Make it: Vacation Keepsake Book

We just got back from a week at the beach, a trip that my grandparents planned and took us on as a chance to spend a whole week with me, my hubs, and our two daughters. Can I just say how much I love my grandparents? Very, very much.

My girls, ages 3 and 5, hadn't been to the ocean since they were both babies. Older now, and able to play at the beach for an entire week, this trip was especially exciting for them. I wanted the girls to create a keepsake that we could share with my grandparents, as well as keep for ourselves... and what better way to document a family trip they loved so much?

In their own words, of course.

As soon as we got home (okay, maybe a few days after... we did need to recuperate from all that sand and sun and ice cream first) we sat down at the computer and the girls told me about their trip. They picked topics they wanted to talk about: The swimming pool at the hotel, the ice cream parlor with the sticky blue ice cream, the sand castle they built, the seagull that pooped on Mommy's shoulder... you know, all the important highlights of the trip.

Then, I had them take turns telling me about it and I typed while they talked, being sure to keep their voices intact. I did need to prompt a little, encouraging them to tell me about how they made their sandcastles, or who they played with in the pool. But for the most part, everything was done by them.

When I was done typing, I printed the pages and let them add illustrations. Here are some of the pages they came up with:




When we are all done documenting our trip, I'll tape our favorite family photos to sheets of paper. Then, it will only be about $10 to have the front page and back laminated, the pages photocopied, and a spiral binding added along the side for an awesome keepsake for the girls to give to their great-grandparents as a thank you... and of course, keep a copy for ourselves so they can remember the trip always!

Summer is a-coming... let your kids create a book to document their adventures, too!

xoxo,

Interview With a 3 Year Old - Take 2

Gage, how old is Mommy? You're 3 like me, Mom.
How about Daddy? He's 10.
Brayden? He's sebin (that's how Gage pronounces seven)

What does Mommy do to make you laugh? Plays games with me and tickles me
What does Daddy do to make you laugh? Daddy snores funny when he is sleeping
What does Brayden do to make you laugh? We wrestle. Thats funny.

What is your favorite food that Mommy cooks?

Bologna and Cheese Sandwiches

What kind of games do you like to play with Brayden?

Wii

Which toy is your favorite?

My Thomas trains

What's your favorite song?

Hey Ho, Lets Go (Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones)

What does Mommy smell like? Cookies and Diaper Wipes
What does Daddy smell like? Gas (The husband re-fuels planes, so he literally smells like gas) How about Brayden? Boogers

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Handy Manny

What does your Mommy like to do? She plays on the computer
What does your Daddy like to do? Sleep
What does your brother like to do? Video Games

What makes your Mom angry?

When I don't pick up my toys and she steps on one and gets hurt.

Grilled Garlic Shrimp & Quinoa in Under 30

If you've never had quinoa (KEEN-wa), it's a grain that you cook just like rice. It can be used in place of rice or added to soups and such. It's gluten-free, low in carbs and one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom, but it can be very bland unless you blast it with a lot of flavor.

Like a big ol' blast of garlic.

I loved the technique of sauteing the garlic in oil, then adding both the garlic and the garlic-inflused oil into the quinoa. Double whammy. The nuts and raisins added some nice texture and flavor, too. I think I can safely say we love quinoa again. Especially with this yummy grilled (I really like grilling stuff) garlic shrimp I whipped up to go with it.

Spring hasn't quite arrived for us (or for my parents in Idaho who keep getting snowed on), but if it's arrived for you, bring out the grill this weekend!

Quinoa with Garlic, Nuts, & Raisins
adapted from Food Network Magazine Apr 2010 (Ellie Krieger)

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/4 cup nuts (pinenuts or chopped walnuts/pecans recommended)
2 T preferred cooking oil (grapeseed or coconut)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 T fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)

Place the quinoa in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the oil and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the garlic to the plate, reserving the oil.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add the pine nuts, garlic, reserved oil, parsley, raisins and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Serves 3-4.


Grilled Garlic Shrimp
from Perrys' Plate

1 lb large, uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 T butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch Kosher salt
metal or wooden skewers

Combine melted butter and garlic in a small bowl. Let it sit while you prepare the shrimp.

Preheat BBQ grill or stove-top grill pan to medium-high heat.

Rinse shrimp, pat dry, and place on skewers, piercing each shrimp in two places to keep them from moving around too much. Sprinkle shrimp with a pinch or so of salt, then brush the garlic-butter on one side. Place skewers on the grill, butter-side-down. Brush the other sides with remaining garlic-butter. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp are mostly pink. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until fully cooked and pink. Don't overcook them or they'll turn rubbery.

Serves 3-4.

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Our Favorite Things

Believe it or not, summer is right around the corner.  I realize, for the most part, we all try to take advantage of the warm summer weather (or in our case, the brutally hot) and getting outside to enjoy the fresh air, but there are times when being outside isn't an option.  Some days the weather doesn't cooperate and the kids get stuck inside.  Here are some recent finds we've picked up to help pass the time...

Books:

Bedtime for Mommy: The tables are turned in this story and Mommy is the one being put to bed.  Her little girl gets to experience the same "fun" we parents go through at the end of every day. This is a bedtime favorite around our house.

The Very Mixed Up Princess:  This book is endless fun.  The pages allow you to mix and match the Princess's costumes and create silly stories to go along with them.  SweetPea loves this book and will sit for minutes on end mixing up the pictures and laughing at the stories she invents.

How to Train Your Dragon: Hiccup the Hero: What can I say, my daughter is an equal opportunity reader!  We saw this movie three times at the theater, so the book was a must have.  Not only does it retell the story in a nice, condensed format, but it's an "I Can Read" book that helps her learn how to read.

Arts and Crafts:

Soy Wax Crayon Rocks:  SweetPea got these as a Get Well gift when she had her tonsils out.  Grammy got Lil Buddy a set too, so they'd each have a set of their own.  They are great for coloring on large pieces of paper and the colors are incredibly vibrant.  They are best for coloring big, sweeping strokes but a little tricky for small, detailed work since they don't have any sharp points like traditional crayons do.  Our favorite thing to do is spread out a big piece of paper and color away on the floor with the crayon rocks.

Tissue Paper Squares:  We picked up this mega box at Lakeshore Learning last week.  OK, yeah, I could have bought a whole bunch of differently colored tissue paper sheets and cut up the squares myself...but this was easier!  I give SweetPea a small plastic bowl of Mod Podge, a brush and some medium weight tagboard I also bought (heavier than printer paper, but slightly lighter weight than cardstock...and cheaper) and she creates all sorts of fun and colorful pictures made from crumpled bits of tissue paper.  This keeps her VERY busy.  It might be a while before I trust Lil Buddy enough to let him join in...I don't think I could trust him with the Mod Podge!

Games

Pinky Dinky Doo's "Your Story Box": (online)  I'm sure not all of you may be pro online games for kids, but I have to say I'm pretty impressed with the selection of quality learning games that are available for free online.  This is one of them.  Your Story Box allows SweetPea (and your kids too!) to create a her very own stories.  The game allows them to choose from story genre (mystery, fairy tale, scary story, etc), then lets them choose from different characters and plot actions, then at the end, will tell the whole story as your child constructed it.  The game is very clever, a lot of fun, and best of all, teaches them a lesson about storytelling elements.

Swiper's Spelling Book Game: (online) Yes, it's Nick Jr and it's Dora.  Stop rolling your eyes.  Say what you will about Nick Jr, but this website has a ton of fun online games, many of them with actual educational worth!  This is a great game that can teach your preschooler how to spell simple three letter words in a fun and interactive way.

Strawberry Shortcake Memory Game: (board game)  What could be more simple and more fun than Memory?  SweetPea adores Strawberry Shortcake, so she is more than willing to play.  Our game serves a dual purpose because she also likes to pretend the tray of cards are cookies, which she takes into her play kitchen and bakes...then matches them up.  Whatever works, I say!

Hopefully I've given you some fun ideas for your next rainy day at home.  What are some of your newest or maybe favorite old books, games and/or arts and craft ideas?  Feel free to share!

Mama Drama Mondays: Oh Look, Lemonade!

Since the middle of April, my husband has taken two business trips; he's currently on his second in Israel. The first trip was for two weeks in Shanghai and the Israel one is for 10 days. He'll finally get home tomorrow. That's almost a whole month with just me and the chicklets. Drama doesn't even cover half of it.

I usually get comments of how I now know what a single parent must feel like, which is partly true, however, most single parents have to work to support their families and are unable to stay at home with the kids. So essentially, I've been on duty, at my job, 24/7 for a month. No breaks. Yeah, I don't envy me either. I wish I had an outside job just to get away from my kids for a few hours. The adult interaction alone would have been lovely.

For the past month, we've pretty much been shut-ins. I had all kinds of plans of taking the girls out places like the zoo and the park, but for the most part, the weather has been so inconsistent, planning has been a nightmare. Plus, the small outings so far, with the three of us, have been less than smooth. My patience has gone the way of the Dodo bird.

I did, however, start a treasure box. When the girls were good, I would put a surprise in the box for them to open each day. There was a movie/popcorn night, manicures/makeup, dollar craft projects from Jo-Anns, bubbles, coloring books and game night, to name a few. They started to look forward to it and would request "surprises." I loved watching the looks on their faces as they opened the box to find a new treasure each time. Always an enthusiastic, "Wow, look at that!" It's been going so well that I think I'm going to keep it around and turn it into a Mommy & Me Time box. It seems like most of the items are things that I need to do with them.

So a new tradition has been born out of what would have otherwise been the month from Hell. With how hectic things get, sometimes I forget to just stop and spend a few moments with the kids. I want them to spend quality time with me so the box will help us all remember to do it. Besides, what mom doesn't need to take a moment for a manicure or blowing bubbles? Good times. :o)

Want to share the Mama Drama with us? Write a mama drama post of your own (it can be about anything funny, cute, dramatic, etc), and then add your link to that post, to the link list below...

Drumroll Please............

And the winner is...Congratulations mvegan! You're lucky number 13 and the winner of last month's Cookie Jar! Woo hoo!

A Real Baby Story

I was flipping through the channels the other day, you know one of the increasingly rare times that Brayden was in school and Gage was taking a nap and I actually got the television all to myself (meaning that I was NOT watching anything animated for once). While I was channel surfing I came across that show A Baby Story on TLC.

I used to watch this show all through out my first pregnancy, planing my own delivery in accordance to the things I saw on that show that I thought that I might like. I was convinced that what they showed on A Baby Story was really how it was.

This time, as I flipped through the channels on the tv, I scoffed at the woman in the fancy whirlpool tub with her camera ready make-up perfectly in place who simply winced at her pain. I turned the channel, because A Baby Story is NOT reality television.

Let's start with that fancy picture of the woman cradling her round stomach at the beginning of each and every show. Yeah, I don't know about you mama's out there, but my stomach never looked like that.

I was gross, beautiful and glowing because I was carrying my child, but still pretty gross to look at. There was no perfectly round stomach for me. In fact, I resembled a giant egg for most of my pregnancies. I didn't have that nice sweet baby bump, I was my own continent. And that smooth, perfect skin ... yeah ... NO! I was covered in bright red, angry looking stretch marks that itched something terrible. And my belly button, or the place where my button once was, protruded out of my stomach like a monster. I reiterate, I was gross.

While I was pregnant the first time I did what that show and all of the books that I had read said I should do and wrote a birth plan. I wanted to be able to walk around the hospital floor to help with the pain. I wanted to hold off on the epidural until it was absolutely needed, if it was needed at all (obviously I waaayyy underestimated my tolerance for pain), I wanted to use one of those big ball things that supposedly help with contractions, and I wanted to be able to have a water birth, since they are supposed to help with the pain and be more natural for the baby.

What I got was none of that. Not one single thing. I'm pretty sure when I handed the nurse my birth plan she took it out to the nurse's station where she and the other people there all had a good laugh at my inexperienced expense. I had to be induced, which meant I had an IV in. And I also had those fancy belts around my stomach monitoring the baby's heartbeat, so there would be no walking, no big ball thingy, no water birth, no anything. I was, quite literally, strapped into my bed and unable to move at all. Oh, and as far as the pain medicine went, I pretty much screamed my head off until they gave it to me.

For me, giving birth wasn't this loving, bonding experience that they picture on that show. Oh no! I didn't want a single person to touch me the entire time I was in labor, and I pretty much scared the living daylights out of my husband when I sent (screamed at) him out of the room every ten minutes, telling him to go and find me the drugs.


Oh, and the best part, seven plus years, and another baby later, I'm still left with the faded stretch marks and the spare tire around my mid-section.

Now that is what being pregnant and giving birth is really like. It raw. It's honest. And it isn't pretty at all.

But the end result is amazing. At least they got that part right on that awful, lying show.

The Cupcakes That Changed My Life

I realize that cupcake up there is probably the reason why you came here, but bear with me for a moment while I show you my little girl's birthday cake. I am not a cake decorator. Nor have I used fondant before (and was slightly nervous doing so, which is why I didn't cover the whole thing). But it was so much fun! Fondant is like edible play-dough (barely edible - I really don't like how the stuff tastes).

I baked up a Phillips Chocolate Cake (The one my grandma used to make a lot and nearly identical to Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake, minus a stick of butter. You don't miss it.) and frosted it with a frosting recipe I saw on Tasty Kitchen. It was supposed to be the best frosting I've had in my life (according to the recipe name), but I don't think it was. I wanted to love it, but I was pretty disappointed. I think it might be worth another shot, though. Someday.

The cake was still tasty, though. And ever so cute.

I'm really glad she didn't ask for Ariel.

We had a party for her little friends and their families, and I didn't think this would be enough to feed everyone. So I made cupcakes. Perhaps the best cupcakes I've had in my life. (I'm a big cookie dough fan, so it was naturally so.)

When a food blogger says that something is "life-changing", that usually gets my attention. Such bold language isn't used much. I don't think I've used it too often. Maybe for this, and these, too. Annie, the woman who posted these on her blog said those words, and I think she was spot on.

Start off with a bunch of super-moist, slightly dense chocolate chip cupcakes and when they've cooled, cut cone-shaped holes in each of them.

Then fill them with an egg-less form of cookie dough.

Then top with this amazing frosting that tastes like cookie dough, too. Most likely you'll have a bowl of cupcake bits, leftover "dough", and a few dollops of frosting. Then as you putter about the kitchen, you'll piece together bites of heaven until your stomach hurts.

But you'll keep right on eating. That's what happens when food changes your life.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
from Annie's Eats

For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract

For decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies (if you feel ambitious)
Mini chocolate chips

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. If the mixture is too soft or sticky to handle with your hands, refrigerate for an hour until it firms up. (Mine was just right - no chilling needed, but the original recipe suggested it.)

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture. You can be generous with the cookie dough mixture. I had about a 1/2 cup leftover.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

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How To Take Your Vampire Shoe Shopping

Pssst.  I'll let you in on a little secret....we have a vampire living in our house.  SHH, don't tell anyone!  As you might imagine, even vampires need shoes every now and then.  After all, when you spend an eternity stalking people in the night, your shoes get pretty worn out.  Here are some tips in case you ever find yourself in this situation...

1. Make sure you buckle them up tight.  This is as much for your protection as theirs.  Last thing you need is to get bitten while you drive.  Oh and be sure to keep her cape from getting all bunched up in the seatbelt.

2. Keep a close eye on your vampire while you're in the store.  They've been known to prey on other customers when you're not looking.

3. Be sure to have your vampire try on her shoes.  Proper fit is critical to a vampire's hunting skills and, well, they like to show off their shiny, flashing Ariel sandals.

Follow these steps and you, too, will have a happy, well outfitted vampire...

That Stephenie Meyer thinks she knows about vampires.  PSH!

P.S. Thanks to the people at Chuck E Cheese for offering glow in the dark vampire teeth as a prize.  They were the best 40 tickets ever redeemed.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes, How I Love Thee

If you're wondering what that orange stuff is in the jar, it's the SDT-soaked olive oil that solidified after being in the fridge.

Once upon a trip to Costco, I bought a giant jar of sun-dried tomatoes on a whim. After using them off and on throughout our six years of marriage (not this exact jar, mind you) my husband finally tells me that he doesn't like them. He doesn't like chewing on a chunk of one, but he likes the flavor it gives the dish that they're in.

Soooo. . .

I threw a third of the jar into the food processor with some Romano cheese and pine nuts and made pesto. And because I had a big bowl of pesto, I tried to find uses for it over the next couple of weeks. Here are a few of the things I came up with:

Creamy Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Fettucine
Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
Sun-Dried Tomato Tuna Melts
Spinach, Bacon, & Feta Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

The giant jar is empty. Husband is happy.

Easy Homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
by Natalie

2 cups oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced thinly (I bought mine julienne)
1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

Combine tomatoes, cheese, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse/blend until thoroughly combined. Drizzle a little oil in if it gets to thick to process.

Makes about 2 1/2 - 3 cups of pesto.

Nat's Notes:
1. I thought the tomatoes did a great job of providing flavor, but feel free to add garlic and fresh herbs as you see fit.
2. To toast pine nuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast them for 4-5 minutes or until they become fragrant and turn golden brown.

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Fun with Photos - Before and After

I don't have anything to write about today, so when I saw Alyssa's post on her personal blog, about taking a photo and having some fun with it, I thought, "Ooooooh! Me! Me! I want to have fun with a photo, too!"

So.

Here is my original photo. Which is completely hilarious (to me, at least) and shows Gracie's crazy-creative spirit. She decided she wanted to be a bird one day, so she made herself a little beak.

Then I opened up Photoscape, which is the photo-editing software I use (a free internet download - if you don't have a photo-editing software, and want one, just google 'photoscape and you'll find it)...

And the fun began!

***

***

The best thing about photo-editing software - the possibilities are endless! And Gracie was delighted with each different copy of her photo that I made.

But I'm mostly delighted that she made herself a green bird beak... because seriously, that is hilariously, creatively genius.

Have a photo you've had fun editing? Be sure to leave the link here, or over at Alyssa's blog!

xoxo,

Liar, Liar Pants On Fire

My husband is a low down, rotten, fibber.  He tells horrible, vicious lies to my four year old... about me.  Alright, so maybe they aren't horrible and, OK, they aren't really vicious, but they are ridiculous stories about me that she instantly believes.

Need proof?  A few weeks ago we were sitting in the breakfast nook, enjoying dinner.  The kids were feasting on (among other things) little cups of Dole pineapple nibblets.  Out of nowhere I hear, "When Mommy lived in Hawaii, she used to pick pineapples!"  I look up and give The Man the dirtiest look I could muster up, which, if you know me, isn't all that menacing.

Sweet Pea: "You DID?"
Me: "No SweetPea, Daddy's being silly.  He's just joking."

I shoot the "stink eye" in his direction again.

I thought our little conversation had set the record straight.  That was, until last night at dinner.  SweetPea was, as always, ever so slowly eating while she was looking over her placemat with a map of the US.  She was retracing the car trip we'd just taken from Houston to Orlando with her finger, when she glanced over to the left side of map.  She pointed to the little islands in the inset picture...

SweetPea: "That's Hawaii, where you were born, Mommy!"
Me: "You're right, SweetPea"
SweetPea: "You used to pick pineapples there."
Me: (rolling eyes) "No Sweetie, I didn't pick pineapples."
SweetPea: (in a sing song voice): "Yeees you diiiid!"

The Man is laughing so hard I'm surprised he didn't shoot rice out of his nose.

Fabulous...my kid believes one of the oldest cliches in the universe about living in Hawaii...about me.  She might as well believe that I used to run around Waikiki in a grass skirt dancing the hula with a surfboard tucked under my arm and a tiki idol around my neck.  I'll have the world know, I haven't worn a grass skirt since I stopped dancing hula in the 3rd grade, I never owned a surfboard, though I did have a boogie board and I have never, ever owned a tiki idol.  Oh wait...there were those tiki idol bookends...but those were my parent's...cough, cough.  OK, well, I stand by the pineapple statement.  The closest I've ever come to picking a pineapple was off the shelf in the produce section at the grocery store.  Alright, so I went to a high school that, when opened in 1973 was built in the middle of the pineapple fields...but I never...picked...pineapples.  Period.

I'm pretty disturbed about these all these lies flying around.  Mostly, I'm upset I haven't found a good story to make up and tell SweetPea about him.  Maybe I'll tell her that her dad is really an alien from outer space...or that he's a really werewolf.  Yeeeaaaaahhh...that'll work!