Diving Into Summer

Today we had an exciting development. M learned to dive, compliments of her friend's big sister - tks a bunch! So proud she was, I had to snap a post-dive phone pic.



We also baked these amazing Blueberry Crumb Bars. Mmmm. Not for us, though. For our neighbors down the street who just had a baby, and now they are three. There's something about the blueberry that just screams diminutive to me. The little drawstring-purse tops they have, or their perfect plumpness. But then, when they burst while baking... oh it just doesn't get sweeter, or messier. A baked blueberry is a good blueberry. No doubt about that.



This weekend we get to see cousins (raaahhh...cheers from the crowd...gleeful shouting...) and Grandmommy (the only reader of this blog, I'm guessing). Can't wait for grilling and chilling.

Pepsico Gardens

Our trip to Pepsico Gardens today, with cool breezes and temperatures in the low eighties, was a perfect activity. We didn't see all the sculptures, but there's always next time. The kids . . .


. . . found the biggest pine cone ever . . .


. . . posed on a Calder . . .


. . . shared . . .


. . . loved the ducks . . .


. . . and the sculptures . . .


. . . ran toward art . . .


. . . wished they were frogs on lily pads . . .


. . . made a new friend? . . .


. . . watched a Great White Egret catch its lunch . . .


. . . and hoped this guy wouldn't be lunch tomorrow.

It was a magical afternoon, and we all three highly recommend going. Plus, get this folks, it's entirely free.

Summer Fun In A S'mores Cookie

These were just perfect! Fun to make, and to eat!
Check out the recipe here.

Day Two And They Still Love Me

So today was the second official day of summer vacation, and it went much better than the first. Catching up on laundry on a hot day, apparently, is not stimulating enough for my kids. Who woulda thunk? So today we hit our local pool. For the entire afternoon. Ahhh, now that's better. Happy, chlorinated kids.

You see, neither my 11-year-old son, nor my 9-year-old daughter wanted camp this summer. So it was with not a little bit of trepidation that I undertook the challenge of . . . being with my kids all summer. Now, many of you in different parts of the country may say, "So?" But 'round these parts, kids that age are very commonly shipped off on large air-conditioned coach buses to sleepaway camps with names that take me back to my 7th grade Social Studies segment on Lewis and Clark. It's pretty rare for kids around here to just hang with Mom. For those who don't leave for sleepaway, there are countless (and I really mean that) day camps, half-day camps, theater programs, sailing programs, music programs, crafts classes. You name it, it's within a half hour drive from my house. Really. As luck would have it, not one of those things appealed to my two. Not that there's anything wrong with that! But, my new-found job as summer coordinator was sort of what got me thinking that I could perhaps blog about our summer together. I can't guarantee in even the slightest way that this will make for exciting blog fodder. But at least I can look back at the end of the summer, and rather than ask wistfully, "Where did the summer go?" I can state, "Look at what we did this summer!"

Tomorrow we're running just a couple of errands, and making S'mores Cookies, and then D has a baseball game. The weather could not be better, and summer is off to a rockin' start. But, really. Let's see how Day Three goes.

27 Outs in Brooklyn

We braved the Belt Parkway to see a Brooklyn Cyclones game a few nights ago, and (pardon the pun) what a hit! The smaller park means you see the players really close, cool plays were made that you don't always see on TV, and there was Carvel to boot. So we were all happy. And when the sun went down, and all the lights from Coney Island came up, it was a pretty sight to see. We'll definitely do it again. Go Cyclones!

Dare I say . . . perfection? I do.

I have finally perfected my cupcakes. This is a vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream icing. Glistening in the sun before being gobbled up at a good pal of my son's going away party. The key: do not overbake! Cupcakes are not meant to be golden in any way on top. If they are, they will be dry. My oven, I have learned, has required me to rotate, rotate, and rotate. If I don't, I will have scorched bottoms, burned rims, and a smell of burnt cake in my kitchen for the day. But to bite into a moist, butter-y, creamy cupcake with just the right amount of frosting mixing in your mouth, is one of those happy things I can't live without - once in a while, that is!

Here's the recipe I use for the cupcakes. One bowl, 5 minutes. The best.
Old Fashioned Cupcakes from Cheryl Day, via foodnetwork.com
1 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

Combine in a bowl both flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until combined for about 3 minutes. Add in cubed butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

Add eggs 1 at a time until combined. Slowly add milk and vanilla to batter until completely mixed scraping down the bowl as you mix.

Scoop batter into baking cups filling about 2/3 full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

Cool and frost.

And here's the frosting, barely adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Instant Fudge Frosting, but I left out the chocolate (which is very good, I just didn't have any unsweetened chocolate left)
3 sticks butter, softened
6 cups confectioner's sugar
6 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp vanilla

Everything in a large bowl. With a hand mixer, slowly incorporate the sugar into the mixture, then beat at highest speed until smooth and creamy. Use a pastry bag to frost cupcakes. Keep them cool.

Summertime Means Baseball

This is my 2nd baseman at tonight's game, getting ready to make the out. But really the hardest part about having a kid on travel baseball, is getting to the games with lousy directions. Talk about a recipe that's impossible to follow! We all got there, though, and enjoyed some ball park fare. I think it's going to be a great summer . . .