Today the girls spent some time with Zak’s mom Kath while he and I ventured off to a couple of open houses to peruse homes for sale. It’s likely that we’re going to blow our suburban pop stand and move closer to the crunchy granola homeschooling action in the city – closer to Zak’s office too.
When we were reunited this afternoon we took a big family walk through the fields and woods behind Kath’s house. Miss Maxine rode in the Baby Hawk Mai Tei and I almost forgot that she always falls asleep in this carrier. Today was no exception.
While Zak and I were on the house hunting prowl this afternoon the girls were busy with Kath whipping up dinner and dessert for everyone tonight!
Finally, the kids are cooking for me. That’s what this kid raising thing is all about I tell ya.
With Kath they put together a delicious vegetarian lasagna filled with carrots, zucchini and mushrooms. I never make vegetarian lasagna with a white sauce and Kath’s version is always a welcome treat!
For dessert we enjoyed homemade carrot cake with a child assisted cream cheese frosting. Ava and Maxine both eagerly informed me they licked the beaters after they helped make frosting. The beaters don’t fall far聽from the mixer. Or however that saying goes.
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Served with some PUMPKIN ice cream from a local custard shop. A.Mazingly pumpkiny, who doesn’t love pumpkin flavored anything this time of year?
Tonight when we regaled our house touring adventures I mentioned one house had a mud room that I really liked – at which point Ava gasped and bugged her eyes as she exclaimed “a MUD room?? I want to live there!”
Not what you’re thinking kid, but I totally agree! I want to live in a house with a mud room too!
and this is EXACTLY why I teach Kyle to cook! gonna need my personal chef to cook the way I like!
NICE JOB
and lil Max is so sweet!
That lasanga looks great and pumpkin ice cream, I need to find!
I’m house hunting too, to many choices!
wowee what a lasagna! glad the girls were able to DO SOMETHING. 馃槈
cooking with kids can be quite an adventure, can’t it?
That lasagna looks awesome! Snuff and I lick beaters after baking as well. Isn’t that some kind of commandment? Thou shalt teach her child to taste homemade frosting…
I always wanted a Baby Hawk! I had every type of sling except for a Mai Tei …
That lasagna and dessert looked really great … and pumpkin ice cream … I could eat the stuff year round
Good luck on your house hunt. I have to agree with Ava, a mud room does sound fab!
We only ever had the sling and the Mei Tai, never used a wrap or anything. The Babyhawk was fabulous though, the sling adn the mei tai are the two baby things I haven’t been able to let go of yet!
Awww Maxine is sooo adorable! Too cute
“likely that we鈥檙e going to blow our suburban pop stand and move closer to the crunchy granola homeschooling action in the city”
Do tell my dear! My homeschooling/unschooling mama friends in San Diego always tried to move more remote, not closer to the city. But then some of them got so remote they never made it to park days. Happy medium I guess.
Babywearing 3 yr olds…music to my eyes
We still have milkies around here. Crunchy food-blogging moms unite 
The city is where it’s at around here! There’s so much to do in the city with other homeschooling families, I’m tired of driving 25 minutes to get to play dates, homeschooling classes, the museums, friends houses… not to mention Zak’s commute is 30+ minutes. The houses in the city are more interesting too from an architectural perspective too!
Yup, we still have the sling too but don’t use it nearly as much as we use to. She still loves it though.
Ooh I had a carrier like that for my Ava, I was so upset when she just got too heavy to carry! Living where we do, out in the country, a pushchair was never an option. I miss her falling asleep on my back! (http://www.ergobabycarrier.com)
Suzanne I didn’t use the Ergo but I know so many people swear by it! It really is so sweet when they fall asleep on you, I miss it!
I hope you guys find a place you love! The dinner looks incredible- especially the lasagna. Does Kath have a particular recipe she uses?
She just emailed me her recipe!
1 Stick butter
4 cloves garlic
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup Milk
1T flour
陆 cup Parmesan cheese
戮 shredded mozzarella
Spice it up w/ Pepper, Old Bay Seasoning, parsley
Mix milk with flour stirring with fork to remove lumps add to
melted butter, add minced garlic, cream and bring mixture to simmer, stirring frequently.
Add Parmesan and simmer 8-10 minutes until sauce is thick and smooth. Add mozzarella and stir till smooth.
Lasagna
路1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
路9 lasagna noodles
路1 pint ricotta cheese
路2 eggs
路4 cups shredded carrots
路12 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 10×15 inch lasagna pan with cooking spray.
2. Place the spinach in a medium bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes. Mix in ricotta. Beat the eggs, and add to the spinach and ricotta. Stir well to blend.
3. Spread about 1/2 cup pasta sauce mixture evenly in the bottom of the dish. Place 3 uncooked noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the spinach mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with half of the carrots and half of the mushrooms. Place 3 more noodles over the vegetable mixture. Pour sauce over the noodles. Spread the remaining spinach mixture over the sauce, followed by layers of the remaining carrots and mushrooms. Place 3 more noodles over the vegetables. Pour remaining sauce evenly on top. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, spray side down (DUH ;).
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
Maxine looks so adorable in the carrier!!! I hope you guys find a house that you LOVE! what an exciting adventure alison! yay!
The veggie lasagna looks sooo amazing! i actually prefer it over the regular kind!
Yay for house hunting!!!! Well, sometimes yay, sometimes not… Good luck with all of that!
Wow, I’ve never seen a lasagana with white sauce before, it looks really good.
Good luck house hunting!! I know it’s a pain but looking at other peoples houses is fun to me. My aunt and I kind of broke into an open house over the summer, it was a staged home though so no one lived there. But it was very nice!
haha…my mom always said she had kids for the same reason: so one day they would cook, clean and take care of her. i don’t know how that actually panned out for her (minus the cooking, i do do that) but the pic of maxine sleeping is enough reason to know why you are a mom. TOO CUTE!
yay for a new house – can’t wait to see how that goes. have a wonderful monday friend!
Ok..I have saved that recipe!! It looks SOOO yummy!!!! Thanks for sharing that.
I bet you had fun going to the open houses. I cracked up about Ava’s “mud room” comment. (haha) That’s a kid response for ya. I bet you guys will find something really nice with a lot of character and be very happy with the move.
I’d love to see pics of the houses you guys are considering!!!! Any time frame you are thinking or just when you find the perfect house. GOOD LUCK!!! That is so exciting!!
-A