Falling Into.......

Last year I ran across this article/break up letter that I felt spoke to me.  It said exactly how I felt about this little delicious devil...............

Knowing how much money the delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte is I went searching for a recipe to enable me to make it at home.  I found plenty out there however while reading them I found myself becoming nauseous at the ingredient list.  I could feel my ass getting bigger just by looking at it!  From now on when I get a hankering for a Pumpkin Spice Latte I will let some other person make the delicious mess for me.

I do think i will try and make this version, however for our Friends Thanksgiving we are hosting this year.....

Putting all that crap in one cup == gross nasty disgusting.  Putting it all in a crock pot == somewhat acceptable.  

So since I have had my first PSL, that means fall has officially arrived.  This post is dedicated to all things fall here in our little corner of the world.

You know it is fall when............

Jammies start looking like this

You know it is Fall when......

The city looks like this!  (Still waiting for the leaves to change...)

You know it is Fall when......

The lake does this......

(if you watch them all the way through you will get to see waves that crash so tall they drench the babe and me, a good 15ft away)

This one is the longest, but by far the best.  Also I captured a crazy man who doesn't understand the concept of clear and present danger!  

Here is a picture showing how Clara felt about that last wave that hit us........(she is such a good sport, putting up with her crazy Mama)

You know it is fall when........

Playing in the park involves hoodies!!!!

You know it is Fall when.......

Mama starts making her Potato Soup again!

This is a very exciting time in our lives.  If you don't believe me just ask Rhiannon or Aunt Codi.  Don't ask the Mister, though.  He hates when I make home made soup.  

Last night he tried to explain why he wouldn't eat my soup.  He said the food should be in a bowl and the liquids should be in a cup.  I told him that he just has never had anyone love him enough to make him fresh, home made, all natural delicious soup before and he should give it a try. 

His response, "Do we have any dino nuggets?  How about any leftovers?"    

I made this soup up a million years ago when Rhiannon was just a wee little thing.  It is another recipe that has fed us well through out the years.  Since I just throw a bunch a stuff together everything in this recipe should be added to your liking.   I will put my approximates in parenthesis.  

Crystals Potato Soup

• Potato's (6-8, cubed)
• Carrots(5 large, my girls eat em up, cut however you like I cube em)
• Onion (1 large chopped)
• celery (2-3 chopped)
• Garlic (3-5 cloves, I'm a bit obsessed with garlic, sometimes I chop it, sometimes I smash it and throw it in whole)
• cream of mushroom soup (one regular size can)
• milk (only 1/2 to 1 cup)
• salt, pepper, rosemary, sage (to your liking)

1. Cut up all your vegetables and put them into your stock pot.  If I use fresh herbs I add them now.  Put enough water to cover the vege's.  (keep in mind some will evaporate, so add a little extra on top.  Not to much though unless you like your soup brothy.) 
2. Boil until all vege's are soft.  This will take about 30 minutes, sometimes less.
3. Turn heat off.  If you are using dried herbs add them now.  
4. Add cream of mushroom soup.  I never skip on this part.  I think that is why this soup is so delicious.  
5. Add milk.  I really only add a splash of milk for color.  

Once the cold hits us here Rhiannon asks for this at least two times a week.  Seeing it is also one of my favorites, who am I to say no?

 

Tomato Tomato

This year I had a beautiful, glorious garden.  The first one I've had in over 5 years.  I will tell you all about said beautiful and glorious garden (failure) in another post.  This post is dedicated to my favorite food of all time.

I strongly believe that summer should always involve three simple snack items.  

• Sweet Corn picked out of the field
• Strawberries picked off of the vine
• Sweet lusciously ripe delicious tomatoes picked and eaten often off the plant 

Unfortunately for me and my family we did not get any of these treats this summer.  I did, however, steal some delicious tomatoes from my mom, grandma and Uncle Don's garden in one of my many trips down south this summer.  Next summer I might demand for them to send me a box of delicious home grown food every other week or so so I can make more things like this:  Homemade Pizza and Tomato Burgers. (Both of these recipes were made from my "stolen" goods.  And they were delicious.)

  

My friend Becca and I acquired this recipe from her dad while we were just a couple of lowly college kids scraping by down in Carbondale Illinois.  It fed us many many nights and is incredibly versatile.  I vividly remember eating the leftovers cold, straight out of the fridge (in the pan still) with a spoon before running to school in the mornings.  If you do make this feel free to change it up.  This also makes a delicious start for a pasta sauce.) 

KELLY'S HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE

• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 cans of whole tomatoes (3 1/2-4 cups of fresh tomatoes, diced)
• 6 oz can of tomato paste (I usually don't add this)
• 1 c dry red wine
• 1 tbsp sugar (if you are going to use this for pasta sauce I would omit, just a matter of taste.)
• 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes (this packs some serious heat, so if making for small children I would lower this amount)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf

1. In large skillet cook onion in moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook one minute longer.  (Garlic overcooks really easily so try and keep it to one minute.)  
2. Add remaining sauce ingreedients.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer stirring occasionally for 45 minutes or until thickened.
3. Discard bay leaf.  At this point you can puree if desired.

That is all there is to the sauce.  Of course if I have any fresh herbs on hand I will use them instead of the dried and I always add basil to mine.  If you prefer a meaty sauce you can fry some up in another skillet and throw it in the red sauce once it is done.  I enjoy sauteing fresh vegetables up with my onions in the beginning of the sauce making.  This sauce is so easy to make.  It also is easy to double or triple if you want to make a large batch to freeze for easy meals in the future.  

This is how our pizza looked before I put our vegan cheese on it.  I like to keep the sauce chunky.  I added fresh peppers and basil.  The crust I used was called  Rustic Crust.  I personally thought it was disgusting and will never use it again.  It was a flat bread pizza crust and after baked it crumbled.  The only way we were able to eat it was with a fork.  My family is allergic to dairy so the cheese we use is vegan shreds.  Its not bad.  One thing I notice that is different with this compared to regular cheese is that it doesn't get all melty and stringy.  Instead it seems to expand out, so don't put a ton on otherwise it will swallow your pizza up like the blob.

This next recipe was brought to my attention by my friend Becca as well.  (It seems as though we both love to cook and eat the same kinds of delicious food!)  Becca and her partner Greg live way out in the country.  There house is sustainable in every single way.  The way they are able to live their lives make me green with envy. Every year they grow a HUGE garden filled with all the delicious food I love and miss.  This summer while trying to use up all the delicious tomatoes in their garden she stumbled across this and then shared it with me.    

Tomato Burger

Okay with this I read the suggestions of the other reviews and made up my own recipe.  The end result wasn't exactly pleasing to the eye, but man oh man was it tasty.

• 3 medium to large tomatoes diced
• 2 cups cooked rice (estimate)
• fresh basil chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• oregano
• salt and pepper
• dash of olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic chopped

1. Mix everything together. 
2. Take a large spoon and make a patty on hot skillet.  
3. Cook like a burger.   

Like I said, it doesn't look like it would be that tasty, but it really is.  It is also a great light vegetarian alternative to having hamburgers.  I think next time I make this I will serve it on a bun with fresh mozzarella or goat cheese and bacon.  Or with bacon and lettuce for a hot BLT........  

On a completely different note, after scouring the house for days I finally gave up on ever finding my car keys.  I called a few dealerships in our area to find out what we needed to do and how much it would cost to get a new one made.  It was in or above the $300 price range.  The Mister and I decided to give it a few more days of looking.  

Last night while making dinner Clara casually walked into the kitchen and started "unlocking" the back door with none other then my FREAKING CAR KEYS.  

So where they were stashed will forever be a mystery and her new name is key thief.

6th Grade, What?

Okay, seriously.  Where did all the time go to?   

WHERE!?!?!?!  

How do I have a beautiful, witty and smart 11 year old SIXTH GRADER?  

I feel old.  

(No, really.)

When I think of Rhiannon I think of her sitting on my parents kitchen table giving G.A. (aka Grandpa) a ridiculously hard time.  

I remember her being so brave with every new adventure in life, and the sass.  Oh she was such a little miss sassy pants.

And now here I am all these years later still so proud of her bravery.  Rhiannon started a brand new school this year.  She was terrified yesterday morning.  I told her to remember to smile.  She told me she couldn't just walk around smiling because it would make her look like the class creep.  (Since when does smiling make you the class creep?)  After school she called me with pure joy in her voice.  She wanted to go hang out with all of her new friends!  And last night she told me she wants to try out for volleyball!!!

Little Miss Rhiannon,  I am so proud of you for growing into such a beautiful young lady.  I am proud you are sassy and witty and brave with every new adventure life offers you.  

Congratulations on such a successful first day of school!

Summers End

What a ridiculously busy week its been!  We have all been running around preparing Rhiannon to start her new school year.  While registering her for this school proved to be EXTREMELY difficult (aka them treating me like a lying thief who faked her address and was treated like a common criminal right in front of her already estremely anxious daughter.)  After two days, multiple pieces of mail and identification (to prove we were who we said we were and we lived where we do) she was finally all set and registered to start school. Since she had witnessed all of that negativity I wanted to do something to make the start of the school year to have a more positive feeling.  

As a reward to her for being so brave with starting a new school and a stress reliever to myself we decided to give her room a much needed  makeover.

So we marched our hinies to the nearest home depot and picked up a gallon of Glidden paint in pebble grey.  We spent the entire afternoon transforming her cluttered mess of a room into this.......

Before

 After!!

I am so pleased with the outcome!  We were a bit worried the color would be to dark but it almost reflects the colors in her room and has a purpleish tint to it.  We then spent the rest of the evening scouring the house and putting it in order for some special guests we were going to have the next day.

(Somewhere in this day my car keys mysteriously disappeared.  I hadn't realized it yet...)    













The Mister and I woke bright and early the next day to go to watch a Cubs game on a rooftop with a few friends.

 I was very excited for a few reasons.

1. Beer and a break from children!!!
2. First cubs game this season!!!!! (And only the second ball game this year.)
3. First rooftop experience EVER!!!!!!!

It was so much fun and just the break I needed!

I ate:

•  two hot dogs with the works 
• a chocolate ice cream cone 
• two servings of pasta salad 
• half a slushie 
• a bag of chips 
•  four and a half beers.  

I was one happy girl.

We left right after the seventh inning stretch when lightening and black clouds came rolling right  above us.  We ran for cover in a nearby bar just as soon as the sky opened up.  

After we got home the Mister took a much needed nap and I got to work prepping the food for our weekend guests who came into town to escape NY as hurricane Irene edged closer to them and then decided to make the best of a bad situation and stay a while!  

The Menu

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

Mashed Leeks and Potatoes with Gravy 

Peach and Blueberry Pie

I'm going to have to say that it was DELICIOUS!!!!!  If you need a refresher on how to roast a chicken go here.  I made the pie the same way I did here except I used 4 cups of sliced fresh peaches and 2 1/2 cups of blueberries.  

And of course it was for a three month old baby so I had to put an owl on it.  

(Did I mention I got to hold a sweet new little itty bitty baby?  I love holding sweet new little itty bitty babies.)

(I think this was a one way street.   She doesn't look like she enjoyed us holding her.  But that is okay.  I still think she is the cutest baby alive.  With the exception of my own.)

That night we all had a good ol fashioned basement party.  Because we are awesome. 

Obviously. 

The next day we had a lovely time on the beautiful lakefront before we had to say our goodbye's.

I love this picture.  It looks like the paparazzi took it for the Star or National Enquirer.  

(*GASP*Just look at those two canoodling in the park.  So scandalous!)

I'm a bad mom.  I forgot her jacket. Anyone who has lived in Chicago longer then two weeks knows to ALWAYS bring a jacket.  I brought one for me.  (Maybe the kid needs to start thinking for herself ) ;)  ;)

Sweet Baby Rhiannon watching the waves...

  

After all of that fun I desperately needed to catch up on cleaning and laundry and all of those wonderful chores mothers get to do.......Clara, however, had other plans for me.

I like her ideas better.

(P.S.  My car keys are still missing.)

Salty Grossness

Today Rhiannon had a nine o'clock meeting with the vp at her new school.  So her along with two toddlers (Clara and my friends son) and I all went and toured the school together.  It was a pretty emotional visit for both Rhiannon and I.  

After we left I suggested we walk to Trader Joe's to pick up some sort of chocolate baked goods to help ease everyone's nerves.  (Chocolate is a girls best friend.  Especially in this house)

Since we did have two one yr olds with us we just did a quick brownie grabbing dash and made our way home. Once the babe's were in bed I asked Rhiannon to bring me some brownies.  

She said she already tried them and THEY WERE GROSS!

(Rhiannon is a super trickster.  I was under the impression she was just being silly again.)

So I dug in.

And she was right.

It was disgusting.  I felt like I was trying to chew up a salt lick.  

(For those of you that are "non country" a salt lick is a giant piece of salt hunters leave out to attract deer during hunting season.)  

(And yes I have actually licked one before.)

Although the outside on the brownies were covered in salt i found the inside was still just a delicious chocolate that we were originally looking for.  

I told Rhiannon to try and get to the inside.  She was less then enthusiastic. 

But she humored me anyway, like the good girl she is.

We decided it wasn't worth it,

Lesson learned? 

You really are not that busy. 

READ THE DAMN LABELS!!!!!!!!

  

whittle

This past weekend was the Misters fantasy football draft weekend.

(This is a weekend that shines a light on how the mister used to act -- or still does -- when I'm not around and/or before we became a serious item.)  

So there were a lot of grown up boys hanging out at our house this weekend.

Boys are strange creatures.  Especially when you get a group of them together.

I told the Mister I would get his bears sign made before the draft.  I completely underestimated the amount of time it would take for me to make this.  I sketched the face out on a round piece of pinewood and am using my Dremel to cut away small intricate pieces.  This is what I have done so far.

This is halfway.  The left eye was giving me a really hard time

Finally sketched out to my liking

About two hours of drilling and this is all I have done!  Not even close!!!!!

With the amount of time I have to work on this along with how tedious the work is I wont even be done by Christmas!

If anyone can tell me an easier way to do this I would greatly appreciate it!  

In The Doghouse

Taking Pictures?

NOT FUN!!!

Playing Outside?

SCREW THAT!!!!!

Bath Time?

I HATE THIS!!!!!

Playing In Tunnels?

GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!

Stroller Rides Around Town?

FRESH AIR SUCKS!!!!!!!

PLAYING IN THE DOG KENNEL?????

AWESOME!!!