Nesting Hits the Kitchen, and Other Updates

I've been deep in house projects since the weekend. We took almost everything off of the kitchen shelves and out of the cabinets, and did a major clean out. It was so therapeutic! All of these things are headed for the door. This shot doesn't include the 4 big bags of stuff we got rid of.


Pai moved the refrigerator to every possible spot because it never felt like it was in the right place. We've settled on a new place, but that will entail removing a whole set of deep shelving and getting new cabinets for the refrigerator's old spot. I don't have any pictures since it's not so easy to just dash up the stairs for the camera without feeling like I'll drop the baby right on the landing. This whole kitchen project started when we realized that 5 people hardly fit around our kitchen table and 6 would be impossible.

We finally harvested the wild quince growing near our gate. I was lead astray with a recipe that called for water and it turned out too runny. It solidified a bit with a second boil and sitting over night, but I think I will call these preserves instead of jam. I can't wait to try a dollop over plain yogurt with a sprinkle of granola, or drizzled over pancakes. yum!


  Isn't the color just gorgeous? They are white like apples in raw form, but darken as they cook.

Freddy and I also made our annual quince apple pie with crumble nut topping. Again, no photos.

Fall colors are almost non-existent in Portugal, but the tennis courts where I spend half of my life happen to have vibrant red leaves. What a treat.

Zita and Freddy went on their first field trip of the year to the Pavilhão de Conhecimentos in Lisbon where they were all filmed for a news segment. Here they are just before. Sorry about the sun Freddy!

I've been incorporating a lot of squash, pumpkin, and carrot into dinners, as one does at this time of year, and these squash fries added great color and something new to our table. The kids never turn down anything labeled "fries."