now posting on barbarasmithwilke.com

hey! I’m back, I’m pregnant, and I got my own domain address… www.barbarasmithwilke.com ….. how grown up!
I will be posting over there from now on, methinks. not sure if I will get around to transferring my posts, or if I’ll just leave this stuff here.

Thanks for reading!!

inside and out : january

outside:
inside:


outside:
inside:

{more photos from the south side; white chocolate blueberry pastries}

lately…

It’s been cold, snowy and icy in Chicago (surprise??)… we have been staying in as much as possible, venturing out only for ballet class and trips to the 711 for movies and snacks.  The sidewalks are either really slushy or super icy. No good.

We did make a little car-trip though to the south side of Chicago last weekend, and that was really nice.  Such a beautiful part of the city, it feels so different than the North Side.  Elegant old mansions, wide tree lined streets, the gorgeous University of Chicago campus, the South Shore cultural center…. it feels like a different era that was frozen in time.  In reality, it was one of the few sections of Chicago that escaped the Great Chicago Fire, so parts of it are really old. And gorgeous.

Oh yeah…. Obama’s family home (mansion) is in the Kenwood neighborhood, just north of Hyde Park.  We might have stalked a little…. and Noah might have been nervous that the Secret Service was going to bust us. We stayed in our car though…. followed the rules. How boring!!!

We visited the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago.   This is small but sweet (and free!) art museum.  They had an interesting exhibit on Buddha going on, and a great little treasure hunt activity for Maggie to do.  She was so proud of herself when she was able to find an old Oriental vase all by herself.

I definitely want to go back to the South Side when the weather gets nicer… there are some gorgeous parks and beaches in the area.  Until then… we’ll be inside keeping warm.

drawing on windows

Maggie received some awesome window crayons for Christmas.  They have been put to good use quite a bit since then.

I’m going to pretend that this gives me an excuse to put off washing windows for another few months.

Happy New Year!

Maggie has been using my old camera to express herself.  These are some of her self portraits she took towards the end of the year.  There were a lot more…. hilarious stuff.  She also loves taking pictures around the house. It’s so neat seeing things from her point of view.

2010 was such a big year… looking forward to what 2011 will bring.  Methinks it will be great.

May your troubles be less,
And your blessing be more.
And nothing but happiness,
Come through your door.

celebration & no-bake chocolate ganache tarte

celebrations are fun. we celebrated noah’s birthday last night with christmas leftovers turned into a salad (bacon, ham, bleu cheese & pecan) and a turtle tart–dark chocolate ganache on an almond-praline crust.  A nice quiet birthday in after all the running around for christmas was just what noah wanted… and some time to play grand theft auto on his new toy :)

this chocolate ganache no-bake tart was super easy to make. you need 3 bars of dark chocolate, half a quart of heavy whipping cream, one cup of praline pecans or spiced nuts (reserved some for topping), 1/2 a cup of sliced almonds, 3/4 stick of butter (melted) and caramel sauce for the topping.

• in a double boiler (with about 2 inches of water at a low boil in the bottom part), pour in the heavy cream. chop up the chocolate and stir til its melted. you can add a bit more cream if it starts to get too thick.  when combined, remove from heat. this is your ganache. let it cool slightly.
• next, in a food processor combine the nuts and melted butter until finely ground and slightly doughy.  press in to the bottom of a tart pan. a small spring form tart pan would be ideal, but I used a ceramic one and it worked as well.
• time to pour the ganache on the tart crust, smooth it out and lick the pot clean. top with caramel sauce and some leftover pralines. chill in the fridge or freezer, it will set to the texture of a truffle. i mean, basically, we are making a giant flat truffle here.  what could be better? the birthday boy approved.

winter nap

christmas and all that was wonderful. family & food is a killer combo. will be back here with more photos and maybe even video soon. enjoy the rest of the holidays, everyone! (and happy birthday to my husband! xoxo)

keeping cozy

The name of the game? Keep warm and stay sane!   Scraps of recycled felt from last years christmas presents (hot water bottle cozies, coffee mug sleeves, etc.) are being turned into new household decor.  Our old ikea footstool was really starting show it’s age.  I pieced together a free form patchwork sweater cover, and now it looks mighty spiffy.

My craftsmanship for projects has always been somewhat…. rustic. (just ask my high school art teacher). But hey, it still looks better than the before:

and most importantly, Maggie and her little friends approve.

Natten går tunga fjät – Night Walks with a Heavy Step.

Night walks with a heavy step
Round yard and hearth,
As the sun departs from earth,
Shadows are brooding.
There in our dark house,
Walking with lit candles,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Night walks grand, yet silent,
Now hear its gentle wings,
In every room so hushed,
Whispering like wings.
Look, at our threshold stands,
White-clad with light in her hair,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Darkness shall take flight soon,
From earth’s valleys.
So she speaks a
Wonderful Word to us:
A new day will rise again
From the rosy sky…
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Last night, we officially ushered in the winter season with a little Santa Lucia festival in our living room.  Maggie sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star & the ABC’s.  I told her about the winter solstice (Dec. 13th was the old date of the winter solstice in the Julian calendar) and how Santa Lucia represents light and warmth in the cold, dark winter.  There might have been a little singing in Swedish, and there definitely was some tasty cookies.  It is so neat to see a special tradition I grew up with bringing so much joy to my little own little one.

frosty

Maggie has been talking, dreaming, and scheming about all things frosty and snowy lately.  It’s a good thing we live in a city where snow is a guarantee (though it does make it a pain to walk to dance class at 5pm– so dark! so cold! so icy!).  Even with a just tiny apartment yard in an alley, a lot of fun can be had.  Maggie saw these styrofoam balls at the dollar store and insisted we make a SnowFamily out of them.  They live in a snow house, complete with a christmas tree and an iceplace  to keep them cold if it starts to get too warm outside :)

But a little styrofoam SnowFamily was not going to cut it for this girl. Luckily, there was plenty of snow on the ground today. So with Daddy’s help, it was time to make the real deal.

She was a little disappointed when he didn’t come to life when she put the hat on him, so we made up for it my dancing around him and singing Frosty the Snowman, approximately the lyrics (” Frosty the snowman was a happy, uhh, la la la, with a corn cob pipe and a carrot? nose, and two eyes made out of pennies!! “) Maggie loves Frosty. They’ve even had a tea party. :)

thankful.

for little fingers

and big appetites

friends and family near and far

funny feasts

and this sweet little girl who knows how to holiday.

four!

Magnolia turned FOUR on Saturday! Holy cow. We had such a great weekend with friends and family.  Time sure flies when you’re having fun. We love you Maggie!

pumpkin-cranberry-almond loaf

It’s the Great Pumpkin Loaf, Charlie, Brown!

Last week, my mom, Maggie & I had cupcakes from Sprinkles. I had their November-Only pumpkin cupcake, fresh from the oven. Moist, not to sweet, slightly spicy.  Yum. Research and all that, you know? So, this…. well, it rules! Inspired by that delicious little cupcake, I made this loaf to fulfill all my cozy, fall, sweet-toothed needs. This is like a cross between banana bread and pumpkin pie.  I love it when a new recipe turns out perfect the first time around,  I will be making this more for sure.

Pumpkin Cranberry Almond Loaf

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or home-made)

• 3/4 cup dried cranberries, soaked in hot water and drained

• 1 c. granulated Splenda or sweetener of choice

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or 1 tsp cinnamon

• pinch of salt

• 5 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour

Lightly butter or oil a loaf pan or foil tin. Beat pumpkin puree, Splenda, baking powder, vanilla, spice and salt until well blended. Beat in the in eggs and almond flour, then fold in the cranberries. Pour into  the pan and bake at 300º 60-75 minutes, until cake pulls away from sides of pan a bit and toothpick comes out clean.  It was ready in my oven @ 75 minutes.  This is a very lenient batter, the moistness from the pumpkin makes it hard to over-bake. Cool the loaf in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then tip on to rack for further cooling before slicing. Serve with fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce for an extra decadent dessert! You should store it in the fridge or freezer…. if you and your guests don’t eat it all up in the course of a few hours!

ps. I jogged with Rod Blagojevich yesterday.  He lives in my part of town. True story. I wonder if he’d enjoy my pumpkin loaf?

pps. I am working on spiffying up our tiny rental kitchen, where all the madness (yes–madness, we don’t have a dishwasher! or counter space!) takes place.  I’m thinking I’ll be posting some before and afters soon.

tricky treats

“Oh, my twitchy witchy girl, I think you are so nice. I give you bowls of porridge and I give you bowls of ice…. cream!”* Well, Halloween was a lot of fun.  Turns out, we live in an awesome neighborhood for trick-or-treating.  Not only do our neighbors go all out with candy and spooky decor, they set out bonfires and offer booze to the adults!  I have never seen that before, sure makes it all more fun (and warm!) for everyone.

But of course, the copious amounts of sugar Maggie consumed in a three day period has resulted in a cold.  So, it’s back to the nourishing basics for us– fruit, vegetables, meat , nuts, and….. pumpkin! That’s a seasonal delight that I can stand behind 100%. Here’s a sneak peak of an almond flour, pumpkin cranberry loaf I made today… I’ll post the recipe soon!

* one of my favorite lines from Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. :)

a walk in the park

 

The obligatory nature-themed autumn post! Won’t you come with us on a walk to our neighborhood park–Winnemac Park–on a lovely fall day?  I especially recommend this song while you walk with us. =D

Have a great Halloween weekend, everyone!

Celeriac and Turnip Puree

I said I was going to post about some of my favorite root vegetable dishes this fall, and now I am making good on my word.  This is a creamy puree that works well with roast meat, braised pork, and crispy poultry. Or even just on it’s own with a big spoon =)  A nice alternative to starchy mashed potatoes, it could also be easily turned into a soup with the addition of a little more cream and chicken or vegetable stock.  Like most of my cooking, I made this recipe up as I went a long. I found similar and reliable recipe on the Food&Wine website and have posted it below with my alterations.

Celeriac & Turnip Puree

INGREDIENTS

1. One 1-pound celery root, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
2. 1 pound medium turnips, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
3. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4. Kosher salt
5. 1/4 cup whole milk (I used cream), warmed
6. Freshly ground pepper
7. I added 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, add the celery root and turnips (and garlic) and just enough cold water to cover; bring to a boil. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until the celery root and turnips are tender and the cooking liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 35 minutes.
2. Transfer the vegetables and their cooking liquid to a food processor and let cool for 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the milk (cream) and process until smooth. Season the celery root–turnip puree with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl and serve.

MAKE AHEAD

The celery root and turnip puree can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently before serving.

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In other news, we will be leaving shortly for a little scenic drive up the North Shore (Skokie Lagoons, Sheridan Road maybe?) to pick up some furniture. And hopefully see a little fall color while we’re at it! Our little apartment is really starting to shape up.  My mom will be here for a week, and I am going to enlist her in helping me get it organized and pretty (she is the best at this, I have much to learn from her!), and hopefully take some photos for a little home tour!

halloween preparations

Maggie and I have been having fun preparing for Halloween.  Such a goofy holiday.  I like the socialist undertones of it all, I have to say… if only we could get people to chip in for healthcare like we do for candy! The irony.  But, I’ll save that kind of talk for the pundits! Let’s get back to pumpkins, ghouls and high fructose corn syrup…

 

{watch out for this guy, he moves around a lot.}

So far, we have decorated our windows (Maggie’s request) with paper ghosts and bats.  We have painted and markered many pumpkins.  We have not one, but two Halloween costumes.  Candy has been purchased (I made sure to get a bag of Lindt truffles for me and Noah. Mostly for me).  Goody bags have been made for Noah’s music students (complete with a tricky plastic critter hiding amongst the candy!).  All that’s left is to carve some actual pumpkins, sit back and watch some creepy movies (so many on TV this week!), wait for Grandma to arrive on Saturday (can’t wait!!), and go trick’or treating on Sunday.

What’s also great about this holiday is the lack of stress involved.  With no elaborate plans or meals needing to be made, you can just enjoy the magic of it all.  It’s a good warm-up for the Big Holidays of November and December… which I have to say ARE my favorite (no pain, no gain?)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek of our not-so-Haunted House!

 

afternoon play

dress up and dancing, jumping and giggling, card-making and letter writing, measuring and mischief-making…

rest & recovery,  then let’s do it all again!

rest & recovery,  then let’s do it all again!

portrait of a Tudor lady.

Maggie has been having fun today dressing up as Princess Elizabeth I.  We were out doing some warm weather shopping, and stopped into a TJMaxx to use a gift card.  I was planning on getting a sweater, but we ended up leaving with this instead.  I think it was a wise decision.

Maggie asked me about the dress, I told her it was very similar to the Tudor style of clothes.  We did some googling and found that picture of  Queen Elizabeth I as a girl, with a very similar gown. We had a lot of fun drawing her!

In London we visited Tudor Galleries at the wonderful National Portrait Gallery (right next to the National Gallery).  They have an online gallery here, were you can see a lot of great Tudor Portraits.  The styling and details are exquisite and moody. Just like Henry VIII!  Last summer, we visited one of the Tudor palaces, Hampton Court. And when we lived in Greenwich, the park was one of our favorite places to spend our days, where about 500 years ago, a young Elizabeth also spent her days.  There are even mighty oaks still there that saw it all go down.  So, I’m a bit attached to the Tudors and their legacy.  Their affects on culture and society are still felt today.  I am loving getting to explore this stuff with my princess-loving little girl. Now… I just need to get a copy of the Showtime series The Tudors for Maggie to watch……… just kidding =D

Chicken, Ham & Swiss Roulade

………..or Chicken Cordon Bleu. One of my favorite dishes as a kid. Tender chicken, creamy cheese, sweet ham… what a great combination.


I tried making this version today, and it turned out excellent.   Grain and gluten free, but you really wouldn’t know it unless told. This is such a filling dish, you really only need a side salad, or maybe some steamed broccoli to go with it.  I had one for lunch on it’s own, and was completely  satisfied. Maggie gobbled down half of one. Success. I will be definitely making this again!

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also: we have a cat in the house. luckily, I don’t seem to be allergic to this breed.

Duct tape + Head Band + Eye Liner = Insta-Kitty. Meow!