Happy Holi

A few years ago I went to Happy Holi with some friends on Stanford campus.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  However, last year we were in birthing classes.  This, we went, with Finn in tow...little did he know what was going to hit him, or what color was going to hit him:)

BEFORE

AFTER

Finn never got too freaked out....maybe once or twice...oh the poor sensitive soul.

We even ran into my friend Sarah who is my swimming partner, and her kids.

And Derek and Rebecca.

It was fun, except for the most horrible color (PURPLE, heaven forbid I have a girl who loves it) in the world is the one that stained everyone the worst, it took me two days to get it off my face.

Balls, Trucks and Airplanes

I don't know if it's hardwired into his brain because he's a boy or if he's picked up on it from his cousin James but Finn LOVES trucks, balls and airplanes.  I'll hear him in the corner going..."eeeeerrrrrrrrrr" flying his airplane or running his truck across the floor (or up the window like he did this morning.)  His ears perk up whenever he hears an airplane go overhead or truck drive by.

He even makes his utensils fly.

Happy Days!

Finn is a very happy boy!

We're having a lot of fun.

Bangs and hats

Remember how when I started my blog way back when.  And it was about me and stuff I did.  Then Jared entered (well he's actually the one who helped me start the blog) but then we were married and it was about us.  Then Finn took over.  Anyhow, this post is about me and my bangs.  Which I can't stand.  I cut them about once a year, usually in the fall.  This time I let someone else do it.  She pulled down more hair then were my bangs and I thought, ooh, that might not look good...then I thought, I'll trust her.  WRONG IDEA!  I almost have a mullet according to Jared.  They were supposed to look more like this.  (Don't we look cute there?  We were getting more sleep then.)  She when too far back.  My hair is just BLAH!  I think back to the most awesome haircut ever that I spent $40 on in New York.

Anyhow, I resorted to wearing hats.  I have tons but found some more cute ones at forever21, anthro, So here's a bunch of photos of me, (with awful hair and bags under my eyes) in hats and headbands.  I probably should have taken a nap while Finn was snoozing but I was having too much fun with the tri-pod and camera remote:)

This is probably my favorite hat.  

I added buttons to this hat a few years ago.

I wore this blue one in HS a lot.

My very first purchase from Anthropologie, in college...it was the only thing I could afford.

I made this headband when I was pregnant with Finn.

My friend Katie over at blue-eyed freckle custom made this bow one for me last week, here's her etsy shop.  (She's the one who introduced me to Anthroplogie way back in college on an art trip to NYC.)

Stacking books

You know you've got your hands full when your 9 month old figured out how to stack books so he could reach higher places.

Sunday Dinner

We had two couples over for dinner on Sunday and I roasted!

Menu:

Kumquat, pear, avocado salad with homemade honey/dijon/lime dressing

Roasted vegetables

Roasted chicken

Roasted beet and pepper salad (made up recipe at the bottom.)

My friend brought a delicious shaker lemon pie...because it was pie day.

Alice's Roasted Beet and Pepper Salad:
3 beets
1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange bell pepper
a bunch of green onions
cilantro
Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe's (consists of Israeli Style Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbonzo Beans, and Red Quinoa
regular olive oil
juice from 1 lime
"O" olive oil ruby grapefruit
orange muscat champagne vinegar from Trader Joe's
salt and pepper

Set oven to 400° and cut the stems off of the beets and place them in heavy duty foil. Drizzle with regular olive oil until coated and salt and pepper them. Wrap the foil around but not tightly. Place in oven for about 1-1 1/2 hours, or until you can easily stick a fork through them (you don't want them to be mushy.) Take out and open the foil and set aside to cool a bit.
Set the oven to broil and cut the peppers in half and mash down onto a baking sheet (with edges) so that the entire skin is facing up. Broil until they are mostly black. If you have a brown paper bag (we never have any on hand because I take my own to the grocery store) place them directly out of the oven into the brown paper bag and close and let them steam for a bit. OR, you can place them in a metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Meanwhile, take the beets out and scrape off the skins, they should slide right off and chop into bite sized cubes and put in a bowl. Chop up the onions (including the greens) and add to the beet bowl. After the peppers have been steaming for at least 10-15 minutes take out of the bowl and continue to peel off the skin, if the skins are black and burnt then they will be easier to peel. Then just slice into little squares and add to the bowl. Chop up the cilantro (however much you like) and add to the bowl.
Cook the Harvest blend (or whatever grain you are using) according to the package, (for this amount of beets and peppers I use 1/2 the package.) Add to the bowl and immediately squeeze in lime juice, drizzle with the grapefruit olive oil and vinegar (you estimate the amount but not too much) and salt and pepper to taste. Mix around so that everything is evenly distributed. And voila. Best served at room temperature.


POST EDIT***

Thanks to my friend Tanya who gave me the suggestion and confidence to roast my own chicken for the first time back in Zürich. It's so much better and not that hard (except for in Switzerland you have some feathers to pluck out...GROSS!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!