What you can't hear

And what EVERYONE on the grounds of Monticello can hear is Ada yelling, "Mommy!!!!"

We are off for the weekend...

Helping Dad water the garden

Life is easy when all you have to do is be cute

Have a wonderful weekend...we are off to Charlottesville, VA to visit this place!

Azul

Four-whole-months-old

We love him beyond belief.

A Rock Star & Artist

Our new favorite

The beginning of a very fine weekend.

Ada's attempt to butter her own bread, unsupervised of course.


Here is a yummy, hearty, and delicious soup to add to your meal rotation. It's our new favorite, and very, very Southern. It calls for butter beans, baby.

Succotash, the healthier version:

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup of water
2 cups butter beans (canned or fresh cooked)
2 cups corn (fresh, canned or frozen)
2 tbs. butter

Combine all ingredients, cover and simmer at least 20 minutes. Delicious with a pan of corn bread. I add a dollop of hot sauce and 1 bay leaf to this as well, borrowing from the recipe below.

Stacking vegetables. We're not sure what to think about this trait - everything must be "in order".

Succotash, the sinful version...but so, so good!

4 strips of bacon, fried, crispy and crumbled - reserve 2 tbs bacon dripping in the pan
Add to pan:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
Cook until tender
Stir in 3 tbs flour, blend thoroughly
Slowly whisk in 3 cups of chicken broth, bring to boil while stirring.
Add bacon, 2 cups fresh/canned corn, 1 1/2 cups canned butter beans, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp. pepper. 1/2 tsp hot sauce optional (it really adds flavor, though).
Simmer 15 minutes on reduced heat.
Remove bay leaves and stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream.
Salt to taste.

Getting ready to help Dad plant seeds this morning, in preparation for our Summer garden.

Conversations with Ada

Yesterday:

Dad: What did you do today, Ada?
Ada: Grocery shopping
Mom: Did we go to the park, too?
Ada: Dad, very dirty
Mom, to Dad: The park was dirty and wet from the rain
Ada: Yeah, dirty
Mom: Did we go grocery shopping and get ketchup?
Ada: Yeah, tetchup
Mom: Did we get yogurt and cheese
Ada: Yeah, yogurt and cheese
(it goes on like this for a while, with lots of grocery items)
Mom: Did we stop and have tacos
Ada: Yeah, tacos
Mom: Did we go to the Latin Market for treats?
Ada: Yeah, Atin market
Mom: Was it called El Paraiso?
Ada: Yeah, Aiso (with other jumbled sounds)
Dad: Wow, you can speak Spanish
Ada: Yeah, Panish

Second conversation at 4:45 am this morning - Ada in our bed ready to chat (Dad made Gingersnap cookies before bed, by the way)

Ada: Mom, yuv you (translate, love you)
Mom: I love you too, bud
Ada: Dad, too-ties, very hot! (whispered and emphatic)
Mom: Yep, Dad made cookies and they are very hot. OK, it's time to go back to sleep
Ada: Thurston come over
Mom: Thurston will be here Friday
Ada: Otay (translate, OK)

Silent moment

Ada: Mom, tozy (translate, cozy - as she nestles down under the covers a bit further)
...and, back to sleep