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I had some time alone in Boston and headed straight for the Public Garden. I so wished I had the children with me, a big cozy blanket and a picnic basket. They would have loved playing on the Make Way For Ducklings statues: And I know they would have absolutely loved a ride on the swan boats: The Public Garden is the epitome of Boston charm. I feared I would not be able to get on that plane ride home. I made it through the park and walked down to Newbury Street. This mama was hungry! I made it to Stephanie's where I ordered a bleu cheese wedge (an all-time favorite.) I sat on the patio and people watched and thought about how good our life was here and how much I really needed this getaway. These last few years have been extremely trying and hard, this year especially. This little getaway helped me to forget about things, at least for a few days.

I've never left the children before (besides when I was in the hospital giving birth to Kate!) and felt so lucky that my sister flew out from Vermont to be with them. She is going to make a wonderful Mama one day. She loves the children and I know they love her. I felt so comfortable leaving them with her. Anyway- a lot of people made this trip possible, and I am so grateful for that. We ended our day driving through Beacon Hill. I love the history here. It's so lush and green. You can tell  that the city is on the cusp of Fall- the best season here. One last drive to the North End: past the connah store and straight here: (I know you swear by "Modern", Kirse!)  I was really hoping they had chocolate dipped coconut macaroons. They did not. They don't always carry them and I don't know why- they are the best. Someone get on that. We decided to go for canoli instead- which never, never disappoints (though we should have shared 1!) You've got to throw some serious elbows to get to the front at this place, but any level of violence is worth it. Told you.

At some point, Chris & I are going to have to stop talking to each other in our over-exaggerated Boston accents. It's gonnah be harhd, wicked harhd. 

p.s. Um…totally freaking out about the prospect of this!

Today we drove into Brookline and parked the car in front of our old place. That's it on the right. We lived in this house, on the second floor (right above the architect), for 5+ years. We brought Henry home from the hospital to this house. When we lived there I think the paint was creme colored with burgundy trim. We have such wonderful memories here. We bought our stroller next door at Bambini. I remember rolling it out of the store and right up the stairs into our apartment. We walked the 1/2 block down the street to our old T stop: Brookline Village. We were on the "D" Line, the green line. Did you know they don't take tokens anymore? It's all about "charlie tickets" now… what the??? But it came- our lovely T (is that T driver waving at e…or telling me to scootch my pooch?) We rode the T from Brookline Village down 2 stops to Fenway where we promptly exited the T and walked here: Oh I miss this place. I mean really miss this place. It's the best of Boston. I'm so glad the Sox were in town and we were able to catch a game. We were crossing our fingers that one of our favorite ice cream joints was still open after the game and alas it was. Enter: J P Licks.  I used to order the "Cherry Garciaparra" but Nomar left the Sox years ago and I was worried they may have discontinued the flavor. I was happy to see it has now been renamed "Cherry Ortiz" (not quite as catchy but I'll take it!!)

Our bellies are full, our hearts are happy. Can someone send me the children STAT??? They are all that are missing (and I miss them so!)

4 custom name banners, 3 cozy cones and one pair of pajamas for Henry. Lot's of sewing this week to get ready for a little vaca for this Mama. And now I am here. All.by.myself. Lot's of pictures to come this weekend!

My brother sent me this book last month and I have to tell you, I've read through it several times. I love everything about it and it's perfect for someone like me who has only ever made freezer jam. I didn't really have any canning supplies (besides the actual jars) so I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make anything from this book. There is a small introduction in the beginning about the basics of canning, supplies, acidity in fruit, etc.,. In the end, I was feeling pretty confident that my trusty stockpot pan would work after all.  And it totally did. Thanks to all those years of working at Williams Sonoma that allowed me to invest in a set of All-Clad pans which worked brilliantly. So what did I start with?  Fig jam of course. Because well, I had 5 lbs on hand from Grammies tree. I think the figs are black mission- I believe that's what's native to this area. So I chopped, and I weighed (2 lbs exactly…a kitchen scale is a must- I use mine all the time), and I simmered, and then boiled and then put into their 1/2 pint jars and processed for 10 minutes. I was a little scared on what I might find when I lifted the lid: busted jars, fig goo everywhere, lids that didn't seal, etc.,. Every. Single. Jar. Worked! It's was a jam miracle! One of my favorite parts of this book is the way it's laid out. Each chapter is alphabetized by fruit (chapter 1- Apples, etc.,.) All the Fig recipes are together, apple in another. It's easy to navigate and the recipes seem really doable. I made 2 batches (she suggests not doubling) and added cinnamon. I wasn't sure about the cinnamon since I love the pure taste of figs- but it smelled like heaven in a jar. I mean to.die.for. There are so many recipes I can't wait to try: Pear Butter, Rhubarb Orange Preserves, Pumpkin Butter, Rose Petal Syrup and Coconut Caramel Jam, just to name a few. So to you, Linda Ziedrich– I just want to say I adore your new book, "The Joy of Jams, Jellies and other sweet preserves" and recommend it to all!

p.s- you like my new tablecloth? I made it last week- it's all ball-fringey and fabulous, no? I'm all gaga and wierd about the print. It's perfect out on the patio. I have a funny story about this fabric that I'll share another time. Happy Monday!

 Last week I helped a friend throw a party for her 2 year old (also named Kate.) She wanted to do a teddy bear theme (so perfect) and we found a little tute on-line on how to make your own bear masks out of felt. So cute, no? Oh you need more proof? Happy as a clam… I mean bear cub. The kids LOVED them. Every single one had a mask on their face. We decided to sew the felt instead of glue (glue always leaks through felt so weird) anyway- you can find the template here. The masks were put in these adorable lunch sacks along with other 'bear-themed' treats for the kids. There were yummy bear cupcakes and a big bear cake: (Cake inspiration here– decided to forego the cereal for chocolate & white sprinkles)

We, especially the kids, had an absolute ball. Thanks so much for the invitation!!

A very dear old high-school friend of mine, Heidi, is due in the next few weeks with a baby girl. I had intended to make a variation of the sleep-sack I made a few weeks ago, but when I realized how much I would have to alter the pattern, I realized what a completely horrible idea it was. So, plan B) a baby quilt. A baby quilt that I started less than 24 hours before her baby shower. I do better under pressure/deadlines. I say this now, completely disregarding the quilt binding that took place at 2:30 a.m this morning. Yawn! It occurred to me that I've never made a baby quilt. Well, I made Henry a little blanket thingy – but, eh.. it was no good. But he loves it and that's all that matters. This quilt was made using 8" x  8" squares (4 across, 5 down) It was mostly the pear/apple, mushroom & polka-dot prints with a few solid pink & white squares thrown in. This is what the whole quilt looked like: Everything came together pretty nicely for this first-timer. i was having minor heart palpitations just thinking about the binding. By 1:00 a.m. I just didn't have it in me to hand stitch the binding on. I found this video on you tube which was really helpful. At the time I was glad I did the machine but by this morning, I was wishing I had more time so I could have hand finished it. I'm pretty happy with how this little quilt turned out and more importantly, I think Heidi loved it. There just may be more baby quilts in my future.

Henry decided that we absolutely must make a cheesecake for our friend Michelle's birthday. We were out this weekend and he so badly wanted a piece to take home but his parents over-ruled him and opted for a piece of chocolate cake that was so big it's 'to-go' container was the size of a shoebox. It was goo..oood! So he picked cheesecake for Michelle and we gobbled it up today. The recipe is here. I made a little sour cream/whipped cream/vanilla mixture to go right on top, and then made a little saucy sauce and topped with fresh berries.  The verdict is still out. It's a pretty mild cheesecake, not too sweet. Chris says two thumbs up and he wouldn't change a thing (that explains why the cheesecake is nearly gone!)