Now, it wasn't so very cruel of me to post all those belated snowy pictures last time since I'm making up for it by not posting a single picture of the real March snow that we got in the last several weeks. Instead, look! My kids outside riding bikes! (Ignore the snow piles in the pictures, I promise they were melting.)

Everyone's complaining about the weather, but to be honest I don't mind March's seasonal forgetfulness all that much; sure she's somehow got me shivering in the 50 degrees that saw me wearing flip flops only the week before (thanks to the 70 degree day in between), but I like to see it as little gifts of the spring I've been pining for intermixed with enough cold days to allow me to wrap up the last bit of wintry things I wasn't quite ready to let go. We played outside and went to the park and even ate on the back porch, but we still had days for maple steamers and savory popcorn snacks (with parmesan and dill) and chicken soup and stuck-inside crafts. Maybe March knows me better than I know myself.

It appears like all we make is desserts and baked goods, but apparently thats just what I always take a picture of. Of course I make dinner most nights, but chicken wings and mexican casserole just aren't that pretty! (Would you like me to take a picture of my chicken wings next time? I might upon request. . .) 

1. Maple vanilla einkorn scones  - no cranberries because I didn't have any (my first time making scones, and it was schockingly easy - so delicious and less dense than the commercial scones I've had)

2. Raspberry curd pavlova - I had a quart bag of raspberries in the deep freezer from our backyard bushes this summer, and I was saving them for something truly special: this was it. I've eyed pavlova's around the internet and had been waiting for a good excuse to make one. My sister's birthday seemed like the perfect occasion. If you've never had a pavlova before, it's basically a giant meringue that gets crispy and crackly on the outside and stays soft and marshmallowy on the inside. Piled high with raspberry curd, whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Oh goodness. 

3. Dutch apple pancake - I caught a stomach bug from Tenny and then was recovering for several days afterwards. When I'm out of commision, Alan always seems to click into Betty Crocker mode. He made this dutch pancake two mornings in a row and it was so good. He used einkorn flour and I appreciate that dutch pancakes are egg heavy compared to traditional pancakes (pack in that protein!)

4 - 7. Homemade playdough - no food coloring, but a dash of vanilla to make it smell good. The kids love this.