Recipe - Butternut & Kabocha Squash Soup

So I'm gonna be honest. I've had some realllllly bad versions of this soup.
I had one that had cream in it (unbeknownst to me - me a lactose intolerant gal).  I also had a boxed kind that had chicken stock in it which was just *meh*.  Since I love winter squash so much I really wanted to like this soup. I figured it couldn't be hard to make and I was right.

Butternut & Kabocha Squash Soup

Things you need:

1 Medium sized Butternut Squash
1 Medium sized Kabocha Squash (apparently if you let it hang out and age in your kitchen for 2 weeks it sweetens the squash.)
A Splash of Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
2-4 Tablespoons of Butter
Water (Just how much we'll get to that...)

First things first- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your squash by cutting them in half, remove the seeds and set onto a cookie sheet. (I did line my cookie sheet with aluminum foil to save clean up time.) Drizzle with a tiny splash of olive oil and roast until tender. I left mine in for an hour.

Once they are fork tender pop them out and let them cool a bit.
Grab your blender or food processor if you're feeling fancy.
Once the squash is cool enough to touch grab a spoon (I actually have a large spork-like utensil which works great!) and scoop out the "meat" and place it into your blender.

After you've got all the squash meat into your blender you'll want to add  the water which is basically double the volume of the squash meat. Puree for a minute or a few seconds if you've got a great blender.

Add the puree/soup to a pot, cook over medium heat for 10-20 minutes so it reduces just a smidgen.

Add salt & pepper to taste and butter if you like it silky smooth.
NO sugar necessary! It will be sweet enough but not overly.

So delicious! I almost ate the entire batch myself.

So simple & easy!

Enjoy!

xo-Thea

More recipes are available here:

http://theas_soapbox.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

This post was originally posted here. 

Last minute gift guide for locals (Western WA edition)

Hi all! Sorry for the lack of posts on this blog. I have a ton of excuses like any mom on the planet so I won't bore you with any. I am going to pull a cross-posting move though for today and come back tomorrow with a super (SUPER!) easy soup recipe.

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This week and next tends to be a time where many head out to the stores to pick up any last minute gifts. Or if you're like my husband - you've just begun to shop.

Why not make it easy on yourself and shop local? Shipping would most likely be quick, you'd be avoiding long lines at the stores and you'd be supporting a small local business.

Let me give you some ideas.
A little something for everyone-
I discovered Pepperjack Home at Urban Craft Uprising. They were my neighbors at the show.

They're based out of Arlington (Northern Snohomish County) and they have a wide array of home products. Everything from reusable snack bags, cotton washcloths, laundry soaps, reusable dryer sheets and more.
I picked up some dryer balls. I've been wanting to try some out. I have to say I love mine!

Dryer Balls from Pepperjack Home

For someone who is making the change to a greener lifestyle definitely check out theirwebsite and or their Etsy store.
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Have a sweet tooth on your list? Well, definitely check out Sweet Coconut Bakery.

Sweet Coconut Bakery's table at EtsyRain's Handmade Holiday Show

Based in Seattle - Hazel's sweet treats are delicious! We were vendors at two shows together and I treated myself to her goods at both.  Cookies, Filipino sweets (polvorones are my favorite!) and so much more. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop. It's okay if you get yourself a "gift" too.
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For the wee ones in your life:
World of Whimm and NueToMe both amazing shops with one amazing Everett based designer at the helm. World of Whimm offers imaginative costumes, masks & capes for kids. NueToMe offers more costumes, clothes and play food created from recycled t shirts. I just adore everything she makes!

A snapshot of her display rack at the EtsyRain Handmade Holiday show.

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For the cook or host/hostess-
Annie Two Braids Designs is based out of Seattle and creates clean and sometimes silly etched glasses, jars and other containers for the home.

Photo By Annie Two Braids Designs

Wonderful reusable containers and a wonderful girl behind the products!
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Other honorable mentions:
For the shoe lover - Strut in the Greenwood/Phinney Ridge area. Shoes, socks, accessories & an attractive shop owner to boot. I adore her so I am biased.

For your fashionable lady - The Frock Shop (Seek out the glam.spoon line - glam.spoonuses vintage fabrics and upcycles them into awesome creations!!!)

For your fashionable man - Momo - in the International District actually offers a bit of everything for him and her. But the men's section there is quite nice, Button up shirts, tees and hats.

For something that sparkles-
Elizabeth Space - Seattle local who makes wonderfully classy jewelry. I love the earrings I bought from her.
GlassElements - Another Seattle local who makes the most colorful jewelry with glass components. I drool every time I see her work - the colors are so vivid!

And bit of everything else:
Loran Scruggs - I believe is based out of Port Townsend makes the most creative whistles and toys from recycled bottlecaps and tins. Her work is amazing- please just go have a look.

All things Rockabilly, Vintage and Kitsch - my friend Sassy has a great eye and collection to share in her Etsy Shop. - She's local to Edmonds.

Know someone who likes to write? Sydney Designs based in South King County creates the most wonderful cards from vintage wall paper. What a great use for vintage wallpaper right? Each card is unique.

One of my personal favorites is Amanda Kindregan - is based "out in the sticks" of Seattle's Eastside near me. She creates the most whimsical art that reminds me of the art in books from my childhood. I love to just admire her work. One of her pieces hangs predominately in my family room.


I hope I've helped someone out with those last minute gifts yet to get.
Shop local & handmade!

xo-Thea

Around the House - Things to do this fall

Our resident "garden" guru Jessi fills us in on a few things you can do around the house & yard around this time of year. 
Read on - you'll happily think twice about bagging up those leaves before guests arrive this Thursday.

A few simple things to do in your garden this fall:

1) Drain and disconnect your garden hoses and store them on your shed or garage.  
If temperatures drop below 25 degrees where you live, it is a good idea to insulate your hose bib. 
I was unable to locate an exact picture of a hose bib insulation cup- but Thea saw a crate full of them at the entry way of a Home Depot for about a dollar.  They are really easy to "install".

2) Do your trees need work? 
If you have large trees in your landscape, it is a good idea to have them evaluated by a qualified professional before the storm season.  My recommendation is to contact a Certified ISA Arborist. http://bit.ly/slEOLz 
Be careful about getting advice from uncertified individuals or companies who are just out looking for work.  For smaller trees, pruning can wait until later in the winter.

3) Leave your leaves! 
For some reason it has been ingrained in us for decades now to clean up all the leaves in the fall then bag them up and ship them off, or even worse: burn them.  But no, please stop! Leaves are a great thing to keep in your garden - compost them, or shred them and use them as mulch in your garden beds. Just be sure to not bury your plants with them and don't allow them to accumulate near storm drains in the street.  The one exception about reusing leaves: any diseased plant leaves should be removed from your garden.


Just a couple things to think about before the really bad weather moves in. Small preventative maintenance things can save you headaches and cash in the long run.


Enjoy the season!

Thankful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Menu List

Thanksgiving is ONE week away. How time just keeps flying by me.
I really love Thanksgiving. Its is my favorite holiday. No gifts to give, nothing much to decorate and we keep it casual attire wise. One year (or 3) my family just wore sweatpants all day. Why bother to get all dressed up if you have small kids and save your appetite for this special occasion. Stretchy pants are a must! Best thing of all is enjoying food with friends and family and give thanks to each other.

I also really enjoy cooking Thanksgiving dinner. We all have our gifts in life and I am pretty sure that one of mine is the ability of cooking a great turkey.  I suck very much at cooking some stuff but roasted turkey isn't one of them. Hey- when you know you're good at something might as well acknowledge it right? I dote over our bird for hours and I enjoy every second of it.

This year I'll be cooking for 16 people possibly. Maybe more or less.
Traditionally like many other families we each get an opportunity to say what we are thankful for at dinner. Its nice to listen to each other when those are said. Each age bracket has a different outlook on what they are thankful for. Toys, boyfriends, jobs, health etc...  The evolution of life is great like that.

I'm just very thankful in general. My ages states that I haven't lived very long on Earth but my soul would argue otherwise. Time is fleeting and you have to enjoy things and be thankful for them while you can.

xo-Thea

(x-post from Thea's main blog)

The First Accident

Yesterday afternoon my daughter was in her first car accident.
She wasn't driving but she was in the front seat in her boyfriend's car on the way home from school.

A lady rear ended the car in front of her which propelled that car into "my" kids car. *My daughter & boyfriend  have been dating for 2 years so he's like my kid at this point.*

The cars were at a complete stop when she hit them. They called me immediately after the accident and asked me to come there. My daughter's boyfriend's parents were both at work and I work from home so I able to get there quickly.

They had been waiting there for about 15 minutes when I arrived. I made sure that they were all okay. They said that the lady didn't even get out of her car at all or even talk to them. She got out when I got there and I had a little chat with her.  To make a long story short from the looks of things, she totaled her car, the kid's car whom she hit directly and my daughter's boyfriend's car needs a new bumper, back quarter panel at the very least.  The kid who's car who was directly hit said when he looked back after he was hit said he was pretty sure that he saw that lady on the phone.

To protect the privacy of the cars involved I'm only showing a little tiny bit of the damage.

Although the situation was a little intense for a couple minutes, I was very proud of my daughter (who was slightly hurt - face into dashboard) and her boyfriend. They did everything that they were supposed to do even if that lady wasn't being corporative at first.  All of the teenagers involved showed maturity and patience. The kids all "looked" like the stereotypical "punk" kids which I think they are often misjudged for.  I was very proud of all 3 of them - and I just met that other kid right then.

Thankfully it wasn't worse than it was and now they all unfortunately know what it is like to be in an accident. As mom I will never bitch and moan about the high cost of driver's ed. It paid off yesterday.
Teenagers +3 Old lady on cell phone -3.

Do you remember your first car accident? Did it change you as a driver/passenger for life?

xo-Thea

Money is money

Right?

There have been times in my life where I've scrounged for change in my car, couch & purse because I needed money to pay for diapers or other important kid items.

I would be a blend of horrified, angry & sad if I made it up to the cash register with a handful of change to pay for my items only to be told they only accept a certain amount of change as payment.

Read how this Portland, Oregon had to deal with this situation.

Sure it might be annoying for the cashier. I was a cashier just outside of Flint, Michigan briefly once upon a time and I remember counting out a lot of change from elderly couples. Hey I understood. Money is money and like the woman in that story linked above. "If the government issues you the money they "stores" should take it." As a small handmade artist even at craft shows I accept change as payment.

Hard times falls upon the best of us why not do what we can and help someone out?

Recipe - Crockpot Yogurt

Apologies for the quietness around these parts. I have a few posts lined up that I need to gather pictures for. Because blog posts are more fun with pictures. So stay tuned for that.

So this week my kids had a 3 day school week so I had to cram a lot of stuff in before we started a 4 day weekend. But for long weekends like this I like do something small but special as a treat, so I made some delicious home made yogurt.
I decided to make a little video about it:

I know there are other methods and recipes for this. I know if you add powdered milk it will help thicken the yogurt if you are using 2% milk. I have never tried that so I didn't mention it. 

You can use any type of milk but we (who can drink milk in my house) only get organic milk. 

Again with all of my recipes and tutorials if I didn't use it or try it myself I won't include it. 

This yogurt is delicious and its a fun a thing to teach your kids about. 

I'm not exactly sure how long the yogurt will keep because so far we've eaten it up with out any spoiling. Remember there are 6 people who live in my house so keep that into consideration if you make it for yourself.

If you want to make half of this just cut the ingredient measurements by half.

Things I used:

1 crock pot
1/2 gallon of whole organic milk
1 cup of yogurt (from the previous batch)
1/2 cup of local honey
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1 large junky towel
and patience.

Let me know if you have any questions & have fun making your own. 

-Thea

Recipe - Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

If you happen to be keeping a garden you may have an abundance of spinach on hand. These rolls are great for using your fresh spinach up.
You can switch out ingredients for this recipe to whatever you have on hand but this is a quick and dirty basic recipe for these wonderfully refreshing rolls.

Things you'll need for the Spring Rolls:

Rice Spring Roll Wrappers/Skins (not the frozen kind that you would use for Filipino Lumpia - that's a whole different recipe.)

Banh Trang Spring Roll Skins

Shrimp Any Size - Cooked, shelled and deveined. (I find it easiest to use larger shrimp that have been butterflied. But I have used local small shrimp (often called salad shrimp) many times and they are just as good.)

I was able to find these at my local Uwajimaya Asian Grocer. If you are a vegetarian you can just omit the shrimp and go heavy on the greens & veggies.

Dried Rice Noodles - Being half Asian these type of noodles are like spaghetti to me. I always have them. If you are not familiar with them you may have walked by them if you have an ethnic isle in your grocery store. They go by various names like maifun, rice sticks, pancit bihon. They are spindly looking noodles that look like threads. They are inexpensive and you can do bazillion things with them.
I used Filipino style Pancit Bihon noodles for this.

Leafy Greens -  As I mentioned above fresh spinach is great for this. You can use lettuces (which I used the day I made these.) Boy choy greens (tops) or even napa cabbage green (tops) if you like an extra crunch.

Mung Bean Sprouts - Again you can use regular bean sprouts but if I could urge you to seek out and try something new, give mung bean sprouts a try. They are deliciously crispy and are fun to snack on. My kids will eat an entire package of them.

Optional Ingredients -
You can matchstick up a carrot or two.
Thai Basil
Cilantro

Things to have on hand -  2 large bowls of cold water. (Like a mixing bowl)

First you'll want to soak your rice noodles in water to soften them up. (You may need to wait a few minutes for this to happen.)
In your second bowl of water you'll lightly soak your wrappers.
Just soak them long enough so they become pliable.

Lay it out on your counter and add your mung bean sprouts and softened noodles:

Mung bean sprouts

Rice noodles added (I know its hard to see - white on white stuff.)

Add your greens (and other optional ingredients) and your shrimp too:

Then all you do is fold over the bottom of your circle (think rolling a burrito but leaving one end open.) And then starting at the side tightly rolling it up.  Sorry I couldn't photograph myself doing that.

Ta - da! That's it. Crazy easy huh?

Now for the peanut dipping sauce I cheat a little bit. I know the big complicated way to make it in a traditional way. But I created a cheater's way to do it.

Things you'll need for the peanut dipping sauce:

2-3 tablespoons of Peanut Butter (I use all natural - creamy if you like it smooth crunchy if you like a little crunch.)

3-4 tablespoons of Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce- or something similar.

2 teaspoons of Lime Juice

Mix well and dip your rolls into it.

 It makes for a nice light dinner or lunch.

Enjoy!

xo-Thea

More recipes are available here:

http://thegreyareamom.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Stages of Babies

My oldest "baby" holding her new baby cousin.

This weekend I held a newborn baby for the first time in years. Its my cousin's newest little one.
So tiny and wonderfully baby smelling.

When I held her I gave her little bottom pat-pats and did the bouncy walk for a couple of minutes while her mom settled into a chair so she can nurse her.

What a joy it is to hold someone so tiny and new.  It is a reality check on life. How amazing it is to hold a life in your arms as its just beginning.
I personally don't get the "I want another one..." jonesings, EVER. I had my kids very young and my "baby" will be 10 years old in a couple months.  I'm done riding the pregnancy train. I hug my teenager/tween babies with the same affection as I did when I was able to tote them about in my arms. I saw my best friend of almost 30 years do the same to her children this weekend too. She have her daughter a nice long loving hug.  It was really sweet. We as a society need to hug more I think.

What aids my lack of desire to want more children because not only do I already have 4 kids but my relationship with my kids is in a stage where we are passed babies in general. We're in teenager land with one who will be leaving for college in a little over a year.  And also the possibility of that within the next 10 years I will be a grandmother. Yep, I said it a GRANDMOTHER. How's that for a reality check. I'm not even in my late 30's yet.

Babies are wonderful and so precious. I love to hold them and do my expert bouncy walk and then passed them onto their mama. I have many friends who are the same age as I am just now having their children and I am more than happy to play the role of "Auntie".
When was the last time you held a newborn? Do you hug your kids with the same affection as you did when they were babies? You should.

Must See These 3

This is the first installment of Must See These 3.
A gathering of 3 related or unrelated topic links that you as a parent should see.
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A Food Fight in the Produce Aisle - The Wall Street Journal - What do you think? Should prepackaged food get placement next to fresh fruits and veggies? Does it give the illusion of freshness undeservedly?
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The Real Problem with Toddles and TV- The New York Times - I personally no longer have toddlers but  this quote caught my attention; "Honestly, did anyone ever genuinely think they were doing their children a developmental favor by sticking them in front of that scary big baby who rises in the sun on Teletubbies?" 


Have you flipped through the crappy kid shows on TV recently? No wonder everything from the 1980's gets remade.


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Lastly this link was provided to me by my eldest daughter. She is a junior in high school taking an Accelerated Program Psychology class. (I know, who does that?) 
Well she has come home many times overwhelmed with excitement about things she has learned from her teacher who proudly displays a sticker on his podium stand that reads "Kill Your TV". He's great.


This will be the best & most informative thing that you'll watch all week.
The Secret Powers of Time - Cognitive Media



Eat dinner with your family this weekend okay?
^_^ -Thea

Meet - Jenny

Jenny is pretty much our cooking guru here. Homegirl can cook! 
Have you ever been around someone who just knows what to do in the kitchen?
Jenny rocks the culinary skills like a boss.
In addition to that she is a great mama, hard worker & is 100% fun!

Jenny & her son Isaiah 

Let's get to know Jenny!

xo-Thea

A couple words about food.

"Mom, I'm hungry."
"Mom, what's for dinner?"

My eldest daughter & her piece of carrot cake.

Two sentences that are in constant repeat in my home.
I love food. I absolutely love to eat but I am a bit picky about what I eat 98% of the time.

Becoming aware of what you eat and where it comes from I feel is really important for a family to know.

Homemade Bruschetta 

I find it fascinating that a lot of us don't think about things like that. We just eat "whatever" to fulfill the current hunger pains.

We spend lots of money on our homes, cars and clothes but we skimp on the costs of our food. Which we put into our bodies that we hope will last decades. Seems a little backwards and that is why I am picky about what I eat.

I'm definitely not here to preach about this topic, but as a mom who buys and cooks all the food in my home, its on my mind a lot. "What AM I cooking for dinner?"  For me it became even more noticeable when I became serious about using coupons about a year and half ago. (We'll revisit that later.)

I know there are a million blogs dedicated to the subject of sustainable or organic living and healthy eating. A lot of times they are a really "heavy" read. Save the world! Don't eat the animals! Only shop at certain places! Do it now or die!
Which is truly wonderful thinking but let's be honest, a lot of times most of us can barely handle what is on our own plates.  We have to save ourselves and our own families first before we can save others.
But it doesn't hurt to become educated as a family. Knowing is half that battle.

Here is a little list of a few movies that my family has watched on the food topic:

• Forks Over Knives - A take on "healing" yourself by eating a plant base whole foods diet. This was particularly interesting to our family with my husband having high cholesterol & me being a sugar addict. (My own father died of complications from diabetes.)
• Food Matters - A lot like Forks Over Knives.
• Food, Inc. - A look into what makes a hamburger cost less than a bunch of carrots in America. I actually had a friend from another country say to me "That's why Americans are so fat." after seeing this movie.  :/
• What's On Your Plate? - This one is definitely one that younger kids can watch and get. The movie is presented by two young girls who seek out where their food comes from. 

I feel its important for you to know I'm not a vegetarian, I don't always buy organic produce, I have a monthly grocery budget and I have a massive sweet tooth. But I do what I can to help my family eat well. We prepare foods together, go grocery shopping together, garden together and we eat together.
After all what matters most is each other and being together. After I realized that I changed my own thinking about eating.

-Thea

Motherhood Truths

Somedays I think about saying, "Yes, go a head and kill each other! I'm tired!" But that would be the lazy way out.

Thea's two oldest children.

^_^

I actually do something much worse. I've had the long standing punishment of hugging.
There is nothing worse than having to hug the person you are pissed at. Especially your sibling.

It is a very effective punishment.  The two pictured above are 16 & 15 and I cannot tell you how many times these two have been forced to hug each other in the past 6 months.
They hate it just as much maybe even more so as they did when they were toddlers.
When I toss out the "I'm going to make you hug!!!" Shit cools down really fast.

Hug it out!
xo-Thea

Recipe - Zingy Refrigerator Pickles

And I mean zingy!

So I had a huge fail on growing cukes again this year. Maybe it was the unreasonable heat we had this year my lack of attention whatever. But thankfully there have been amazing sales on cucumbers recently.
I have to admit I do not like them plain. Not a fan but in pickle state- they are pretty awesome.

I whipped up a batch of my version of refrigerator pickles.

Ingredients:
3-4 firm cucumbers (washed & scrubbed)
3 tablespoons of finely chopped white onion
2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 cup of white vinegar
1 cup of water
4 tablespoon of Filipino vinegar (suka) I used Sukang Maasim Its available at most Asian food stores. White vinegar is a great substitute if you can't get your hands on the Filipino vinegar.

2 tablespoons of pickling salt (if you like them more salty add more salt)

1 tablespoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon celery salt ***(I did NOT have celery salt and was too lazy to go to the store so I chopped up some celery/celery tops for the flavor)

2 full sprigs of dill (I had some fresh from the garden!)
pinch of sugar
pinches of red pepper flakes
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First you prepare your cukes.

I just cut mine into slivers and remove some of the seeds. *If you like your pickles softer in the end you should boil the cukes whole for 3 minutes or less to soften them up.* I like mine super crunchy!
I didn't have any jars with a wide mouth on them so I used two recycled deli containers that are about 30oz each. I just stuffed them in like so.

You'll then need to boil your liquids together. Bring to full boil and allow to cool slightly.

I added everything on top of my pickles thinking that gravity would pull a lot stuff down & it has.

Toss in your onions, garlic, dill, celery (or celery salt, turmeric, pickling salt and sugar. (I had two containers that I evenly divided each ingredient into. If you are smarter than me you should mix everything in a mixing bowl and then dump them into your containers accordingly.)

Add your warm vinegar and water to the containers accordingly then top off with the red pepper flakes.

Secure the containers lid and over the sink give it a good shake.
Then pop them into the fridge so they can cure.

We waited about 24hrs hours before breaking into them. Each day in there they just get even better. They are zingy, sour, tart and wonderful if you like that type of thing. I need to go buy some pastrami to make a sandwich and have one of these bad boys on the side.

You can change up this recipe to match your likes of course. Enjoy!

xo-Thea

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This recipe was originally posted on September 18, 2009  
This recipe is one of the most popular recipes I've posted on my blog. I've also since learned how to grow cucumbers but I still will probably grab a few cucumbers from the store when the sales are good.