mother’s day | PDXKnitterati

It’s just like sending your kids off to college.

One day you think they’ll never be ready to leave. (Yesterday, Mother’s Day)

Should I stay or should I go? (This morning)

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OK, Kiddo, this is how you do it! Seconds later, junior flew off. I missed the moment on camera, but so happy for them! (First baby already left sometime this morning) #birds #housefinch

A post shared by Michele Lee Bernstein (@pdxknitterati) on May 9, 2016 at 11:37am PDT

I was at the window this morning when Mama Bird came to visit. I stopped the video so I could adjust the exposure, and Junior took off! I went out and checked; the nest is empty, so both survivors are off to new adventures. So relieved after last week’s drama.

If you missed the first part of this bird saga, click here for more.

My kids came over yesterday and helped me clean out the garage. It’s a Mother’s Day tradition that they come help with gardening or firewood splitting or whatever, and then we cook. The garage was pretty grungy. Now it’s much better.

We did some gin tasting, and had lemon orzo pasta salad and Vietnamese chicken for dinner.

A fun day of work and play.

And they gave me this beautiful Emma bag from Grace’s Cases. It’s designed to stand up by itself. It’s tall enough for a folder of class handouts, roomy enough for class samples, and well organized with several pockets inside. This will be perfect for when I don’t need my entire rolling suitcase of samples.

How was your weekend?

A couple new designs in the works, but nothing to show yet. I really like both, though, and look forward to sharing them with you…eventually.

Who’s cooking?

Last Sunday, it was the boys. They moved the waffle station outdoors because it was a spectacularly beautiful day.

They turned out great! Waffles, blueberry compote (trying to use up the rest of last summer’s blueberries before this summer’s crop), bellinis.

Yes, the yard looks pretty bad behind there. After brunch, the next phase began: Yard cleanup. This is the only thing I ever want for Mother’s Day, help in the yard!

We got the garage and shed roofs de-mossed and swept, and lots of weeding done.

(perspective is everything!)

And then we relaxed with dinner in the newly presentable space. Ahhhh.

Grilled scallops and shrimp on a bed of angel hair pasta and vegetables. No real recipe, but here’s the cast of characters:

Cooked angel hair pasta, drained
2 cups chicken broth, simmered with shiitake mushrooms and a bit of soy sauce
Stir fried vegetables: 3 heads baby bok choy, 1 red pepper, 1 cup snow pea pods. Add some sesame oil for depth of flavor, a couple ginger slices and some red pepper flakes for zing. When partially done, add some water and soy sauce, and steam until tender/crisp.

Pour the broth/mushrooms over the pasta to keep the pasta from getting too sticky (don’t make pasta too far ahead, or it will just be soggy). Assemble in shallow bowls: pasta/broth/mushrooms, top with veggies, lay the lovely scallops and shrimp on top. Eat!

ETA: I made this again, but no broth, just the stir fry, heartier pasta (so it doesn’t get sticky), and the scallops. We had to pan sear the scallops in olive oil and butter because it’s winter! Pour any liquid from the scallop searing pan into the pasta and veggies. Even better, I think.