Home Again, Again

I've gone away and come home again in between the last blog post and this one.  It's been a busy summer and I'm about ready to settle back into the school year. The kids aren't, they like to be able to sleep in, but I think they secretly enjoy seeing friends every day at school.

We had a week in between our last trip and the beginning of the school year. We were out in California for a family Bar Mitzvah and really enjoyed seeing so many relatives. We snuck in a couple college visits for our daughter-who-will-be-a-senior while we were out there too. (She liked UCLA but not UCSD) And the whole time we were there I didn't take ONE picture. Thank goodness some of the relatives took pictures and shared.

We got home in time to celebrate my birthday - 48! Woohoo!

birthday flowers from my husband

Kids finished up summer jobs and summer homework. I worked on preparing for the beginning of school. I've been making quiche (it's a kid favorite for breakfast - who'd a thunk?) and putting them in the freezer so we have some "ready-made" breakfasts during the school year. I can put onions,  Swiss chard, kale, leeks, spinach, garlic, almost anything we get in our CSA (community supported agriculture) box that can be chopped and sautéed, and the kids will eat it. I've been using my grandmother's pie dough recipe, which is super easy, and a quick quiche recipe that came with the veggies one week.

You can see how well-used my pie dough recipe is. My grandmother taught me how to make it when I was about 12. Directions are simple: put flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening. Add liquid (I've always used water; I chill it in the fridge before adding it to the dough). Mix gently. When dough holds together, turn out onto a floured board and knead 2 or 3 times, no more. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Here's the quiche recipe:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 bunch swiss chard (or spinach, or kale, or almost anything)
~2 c shredded cheese
4 eggs
1 c skim milk
salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Wash and dry chard/veggie of choice and chop. Add oil to a sauté pan and  sauté chard and onion until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add milk and cheese and mix. Fold in chard mixture. Put a bottom crust into a pie dish. Pour in the egg mixture. Bake 45-50 minutes until golden brown.

I usually put in a blend of available veggies. It always comes out tasty.

Took me so long to get to the blog that the kids have already started school. Seemed to be a good beginning, and homework has begun (today was the first day!).  Weather is starting to cool down just a bit and I think we're all enjoying the fresh new year, though the kids won't admit it. Daughter is driving in to school this year so I get a a break on the driving. 

Haven't been knitting, did a little bit of sewing (mostly mending) and am on track with my training for the half-marathon. Toughest workout was getting in my 10 miles while we were in California. I managed it though, using google maps (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com) to plot a course, and it was 11 miles this past weekend here at home. My husband will only run about 7 miles with me, but I met another woman this summer who is also training for the half marathon and we are doing the long runs together. We have a similar pace and it sure helps to have company. We'll be running 12 miles this weekend.

The calendar is already becoming overpopulated with parent meetings, back-to-school nights, sports, and extra-curricular activities. Then I get to fit in my own, like tap dance classes and knitting group. Busy but fun.

Shelley in CT