EASTER EGG HUNT

This past weekend we had two families come stay with us from out of town, and along with a family of friends who recently have moved into town, there were a total of four families - 8 adults and 8 kids- that got to spend Easter weekend together.  It was great fun for all of us, but perhaps even more for the kids - they played their little hearts out with all sorts of pretend play and outdoor shenanigans. (The adult fun consisted of drinks and conversation about Enneageams! late into the night) On Saturday night when I put Sloane to bed, she exclaimed with a satisfied sigh, "Oh man, that was really a great day."

One of the things we did on Saturday was a little egg hunt for the kids. I hid hard boiled eggs and kazoos all around the yard and the kids were so enthusiastic in their search; most of these pictures here are from their hunt. Afterwards the kids exchanged some eggs for treats and dropped the rest of them into natural dye water, which didn't turn out like they were supposed to but none of them seemed to mind: there was way too much playing to be had. 

WHAT I'M READING V. 23

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly: I heard about this book because of the movie and I wanted to read it before I saw the film version. It wasn't what I expected so it took me a while to get into it. It was very serious and read more like a history textbook, but the content of that history was so interesting that I made it through. I also hadn't realized that so much of the story starts with and is related to the area of Hampton Roads, an area close by that I knew nearly nothing about, so it was fascinating to learn of its recent history. And by the end of it, I was thoroughly compelled and stirrred by the strength of these intelligent and hard working women who essentially blazed the trail in the field of space science. I'm excited to see the movie.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman: A friend recommended this as a light read and I was very much drawn into this WWI area. The setting is beautiful and the story is heartbreaking. The story centers around grief - the grief of war, the grief of losing loved ones, the grief of the ones who wait at home, the grief of a mother. I cried several times throughout the book, especially the end. I cried, I emphasized, I ached; it was cathartic.

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell: Another reccomendation by a different friend, and another one I really enjoyed. I listened to the audiobook version read by the author and it reminded me a lot of his podcast, 'Revisionist History', which I love. In this book, he sets out to show that the act of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty, and that we often misinterpret these lopsided conflicts between giants versus underdog. He states that we are generally misled about the nature of advantages and he encourages people to reframe our perspective of strong and weak. He tells great stories of different people in these situations and it really is remarkable what can arise from people in the face of necessity. 

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple: Off the bat the narrator took on a breezy and familiar tone and I couldn't decide if I liked it or if I found it slightly annoying. But the writing was definitely funny, I found myself snorting aloud, and by the third of the way through I saw the real human ache underneath the sharp humor.  The story is about sisterhood, struggling with self, and a marriage - amusing to read but not entirely memorable. 

SPRING AT BEECHWOOD, A VIDEO

I started capturing small clips of life around our house when signs of spring started showing up. I wanted to document this season of our lives for posterity, but also because this season has gotten so busy that it gets overwhelming at times, and I don't want to miss appreciating the everyday and ordinary things. These are the moments that collectively make the story of my life right now. 

This video is a love letter to my family and a reminder for myself (as I made it and as I watch it) that it is the small and seemingly mundane things that are the most beautiful and precious.  

GROUND BEEF NOODLES WITH PICKLES

I have made this dish three (four?) times now so I thought it was time to share it because it has become a crowd favorite. I got the recipe from my friend Lisa, who inspires me in that kitchen with all her recipes and weekly meal planning posts, and this was one of them. 

The first time I made it I instantly knew Ken was going to like it because it has his favorite flavor profile of sesame oil, soy sauce, miso, white pepper with a meat (and he did!) This reminded us of this Chinese jja-hang-myun dish that used to be one of my favorites at Ken's dad's old restaurant and that flavor combination probably has a lot to do with it. Other perks of this recipe is that it is so simple to put together and the girls love it too. 

It is also versatile because you can substitute the ground pork for ground beef (like we usually do), toss in any type of greens to wilt, or make it with more or less broth depending on your preference. We've also eaten it over rice and liked it just as much. Side note: the pickles for this recipe is likely not meant to be kosher dill pickles but we've been eating a lot of those pickles and usually have then stocked in the fridge so that's what we use. 

Lola waiting for her bowl with great anticipation! 

OYSTER PARTAY

If you are my husband, sometimes a captain of a shrimp and oyster boat emails you (because you are on his email list duh) that he has a had a good oyster catch and he is offering to sell a lot of it for a very reasonable price, and so you enthusiastically engage and bring home a huge amount of oysters (too many?) and decide to invite other people who are also oyster inclined. And then your good friends offer to make a shrimp broil and some other friends bring side items, and you have yourself an oyster party.

LINKS I LOVE

1.  I haven't really been eating or making baked goods lately but that might change soon because I saw this the other day, "Could This Recipe Be the Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever?"....so now I need to know. Could it??

2. Why baking can feel so good...especially when it's for other people.

3. Also from Bon Appetite, in the opposite direction but just as intriguing: Hand Salad.  I love romaine lettuce and the name gave me a good long giggle. I'm in.

4. One more food related thing. I love brunch with all my heart. I also think Joy is super duper. I can't wait to check out her new cookbook, Over Easy.

5. S-Town Podcast. Do it.

6. We are already a week into April, but go ahead and download this gorgeous desktop wallpaper why don't you.

7. Beautiful prints that you can download for $15!

8. Something about the decor here just speaks to me.

9. I'm really excited to try this cocktail recipe  starting with making my own blackberry liqueur. Stay tuned.

10. Are these spice clips about to change my life? I'm about to find out.

SPRING EVENING

These days the most luxurious of things is coming home to an evening during the week and being able to spend that time outdside. It means we usually eat our dinner on the porch, and then meander through the yard and enjoy the sunshine together, Rusty included. We are having beautiful spring days this week, soft and hazy, and it is a dream. Yesterday, after our picnic dinner, we stayed outdoors until it got dark - I wandered around looking at all the budding bushes and plants, checking on their status, and Sloane and Lola scampered about with their yogurt pops (frozen Greek yogurt and blueberries) feeding imaginary chickens (that photo above is chicken food that Sloane collected and carried in her dress skirt) and practicing their twirls. 

STARTING OUR SPRING HURRAHS

 I think it is safe to say that spring is officially here. I could cry about it I'm so happy. Two weekends ago was the first weekend where we had the full extent of the longer days and the lovely weather, and we made full use of it. We were worn to the bone each night, but it wasn't a terrible thing; there is a privilege to being tired from hard work. So that was two weekends ago  and this is the first chance I've had to do this post, which I'm going to go ahead and do because I want to commemorate the frenzy and romance of these first few weeks of spring.

On that Friday, I actually took the day off and spent the day with Sloane. We spent the morning attending the Discovery program at the Richmond Symphony orchestra for kids where they played beautiful pieces to introduce various instruments of the orchestra - we all, kids and adults alike, loved it - and then had an outdoor picnic and romp outdoors at Brown's island. Afterward Sloane helped me run several errands, which I enjoy doing with her so much. I love her company and conversation as we go from place to place. 

Also, I've been experimenting more with cocktails these days, trying new recipes I've been meaning to try, and happily partaking. It's come in handy for all the spring cleaning we've been doing. That weekend, we started tackling that list. I cleaned the sunroom, wiped down the frame the best I could, realized we do in fact need to give it another coat of paint, spent lots of time outside with the girls, worked on putting together patio items, made soup for a super party that night, went to church, made what seemed like one million meals during meal prep, started painting the kids picnic tables I salvaged, and Ken spent all of Sunday afternoon chopping wood (from large hunks of branches that had fallen from a giant pine tree in our yard) and hauling wood and branches to the dump. We are slowly making our dent in our to-do list and we are doing plenty of high-fiving to commemorate it.

Cheers! Here's to you, spring.