Apples, Pears and a New House

My sister and brother-in-law just moved into a beautiful, new house. The house is so cute and it has a big, bountiful back yard. There is a pear tree and two apple trees that are currently covered in fruit. Every time I go over there I can't help but take home as many as possible. I have also loved making apple crisp, Pat's favorite.

Potbelly Me

When I look down at my lap this is what I see. Ha Ha!

There's a baby in there, and it's growing!

Labor Day Camping - Silver Lake

Over Labor Day weekend we went up to Silver Lake and camped with some friends. Sliver Lake is south of Lake Tahoe and it such a beautiful place. We camped at Plasse's Resort and spent time hiking, playing Frisbee golf, and relaxing. It was a bit cooler than expected, but thanks to our tiny two person tent, Pat and I stayed nice and toasty.

There is a really cute resort on the other side of the lake from our camp ground called Kit Carson. They have cabin rentals and a great restaurant. We had Sunday brunch there and the fresh muffins were amazing!

Kirkwood ski resort is just a few minutes up the road. There is an awesome Frisbee golf course set up on some of the slops during the summer. It was so fun! I am not a Frisbee girl, but my husband continuously surprises me with his mad skills. Look at that form!

Year Two Appointments

University of California, San Francisco

Pat had a monthly check-up yesterday. It was quick and easy, and the kind of post-cancer appointment everyone hopes for. The golden words came from Dr. Schmidt "see you in two months". !!!! Pat's appointments will now be every two months for the next year. Yay! So thankful for our health today and everyday.

Good work Pat!

24 weeks

This is two weeks old, but I thought I should try to catch up.
I have been SO busy lately.

I hope to get a current picture up soon - baby D is growing!

Orzo and Roasted Veggies

One of my favorite recipes right now. It really packs in the veggies.
It is better than what it looks like in my picture - I promise!

Ingredients
1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1-2 zucchini
(I'm sure any other in-season veggie would be good to add)
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
light coat of olive oil
sprinkle with salt & pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta (I use whole wheat)
For the dressing
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Toppings:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced or crumbled
fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss veggies, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread on a large sheet pan. Roast for aprox 30 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
Meanwhile, cook the orzo for 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and let cool. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients and pour on. Serve topped with scallions, pine nuts, feta, and basil.

I changed it, but here is the original. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/orzo-with-roasted-vegetables-recipe/index.html

Cousins

Pat's cousin Jenni, her husband Dave and their 3 kids were in San Francisco last weekend. We could not get enough of their amazing family. Can we clone your kids? We went to a great playground in golden gate park. There was a huge spiderweb-like jungle gym and a slide that you slid down on a piece of cardboard. We had so much fun - we wish they lived closer.