Charlie Helps Out

Originally, we had planned to go away for the last weekend of summer (Memorial weekend)- but with all of the smoke from the surrounding fires, we decided to stay in the house for most of the time. The air quality was getting so bad that we were trying to minimize the outdoor excursions for Charlie and the kids.  

I loved having a weekend of no plans. We took our time on breakfast. The whole family got involved. Colin and Meli (Charlie & Will) all helped with the buttermilk biscuits. Poor Charlie was covered in flour by the end of it. 

I love these moments. It can be easy to forget how much fun it can be to do simple things. Kneading dough, is a blast for kids and a wonderful sensory activity. For Colin's age, (and even Meli's) to start looking at measurements and fractions. I loved as a kid learning the basics of cooking. 

A Scone Treat

Over the holidays, I found a cute bag of scone mix at World Market (one of my fave stores). There were several flavors but I went with the white chocolate and raspberry. We tried it this morning and it was so easy to make and delicious! It made about 12 scones and my kids ate most of them! Meli is picky and hard to find things she likes.

If you see this brand, I highly recommend!

Our heater is not working, so we opted for breakfast by the fire!

                                                  ~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~
                                                             The B Family

Meli's Kitchen: Turkey Burger

Turkey burgers

This is the first week that we are having the kids separately plan their own dinner menu (including dessert) and cook it. Meli went first choosing turkey burger sliders with pears and green beans. Will decided to add Red Lobster biscuits (one of his fave). For dessert Meli chose marshmallows dipped in chocolate and ice cream cones dipped in chocolate with vanilla ice cream. She actually did a very good job. She got to crack an egg again. She added all of the seasonings and stirred the meat. She did not want to touch the meat, which I was OK with. So, I made the patties and put them on the grill. She picked out of the condiments and veggies. I was very impressed that she would pick things that she did not like, but knew that Colin or somebody else did. Meli is super picky, so I am hoping that this will help her want to try more things. Thankfully she seems to like something in every food group. Plus, she loves protein rich foods. She just has very simple taste. Nothing mixed. 

Very yummy

So first meal was a success!! Colin is up next. He chose cheese & bean quesadillas with a vanilla pudding.

Need to work on her presentation

I think we will like the two cookbooks for kids that we chose.

Both recipes came from the Cooking Class book

Two Little Chefs

We started a new thing with the kids, where once a week they each get to plan a meal and help cook it. Last week, we were rushed so they both helped me with one meal together. They both wanted to make breakfast for dinner. 

I was very surprised how they both did with cracking the eggs. Neither one made a mess what so ever. Colin's egg cracking method was a bit unconventional (I wish I would have thought to record his attempt) but it worked. 

They decided to make scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes. I was not as hungry, so they were sweet and made me a small bowl of oatmeal.

I think that this will be very fun for the kids. It will also help to teach the importance of the major food groups and balancing that in a meal. I will also let them choose a  dessert (probably more on the healthy side) on their cooking days. I need to find a good kid's Cookbook. 

Celebrating like an Oregonian

Sparklers

I have had a few people who are not originally from Oregon, comment on how much we love our fireworks. I never really thought it as being more so than others...but we definitely do enjoy the 4th of July show. A few were from Cali, where they said fireworks have been illegal for most of their life. This was their first Independence Day in Oregon, and I guess they were all taken by surprise by all of the noise...that lasted very late into the night...on a day before going back to work. The poor guy had to sleep part of the night on the floor of his kids' room because they were scared. 

I do remember the kids being scared our first year in Oregon. I guess for non-natives it is a shock to the system. Now, three years later the kids love this holiday. 

Chores

The kids were sweet and volunteered to wash my car. I should take an after picture, they missed several spots. Still it was fun and an easy way to cool off. Meli was a little sad to soak her "holiday" dress.

Grandma & mae

We got to show Grandma Liz how to celebrate the holiday with Oregon flare. I think she had fun watching the fireworks and throwing the snap-its at everyone's feet. After we said that she was off limits. Ha, ha...sneaky Grandma.

With getting ready to move and work,  I have not really been in a cooking mood...but the holiday helped bring that back for me. I had a great time cooking, baking, etc. We made banana bread, festive cake, and a few new recipes. I should have had Liz try Blue Apron out with me. I did not plan that one out. Bummer.

More 4th fun

I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th. I really enjoyed the time with family. It was a very nice 4 day weekend. More about that to come!

A Simple Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was very low-key for us, which was a welcomed change. It was nice to just take it easy. I still spent most of the day cooking, but I love to cook (especially with my mom)...so that was fun in itself. There is so much to be thankful for this year. I am blessed with such a wonderful,supportive husband, two sweet kids, and am surrounded by wonderful friends and family.

I love when the kids help me in the kitchen. Meli was so cute trying on my apron. Life is such a beautiful thing!

I was able to make my own table runner this year for Thanksgiving (and Halloween). It was made even prettier by such a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Perfect for the holiday. 

I think I started a new tradition by making fresh strawberry muffins for breakfast. They turned out so delicious! Here is the recipe. 

I know it is a little late, but I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, spent with family and friends! Sending blessings and love for the rest of this holiday season!

Cornucopia, a beer festival, and a barcade!

A few weekends ago, Will and I were in Eugene to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was such a fun night! Kid-free and just letting loose. We ate dinner at the Cornucopia - our first time there and it was delicious food. Then we headed over to the fairgrounds for a beer festival. There were over 70 breweries there. All for our tasting!!! My favorite was a dunkel German beer, but I cannot remember what brewery (*sad face). I also loved a chocolate cherry stout that won 2nd place. It was so good! More of a sipping beer though. I need to try and look up the breweries.

 

Afterwards, we headed to a barcade (bar/arcade). Will was so excited to see some arcade games from his childhood. I did not spend much time at arcades, but definitely remember some from a pizza place we would go to. We all played the Turtles in Time game (Will was very happy to see this game). I had fun with the bowling skeet ball or something like that. I had over 7 strikes!!

 

 

We used to watch Flash Gordon over and over as kids. Will had never seen it, so we tried watching it recently...Horrible movie! So bad.  Not sure what we were thinking.

Farmer Market Adventures

My cutie pie

The kids and I have had a blast this spring/summer exploring the local farmer markets. There are a few within the city we live, but we have ventured out to the surrounding cities. I love that a good portion of them are more than just produce. The kids have really enjoyed the different playgrounds and animals. The latest one had a shoe house. Colin thought it was the coolest thing. I probably should read to him the old nursery rhyme.




The shoe

The kids helped me pick out a few flowers for the front yard. Meli tried to pick everything that was pink. Colin kept trying to find boyish colors. We also picked out a few new fruits for the kids to try. Colin wanted to try plums and nectarines. I am pretty sure Colin has tried them before, but he did not remember. Plus, Meli has not tried them yet. She actually liked both...yay!!!

 

The kids kept hearing a loud sound that they could not figure out where it was coming from. Of course, they had to investigate. They discovered an whole area of animals and found the noise maker.

 

 

The culprit making all of the noise

I think they are hungry

We got to see goats, chickens, cows, and bunnies. This goat kept butting the baby one. I just wanted a picture. The baby was so cute!

 

He was really hungry...and aggressive

His/her eyes were so gray and cute

The day we went was very hot (like 96 degrees - which is a very hot day here). I love that after being in Virginia, the hot days here are definitely hot but tolerable. No humidity!! Since it was so hot, we treated the kids to ice cream. Colin chose cotton candy (I do not understand the appeal) and made a mess. Meli went with vanilla. She is not to adventurous with her food.

Umpqua Dairy ice cream - so good!

I am so excited for the summer! My veggie garden is pretty set for now. We will probably add the extra beds and gate later this year. I have a few things I want to do to the front still. The house came landscaped, but I am not a big fan of the bushes. I cannot believe we have been here almost a year. We had so much color in our other house, so I wanted to enjoy the white walls for a while. Now I am feeling like it is time to add some color. I am thinking a taupe or tan type for most of the walls, then adding a few accent colors. My first project is my laundry room. I am looking at a gorgeous purple. I recently made an art wall in their for the kids. This is the color, http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/benjamin-moore-138086 

 

We also have plans to take the kids to Enchanted Forrest (it has been so long since I have been) and the Portland Zoo. I am surprised we have not taken them there yet. We also want to go to the coast a few times and...Will and I booked our Seattle trip!! I am so excited to go! This will be my first time and Will's third.

The Vintage

http://www.eugenevintage.com/

 

One thing that I am loving about being back on the west coast is the unique, amazing restaurants. I love the little hole in the wall places. There is such good food in this area. An added plus is that a very high portion of them are organic, homegrown, grass fed, healthy and delicious! We are so lucky to be close to both Portland and Eugene to explore all of the food options.

 

On Friday, we were able to get away for a date night...actually date day. We went clothes shopping for an upcoming wedding, had an amazing (the most amazing) late lunch, shopped more, and then enjoyed a light dinner and beer at a bar with live music. The music was great! It was described as Americano meets Mexican ghost stories. We loved it.

 

We were down in Eugene for the day, so we decided to try a restaurant that has been on my radar for a few months. I have enjoyed creating a list of potential eateries to try. The Vintage was high on my list. It is now my new favorite.

 

I started off with the drink special, Berry Mojito. It was made with fresh ingredients from their backyard. There is something about watching them pick the ingredients that is so...refreshing. The restaurant is in an old house. There are several places like that in Eugene. The drink was delicious! The berry puree was excellent. It was so good I had to have two! A little tipsy by 4...that's OK! Makes clothes shopping more enjoyable! When we are able to go there again, I want to try a mojito in one of their fishbowls! It is HUGE! I would share of course.

The restaurant is known for their crepes, so I thought I should go with their specialty. I had a crepe with pesto, tomato, avocado, mozzarella, and topped with crème fraiche. Seriously delicious! Even the side salad was to die for. Their homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing was fantastic!

 

We splurged and shared chocolate fondue for dessert. Yummy!

Here it is three days later, and I am still thinking about that crepe (and mojito). Now I am hungry!

A Strawberry Picking We Will Go

Meli is more hands-on feeding. Colin prefers distance

Will has been on vacation this past week. It is always sad when it comes to an end. I feel like it was just not long enough.  Thankfully, we had some nice weather in the beginning, but the last few days have been some drizzle and downpour.  I have to admit I love the downpours. Drizzle, I can do without. Luckily, we took the kids strawberry picking when it was nice.

 

 

My little friend. She was new.

The kids were able to play at the playground, feed the goats, and pick strawberries. I also did some fruits and veggie shopping. I somehow got the kids excited about trying new foods. Well, Colin is usually always up for new foods. Especially if you say it is "healthy and will build muscles like daddy's". We got brussel sprouts,  yams, sweet potatoes, mangoes, and eggplant. I think that for the most part, everyone like the new foods. Besides, the picky one (Meli). Colin was not too thrilled about the sprouts though.

Meli loves to feed the animals

It was fun picking the strawberries. The kids are allowed to eat as many as the want while picking. Such a kid-friendly place. We started with two buckets, but someone ended up with three. I am guessing that Meli picked up one that someone had set aside. Oops. Sorry to the stranger who realized they were short on strawberry buckets.  They were delicious! Thank you for picking nice ones! At least if she was the culprit, it could not have been too full.
 

very enthusiastic about strawberry picking

Meli liked searching in the plants. She just liked to pick the white, small ones. Finally we got thru to her that red was much better. We enjoyed strawberry shortcake, strawberry lemonade, and strawberry pancakes. Mommy enjoyed strawberry mojitos. Yum! The mangoes were used to make a mango salsa - delicious!! We put it on tilapia. Here is the recipe.

Such hard workers

~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~

The B Family

Well...Hello, Jack Sprats!

Getting ready to hangout with P-pa and Mi-ma.

We were able to visit with my dad and Michele this weekend, which allowed for mommy and daddy to have a lunch date. Cottage Grove is such a cute little town. It is historic...meaning it has a lot of neat buildings and things to see. Will and I ate at a local spot called, Jack Sprats. So good. It serves to all kind of food lovers: vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, etc. Will had a steak with vegetables and I had Thai curry with coconut tofu. Delicious! I went with mild for the spicy level. I am a firm believer in testing out the range of heat at each location when it comes to curry. In my experience mild, medium and hot mean totally different things to each cook. The mild was not spicy at all, so if we go again I will go for the medium. Very cute little place. At each table they had little puzzles or toys to play with. Will and I had fun with a magic 8 ball.

Lunch date w/the hubby

Thai curry w/coconut tofu

Restaurant Bucket List

excuse my finger in the pic!

Will and I have decided we want to be more adventurous with our restaurants that we try. So, we are moving down a list of all the types of international cuisines. The restaurants will range from Portland down to Eugene (and possibly further south). This week we tried a Greek/Middle Eastern restaurant. It was very good! The restaurant was a small hole in the wall place called, Poppi's Anatolia. We started with dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) for an appetizer. I had a delicious plate of Egyptian Moussaka stew and Will had a very Greek flavored chicken dish with cauliflower and potatoes (small steps for him). Technically, I am very open to trying different foods (even meat - as long as I do not know what it is), but Will is working on being more adventurous. We ended the meal with baklava (one of my faves). This one was good, but I felt it was pretty different from the ones I had in Greece and at different Greek restaurants. It seemed a little more "Americanized".

 

Afterwards we tried a bar that was referred to as the "little Portland", but I totally forgot the name. That was an interesting place. It was the first time that I felt kind of old being somewhere, but people our age group showed up fairly quickly after we got there.



Last night we were able to have another date night. Since we were trying to be good on our diet and we were a bit tired from our busy Saturday (and staying out late),  we ate dinner at home and then went out for chips and salsa at a Mexican place...and beer. A few calories there, but we have not been drinking beer, so very much deserved!