Winter Wonderland

Sorry I went MIA on you for a while there.  But boy, have we been busy.  We now have a lot of catching up to do :)  

Cauliflower "Wings"

I fell off the radar for a while there.  But I'm back.  The writing bug hit me again.  I must apologize, I get into these funks and lose sight of hobbies I love.  One of them being writing. When I was younger I used to get journals and just sit with one open to a blank page, pen in hand, and just sit waiting for something to come to my head to write.  Because I knew there was something to write, I could feel it, but I just wasn't sure what it was immediately every time.  The feeling is back again.  And you are about to be the lucky recipient of these need-to-write moments now. Lucky you!

So this is a photo I posted on Facebook and was asked for the recipe so I figured I would share it with you too!

This was super yummy and really quite simple.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - one head

2 eggs

salt, pepper, garlic

2-3 cups Italian bread crumbs (or breadcrumbs seasoned to taste)

about 1/2 cup Parmesan grated cheese

Butter (for sauteing)

Water (for boiling)

Recipe:

First, cut the cauliflower into chicken wing sizes.  (Yes, this is entirely subjective.  Just go with whatever looks appetizing to you.)  
Boil your wings for 6 or 7 minutes just to soften them up a bit.
Mix the eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl.
Put the cauliflower in the bowl with the egg mixture.  It is not necessary to do it one at a time, but don't put so many you can't properly coat them in egg.
Once the cauliflower is coated, put them in a bag with the bread crumbs and Parmesan.  I really only sprinkled a couple handfuls of Parmesan, not much in relation to the amount of bread crumbs used.
Shake them all up so everything is nicely coated.
Saute in butter until they are golden.

Happy Halloween!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!  Hope you all had a ton of fun, got lots of walking done, and a heavy bag of candy to add some resistance. =[:-)B

From my ninja and my vampire, too!

 Other years, I have insisted on having ridiculous professional-type pumpkings.  I carve ghosts, pumpkins, grave stones, etc.  But it was really all kind of compensating for hearing constantly about how I couldn't live up to other people's expectations.  (This all stems from issues in the past - a post for another day.)  But now I see how much more fun it is to just let the kids take a pen and go to town on the pumpkin.  They wanted good, old-fashioned vampire-esque jack-o-lanterns and I was happy to just cut what they drew.  It was faster simpler, and much more fun for all three of us.

This was our first year trick-or-treating with families in the neighborhood.  And I really enjoyed it.  It's nice feeling like part of a community and like I'm doing my part to try to keep the kids connected with their friends while I get friends too!

I hope you guys had fun too!

10 Free Things to do in the Fall when you just HAVE to Get Out

As summer ends, I find that we stay inside more and more.  Because it's just easier to do STUFF outside in the summer.  The weather is way more conducive to outside activities.  And trying to get out of the house in the fall can be tricky because it seems like everywhere indoors costs money these days.
So I came up with 10 things to do outside in the fall.  Some might require some bundling up, but it's all worth it.

1. Take a hike
I am so lucky to live close enough to parks and rivers along which we can hike or walk.  Fall is a great time to hike - not too hot, not too cold.

(Okay yes, this was taken in the summer, but imagine how it looks when we hike now with all of the yellow, orange, and red trees. So beautiful!)

There is also a stream not too far away.  It's too cold to get wet, but throwing rocks is ALWAYS fun.

2. Rake Leaves!

I love raking leaves and the kids love to mess up everything I have raked.  Luckily we know raking is really not that important.  The leaves WILL biodegrade under the snow.  I love the look of pure joy on their faces as they jump in the piles and throw the leaves in the air.

My son still has his helmet on because we had just been biking.  (See #8)

3. Go to the Library

I love spending time at the library.  I love being surrounded by books.  I love that they are all beautifully order.  And I do love a little quiet.  

Going with the kids is amazing.  Seeing their excitement over the possibilities thrills me.  They can sit and read them there or take them home.  My daughter always claims she doesn't want any more books, yet always manages to emerge from between the shelves with a stack of books almost bigger than her. 

I really hope that I instill a love of reading in my children.

Also be sure to check out what events your library has.  There are books clubs, lego clubs, yoga classes, school bus rides and so much more happening!  Some has to be signed up for in advance, but for some things you can just pop on it.

4. Go to the Playground.

Playgrounds are not just for summer!  We will go in the dead of winter.  In fact, I love the "off-season" when we get the playground to ourselves.

5. Do a Fall Scavenger Hunt

Find items and have the kids take pictures of them.

Some list examples could include:

acorn

pinecone

orange leaf

green leaf

leaf from a deciduous tree

needle from an evergreen tree

twig

rock

skeleton

pumpkin

jack-o-lantern

etc

Another super fun scavenger that we have attempted multiple times, but never completed involves trying to locate the letters of the alphabet as formed by the surroundings.  This could be done outside or inside.

For example, the corner of this book is the letter "L":

6. Draw Outside with Sidewalk Chalk

It's always fun to bundle up and make a mural in the driveway, walkway, or even the deck.

We got buckets of chalk from Five Below.

7. Take a Pet (or a neighbor's pet) for a Walk

Walks are a fun time to talk and teach kids their way around the neighborhood.  Fresh air is wonderful and something that we often don't get enough of when it's cold and we want to remain cooped up in the house.  Get out! Get exercise!  Your pet will thank you.

8. Bike!

Just put on some gloves and get back out there before the snow and ice come.

9. Find a Place to See Animals for Free

This is really very cool.  I had no idea that these things were available, but there are animal sanctuaries that you can visit without having to pay.  We found one for owls and also one for other animals.  It had local wildlife and even a bobcat someone tried to keep as a pet until it got too big.

10. Check your Local Fire Station.

This is another super cool idea.  We have gone to open houses at our local fire company for the last couple of years.  Fall seems to be the time to do it - not too hot so the fire can be controlled and not too cold so people still want to be outside.
We always have so much fun.  There are rescue demonstrations, stations where the fire fighters teach the kids to use smoke extinguishers, fire truck rides, and even more.

I think that this picture is from a couple years ago.  That is one of the antique fire trucks they used for the rides.

So it's getting colder, no excuse not to get out!

What do you like to do in the fall?

My Ridiculously Silly Monty Python Halloween Costume. Yeah I Did That.

Last weekend, I went to a costume party. It was so much fun.  I hardly ever dance and when I say I danced the night away, I was dancing when I was walking, when I was talking, when I was shaking hands and meeting new people.  I just totally let loose and it was so much fun.  

Weeks before the party I decided that for my costume, I would use an old school girl costume I still have from college.  The plan was to make it a zombie costume by ripping it up, pouring fake blood all over it, and wearing a wife beater I already have that is covered in fake blood.  (This was from one day when I just decided to dress up like Helena from Orphan Black for absolutely no reason.)

The day of the party I decided I didn't want to wear it.  The skirt is short, the weather is cold, and nobody wants to be THAT girl.  (You know the slutty looking one at a party where everyone else is covered.)

At the last minute, I decided to go for funny instead.  And what is more funny than Monty Python?  Yeah, not much. Especially when I comically recreate it.

I made this in about 3 minutes.  I used my mom’s nightgown, my sweater, a funnel, and a plastic chili pepper from my kids’ kitchen.  I looked for a carrot, but for some reason it was MIA. Yes the costume is ridiculously silly, but I sent it to my brother and he got the reference right away. People who got the reference really GOT it. And I was amused by it. That's what really matters.

Have I put you in the mood to watch? Well here's the scene:

My Astrofizzatist

What do you do when your 4 year old tells you he's going to be an "astrofizzatist"?

a) kiss him slightly too aggressively

b) tell him that would be an amazing career and you are so proud of him

c) do a craaaaaazy happy dance

d) remind yourself that this must be a sign that regardless of all the doubts and guilt that come with motherhood you MUST be doing something right

The correct answer is ALL OF THE ABOVE!

...follwed by e) blog about it!

My Daughter's Reading Nook

I'm going through a phase where I am just sick of almost everything design/decorating-wise that I've pretty much ever done.  I need to do some major reworking of it ALL. 

My daughter, meanwhile, has been hard at work redesigning her room to make it look less juvenile and more her.  Her room really does look better now.  It seems bigger and lighter.  I really like her style and as pink as everything is, this corner of her room is now my new favorite- her reading nook. We made the valence together (I should blog about how). That canopy used to be over her bed, but it kept getting stuck on things and getting pulled down. It was really kind of annoying as she was trying to sleep, or reach her night table, or...well...anything. She found the bungee cord chair at target. The pillow on the chair she made from a kit she received as a birthday present. And the "area rug" was a crocheted baby blanket. 

It makes me want to grab a book and curl up to read too!