I made some rhubarb vanilla jam the other day. The recipe reminds me of this town: It’s town called Altdorf in Switzerland. When we took a little trip there a few years ago the hotel had rhubarb vanilla jam for breakfast. After the trip I searched for recipes and found one that tasted just like…

Not to be a downer, but when I think of motherhood I think of the pure delight and happiness juxtaposed with the ache of it all. And I think of this quote. “Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did – that everything involving our…

Brian and the girls took me for a nice spring walk for Mother’s Day. Bea made a crown of dandelions for me. The frogs were singing. Everywhere – the green was taking over the brown. Happy Mother’s Day.

Claire turned six this week. The milestones make me pause and gaze at her. She is growing, growing, growing. She has loved every day of kindergarten. Her hair is pretty multicolor blonde and I love to brush it once all the snarls are out. She makes friends easily. I smile to myself when the things she says seem so…

Brian is doing some work with Gerber. I’m not trying to promote Gerber or anything, but I thought this video that Brian showed me was so funny and clever. Take a look. You have to click on the link below and then mover your cursor back and forth. http://formulaforhappiness.gerber.com

I’m becoming an expert at removing wallpaper. This time it’s our bedroom. Brian has been more bothered than me looking at that busy wallpaper everyday. But I was feeling like I needed a project. So here I go. I took lots of before pictures this morning. Then I got to work.  There were some extra bits of the…

Reminds me of Edith Ann – and that’s the truth.

At the Chicago Botanic Garden

Another ridiculous holiday that we are happy to celebrate. Especially great today because it was chilly and dreary outside. We used Smitten Kitchen’s recipe and they turned out great! We are so pleased with our pretzel making skills. There are some extra steps – like dunking them in water – but really they are pretty…

Cardboard castles. The cardboard architect in me came out again. I might be making ten little castles for Claire’s birthday party.  Two loves loaves of bread. I try new recipes now and then but I alway come back to Grandma Dice’s recipe. It’s the best. A bouquet from my back yard.