Strawberry jam, yes m'am

That's not all my jam over there but it was still fun making it. My sister in law came over and we made it together and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I'm totally ready to dive in but I have to wait at least 24 hours.

Easy Pesto Rice

I am a sucker for all things pesto. I live for summers full of basil this and that. I mix it with mayo and make tomato sandwiches, I of course make pesto, and I mix it with pasta. This rice satisfied all that is glorious and holy in my basil lovin' soul. It used up my leftover pesto and made a nice sized pot of rice. I served it with crunchy oven baked pork chops and juicy, ripe tomato slices.

Rice With Pesto or Herb Oil (from "How To Cook Everything")
Serves Four

1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil
1 1/2 cups basmati or other long-grain rice (I used white long grain rice for this)
2 1/4 cups water
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup pesto or 1 cup fresh herb of your choice: chives, parsley, chervil, or cilantro, 1/4 cup canola or other neutral oil, & 1-2 tablespoons water if needed.

Heat the tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the rice is coated with oil. Add the water and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up a bit and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to medium-low.

After 15 minutes, turn off the heat under the rice, but leave the cover on. Wait 10 minutes, then stir in the pesto or herb oil. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

**I originally saw this recipe on The Motherload and am reposting it to Gayle's recipe swap.

I hate you Grey's Anatomy!

OSO Special

I was out on a walk with Monkeyface tonight when he suddenly stops, looks up at the tree and tells me he wants to fly like Oso. I told him he needed spy gadgets and that he should talk to his dad about getting some of those. He agreed that "Yah I need spy gahjuts". I told him that maybe he could even get a special vest like Oso's so that he could fly whenever he wanted. He patted himself and said "Yah I fly now!"
**Oso's vest converts into a helicopter complete with safety helmet, safety goggles, and steering capability. I want one too**

What I've been loving this week

1-I broke down and bought some Nutella. Monkeyface is eating it right now and is loving it.
2-I've been teaching him that monsters aren't scary b/c he's bigger than they are and we can scare them right back.
3-People keep thinking he's 4 even though he's still 2. He is super tall and fearless.
4-Speaking of fearless...this kid is not afraid to try anything new. I'm amazed how willing he is to try something. Sometimes it takes explanation and maybe even doing it myself first, but he always tries
5-I've been spring cleaning of sorts. I've kept a running list all week long of what needs to be done and I've been actually doing it. I do love scratching items of a list. It is extremely satisfying.
6-I am taking it super easy this weekend & just chilling out. Making some cookies with Monkeyface, doing a few light chores, some artwork, and just playing.
7-Why does my kid refuse to wear pants on the weekend? It cracks me up.


Last weekend we ventured out to the Ham & Yam Festival where the guy running the petting zoo sounded like the chicken farmer from Napoleon Dynamite. I kept asking him questions just so I could hear him talk. My kid loved feeding the animals including a baby camel.

They Might Be Giants

Just bought tickets to go see They Might Be Giants with Monkeyface. They are actually putting on a kids show. How exciting is that?

what I'm loving

I love that when Monkeyface tries to raise his eyebrows, he bats his LONG eyelashes
I love that when he tries to wink he closes both eyes
I love that he makes silly faces b/c he wants me to laugh
I love that he washed the pots and pans this morning
I love that he can tell me he needs new batteries for his keyboard