On Being a Step Mom

We took The Boy and The Girl to see "The Karate Kid" last night.

Great movie (and I loved the original). I was a little afraid of how it would be treated, and wondered how they could make a new "Mr. Miagi" and new "Daniel".

As a side note, the movie was produced by Will and Jada Smith, and the new karate kid was Jaden Smith (their son) with Jackie Chan as the new mentor. I thought Jaden did a great job (I could sure see his dad in his acting) and Jackie Chan was wonderful too. Definitely worth seeing!

On the family side, the movie went OK.

We ended up being able to take my in-laws as well, which was a surprise bonus (my mother-in-law NEVER goes to movies).

The Boy does karate. He was careful to point out that this movie was not actually about karate. It was about kung fu. In fact, he didn't really want to go, because it was not about karate.

The Girl didn't really want to go to the movie either. She doesn't like anything that is remotely connected to The Boy. And to her, karate and kung fu are related more that remotely.

We didn't give either of them a choice. Sometimes we "have to" do fun things together, as a family.

The movie actually went OK. The Boy ran into a friend of his - at which point The Girl said "Is it OK if I sit as far away from you as possible?"

Turned out that The Boy sat with his friend and family, and The Girl sat next to her grandparents. They tell me she laughed during parts of the movie, though I doubt she would admit it to me. Except to say to agree with whatever I said (as in, "Yes Susan" or "No Susan") in the resigned tone of a pre-teen.

The Boy on the other hand has not stopped talking about it. Of course, as far as I can tell, he never stops talking. At all. Ever. I know you think I jest. I don't. Seriously.

All in all, not a bad event. No one cried. No one yelled. That might be the most we can expect. At least until The Children exit their teen years.

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Leftover Frittata Dinner

One of my favorite dinners is made with leftovers. That's right - leftovers!

Throughout the week we end up with a little bit of everything left over. A little bit of chicken, a little bit of steak, a little bit of corn, a little bit of onion and peppers, a little bit of pasta.....

I use these leftovers to make a frittata. A frittata is basically an Italian baked omelette.

You'll not that this isn't a recipe as much as a technique.

The first thing I do is get out my 12" stainless fry pan (like this one). I love this pan, and it is great for this meal because 1) I know that if I fill it, the meal will be just the right size and 2) it can go on the stovetop AND in the oven or under the broiler.



I start heating this on the stove at medium heat. I'll add either a tablespoon of olive oil or just spray the pan with cooking spray. Olive oil works better, but I don't generally want the extra calories.

I get out my leftovers. I like to make sure that I have some protein (leftover steak is fantastic with eggs) and some veggies and some pasta, potato or rice.

I first cut them into fairly small pieces. Then I add them to the pan to make sure they warm up together for a bit. I'll usually add the meat first, then the veggies and last the pasta or potato.

Now comes the egg part. I use egg whites, but eggs or egg beaters work too. I guess how much is needed to basically fill the pan, and pour that amount of egg whites into a mixing bowl. Then I whip the egg whites until they are frothy and add them to the pan.

Stir the mixture. Add about 1/2 cup of cheese. More if you really like cheese. Low fat cheese works well - fat-free does not work very well. This is the time to add herbs (fresh from the garden is wonderful!) and salt and pepper. Or whatever spices you like. Stir the cheese and spices in and let cook.

This needs to cook until the mixture is set and you don't have any liquid spots. Once set, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the top of the fritatta and take off of the stove. Put the pan under the broiler until the cheese is golden brown.

Ready to serve! With crusty French bread. Yum!



For more great recipes, check out The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap! If you have a recipe to share, please join in the fun!

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Before and After

Isn't this a pretty plant? I've always loved these Angel Trumpet flowers. They grow really well here too. And bloom in the spring and early summer. Like now. When we don't have very nice light. Because of the clouds (remember June gloom?)

So I played with the lighting a bit, added some "sunshine" and faded the edges a bit. Do you like how it turned out?


For this shot, I used a Canon Rebel XTi with a 50mm 1.8 lens and I used Photoshop Elements to edit.

If you like my shots, you need to visit Pixel Perfect for more before and after fun! And if you want to play along all you have to do is show us your SOOC (straight out of camera) shot and then the edited version. Link back to Pixel Perfect and link up your post below! Feel free to share with us your editing program and camera gear too!

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Odd tree with purple berries in our yard.. Pin It

Time for June Gloom

June is a cloudy month in San Diego. We even have a name for it. "June Gloom" is what we call it. And an apt name at that. Lots of grey skies. June gloom is caused by the cold ocean water and the warming air temperatures. We usually become our sunny self again in July, but June is almost always cloudy. Gloomy even.

And I don't really like cloudy. That's actually why I moved to Sunny Southern California. No one told me about June Gloom before I got here.

But since it does come every year (At least every year that has a June) I thought it would be a good idea to find something good about it.

I saw this tree. Bright purple flowers. Blooms every June. And the purple really stand out against the grey sky. And the green grass. Isn't it pretty?

I may not look forward to June, but this certainly brightens my day!

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Tuesday Garden Party - Tomatoes

I've got exciting news today! (Well exciting to me at least...) My tomato is almost ripe!

That's right. My one tomato.







Isn't it pretty? Here's a closer look...

And actually, you can see his tiny little brother behind him! I'm hoping that now the plant itself will grow so that we can get more than one tomato at a time. And more than two total tomatoes!

We have had a real journey with tomatoes this year. We planted tomatoes and herbs and peppers. Kind of a spaghetti sauce garden.

We planted our first tomato many weeks ago. And it was growing pretty well. It even had a little tomato on it!


We planted it in a topsy-turvy (which is working really well, BTW) and we moved it from one spot to another. And then it fell. Right on top of the main plant stem. :-(


So, we planted a new tomato in the topsy-turvy (that's the one you see that is almost ripe!) and I took the main stem of the old tomato and put it in a vase of water.


And it started to root! So, we potted it. See the little tomato?


The plant doesn't look great, but the roots appear to have taken. Maybe it will grow, maybe it won't we'll see.




And I couldn't resist sharing a shot of my Anaheims. Do you think they look ready to pick?


Also check out the cutest little cayenne pepper!


I'm looking forward to using some of this produce one of these days.

Next week - what's happening in our front yard. In the meantime, check out An Oregon Cottage for her weekly Garden Party.

What's in YOUR garden this week?

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DROID

"DROID"

That's what my new Motorola DROID says when I get a new text message or email. I like it.

And I am really liking my DROID so far. A lot. It may not be the best choice for everyone, but it certainly is a great choice for me.


So, here are a few key things about the way I use my phone and the way I use technology in general:

• I do a lot of texting and require a QWERTY keyboard
• I don't like the screen keyboards (like the iPhone)
• I listen to audiobooks on my phone a lot and need a decent solution for that
• I use all of google's product, have been on gmail for years, use their calendar, contacts and docs

Also, my phone has been broken for months. One of hte hinges. So it still works, but it is pretty fragile. Which is not convenient.

Finally reached my "upgrade date" - and in comes the DROID!

So far - I really like it!

Some of my thoughts:

• Google integration is fabulous! Right away my phone knows the people I email and talk to. LOVE this. And it is wonderful to have my google calendars with me wherever I go.
• Screen size and resolution is great - my (integrated) web albums look fantastic!
• Web browsing is quite good
• I REALLY like the way that I can play an audiobook and text, or browse the internet, or email or any other task simultaneously. On my old phone, when I got a text, the book stopped and I would have to clear the text prior to the book restarting. The DRIOD way is much better!
• Facebook integration is great - it also integrated my facebook contacts with my other contacts.
• Google maps and navigation on my phone? Rocks. Seriously.
• The camera is also not bad. Not my DSLR, but not bad!

I haven't had the opportunity to fully explore all the features of my DROID, but so far, I highly recommend it!

And if all of those things don't sell you on it? You can download a light saber app. I'm certain that will close the deal.

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Sunday Snapshot - A Party with a View

We went to a party this afternoon. A good-bye party for the Director of Music Ministries at our church. The Mr and I are both involved in the music program, and we will miss our director and friend Jackie. She, however, is happy to be retiring!

One of the choir members held the party at his home which overlooks the San Diego Harbor. A beautiful house with and incredible view! I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't leave my house if I saw this every day!

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On Being a Step Mom

Kids are smart people.

They know just what they can get away with in what situations.

They have different behaviors at home, at school, at church, at Grandma's, with friends...

Our kids have different behaviors for each of their two houses. Their mom has different rules than we have.

We require a lot more order than their mom requires. We're just different people.

Unfortunately for us, The Children do not like additional rules and order.

Not surprising, but it certainly does not make us the favorites. In fact, I'd say it is the reverse of that.

We tell ourselves that one day it will be worth it. One day they will appreciate what we've done.

My dad told me something I hadn't thought about before though. He said that our job is to do the right thing, and to raise good kids. THAT is our reward. Not that they appreciate what we have done, but that they turn out well.

That's going to be my new outlook. Whatever it takes, we'll do our best to raise The Children to be the best people that they can be.

And when that happens, that will be our reward.

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Herbed Zucchini Soup

I love soup. I might have mentioned that before. This is a wonderful soup to serve chilled on a hot summer evening. AND a great way to use those zucchini, which seem to grow so prolifically!


Herbed Zucchini Soup

Ingredients
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (use your homemade stock from last week!)
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, (about 3 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, or dill or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, (3 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions
Place broth, zucchini and tarragon (or dill) in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the zucchini is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Puree in a blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and heat over medium-high, slowly stirring in cheese until it is incorporated. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or chilled.

NOTE! Hot liquids can splatter out of a blender when it's turned on. To avoid this, remove the center piece of the lid. Loosely cover the hole with a folded kitchen towel and turn the blender on. Better airflow will keep the contents from spewing all over the kitchen.



For more great recipes, check out The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap! I tried two recipes from last week's list. One was "West African Style Baked Beans" and the other was "I Can't Believe It's Not Ice Cream" and both were incredible! If you have a recipe to share, please join in the fun!




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Before and After

I decided I wanted to play along with Monica at Pixel Perfect on her Before & After Blog Hop. To play, you need to take a picture and post the original and modified versions.

This is a shot, SOOC (straight out of the camera for those averse to abbreviations). I liked the composition, but the lighting was off.

I played with the lighting and color settings a bit and came up with this.

Hope you like it! Visit Pixel Perfect for more before and after fun!

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Wordless Wednesday

Through a 9 year old's eyes....

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Tuesday Garden Party

Our strawberries are really starting to grow!

We had to put them in a net so that the birds (which we invite into our yard with all of our bird feeders and bird bath) will not eat them. Look at all of the blooms (and tiny little strawberries)!

And some are ripening - don't these look delicious! Let me tell you... they are! Though they only seem to ripen about 3 at a time. Hopefully they will pick up the pace soon.

I'd like to figure out what is turning the leaves of the plants red though. Anyone have any ideas?

Sliced strawberries. So sweet. Worth the effort to grow!

Next week - tomatoes. In the meantime, check out An Oregon Cottage for her weekly Garden Party.

What's in YOUR garden this week?

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Remembering

On this day we remember those who gave their lives fighting for our freedom. Take a moment today to honor their sacrifices. We owe our lives to these fallen heroes.

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Sunday Snapshot - A Snack

Ahhhh.... Sunday afternoon snacking... These scrub jays are dressed in their patriotic best too!

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On Being a Step Mom

We took The Boy to see Star Wars In Concert last night. Great show. A symphony played John William's scores to the Star Wars movies, while Anthony Daniels (the actual C3PO actor) narrated the story and introduced clips from the show.

Split families get to split things with the kids.

We got Lego Star Wars, but not really any of the other Legos.

We don't get any new movies that come out (except Star Wars... which are all out...)

We don't get Sea World, but we get Disneyland.

We tend to get "technology" things, but we don't get facebook.

One of the things we got was Star Wars. Which is good for us - we like Star Wars.

I'm hoping as The Kids get older that we "get" more of these kinds of things.

Of course, there are always grandkids. ;-)

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Homemade Chicken Broth

I love soup. Summer or winter. Hot, cold, savory, sweet. I just love soup.

I got this cookbook for Christmas about 8 years ago.


From my dad. Which is kind of funny, because I gave him the exact same book that Christmas!

I've made a bunch of different soups from that book. A few of my favorites are the Chestnut Puree (great for Thanksgiving), Creamed Chile Soup, Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Onion Soup, Chicken Broth with Cheese and Bread Crumb Dumplings and Chicken Soup with Apples and Leeks (possibly my favorite soup ever).

I also found that I end up needing a lot of soup stock, or broth.

It makes more sense to prepare a pot of broth on a rainy Sunday and keep it around for throwing together last-minute soups than it does to wait around for a broth to cook every time you want to make a simple soup.

And having chicken broth around all the time is great for everything from stir-frys and sauteeing to making pasta and rice.

I use chicken broth instead of oil or butter when stir-frying veggies or chicken and when sauteeing just about anything. And I like to use chicken broth instead of water when making rice or couscous.

Broth is easy to freeze, but not everyone (and I am one of them) has freezer space for more than a litte extra broth. If you don't have room, you can refrigerate the broth for 5 days without its spoiling. To keep it long, just bring it to a simmer on top of the stove for 10 minutes, let it cool and regrigerate for up to another 5 days. You can repeat this trick indefinitely.

Better yet, use the broth in place of water to make your next batch of broth!

Here's how I do it:

Take all of these ingredients...

Bones, skin and leftover meat from 2 - 3 roast chickens (I freeze the carcasses
of store-bought roast chickens until I have 3)

Vegetables to add richness to the flavor of the broth - you can use whatever you have around....
some ideas
- an onion
- bell peppers
- celery
- carrots
- the ends of broccoli, asparagus, peas or whatever veggie you have had that week
- leftover half of a lemon

herbs - a few tablespoons of your favorite dried herb or a 1/4 cup or so of your favorite fresh herb (I think dried works better in broth personally)

Put all of these into a very large pot. Cover it with water (or use the chicken broth already in your refrigerator) and add an additional 2 -3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour.

Let the broth cool a bit, then strain it. Return the broth to the pot and discard the bones and other remaining ingredients. Add enough water to double the amount of broth and simmer until the amount is halved (or broth is concentrated enough for your taste).

Let the broth cool. (I put mine in a pitcher to keep in the refrigerator). After it is fully cooled, refrigerate. The next day you will be able to spoon any fat in the broth off of the top and you will have fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth! (Note: after refrigeration, mine is often kind of solid, like a jell-o. I just use a spoon and it "liquifies" once it gets in contact with some heat.)

Now you've got chicken broth whenever you need it! This process works with your leftover turkey carcass and with beef or other meat bones as well.


For more great recipes, check out The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap! And if you have a recipe to share, please join in the fun!


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An Award!

This week I was very excited to receive a Versatile Blogger Award! Thanks so much to a new follower, Ott, A of "A Latte' with Ott, A"! She's got a wonderful blog, and a great writing style. And you'll be so jealous of her garden! Stop by and say hello!

So here are the rules of the award:

• Thank the person who gave you this award.
• Share 7 things about yourself.
• Pass the award on to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and think are fantastic.
• Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

And here are the 7 things about me:

1.) I played at Wimbledon. (OK, the dorm I lived in when I was living in London my junior year of college was actually on the grounds of Wimbledon and I played on the Wimbledon court. Very badly, I might add. Playing on grass is quite difficult when you are not used to it. That's my story anyway.)
2.) I once transported a human skull in my car. (I worked for a medical implant company and we needed cadaver parts for testing our product and for training. I would go to the cadaver lab at UCSD Med School and pick up cadaver parts and bring them to the office.)
3.) I have had 6 cats at one time. (And yes, I realize that makes me the crazy cat lady. Which is odd because I always considered myself a dog person.)
4.) The Mr and I get to carpool to work together and eat lunch together every day. (I think that is pretty cool.)
5.) I'm a lawyer, an engineer and an English major. (And I don't do any of those jobs.)
6.) The Children (my step-kids) actually have the same first names as my parents.
7.) I drink Tab. (And have since I was 13. Probably unlikely to switch.)

Wow. It was harder to come up with 7 things about myself than I thought. I'm going to think about who to pass this award on to. I was just excited to post about my award! Thanks Ott, A!!

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Tuesday Garden Party

I mentioned on Friday that we are growing Anaheim chiles.

These large, mild chiles are perfect for chiles rellenos.

Mexican cooks (that is, those who cook Mexican food rather than cooks who hail from Mexico....) also like to dice or purée them, and then add them to sauces, soups, and casseroles.

They have a tough skin, but it peels off easily if you first char the chiles over a flame and then steam them in a paper bag for several minutes (remember Friday's recipe?).

Anaheims are available year-round, but they're best in the summer.

When mature and red, an Anaheim is called a chile colorado or California red chile.

And this is what they look like in my garden!

This plant has a ton of them already!

I am not sure you saw how many are already growing.... I'll point them out!

And this one is already nearly 5 inches long!


And another (unrelated but amazing) thing you are missing is the scent of these wonderful jasmine flowers as I take these pics. Smells like vacation!
I can't wait until our Anaheims are ready to pick! We're also growing jalapeños, habeneros, serranos, cayenne and poblanos. Should be a flavorful and spicy summer!

I'll show you how the strawberries are faring next week. But in the meantime, check out An Oregon Cottage for her weekly Garden Party.

What's in YOUR garden this week?

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