Pumpkin Harvest

This year we had some crazy weather. The summer was Crazy HOT, ABOVE normal temps constantly. Now "Fall" has hit and it's really COLD, BELOW normal temps. Plus to make matters worse we had no transition, one day we were MELTING, the next FREEZING! Crazy!

Anyway because of these extremes home gardens have not flourished like they normally would. We planted three pumpkin plants (one White, one Orange, one Mini) this year. Last year we had one and got 3 HUGE pumpkins off of it. This year we got a small white a medium orange and 5 mini... That's it. To top it all off the vines were dying so we had to have an early harvest. Here's hoping they will last until Halloween!

I think it might ACTUALLY be the happiest place on earth....

Taken at the early morning "power walk" offered by the hotel before the park opened

My AMAZING parents gave Big A the best early 5^th birthday gift ever! They took him (and me and Jeff too!) on a magical, fantastical, completely over-the-top amazing Disneyland Trip!!  We decided to leave little a at home (She stayed with Jeff’s Parents) She is still too little to really do anything and didn’t really “get” what she was missing. That way we could put all our focus on the Birthday Boy and really cater the trip to him. It’s funny, I haven‘t been since I was like 12 and I think I was just as excited as Big A for the trip.

The Trip started out with a bang as a HUGE stretch LIMO arrived at our door to pick us up for the airport. Big A couldn’t believe how big and awesome it was! He actually laid down on the vast seat and said” I think we should live here. We could just sleep here and have it take us anywhere we want to go!”

The next phase, Big A’s first flight! We flew Jetblue. It was a perfect plane ride. Big A was a Great little traveler and enjoyed looking out the window, coloring and playing with the ipad.

We arrived in sunny California and went straight to the happiest place on earth! We stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel. It was so impressive! The lobby was so Beautiful and classic. It was not at all the “cheesy” theme park hotel one might imagine.

We went up to our room to freshen up before we hit the parks and found a magical surprise. Grandma and Grandpa had sprung for the “dream makers” experience and it truly lived up to it’s name.   “Mickey” had visited Big A. He totally decorated the room and left a HUGE present for our special boy! It was soooo cool! Mickey’s footprints led to the package and the Ginormous box was filled with all sorts of Mickey and Disneyland surprises.

We went on to spend three magical, fantastical, enchanted days exploring Disneyland and Disney California. We went on every ride. Big A was brave and AWESOME and went on everything, Matterhorn, Space Mountain (My Fave!), Indiana Jones, even The Tower of Terror. We got his autograph book signed and he liked seeing the characters but that was not his focus.

Radiator Springs was amazing! We even talked Ma and Pa into going with us on the Cars Ride! It was so fun! I think it was Pa’s favorite ride in the park! When we went it wasn’t too busy, between fast passes and the walkee wait app I think we never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride. The only negative was that it was H-O-T! Not just regular California hot, but crazy, sweating your socks off, locals saying how crazy hot is was, hot! Ma and Pa rode "Little Mermaid" like a THOUSAND times to cool off!

One very exciting thing happened, Big  A became a Jedi! We went to see the Jedi Training Academy show and our awesome boy was selected! He got to train with the Jedi and battle Darth Maul! Jeff literally had a tear in his eye watching his boy become a Jedi!

It was truly the most amazing time and I can’t even begin to tell my parents thank you for everything they did. It is memories that will last a lifetime. However it did leave us with one mutual sentiment….

As Big A said on the Limo ride home
“So can we go back to Disneyland tomorrow??”

My sentiments exactly...

After a nice hiatus from work for our awesome Disneyland adventure (I will post all about it as soon as my Disney photo pass CD arrives!) it was time get get ourselves into gear and go to work. This means our whole clan has to get up early. This is what happened after I woke up big a...

Big a: "Sweetie girl time to get up." and kisses her cheeks
Little a: "Hmmmm NO bruder I'm too tired!"
Big a: "but we have to get up and get dressed."
Little a: " No bruder I'm just going back to sleep!" and she turns over and snuggles back in.
Big a: huge smile - "That is a brilliant idea!" and snuggles in around her.

** little a calls big a "Bruder" or brother for those who don't speak toddler.

My Un-Back-To-School post

You can't go into a store right now without seeing backpacks, lunch boxes and crayola products everywhere. Yes, it's Back-to-school time. Instagram and facebook are absolutely flooded with first day of school pics. It's fun to see all the kids dolled up for their first day.

Over the past couple of weeks everywhere we go people have asked Big A about going back to school. Most people think my big  "little guy" is going into first or second grade. It has been funny saying, "not yet, he's only 4."

Big A missed the state mandated birthday deadline by about a month and a half so he will not be starting till next year. I have to say that I am so very thankful for this. It actually completely freaks me out that this is my last year with my buddy at home with me. I guess I am a selfish Mom. I absolutely love our time together, he is such an amazing little guy, I can't imagine him not being with me everyday. I know he has to grow up someday, heading off to school and friends leaving boring Mom behind.
But not now. For now I'm still "Cool Mom", his "Best Buddy" and we have another year of great adventures together.

SO see you later Backpack, Bye Bye Lunchbox...we wont be needing you till next year!

 

"Birthday Cake" Cookies

I realized it has been well over a month since I last posted a cookie recipe....far too long! Here is a fun one that you can easily adapt for any holiday (just change the color of sprinkles you use!). It's easy, your kids can help and it makes up some awesome chewy, flavorful cookies.

Birthday Cake Cookies

 Makes 2 Dozen

1 box white cake mix (18.25 oz)

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 C vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 C Sprinkles (Pick your Color to match the occasion!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, mix together the dry cake mix and baking powder. Add the egg, oil and vanilla to the cake mixture stir to combine. Grab your "helpers" to sprinkle in the sprinkles! Stir in the sprinkles.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes (I turn the sheet at 5 minutes for more even baking). Bake until lightly browned (don't over bake).They will be very soft at first and need to cool a bit to harden up enough to pick up. Let sit for 5 minutes after baking before you try to move them from the tray then enjoy.

 

 

At the Lake House

   For years I have read the summer “beach reads.” They invariably end up having a week get-a-way at a beach rental in the Hamptons or Nantucket or somewhere like that. I have always thought how amazing it would be to have a family tradition at a beach house. The chances of this happening were pretty slim since we live in Utah, land locked in the middle of the west.

   In a wonderful turns of events Jeff’s parents good friends have a house right on Bear Lake. It is an amazing house and the backyard walks right out onto the beach. They have been so very nice to let us use the lake house for a long weekend the last couple of years.  It is the summer adventure of novels. We had an amazing time in the water and hanging out on the beach. There is also a cute little lake town “Garden City” that has the most amazing shake shack.

 

   This year was amazing and the kids had a blast. They have asked several times when we are going back to the lake house (or Lake Housshth as little a says).

 

 

"Remy's" Ratatouille

Harvest season is upon us and it's time to start reaping the benefits of all those hours you have put into the garden (or all the hours your nice friends and neighbors have put in). The zucchini and squash are all ripening up and what better way to use them up than with an amazing ratatouille dish?

I don't know about you but I have a very hard time getting my kiddos to eat squash or zucchini (Yuck!). I have found that if I am a bit creative they will eat. One of my biggest wins was recreating the Ratatouille that Remy the rat makes in the Disney movie.  It turned out delicious, looked just like Remys (though completely cooked by humans!) and was a hit with the kids. A thanks to my friend Suzie for providing us the awesome squash!

Remy’s Ratatouille
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Large Squash (I have used zucchini, eggplant, red bell pepper, really whatever you have like that should work)
Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
parchment paper, 1 1/2 quart baking dish
Optional: Goat Cheese, mandolin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees .

Place baking dish on parchment paper and draw a pattern of the bottom of the dish. Cut out the pattern and see if it fits as a "lid" to the dish. You may have to trim the paper a bit. It's easiest to do this part first.

Pour tomato puree into bottom of an 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Stir in the onion, Garlic and 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, Season with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice the squash (or whatever you are using). I use a Mandolin for quick uniform cutting. I can't imagine doing this without one, but it would be possible.

Arrange the slices of squash (or what you are using) on top of the tomato mixture in the dish. Overlap the slices and alternate colors. Cover the whole dish like this (see pic below)

 Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the arranged squash. sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and salt and pepper.

Cover with your parchment paper and bake for 45-50 minutes until squash is cooked but not limp or browned and tomato sauce is bubbling up.

Optional: Serve with goat cheese dolloped on top.

The ingredients

your Tomato Sauce

Thinly slice your squash

Arrange your squash slices

Cover your masterpiece with parchment paper

Your finished Ratatouille!