Pizza night at Milsap

A night of dining under the stars. Pizza cooked in wood fire ovens, made by a warm, welcoming family. Passing a snuggly babe around the table, as the bluegrass music plays on.

(A night in the Ozarks)

Chicagoland

We traveled north to Luke's hometown of Buffalo Grove for a visit with the Walker/Klopfenstein clan. 
Eloise met her Great Grandpa and Grandma (Judy, her namesake!) for the first time which was very special. 
Luke's oldest friend, Karl, and his sweet daughter, Emma stopped by for a visit and it was a dream to see the girls meet. 
We treasure these moments with family and all the joy a baby brings to our family get-togethers.  

Zuppa Toscana

One of our favorites, Zuppa Toscana is hearty and flavorful. It tastes perfect topped with a little Parmesan and served with soft French bread for soaking it all up!


Zuppa Toscana 
Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine to deglaze the pan
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 russett potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
2 cups fresh kale, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2.5 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Place a large stockpot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.  Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned.  Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside.  Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant.  Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.  Add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth and water to the pot.   Return the sausage to the pot.  Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low.  Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through.

Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

Little things

 

Little things I want to remember:

The hint of citrus on her skin when Eloise’s finishes her bath. The light, fresh scent of her laundry. How the scent of it makes me weep when I fold her laundry without her near. How I always want that scent in my house, a baby always in my house.
 
Her soft, apple cheeks when she is flushed, usually after nursing. 


The way she reaches for me at the exact moment I reach for her.


The peace I feel when she falls asleep on my chest, and I can do nothing but sit back and let our chests rise and fall in sync with one another. How that reminds me of where she came from and the closeness we share still.


Eloise has made us slow down, and I am so thankful for that. 

A first Halloween

It was a day of pumpkin carving, The Nightmare Before Christmas, chili simmering all day long, roasted pumpkin seeds, a cuddly baby bear, kids trick or treating all evening long, the sound of excitement and mischief in the air, feeling the holiday season draw near. 

Grandmother Ruth’s Banana Bread

A staple in our house, it is simple to make and smells amazing as it bakes.

The only change to the original is a little hint of cinnamon.

Grandmother Ruth’s Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 C Sugar

1/2 C butter

2 Eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp Sour milk (buttermilk or regular milk with a few drops of vinegar)

3 bananas- crushed

2 C flour

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Cream together sugar and butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake 1 hour.

If desired sprinkle with sugar about 30 minutes into baking (Luke’s addition)

Beach baby

August came ‘round fast this year. It marked an end to my maternity leave, and to wrap up that season we decided a trip to the beach was just the thing. So we loaded up and road tripped to the Emerald Coast. We spent our mornings on the beach reading, playing in the warm ocean, our little one napping and nursing. We filled our bellies with the tastiest, freshest seafood (my favorite) and tangy key lime pie (also, my favorite). Then evening strolls on the long stretch of beach in front of our condo. 

It was a trip of firsts for our Eloise: her first trip to the beach, first vacation, and end to her first summer. We basked in the sun and soaked up the time with one another.