Catch up

I had to throw my slippers away last night after melting one of the soles trying to smother a burning hot pad (hot burner + hot pad = flames. I had to throw the hot pad away too). So today I am slipperless and spending the day in my socks. I feel oddly unprepared for the day, like I’m still in my pajamas. My plan to counteract this lack of slippers is to cross off at least a third of my to-do list today, including posting this blog update.

(Note: I finally put on a pair of (hopefully not too dirty) shoes and feel much better about myself, and today in general. Ahh, simple things.)

Now to catch up with the past few weeks:

We’ve been home in Colorado for a couple of weeks now after having a wonderful visit in Indy over Christmas. Ben is back to work and Henry, Violet, and I have settled into our quiet routine at home.

Our plane trip to Indy with a 3-year-old and a 3-month-old was surprisingly pleasant. (Henry’s simple checklist for going on vacation: Pack the suitcases. Go to the airport. Hop on a plane. Start to fly.) I even managed to nurse Violet on the plane there and back with no problems, which was a huge relief. Having a whole row for our family definitely helped.

Our time in Indy was filled with family Christmas parties, catching up with relatives and friends, and lots of good food. One culinary highlight was the banana and pea salad made by Ben’s aunt Laurie. It was from the Harvest Holiday Cookbook 2010 published by the Sidney Daily News of small town Sidney, Ohio. Most of us had a helping, a few had two, and Chef Ken had none. Recipe and photos of the pea salad follow in case you ever want to try it yourself.

(Ben’s two cents: A Norwegian proverb says, “Cookies are made of butter and love.” Well, this salad was made from bananas, peas, and love. And even though each stand on their own as something excellent, the combination is less than the sum of its parts.)

Violet and Henry received their first Lego sets for Christmas. Yay! Before you think I'm crazy buying Legos for a baby, let me tell you that I've been waiting a long time to play with Legos again. And the pink box was so cute and had little houses to build! I built the house below and Henry built the car (which was the first that he had ever designed and built himself!). I'm hoping the kids love Legos as much as we did growing up.

Ben and Henry put their paint rollers to work and painted Violet's room a pretty shade of violet. Next we need to paint and stain Violet's crib (which was Henry's old Ikea crib) and hang some art on the walls. Then we will post pictures of the finished room!

And the recipe...

Pea and Banana Salad from the Harvest Holiday Cookbook 2010

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

½ cup Miracle Whip

2 tablespoons sugar

1 16-ounce can peas, drained and chilled

4 bananas, peeled and diced

½ cup chopped walnuts

Blend together cream cheese, Miracle Whip, and sugar. Fold in peas, bananas, and walnuts. Chill salad before serving. This is definitely a unique salad and a great conversation starter ;) (This same cookbook has a recipe for peanut butter fudge whose sole ingredients are a jar of peanut butter and a container of white cake frosting. Chocolate chips are optional.)

(See our Flickr page for more pictures.)