Bacon and Lentils Concoction.

J has headed back to town for a few days for work, so that leaves me ALONE with the kids.  Things went well for the most part.  One of the draw backs of our cottage currently is that there isn't a washing machine, which is usually okay since we are usually only here for 3 days at a time but since I have been here for a week and a half, the kids are running through their clothing.  Rosie is in the process of potty training and Ladybug is still having accidents especially when she is feeling stress in her life (like when daddy is leaving for a few days)  So I spent a lot of time at the bathroom sink today but I ran out of places to hang the laundry so I improvised.

I used the ropes used to tie on the kayaks onto the roof rack and since we aren't taking the kayak home any time soon, I didn't think that would get in the way of things.  I strung up the line between two of the porch pillars and using the clothes pegs that we brought years ago (Yippee, I finally get to use them :) I made a fine clothes line with a fabulous view.

We had had a late brunch at Kaffee Klatsch Bistro, so I didn't have anything to eat until after Rosie's nap around 4pm. Ladybug wanted to have a picnic so we made some sandwiches and headed out.

 I made a peanut butter and banana sandwich for myself and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Rosie, both on my homemade Whole Wheat Honey Bread.  I haven't quite convinced the kids that PB and Banana is as good a combo as I think it is.  They will learn eventually...I hope.

So here is what I brought out for the picnic.  I had my sandwich, an apple, a few slices of cheese that I had cut for Rosie after I found her gnawing down on a huge block of marble cheese and then she didn't want it, of course.  I also had a Sanpellegrino and a bowl of cherries.  I didn't have any of the cherries since Kid 1 and Kid 2 ate them all.  

After the picnic we had some fun with the play structure and throwing the ball of the dogs but then that all degenerated into a bunch of hitting, pinching and pulling that filled most off the rest of the afternoon.  Oh Well, there is always tomorrow.

So since J is away for a few days and I am left to fend for myself I had to actually make dinner for myself and the kids.  I tend to cook when the mood strikes me, since J does most of the cooking in our household.  I bake, which J avoids with a 10 foot poll,  it is too much like a balancing act that you have not know where you can fudge the recipe and where you have to stick with the guidelines provided.  Any who, so I had to make dinner for myself.

I started by roasting up a whole butternut squash, with some butter, salt and pepper.  It is not a hard thing to do, but I usually reserve it for company or baby food (I did make the majority of the kids baby food until they were eating with us, usually around 12 - 18 months old).  But we had a squash and I was going to make something with lentils, I didn't know what but that was the plan.  I love it when the squash gets dark along the edges and has that supper sweet flavour.  Well, I was a bit impatient and I stirred it too much for that but oh well, it is still tasty.  

So here is what I came up with for dinner.  I made it up as I went along so here goes:

Bacon and Lentil Concoction

2 handfuls of Lentils, picked through and rinced.  (These were a browny red colour)

2 slices of Bacon, cut into slivers

1/4 of an Onion, diced

1 glove Garlic, minced

1/2 a small Zucchini

2 small field Carrots (like the organic ones with the leaves still on) diced

6 Green Beans, cut into 1" pieces

4 stalks of Asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

1 tomato, diced

3 large stalks of Swiss Chard

1/2 a roasted Butternut Squash

small nob of Butter

wedge of Lime

*In a medium sauce pan add rinced, drained lentils and cover them with more water then you think you need. simmer for 20 minutes or until they are tender.

*In a saute pan add onions, garlic and bacon.  Cook until bacon is cooked but still limp.

*Add zucchini, carrots, g. beans, asparagus, tomato and chard.  Cook until the veggies are at the desired consistency.  I let the chard get a bit limp, and then the butter.

*Add the squash and the lentils to reheat. Then serve with a wedge of lime.

 The bacon, onions and garlic have been sauted and now here are all the veggies that I added to the mix.

The tomatoes add a bit of moister since there isn't a lot in the pan.

Adding the butternut squash.  I didn't add all that I baked but I added about a 1/2 a whole squash (although it was not an overly large squash to begin with.)

So I just dumped the lentils right on top

And stirred them in to make this lovely concoction.

Doesn't it look so delicious.  Totally filling as well.  I ate half of what I made and I am stuffed.  It is mostly veggies.  I am looking forward to having that for lunch tomorrow or maybe dinner.  Lovely, I ate this while listening to some Lilly Allen.

And now I sit here typing this while the kids are asleep, they fell asleep rather well this evening.  Although, there was a bit of a meltdown when daddy didn't call before bed time and they didn't tell me that until after they went to bed and I was just leaving the room.  Called daddy and the crisis was averted.  

I have a clean kitchen, living room and mostly eating area.  I think keeping the cottage tidy is so much easier then keeping the house clean but then it is less the half the space at just shy of 900 sqft.  

Project for tomorrow might be a cozy for the tea pot.  I picked up some more wool and some new needles for Ladybug.  Hopefully these will last long then the last batch.  I think I have convinced her to not leave them in the foam and to put everything back in the box so it doesn't get broken by Rosie.