It is not summer. I know this. It’s spring, and spring is often cold and disappointing in Washington. I remember the first year we moved here. Everything was green and blooming furiously, but it was COLD and GRAY. Day after day. It was well into June, and I finally turned to Tim and asked him when summer was going to arrive.

These children are ready and willing to hunt down the sunshine.

Nearly every day the children and I would bundle (yes, bundle) up and set off in search of some sunshine. There were streaks of golden light off in the distance and I was determined to find them. It was our own treasure hunt, however, instead of searching for the pot at the end of the rainbow, we were looking for a sunny day.

Today was mild and overcast in the morning. By mid-afternoon summer had peaked around the corner and blown its warm kiss. Cheeks and shoulders gained a rosy cast. Sunscreen resurfaced from its long winter sleep and popsicles were cheerfully passed around, dripping over little fingers. Windows were pried open and flip flops dragged out from under winter boots.

Really, it’s a comfortable fit. Three rascals in a tub.

It’s not summer. Not yet. This weekend, however, like a beautiful flower unfolding in the light, we humble Washingtonians were treated to a rare sliver of summer in the midst of a dreary spring. It was truly glorious.

Nothing like some chocolate to celebrate the end of a lovely day.

Decadent Chocolate Bundt Cake (from Cake Mix Magic)

1 pkg devil’s food cake mix
1 pkg (4 oz) chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Cake - combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream and water. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly in greased, floured bundt pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes @ 350. Cool in pan on wire rack then remove cake.

Frost with prepared frosting.

Note: We used vanilla pudding mix (out of chocolate) and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Topping was gently heated canned frosting. Served with old fashioned vanilla ice cream. Rave reviews!

Tomorrow summer promises to come again. What a tease! I intend to savor its warmth and drink up any bit of sunshine that trickles by.

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 137

This year Joshua took a class at our homeschool co-op entitled For Boys Only. They have studied finances, banking, insurance, renting policies, and COOKING.

This evening our family was the grateful recipients of Joshua’s final project.

Dinner for Seven hosted by Joshua

Chicken Bake Appetizers
Fresh Veggie Crudities
Yogurt Fruit Salad
Homemade Rolls (Mesa Manna recipe)
Juice Spritzer Punch
Baked Potatoes w/sour cream, shredded cheese, and turkey bacon
Steamed Broccoli
Salad w/toppings
Grilled Steaks
Layered pudding dessert as the finale

Joshua worked for hours preparing the meal. He planned the menu, organized the recipes, and did the shopping. He even used existing groceries rather than spend too much at the store. It was truly a culinary gift to the whole family. He set the table in fine style and helped (through his exhaustion) with the clean up.

I’ll have to share his chicken bake and layered pudding recipes because they were quite the hit with the family.

Thank you, Joshua, for the amazing meal.

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 107

My mom is making me blog. She does the typing, I do the talking.

Last night, Mom and Dad had a Date Night. That basically means the kids go off in the garage to eat, watch movies or play games while the grownups stay in the house, have a nice dinner and talk.

We had pizza, curly fries and broccoli. Joshua and Rachel made a delicious pudding parfait for the kids’ dessert. They layered vanilla pudding, Cool Whip, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate pudding, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, and more Cool Whip.

It was wonderful!

Feel free to have another Date Night soon, Mom and Dad.

Daniel
Project 366 - Day 78

This evening I prepared some delicious roasted vegetables for dinner. I took 3 small yellow onions and 1 large sweet onion, diced them all and put in a large baking pan. I misted them with some olive oil (with my wonderful Pampered Chef spritzer), added lots of minced garlic and some seasoning salt. I chopped three small red potatoes and added them to the onions.

Not my actual spritzer, my hands or my peppers.

Bake 400 for 20 minutes

Asparagus was $1.49 a pound last week I still can’t believe I didn’t buy more when it was so gloriously cheap. Still, it only lasts so long in the fridge and I’m the only asparagus lover in the family, so perhaps three bags was enough.

“Sarah, you want any asparagus? Me neither!”

Snap woody ends off asparagus and add to onion/potato combo. Toss sliced mushrooms on top. Mist veggies with olive oil again and salt lightly.

Bake 425 for another 20 minutes

Okay, so the cooking time is approximate. Roast veggies until tender and delicious. Next time I’m adding some squash and fresh tomatoes in at the end with the mushrooms. Yum!

Enjoy!

Kathy
Project 366

Sorry no gorgeous food shots to include with this post; just a few basic recipe ideas, per your requests.

Roasted Asparagus with Onion

Chop two sweet onions and spread on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Add some garlic and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Roast in oven 20 minutes.

I was baking chicken at the time so the temp was lower than I would normally favor for roasted veggies. 400 or 425 works best.

After the onions have softened a bit (turn over with fork), add fresh asparagus (woody ends snapped off). Drizzle (or spritz) with olive oil, sprinkle salt and fresh Rosemary. Bake for another 10 minutes. When asparagus is done to desired softness (I like mine crisp), take out and garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese.

I love roasted onions so I took the opportunity to cook them along with the asparagus. You’ll have to experiment with the baking time. I was working on pulling everything together for dinner and didn’t time the veggies very precisely. Okay, I barely timed them at all so I am not responsible for your under or over cooked veggies.

Roast at your own risk.

I lied. I couldn’t really post a blog without a few pictures. Sarah and David spent hours in the sand box this afternoon.

Tuscan Chicken Breasts

This is a super easy recipe, I can hardly take any credit for it. I buy the frozen chicken breasts at Costco. I find they consistently give me tender results. I marinated the chicken in Trader Joe’s Tuscan Italian salad dressing over night. I only had a little bit of dressing left so I added some balsamic vinegar and olive oil to the jar and poured it over the chicken.

Bake chicken in oven at 375. Normally this would take 30 to 40 minutes. I HATE dry, overcooked chicken breasts, so I tend to check my chicken as it is cooking. I took the pan out, cut the chicken into smaller pieces (best way to see how it is cooking) and then returned it to the oven. I’ve found that the secret to tender, juicy chicken breasts is in the length of cooking time. You can NOT let it cook too long.

This dinner had several dishes that needed the oven so I ended up pulling the chicken out and finishing it (only 2 or 3 minutes) in the microwave. After it is finished baking, sprinkle with fresh Parmesan.

Yum!

Trader Joe’s Tuscan Italian Dressing with Balsamic Vinegar - try it! It’s one of Tim’s favorites.

Of course, my lovely Mesa Manna recipe has already been fully documented (complete with lots of pictures) here on this post.

Next time I feature a recipe, I simply must share our very favorite blender oatmeal pancakes. They are delicious AND healthy.

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 54