When the rain, rain goes away

The last week or so, rains of varying degrees have hit our home. Morning drizzles. Afternoon showers. Nighttime thunderstorms.

After probably six inches or so of the precipitation I needed last fall to save my landscaping, I'm anxious for some sun. But I can't complain. Because in those instances when the rain does go away, I've been blessed with some magic moments.

Like stopping to watch a half dozen baby goslings struggle to hop up from the ditch into a flooded rainfield.

Or seeing the first "heart flowers," as my daughter calls them, of the spring, and seeing her pluck them lovingly off my plants to share with me.

Or taking a quiet walk - in the sun, no less! - at a retreat center on the way home from a funeral, the one non-rainy moment of the day.

Or taking a less quiet walk, getting splashed by my children, who have a knack of finding even the most miniscule of puddles.

Sure, I'd like the rain to stop. But sometimes, it's a reminder of the little moments that we otherwise take for granted.

Recipe: Chicken pasta with spinach and sundried tomatoes

Lately I have been the queen of great culinary intentions. I buy something at the farmers market or bookmark a recipe, only to let the produce languish in the fridge.

Last week was no exception. I'd manage to score one of the few containers of organic spinach from the farmers market, only to get tied up in children's battles and other issues in the past week. My plans of a strawberry-spinach salad went out the door as the kids discovered the berries, and by the following Saturday, my spinach was looking slightly wilted and sad.

And then I got inspired. I stumbled on a recipe at the LA Times site (You can find the original recipe here), searched my pantry, and got to work. Here is the end result:

Spaghetti with chicken, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes

3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 package fresh spinach (I'm guessing around 10 ounces, based on the size of the container)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon jarred garlic (admittedly cheated that day!)
8 oz. spaghetti
Salt and pepper

Prepare spaghetti according to directions. If using sundried tomatoes that aren't packed in oil, add the tomatoes to the pasta water in the final minutes of cooking.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Saute' chicken until done.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 cup of water and add to the chicken. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the spinach to the chicken. Add the wine, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about 10 minutes or until the spinach is cooked. Serve over pasta.

Spring in the eyes of a 4 year old (a photographic essay)

Today we took advantage of some cooler weather and a dry spell to wander outdoors. Armed with her very own camera, our 4 year old shares a preschooler's look at spring:

"I thought it looked beautiful. Because I like it."

"I always pick the heart flowers. because they're so beautiful."

"I planted the garden. I love carrots, strawberries, lettuce, green beans, garlic. That's all."

"I want to give this to Mama because it's wonderful. The flowers are gone. That's all that I want to say on that one."

"The dandelions for me, I like to pick the dandelions. They [the clover] don't blow very well, but the dandelions do. If they are white, the dandelions blow very well. I wanted them for my family."

"I like the dog because it's wonderful. I always want to keep this dog. I really love that dog."

I hope you enjoyed her first photo essay! We'll share more non-fuzzy photos of the seasons this year.

Dandelions for dinner?

My yard is the bane of the neighborhood.

And it's not because we're being green. Two years of unemployment and underemployment of my husband have left no funds for even keeping our grass reseeded. What it means is clover's invaded, and there's a sea of those yellow flowers spreading across my lawn.

I suppose I could pull them. But it brings back bad memories of one spring in Kansas, where I sat outside my rental for hours, pulling dandelions, only for it not to make one dent.

If I can't beat them, though, I guess I could eat them. Yep, people were paying good money for dandilion greens at the Bloomington Winter Market a few weeks back. And I've seen recipes for them ranging from salads to smoothies. (Of course, you could also kick back with a glass of dandelion wine after a tough day at work...)

I'm sure it is fine. And I certainly haven't put anything on my lawn the last two years that would cause any chemical concerns. But I'm struggling with the idea of actually eating my weeds instead of getting rid of them a more conventional route.

Instead, I'll stick with my favorite solution: Joyfully accept a bouquet of them from one of my children, who think those flowers are just perfect for mom.