Splish Splash--I was takin' a Bath!

Well I think Kate enjoys her baths. What do you think?

When Life gives you lemons--make lemonade (and limoncello)

Over the past week we have probably had 10 pounds of lemons sitting around our kitchen. We've actually learned a lot about lemons this week. For example did you know:

1. The ladies of Louis XIV's court used lemons to redden their lips
2. Sailor's used lemons to fight scurvy (along with some rum)
3. Cesare Borgia sent presents of lemons and oranges to his wife while she was in France, partly to impress Louis XII with his wealth.
4. Old wives tale states that sucking on a lemon will reduce car sickness
5. Lemons can be substituted for vinegar in a light vinaigrette
6. A chopped up lemon is a great way to freshen your garbage disposal
7. Lemons are high in Vitamin C but also contain 10% of the RDA for iron, 9% of the RDA for thiamine and 8% of the RDA for vitamin B6
8. Warming lemons in a bowl of warm water or the microwave for a few seconds will release more juice
9. Lemon juice prevents fruits like apples and pears from turning brown when they are cut and exposed to oxygen
10. Lemon juice aids digestion - so keep those lemons in your ice water at dinner time
11. Lemons really should be stored in the refrigerator

This last point I wish I had known earlier. Josh bought 5 lbs. of lemons early last week for a special project he had in mind. Instead of leaving them in a bag on my kitchen table as Josh did, I decided to make a beautiful display of lemons and limes on my kitchen buffet; however, to my dismay the lemons molded very quickly. I tried to redeem the remaining lemons and limes by cooking as many citrus centered recipes as I could. On Saturday, Josh bought another 5 lbs. of lemons, and although they really were beautiful, they also molded very quickly. So tonight we had to redeem the remaining lemons and put Project Limoncello into action.

Limoncello is a lemon liqueur traditionally made in Southern Italy. Josh really enjoys a glass of limoncello, especially in the summer. He's really developed a taste for it over the last few years. I really enjoy it poured over a bowl of fresh strawberries, but it's a bit too strong for me to drink on its own. Josh thought it would be fun to make his own limoncello - thus the 10 lbs of lemons we've been housing in our kitchen. So tonight, Josh zested 18 of the remaining healthy lemons for the beginning stage of his limoncello infusion. (The entire process will take 90 days to complete!) It was quite a laborious task, but the kitchen smelled wonderful as the fresh citrus scent permeated the air. However, when we were done we were left with 18 lemons sans zest. So we decided to make fresh lemonade-- lots of fresh lemonade. I had never made homemade lemonade before; it gave me more respect for all those southern bells to whom homemade lemonade is a common kitchen item. Josh and I actually had a lot of fun working in the kitchen together.

Someday when we go back to Italy, I want to go to the Almafi Coast and to towns like Sorrento where lemons grow abundantly and limoncello is a local product. I remember staying with a family in Pasadena, California; they had a very mature lemon tree outside the guest bedroom window. It provided beautiful views of yellow fruit and deep green leaves. You could even detect whiffs of citrus in the air when the window was open. I sometimes think of that tree when I smell fresh lemons. Too bad lemon trees don't grow well in Maryland. I would love to have a few.

Moving Around--but not quite crawling

Kate is really getting interested in things around her these days. She is quite observant and wants so much to touch everything around her. She is always reaching out for things, and when she does actually get something in her hands, it invariably ends up in her mouth.

It took Kate a while to learn to lay on her stomach. She really resisted rolling over a few months ago, preferring to just lay on her back. These days, however, she loves to sleep on her belly. Another thing that she is resisting learning is crawling. We've tried to encourage her to crawl by scooting her around on her hands and knees, but she just thinks it is fun that we're playing with her. About two weeks ago, she was sitting on the floor playing with her toys when she fell over onto her back. At first, she just looked around, but then she started rolling over to a toy. Since then, she hardly sits to play with her toys, but rather loves to roll around in them.

This video was filmed a couple days ago when we moved the coffee table out of the way and opened up the whole floor for her to roll around on. She loved it! Shayla really loved it too--she's figured out that Kate is fun to play with too.

Rolly Kate with Shayla
(6:20 minutes long)

Family Jam Session

Tonight was a fun evening. Shaun, Debbie and the boys met Kate, Josh, and me for ice-cream at a local joint. It was a beautiful night to be outside, and it was really nice just hanging out with family on a Friday evening.

After some yummy ice-cream we came back to our house so Kate could go to bed. The boys picked up some instruments and started playing. Uncle Shaun had his first violin lesson (and he wasn't too bad at that). Brenden's interest was piqued once he saw Daddy playing so he gave it a try too. It was so cute to watch him play; he really enjoyed himself. I think Brenden will be picking up the violin again real soon. Keep scrolling down to hear a piece by a future virtuoso (I mean Brenden--not Shaun).

It's Official...we're getting old (Middle-aged anyway)!

Well, this week marked a significant milestone in our growth as a couple. We got a mini-van! I've always dreamed of the day I would have kids and a minivan to tote them around. (I know that is a little weird.) I don't think Josh was quite as excited about the minivan as I was, but he was equally thrilled to get ride of my old car. Our Buick was having mechanical problems - one after another. And it was just under 60K miles, so we felt it was a good time to trade it in. We do realize that Kate does not need an entire mini-van for herself but since we were trading in the lemon, we thought we'd look to the future and a car to grow with. The mini-van is a 2006 Honda Odyssey. It has some nice bells and whistles - like a DVD player, and automatic doors, and a lot of space. We weren't sure we were going to be able to afford a car this new and nice, but God really did provide for us. We got a great deal. I really love it. We can't wait to go on a road trip. But with the cost of gas these days, we'll just have to enjoy the short car rides back and forth to Target.