So Not South Beach

Snacky Snacks

2009-10-25T19:53:00.003-04:00

I was browsing through Rachel Ray's magazine and came across a recipe for the most delicious Chex Mix. My husband is always scrounging for a crunchy snack, especially on the weekends, and loves anything spicy. I like the spicy/sweet combo, and I love that this can be done quickly and easily in the microwave. This is some serious addictive stuff. It's like crack (not that I would know). Enjoy!

Katie Lee's Spiced Nuts 'n Chex Mix

1/4 cup sugar
1 T chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups Corn Chex cereal
2 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 can (11.5 oz) mixed nuts

1. In small bowl, mix sugar, chili powder, and cayenne; set aside.
2. In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in cereal and nuts until evenly coated. Stir in sugar mixture until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on high 5 to 6 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes, until mixture just begins to turn brown. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container.

Please Don't Hate Me For This.

2009-09-26T16:21:00.008-04:00

Behold. The pinnacle of yumminess. Bask in its splendor. This, my friends, is a Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie and it will be your undoing. It isn't just good. It possesses the power to incite a grown man to try and take a cookie from his own baby (N.). Observe.

I know you are waiting with bated breath to find out just how to make this cookie for yourself. I will keep you in suspense no longer. This recipe was submitted by Susan to the Best Bites in Paradise cookbook put together by Dr. Jesse Ehrlich of Venice, Florida. I love you Susan.

18 oz. chunky peanut butter
1 stick butter
1-1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
6 c. oats
2-1/2 tsp baking soda
6 oz. chocolate chips (I use 12 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together peanut butter and softened butter. Add sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in oats, baking soda, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 9 to 10 minutes.

This recipe will provide you with a copious cache of cookies. I imagine the dough would freeze well if you don't have an hour or six to bake cookies.

All that's left to do now is bite....

chew...

repeat.

Cuteness? You Can't Handle The Cuteness!

2009-09-26T16:12:00.003-04:00

My darling little A. has lost her two front teeth. Her two front teeth. Yes, her two front teeth. We have been entertaining ourselves by having her say things like "Sister Suzy sitting on a thistle." I'm trying to get her to do it right now, as she is reading this as I type, but no luck...so far. I knew I had to include photographic evidence or no one would believe just how cute she is. Brace yourselves, people.

MOSI Day

2009-09-19T15:05:00.006-04:00

We had a chance to go to MOSI last month. It's no Indianapolis Children's Museum, but it was still a lot of fun.

The kids really liked the Kids In Charge section. Not Mommy's favorite, though. I almost had a germaphobic-induced mental collapse. We hit the hand sanitizer pretty hard after this venture. Here are some pics.

Another part we all enjoyed was the weather area. The hurricane tunnel was hilarious. It is quite an experience.

They also enjoyed news station. Here are my anchor girls, A & N.

Stay classy, Tampa Bay!

Birthdays!

2009-09-19T14:51:00.003-04:00

August is birthday time for all 3 girls. At this point we are opting to do one party for everyone, which is certainly convenient since their birthdays are only 10 days apart.

This year I made this cake and made a 7-minute frosting, which I dyed pink with Wilton icing die. I used the ingredients from this recipe and the technique from this one. I also sprinkled it with edible glitter, although it doesn't really show in the pictures.

Please pardon the sweaty heads. You see, our air conditioner picked this particular weekend to stop working. If you are not from Florida, you may not appreciate the full impact of that statement. Florida + August = 7th circle of hell. Which is to say, it's hot. Lake of Fire hot. Blessed be the family and friends who showed up anyway. We heart you, kisses. The girls had a wonderful time! I just can't believe they are already 6 and 7!

Manatees!

2009-09-19T14:44:00.004-04:00

Here a few pictures we took of the manatees. They are A.'s favorite.

I thought this was cute also. The diver was cleaning the sea turtle habitat.

A Day at the Park, Part I

2009-02-05T14:43:00.004-05:00

Over Christmas break we spent a lovely day at the park. Because of the number of photos, I have split this posting into two parts. E. is wearing red, N. is wearing turquoise, and A. is wearing pink.

And one of my favorites......

A Day at the Park, Part II

2009-02-05T14:32:00.005-05:00

Here is the second installment from our day at the park.

I like to call this first group my "action" shots. I know there is one of A. and N. that are not even remotely in focus, but I like them anyway.

This next group is from the nature hike portion of our outing. I love A.'s hands in the nut photos. Actually, I love the girls' sweet little hands in general.

Change Is Bad...

2009-01-18T10:33:00.007-05:00

And let me tell you why. My husband is much more tech-y than I and loves to update SUSE whenever a new version comes out. Every time this happens I can never find my pictures or the programs I use to modify them. I am going to use this change as a part of my excuse for neglecting my blog for such an embarrassing length of time. I will also use it as an excuse for the less than stellar quality of some of these pictures.

Let's begin our journey of the holiday season with Thanksgiving (yes, I am that far behind). The girls and I went up to my to my brother-and sister-in-law's house for a few days. Les was sick and stayed home with Zeke. Here's a couple of pics of the girls with their cousins. They had a BLAST!

Moving on to Christmas, our next stop is the week of gingerbread houses. Here are the ones they made at school. I went in that afternoon to help, and it was a blast. As you will see, they also thoroughly enjoyed eating them.

A few days later my mother-in-law came down to babysit the kids while hubby and I went to his work's Christmas party. They made a beautiful gingerbread house that became our centerpiece for the rest of the season. Marvel in its splendor.

Christmas morning.

And 3 lovely ladies in their Christmas best.

Slacker

2009-01-15T09:22:00.002-05:00

Yes, that is what I have been when it comes to this blog--a slacker. However, I do solemnly swear that I will new posts and pictures up by this weekend. In the meantime, I would like to share with you a new blog dedicated to getting healthy and losing weight that a couple of girlfriends and I are starting. It's primary purpose is to provide motivation and support to those who need it (read we three gals--we're not the most internally motivated people around) while embarking upon a healthier lifestyle. We'd love to have you all join us there!

Fantabulous Photo Shoot Extravaganza

2008-11-18T10:21:00.002-05:00

We had a little photo session yesterday because we are too cheap to pay for professional photography and I thought you might enjoy some of the results.

Our first model is E.

Up next is A. She takes her modeling very seriously.

We can't forget N.

And finally, the twins showing the love.

Artsy Phartsy

2008-11-18T10:05:00.005-05:00

I have been trying to improve my artistic skills, such as they may be, and thought I would share what I I have been up to with the class. I did these folders for the girls.

This is a snippet from an illustration in Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. I LOVE that book.

Obviously, this is from Thumbelina. I spent hours of my childhood staring at this picture. It made such an impression on me that I saved it all these years.

Last but not least, is Toad from the Frog and Toad series. Toad kills me. I identify with him, as sad as that statement may sound.

One of my favorite illustrators of children's books is Jan Brett. She is so amazing. Even if you don't have children I strongly recommend checking out her work. Especially The Hat and The Gingerbread Baby because there is so much going on in every page. So what are some of your favorite children's books?

Trick or Treat

2008-11-18T09:57:00.003-05:00

Just try and tell me you don't want throw candy at your computer screen right now. They were so excited about trick or treating this year. All in all they made out pretty well. They even scored some good chocolate for mommy and daddy :)

Drum Roll Please

2008-11-11T08:58:00.004-05:00

And now presenting the a-mazing E! Watch as this 6-year-old girl makes dogs out of balloons--after only seeing it done twice--right before your very eyes!

If only I were technologically advanced enough to maximize the technology that I possess and knew how to transfer what's on my video recorder to the computer, but I can't so I suppose we will have to settle for a still photo. Please try not to cry, I know you are disappointed. I have to say my jaw about hit the floor when I saw her do it. She seriously only saw them do twice and then retained that information overnight to perform it the next morning. Kids are amazing.

My favorite word

2008-10-30T13:53:00.003-04:00

My brain has been under attack for the last 3 weeks. It is currently being held hostage by the word "pernicious". I am completely obsessed with the word and am experiencing supreme frustration trying to find ways to incorporate into conversation. Any suggestions for its casual use would be greatly appreciated. Then, perhaps, I could get it out of my system and stifle its constant tickling at the edges of my consciousness. (Have I mentioned I have issues?)

Also, if any of you happen to know how to correct this formatting issue I am having, I would be eternally grateful. I can't get it to stop centering all my posts and shoving my sidebar to the bottom. Thanks.

Thank you, Noggin.

2008-10-22T20:36:00.006-04:00

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This song has been stuck in my head for 2 weeks, and I'm sure it will continue to be until after Halloween. Now, it is my gift to you. Enjoy.

October Eye Candy

2008-10-15T12:50:00.009-04:00

Every fall I am overwhelmed with the desire once again feel the crisp autumn air, see the trees blazing with red and orange leaves, and taste fresh apple cider while waiting to take the hayride out to the pumpkin patch to pick our own pumpkins. I love fall in Indiana. The problem is I am not in Indiana. I am in southwest Florida where the air is balmy and heavy and all our apples are imported from Washington and Michigan. Where I laugh heartily at the selection of parka-like Halloween costumes at Target which are good for nothing down here but inducing heat stroke. The other day I found myself getting downright cranky about Florida's flat refusal to recognize that there has, in fact, been a change in season. Then I stopped by my grandma's house and was somewhat consoled by this:

I may not get my favorite version of fall weather down here, but I have to confess that Florida fall does have its charms. Like this:

Be forewarned that despite all this flowering loveliness, I will still complain bitterly about not being able to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal because it is too daggone hot and that it never feels like Christmas here. I'm just keeping it honest; I do it every year. On those days, remind me to look back at these photos:

Sometimes these extreme close-ups of orchids seem like a violation of the flower's privacy.

What is fall like where you live? Do you like it or dislike it? What is your favorite season and why? I am burning with curiosity, please share.

My Enchanted Life

2008-10-13T11:12:00.007-04:00

Today I have some major cleaning to do. But am I discouraged or reluctant to delve right in? No! Why? Well, because I have a happy working song to hum, of course! Don't tell me you don't have one. You don't, really? No wonder your house is such a mess! In the interest of posterity I will share mine with you. Please note that this is actual footage of me on cleaning day.

So now that you know my secret, I have a few questions for you. What is your absolute least favorite cleaning chore? Do you follow a cleaning schedule? Any cleaning tools or supplies you can't live without that the rest of us should know about?

If You're Missing the Grill

2008-10-07T12:40:00.004-04:00

I got to thinking after my last post that perhaps I should include a recipe for those of us still experiencing less than cool, crisp autumn weather and those of you who miss summery grilled food. Thus, I submit for your consideration kefta and zucchini kebobs via smittenkitchen. These were beyond delicious. Everyone in my family moaned in delight and declared them fabulous in every respect. Even if you are a little nervous about ethnic food and the idea of dipping meat into minted yogurt, don't be afraid. After all, the worst that could happen is you don't like it. Don't worry, just try one bite and if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. (Works on my kids.) You don't even need a grill. I did mine in the grill pan because it was raining. They are very simple to make.
Here are the kefta

Here's the zucchini. Now, put them together and....

ummmmm....

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

2008-10-07T12:24:00.004-04:00

Now that fall is upon us, it is time to trot out all the homey, comforting recipes that have sat forlorn and untouched throughout the summer months. Of course, it is still in the high 80s and humid here in Florida, but I choose to ignore that. It's October, doggone it, I want some baked pasta! And so will you after this post. Seriously, make it. You will totally thank me for it. I will begin by enticing you with photographs of its cheesy, mouthwatering goodness.

Looks good, huh? Huh? Huh? (If we were not separated by cyberspace I would be nudging you with my elbow here. I suppose it is a good thing we are separated by cyberspace because that would probably be annoying.) Now contemplate the sausage. I used sweet Italian turkey sausage because the kids don't like spicy.
Now--stop salivating all over your keyboard!--click here for the recipe and go make you some dinner.

Growing Up

2008-10-07T12:09:00.003-04:00

So, my baby lost her first tooth. My baby lost her first tooth. My baby. Ordinarily, I am not one to become weepy and nostalgic over things like this. I readily confess that I don't remember at what exact age they all walked, crawled, or talked, but for some reason I can't explain, this tooth loss affected me. Why? I was excited when the twins lost their first tooth. Is it all wrapped up in the whole kindergarten madness I'm going through? It is just so unlike me, it confounds me. Anyone else out there experiencing this sort of thing? What was it for you?

Politics

2008-10-03T13:03:00.004-04:00

The constant onslaught of political mumblings, sound bites, and other such nonsense to which we are subjected every election and are currently enduring, brought to mind Brian Regan's comments on politicians. I hope you enjoy. I highly recommend listening to more of his comedy on YouTube.

Prepare For Cuteness

2008-09-16T11:43:00.005-04:00

I walked into the twins' room the other day while they were at school and found this.

The girls make their beds before school and this particular morning N. made sure Mommy Monkey and B were comfy and snug before she left.

Over the weekend E. got into a bit of trouble trying to push her limits. Apparently she was feeling remorseful because I found this note from her.

(the letters in the thought balloon represent all of our names)
Man, I sure miss those girls while they're in school.

First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-19T14:48:00.006-04:00

I am happy to report that Tropical Storm Fay bypassed my area and we had only to endure a very rainy day. Henceforth, I am able to share with you the girls first day of kindergarten (minus N. since she was sick).

Here they are in front of their classroom in their uniforms. N. was very disappointed that she couldn't go and told her teacher she was so excited to "enter kindergarten". When we picked E. and A. up that afternoon she proceeded to tell N. how much more fun they had than her. Nice.

E. and A. in their assigned seat. I am so happy that all three are in the same class! Many of you may know that it has been my plan to homeschool my girls, and for that reason it was very difficult for me to deal with them being in public school this year. It is still my intent to begin homeschooling next year, but after meeting their teacher I felt enormously relieved about them being there this year. They had a great first day and N. is so excited about starting tomorrow. I wish all of you out there with school-age children, homeschooled, public schooled, or private schooled, a wonderful year!

I would love to hear about some of your schooling choices/issues/wishes/experiences!

Zeke Plays Dress-Up

2008-08-18T21:05:00.003-04:00

Grandma C. bought my girls some lovely silky scarves for their birthdays. These scarves unleashed a hidden desire deep within Zeke's bosom (do dogs have bosoms?) to be dressed like a Russian grandma. Think I jest? Here is photographic evidence. Shortly after this he made us all some Borscht and read some Bulgakov. He always has had great taste in fiction.

August Birthdaypalooza

2008-08-18T20:17:00.010-04:00

All three girls have birthdays in August so we do a little thing I like to call the consolidated birthday party. This year they wanted an under the sea party. I had real starfish (carcasses) for the partygoers to take with them and fun little sea creature crafts planned. Unfortunately, 2 out of 3 girls had fevers and it ended up just being our family, my grandma, mother-in-law and a brief visit from my friend and her grandson (Hi Julie!). There were still presents and cake so the girls were still happy. So without further ado I present to you pictures from the birthday and preparation of the cake. Marvel in its splendor (possible overstatement there but my grandma (bakery dept. veteran) said the writing looked nice).

Part One: The Cake

Mmmm....chocolicious. I made this cake into a 4-layer cake filled with raspberry sauce. If you have never had the pleasure of straining a pot of raspberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve, you are missing out my friend. Good times. I have to tell you, in all honesty, that I could have drank this stuff from a mug.

I made a swiss buttercream icing that looked pretty but tasted, well, like butter. I was having lighting issues so it may not be apparent that the icing was light blue. The shells are candies I made from Wilton candy disks and mold I picked up from Michaels. Making those was actually more fun that I anticipated. My favorite part of the cake itself was the icing bubbles coming up from the Swedish fish.

Part Two: The Party

We found the now-traditional birthday hats at Disney a few years ago. Cute, huh? The girls had a great time opening gifts. They received so many nice things!

Cornmeal-Cherry Upside Down Cake

2008-07-24T16:35:00.002-04:00

Around these parts there have been sale-priced cherries a'plenty. If you have a cherry pitter (this is important) and want the most delectable fruit/cake combo in existence, I highly recommend you make this Cherry Cornmeal Upside-down Cake I found at smittenkitchen. Let me emphasize at this juncture that if it is your intent to buy a can of cherries rather than use fresh for this recipe, save yourself some time and just buy a box cake. Canned cherries would completely ruin this recipe. If you try it I am sure fines and punishment (other than enduring subpar cake) will ensue. I'm just sayin'.

Much to my chagrin, a cherry pitter was not be had in this town so I halved my cherries and picked the pits out by hand. My fingertips and nails looked lovely for days. Must find cherry pitter. The recipe was not difficult, but time consuming. I confess that mid-way through the process I wondered if it was really worth it, but the first bite convinced me that it was indeed. Remember Scooby Doo's reaction when he finally obtained his coveted scooby-snack? How he would close his eyes and make the "ummm, ummmm" sounds while floating in the air, then sink into a satisfied heap on the ground? That's what happened to me when I placed that first forkful in my mouth. It also happened a couple of times after the first forkful.

Our Great Aquatic Adventure

2008-07-21T13:46:00.018-04:00

Last week the girls and I picked up Grandma Sue and embarked upon day trip to Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. It was thoroughly enjoyable for all involved and I took a truckload of pictures, so get ready.

We arrived about 15 minutes before opening so we had time to take this picture at the entrance. We also had time for the girls to engage the employees out front in a very involved conversation that included such diverse topics as the release date of the newest Little Mermaid movie, one staff member's trip to Sea World, and the twins lost teeth.

Above are the hermit crab, various types of coral, scorpion fish (?), and seahorses.

Does anyone have any clarified garlic butter? This guy was HUGE incidentally.

Mommy look! It's Marlin, Nemo, and Dory! It's Marlin, Nemo, and Dory! Look, Mommy, look!

Psychedelic Moon Jellies

Lion Fish. Unfortunately, this fish always reminds me of the movie Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo. What makes it unfortunate is that I have actually seen that movie.

The touch tank was the highlight of the day for the girls. Here they are petting a horseshoe crab who turned out to be quite friendly. He actually followed E. around the tank and would try to climb up the sides looking for her to pet him. He would hold very still while she stroked his shell and as soon as she stopped would start trying to climb the tank again. It was rather bizarre.

Grandma holding a pencil urchin. It was very cool. You could feel it's spines(?) legs(?) moving against your skin.

The only way to get out is through the gift shop, clever people. Here is N. posing with a new friend.

E. is a bit more...adventurous. Here she is under attack by rubber snake, but she recovers nicely and totally dominates that gator. Note how she holds his mouth shut so he can't bite, just like a pro.

And here is my baby A. all made of sugar and loving on her all-time favorite animal, the manatee.
She is so sweet you just wouldn't believe it if I told ya.

We wrapped up our visit at the turtle and manatee area. If you have never seen these animals up close and personal I highly recommend that you do. Their enormity is impossible to convey through words and 2-dimensional imagery. It is awe-inspiring to be so close to them.

Thus concludes the longest blog entry in existence. Hope you enjoyed the pics. What is your favorite ocean animal and/or aquarium? Inquiring minds want to know, at least my inquiring mind wants to know.

Polymethyl Methacrylate

2008-07-11T14:28:00.003-04:00

Poly-wha...? I have had the word polymethyl methacrylate stuck in my head since we covered dental materials in dental assisting school in 1999. While in school it was floating in my brain constantly. I would wake myself up at night saying it out loud. I would be thinking it while having everyday conversations. Now I only think of it a couple times a month most generally. Oh, I've had more annoying things stuck in my head for longer periods of time like "Ice, Ice Baby" by one Vanilla Ice. Whenever (and I do mean every. single. time.) somebody says "stop", I immediately complete the thought with,
"collaborate and listen
Ice is back with my brand new invention
Something grabs a hold of me tightly
Then I flow like a harpoon daily and nightly
Will it ever stop? yo -- I dont know
Turn off the lights and Ill glow
To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal
Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle."

I hear the phrase "straight to the point" much less often but I inevitably follow it with,
"Quick to the point, to the point no faking. I'm cooking mcs like a pound of bacon." Clearly I have issues. I never even liked the song. I would like to note at this point that my husband uses these phrases just to torment me. Anyhoo, I mention all this because I have a new word that has been plaguing me day and night since I started my medical transcription coursework. That word is epicondyle. I dream about it. Chances are good that if you are having a conversation with me, I am repeating silently to myself the entire time. Epicondyle, epicondyle, epicondyle. On occasion it is temporarily replaced by mesentery, but not for long. Have I mentioned I have issues? Does anyone else share this affliction with me? What words and/or songs get trapped in your head? Please share. We might as well be in this together.

Arroz con Pollo

2008-07-10T14:53:00.004-04:00

This picture does not even begin to convey just how delicioso this arroz con pollo (chicken and rice for my non-Spanish speaking friends out there) tasted. This is Ingrid Hoffman's recipe from Simply Delicioso on Food Network (click on the word "delicioso" in the previous sentence to go to the recipe)(Yes, I steadfastly hold to my right to intersperse parenthetical phrases throughout my writing with reckless abandon. I'm trying to get my commas under control, so cut me some slack already.). Despite the fact that she is about as Miami South Beach as you can get I can't help but like her and think she is a pretty cool chica. Now,you may look at this recipe and think that you don't have time to make this, or the ingredients don't scream "life-altering chicken and rice yumminess on plate!" to you. I, however, am here to tell you that you must make time to make this because it is, in fact, life-altering chicken and rice yumminess on a plate(!). Sorry, I had to get all stern and use the mom voice on you, but it's for your own good. You'll thank me for it later.

Nature and I Kiss and Make Up

2008-07-04T08:23:00.007-04:00

If you read my most recent post or my diatribe on fire ants, you may have the impression that I am a total hater of the world of nature . Not so! Let me take this moment to share with you nature that I actually enjoy (primarily because it doesn't viciously attack me without provocation).

My cactus has been a very happy camper this year. This is the first time we have had these lovely little blooms. It has also been prodigiously sprouting new paddles like prickly little tumors.

My girls have dubbed this guy "Slowy" because he's a turtle, and he's slow. I thought he looked very exotic amongst the sand and tiny yellow flowers. These photos were not taken at the beach, by the way, this is across the street from my house. It's what we have instead of dirt.

Last, but certainly not least, is my areca palm. I have this planted just outside my bedroom window as a privacy screen. Having it there really creates a tropical ambiance.

Oh, there are other flora, fauna, and critters in the natural world for which I have a fondness, such as raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens (name that tune), but, for now, I hope you have enjoyed our little photographic stroll through the more benign features of my yard.

Fire Ants, Mosquitoes and Wasps; Oh My!

2008-06-24T13:59:00.006-04:00

On recent visit to Orlando, Grandpa K. wanted me to bring the girls by his house to see the horses, donkey and chickens. Naturally the girls were very excited by this prospect. Well, this visit served to prove to me once and for all that I am not a country girl by any stretch of the imagination. Not in Florida at least. The visit officially became a debacle within the first two minutes of my arrival. As I was getting out of the van, Grandpa took the girls a few feet away to look at the face in the tree and within seconds E. was running at me screaming in sheer terror, "Mommy, ants are biting me! It hurts! It hurts!". I picked her up in one arm and whipped her shoes off with the other hand. As I am dusting them off of her they are falling to ground and begin attacking me (If you are unaware of my relationship with ants please see my dissertation on why ants are the minions of the devil in my first blog post). E. is still screaming and now I am yelling and we're both panicking. Grandpa saves the day with a water hose and in the house we all go.

After a good 30 minutes of listening to E. complain about her itchy bites and how much she doesn't like getting bitten by ants and N. holding her nose and complaining that the house smells stinky (they are not used to the smell of cigarettes) we decide that it's time to go see the donkey. We moseyed (cause that's what you do in the country) down the path to the pasture where the donkey is kept, with a keen eye out for fire ant mounds. There was at least 302. E. got some dirt on her foot, was convinced it was more ants and a melt-down promptly ensued. In order for Project Nature Adventure to move forward Grandpa carried Emily. I imagine this is the point where he began wondering how on earth I could possibly be his progeny. So after maneuvering past horse poo, a 30 year old curmudgeonly horse who likes to bite on occasion, and getting a couple more ant bites we reached the donkey pen. He was, in fact, a rather pleasant donkey. The girls looked at him, gave him a couple pats, and that was that. So after about 3 minutes we exited the pen, once again avoiding excrement and flesh-nibbling equine and headed to the chicken coop. A. narrowly escaped stepping smackdab into the middle of the largest and most visible ant mound in the tri-county area before we arrived at the chicken coop. No chickens were actually in the chicken yard, they were all in the coop. We tried spraying them over so gently with the hose to coax them out into the open to no avail. So Grandpa K., Uncle K., and his girlfriend held the girls up to the windows to see the elusive creatures. I was too busy getting bitten by mosquitoes and watching for ants. And sweating. And getting my toes dirty. I came to this realization: I don't like getting my toes dirty and sweating for no good reason. I don't like getting attacked by vicious insects. I had officially had all the nature I could handle. After conveying this fact to the rest of the party (very nicely since Grandpa just wanted to do something neat for the girls after all), we trudged back to the house, hosed off and went to Chili's. Thank God I'm not a country girl.

Haiku Corner with Zeke

2008-05-18T20:06:00.007-04:00

Zeke was looking so pensive lying there on my scorched, straw-like lawn that I felt sure he must be contemplating very lofty concepts indeed. When pressed, he finally confessed he was working out a haiku. I think it is obvious to anyone who knows him that haiku would be his style of choice. So without further ado I present Zeke's poetry debut.

the lawn
by Zeke

crispy and crunchy
like chow mein noodles
grass beneath my paws

(It should come as no surprise to those who know him that food should be featured in his poem. Especially after the trash can incidents. Ahem.)

Word Up

2008-05-17T14:33:00.004-04:00

I would like to introduce to all of you who don't already know him, Captain Huggyface from the PBS show Word Girl. This makes me giggle uncontrollably and I will be delighted if makes you smile at the very least.

I HEART PIZZA

2008-05-14T14:05:00.004-04:00

I love pizza. No, I mean I LOOOOOVVVE pizza. It is a rare week that doesn't involve me make one. I am also trying to incorporate healthier food choices into our daily lives. My typical crust is diametrically opposed to this goal and so I have been searching high and low for a wheat pizza crust that doesn't destroy the pizza experience. This is the best one I have found thus far http://www.easypizzacrusts.com/wwpc.html . I added 1 1/2 tsp of sugar for the yeast to eat and replaced 1/4 of the flour with flax seed meal to make me feel cool. Also, mine was done in 17 minutes rather than the 20-25 minutes recommended. What I liked about this crust is that the rise time is short, the dough was easy to handle, the texture was not too heavy, and the bottom was crispy (I bake mine on the bottom rack). It was a touch bland so I think next time I will use a bit of honey rather than sugar and maybe some herbs right in the dough. As always, if you have a great recipe I'd love to see it!

Homework

2008-05-14T13:52:00.005-04:00

How is this for a mother's day present? N. is "teaching" A. in this picture. Nevermind the fact that A. actually has the best handwriting of all the girls. I was folding laundry in the next room and could hear them hard at work in there. I really wanted to get a candid shot of this so I grabbed the camera and went into stealth mode, 'cause I'm ninja like that, and snapped a picture while leaping around a corner. That picture is a blurry, unusable mess, which should come as a surprise to no one. So I was left with posing and took what I could get. It truly is a joy to see them so happy to learn that they even do it when I don't make them. And that's all I have to say about that.

Quick & Easy Quesadilla & Pico de Gallo

2008-05-14T13:21:00.005-04:00

I am a great lover of quick and easy meals, especially when they are healthy to boot. This meal fits the bill, and I highly recommend it. For this pico, I simply diced some roma tomatoes, onions, and garlic, squeezed fresh lime juice over it, stirred in fresh chopped cilantro, and called it a day. I only lament the fact that I didn't have any jalapeno to toss in. Even so, it was delicious. The next step was to make refried beans. My method for this is crazy easy. Heat 1 T or so of oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Drain and rinse a can of pinto beans and add to hot skillet. Cook for a few minutes until fragrant and beans are warm, then start mashing. Once sufficiently mashed, add cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Stir in broth until the beans are the desired consistency, and remove from heat. This generally takes all of 10 minutes tops. I then busted out my favorite tortillas on the planet, the whole wheat Tam-x-icos! tortillas, lovingly applied the frijoles refritos, sprinkled on little sharp cheddar cheese, and gave it a couple minutes on each side in a hot pan. Making 4 of these and the pico took me 20 minutes start to finish, and that includes shredding my own cheese. Of course the possibilities are endless when it comes to fillings. One of my favorites is apple, grated carrot, and cheddar, which would be muy delicioso with a fruit salsa (I will have to dig up my recipe for that soon mmmmm). If you have any good salsa recipes or quesadilla filling suggestions please share!

Currylicious

2008-05-04T14:02:00.006-04:00

I get a hankering for curry on a fairly regular basis. It all started back in college when I waited tables at an Indian restaurant. Prior to that, Taco Bell was the spiciest food I had ever eaten and Indian cuisine was in the realm of the mystical. Naturally, since it was my first year of college, I was feeling quite cosmopolitan and ventured into a restaurant by the name of A Passage to India emanating exotic aromas . I've always been an EM Forster fan so I figured it was worth a try. It so happened they were hiring and, as I was interested in possessing some extra cash, an agreement was reached. The owner, who also did all the cooking, would make food for us after every shift. I started out with mango lassis and chai with chipatis. Then I got brave and ventured onto chicken biryani (mild of course) and pakora with tamarind chutney. It was all over at that point. By the end of my first semester, I was eating dishes that were "Indian hot". It made my nose run and my eyes water and I loved it. And the people said "Amen." In fact, I will go on record as saying that there is no food better than Indian food.

So far, E. is the only one of my offspring who likes it, and that's why she's my favorite. Anyway, this is what I made for dinner last night to get my curry fix. It is on the hotter side of medium spiciness, so adjust the amount of curry powder according to your preference and the strength/freshness of your curry powder. Oh, and feel free to substitute away. You could replace the potatoes with chickpeas or the spinach with green beans, and if I'm feeling saucy, I'll through in some cumin seeds with the garlic. A side of raita (plain yogurt with cucumber basically) to cool it off would be yummy. Want me to quit yakking and give you the recipe? You got it! If you have any great curry recipes I'd love to know!
Yummilicious Curry
Cooking oil
1 cup diced onion
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups diced potatoes
4 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups of cauliflower
2 cups of baby spinach
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onions until they become translucent and are beginning to turn golden. Add potatoes and garlic, and cook until the potatoes are beginning to brown. Add spices, and stir to coat. Cook 1 minute, then add tomatoes and simmer 8 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and spinach; cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until spinach is wilted and potatoes are tender.

Nooks and Crannies

2008-04-20T13:52:00.005-04:00

I recently painted my daughter, A.'s, room a lovely shade of pink. One would think that painting one 10x10 room would be quick and simple. One might think that but one would be wrong. For you see, I have orange peel textured walls which makes painting (something which I have done many times and actually enjoyed) an arduous task. "Curse you, villainous textured wall!" say I with clenched fist held aloft and being shaken with indignation. In the interest of efficiency I have compiled a list of why hell will freeze over before I buy another house with orange peel walls. It is as follows:

It is virtually impossible to achieve a nice straight line where the wall meets the ceiling. I have yet to master a tape applying technique that results in said tape adhering to every nook and cranny. The result is paint on the ceiling. Not pretty.
Imagine applying a thin layer of peanut butter to and english muffin. Now you know the first layer is not going to result in all the nooks and crannies being filled. No, it will take a couple of applications and some pressure to obtain full coverage. The same can be said for orange peel textured walls(I think it should be renamed english muffin textured walls, it suits).
Lastly, you must inspect the wall from every possible angle to see if everything is covered and no little white specks are left bare. Regardless of how closely you scrutinize your work you will inevitably discover defects for as many years as that paint is on your walls.

So it is with no small amount of relief that I find my project completed and A. delighted with the results. Of course her sisters are now petitioning to have their room repainted. Hmmm.... maybe in a few months.

Open Mouth, Insert Cookie

2008-04-15T14:56:00.004-04:00

I have a good excuse for making cookies again so soon. No really, I do. We were late for Sunday school which meant the girls received NO TREATS! in the reception area before going to class. As you can imagine, this was a very serious situation. To prevent E. from having a complete meltdown (not an unheard of event when she is hungry) I assured her that I would make special treats for them that afternoon. Be glad because these cookies and yummy tasty. I decided to make snickerdoodles for three reasons: they are delectable, I had all the ingredients, and they are fun to say. Go on say it. Snickerdoodle, snickerdoodle, snickerdoodle. You may remember these cookies from your junior high home/ec class (M). I ran out of white sugar for the cinnamon/sugar coating and had to use brown sugar, but my grandma and I decided they were much improved for the substitution. They had a very crisp exterior while maintaining a light and airy interior. You may remember from my beans & cornbread entry that this is a texture combo that brings joy to my heart. Here is the recipe I used: http://www.popularcookierecipes.com/Snickerdoodle.html. Coming soon: D vs orange peel textured walls.

Beans, Beans The Musical Fruit

2008-04-11T13:42:00.005-04:00

Let me preface this post by saying that I have never been what you might call a fan of beans or cornbread. Cornbread was almost always too dry and bland. Beans were squishy and smelled weird. My husband and kids, however, love beans and all but N love cornbread so I decided to try this recipe from Pioneer Woman: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/beans_and_cornb/ Wow! WOW! I hope the use of all caps, bold, italics, and red letters properly convey just how shocked I was at just how good these beans and cornbread were. The beans were not too mushy or squishy and didn't smell weird. They smelled like bacon which, of course, is a good thing. I substituted butter for the shortening in the cornbread recipe which imparted a lovely buttery flavor. It was wonderfully crisp and crunchy on the outside while moist and fluffy on the inside. Completely divine.

Marinara Magnifica

2008-04-09T19:57:00.004-04:00

This recipe is from Cooking Light and is phenomenal. It makes a truckload so typically I divide it into ziplocks and freeze for later. You will never want to buy jarred sauce again. Now, go forth and make marinara. http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=686171

Behold-Spring

2008-04-07T21:16:00.004-04:00

I don't actually have anything to say about this photo that I took at the library, but I thought it was pretty so here it is.

If you stop back by tomorrow night I will have a recipe for the yummiest marinara!

This Is What I Did Today

2008-04-04T22:00:00.004-04:00

I woke up this morning to a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing through the palm trees, and I knew there was no way around it, we had to go to the beach. We stumbled upon a little tidal pool, which was perfect for the girls. The waves were a bit strong today, so we stuck close to shore. We found some lovely shells that we brought home for art projects, and I found an itty bitty shark's tooth. We had a great time, and 3 little girls and their mommy will be sleeping well tonight.

Yes, We Have Alligators At The Library

2008-04-04T21:25:00.006-04:00

This week at the library we spotted two juvenile alligators about 1 1/2 feet long. The above gator was on the same side of the pond as we were. Naturally, this was taken with zoom because I am not an idiot. I also included the only ugly photograph of a heron known to man. You will truly appreciate just how difficult it was to take a bad shot of these ordinarily graceful creatures when you see the photo below.

Now, this is what a heron really looks like. The smaller white bird in this pic is a white ibis. The next pic is the second juvenile alligator from the opposite bank after it entered the water and began swimming toward us. This is the point where I ushered my children back to the car posthaste. Here is a bit of info about gators: typically they go the opposite direction of humans. The exception to this would be mothers guarding a nest or her young and males during mating season, both of which can be very aggressive. This young gator swam toward me because it is used to being fed and sees me as a food source. I really couldn't be less interested in being a food source for a gator. In no way do I want to be associated with food in their little reptilian brains. With all this in mind, I asked the library staff why the alligators haven't been moved to another location. The response was that they wouldn't stand a chance because the bigger gators would likely kill them. Hmmm....gee that is a sad prospect. It is definitely a much better idea to allow hand-fed gators to get big and strong in the library pond which is heavily frequented by children. Riiiight. So, Aunt J., you in the market some alligator pumps this year?

Zeke, Australian Cattle Dog Extraordinaire

2008-04-03T19:06:00.005-04:00

This is Zeke, the Australian Cattle Dog who joined our family just two months ago. Now, don't be fooled by the first photo into thinking this dog actually herds cattle or does anything remotely resembling work. The photo of him nestled in my husband's arms is a more accurate portrayal of how Sir Zeke-A-Lot (that's what the girls call him) spends his days.

Zeke is a wonderful dog 99% of the time. There are, however, 3 things this dog cannot be trusted around. Two of them he will eat, and one he can't resist peeing on. This dog will go to great lengths to get his paws on socks/slippers and marshmallows. He doesn't just chew the socks, he eats them. My husband, L., caught him sneaking one of the girl's socks out of the laundry and hiding in his mouth. L. had to pry Zeke's mouth open, and there it was sitting on his tongue. As you can imagine, socks are not easily digested; and unpleasantness, which I will not chronicle here, inevitably ensues.

When it comes to silk plants, he just can't pass up an opportunity to mark them as his own. An incident involving a beautiful display at my neighbor's garage sale is the reason I made the wonderfully delicious cookies highlighted in an earlier post. He didn't get any.

Of course, all is forgiven when he looks at me with those eyes, tailing wagging in a circle so hard he can barely walk. *sigh*...dogs.

le concombre avec dinde et craquelin de goldfish a la E.

2008-04-01T11:24:00.008-04:00

Chef E.

"Mommy, I'm staaaaarrrrvvving. My tummy wants food now, please make lunch for us, please!" The situation was looking grim, three starving girls getting pretty darn cranky. I need lunch, and I need it STAT. I open my fridge to survey the contents for a suitable meal, and it is slim pickins. By this time 2 of the 3 are clutching their stomachs and moaning in anguish (I would like to mention that I had, in fact, fed these children a large breakfast 3 hours ago). This was clearly an emergency, so I threw some turkey, cucumber slices and a hefty pile of goldfish crackers on their plates and announced that lunch was served...and the people rejoiced. Once seated, E.(one of my 5 yr old twins and the most vehement in her demand for food) apparently decided she was dissatisfied with the lackluster presentation of her meal and arranged her food into the lovely presentation in the above photo. Once all the elements were in place and met her rigorous standards, she turned to me with a, "Mommy look at this, Voila!" and demanded I take a picture. We, umm, watch a lot of cooking shows around here. E. tells me that her favorite chefs are Paula Deen, Alton Brown, and the animated rat from Ratatouille. She then proceeds to regale us all with her description of how the flavors of each individual ingredient combine to create something "Magnifique!". That's my girl. Bon Appetit!

Ummm Ummm Good!

2008-03-30T21:38:00.000-04:00

Listen kids, this is one crazy good cookie. Bake these for your friends and loved ones and monuments will be erected in your honor. You can find the recipe at the following link. God bless you, Ree. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/09/marlboro_mans_favorite_cookies_oatmeal_crispies/

Fire Ants: Amazing Arthropoda or Minions of the Devil?

2008-03-30T15:08:00.002-04:00

one of the many ant hills infesting my yard
The answer is simple: minions of the devil. If you are unfamiliar with this species, I am here to tell you that "fire ant" is no misnomer. They are evil and vindictive and make me want to napalm my yard. You may be thinking, "D, ants are amazing creatures that can carry many times their own body weight, communicate by ESP, and spin straw into gold." To which I would respond, "You must not live in Florida. One bit me on the toe (in my own house mind you!) which hurt, well, like fire and almost made me cuss in front of my babies. Besides, they would never share the gold with us because they are mean. And evil. And minions of the devil." At this point you would have to concede to me because you just can't argue with that kind of logic.

My battle with the fire ants has become intensely personal over the past 9 nine years that I have lived here. I have had my yard professionally sprayed, which worked fairly well, but I always worried about the kids playing on chemically treated grass. We have purchased do-it-yourself lawn spray from our favorite home and garden store, which didn't really work AND made me worry about chemicals. Right now I have a perimeter of 50/50 Dawn & water mix set up around the house, which I have been told is a mystical magical moat they will not cross. We shall see.

Lest you think I am the only person here completely consumed with vitriol for the vile insects, when I call my mother-in-law her response to "What are you up to today?" is frequently pouring boiling water on ant mounds. See, it's not just me. Now it is time for me to don my pith helmet, tuck my pants into my socks, cinch up the laces on my leather boots, say my prayers and otherwise prepare to make war with the ants.