The Secrets of Happy Families

The Secrets of Happy Families is certainly designed for people with children - tips include having a long series of sex talks with your kids throughout their childhood (I had this in my own family, and I'm a big fan) and not worrying so much about the much-praised family dinner. I like researching and planning, so I loved thinking about how we'll do these things with our kiddos when that time comes (this is not an announcement!). However, I'm also a firm believer that Peter and I are already a family unit, and it was nice to think concretely about ways to improve our family's happiness now.

One of my favorite tips that we're able to implement is about creating a family mission statement. We haven't gone so far as distilling it down to a single core sentence (yet?!), but we think and talk about what we value quite a bit. This includes hosting family and friends in our home, traveling and doing new things, spending time together in the evening and cooking dinner, being able to give some money to causes we believe in, and then saving as much as we can without sacrificing all that fun stuff.

This exercise is especially interesting when you think about what gets left out, right? To me, it's fun to think about how your time + money are working toward (or against) the things you've decided you value most. Travel and new adventures can sometimes be hard to invest in, but for us, those things mean so much. Other stuff - like shopping or new gadgets - can easily be left behind because we don't really value those.

All this to say, I highly recommend this book. Bruce is a very likable dad - evidence here - and this is chock full of tips for families of all shapes and sizes. If you'd be interested in receiving a copy of your own, leave a comment below and one will be sent to the winner!

This is part of a blog tour by TLC Book Tours.  I received a copy of the book to read and review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions are mine.

Gnocchi with Lentils and Prosciutto

When we were in Montreal, we had the most decadent, duck-fat filled creation at Au Pied de Cochon with gnocchi, lentils, and all kinds of meat. We tried to re-create it at my parent's house about a month ago, and it was delicious, but I wanted to see if I could do again with an even more humble interpretation since we used an amazing duck liver mousse the first time around.

I'm know I just said I'm desperate for spring flavors, but as we hunker down for yet another snow storm (!), this kind of comforting, stick to your ribs food still feels right. The ingredient list is a little long, but you could sub out anything on it (except the gnocchi and lentils!). Celery, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale could all be nice additions, and I think a vegetarian version would be just lovely.

I've done my best with the directions, but this loose recipe is bound to frustrate you rule-followers in our midst :) If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments!

Gnocchi with Lentils and Prosciutto

Serves 4
You will need:

1 package potato gnocchi
1/2 cup lentils
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced and halved
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms (we used oyster)
3 slices prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup liquid - water, stock, wine, and cream (I used some of each)

The original dish had pickled beets - divine. In place of that, I used a small bundle of broccoli rabe for some bitterness. Also, a warning: regular beets will turn the dish pink :) The original was also meatier - feel free to add sausage, duck, chicken, or pate of some kind if you're feeling fancy!
Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Boil the lentils for a bit, just to get them going in the cooking process - maybe 15 minutes. You don't want to turn them into mush since they cook in the oven, too. While those are cooking, saute the vegetables in a bit of butter until soft, about 10 minutes. In a casserole dish, combine the uncooked gnocchi, lentils, and vegetables. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add liquid until you can see it come up the sides, but don't submerge everything - I'd guess you need about a cup total. Place the torn pieces of prosciutto on top - the liquid you added shouldn't really make these wet at all.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the gnocchi is soft and the prosciutto is crispy.

Forcing Spring

OMG. Happy March 1st!!! The forecast called for a rainy/snowy mix today, but the weather gods could clearly see that we've been pushed to the limit in Boston - the sun is shining, and all looks much better than it did before we turned the page on the calendar.

This is the time of year when I get very itchy to wear my plethora of pink clothing. I'm tired of piling mountains of blankets on the bed, and I'm desperate for some asparagus. However! These things won't be viable options for about six more weeks. It's time to force spring in my life. 

I'm already on my second pot of daffodils - they're only $2.50 at Trader Joe's, and they are so happy and cheerful. I might need one for every room in the house. I've also got my little Easter tree up (with branches I stole - spy-style - from our neighbors at dusk!). These will be replaced with forsythia or some other floral thing as soon as I can get my hands on it from the grocery store.  

And speaking of the grocery store! I can't eat another parsnip or butternut squash. In this funny interim stage, I buy frozen artichokes, asparagus, and peas, lots of the those plastic packets of fresh herbs (mint and parsley feel especially good right now), and big bags of lemons. The dish above is based on this recipe, but I added feta and olives - delicious additions that I highly recommend. 

For fun stuff, I would absolutely love to make it to the Bulb Show at Smith this year, and I sort of feel like I need this shirt to celebrate spring's impending arrival. Is anyone else as desperate for spring as I am?!

Neurotic Bloggers

(Via the New Yorker)

*I fought the urge to close comments on this post!

Children's Lit Favorites, and Being a Student Again

1. The Amazing Bone; 2. The Girl Who Spun Gold; 3. Locomotion; 4. Grandfather's Journey; 5. Extra Yarn; 6. A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever

I mentioned before that I'm taking a course in children's literature at the college where I work. Higher Ed has lots of perks - not lots of money, but time off, a nice pace to the days, and the gift of working in an intellectual environment. Also, free classes!

I haven't been an official student since I graduated from college in 2006. And while I write and edit all the live long day, but that's very different than literary critique. We do things like think about Little Red Riding Hood from a feminist perspective, and examine the use of triangles in picture book illustrations. It's nerve-wracking and exciting to use my brain in this new way.

As an undergraduate, I was always a good student, but I remember it being a bit of game to see how little I could get away with doing and how quickly I could complete a decent assignment. Now I want to swim inside my reading assignments; mull over how to make my transitions strong but compact for my next paper. And I see elements of my class all over the place, like beer bottles or in Talk of the Town.

The class about a third of the way finished now, and I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite books from our reading list so far. We're doing many of the classics, too, but I skipped those in favor of newer or more obscure books that might be new to you (they all were to me!). Of the ones listed above, Locomotion is my absolute favorite. It is a stunning novel, written in verse, from the perspective of 11 year-old Lonnie. He's a character who stays with you, in the best possible way.

I'll try to remember to check in again at the end of the semester with more recs - we still have historical fiction, fantasy, and YA to cover!

The First Warm Evening of the Year

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

If you're looking for a bit of romantic literary fiction on this lovey holiday, might I recommend this? It's a love-at-first-site story set partially in the Berkshires. And! It takes place at the glorious start of spring. One of the characters is a landscape architect and gardener, and it is such a treat to read about things that grow this dreary time of year. 

P.S. Oprah liked it, too :)

This is part of a blog tour by TLC Book Tours.  I received a copy of the book to read and review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions are mine.

Embroidered Heart

Thanks to lots of time at home this past weekend, I went looking for a little craft to keep my busy. I found this darling embroidery pattern, and decided to give it a go. The fabric is an old Shabby Chic shower curtain from Target (no fabric is safe when there's a driving ban on).

I went the ultimate lazy route by holding the fabric up to the embroidery pattern image on my computer screen and lightly tracing it right from there. I also skipped some of the swirls and squiggles - I only know how to do chain stitches, so I did the whole thing using that, plus a few polka dot clusters.

Even with all these short-cuts, it's still pretty cute -- a perfect pre-Valentine's Day craft!

Valentine's Day Menu

Peter's going to be on field trip in New York City Thursday and Friday (it was supposed to be last week, but they re-scheduled because of the storm). So he'll get to spend a very loving Valentine's Day tromping around Times Square with 80 ninth graders.

No matter, though. We're going to make our fun celebration dinner on Wednesday instead! Here's the proposed menu:

• Sarah's chicken liver pate
• Maple duck breast
• Radicchio salad with green olives and Parmesan
• Melty chocolate peanut butter cake

Plus, something bubbly. I actually dreamed that I "accidentally" bought a really great bottle of Champagne the other night, and my dream self was like, "Oh well! Perfect for Valentine's Day." So maybe that's my ESP kicking in?!

Snowy Walk in the Neighborhood

For the first time since Friday morning, I left the house! It's gorgeous out today - bright blue sky, shining sun. There's still so much snow on the sidewalks that we mostly walked in the streets, ducking into driveways for any stray cars that passed. There's something disconcerting about walking in the middle of road for a rule-follower like myself, but it was so fun. And so nice to leave the apartment! Fingers crossed everything can open up tomorrow with a hitch.

Tonight we're heading out again to go down the street for a burger - I've already roasted a chicken and braised a pork shoulder this weekend, so it feels like a good night to go out. Hope everyone in New England survived Nemo all right! If you're still hunkering down, might I recommend this? It's awesome and intense.

Happy Sunday to all!

Winter-time

Winter-time

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,

A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;

Blinks but an hour or two; and then,

A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,

At morning in the dark I rise;

And shivering in my nakedness,

By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit

To warm my frozen bones a bit;

Or with a reindeer-sled, explore

The colder countries round the door.

When, to go out, my nurse doth wrap

Me in my comforter and cap:

The cold wind burns my face, and blows

Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;

Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;

And tree and house, and hill and lake,

Are frosted like a wedding-cake.

-Robert Louis Stevenson


P.S. Have I told you guys I'm taking a graduate course in children's literature? (One of the perks of working in higher ed!) This week we're studying poetry :)