If you like risotto, you must try this recipe

I think maybe I could just eat this every night for the rest of my life and be happy--especially with local leeks, tomatoes and basil all available in abundance at the farmers' market. Enjoy!

Here's a link to the recipe if you'd like a printer-friendly version.

Risotto with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped leek
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, finely diced

Preparation
Place vinegar in a small, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until slightly syrupy and reduced to 1 tablespoon (about 4 minutes). Set aside.

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, and cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in half-and-half, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Place about 1 cup risotto evenly into 6 shallow serving bowls, and drizzle each with 1/2 teaspoon balsamic syrup and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.

2nd Referral Anniversary

In honor of the two-year anniversary of Lauren's referral, here are some pictures of Lauren holding baby Lauren's referral photo, taken this morning. (Click here to see last year's.) To celebrate the occasion, she wore panties to school for this first time! (And no accidents!) Big girl!

Kindergarten Kid

We now have two days of morning kindergarten under our belts! Check out the cuteness from his first official day, which was yesterday. The highlight of the whole thing, for Aidan, is taking the bus home. He gets to take a small bus with a few of the other kindergartners, and it drops him off right in front of our house. What a big kid!