WE'VE GOT MAIL! Husband Approved Polenta

It's been awhile (ahem) since we've had a guest post, but mostly that's our fault because we talk too much.  The following letter is from Sarah's cousin who is actually a trained professional chef (you think we would have begged her for recipe ideas sooner).  She lives in Kirkland, Washington, with her husband and little pup, and spends her day cooking up a storm at her local soup company.  Despite her culinary expertise, it's nice to know that she has struggles in the kitchen, too.  Ok, maybe not IN the kitchen, but near it.  Read on...

Sarah and Libby,

Bryan hates polenta.

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East Coasting

We just got back from vacation. With our kids.  And it was fabulous.

No - I’m completely serious.  But, let me back up.

We went to spend a week on a beach on the east coast with our close friends from residency.  They had rented a house and we skirted in on their coat tails.  The house we stayed in was perfect with enough room for the two couples plus 5 kids under 5 to all have their own space.  Bonus was the huge back yard, the swimming pool, the tree swing and the grill – basically all anyone could want for a summer vacation.  Not to mention that the beach was amazing and just a quick car ride away.

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Not So Farro Away

Montana maven,

This winter has been mild, but I am soooo ready for sunshine and warm days.    Yet, as I dash through the produce section at the store, with both kids shoved into the cart that has the plastic car on the front end (you know, the one that takes up the entire aisle and inspires looks of heartfelt pity from total strangers), it feels like springtime is still weeks away, even though the official first day of spring has come and gone. 

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Rules of the Game

Libs,

This morning, I got a phone call from the mother of a good friend of June’s from preschool.  The mother was calling concerned about something her daughter had told her:  some kids at school wouldn’t play with June because she had blonde hair.  

Uhm, what?

And, according to this mother, when it happened, June got upset and started crying which made her little girl cry, which apparently started a whole classroom cry fest, much like the Von Trapp family during that guilt-ridden first dinner with Maria.  

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A Side of Christmas

Hey there,

It’s almost Christmas.  I remember as a kid this being “the moooooost wonderful tiiiiiiiime of the yeeeeaaaarrr.”  I still feel that way, but, now, even more so because this will be the first year June is old enough to get it: Santa, reindeer, presents, etc.  We’ve been talking about the whole thing nonstop: what kind of cookies to make Santa (gingerbread men), what kind of treats to leave the reindeer (carrots) and what we are going to have for Christmas dessert (haven't quite decided yet).

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Farmer's Market Plunder

Hey you!

So glad it is almost Friday.  Actually, so glad it’s almost Thursday. That means farmer’s market day around here, which is what keeps us out of vegetable and fruit doldrums throughout the week and I get so excited just thinking about it.

Actually, that’s kind of a lie. The truth is, well, I have been meaning to ask you…do you ever feel kind of overwhelmed at these places?  Like, you see all this great stuff (who doesn’t love the sound of a lemon cucumber?) and you buy it with these lofty goals of going home and doing something fabulous and new only to realize a week later that those damn squash blossoms are rotting in the cheese drawer?

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Home Remedies

Libs,

June has been sick.  For almost a week straight.  Not terribly – but intermittent fever, a little cough and runny nose, fatigue and, the real evidence, total loss of appetite.

For a day or two, I can handle it when she barely picks at her waffle or takes just a tiny slurp of chicken soup.  But after 3 or 4 days of missing meals, I’m trying to make her anything that sounds appealing.  You want Nutella in your yogurt? Done.  Ice cream sounds better than apple slices? Fine.  A third cookie would help your cough?  I’ve heard of stranger remedies.

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WE'VE GOT MAIL!: A Different Kind of Apron

We're so thrilled to welcome our second guest contributor, our dear friend Katie McBreen. Our friendship with Katie goes back more than a decade (gasp!), and while neither of us gets to see her as often as we'd like, we love the fact that every time we DO get together, it's as though not a day has passed since our college years. When she's not traversing the country for her work as a high-powered PR exec in D.C., or trying out the latest fitness craze, Katie and her twin sister Regan can be found doling out fashion advice on their blog, Cardigans & Couture.  

As we've said before, our guest post series aspires to shine the spotlight on different ways that people incorporate cooking and the enjoyment of food into their everyday lives. We love that Katie's found a solution that keeps her weeknight meals both inspired and efficient. Now, if she could just tell us about fall's must-have boots....  - Sarah and Libby

Mi queridas....(you know my Spanish is much better than my French),

May I start with, I love this blog you've got going. It's like a modern-day version of Love Letters...but about food...and between friends. And did I mention it also forced Sarah to join some form of social media (Halle-freaking-lujah!). With distance between us, I love the regular updates on what's going on in your lives, and a recipe or two never killed me. So don't go deciding to have third children, thereby eliminating the already non-existent time you have to write...I'm starting to rely on you two and and your witty repartee. 

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WE'VE GOT MAIL!: Crispy Broccoli & Blue

Many of our closest friends are knowledgable foodies and incredible cooks.  And many have shared recipes with us over the years that have inspired us or gotten us through dinnertime disasters.  We thought it would be so wonderful to share their insight and recipes with others!  So, we decided to start a monthly (or maybe bi-weekly?) guest blog, whereby friends and family are encouraged to write us and share a favorite, tried and true recipe.

Our first guest post is here!  It is by Sarah Nicholson, a friend of both of ours from college.  Sarah is mother to a toddler, wife to an army lawyer and a lawyer herself - so her plate is full (pun intended!). You can find more about her and her adventures in her own blog, Are We Home Yet?, a beautiful tribute to her family and travels.  Meanwhile, enjoy a little taste of her life here!

 

Dear Sarah and Libby,

I apologize for asking you to turn on your oven.  I have been visiting family in Seattle where, until today, summer can be fairly temperate.  The day I decided to make this recipe we set a record of 93 degrees.  And, we Pacific Northwesterners don’t do air conditioning.  Thus, if you’re in the same boat, I am sorry.

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