Moving.

Tuckered out from the move!

This week has been spent living among piles of half-emptied boxes, shifting furniture from room to room, putting things into cupboards and drawers and with a feeling of coming home. In case you hadn't guessed, we moved last Sunday (in a bit of a rush, due to the 30 inches of snow that never fell on us) and have subsequently been settling in to our new apartment.

I'm not sure if anyone actually likes moving house, but I hate it. I can never find things (I'm not very good at organising boxes), it's tiring and I always find it difficult to get comfortable in my new surroundings.  While the first two are still true, this time I already feel pretty settled. We've moved out of the city into a more suburban area, into a ground-floor apartment with access to a back garden. It's a family-friendly apartment in a family-friendly area, close enough to the freeway to make travel easy but far enough away from the noise and traffic. There is more than enough room for our little troupe, with plenty to spare for guests. It's just what we were looking for and right now, I couldn't be happier.

I think we all like our new place. Baby V is sleeping better than ever before and even Pearl seems happier here. S and I are enjoying the peace, even though it's a longer commute for his work now. Once we're all unpacked, I know that this home is going to suit us perfectly for the foreseeable future. I'm glad that we've left our 'city life' behind and we're ready to embark on the next leg of our adventures together.

I hope that you all had a fab week and are enjoying your weekend! Since the Giants didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, I'm rooting for the Seahawks to own it tomorrow on behalf of our friends! Have a good one!

Love, K.

Atlantic Beach Pie.

Recipe taken from here

I made this pie twice over the festive season last year.  The first time was for a friends' dinner party, the host of which wasn't overly fond of super sweet desserts but was a big fan of the sweet-salty combo.  The second time was simply for S and I, a treat that we devoured in a series of slices and forkfuls over several days.

The secret to this pie's perfect balance is in the crust, which is made of crushed saltines.  Before I made this, I'd never eaten a saltine cracker.  They were fun to break into little pieces and after adding some soft butter and a spoonful of sugar, the base browned beautifully in the oven.

I did think that the condensed milk would be tooth-achingly sweet so I definitely added a little more citrus than the recipe calls for (roughly two lemons and two limes).  Our friends described the pie as being similar to a lemon bar, deliciously tart with a hint of sweetness and complimented well by fluffy white spoonfuls of freshly whipped cream, no sugar added.

 A little piece goes a long way towards satisfying that sweet craving.  It was easy to make, pretty quick to prepare and very well received by everyone who ate it.

This has definitely taken a place in my go-to desserts list, I can't recommend it enough!  I'd love to know if you've discovered any new favourite recipes lately; I'm on the lookout to try something different!

Love, K.

Belated Greetings.

Friends, what a blur the last month has been.  I've been so utterly absorbed with baby V that all celebrations and festivities took a back seat.  We did, of course, have a lovely time, with twinkly tree lights, lots of prezzies (I got a fancy coffee maker, huzzah!) and a delicious Christmas dinner.  We stayed up to ring in the New Year with a glass of fizz and kisses all round.  It just wasn't quite the same as previous years.

I'm not for one second complaining, because I couldn't imagine things being any other way.  Everyone tells you how fast they grow up and it's true, which makes my heart both happy and sad.  At just about 10 weeks old, V is smiling like a trooper and chatting away like no-one's business. I can't believe how much she is changing and growing, right before my eyes.  She's even growing out of (and into) her clothes, which were all much too big just a few short weeks ago.  Yikes!

{Ahh, that face gets me every time!}

There's nothing quite like having her grin at me when she sees me, or hear her coo back when I speak.  We have nonsense conversations and they are the highlights of my day.  It's so exciting to watch her develop, even though it feels like it's all happening much too fast.  Seeing her transform from a tiny newborn to a lively, wriggly infant is extraordinary and absolutely worth ignoring other things for.  After all, she won't be this small forever.

So I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year brings you everything you wish for.  I hope that time passes a little more slowly so that all the good moments last longer.  And I hope for every day to be a happy one!

Love, K.