going to check out Flock and Fiber this year and see what that is all about. I am excited whenever I get to see a lot of yarn and the animals should be fun to see.

Samuel is also very excited about his new Bionicles he got this weekend. And did you know Lego now makes a jewelry/music box? Yes. And we now own the Lego fairy music box. Eva listened to it all the way through the mall and in the car on the way home. It plays twinkle twinkle. The music box is heart shaped and has a mirror inside and Eva said she just loves looking at herself in a heart shaped mirror. So cute.

The kids are watching Thumbelina right now and I am going to take this time to knit some of the dinosaurs I am planning on giving them for Christmas. My first T-rex is almost done! I don't know if Samuel will be surprised because he seems to be taking after me as far as being able to guess gifts, but Eva will be surprised for sure and I think they will both be excited to see these guys finally knit. I think we picked out the patterns last spring!