Coffee-Muffy, and a Recipe

Lately, I've been having extra trouble trying to cram all my glasses and coffee cups into my one tiny cabinet. I keep thinking, "I need to eliminate. I must purge!" But then I look at all of my favorite little cups and I just can't seem to part; they each have such sweet little memories.

There's the one little thrift shop find that Mercy brought home for me last summer when she was living with us, and out of which I drank almost every day; the perfect size, slightly rounded lip, the perfect handle, and pretty to look at. But then there's the tiny little blue floral cup that Abi sent me all the way from London. How can I pass that one up? Oh, and then the vintage set of 2 white mugs with a green flower (now sadly down to one due to a crash) which I picked up at a Salvation Army. And of course, not to be outdone by all of these memories, Naomi bought me a green and blue pedestal type cup from the Goodwill this summer so I wouldn't forget her! And then there's the handmade pottery Luke found at a garage sale in North Carolina and gave me for a Mother's Day several years ago. And there's also the cute little green cup Amaleah caught me admiring and then secretly bought (with Daddy's help) for my Birthday.

It's just so fun to have special coffee cups for the ordinary daily cup of coffee, and especially for the impromptu coffee shared with a drop-in family or friend. My sister in law Kristen calls it "coffee-muffy," which we had this weekend when we were lounging around after a trip to the zoo. I started the coffee, defrosted some frozen pumpkin doughnut muffins, and we all meandered in for a cup shared around the kitchen table.

I used to swear I'd never drink coffee...but now I'm so glad I do!

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins (from Everyday Food)

for the batter:

10 T. unsalted butter, room temp. (plus more for pan)

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/3 c. buttermilk*

1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree'

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

*if you don't have buttermilk, just combine about the same amount of milk with 1 tsp. or so of vinegar.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and pumpkin. With a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar til light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer in low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin tin and bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine:

3/4 c. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Prepare: 1/4 c. melted butter

Let muffins cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. With one at a time, brush each muffin with melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar and let cool completely on wire rack.

These muffins were delish! And they froze well (to freeze, save the butter and cinnamon-sugar step til after defrosted).

I remember the first time I ever caught anything with my Dad, and it was on a silvery lake in Pennsylvania, and it was a turtle, of all things! For Amaleah, her first catch was a speckled trout, and my Dad was there next to her to see her through too! This time it was salt-water fishing, which I don't think my Dad and I have ever experienced together before. Unfortunately, this particular weekend on the gulf coast of Texas, the hurricane rains persisted, and there wasn't a dry day at all to fish. So finally we had to just make the best of it and get a little wet for this memorable experience. I'm glad we did! It's so fun to see your children doing their firsts, and as they keep getting older, there are always new "firsts!" I cherish these moments as they come.

In other news, Landis is taking his "first" steps...thus, I'm not blogging much.

*Umm, somehow this got underlined and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to un-underline it...the computer insisted this was underlineable material....

Fashion Tips for Winter

While I was in D.C. last weekend, I hopped in a cab (well, to be honest, it was more like hoisting the baby carrier in the cab with the frigid wind blowing everything everywhere; trying to close up the stroller with my arms full of diaper bags and coats, and shopping bags on the return trip; but lets romanticize it and say, "I hopped in a cab,") and went to the nearest shopping mall for a little outing with Landis.

While there, I got my lunch (which would have been French crepes if I had seen the shop before I settled for greasy McDonalds over "Texas BBQ") and sat on a ledge to eat. Apparently, everyone in D.C. knows how to snatch a table the moment it comes available, because I certainly was not quick enough. As I ate, I preoccupied myself with people watching. First I noticed coats, but soon grew bored of that, so I decided to observe how many different ways you can wear a scarf. Below are my findings, modeled by Amaleah. (P.S. Is every little girl born with an innate ability to model something?)

The Throw & Go:

(for the sleek, wanna be "cool" guy)

The Sophisticated/Business Over-the-Coat:

(very D.C. diplomat)

The French Dreamy & Airy:

(or: I got too hot and had to untie)

The "30 and Flirty" (or so it seemed), and sometimes sported with a knot...

The Through the Loop

(or: Scarve Wearing for Dummies)

My Personal Favorite...

The Thrifty:

Two in One--It's Both a Hat and a Scarf

(and an awesome floor dance to match...)

So take your pick this winter and wear that scarf well!

The Traveling Sweater

Last weekend, Landis and I traveled with Luke to Washington, D.C., so Luke could attend a conference for work, and so I could rejuvenate (I did this last year with him, and it was wonderful!) We were there during a huge cold blast that seemed to affect much of America, so layering was essential. As I packed for this trip, I came across this cute, white, hooded zip up sweater with pom-poms all over it in Landis' closet. I had forgotten about this treasure, seeing as how in San Antonio we hardly ever need that many layers. I threw it in the suitcase knowing I would use it, and I did. I got to thinking, "Where has this sweater been?"

You see, it originated in Naomi's household (my sister in law and amazing friend), when she bundled up her 3rd child, Selma, during the cold winter months in Spain.

Then, our dearest friend Lory requested the precious sweater for her 3rd hearty little boy, Blake, and he filled it up quite nicely.

Then Lory in all her goodness, sent me a huge tub of darling little boy clothes when she heard my 3rd was a boy, and low and behold, the darling little sweater appeared, and Landis fit in it beautifully!

(see The Jefferson Memorial in the background?)

So now it has traveled the world. I wonder who it will adorn next winter? Maybe our next new niece or nephew, who is coming in August?

*By the way, the beauty of hand-me-downs is their story, and the memory of the child who last wore it...I always think of who the outfit came from when I put it on my child! And I love that!

To Spain and France and Back Again

Oh the joys of being with family, especially being reunited with family you haven't seen in at least a year. My joy was definitely made full these past two weeks as we traveled to Europe to enjoy meaningful time with Luke's sisters and their families. I can't help feeling homesick in a way this week as I think of the delight it was to be with my family, who also are my deepest and dearest friends. I could go into nostalgic detail of all the special times I've had with Luke's sisters over the last 16 years, but I won't. Just take my word for it: they are dear to my heart and I wish I could see them more often .

But I'm thankful for the time we had: lots of walks and talks; trips to the park; late night coffee (which never disappointed), pastries and coffee at the local "pasteleria;" loud, noisy children reveling in the fun of being with cousins; amazing food (amazing--Naomi you're awesome!); beach trips; France trip; pasta making; loud, noisy, rambunctious children (did I already mention that?); and the list goes on.

It was priceless, magical (as Naomi calls it), and totally worth the jet lag my children are still suffering from (which translates into middle of the night wakings and early morning rising). We lived it and loved it.

It's the Simple Things

Man, it's been a long time! Traveling takes alot out of a tired mommy! Luke and I went to Mexico a week and a half and ago and had such a relaxing, wonderful time. I could go into daily details, but I think if I just mention this: beautiful beach, hot sun, dips in the pool, no kids...you get the picture. What I will detail is one of the million ways my husband is the best (for those of you who are confused on that point). Let me explain...

Because my husband likes to treat me to fancy dinners, we went to the fanciest restaurant at the resort for our last night. It featured primarily outdoor seating, and who can resist the sound of the enormous waves during dinner? However, September isn't "off-season" for no reason...it is sooooo hot there this time of year. Needless to say, I was sweating profusely, and had oh-so-accidentally forgotten my rubberband for my toooo heavy and hot hair! I just couldn't enjoy my food, and I felt really bad about that, but the heat was making me lose my appetite. So, like any fantastically wonderful, absolutely self-less husband would, my dearest of dears hopped from his seat, ran back to the room (not very close, I might add), and fetched my cherished rubber band for me.

Seriously, it's those little things that make me remember our dating days and why I fell in love with him in the first place...and still am in love with him!

Back to Real Life

Another Monday: a day of laundry; digging through the frig for something, just something to eat; dealing with no air conditioning (for like the 5th time this summer); trying to get the girls to help fold clothes; and of course watching the Olympics (Go USA!). But hey, I have nothing to complain about. I just got back from a wonderful weekend with my husband in DC. So, here's a brief recap, or "review" if you will...

Luke had a medical conference in DC, so I went along with him. Not only was the time so nice just to have Luke all to myself every evening, but also to have time to myself during the day. DC is such a beautiful city, especially when the weather is right. And from all our experiences, the taxi cab drivers were actually quite pleasant and friendly!

So we enjoyed some Italian food at a place called Fine'. The food was good, not superb. I will say they did know how to do bruschetta, and I will definitely do it that way next time...They didn't make the baguette slices toooo crispy. They were thicker and slightly crisp, but fresh and soft in the middle. And of course the diced tomatoes, onions, and parsley were fresh and good. That dinner was followed by a late night movie, a very rare occurrence for us.

During the daytime while Luke conferenced, I just took it easy. I found a cute little coffee place Dean & Deluca, that seemed to be the local hit (or "yuppy" hangout). I really liked it--the walls rolled up and it was an outdoor scene, very nice for the breezy weather. I read homeschool materials and prepared schedules and activity lists, and then I just couldn't help it. I had to shop. Shopping was followed by a jaunt to a crepe place I had been keeping my eye out for, called Snap. Oh a big disappointment. Once you've had crepes in Austin, TX at Flip Happy ( I think that's what it's called), I guess nothing is the same. I tried a chicken in peanut sauce crepe, and it seemed like it was dunked in peanut butter, and the crepe was mushy. Oh well. Maybe a city can't do politics and food... I spent the rest of the day planning for school.

The rest of the weekend was full of dear friends from college days, visits to the monuments, and cooking our famous Chile Rellenos for the gang. Overall the weekend was restful and good. It was very fun to see the girls again-- I think it was good for us to be able to look forward to seeing each other!

Now, it's time to get our hearts and minds ready for a year of Kindergarten and Preschool. I'm not ready, and I don't know if I'll ever feel ready, but I'm trusting in God to provide the wisdom and organizational schools for all that! But that's for another post.

For more pics of our trip, go to my flickr page, which you can click on at the right of this screen.