Yet, ever since she named cauliflower the hottest vegetable of the year, I’ve been buying a head or two a week.  Mostly, I roast it with olive oil and add parmesan, lemon or sea salt, or on a fancy day, mixed with pine nuts, mint and Meyer lemons:

Photo and Recipe from Yummy Supper

I’ve also tried letting cauliflower be something else entirely, like steaming and smashing it into cauliflower “rice” for a stir fry.

Photo and Recipe from                                Whole Living Magazine

And now I have a new favorite way to enjoy this trendy veg.

I’ve been making variations of Buffalo Cauliflower since Superbowl Sunday – beginning with pan frying cauliflower first battered in cornstarch, egg and panko.  To lighten it up a bit, I then tried dredging cauliflower in flour and then baking.  Yummy, but just as messy.  And it didn’t make sense.  Why take a perfectly lovely healthy (not to mention trendy) vegetable and bread/fry the thing and pretend its healthier than chicken?  And both variations took far too long to make considering how quickly I consumed it.

I’m learning what makes a dish stick in my repertoire: I have to be able to make it without looking at a recipe, using the fewest pots possible. I’ve deconstructed this enough that you can now barely call it a recipe. It’s more just an outstanding combination – perfect for a summer BBQ.  This tastes like junk food, but truly isn’t – just cauliflower, a little olive oil, and low-calorie/low-fat buffalo sauce.

Buffalo Cauliflower – The Easy Way

Chop and rinse your cauliflower and pat dry. For wing look-a-likes, you can chop larger pieces of cauliflower, but I prefer bite size chunks.

Spread on baking pan covered with parchment or aluminum foil.  Drizzle olive oil on top and toss with your fingers to distribute.  For a little extra crisp/breading, you can sprinkle with panko or breadcrumbs.

Bake at 425 for 25 minutes or until cauliflower starts browning. Remove from oven and toss with your favorite Buffalo sauce (I like Bella’s or Frank’s).  Serve with whatever fixings you like.

Hoping you enjoy a nice long weekend.  To our nation’s military families, we are thinking of you and the many sacrifices made for our freedom.  Thank you for your service.

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After the kids filled a notebook with some Warhol-like drawings in marker, Tara created personalized notepads for each artist, using a scanned in image of one favorite drawing (for Ryan it was Spiderman shooting a long line of webbing).

The notepads seemed a perfect Mother’s Day gift.  You can work with artwork your child has already created, instead of “forcing” the creating in time for the holiday.  I love working with my kids on most gift projects, but it certainly moves things along to be able to crank a project out after their bedtime.  All you need: a scanner, printer, paper, glue and some of your child’s artwork.

****NANA BONNIE AND GRANDMA BARBARA****

**IF YOU LIKE SURPRISES AS MUCH AS ME, YOU SHOULD REALLY STOP READING THIS POST**

1. Select a few of your child’s drawings and scan them into your computer.  Insert the scanned drawing into a Word document and resize the picture to fit.

For Noah’s gifts, I used this pretty watercolor painting he made and faded the colors a bit to use as a background on every page.

Ryan has been drawing lots of Mo Willems-esque ducks.                                                                                     He drew and cut these out of an 8.5 by 11 piece of paper and I scanned into a JPEG.

For smaller notepads, you can make columns to divide your page – 2 up, 4 up.  Select a fun font and type in the recipient’s name, a saying or a quote to the image.

I used a free graph paper template as a background for my mom’s full sheet notepad as she is building a new house and will be spending lots of hours planning the space.

3. Print (10-30 pages for binding) and cut to size.  We use a inexpensive sliding paper cutter, but if you don’t have one, you can use a scissor or borrow a paper cut from your local copy center.

4. At this point, you can leave the paper loose and have an adorable stationary set.

If you wish to bind paper into a notepad, stack pages neatly, carefully lining up the tops.  Add a piece of cardboard to the back (I used nice patterned tab divider and file folders).  Add an extra sheet of paper to both front and back to keep glue off your pages as you work.  Then clip the sides together to hold in place.  I used waxed paper under the clips to avoid creasing.  Apply rubber cement (I’ve read gel glue or gorilla glue works well too) along the top, then clip along the top to hold together (or use heavy books).  Let dry a few minutes and repeat 5 or 6 times, until the pad stays together.

5. Package with a cute note, pretty pens, folders or other supplies.

Wishing you a wonderful Mother’s Day and some peaceful time with your loved ones.

Need More Ideas?  

Check out Love Them Madly’s Shopping ideas, Fingerprint Art, Lotion Bars and Word Cloud Art, and more great kid-made ideas at Homegrown Friends and All for the Everyday.

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Let’s just go with some items that that have caught my eye that I wouldn’t mind receiving for Mother’s Day… Not that I am hinting to my family, from them, I am hopefully anticipating a replacement of the gold necklace charm I dropped in the toilet a few weeks ago.

This is the actual present category.  Homemade gift ideas coming soon.

Click on the photos for pricing and details.

I’m not sure why I started receiving the Olive & Cocoa catalog, but it is one I probably won’t ever cancel.

These peonies and cabbage roses are so lush and stunning I may never even notice tulips again.

Custom pillow case, in a few colors, from Red Envelope (now just $29.95).

This is a practical one (I once received a compost bucket for my birthday), but how awesome for gardening and washing little boys hands as you hear the jingle of the ice cream truck.  Gardening Sink and Work Station, by Improvements.

This slackline looks like it is for kids, but I’ve wanted one to play on (with them, without them, whatever) since I saw it on the beach in Rio last summer.  REI sells some more adventurous looking ones, but the training rope on top looks right for my family.

Last, but certainly not least….clothes, play clothes, fun clothes, working out clothes.  I mean to shop and update my wardrobe, but I rarely do and I know plenty of moms who feel the same.  Actual stylish clothes someone intentionally  selected (ideally from somewhere she can swap if they don’t quite work) would float any mother’s Mother’s Day.

Happy Shopping for the women in your life!

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Legos get tucked inside, ideally in a pouch or bag that can be removed when you are ready to build.

This is Noah’s Squirrel Estate, complete with acorn anti-theft system (lower left), garage, veterinarian and fairy princess.

I’m excited to have these ready for our summer road trips. After our trip, I happened to find these Minifigure Speech Bubbles that I’ve added to our sets, combining a little literacy and story-telling with our fine motor building.

Like this idea? Know someone who might? Please share it!

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In college, I almost show up a day earlier than my parents expected.  SURPRISE!  I’m home on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, not Wednesday. Surprise!! I’m home on December 20th, not December 21st.  It’s hard to imagine they didn’t catch on, but then again, we all like surprises. You know how some people are susceptible to hypnosis? Well, we Hamills are susceptible to surprises.

When I was newly engaged, my mom asked me what kind of bridal shower I had in mind (at home, at a restaurant, etc.).  ”A surprise one,” I answered right away.  I completely requested a surprise party, and that’s just what I got when I showed up a few months later at my parent’s home for what I thought was a day of dress shopping and shower invitation assembly.  I was a little annoyed, but oddly not suspicious that I’d left my apartment on Boston’s Newbury Street to go dress shopping in the ‘burbs, not to mention I was responsible for stuffing my own shower invitations.  I loved that surprise party as much as the one my mom hosted for my 14th birthday, as much as the one my college friends threw for me the day I took the LSATs, as much as the few I have planned for friends and family.

Well, the verdict is in: susceptible or not, my kids don’t enjoy surprises nearly as much I do.

I pulled a trifecta on them last week: after five days at Gigi Pearl’s house, they each found a box like this waiting for them one morning.

The Lego travel boxes were a hit (check out the DIY here), and so was the destination, but they didn’t LOVE being surprised.  I expected shrieks and jumping up and down; instead, I got quiet, confused smiles.

After driving to our hotel in Orlando, we “bumped” into both boys’ best friends from home at the pool.  Surprise!  There was no crying or bad behavior but not quite the happy delirium that I expected.  Within minutes, they were relaxed and happy to be together but they clearly were not so thrilled about being surprised.  Ditto, the next day, when we surprised them after a day at Legoland with dinner at Disney World with their cousins, aunt and uncle.  Ryan looked embarrassed and uncomfortable — not at all what I intended.

I was aiming for happy, but how did the surprises make them feel? Dopey? Bashful? Grumpy?

I’ve thought a lot about why the surprises fell flat.  I think this is it: kids spend a lot of time getting ready – ready for school, ready for karate, ready for bed.  If ready is so important, it must feel awfully weird to be surprised, standing there so un-ready to see your best friend or best cousins.

My oldest is becoming very independent and like the rest of us, he likes to be right and in charge. I think the surprise might have been happier if I had given Ryan even five minutes notice of what was about to happen. Or maybe five days.  Or five months. Perhaps, for some, anticipating good things is as lovely as being surprised.

I, for one, am still daydreaming of the morning when my husband wakes me up, relieves me of my day’s duties and sends me shopping to the outlets with my friends or sisters.

Lousy surprise predictions aside, the trip did not otherwise disappoint.  I was so glad we added a weekend in Orlando to our great visit with Gigi.  Our mini-parks vacation – day at Legoland and a day at the Magic Kingdom with best friends and cousins - was just right.

A Look at Legoland:

…Our family went to Legoland. The park was clean and manageable, the crowds were small and the kids could go on nearly every ride.  The waffle sticks with whipped cream, chocolate and sprinkles weren’t bad either.

We loved the Lego shows and hand-on activities, like this WeDo Construction workshop Ryan and I attended, where we built an alligator, then programmed it to open and close his mouth to chomp on food.

Everything is made out of Legos. Everything. That little hot dog vendor. The boy walking his dog. Everything.

All Legoland staff have a few Lego Mini-Figures on their name tags and are happy to trade them with guests. This guy is the hottest thing in the park with “TRADE ME” and “TAKE A LOOK” tags all over his minifigure-clad shirt – front and back. If you go, bring lots of mini figures (even mismatched) from home for a fun (free-ish) souvenir.

Day at Disney World (slightly soggy)

The cousins would have been happy just riding the monorail all day together.

Don’t forget to check out our LEGO TRAVEL BOXES  – easy to create for your next road trip.

The post Surprise. They Don’t Like Surprises. appeared first on Love Them Madly.

I’ve no idea how to make it to nearly 90 years old amid all the danger.  How do we keep our families safe?

I make lots of good choices for my families’  health and safety, many I share with you here — exactly NONE of which would have protected us from these tragedies. We traveled to Florida with scooters and helmets, sunscreen, vitamins and thermometers.  I cut Gigi off from pouring Crystal Light lemonade for my kids.  I made a face when I came back from the restaurant bathroom with one son to find Gigi feeding the other the contents of a jelly packet with a spoon (as if that was any worse than the chocolate chip pancakes I ordered them for lunch).

With all the dangers in our world, it seems the best we can do is live each day with spirit, love and enjoy each other fully, make some healthy choices and plan on a good tomorrow.

Oh, and if you can manage to be so stylish and spirited at 89 that your 35 year old granddaughter (me) AND your 17 year old great-granddaughter (my cousin from Arizona) are happy to help you “clean” out your closets, that’s pretty good too.  I picked up more cute new tops in Gigi’s closet that I’ve bought all year — and this striped dress too.

Thank you Grandma for showing me we’re never too old to shop in the Juniors’ department.  And for playing doctor, New Year’s Eve party and picnic with my boys this week.  We all love you so very much.

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Any guilt I felt about leaving our three year old with his grandparents melted away with our first walk around the White House.  No naps, no stroller…just lots of patriotic sightseeing.

First, What Makes Me The Wisest Lady in the Land

One word. Scooter.

Having his own wheels gave Ryan lots of playtime and independence between monuments, museums and meals.  It saved us from piggyback rides and whining about tired feet (I complained just a little bit).

We held or checked the scooter in the museums, but I had to let Ryan take a spin in the lobby of The W.

What We Did

Once in D.C., we relied entirely on The Washington Post’s Explore DC app for directions, museum hours, event listings,  and restaurant listings.

Monuments: White House,  The Mall, The Sculpture Garden, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial. The scooter made it all possible.

My sister Kim tipped me off to bring cash to DC, if only for the photo opportunities. Even better, Kim and her husband overlapped on our weekend in DC and Dean even had a $100 bill ready for Ryan when we happened upon a statue of Benjamin Franklin.

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum: Fantastic and endlessly gigantic. Lots to look at and much to make me aware that I am NOT a rocket scientist.  I don’t think I answered a single question Ryan asked.  The Hubble 3-D IMAX, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, was visually stunning and raised more questions than answers…starting with how could we give up our space program?

Bureau of Printing and Engraving (“The Money Factory”): Made possibly only by my husband waiting on line for tour tickets for over an hour one chilly morning. Simply cool to watch money being printed in sheets, view stacks of hundreds of thousands of bills and explain corny signs like “Free samples: Tomorrow Only.”

National Museum of Natural History:  Built in 1910, the halls and exhibits look unbelievably modern and fresh and we could have spent a full day here.  Highlights included The Live Butterfly Pavilion, Sant Ocean Hall (especially replica of 45 foot whale), Nature’s Best Photography Exhibit, the Hope Diamond and the Dinosaurs.

National Building Museum: A welcome respite from the crowds on The Mall, the Great Hall of the National Building Museum has hosted inaugural balls and DC society events since 1885.  My pick for serious hands-on playful learning.

You can see how challenging it is to build an arch.

You can borrow Tool Kits for $5 and explore building themes like housing, patterns and our choice, construction.

In one toolkit exercise, we measured these columns in hugs. Six and half hugs around…or 25 feet.

There’s a play area for kids under six, and a “Play. Work. Build” zone for all ages, with real and virtual blocks for building and knocking down.

Apparently, the Great Hall is also an excellent place to nap, according to Mr. & Mrs. Love U Madly.

What We Ate:

Acqua Al Due: Sweet to bring our son to the DC cousin of the restaurant Scott and I enjoyed when we studied abroad in Florence, Italy.

Native Food Cafe at the National American Indian Museum: Kids may gravitate towards the cheese-filled fry bread and corn bread, but I fell for the vegetarian side dishes like this wild rice salad I’m making today.

Lebenese Taverna: The Woodley Park location (near the Zoo) is a perfect spot for families to try some new cuisine amid comforts like hummus and pita.

Teaism: This “collection” of teahouses and restaurants offer quick, fresh meals and snacks with Asian influence. Don’t tell Ryan the crispies atop his Soba noodle bowl were fried Shiitake mushrooms.

Good Stuff Eatery/“We” The Pizza  – Toasted marshmallow milkshake lives up to the hype at celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn’s cafes.

What We Missed/Are Saving for Next Time:

Newseum, International Spy Museum, National Museum of American History, Eastern Market, the Old Post Office Tower, the National Postal Museum.  The banana fluffernutter at Founding Farmer. Oh, and those stubborn Cherry Blossoms which are probably blooming this weekend.

For the (Not-So) Clueless Guide to Washington, D.C, visit Love U Madly today.

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You know which memories of his six-plus years Ryan remembers best?  The times I was just plain silly.  The times I surprised him.  Like when his brother Noah was two and insisted that “nobody” give him a bath.  I donned a shower cap and fleecy bathrobe and pretended I was a Mrs. Doubtfire-lady figure named “Nobody.”

“You want Nobody to give you a bath,” I said, channelling Robin Williams channelling Mrs. Doubtfire.  ”Well, here I am, my darlings, I’m Nobody.  Nobody is here to give you a bath.”

Ryan giggled, while Noah just stared at me.

“I know, I know.  You want Nobody to give you a bath.  Well, Nobody wants to give you a bath.”

“You want Nobody to wash your hair.  Well, my love, Nobody will.”

The schtick went on and on.  A year and a half later, the boys still request Nobody at bath time.

I love any excuse and reminder for us to be totally silly with our kids.  I wish I remembered more often that you really don’t need an excuse.  Still, April Fools’ Day is Monday.  Tomorrow!

Don’t let it pass you by.

This year, I’m planning to start the day with these “undrinkable” juice cups with breakfast I saw on village.  I’m going to try this natural vegetarian take on Jello mixed with cranberry or orange juice.

If I find a small enough box (no idea where I’d find a matchbox in my house), I will pack the boys a “micro lunch” or snack like this one from Family Fun magazine.

I picked up these fake lottery tickets at the dollar store a few weeks and plan on slipping a few in Ryan’s lunchbox with a coin for scratching off.  Is it mean to make him think he is a millionaire from lunchtime to 3:15 pm?

Inspired by Homegrown Friend’s Happy Birthday Nobody party, I think April Fools’ Day might be the perfect time to have an after-school birthday party for nobody.

As my husband (a very good prankster) has often shown, the best jokes are not so elaborate as just completely unpredictable.

For more April Fools ideas, check out the 2012 April Fools’ Day post.

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Tired + Passover’s dietary restrictions (no eating bread and many grains) = challenging. I was as prepared as ever as I’ve been following a mostly plant-based diet these last few weeks, skipping most gluten and wheat products. The hardest part seems to be figuring out easy-go to snacks for my family – like cereal, granola bars, popcorn and the raisin-bread and cream cheese sandwiches my kids had been inhaling.

Luckily, before I endeavored to make any of these things with Kosher for Passover ingredients (think matzoh meal and potato starch), I came across a recipe for homemade cookie dough LÄRABAR® from Oh She Glows. Dates, cashews, a bit of sea salt, vanilla and chocolate chips. Though I’m a sucker for anything “cookie dough,” my favorite LÄRABAR® has long been Cherry Pie so immediately substituted dried cherries for some of the dates.

We’ve gotten hooked on these dairy-free chocolate chips, but any mini chip will work.

The words “food processor” tend to scare me off from recipes, so I threw mine in the Vitamix. Just as speedy as my food processor, but easier to clean up.

I made small square bars in a pan with our first batch. Half to keep at home, half to work with my husband – both enjoyed very quickly. For the second batch, I just rolled out the “dough” like a pizza pie and left it in the refrigerator to chill.

My parents babysat that evening. I’m not sure they knew what they were eating, but alongside my kids, they tore off piece after piece until they had eaten nearly half. When I packed lunches later that night, I used our heart-shaped sandwich cutter on the remaining half, eating the trimmings as quickly as I cut.

Chewy, moist and sweet and still natural and simple. Perfect for this recovering gummy-anything (bear, worm, fish, spider, frog) addict, and my similarly sugar-addicted kids. I’m especially excited that Ryan gobbles up these bars, since he generally eschews all nuts. We ate tons of these before the holiday and I imagine we’ll snack on them all week.

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