Thanksgiving

We had a quiet celebration at our house this year. My Dad and Kerstin's Mom joined us for some tuna steaks, stuffed artichokes, cranberry relish and a bunch of dishes featuring our garden vegetables (squash, potatoes and kale that was still growing up until Thanksgiving day).
We made a sweet meat squash polenta which came out really well.After the initial toast, Alden wanted nothing to do with the Thanksgiving meal. He refused to try any of the dishes and we had to heat up a precooked chicken sausage for him. He spent most of Thanksgiving tearing apart our couch cushions.My Dad spent the weekend up here and helped Kerstin insulate the unfinished part of the house, including the soon-to-be guest bedroom. We had our first snow the day after Thanksgiving and Alden and I made snow footprints in the backyard. I'll let Kerstin tell you all about the insulation in another post.

Potty Train - Finally

Our own fault really, sitting in front of Alden staring at him while demanding he "Poo". I can't imagine trying to perform under that kind of pressure. The other week while trying to get Alden to use the potty I ran downstairs to get him some goldfish crackers. I thought if he had something to munch on he would sit on the can a little longer. When I got back VOILA there was a deposit made to the porcelain bank.

Now we ask Alden if he needs privacy, to which he always says yes. It looks like we are on the way to better times.

Third Place Tapas

Last weekend Ilana and I were invited to a tapas pot luck. Ilana spent most of the day making some kind of mushroom tarta, but it was a new recipe and the texture did not come out right... Oh, and did I mention that the tapas were to be judged with prizes awarded for the top entries? I was helping Karen winterize her house for most of the day, when I got home to get cleaned up and go to the party Ilana was a bit of a wreck. We had an hour before we had to leave and our tapa entry was sub par! Like a boss I got out my trusty crepe maker and we made mini-crepes filled with shrimp, roasted red pepper, onion, and pesto. We cranked out thirty of them within the hour and were off to the party (leaving Alden behind with Karen).

There were about 25 entries in the competition and we were were voted third place victors! Our prize was three wooden spoons which Alden now uses as trees for his stuffed beaver to gnaw on. Score!

Good bye Frida

Karen's cat was struck by a car today and died. Very sad. She was also Alden, Ilana's and my cat too. We will miss her.