Cooking: A little Cat Stevens

My daughters have gotten into Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) after Delaney and I heard him being interviewed on the way home from choir practice. She was so intrigued by his voice and that he gave up being famous and singing for his faith.
 

I have to say, I love Cat Stevens and always have. As a child, my mom loved him and so I knew all the words to his popular songs. Just like every other child of the 70's, I know all the songs to Morning Has Broken and Peace Train. But one that I did not know and that I now love, is  "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out..." I love this song. The lyrics are so peppy and wonderful. Very Cat Stevens typical.  I think it is awesome that my daughters can be found sitting around the kitchen table, doing homework, singing along to Cat Stevens. It is almost like a Wes Anderson scene, except we are not color coordinated enough.

This week, if you are sad or need a pick me up, give Cat Stevens a little listen. Also, if you want to read a cool blog about ear worm songs and get a little musical history, read my girl Nikki's blog, Mommy Mixtapes.

Sing Out for your Supper

• Baked chicken legs, green beans, quinoa and power greens salad, baked sweet potato (for me)
• Fritatta (swim meet)
• Asian Shrimp and broccoli with  black bean noodles
•  Smoked turkey thighs, creamed spinach, sauteed squash
• Dinner out (dance, date, date)
• Chili

Well...it's been awhile

I'm sort of back. At least for a minute.  The months have rolled by and with them a lot of wishing I was blogging.
Birthday girl did not get her post. 15 is grand and involves driving.

We went to two music festivals, with lots of great laughs and brought home lots of great long, long lasting memories.

Summer working is a new experience for me. The last summer I worked full time, I was not a mother. I sped home after work and went to the pool just as the moms were packing up. Suckers. Now, I go home and pick up my kids for their social or sports activities. Much different.

I started working out at Pure Barre and so far, I hate it in a good way. So out of shape, but feeling more energetic and inspired to do more.

My garden is coming along and is gorgeous. My backyard project is 80% done. I scraped the railing to paint and we installed reclaimed tin around our deck. Summer is what it is, busy and full.


I have missed blogging, mostly because it me time. My head time.  But, my head has been tired.

Whatever: Being cooler than your kids

I just read a funny article on Huffington Post...it featured tweets where teens gave examples of their parents being cooler than them. Such things as meeting the Beatles, going out every weekend and having better taste in music.

So funny, especially since I have cool parents and thus the bar is pretty high to be cool. I mean, my dad was in a band...in Austin, TEXAS for Pete's sake. Seriously.



  (He knew these guys...look them up.)

Dirt: We Are Almost There

My life the last few weeks has been a little bit weird with me getting used to working and the girls getting back in a routine.  We are almost there. I am getting my feet under me and with the exception of dogs marking rugs and me having to mop and disinfect my entire room and bed, I am getting things done in the evenings when I get home.

 

The girls are staying busy with school, homework and extra circular activities.One is playing two sports AND singing in a choir AND holds a student government office AND has a social life. My head spins. The other one is almost as busy, but middle school holds you back just a little. So at least she does not have to be driven hither and yon.

Steve and I had a conversation the other night that we have gotten to that spot where we are alone as much as we are with our kids. Weird. But a good weird. 

This weekend is our last outdoor concert weekend. The summer was a great one for music. 

 We have tickets to see the Lumineers in October. I feel September will be a little drought like musically. Although I am hoping to get tickets to see Dwight October 3rd, which is almost September. That would be awesome. I love him, mostly because he's great, but also because my Memaw, who died when she was just 13 years older than I am now, thought he was hot.
That is all it takes for me.

Cooking: Post Avett/ Pre Summer Menu

Hallelujah! What a weekend! 

Avett Brothers brought it  like it was their last concert. 

Truly, truly brought it.

My daughter had an amazing time and now says " Best concert" like a pro.

I could squeeze her, she is so darn adorable. I see a little bit of my love of  shows coming through with her. Also, I see being broke in her future. Concerts are not cheap by any means.

We are taking her to another concert next month to see another of her favorite bands. 

Next step after that is a festival. She is begging for Bonnaroo.

This is the next to the last week of school. 9 days til summer! 

Ortho appointments, volunteering at school and working are the week du jour. 

Also, I think my partner and I are finalizing the sale of our business. 

Sniff.

Summer is On the Horizon at Casa Swann Menu

• Salmon burgers/ ginger slaw/spinach and strawberry salad
• BBQ grilled chicken breasts/ kale salad with strawberries and avocado/ grilled sweet potatoes
• Zucchini with corn and cilantro/ spinach and strawberry salad/ bacon
• Black bean and zucchini quesadillas/ avocado salad

*I hit the market Sunday and bought 4 gallons of strawberries and we have eaten spinach and strawberry salad every single day this week. Nothing is better than Tennessee strawberries right out of the fridge.

Gratituesday: All of it

There are so many things about this video that gets me going.

The song is a song from my childhood. I went to several tent revivals as a child. Yep, old school tent revivals with a tent, paper fans and preachers yelling and preachin'. 

This song is also a "New Orleans" song. I love New Orleans like a second home. I honeymooned there, took my kids to Mardi Gras, have been to Jazzfest a few times and just have a love for it I cannot express with words. 

And, these bands are some of my very favorites. I have seen all but one of them and hopefully will see Edward Sharpe this year. The music that they play charge my batteries for days and days after I have seen them live and pump me up when I listen on my iPod. 

So, today, on a gloomy winter's day, I am grateful for all of it.

Whatever: Musical wish list

Sometimes, I am a teenager. At least in my mind. The mirror tells me otherwise (wrinkles, grays, pounds) but my mind and my ears tell me I am still 18. Take for instance, my year's wish list of music to see. My musical taste runs the gamut from bluegrass to full on rock n roll.

I want to see several big acts (Bieber is not one) and I am willing to go without to see them. I don't have posters on my wall of my favorite lead singers, but I do have a pin board, which is way cooler.
Way.

I have been pretty lucky that I have seen a lot of music in my day. My girlfriends Stacey and Nikki are probably the only other girls that I am friends with  that have seen as much cool music as I have. Last night at dinner, for instance, Stacey dropped Aerosmith in their heyday like she was saying she saw the latest episode of Downton Abbey. I love Aerosmith, so I am "totes jealous" as my teenage daughter would say.  Totes. Nikki, well she is another story that is too long to tell.

Nikki saw the Dead with me

Whatever: Happy 2013

Happy New Year!

Whew Doggie...this one is gonna be a great one if my New Year's Eve is any indication!

Not really a new year's eve kinda girl...but we had tickets to see Old Crow Medicine Show at the Ryman this year. The evening was one of those that either was going to make or break us.

We had the following go wrong or at least not according to plan:

#1 We left Chattanooga late

#2 The restaurant we planned on eating that DOES NOT take reservations, took them on New Year's Eve ONLY. (They were full, of course).

#3 I bought the wrong tights.

#4 The restaurant we decided last minute to go to was in East Nashville (East Nasty for those of you who are Nashvillians) and there was NO GETTING a cab to leave.

#5 Ticket Master would not sell us two tickets together. We had seats in different sections 6 rows apart.

#6 It rained. Hard.

#7 There were NO CABS.

Steve, Roy, Minni and me

Dirt: I quite possibly, maybe could be...getting old(er)

We are lucky to hear good live music very regularly in our neck of the woods.

But I have been in a dry spell.

Last night I had the chance to hear one of our favorite local bands, but football, chili and my warm bed won out to a smokey bar and the band going on at Midnight.

Zombie Prom didn't hold a candle to a good night's sleep.

Hate to admit it, but I may be getting old(er).

Here's what I missed...

Dirt: I am a junkie and I married one too.

What are you doing New Years...New Year's Eve?

I will be with the cutest boy in the world indulging in our mutual love of all things live music.

In the RYMAN...

Don't hate...you can't get tickets anyway because it sold out in less than 10 minutes.

Here's a little something to soothe you instead.

Gratituesday: Music to my ears

My kids are little music lovers.

They are not Beliebers * They are Deadheads, Owl City Heads, Florence & The Machine Heads.
The are just plain ol' music lovers.

They have grown up listening to a wide variety of music in our house.

And, they have been going to hear live music since they were babies.

My town, you see, is a music town.

As someone who spent her teens and twenties going to hear as much music as possible, I am thrilled to see my kids going down the same path.  They are eclectic and a bit snobby.

We have spent many a  Friday night the past 12 years going to hear a free band at a block party in downtown Chattanooga. From Memorial Day weekend to the Friday after Labor Day, people come with chairs, kids, dogs and an open mind.

I have heard some truly great music at "Nightfall". Some have gone on to be very famous s

uch as the Carolina Chocolate Drops who won a Grammy just a short few weeks after I saw them. Others have been local bands that are striving to make the music they love as a career, such as my beloved
 Strung Like a Horse.

But just this summer alone, I heard a band that had just played at Bonnaroo (Deertick), one that will be huge in just a year or so (The Wild Feathers out of Nashville, TEXAS), a Celtic Rock band, a jazz pianist and more. 

In past years, I have seen Zydeco Indians, hard rocking rollers, Canadian Bluegrass and more.

The best part is this. People from all over my city from all demographics come together to hear music that is not necessarily their cup of tea. We all dance and pet each other's dogs and say "Hello!". It is amazing how many people I see each week, year to year, always there. Black, white, homeless, rich, young, and old, we all gather with open minds.

This is one of the best things about living in my city. The music and the fact that so many options are free and family friendly, makes it such a great and happy place to live. Last weekend my family went to hear free live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
My musical soul was fed.
I am so grateful to have these experiences to share with my kids.

Dirt: What I am doing today

I am going on a date today.

A fun date, that has been planned for months.

I am going on one of my favorite kinds of dates. 

My husband and I are going to hear music.

We have always been huge fans of live music. Both of us. 

When we started dating it was one of tho mutual loves that we bonded over...you know one of those  "You love that too? " moments.

So we have spent many, many hours and dollars going to hear music. We are lucky that we live in a town with a thriving live music scene and two hours either way from two of the biggest concert towns. So, music we get.

Music speaks to both of us. It lifts us and carries us through and speaks to our soul. I can walk into the house with a song stuck in my head and within minutes, Steve is singing it too, and vice versa.

Music, as cheesy as it sounds, connects us. 

Today, we are going to a new town to hear several bands we really love and my personal favorite singer/songwriter who happens to hail from one of my hometowns.

Will be a wonderful date day, for sure. 

Food: Sunshine menu

Nothing really to say today other then

"Happy Mother's Day!" 

Mine was fabulous, laid back and full of fun.

Kinda like me!

I got taken to brunch, the Chattanooga Market, to watch a movie, to drive my daughter to a friend's house and lovely wine glasses as a gift.

I also got lots of "Best mom ever!" and " I love you so much!" and "Thanks for making my lunch!"


Here's a video  of a song that makes me think of my girls to start your week off right...

This week's Casa Swann Menu

•  Tomato and zucchini soup, kitchen sink salad
•  baked chicken, twice baked sweet potatoes, salad
• hamburger steak, salad and roasted broccoli

• bbq chicken legs, roasted  veggies, green beans, salad 

**See the theme here...salad. I am on a mission to keep what little metabolism I have left kicking! 

Gratituesday: Rap and strawberries

Odd title, I know. 

But, unless you have been under a rock the past week,  everyone knows Adam Yauch died this weekend. And for those of you who read my blog and are not  members of Generation X, he was one of the Beastie Boys. Now, I did not personally know Adam, aka MCA, but he had a profound effect on my social life. I listened to Licensed to Ill while getting ready to go out when I was a freshman in college. I listened to Ill Communication while getting ready to go to work waiting tables. I listened to Hello Nasty as I spent hours driving  between St. Louis and Nashville, St. Louis and Indianapolis, Indianapolis and Chattanooga, Chattanooga and Nashville. (Basically, it was a road trip CD.)

My kids know the words to Intergalactic, No Sleep 'til Brooklyn and of course, Brass Monkey. Classy, I know. But those songs get us rocking. I can hear any Beastie Boys song and burst into dance in a heartbeat. I love them. There, I said it. 

Via

Two things really hit me about Adam's death. First, he is only 7 years older than I. Second, he and his band, are a huge part of the musical landscape of my life and most of my generation's life. We all know the words to Fight for your Right (to party) , even if we don't like rap. Also, Adam represented what I think of as being a part my generation's "thing". We were the" End Apartheid" generation, the "Free Tibet" generation. And, as we have all had kids, gotten jobs, moved on to home ownership, that seems to be something we have moved away from. Adam Yauch was a huge advocate of the fight against the injustices that have been going on against native Tibetans by the Chinese. He never stopped, even as he "grew up".  I see his death as either a wake up call or the end of an era for Gen X'ers. 

As I ponder what that means for me, I am grateful for all the fun times and crazy memories that come back when I hear a Beastie Boys song. 

I also loaded up on strawberries this weekend, thanks to a huge favor from one of my favorite people. I normally never get to eat the strawberries that I buy as my eleven year old fruit fly eats them all.

But, this week I got two gallons! Ha!
And, as they are one of life's sweetest and simplest pleasures, I am in heaven.
 

I am so grateful this week for Paul and STRAWBERRIES!

Cooking: It's almost spring!

Oh my...I love spring! Actually, I don't love the season. Spring is unpredictable and full of storms and rain. I prefer hot weather and Spring is tepid at best. I realize I am the only person in the United States that does not love spring with all my heart. I also am  not a fan of fall.
There I said it! Except for SEC football, I don't find anything redeeming about it either.

What I DO love is spring foods. 

Greens are coming back, avocados are basically free, and mushrooms are everywhere.

This week, I am getting ready for spring  with a little lighter fare and going back to a real exercise routine. That is code for shorts are just around the corner and I have a little too much junk in my trunk.

Spring has sprung menu Casa Swann style

Deer tenderloin with mushrooms, roasted cauliflower, and zuchini

Baked chicken, mac and cheese, salad

Crockpot vegetarian lasagna

Tuscan white bean and spinach soup

I will also be eating a mixed green, almond and tomato salad pretty much every day for lunch. YUM!

I will also be seeing these fellas this week...I am so excited!

Gratituesday: Dates

My husband and I dated for a long time. Three years (and one day) to be exact.

When we tell people that, they usually ask "Why?"

Lots of reasons, but mostly two...

We are children of divorce and he was in school.

As we had kids almost immediately after we got married (13 months and 5 days later), I am glad we got to spend all that time dating.

We had a blast. We were awesome daters.

My husband was the master of coming up with fun things to do. Once he came up with what he said would be  "the most fun day ever". Our plan was to do everything that was "fun". We started out with brunch at the St. Louis Art Museum, a favorite of ours. Then we roller bladed around Forest Park, went to a movie, headed for a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game, and ended it by hearing a local band ( I think it was Swing Set)at one of our favorite watering holes. The date lived up the the hype. That was the kind of daters we were.

My favorite thing about those three years is that we became really good friends.  We were insanely attracted to each other and were hardly ever apart.We ate at all the hottest restaurants, heard a lot of bands, danced our butts off and went to loads of movies and plays. We went to dog walks, art shows, went sledding and roller blading all over St. Louis. All the while, as we were sharing our thoughts and having fun, we also were building a great foundation for our future.

As, I said, we had our daughter almost immediately after we got married. We also spent 8  months apart (most of my pregnancy) while he attended a practice management school and I moved to Chattanooga to get a house and a doctor. After 8 months, he started his practice and I finished growing a baby. Times were turbulent and stressful beyond belief. But, we made it through, mostly because we are stubborn, but also because we had a great foundation.

As our family  has grown, we have worked to keep our marriage strong. Dates help. Sometimes we struggle to see each other as someone other than a partner in raising kids. Sometimes we lead separate lives in the same space. Yet, we both realize our marriage is something we both want and need.

As I  have watched the years go by, I have come to the  realization that marriage is messy, hard and very annoyingly monotonous. You can let it drag you down and get into your psyche OR you can mix it and do something to end the monotony. My  husband took me on two dates last week AND we went skating with our kids, somethings we used to do when we dated (albeit we used to go on ice).  We mixed it up and went to a cooking class AND went to hear a band that we both love. Both were fun, both recharged our marriage batteries.

I am so grateful for the chance to date my husband I could almost cry. I mean really, it gets me that emotional. Life is hard and going it alone would be even harder. Having someone who is fun ,makes me laugh, and who is in my corner makes it so much easier. Even better that I love him and he loves me and we both love this...

Strung Like A Horse | Byrd Dog from Tomás Donoso on Vimeo.

Cooking: Monday and the search for a new drug

" I want a new drug...one that won't make me sick..."

Yes, I am quoting Huey...Come on, cut me some slack,I spent hours in skating rinks in the early 80's. I learned the songs.

 My quest to find a new source of caffeine has been interesting. I love coffee and drink lots of  very strong cups of it every morning. But it is taking it's toll on my stomach. I have been drinking tea instead and while it gives me my caffeine, it does  not taste like  my beloved coffee.

Source: tumblr.com via Tim on Pinterest

 

So, I asked all my Facebook friends if they had any suggestions and they did not disappoint.I am currently trying English breakfast tea. We shall see. I am not in love...but we are friendly.

http://pinterest.com/pin/35677022017677635/

This week, as always, we are running around. Band concerts, swim practice and orthodontic appointments to name a few things. So meals are to be  quick, easy and sometimes crock pot friendly.

I am also in a rut...too  much soup has addled my brain. Seriously, I made chicken soup, gumbo, and squash soup last week AND thawed ribollita.  My family didn't complain, but they were grumpy.

So, if anyone has any suggestions for dinners, please send them my way. Before there is mutiny aboard the SS Swann.

Dinner (no soup) at Casa Swann

black beans and rice, fajita meat
venison goulash, salad with almonds and pears
omelets (ortho day)
baked chicken, baked sweet potatoes,  black beans and rice
tacos


Enjoy this for the rest of the day....