Julia Child's Potato and Leek Soup

I've made it twice already-

5 ingredients, potatoes, leeks, salt, water and cream (garnish with chives.) So, so yummy and easy.

I Might Be a Little Biased, But...

have you ever seen anything more beautiful? (besides Charlotte, of course.)

Somewhere in Middle America

Dad and I went to Wisconsin last week and bought 12,000 pounds of cranberries to ferment for next years Cranberry wine and Mary let me put on her hip boots and get in the bog. Have I told you how beautiful Wisconsin is in the fall? Every year I fall more in love with a state that I would have always guessed is just like Missouri. Those coastal state people don't know what they're missing about the middle part of our nation. Shh, don't tell them, it's our little secret.

Guess I won't forget that anytime soon.

I Remember When I Lost My Mind

I made this video for the Mommy Madness website, but I'm not exactly sure how to get it to show up over there, and it's possible I am so technically challenged I can't even seem to properly email the IT guy to ask what I'm doing wrong over there. I do know how to post it over here, and so I will.

Becky steals the show much like Neil Patrick Harris steals the show on How I Met Your Mother.

Had the sunroof open today in that car, so awe-wait-for-it---some. =)

Have you test driven the Chevy Equinox or Traverse yet? What do you think? Did you get your free massage? Again, awesome. Totally off subject, but have you heard that new John Mayer song, "Who Says?" It's very Simon and Garfunkel-y. Awesome. (last one of the day, I promise.)

One last thing, can anyone recommend an inexpensive (read free) video editing software? I have this great idea for a video for the car, but need the video to be in fast forward.

Oh, maybe one more thing, Mike, I need you to talk to John about another video that I want to do to promote the car that he won't agree to. Tell him whatever it is, you won't laugh. =)

A Rare Nap in Our Bed

I'm Holding the Keys to a Brand New Chevrolet

Click here to go to the Mommy Madness website where I'm talking up the Chevy Equinox. I already have three blog posts up under Team Equinox. Click here to vote for me as the "Best Mom." I will win a weekend getaway and you know I deserve one. You can vote over and over again (hint hint.) I would do it for you, you know I would. Also, if you want to tell everyone you know that #1 The Chevy Equinox rules, #2 anyone can get a free massage at any Massage Envy location if they test drive a Chevy Equinox or Traverse (boys are you paying attention? gift certificate for a free massage! Christmas is something like 68 days away!), and #3 to vote vote vote for me!

Yay For Best Friends!

This one here, she's a keeper. Love you, Beck.

I think you know I'm damn precious

Shhh...don't tell Cecilia that Charlotte was sitting in the high chair yesterday.

Replacing that "New Car Smell" with Garlic.

The new car is in the garage- Whooppie! I'm driving the Chevy Equinox, and it is all decked out. Can't wait to show you a picture- there's no missing me when I drive down the road. Too funny. Ironically I scratched myself on the Cavalier getting Charlotte into the backseat last night.

Things are super busy over here, and my good little sleeper, Charlotte, has turned into a horrible sleeper in the past two weeks. Last night she was up 4 times including not wanting to go back to sleep at 3:30 a.m. What happened to my 4 month old that slept through the night?

John got me this cookbook for my birthday and there's 3 recipes I want to make in the first couple pages about soup, Potato and Leek soup, Cream of Mushroom soup, and Garlic soup. Mom loved Julia Child, and Becky and I went to see Julie and Julia a couple weeks ago. She writes about the Garlic Soup, "A head of garlic is not at all too much for 2 quarts of soup. For some addicts, it is not even enough." Ahh, she speaks right to my garlic filled heart.

I have a zillion blog posts in my head, car related and otherwise. The website where I'll talk up the car nonstop will be live on Monday, so definitely stay tuned for that link.

Dishes in the sink, TV's in repair, Don't look at the floor and Don't go up the stairs

In the last 6 hours I have gone to the Italian grocery store, Target, grocery shopping, came home, dealt with a crabby Cecilia for about an hour until she went to bed early, had dinner with John, Charlotte on his lap, Cecilia on mine, breastfed Charlotte 3 times, tried to feed her zucchini with cereal, watched bits and pieces of Dancing With the Stars Results Show catching both performances by Shakira, cleaned the bathroom, unloaded the dishwasher that John loaded and ran once tonight already and reloaded it, made sweet potato baby food, hung some flowers upside down in the basement to catch the seeds when they dry, and now I'm off to bed while John rocks Charlotte.

Tomorrow we get the new car, and I can't imagine one more thing on my to do list. In order for this car to help this mommy, it should pump it's own gas, or have autopilot, or at the very least scoop some kitty litter, change a diaper, or poke a paci.

Give me that camera, let me have it, let me put it in my mouth and drool on it, c'mon, just a little closer, I'd sit up if I could and grab it right out of your hand.

You've Got A Smile That Can Light Up This Whole Town.

Really

Sell Out With Me Oh Yeah!

Good news, my people! Last week John saw on the news that Chevy was having a promotion for "Mommy Bloggers" and that Chevy would pick 6 Mommy Bloggers in the St. Louis area and give them a Chevy Equinox or Chevy Traverse for a month and then get(have) to blog about it. And I wouldn't be telling you all this unless I was chosen, and so I was. Yay! I get the car next Wednesday October 14th until November 14th, and I have to do little chores in the car and blog about it. Yippee! I don't know all the details yet, but I think my friends can get a free gift certificate for a massage if you go test drive one of these cars. I'm already thinking about all sorts of fun things to do in the car (no not that) like how many basketballs can I fit in it, or put a car seat in every seat. Suggestions welcome. So, stay tuned, and get ready for me to talk about something other than those damn kids. ;)

First Veggie

Charlotte had homemade homegrown zucchini baby food tonight- her first taste of something other than cereal or breastmilk or formula. The look she's giving me explains it all, "wtf mom, why can't I have store bought baby food like the rest of the kids?"

Just Someone That I Used to Know

I used to know someone who had fairly poor English skills and at the beginning I used to correct her, but when she never corrected herself and weeks went by, I stopped correcting her too. Instead I started a list of all the things she said wrong, to help keep my sanity.

I don't see this person anymore, so I have no need for this list except to share it with you so maybe you can giggle too.

Rubix Tuesday = Ruby Tuesday
immaculant = immaculate
potenant = potent
cypher = siphon
sift = sieve
pacifically = specifically
verly = barely or maybe rarely
grovelled = groped
mole-lick = mullet
ideal = idea
media = median
amarillo = amaretto
flustrated = flustered or frustrated
borned = born
chest = chess
Vie-eeny weenies = Vienna Wieners

She likes to be held, so when I am in the kitchen I put her up on the counter so she can see what's going on and I can still get work done. This is a silhouette of her looking out the open window while kneeling on the countertop.