Observations from the mall

My lovely mother took care of the boys this morning to let me get a run in and also do some errands by myself. Lots of in and out, which is just more fun without two kids in tow. (Plus I'm sure they had more fun swimming and going to the park than getting in and out of the car with me.) One of the stops was the mall. It's been awhile since I've been to the mall and several things stuck out to me:

1) I am just too old to shop at some stores. I perused Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe and did not find a single item that looked good on me. Yes, I'm technically still in my 20's until next year, but I guess it's just too far above 21 to work for me.

2) Why does Abercrombie and Fitch feel it necessary to pump so much cologne into their store that it causes that entire wing of the mall to stink??

3) I do not know why people bring kids (sometimes many kids) shopping with them to the mall and expect to have fun and/or actually do shopping. I see a lot of people stressed out. I guess this is why I don't make it very often... but when I do go, it's a pleasurable experience.

Okay, enough thoughts about the mall... off to get something actually accomplished!

Zac the camera man

We bought ourselves a new camera "for Christmas" (an excuse to buy ourselves a camera, right?). I don't really want the boys to use the new one, but I'm fine with them using the older one, which is still in perfect working order (just less pixels per inch and all that stuff). Here are two shots from Zac from yesterday. There were lots of others not worth posting here, but I thought these two were quite nice.

Benji with his seal pup

Self-portrait of Zac's eye

Swim lessons for Benji

The teachers let the kids jump off the diving board or go down the slide at the end of every lesson. It was definitely the highlight for Benji. He is one fearless boy.

Future graduates?

The reason why I need to wear foundation everyday

Recently Benji was coloring during his "rest time" (what he does instead of "nap time" since he has gotten too old for naps) and he came to ask me what color he should use to color the astronaut's face. I suggested yellow since we have no cream colored markers - just the typical Crayola colors. He said, "No, it should be red since you have a red face." Great! Even my kid thinks my face is red. All the more reason to not skip foundation any day. It takes a lot of work to be presentable - even if it's a "home day" just with the kids. :)

Yummy recipe

Benji and I cooked this for dinner tonight, and it was enjoyed by all.

Crispy Zucchini and Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 2 medium zucchini, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus leaves, for garnish
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside

Lay the potatoes and zucchini on 2 kitchen towels. Bring the corners of the towels together and squeeze out the moisture from the vegetables. Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the garlic, chopped rosemary, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg whites, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the vegetable mixture to the pan. Using a spatula, press the mixture evenly into the pan. Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Cook for 8 minutes or until the edges of the mixture begin to brown. Slide the pancake, cooked side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top of the pancake starts to brown and the edges are crispy.

In a small bowl, beat the mascarpone until smooth and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cut the pancake into 1 1/2-inch squares and arrange on a serving platter. Pipe or spoon the seasoned mascarpone on top and garnish with a few fresh rosemary leaves.

(notes: I used sour cream instead of the mascarpone and also needed to cook the pancake longer on the stove AND in the oven to achieve a crunchy texture)

Dress-up birthday party

We attended a friend's 4th birthday party this afternoon. The birthday girl enjoys dressing up, so everybody was asked to come in costume. A very fun idea for a party! (And the goody-bags were decorated with a mask to take home as well.) Here are a few pictures of our boys from the host.

Dr. Zac is bringing a wooden cake to the birthday girl

Mommy had to check the doctor's heart beat as well

Fire fighter Benji enjoyed eating the princess cake

A man of many talents, the doctor is ironing an apron here with a toy iron and ironing board ... while wearing sparkly pink shoes borrowed from the birthday girl. If you've got to iron, you might as well wear cute shoes, right??

My mom is famous

I was on the Fayetteville library website and accidentally found this page honoring my mom

here

The highlight of Benji's summer is....

...mowing the lawn with Daddy. He is so happy to finally be old enough to help.



Hopefully his enthusiasm will not wane with the years... that way one day he can do it all by himself and give Daddy a break!

Big apple

Shearn Yoong and I went on a 5 day trip to New York City, arriving back home yesterday evening. My mom graciously watched our two little guys while we were gone. This was the first time we ever left them for more than a night. They didn't seem to miss us, though it seems that one of them gave Nona a run for her money in the attitude department. We were sad to hear the attitude problems and plan on spoiling her rotten for a belated Mother's Day treat. We, on the hand, had a great time. It was kind of like a second honeymoon. Since we don't normally splurge everyday, it was a chance to just do what we felt, when we wanted, and have a good time. I thought I'd share a few random thoughts and events from the trip.

* I bought 2 pairs of shoes on my last trip (California in November) and 2 pairs on this trip. I think this might be a trend worth keeping - my feet will be happy with this idea.

* If I lived in New York I would not have to worry about gaining weight from all the delicious food - the walking would help me stay trim.

* I have serious awe for the many women of NYC who seem to walk for hours and hours in VERY high heels. I wish I had your stamina. Perhaps someday. But for now, I was very pleased with my new Chaco's sandals - no blister to be seen on my feet anywhere!

* I cannot reconcile the fact that I was shopping for clothing and shoes in the morning on Thursday ... and then crying that afternoon at the UN when seeing the pictures of Rwandan women who were raped during the genocide and their children who came from those rapes.

* Time Square just has too many people for my taste.

* I now want to learn to cook Middle Eastern food (inspired by my delicious Afghani lunch on Sunday before catching the flight back to NWA).

* People watching is a lot more fun there than in Arkansas. I saw some great fashions.

* Where are all the pregnant ladies in New York? Seriously, there is a shortage of pregnant women. Will they be able to re-populate the city? Or maybe they're counting on Arkansans moving?