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Another one of my favorite family recipes I thought I would share. It is a very easy week night dinner.  Even the kids like this one, although I must confess I told them the kale was parsley and sliced it small enough that it had a vague resemblance to parsley.

3/4 cup onions, diced 1/8 inch
2 slices of bacon, 1/4-inch diced
1 1/4 teaspoon garlic cloves, minced
6 cups of chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, cut in half length-wise, then cross-cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup of sliced carrots if desired
1/2 cup of sliced celery if desired
2 cups kale cut in half, then cross-cut into 1/16 inch strips
1 1/2 cups mild or spicy Italian sausage links (I prefer chicken Italian Sausage), cut in half length-wise, then cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 to 1 cup heavy whipping cream, I made it with a ½ cup and it was great
1/4 cup minced parsley

-Place sausage link onto sheet pan and bake in 300 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.
-Place onions and bacon into 3-4 quart saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear.
-Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute.
-Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat (back to medium) and simmer for 15 minutes.
-Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 5 more minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through.
-Ladle into bowls and sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

My kids had been given kites for their birthdays over the years. We have quite a collection, but I admit that we have never really flown them. That is until now. All it took was one windy day, a nearby field, two kids and four kites and we had our own kite-flying day.

Now, this could also have been a tearing-streaming-down-the-face day, but luckily it wasn’t. Well it almost was when my daughter held up her beautiful box kite to take a good look down the center pole. That’s when the wind moved the kite and it poked the center pole right into her eye.  She wasn’t hurt at all and actually laughed at herself.  I was so glad, because I never saw that potential injury coming.

All in all it was a fun day. And if you are wondering why four kites. I thought if it wasn’t fun we would surely lose one or two and then…. ta da, all the kites would be gone. But instead, the kites came home with us to be enjoyed another day.  Maybe we’ll head to one of the nearby kite festivals and try our luck, again.

44th Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival

Annual Georgetown International Kite Festival

National Kite Month Kickoff

Go Fly a Kite at the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center

Southern Oregon Kite Festival

Check out these images courtesy of the 44th Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival!

A group of eleven of my friends and I traveled down to South Beach to celebrate that three of us were turning forty.  It was wonderful to take off and fly away from the freezing temperatures and huge piles of dirty snow taking up all the great parking spaces.  South Beach offers all the fun of Las Vegas, minus the gambling, with an amazing beach.  We stayed at a nicer hotel and decided we would just pile in four to a room, Spring Break style.

There are so many things to do in the Miami/South Beach area that the only trouble we occasionally had was organizing everyone.  There are many museums, from Vizcaya, an amazing Venetian inspired home built during the Gilded Age to the World Erotic Art Museum in the heart of the South Beach Art Deco District.  There is also shopping, I loved the Lincoln Road Pedestrian Mall, there were unique shops and great people watching.  Our group almost motivated off the beach on the first day to Gator Park to go on an air boat ride through the Everglades, I think I should have kept to myself that they could get muddy and wet.  In the end, we spent most of our time on the beach, we had three wonderful dinners and managed to spend one entire day at the pool bar at the Fontainebleau where the bartenders were extremely entertaining.

I do want to point out the restaurant we went to on the second night, The Meat Market on the Lincoln Road Pedestrian Mall.  From the outside looking at the menu, I was initially a little disappointed thinking it may be a typical chain type steak house.  It was anything but typical or chain-like, the food was unbelievable.   What made it even more special was being immediately welcomed by the owner, having the menu explained with their specialties pointed out and advice given on how to proceed with such a big group.  We managed to sit there for hours enjoying not only great food, but also wonderful service and attention.

With a long weekend away like this, I can hardly wait to turn 50!

Being a Virginia girl, I didn’t have too many opportunities to skate on ponds when I was young.  However, I married a man from Michigan, so pond skating was something he did every year from December through March. He even skated on a river – which I think is insane!

In Charlottesville this year, we had a very, very long spell of freezing weather and even a storm that dumped over two feet of white fluffy snow on the ground.  That’s when my husband began talking about skating on the pond, and I started worrying more and more. All I could imagine was someone breaking through the ice and all the bad things that go along with that.  My husband reminded me that the pond is only a foot deep for most of it’s length and only gets eight feet deep at the very end near the stand pipe. Still, I was nervous.

To help make sure we could skate safely, my husband did some research. He learned that the ice had to be over 5 inches thick to skate on.  So, he grabbed his electric drill and drilled test holes around the pond.  He also found out that the ice should be clear, instead of white.  White ice has air bubbles in it and isn’t as stable. Another indication of safety is whether the ice is creeping up the sides of the pond, which means it’s expanding.  When the ice is pulling away from the sides of the pond, it is beginning to melt. He also said we should each skate with a hockey stick in our hands – an extra precaution he learned in Michigan.  If we broke through the ice, we would have a stick in our hands and this would help someone else to get us out of the water more quickly.

When all was said and done, the ice was just right.  So, I headed to a local Play It Again Sports shop and bought $10 used ice skates. We had an amazing afternoon skating on the pond surrounded by snow-covered trees.  If you get a chance to ice skate outside, do everything you can to make sure the ice is thick enough and then have fun!

I told you guys I would let you know how the snowboarding progressed.  Late last week we had yet another snow day and I took the kids up to our closest resort, Wintergreen.  Earlier we had purchased the learn-to-ski/snowboard package.  It included three days of lift tickets, rentals and lessons.  This was our second trip up and it was great.  The weather was again perfect and we were one of the only counties who had a snow day, so there were very few people there.  The kids had there own private instructor, made incredible strides and loved their cool instructor.  Most importantly, he was able to teach my youngest, who is not very tall, how to get off the lift when she has to jump off and he taught the oldest a few tricks and he now feels like he can keep up with his friends.  I think for the third lesson, I will plan to pull the kids out of school one afternoon and hope they can have private lessons again.  I was also wonderful that there were so few people there that I wasn’t concerned about the kids being skied into.

We have started to consider buying a family season pass for next year and with that, we have started to look at buying equipment.  So far we did buy the youngest a helmet that fits her very well.  I got some great advice from my Vail snowboarding friend on buying equipment for kids.  He suggested buying them a used board from a local shop and buying cool stickers to put on them.  Small boards aren’t going to have lots of riding time on them, you can get the board a good tune and you should be all set.  Kids outgrow their equipment and also don’t think it’s cool after a season or two.  Sizing is also important, they need to have a board they are comfortable with and can turn.  It’s hard to buy a board they can grow into.  On helmets, you just want something that fits well, protects their head and keeps them warm.  Try going to a local shop and ask what they have, a used helmet is fine and again that’s what stickers are for.  The fit is the most important part of the helmet.  It can’t come off during a collision, that defeats the purpose.  Many shops will also rent equipment for a season and you can usually rent much nicer equipment than you would ever want to buy.

Wish us luck, so far it’s been a ton of fun!

Now that winter has gone on and on, I am little over the heavy comfort foods.  I got this recipe from my wonderful foodie friend Emily after we had it at her house one night.  We loved it!  I have made it now myself and my kids even liked it.  They, of course, had no idea it was made with squash.  For my vegetarian friends, you guys can adapt this so many ways.  It would be great with shelled edamame, fried tofu and/or blanched veggies.

Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Prawns

Prep Time:  20 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Serves 4-6

3 Tbs. olive oil, plus 3 tsp.
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (I would try to buy the pre-peeled, pre-sliced butternut squash, it’s a pain to cut it up and make sure you get all of the peel off)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tsp salt, plus 1 tsp
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus ½ tsp
1 cup vegetable stock
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound prawns (or large shrimp), peeled and deviened (I use the frozen, raw, peeled and deveined shrimp—you can cut the tails once you thaw them before adding them to the recipe)
¾ to 1 cup whole milk ( I have used 2% and it seemed fine)
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves (do a chiffonade to keep it from bruising, see image below)
¼ cup grated Parmesan

Warm 3 Tbs. of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the butternut squash, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.  Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 5-7 minutes.  Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until the squash is very soft, another 5-7 minutes.  Transfer the squash mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining 3 Tbs. of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the prawns with the remaining 1 tsp. of salt and remaining ½ tsp of black pepper.  Add the prawns to the pan and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes.

In a large pot over high heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, and ¾ cup milk.  Stir to combine.  Add the remaining ¼ cup milk if the sauce needs to be moistened.   Add the cooked prawns, basil, and cheese.  Stir until warm and serve.

We have had an incredible winter in Virginia this year, with unreal amounts of snow. I believe the kids are on their eighth snow day home from school. We have done all kinds of snow activities trying to keep everyone busy. We have built snow caves, made snow cones (which were a little gross), sledded and knocked down monster icicles with snowballs. The kids also made up a funny game called “Snow Mole”, were they dug tunnels all through the yard. They then played a game like hide and seek, only you crawled through the tunnels and got pounced on from above by whoever was “it”.

Sledding on a nearby driving range, both kids tried out a friend’s snowboard and really wanted to learn. I think it’s important that the kid really wants to learn, because it’s hard. Last Monday, I realized we could pay the midweek price at our nearby resort Wintergreen and get a lesson, lift ticket and rentals for one price and then you get two more days of lessons, lift tickets and rentals for a reduced amount.   At my resort, a helmet was not included in the rental and was another ten dollars. I would get the helmet, you can also buy a nice new helmet for as cheap as $30. It was a beautiful day out, I felt like I was back skiing on the West Coast. You didn’t need gloves or a jacket. The kids took the lesson and then my youngest stayed and I helped her for an hour and she was off with her friends. It was helpful for both of my kids to be with a friend who had also never done it before. My older child took off immediately with his friends, which turned out to be a bad idea. He came back very frustrated. But, after an hour with his mom, he was off. I think he was as shocked as I was that I could teach him.

The best piece of advice I can give is to try to make sure the weather is nice the first time you bring your kids out. Strong wind and freezing temperatures could make for a very bad first experience. I had watched this short video on teaching kids to snowboard, it turned out to be very helpful. It was also nice for me to be on skis and my husband to just have on boots when we first started. Explain ahead of time, yes, they will spend a lot of time falling and getting back up. No one started out as Shaun White, not even Shaun. The first thing I tried to make sure of was that they were looking ahead at where they were going, for some reason kids feel like they need to look down and watch their feet. If they do that, they just fall. I also explained that you do just have to let yourself go, as soon as you start to lose control, slow down and if you can’t do that, sit down. Ask them to try to go down the slope in wide zigzags, as perpendicular to the slope as possible. I would stay behind them the whole time, that way if they fell I could catch up to them.  There’s nothing worse than trying to climb back up hill to help someone who has fallen.  Last, but not least, before they start back off after falling, they need to look uphill and see who is coming. The only part that made me nervous the whole time, was that some huge person was going to ski into them.

I know there is a lot more to this. As we go more and more, I will let you know how we progress. It doesn’t look like the weather is letting up anytime soon.

My pictures are pretty fuzzy as they were taken with my phone.

We had one of those rare Virginia days where 8 inches of snow blanketed the ground and more was on the way.  My husband had recently purchased two big bags of oranges and he and my daughter enthusiastically squeezed fresh orange juice for breakfast.  I was then faced with dozens of orange skins and wondered what I could do with them.  Since I was happily trapped inside, candied orange peels seemed like a possibility.

I looked at multiple recipes, but couldn’t find any that used already squeezed oranges.  They all called for peeling whole oranges and I didn’t have any of those.   So…. I combined a few recipes, added my own new step and it worked!  Actually, it worked really, really well. Here’s what I did…

Candied Orange Peels (from juiced orange halves)

10 oranges – that have been cut in half and juiced

2 cups white sugar

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar for decoration

After you have squeezed the oranges for juice, cut the peel from the juiced orange halves into strips about 1/4-inch wide.  They will have bits of pulp and the white pith on them.  Put the orange peels in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat to blanch.  Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 more time and drain the oranges.

After the second blanching, use a sharp paring knife to cut the white pith from each of the strips of orange.  (Since the oranges have been cooked twice, it is easy to remove the bitter pith.)

Put the cleaned orange peels back into a large saucepan with cold water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat to blanch one final time.  Then pour off the water and remove the orange peels from the pan.

Combine the sugar and water in the large saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes.  (If you took the sugar’s temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.)  Stir in peel, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove saucepan from the heat and transfer pieces of orange from the pan and roll, a few at a time, in remaining sugar.  Let dry on wire rack several hours.  Store in airtight container and enjoy!

Time Tip:  Since the kids were running in and out of the house and in need of help with all their snow clothes, I took breaks in between the blanching of the oranges.  The peels were able to rest in the sink in a colander.  The only step I really had to do from start to finish was the final step when you simmer the sugar, add the peel and then roll them in sugar.

Groundhog Day has a long tradition in the United States. The groundhog tradition comes from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, where for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, the day marked a milestone in the winter and a day of weather that was important. Myths such as Groundhog Day tie our present to the past and highlights how nature influences our lives.

Some fun answers to frequently asked questions about Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, from groundhog.org.

-The celebration of Groundhog Day began with the Germans, Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states “For as the sun shines on Candlemas day, so far will the snow swirl in May…”. The settlers found that groundhogs were plentiful and were the most intelligent and sensible animal to carry on the legend of Candlemas Day.

-Yes, Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog.

-There has been only one Punxsutawney Phil.  Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking “groundhog punch” (a secret recipe). One sip, which is administered every summer at the Groundhog Picnic, gives him seven more years of life.

-On February 2nd, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob, in front of thousands of faithful followers from all over the world, to predict the weather for the rest of the winter.

-According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

-No, Punxsutawney Phil’s forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2nd, he speaks to the Groundhog Club President in Groundhogese. His proclamation is then translated for the world.

-Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800’s. The first official trek to Gobbler’s Knob made on February 2nd, 1887. In 2010 it will be the 124nd prediction.

-So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br’er Groundhog.

Learn more at groundhog.org and happy Candlemas Day!

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Grab a pencil and a pad of paper and get involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count from February 12 –15, 2010. The Great Backyard Bird Count is organized by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  It is a way to take a snapshot of the kinds of birds spotted during February and to compare this information to bird populations from past years.

Whether you are an avid bird watcher or not, it is easy to participate in this free event and help track birds across America.  All you have to do is record the birds you see for 15 minutes on any of the four days on a tally sheet and then log the birds you saw online. You can also submit photos you take in your backyard. It’s up to you. At The Great American Bird Count you’ll find instructions on what to do and helpful tips on identifying birds.  So, mark it on your calendar and have fun!

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