What $1 can buy....

My husband had to work this afternoon and evening, so it is just Becca and me. All day the rain has come in spurts, letting the sun pop out just long enough to get you excited. We were feeling cooped up, so the next time the sun came out, I thought we would chance it and go for a walk.

I figured we could take a nice long walk to the little store up the hill and get something to drink. Just in case, I put Becca in her rain coat. It was so beautiful outside. The wind had slowed and the sun was shining! We had a great time walking up the hill, listening to the birds singing and looking at all the blooming flowers.

Becca ready to go: Disney Princess shoes, Dora skirt, and Tinkerbell rain coat!

The store at the top of the hill is just a small, locally owned convenient mart. They have a small selection of used books, cheap sand toys, and products made locally. I got us something to drink as Becca just explored the three little isles. Towards the front there were these paper bags taped shut. They had "$1 grab bags" written on the front, red for girls and blue for boys.

I had $2 and some change in my pocket. I told her after I paid for the drinks, we would see if I had enough left. Sure enough, I had $1.03 leftover. She picked out her "grab bag", gave the cashier her coins, put the $0.03 in the donation jar and we walked out. We strolled along towards home, her proudly toting the little red bag. She kept asking if there was candy in it.

Then the rain came!

We half ran for a few blocks, laughing as it poured on us! And as quickly as it had caught us, it was done, the sun popped back out and the birds started singing again. We strolled our soggy selves home, Becca jabbering to me about riding giant butterflies the whole way. I love that kid!

We got home, took off our muddy shoes and wet jackets, took off her wet glasses and went inside to dry out. Oh, her bag! We both forgot for a moment. I went back to my jacket and grabbed the soggy sack from my pocket. She could hardly sit still she was so excited! She tore it open and found a cute little pink stuffed bear and four Dum Dum suckers! She grabbed the bear and hugged it, stating "I love my bear!" over and over. Think she liked it? And yes, I let her have a Dum Dum!

Becca with her goodies! 

So the rain came back and the wind is howling, but she doesn't seem to mind. She has been dragging that pink bear (which she affectionately named Toast) around with her in whatever she is doing. In a week or so I will probably find Toast at he bottom of her toy box, forgotten until she decides to dump it all out. But today it was something special that made her day great in such a simple way. It was a wonderful walk, full of curiosity and imaginative tales. I hope I never forget a minute. It was the best $1 I have ever spent!

I hope your day was filled with the simple things that make life so wonderful!

Family visit and Chicken #2

Becca and me definitely had a fun filled day today! It was just her and me this morning running some errands. When we were done, I took her to McDonald's where we got something to drink and she played on the indoor playground. We had it to ourselves, and she really enjoyed it. After that we walked around Nye Beach and checked out all of the blooming flowers while waiting to meet my Aunt and cousins who were coming to visit.

She wanted to pose with the hydrant

We had a great time with them. Lunch was nice, and the girls had so much fun digging in the sand and splashing in the ocean. It has been so long since I have seen my Aunt, and the time today went too quickly. I really enjoyed our visit, and hope we can see each other again soon.

Cousins

We were beat by the time the day was done. All the fun and sun drained us, but in a wonderful way. Becca fought all the way to bed, not wanting the day to end. As soon as her head hit that pillow, she was dreaming away. This tired mommy couldn't relax just yet.....I had a bird to fry, er, roast.

So tonight was a test to see if I have indeed won my battle with the whole chicken, or if I am just a one hit wonder. Drum roll please.....Another success! I got this down! And I even carved this baby up with finesse. I made a Beer Can Chicken with roast potatoes, and it was spectacular! I got the recipe from a friend's cooking blog at http://fromjulianeskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/02/beer-can-chicken.html. Check out her other recipes, too. This gal can make some yummy stuff!

Now, her recipe calls for lots of wonderful veggies, but we chose to be simple tonight and just made potatoes. Also, she makes hers on the grill, and I cooked this bird in the oven. Now, the "ta-ta's" are all her, and I hope they do not offend, but what a brilliant idea to flavor and moisten the breasts (and good for a chuckle, too).

If you cook this in the oven, put it in there at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then turn it down to 350 degrees. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours more, depending on size. Just check with a meat thermometer, 165 degrees being the goal. I basted every 30 minutes.

I filled a baking dish with potatoes, seasoned with sea salt and pepper, and added enough chicken stock to almost cover the potatoes. I used stock that I made (another first!) from chicken #1.

Here is the beer they had at the store at the top of the hill. Worked great. I dumped the liquid in this (through a strainer) into the potatoes after the chicken was done. So much flavor!

The chicken was juicy and came right off the bone. The potatoes were to die for. A very awesome meal. With more veggies added, it would have been the perfect one dish dinner! A home run in my book. What a great end to an amazing weekend.

I hope the warm weather blessed your weekend, and you were able to enjoy some time out in the sunshine while surrounded by loved ones.

Hiding Vegetables

I used to think my little girl would never be a picky eater. When she was little, she would joyously eat every fruit and vegetable I fed her. How could I be so lucky? 

Well, I was wrong!

Now, even without trying something, she doesn't like it. What happened? I don't know, but I have had to think of a different approach. Becca has discovered muffins, and I have heard of veggie ones before. So I searched the internet for a recipe that looked like it would be tasty while giving Becca fruit and vegetable servings. This is what I found:

Bananas, carrots, and broccoli (made into a puree to help it blend in better)

Put them in muffin cups, and suddenly she is excited.

She was so excited that she watched them bake.

They look like muffins!

But the real test was if she liked them. Let's just say the only issue she had was that I wouldn't let her eat more! She ate two and asked if she could have five! I would say that these are a hit. Score one for team mom!

If you are interested, here is a link to the blog with the recipe:

http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/recipe-veggie-muffins.html

They taste like banana muffins. I made half the recipe, and it made one dozen. 

The weather is finally getting pretty out here, so lots of pictures are coming! I will add this one of Becca posing on a dune she wanted to climb. Such a ham! I hope you are able to enjoy nice weather with people you love!

Chicken Anxiety

Cooking is somewhat new to me. I love to bake desserts. I am pretty happy with my ability to do that. I can cook just well enough to feed my family, and I am not so happy with that. So lately, I have been stepping outside of my comfort zone and pushing myself to try new recipes and methods.

I have a confession: I am scared of chicken.

I am always afraid of not cooking it enough and making my family sick. I started with cooking boneless, skinless breasts. In the beginning, I would cook them way too long to make sure they were done. My family kindly ate my dry meals.

I think I have mastered pieces of chicken (baked and fried), so it is time to move onto the whole thing! My first attempt was a failure. Well, not completely. I did learn a lot from this demon bird. It looked so pretty, but as I cut into it, I saw it was not cooked through. My heart sank. That was it, I quit!

But I didn't quit, not for long anyway. I talked myself into trying again. And sure enough, when I went to the store, whole chickens were buy one get one free (must bee a sign!). So now I get poultry anxiety times two! Tonight I attempted chicken #1....

Success!! Juicy, tender, wonderfully seasoned, and yes, DONE.....all the way through! I did a little chicken dance in the kitchen I was so happy!

My husband made these awesome green beans (not from a can!) with tomatoes and crumbled bacon.

I made creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes without a recipe (a HUGE feat for me!), and they were awesome!

After dinner I made a quick batch of chocolate chunk cookies and we all got to eat them still warm and gooey!

So, with my confidence boosted, I feel comfortable heading in this new direction with my family. We are slowly trying to change the way we prepare our food, paying attention to what we are putting into our bodies and really enjoying what we are eating. We have a long way to go, but this makes me feel like it is totally doable! 

I think I am falling in love.......with cooking!

Instead of posting a link to the chicken recipe, I am putting a link to a friends blog (which contains a link to the recipe!). She helped me conquer this fear, and I truly appreciate her help and encouragement! Check out her beautiful chicken (the whole meal looks phenomenal!).

http://bartlettadventure.blogspot.com/2012/04/roasted-chicken-dinner.html

I am signing off for now, with a full belly and a happy heart! I hope you all had a glorious evening filled with good food, laughter, and love!

Comfort Food

So, I have been getting really excited about food lately. Making new recipes, learning to cook outside my comfort zone, becoming educated on where my food comes from. I don't know why it has taken me this long to pay attention to what my family is putting into their bodies, but I am glad we are all on board for this change. Our family has a long way to go, but we are taking baby steps to a new (and better) lifestyle!

I have found that even with failed attempts, I am excited to try again to get it right (whole chicken take 2 coming soon!). Before, I would just throw in the towel and find something else to make. Thanks to a good friend who inspires me to become educated about my food and take on new challenges, and my husband who will try ANYTHING I make, I am gaining more confidence in my abilities in the kitchen. I can not wait to take on more!

Tonight I made a macaroni & cheese as an entree, and it was so wonderful (I have made other recipes in the past, but it was nothing spectacular). This may sound simple, but it was a home run! My family ate it up and asked for more! My 3 year old even ate it without complaint, and it has broccoli in it (which she proclaims she dislikes). Even though we loved it, my husband and I are already thinking of ways to make it even better. For us to get excited together about a meal is something I just love.

So this wonderful comfort food is a keeper. Thank you Trisha for the recipe and encouragement! I am loving my kitchen for more than just baking desserts.

My goals for the next month:

-Cook a whole chicken (correctly!)
-Learn about Greek yogurt and find some recipes I can use it in
-Try a beet for the first time

I hope you were all able to have a nice meal with people you love.


“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, author of 'Lord of the Rings' (1892-1973)

Imaginary Friends

I have the privilege of being able to stay at home with my daughter. I plan on homeschooling, and you can imagine my concerns about socialization. So it really threw me when Rebecca came to me and introduced Rainbow.....her imaginary friend. She doesn't just have one, either. She has a lot, most of whose names I can not pronounce (she makes up her own words, too!).

Uh-oh. She is only 3! Have I been wrong not letting her go to daycare? Am I somehow messing up my little girl, forcing her to make up her own friends because she has no one to play with? Am I being selfish wanting to do this all myself?

Then I thought back to my childhood. I had imaginary friends, and animals, too! And guess what? I played with them AT SCHOOL, around all of my friends and classmates. I played with them at recess, and stored them in a secret world under my desk during class. I played with my real friends, too. I think I turned out okay, so what's the big deal?

Becca, Rainbow, and two other "friends" in a field of flowers 

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of her having an imaginary friend (or 10 or 20!). She knows what she wants, so she imagines a friend who plays how she likes to play! She isn't being told when to play or how to. We are teaching her manners and sharing. She has played with kids before and does great with them. How can I think this is bad?

Imagination is something most people lose far too early in life. It is something that needs to be nurtured and encouraged, something that needs room to grow!

In just over a year, I will have to share my daughter with the rest of world; sports, girl scouts, homeschooling groups, dance lessons, whatever she is interested in. So for now I think it is okay to be a little selfish, to keep her close and watch her expand her mind. So I am okay having a house full of imaginary friends. It is nice they don't cost much. I am going to enjoy this time with my daughter while I can. The world will just have to wait for this amazing little girl, because right now it is my turn.

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."  -Albert Einstein

You don't HAVE to eat all those bananas

Bananas are a staple in our house. They are yellow and yummy, a quick bite to eat or boost of energy. Rarely does a banana (let alone 3!) go bad between us all. This may sound like a good thing......but it isn't, really.

No over ripe bananas means no banana baked goodies. I LOVE to bake, and I love to find new recipes. Baking with banana is awesome, and I like to find other stuff besides banana bread (which is so yummy!). The last time I cooked with these spotted beauties, I made a banana cream cheesecake (pictured below, so good!).

I watched as those last three got forgotten, and then start to turn. The other night I grabbed them and claimed them as mine! They could have went a little longer, but I was taking no chances. Now, what to make? Becca has discovered muffins. She LOVES them! I even found a recipe for veggie muffins that I need to try on her. So, muffins it is!

I found this awesome recipe for Banana Crumb Muffins! They work well for a dessert or breakfast. And I just love the way my house smelled while these were cooking!

These are really easy! So if you have some over ripe bananas, and don't want to make banana bread, give these a shot. The crumb topping makes it! So yummy!

Here is the recipe:    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/banana-crumb-muffins/Detail.aspx
Mine made 12 instead of 10 (I had big bananas). I followed this to the letter, and they turned out awesome! When the toothpick comes out with a LITTLE bit of stuff, they are done. Be careful not to overcook or they will be dry (but still good!).

Hope you enjoy!

......And so it begins!

I started this blog a few days ago, and here it has sat (unpublished) ever since. I have been trying and trying to think of a cute, clever way to start off. A grand entrance. Well, I got nothing.

It is simple, really. I want to write about my life with my amazing family. I want a place to keep track of our adventures, everyday ones and those that are life changing. I want something I can come back to a year from now so I can laugh and cry all over again. I want to look back and see how my family has grown, remember the simple things, and hang on to cherished memories. I watch my daughter growing smarter and more beautiful everyday. I am so proud to be her mommy, and so excited to watch her become the person she is meant to be. But it goes too fast, and I don't want to lose any of it!


So this blog is for our plans, our dreams, our cooking adventures, our laughs, our quirks, and our way too many photographs! You are welcome to follow our family, who's path is ever changing, as we try to experience the most we can out of this life we are given.


Celebrate life! We live to see another day. Eat good food, fight for what you believe in, love deeply, laugh until it hurts, and most importantly, don't stop dreaming...........