Sparkly Clean and a New Recipe!

This weekend, Hunter demanded that he sleep at Mawmaw's and Pawpaw's house. Friday evening, he brought his blankets down from his room and made a pallet bed on the kitchen floor and said, "I make my bed and sleep at Pawpaws."

Poor boy. We were only going up to Mawmaw's and Pawpaw's Friday night to pick up daddy's boat, but he wanted to sleep there, and when we left, he screamed and threw an all-out temper tantrum because he wanted to stay. So, on the way home, daddy called and asked if Hunter could spend the night Saturday evening. And they agreed. And Hunter was excited from the moment we told him (Saturday afternoon) to the moment they picked him up. Good grief -- he hardly wanted to say goodbye to us! He had a grand time at the park feeding ducks...

In the mean time -- mommy got in a huge CLEANING FRENZY Friday evening. I cleaned for an hour and a half, straightening, dusting, vacuuming, organizing, moving things around, eliminating toys... then Saturday, I ran to the orchard for some fruit, the grocery store, came back for some more cleaning, toilet scrubbing, a NAP (which was highly in order, considering Hunter woke up at SIX in the morning), and some cooking. Unfortunately, I had too much going on in my head, and couldn't fall asleep at all, but I did lay down and rest, which I needed. AND ... my house is all sparkly clean, and I LOVE it. I was a wee bit frustrated, however, because it seemed like whenever I got one room clean, Hunter felt like he had to decorate it for me. With his toys. TONS of toys. So, needless to say -- many toys were thrown out, moved out, or HIDDEN.

Later Saturday evening, we had our Pastorman and his lovely wife over for dinner, which was long overdue... and it was wonderful to have dinner and adult conversation without Hunter. Don't get me wrong... I adore my son, and adore having him around, but every now and then, a break is wonderful, and I am so thankful that my in-laws are willing to take him on!! It is difficult to entertain with an almost-three-year-old that has boundless amounts of energy and DEMANDS constant attention. AND -- he wants to "hep cook" -- and trust me -- while I find this endearing and I try to encourage it, his "hep" really isn't "hepful," but Hunter loves to cook, and I can't possibly squelch that, now can I?

I really wanted to have grilled salmon or chipotle hamburgers, but the heat was unbearable, and my husband refused to grill, so I plaid it safe and had a plain 'ol roast beef... which is a good thing, because I don't think Pastorman's wife likes fish. I did, however, create a wonderful NEW recipe! It was so good, and had such a fresh taste to it. It was a traditional roasted new potatoes and carrots with a twist that totally kicked it up a notch ... I'll share the recipe below ... but you'll have to promise to try it out!

Finally, my cleaning frenzy and my lack of nap resulted in my inability to follow a conversation as the clock drew closer to 10:00 -- it was frustrating! I hate getting old. But seriously -- where does the time go when you have good food, great company and awesome fellowship???

Fresh Roasted New Potatoes & Carrots

What you Need:

• new red potatoes (pick the smallest ones, and get enough for your family)
• 3 or 4 carrots
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, chopped
• freshly ground salt
• garlic powder
• 2-3 teaspoons ground cardamom (that's the secret in this dish)
  
• lemon

What you Do:

1. Scrub and wash all your potatoes. Cut them in half and add them to a pot of salted cold water. Wash and peel the carrots and cut them in 1" chunks. Add them to the water, and turn the water on high, bringing the pot to a boil. Cook potatoes and carrots until they are almost done.
2. When the potatoes and carrots are almost done, drain them and spread them out in a rectangular baking dish in a single layer. Drizzle the butter on the veggies evenly. Sprinkle with freshly ground salt, garlic powder and cardamom (I just filled my teaspoon with cardamom and tapped the spoon all around the dish). Zest the lemon over the veggies. Toss the veggies to evenly distribute the seasonings.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are beginning to brown. Serve immediately.
   
4. Enjoy!