My Take on Ratatouille

By definition, ratatouille is a French dish of stewed vegetables, but there are some conflicting opinions as to what the exact rules are for calling a dish by that name...

So, slipping into the gray category of what is and what is not, I am calling this dish my version of a ratatouille!

It all started with a zucchini...

A really BIG zucchini!

the zucchini inspired me to pull a few of the onions from the garden as well, and the dish sort of took off from there!

Ingredients:

1 bag of cheese and spinach tortellini

1 bell pepper, red yellow or orange

1 large onion (or many small onions)

1 can diced tomatoes

4-5 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tblsp chopped fresh basil for garnish

Start by mincing all that garlic...

I recommend using a garlic chopper, but it can, of course, be done by hand as well...

I usually ask the kids to help with this part...

Which can lead to unfortunate mishaps!

No worries, an Italian kitchen is supposed to smell like garlic, right?!

Anyway, next, get your large pot of water boiling for the tortellini, and heat the oil and minced garlic on medium in a large saute pan...

While that's heating up, chop your onion, pepper, and zucchini into bite size pieces...

Throw all the veggies into the garlic and olive oil and allow to simmer for a minute or two before adding the can of tomatoes...

Go ahead and add the salt and pepper, and that pinch of heat!

While all of that veggie goodness is simmering together, chop up your fresh basil...

This basil came from my little herb garden, I am just so proud!  It smells amazing, and the easiest way to chop it is to roll the leaves together and carefully slice the bunch into ribbons...

Cook and drain the pasta according to the instructions, and add that into your vegetable mixture, top the whole thing off with your basil...

voila!

Wait a minute, you know me better than that by now...

That's better!

Now, to bring on the food critics...

And yes, there it is, that darling face I've come to expect and cherish...

That's a little more encouraging!

I believe her exact words were, "yum yum yum!"

And despite his contrary expression, Noah suggested that I open a restaurant with all my great food!  He suggested $30,000 per plate before reconsidering it down to a more reasonable $10...

Still high praise in my book!

And, since I only used half of that enormous zucchini in the ratatouille dish, I was able to use the other half to make...

zucchini pizzas!  (Find that recipe HERE)

These are a few of my favorite things...

Just a few more randomly captured moments to share...

The Renaissance Festival is one of our annual summer traditions, and this year, both kids were able to walk, talk, and appreciate all aspects of the adventure...

of course, since both kids were walking and talking almost the entire time, we were more occupied keeping track of them than we were focused on taking pictures...

We did manage to capture one shining, or should I say "sparkly" moment...

Gigi met a fairy, and then decided to become one!

And after a long day of loud music, mediocre food, and fantasy fun...

The backseat on the drive home was blissfully quiet!

Another favorite tradition of ours is to enjoy the kids concerts in downtown Englewood...

Since they are an evening event, Josh is able to join us...

This makes Gigi especially happy as she spends much of her day reconfirming that daddy is at work and trying to figure out when he will be home!

I'm still on a quest to capture that elusive Noah grin...

sigh...

and even Gigi sometimes proves to be a challenge, although you gotta love those baby blues!

Both kids have signed up for the summer reading program at the library, so every morning they sit down together and do a little light reading!

And we wrapped up the summer soccer season with a crushing win...

Which, since there are no referees, no goalies, and no official score...

Still made us proud enough for a victory dance!

Although it did not inspire cooperation for a nicely posed picture...

Although Emily did her very best to maintain her composure before finally being sucked into the silly boy vortex!

And while this may have been the last day of this particular soccer season...

Something tells me there will be many more seasons to come!

Sometimes a Zucchini is Just a Zucchini...

So, lets revisit last year's garden...

 And my one sad little zucchini, the only one fit to be harvested, and put to shame by the gift from a friend's garden...

Now, let fast forward to this year's garden...

And the very first zucchini picked is supermarket quality!!

And...

There are more on the way!!!

No need for sympathy this year, this year the plant assassin has succeeded in growing zucchini!!!

Of course, I had help...

And if I'm being truly honest here, I didn't actually do the planting, BUT!  I do the watering and I stare anxiously at the plants willing them to grow and that counts for something, right?...

Ok, go ahead and laugh, the fact is?

I have zucchinis in my garden!

AND!

I have pepper plants...

Note I say pepper PLANTS, not peppers, does anyone know why my peppers aren't growing?  Any suggestions?  The plants are flourishing, but not producing!

AND!

I have massive amounts of cilantro!

The garden smells like salsa, and we didn't even plant any cilantro this year, it just decided to come back!

AND!...

Sort of hidden behind the wall of zucchini, we have onions!

AND!...

believe it or not, this is an asparagus!

I kid you not, the scrawniest, most unappetizing asparagus, maybe, but it too decided to make a reappearance after having been planted last year!

I wish I could tell you that all this improvement in gardening has rubbed off on me and that my thumbs are now tinged with green, but no such luck...

I am not a gardener, I am the waterer of grass, the mower of lawns, the supervisor of weeding, but I will have to leave the true gardening to the experts...

At least I can cook!  ;-)

Because Sometimes You Just Need a Rainbow Sundress!

I am a fabric addict, and I have been trying to cut back on my kid in a candy store urges lately...

BUT, when the rainbow chevron material I have been admiring for many many weeks went on clearance today...

What was a girl with little to no will power supposed to do?!

Luckily, I had a plan for this fabric and I launched into action immediately, spending nap time putting together this little beauty...

I love this pattern, I created it using one of Gigi's existing dresses, and just simplified the heck out of the concept by using pre-created bias tape for the hem...

(Note that I did not waist time trying to exactly match up the chevron pattern at the sides, I was going for unique and fun, not perfection...also, I didn't think of it until I had already cut the material!)

and the neckline...

And the truly great thing about using the bias tape it that I didn't have to spend extra time hemming and finishing off the edges, and by threading elastic through the neckline, I created a comfortable, easy to get on, ruffled look!

I wasn't completely lazy, I mean I did make my own rainbow bias tape for the sleeves of the dress :)

and I have to say the final product was so dang cute I almost want to make one for myself...but not today!

Anyway, lets see what Lady Gigi thought of her new frock?...

I think we can do better than that...

Hmmm...there seems to be something missing from this ensemble...

Ahhhh, sparkly blue shoes!  That's better!

And just look at all the fun things you can do in a rainbow dress...

Like chase the cat...

and hug the cat who desperately does not wish to be hugged!...

And, you can climb into the drivers seat of the car and grin ridiculously when mom turns around and catches you!

Of course, big brother wanted a turn...

And, since we are in the "I don't actually smile for the camera stage",

we accept the ridiculous of the now and patiently wait for the the future when such pictures can be used for maximum embarrassment, and or blackmail!  

SHAZAAM!