hello.

We heart Augie (and Martha, too!)

We went down to Pasadena to see this little man and his mom on Thursday.  Molly asked to wear her heart shirt that day since she loves Augie so much.  I would've worn a heart shirt too if I had one!  Sure do miss having the Holts here in SB but thankful that they didn't move more than a drive away.  Who wants to carpool next time???

Lovely lips

Molly's been playing with her lips a lot lately. Here are a few I managed to catch with the camera. Funny.

Rockin' the piggies!

Not sure if this is a good look yet for Molls, but at least it keeps the hair out of her eyes!

Tasty Pork Loin

This recipe takes only about 5 or 10 minutes to assemble and you only have to wash one pan.  Another Barefoot recipe that's a great weeknight go to.  If you make it, be sure to check the meat with a thermometer - mine was done in about 40 minutes since I used boneless tenderloins.  I roasted the pork on a bed of chopped beets, onions, and whole garlic.  I didn't make the sauce this time but the meat is plenty juicy without it. 

Loin of Pork with Green Peppercorns (from Barefoot Contessa)

1 pork loin, bone in, Frenched and tied (or just use boneless tenderloins)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard, divided
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup good white wine
3 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth
1/4 cup green peppercorns in brine, drained

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of each mustard, the fennel seed, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Rub the mixture on top of the pork and roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and cover tightly with aluminum foil for 20 minutes.

For the sauce, remove all but 1/4 cup of fat from the roasting pan. If there isn't 1/4 cup, add enough butter to the pan to make 1/4 cup total. Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the fat in the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, the remaining 2 teaspoons of each mustard, the green peppercorns, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.

Remove the strings from the roast pork, slice between the bones, and serve warm with the hot sauce.

I love my Tai Po!

We got to spend a lot of time with Jer's granmda while we were in Vancouver.  Molly and her already seem to have a special connection.

From Studio 1A

We spent a great day up at Grouse Mountain where there was actually snow.  This also happens to be the location of the Today show during the Olympics.  We missed Matt, Merideth, Anne, and Al since we declined the 2:30 am ticket distribution for the 4 am taping...uh, no thanks!  Still fun to see their set and the boys had a great time trying out ice skating for the first time.  Molly enjoyed being cozy in her purple snowsuit (thanks, Sirica!) and napping to the Olympics they were playing on the big screen.  All in all, a great day at the lodge!

This one's for you, Martha!

"What sport are we gonna see today?"

"I can't believe this is my first olympics!"  2 quotes from Spencer and Cade this week.  We had to explain that this was maybe a once in a lifetime experience and that it was our first olympics too.  Molly seemed to have fun, but mostly I think because she got to be held for all her naps for 2 weeks straight.  She slept through most of the events...amazing considering the crowds cheering, horns blaring, and bells clanking.  We headed up with tickets to 2 events but snatched up 2 more while we were there.  So fun to be a part of the olympic crowd!

The first was women's long track speed skating.  Jer's parents and grandma live right by the Richmond Oval.  Fun to be inside of the venue we've watched being built this past year.

Next up...women's hockey.  USA vs Russia.  We creamed 'em, 13-0. 

And onto curling.  I must confess, never been too interested in this Canadian pastime but after watching it live from row one, I'm hooked!  (I'm watching it now on TV as I write this post.)  It helped we had a couple nice Canucks sitting next to us explaining the game.  You'll have to ask Karen about the wink she got from one of the strapping, handsome Brit curlers! :)

And last but not least, men's hockey.   Sweden vs. Belarus.  One fight, a lively crowd,  and an almost comeback from Belarus.

So, there you have it.  More pictures to come later from the rest of our time in Vancouver.

We're back, baby!

Watching the Olympics in person did not disappoint!  Many more posts to come this week with the highlights of our trip.  But for now, off to bed...3:30 wake up calls for early flights and I do not agree.

Olympics, here we come!

We're off to Vancouver again this weekend for a couple weeks for a little r&r and the OLYMPICS!  So excited.  Pan the crowd during short track speed skating on Valentines Day/Chinese New Year and the USA vs Russia women's hockey game on the 16th and you may just see the McLeans and us.  It's going to be complete madness in the city but it'll be great to be a part of it all...at least that's what we're tellilng ourselves.  Radio silence on the blog for the next couple weeks but hope to have some great pics to share when we get back.

She's been holding out on showing any pics on her blog, but I just couldn't help myself any longer...sorry, Karen!  Here's the new kitchen at the McLeans almost finished and let me tell you, it. is. awesome!  Can't wait to get cookin' in there.

Down to the OC

We had a great weekend visiting the Wasses.  Unlike her mother, I think Molly is destined to be a dog lover.  Now that she crawls, she was stalking poor Dusty all weekend.  He IS one of the softest, nicest dogs there is though...who could blame her?  And so fun having a friend who is almost a year older to teach Molly fun things like walking and talking.  Can't wait for the summer pool parties!