Thanksgiving Visitors

Now I don't know about you all out there, but when we do Halloween, we just do some trick or treating and call it a day. We load our kids buckets FULL, then the parents sneak the "good candy", and then let the kids go crazy for one night a year. We are not the family that has an elaborate Halloween costume party, although I'd like to do that once. 

We ARE however the family that does more traditional Thanksgiving family gatherings. That all being said, I stumbled across this on Pinterest. I'm in love with how fricken adorable these are. 

I traced it back to tadkapasta and it seems they are calling these to be for Halloween...

I, as you've guessed, would do them for my Thanksgiving gathering. Now all I need to do is get a gathering of people to visit Colorado for Thanksgiving. ;)

Fall is Falling into my life

Loads of changes are happening in my life, more on that later. These changes, however, are accompanied by vibrant & beautiful Fall. While we have changed states, we will still be having a four season year, so I can not wait to see the vibrance here! In the meantime, lets take a look backward for a picture shall we?

We take a hayride every year with my grandparents, aunts & uncles, as well as cousins. This year we will not be able to attend, but looking at this picture will take the place this year. I just adore that this road will be forever etched into my mind, going back to my seven year old self. <3 i="">

Meet me in St. Louis

Off to the city we go.

Arches and weddings await us.

Home.

When I was a young teenager I remember telling everyone who would listen: ‘Once I am an adult I am moving out of poe-dunk USA Midwest, I am going to the city’. Now although I have not moved to the city, I did move about Three Hundred miles away. I also remember my father telling me upon hearing this: ‘One day you will appreciate your hometown and grow to love it.’ Then he made a comment about me missing it if I really did go to a city. Now that I am no longer that mouthy teenager, I am beginning to realize that Father Indeed Knows Best!

Now like I said, I am not a city girl, and I am still surrounded by farm land 360, but I do…

long for my hometown,

miss my home county,

When I drive that long 300 miles, I am transported back in time. I see the things that hold such strong memories for me. In fact, now that I have a decent camera, I want to pull over every few miles, to capture every. single. one. of. those. memories.

Here are a few:

 

Sometimes just looking at a picture can open the flood gates on memories, guess that is why they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

More baby arrivals

Here are the centerpieces for the other baby shower I went to. I really wish I would have taken pictures of all the diaper cakes. Every single one of them were different. The one I was sitting in front of, there were two ‘NUK’ food-mesh-spoons crisscrossed on the top. Again, wish I would have taken pictures. I was running around visiting with family, and didn’t have the camera enough. But, the point is, all of them were very cute.

We have Asparagus!

Last year I planted asparagus, & the package says two to four years till harvest. So imagine my surprise when I was seeing little thin sprigs already year one.

So on Thursday, when I came home from work, I saw this, plus a couple more like it. WooHoo!

On Friday when coming home from work, I had all of these! I know it isn’t a lot, but I have them in a jar of water, awaiting a few more. I think I should have them within a few more days, which really makes me happy.

Who needs T.V. when you have PTO?

WOW guys! This week went by so flippin fast. I don’t want to down play either of the tragic events this week, but our household had a great week!

Here’s how: NO TV WEEK

Our PTO planned something every single night for us. We were unable to go on Monday, but it was family game night. Tuesday we had Dinner with the stars: the local astronomical society came and spoke to us about space. We made comets with paper plates, and my daughters favorite.. The Dry Ice Comets! Wednesday we had our Art walk: post to come, & a play from the 4th and 5th graders, called the ‘granny awards’. Then Thursday we had a cookie and create event. Our art teachers came to help the kids paint their very own canvas! That was my oldest favorite by far.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. I was very concerned at this idea of my girls not having the boob tube to calm them down…. Or mommy should say make them stop fighting. What I quickly realized however is there was more laughter and less yelling. No one was trying to ‘out loud the television’ for a change. Background noise just adds to the chaos in ones home. So lesson learned, time to get that thing turned off! This shouldn’t be hard to do, the sun will be coming out to play soon (I hope).

Yes to this dress?

Here  is a sneek peak of my new dress that I did actually buy, and did not walk away from. I would like to say that I generally will not buy horizontal stripes… do to watching entirely too many “What Not to Wear” episodes. I spotted this one in the window, and luckily had my husband with me to give his opinion.

I say lucky, because my husband will give his honest opinion, sometimes he regrets it. I am truly appreciative that he still does, despite the wrath he receives from time to time. He approved of this one, and chose it above another that I had already bought. So I said yes to the dress.

Opinions? What do you think?

And so I made cupcakes…

Since I couldn’t have sampita for my birthday treat, I scoured Pinterest for ideas.

I found these Tres Leches cupcakes. I did not, however use the recipe for the icing that goes on them. I found a different one that used a box o’ cream cheese & whipping cream. I know it doesn’t look as pretty, but tasted light & airy, so as not to take away from the amazing cupcakes themselves.

My brother also has a birthday close to mine, two days before actually. He came up to visit, and chocolate is his fav, so chocolate cupcakes of course. I had my best friend on the phone at the time, and I also know that chocolate cake is one of her favs as well. She too likes to use her Kitchen Aid, so I ask what was the best recipe to use. She suggested the one on the back of the Hershey’s cocoa container, pretty good I’ll say. I also have to let you in on the fact that I do not like chocolate cake. *gasp* Love chocolate, but not so much chocolate flavored things.

I have been munching on these Tres Leches cupcakes since Saturday, & still can’t get enough of them. I had one minor hang up: once I got to the ‘use a meat injector for the milk’ I was lost for a moment, then, rummaged through my utensil drawer…. SCORE! I surprise myself some times. I used a children’s medicine dispenser, worked like a charm ;)

Organic Deli Tray

First of all, do you or someone you know attend family functions where some or all of the people attending do not care about their food being organic? In fact, some of you out there might even be saying the people attending this family functions do not even seem to care about healthy options at all.

Well, here is a go-to for you, without bringing something too crazy. Something like ‘hummus & whole wheat crackers’?! I just have to smirk at myself, because that would have been me just five or so years ago.

As you can tell from this picture (sorry for the poor quality), it is not all organics on this tray, but you could put your own stamp of approval on it. The trays here are organic veggies & Boar’s Head deli meats. I have not taken the organic cheese plunge, it is just not economically feasible for me. Everything in time though I am sure.

So what healthy options would you add to your tray, that would still be options for your ‘conventional’ crowd?