7 Quick Takes

1. I'm listening to music from Zee Avi this week. My husband heard this segment on "All Things Considered" last weekend and said I had to hear her sing. She has such a hopeful story and I like her sweet, soulful tone, which I would describe as part Nora Jones, part Nina Simone. We've been listening to her on Groove Shark, which is still, to me, an enigmatic way to listen to music. Someone please explain: How does it work and why is it legal?

2. Amanda Soule, whose blog is one of my inspirations for crafting and creativity, is releasing her new book on Aug. 11. It's called Handmade Home. In order to qualify for free shipping from Amazon, I'd highly recommend bundling it with The Creative Family, which I read last year when I was still struggling with the decision about homeschooling for the preschool years. Amanda's book encouraged me to trust my own creative instincts and to not be afraid of sharing them with my children, despite the fact that I don't consider myself very artistic or innovative.

3. I've been re-cooking the same classic summer recipes night after night so I thought I'd share two of them here while great produce is still in season. These are both variations of dishes my mom always made us from the fruits of our garden. I, however, being limited to the concrete jungle, grab the ingredients from the grocery store.

Recipe #1: Sauteed Zucchini
Dice three strips of bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain and remove fat from pan. Place skillet back on heat, adding 1 t. olive oil and 1 T. butter to melt. Add in about two diced scallions and saute until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add four or five medium zucchinis or yellow summer squash, sliced into half-moons. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and red chili flakes (optional). Saute until zucchini is tender but not mushy (about 5 min.). Add bacon bits back into skillet, toss, then grate fresh Parmesan cheese over top. Serve as a main dish with hearty bread or as a side.

4. Recipe #2: Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
Chop five large rhubarb stalks (washed and trimmed to exclude any really green parts) into 1-inch chunks. Wash, stem and hull about 2 cups fresh strawberries. Toss all fruit into medium saucepan. Add 1/2 c. orange juice and 1/4 c. sugar (adjusting for tartness of fruit) and heat covered over medium heat until simmering. Turn down to low heat until fruit is soft enough to mash with a fork (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Place in bowl of food processor and pulse until smooth. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream or by itself like applesauce.

5. Do you make lists? I do, too. The process of writing things down at least makes me feel like I'm organized. The Organized Home site has lots of great tips and free printable lists for everything from plotting out weekly menus to inventorying your freezer. I just printed some pages from the Christmas planner because the holidays are bound to be harried for me with an extra stocking on the mantle.

6. We love newspapers at our house--maybe it's because we feel like they bring a tiny trickle of adult dialogue into our lives each day. N discovered that you can use your air miles from most major carriers to subscribe to large-market daily papers. We're getting the Wall Street Journal for free thanks to American Airlines. Check airline Web sites for details.

7. Lastly, a discovery that may sound obvious to many busy moms--I can shower at night. I'm notoriously not a morning person (insert eye-rolling from mom and dad here). I need breakfast, coffee and a leisurely sit-down with the paper and Web each morning before I really kick into gear. Adding a shower into the mix just made for a drawn-out start for each day. Now, with my shorter haircut, I'm showering at night just before bed. It's revolutionary! Not only are mornings less cramped, but I'm going to bed feeling clean and relaxed, not to mention earlier.

Enjoy this first weekend of August!