You had me at "firestation"

Tonight we met the boys' Kindergarten teacher for the first time at our home. I've felt pretty at ease about our decision to enroll the boys in the Waldorf school this year, but meeting her added an unexpected peace to all of it. Not that there was a whole lot of peace during her visit -- the boys were excited to meet her and to show her their latest play interests, both at the same time, talking over and above one another and finally coming to a crescendo while we shared dessert when they caught a phrase and kept it going, louder with laughter each time. Before that, while Dietrich was explaining how the step stool, table, blankets, pillows, foam roller, and old car seat come together to make a hook and ladder truck, Mrs. M told us her youngest son also loves fire trucks and had an impromptu tour of station 4, just as we had earlier this summer. Something about sharing the love for a child who loves something that had slipped by my attention until having a child who loved it, set me at ease. I'm sure there will be bumps in the road and a period of exhaustion while we all shift our bodies towards a new daily routine, but I am excited for the boys to begin this adventure of school.

Now, for that peach crumble:

Inspired by tanyadennisbooks.com (Strawberry-Peach Oatmeal Crumble)

Peaches, cut into chunks
Strawberries, cut in quarters
A bit of water
4 cups total fruit, the ratios are up to you and what is in season!

1 C flour (3/4 C white, 1/4 C wheat)
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/3 C old fashioned oats

Combine fruit and put in 8" baking dish. If using frozen fruit, omit water. Use fork to mix dry ingredients and layer over fruit. Bake at 375 40-45 min or until fruit is bubbly and top is light brown. Serve with ice cream -- yum!

Summer Veggie Manicotti

Thanks to our "farm", Vermont Valley, and to the boys' taste for manicotti noodles (both of them!) we had a great meal tonight:

Summer Veggie Manicotti

Boil water for manicotti noddles and cook according to directions (I used two boxes, plus one row from a third box). Save 5 cooked noodles for boys to stuff with just cheese.

1 Tbsp olive oil (it was probably less than that because I ran the bottle dry)
1-1 1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 kibassa or other sausage, cut into small pieces
2 red peppers, chopped
1 bunch swiss chard (or other dark green leafy veggie)

Heat oil & add onion. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add sausage, cook a bit, then peppers, cook a bit, and last the greens. Cover for 3 min or until greens are wilted (add just a little water for steaming). Remove from heat.

Mix together:
1/2 package shredded mozzarella (1 C)
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1 package ricotta cheese

After rinsing cooked noodles, remove to a plate or cutting board to dry slightly. Stuff noddles with cheese mixture (I opened the sides, stuffed, then rolled back up and put in the baking dish seam-side-down). Pour veggie mixture on top. Top with sauce of your choosing and remaining mozzarella (about a cup).

Bake 25-30 min at 350, turning up to 375 for last 5 minutes.