Memorial weekend

We decided last week to pack up the van and head "Up North" for Memorial weekend. We left Thursday night, and arrived at the cottage around midnight. Luckily, both kids fell asleep halfway there. Suffice it to say that Albert does not like to be in his car seat for long periods. Joe and Kathy met us up there on Saturday.

Stella is always drawn to the water, and this weekend was no exception. We had a hard time keeping her away from the dock while she was outside. At one point, her Papa decided to take her on a boatride .... and asked me to come along so she wouldn't go overboard!



The water temp was extremely low (in the 50s), but the cool up north breezes were so nice after a long hot week here in Battle Creek. There's nothing like the up north sky ... which is always a deep blue and the clouds always look crisp and cold, like they're coming off Lake Michigan with a super cold wind.

Here is a picture of Stella making her way down to the beach. She was the ultimate wild child all weekend.



Joe and Kathy were wonderful and helpful. They took care of Stella while John and I went to Suttons Bay. It was my first trip there, and I really enjoyed it. I think anyplace on the Leelanau peninsula is a good place!

We did take A.J. with us to Suttons Bay, though. He and I posed beside a red phone booth that John said was "very British."



Luckily Joe and Kathy are well-practiced when it comes to babies. Albert John was right at home with his papa and grandma.



I hope everyone had a good weekend!

The tornado sirens were sounding tonight

At around 6 p.m., the tornado sirens started going off. I was giving Stella a bath at the time. We had been watching the storm on the local news radar. Yikes! I looked outside and the sky looked greenish. I grabbed Stella out of the water and John grabbed A.J. and we headed to the basement.

They quickly canceled the tornado warnings, but it turned out to be a powerful storm. People from around the area were calling the TV station and saying that there were downed tree limbs and hail. We got worried about our little trees!

John snapped this picture of the clouds rolling in.



Luckily, no damage to our trees. Huge sigh of relief.

A.J. is still growing like crazy. He's getting to wear all of his summertime clothes. It's been hot.



Stella continues to be our future musician. She got out her guitar on Saturday and played like the rock star she is destined to be.

Lakeshire weekend

We spent the weekend close to home (a.k.a. "Lakeshire") and we got a few things accomplished. The weather was beautiful. I'd have no problem if it never got warmer than 75°!

I have to give major kudos to my husband. He planted 3 trees this weekend! And the first two were planted before noon on Saturday! This one is a locust:



He also planted a River Birch and a Cleveland Pear. Last November, we put in a white oak in our front yard. I'm excited about these trees. Our lot has some nice maples and spruce trees, but nothing casts a shadow over the house. We just get blasted by sun in the summer. Hopefully these trees will help. It might be a few years, though.

I don't know what we'd do for poor Stella if we didn't have a nice big backyard. She doesn't mind the dandelions.



Hopefully we'll have a playset for her sometime soon. I got a sand and water table for her. I think she'll like that a lot.

She loves her baby brother more all the time. She points to his nose and says "baby's nose." Or ears, eyes, hands, mouth. I love how her little brother helped her start combining words on her very own. (I'm so proud of her!) We heard her say "Albert!" for the first time last week. Up to then, she said "A.J." (We call him by both). It's fun to watch them interact. She's very much like his little mom.



Unfortunately, he didn't sleep much over the weekend. He might have a bit of a cold, but we all have it. He's napped a little more today:


Have a great week!

Michigan cabbage the tasty way

I was watching the Barefoot Contessa one night on Food Network, and she made cabbage in a way that I had never thought of ... and I had to try it.

I remember hearing a few years ago that cruciferous veggies like cabbage and cauliflower and brussel sprouts were especially good for you, cancer preventing or something. Hopefully the butter doesn't negate the healthy effects. (I think I might've used a tad more than 2 tbsps).

Here it is:

Sauteed Cabbage

1 small head white cabbage, including outer green leaves (2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the cabbage in half and, with the cut-side down, slice it as thinly as possible around the core, as though you were making coleslaw. Discard the core.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and begins to brown. Season, to taste, and serve warm.

Even John eats seconds of this without prompting.

When I was a kid, I once was told to eat a serving of boiled cabbage or I couldn't get up from the table. I hated the stuff. It's nice to not have a chip on my shoulder against cabbage anymore ... this way is much better than boiled. And you won't find a cheaper local veggie (in MI at least). Try it!