The French Babbette

This is an easy vegan lasagne recipe that I use, can easily add mozarella cheese if you like and make it vegetarian:

• 1 (14oz) package firm tofu, drained. A friend of mine gifted me some fresh tofu from the Asian market, which was awesome! No draining of water required and is so so fresh. I will be using this more often. 
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped 
• 1/2-1 cup choppped white onions 
• 2-3 garlic cloves 
• Salt and pepper, to taste 
• 2 (25-ounce) jars vegan marinara sauce (or homemade if you have) 
• 3 bell peppers, cored seeded and chopped (red, yellow or green are fine; mixture of the 3 is great too) 
• 12 no-boil dried lasagne noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease spray 9X13" baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. If using anything but fresh tofu, wrap tofu in 3/4 layers of paper towels and gently press out as much water as possible. Tranfer tofu to a large bowl and add yeast, 1 clove garlic, sale and pepper and mash with a fork. Set this aside.













Heat olive oil in large pan, cook onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and remaining garlic cloves until al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce and simmer 8-10 minutes.

















Spoon enough marinara sauce into your baking dish to cover the bottom and then arrange 3-4 noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the tofu mixture over the noodles, then sauce, then repeat 2 more times ending in sauce.
Cover with foil and bake until noodles are tender, 45-60 minutes. It'll be hot so let it sit for 10 minutes or so to cool enough to eat. Enjoy with a homemade salad & vinegrette along side sliced/toasted baguettes! Facile, piacevole e gustosa!

Labels: cooking, garden, kids, lasagne, vegan

That I am speaking Chinese and my kids are hearing Norweigian, yes this means they aren't listening to anything I'm saying even if it's means their health and safety is in dire straits.

That the gophers are mocking me and laughing as they burrow holes in my garden.

That dirt is far more fun than any toy on the market.

Hectic schedules get in the way of things sometimes...okay most of the time...we end up running in every direction except toward each other. I'm taking a moment to recognize in my own little way the man that supports me and loves me through thick and thin. Maybe I can't always see this? Challenges are what make life interesting, right? Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful? I heard something meaningful on the radio this morning. The topic was being grateful. Some exhilirating tv watching for the last day or so with 33 miners stuck 1/2 mile underground for almost 2 months. They have brought the world back to reality about what is important and being grateful for what we have in this moment. So this woman calls in and says she and her husband have a term they say to each other when one or the other is being 'stinky' (that's what Sephra calls it). The term you ask? 'coming home doesn't permit you to stop being nice'. Most of us spend all day everyday being nice/cordial/understanding to complete strangers, but we come home and leave that simple humanitarian idea at the welcome mat. Today I am grateful for my children, my husband, my life and not being stuck 1/2 mile underground wondering if I will ever see the sun again. I will be compassionate. I will look at both sides of the story. I will not take everything to seriously.

Labels: grateful

is this like losing your mojo? can't find my groove, don't know where i lost it but it's gone, just a bit. maybe doing to much, too fast has left me with the inability to focus on any one thing 100% for any amount of time?

Speak slowly
I can't hear you
My mind keeps
Spinning closer
And closer
To the rain on the roof
And the rain in my head
And the things that you said
People take it further ahead
And it just gets so foggy
It's nowhere in here
And it's everywhere else
That I don't wanna be
But I'm stuck here
Getting misty over you
I'm alone
On a bicycle for two

A few months ago we went to the Tibetan festival that was no less than amazing. I discovered through that visit that right here in my own backyard, Nestled on the hilltop of a nearby avocado orchard there is a place of peace and quiet.

Rembering lots of old skool cartoons, used to be that's what kids did on Sunday morning, and literally the only thing on tv back then. I'm so gonna order myself one of these tees:

My absolute favorite, hong kong fooey.

Labels: hong kong phooey

Gotta love a little crambone, can't even understand what he's saying but he's the coolest...

Labels: crambone

Love Love Love her art, thinking I'll paint a black and white day of the dead inpired supergirl, we'll see what I come up with

My sweet sweet Elvis, such an old soul. He passed away a few months ago and I swear I still get teared up when I think about him. I got him as a rescue a few years ago and he stood the test of time. I thought he'd be the last dog standing. The dog with 9 lives. He succumbed to cancer but not before 2 really hectic surgeries to remove a few tumors...one of which weighed a whopping 14lbs. The nurses at the hospital joking named the tumor 'Costello'. We all got a good laugh. But when I returned with him that very sad morning knowing in my heart he was so sick, no one was laughing. I went to work, they called me and said it wasn't good news. I had to go put him down heartbroken I had to make that decision, knowing it was the right thing to do. He was the kind of animal that gave you hope, hope that there is good in everyone, something about him that made you feel good about yourself, good about life and with that protected from all that is wrong. Sephra, in her infinite childlike wisdom, told me 'it's okay mommie, Belle (yes she named all the animals after princesses - Elvis was Belle)is in the castle in the sky where he can run forever and someday we'll be there and we can hold hands with him.' Honestly, I'll I could do was cry, tears of just awe, awe that my baby girl knows exactly the right thing to say at the exact moment I need it to be said. And as I sit here and type she still comforts me wiping my tears telling me its' okay.

Labels: Elvis

I was reminded today that I am human, I am not invincible, I have emotions that I can't always contain, I sometimes fail, I sometimes say the wrong things, I'm not always right and sometimes I have to dig deep, for what? I'm not always sure I just know I'm digging deep. Maybe all of these things inspiring me to start blogging again? Also reminding me of the 20 great words of wisdom from that fantastic book the last lecture, EVERYONE should read!
1. Dream Big
2. Earnest is better than hip
3. It's ok to raise a white flag
4. Don't complain, just work harder
5. Treat the disease, not the symptom
6. Don't obsess over what people think
7. Look for the best in everybody
8. Watch what they do, not what they say
9. If at first you don't succeed...try a cliche, my favorite is 'luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity'
10. Be the first penguin, you'll have to read the book to find out what this means, very funny & cool
11. Get people's attention
12. Hand-write a thank you note
13. Show gratitude
14. All you have is what you bring with you
15. A bad apology is worse than no apology
16. Tell the truth
17. Get in touch with your crayon box - Sephra's Favorite!
18. No job is beneath you
19. Know where you are
20. Never give up

has it really been almost a year since I last posted, unbelievable. Tycho will be a year old next month. Sephra is 3 1/2,is that at all possible? really no really? I just want to do this...
Life with 2 kids is as rewarding as it is challenging & add a full-time job to that just to keep things entertaining, good times. Sephra and I made shrinky dinks today, mermaids & pirates, forgot how fun those can be! I also managed to pick up some extra fine black pens to outline my watercolor pics, can't wait!

Labels: shrinky dinks

So I'm officially 2 weeks away from starting work. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and enjoy some adult conversation and I completely miss my BFF Stephie aka 'Foofie'. But really sad to leave my little ones. Sephra will go to school full-time which is great. She loves school but I just can't believe that my little girl is already on full-time status. Baby Tycho will be home with Dad. Girls are outnumbered now, lots of testosterone in the house. Rory's just a couple of years from graduating high school, can't believe it. We were just looking at old pictures of Rory and Tycho looks so much like him as a baby. Posting some pics from Legoland, Sephra had just a blast we'll definately have to go back soon!

Tycho seems to be changing everyday and Sephra is really enjoying being the BIG sister. I have to remind her that she is the little sister too!


She currently just wants to be called Snow White and Tycho's name is Tico. I love them more than words can say so I'll let the pictures do the talking...

We had a nice bday celebration for baby Niko's. He turned the big 2.0 and what a cutie he is!

Labels: birthday

We made it over to Balboa Park for some site seeing with Mom, Paul and the kids. Hadn't been there in years it hasn't changed much. The kids adored the sculpture garden and koi ponds. These moments are so really so precious with the kids growing as fast as they are. Sephra's really wanting to take pictures on her own so there's a couple in there with her as the guest photographer. Enjoy!

Leo, Niko and Masha were here for a visit, so good to see them all. We got some good family time in as well. How I wish they lived closer!

Labels: family

Rory started school last week, can hardly believe it. Used to be that we never started school till after labor day, times have changed. No 3 month summer breaks anymore. Can't believe how much he's grown! Funny pic with Sephra looking up to her big brother.

Thanks to Kristy in Hawaii for sending us authentic Lion coffee. It's the best! I had gone off coffee for a bit because of breast feeding but Brent made some fresh coffee yesterday I couldn't resist having a cup...and well now I'm addicted, LOVE it! Life without coffee? well that's no life at all! Especially on a cool overcast morning like today. Enjoying the cool morning trying to keep it in cause I know the humidity and heat will be here very very soon.

Labels: coffee

OMG! way way too long since I've posted and WOW so much has happened...not even sure where to begin. I guess I'll just start with the present moment. Tycho is now 2 months old, Sephra is 2 1/2 going on 21 and such a sweetie with the best sense of humor ever. New pics of the best little ones EVER! Less than a month and I'll be back at work, totally weird how fast time is going by!

Time is priceless, yet it costs us nothing. You can do anything you want with it, but you can't own it. You can spend it, but you can't keep it. And Once you've lost it, There's no getting it back...It's just gone.

Trying to savor each and every second, the good the bad and the sometimes ugly are all learning experiences. The most important lesson for me right now is having a patient sense of humor.

Labels: finally, patience, sense of humor

I found these awesome new kix for Sephra and they actually arrived before St. Paddy's day. She just wanted to wear the shoes, and they are so adorable I want some too! And she belts out 'march and sing' while in them!

Labels: adidas, green shoes

Sephra loves her bagel with cream cheese and usually eats the whole thing. I had my back to her washing dishes and I could hear her talking about yum yums and just assumed she was eating her bagel so much to my surprise when i turned around she had cream cheese all over her face. and she says to me, wash my face mommy, i had to snap a few pictures!

Labels: cream cheese fun

Brent got me this Ibanez guitar and it is just gorgeous. I'm almost afraid to take it out and play it because it's just so pretty!

Labels: guitar, ibanez, music