B's Bunch

Wheels Turning

2011-10-18T14:34:00.000-04:00

In an attempt to get back on the blogging bandwagon, here is what happens on a typical day after school. Scooters, skateboards, cowboys outfits, guns, and on this day a pogo stick for fun. This happens right before the mad dash of getting ready for soccer practice, homework, chores, snacks, piano, baseball games, and/or scouts. Dinner gets crammed in there sometimes too.

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This is my favorite kind of sky. Love that slate blue color and dark clouds.

Add captionAlso love it when the sun peeks out!

Snow, Finally

2011-02-05T11:53:00.000-05:00

Last Day

2011-02-05T11:45:00.000-05:00

Animal Kingdom

2010-12-20T14:01:00.037-05:00

Animal Kingdom is a beautiful park. We went there on two days and I totally enjoyed it, from the fun rides in Dinoland to the amazing shows. Everest was our favorite roller coaster ride and Dinosaur scared the pants off us. We met plenty of characters and enjoyed seeing the animals. I love the little details Disney puts into everything. Bike tire tracks in the cement walkways, old climbing gear and yeti memorbilia in the everest line, intricate costumes in the parades, carvings in the huge tree, crumbling ruins by the tigers, little pieces of ribbon and string tied to the old fences, and so many other things everywhere you look.

Magic

2010-12-20T13:27:00.045-05:00

This picture makes me laugh with all the different Buzz poses. Hayley's cute little fist, Carson's mug, Nate in his own fantasy, Matt being Mr. Incredible, and Zac expressing his feelings about amusement parks.

Remembering back to our most awesome parenting moment ever!

Yea! for Splash Mountain

Aaaargh! Mom's favorite ride.

Pirates was updated with Jack Sparrow appearing which was fun.

They had a blast in the pirates gift shop. There were actually several inexpensive things to buy there. Who doesn't need a pair of rubber handcuff chains?

Nate was even a good sport about wearing matching t-shirts.

The Swiss Family Robinson treehouse was fun to walk through. I remember loving it when I was little. It is one the boys favorite movies. They laugh like crazy when the pirates are attacking, especially when they get crumpled by the logs.

The castle was amazing covered in lights.

Islands of Adventure

2010-12-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

This group of us decided to go to Islands of Adventure for the day, while the others went to the beach again. It is part of Universal Studios and we were excited to see the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It did not disappoint!

It was so well done, it was like being tranported into the books. I couldn't stop smiling.

Hagrid's Hut

Cam felt so big because he could go on this hippogriff roller coaster.

Peeking in the windows at Honeydukes.

We should have left our lunch in the car and eaten in the Three Broomsticks. It was so cute inside.

The boys loved looking at the wands and I so wanted to tell them each to pick one out, but I couldn't stand the thought of dropping $125 on fancy sticks so we bought a post card instead. We are awesome. Matt did sneek back later and bought some of the fun treats to give them for Christmas, like a chocolate frog, every flavor beans and fudge flies.

The mandrakes in the greenhouse.

On our way to try the dueling dragons.

DELICIOUS!

This ride was our big mistake of the day. It said 15 minutes so we got in line and I think almost an hour later we got off and let me tell you, that ride was NOT worth the wait. It wasted so much time and we lost Nate in the meantime and then there weren't lines in the other areas of the park. Oh well.

The kids got to meet the Superheros.

Nate's favorite ride of the week--Incredible Hulk

We got SO much wetter than we expected. No one got off that ride unscathed. We were so happy that we put our shoes in the center.

How cute is that?

Hollywood Studios

2010-12-19T11:52:00.001-05:00

This day was so much fun. I guess I could say that about any of the days. We all wore our Mickey shirts and it was so nice to be able to see us all wherever we went. We first zoomed straight to the Toy Story ride. We got our fast passes and then got in line because we knew we would want to do it twice. The wait didn't even seem that long because there was so much fun stuff to look at. That was a fun start to the day and then we filled it with Indiana Jones, Car Stunt show, Great Movie Ride, Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground, seeing Donald and "Daffy" duck (Donald and Daisy people), Tower of Terror, Rockin Roller Coaster and my favorite show of the week Fantasmic! Hollywood Studios was bigger and a lot more fun than I had remembered.

Ready for our Toy Story adventure.

The kids got recruited by the green army men.

Cutie Cohen watching Indiana Jones.

At the extreme car stunt show.

On the streets of New York.

We were in the awesomest spot for this Block Party Parade. They stopped right in front of us and danced for about 15 minutes.

Woody has some moves.

So do the boys.

Poor Buzz couldn't get down.

Loved Rockin' Roller Coaster!

Luckily we happened upon this before we went home for the night. Totally fun and Christmasy. It was even snowing on us!

Cocoa Beach

2010-12-09T17:16:00.006-05:00

This was our day at Cocoa Beach. It was cloudy but then the sun came out and lit the water so beautifully. It was great to be with everyone in the family!

Epcot

2010-12-08T19:43:00.000-05:00

All Star

2010-11-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

Spencer got to play in the All Star tournament this season. It was a perfect fall day. He played hard, scored the winning goal in one of the games, and loved every minute. Cam, Sam and I got to cheer him on.

mickey shirts

2010-11-19T12:27:00.000-05:00

For Christmas and for our upcoming florida family vacation I decided to make us all Mickey shirts. First, I bought all the t-shirts, which is a feat in itself because by September it is hard to even find t-shirts in the stores. I had to settle for black t-shirts for the adults and red for the kids. Some had to have long sleeves but I think it turned out fine.

Go here for more instructions. After I traced my design onto the freezer paper, I began cutting them out with an exacto knife. Once the design is cut, you iron the paper onto your t-shirt. Using fabric paint you carefully paint in your design. I have found that it is trickier to paint light colors on dark fabric than dark colors on light fabric. You have to do several coats trying not to let the paint get too thick because if it gets too thick it cracks easily once it is worn. Using a dark color on a lighter shirt, you can get away with using less paint. Ironing a piece of freezer paper onto the wrong side of your fabric helps to keep the fabric still while you paint.

When the painting is done, you peel the freezer paper off. When dry, set the paint by ironing for 20-30 seconds or so.

There are so many possibilities, so be creative and have fun!

The whole gang by the castle.

Fall Love

2010-11-10T17:11:00.001-05:00

This is why the boys love fall. Nate was at a campout so we hired Shane to step in for him.

Sharks

2010-11-04T00:26:00.000-04:00

Cam's first season---FINALLY

Spooky Time

2010-11-01T22:52:00.000-04:00

Campers

2010-10-23T01:29:00.001-04:00

Another campout to Lunga. I have yet to see this lake myself. It seems to be a boys outing place. Matt loves it in the early morning and I can see why.

Check Cam's crazy outfit

Nate taking pictures

Cam taking pictures

All my boys

Cox Farm 2010

2010-10-20T17:27:00.001-04:00

Cox Farm is one of our fall traditions. We have gone every year since we moved to Virginia and I think RuLynn has been with for 9 of them. We even went during the sniper attacks. We had a fun time, especially because it wasn't very crowded, but I think she and I were both a little nervous inside.

Matt comes with us once in awhile and this was one of those years. It was a nice day filled with sliding, lunching, corn maze walking, hay riding, animal watching, goat feeding, jumping, rope swinging, playing and pumpkin picking.

We all get to pick a pumpkin as we leave, which is a tedious process trying to get the perfect pumpkin.

Their hayride has got to be one of the craziest on earth, complete with space aliens.

This is a common facial expression in response to the wacky stuff they have on display.

Nate shows his speed sliding technique of using his jacket.

Thanks Nana!

Take a hike

2010-10-19T18:57:00.013-04:00

We went for a little walk on the Appalachian Trail. It is nice to get up where we can see out above the trees and enjoy the stillness.

Apples and Honey

2010-10-19T18:40:00.000-04:00

Apple picking sounded like a nice fall activity. The farms around here are so pretty. Too bad, because of the hot weather lately, the apples ripened early. We bought some apples, but we picked them out of an apple crate instead of a tree. It was still nice. Ru even bought us some honey and fresh cider to take home.

White House Garden Tour

2010-10-13T17:17:00.000-04:00

Some good friends let RuLynn and I tag along on the day of the White House Garden tours. It was fun to read about which presidents planted the various trees and other interesting things that have happened on the White House grounds. It really is a beautiful house.

Artist

2010-10-12T23:22:00.000-04:00

Just Cam makin' some drawring in the pretty light.

I made a HEADBOARD!

2010-10-09T16:04:00.001-04:00

I have been wanting a headboard for our guest room for such a long time and so I decided on this Ana White design. She is amazing and inspiring!
This is my first building project and it made me want to build all sorts of furniture. This was a good project to start with because it was very forgiving. The distressed finish hid my nail gun mistakes and it wasn't too complex. I wish I took more pictures of the whole process but I was too excited about getting it done. I did it in three days thanks to my friend Debbie who came and helped me on two of the days. It was nice to have an extra brain on the job to make sure it was done correctly and nice to have extra hands to help hold things together.
I made it out of inexpensive pine boards. My total cost was around $80-$90 dollars but I have a lot of nails left over for other projects. You can find the plans here.

All the panels in place and back support nailed in.

The distressing on the front. I chiseled the edges on all the boards so they would look old and worn. Spence helped me hammer little holes and other dents too.

Clamping the top board and ready to finish the building.

The finished headboard in our guest room!

I made one change in using a 2x4 for the cap so it would look weightier. There was one tiny glitch and I still haven't figured out if I did something wrong or if our bed frames are an odd size. Our frame didn't match up with the headboard legs so we had to do some creative attaching, but it all worked out and we love it!
We got it ready just in time for some fall visitors. Can't wait to show them.

Cookie Thief

2010-09-14T23:06:00.000-04:00

Caught this guy nabbing a cookie.

First Day 2010

2010-09-07T22:40:00.000-04:00

Off to preschool...

4th grade and 2nd grade...
the big 7th grader...

Flowahs

2010-08-23T00:42:00.001-04:00

Found in my yard this summer:

Our pesky groundhog. He is not even afraid of BBguns.

My Bear

2010-08-20T22:46:00.000-04:00

Spencer earned his Bear award this summer. He was pretty happy during this pack meeting!

Cecret

2010-08-03T01:42:00.004-04:00

Cecret lake is one my all time favorite hikes in August. The wildflowers are incredible! It is not too hard for little boys but hard enough that it feels like more than a walk in the park. I miss these mountains and I'm always so glad when I get to take the boys.

Cool Pool

2010-08-03T01:34:00.003-04:00

Spence is 10

2010-07-27T00:56:00.002-04:00

Spencer got to celebrate his birthday at a Bees game again this year. He loves baseball. He is a great player. He plays pitcher, catcher, short and first base. His favorite is probably shortstop. He is a big Yankees fan and has to endure taunting from Nate (our Orioles diehard). We loved having so many cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents to spend the night with.

Love you Spence!

Cheney Dinner

2010-07-19T00:19:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed this dinner with our Cheney cousins. We got together at Jenny and Tim's beautiful home beneath the beautiful Mt. Olympus. It was so great to see everyone again. I wish we could get together every month.

Karen, Nana & Dad

Nana and the Grandkids

The Whole Dinner Gang

Bountiful Park

2010-07-18T00:07:00.000-04:00

I always loved going to Bountiful Park when I was little. Something about it was so fun. Maybe the big swings and tall trees. A lot has changed but the cement tube things are still there and the boys had a great time on them. We met Ali, Heather, Ray and Ru there and had dinner one night.

We found out that Cameron has the Skidmore lucky toe.

Can you believe it took me four years to notice that?

Silver Lake

2010-07-16T00:26:00.000-04:00

Utah mountains are amazing!!! After a day like this, I REALLY want to move back to Utah. I would love the boys to be able to camp, hike, mountain bike, water ski, and snow ski in these mountains whenever they wanted. Thanks Zac and Hil for taking us on the ranger and spending a fun day with us!

Lagoon x 2

2010-07-14T01:14:00.004-04:00

My boys are a lot braver than I was at their ages. We spent two full days at Lagoon, luckily not in a row.

A Lagoon classic

Brave roller-coaster riders

Poor Ali got sooo wet

With the Morris cousins

Riding buddies Will and Cam

We took this picture right before this spider spit on us and totally scared me.

mmmmm...blue cotton candy

Dad and Colleen

Good Roots

2010-07-05T01:08:00.002-04:00

Our first outing in Utah was to all the big Salt Lake cemeteries. Woohoo! It was actually an evening filled with lots of family, a picnic dinner, riding in Grandpa's car, learning about those who came before us and lovely Utah weather.

Father

2010-06-26T15:59:00.000-04:00

These four boys have one great father.

Strasburg?

2010-06-25T23:08:00.000-04:00

This was our brilliant attempt at seeing Steven Strasburg pitch this year. It would have been perfect. Sunny weather, dollar tickets, he was pitching, Matt could come...only I looked at the time wrong and so when we got to the gate the game was already in the fourth inning. We saw him for one inning and then they took him out and they lost the game. Boo! I guess the other thing that wasn't so perfect was Cam throwing up twice on our way out. Gross!

We're Here

2010-06-09T23:33:00.003-04:00

Yes, we are still alive and doing fine. We have just been living

HERE...

and HERE...

and HERE ...

and in the dirt in the back yard. The other day Matt told me that I've turned into a mole. Often when he has come home lately, I've been covered in dirt and sweat. Nice. But we are getting a lot of yard work done.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-31T23:16:00.000-04:00

This year we chose the Iwo Jima Memorial. We also were able to walk over to Arlington Cemetery and sit on a wall overlooking the thousands of graves there. It is a beautiful spot to overlook DC from. I hope the kids are soaking this in.

Sweet Strawberries

2010-05-25T00:49:00.001-04:00

The berries were good again this year. Such a nice farm and fun to be with just Sam and Cam and of course Nana.

The BIGGEST

We had to eat some. We couldn't help ourselves.

Cap to Cap

2010-05-12T22:55:00.001-04:00

I rode my first 50 mile ride! We started in Richmond and then looped back. It was hard and I didn't train as much as I should have, but I made it and I would like to do it again. It is so fun to have a bike again and I loved riding with Becca, Belva and Audrey. Audrey saved my life at that windy stretch at mile 43. Seriously, an answer to a prayer.

My support team leader. Matt, Cam and Sam came to cheer me on. Maybe next year Matt can ride, if we get his bike fixed up.

Loosey Goosey

2010-04-12T22:43:00.000-04:00

Number 2 is out.

Easter

2010-04-06T22:51:00.018-04:00

Our 5th bucket head boy

This was right before we took Matt to the airport. He spent three weeks in Oklahoma for work.

We're getting excited for our Disneyworld trip later this year

Cherries

2010-04-05T00:14:00.003-04:00

Our early morning cherry blossom walk. We often have gone at sunset but I'm a new fan of the colors in the morning, and less crowds. The pinks are so soft and tranquil. The reflections are clear because the water is so calm. It is exquisitely beautiful in person. I am always disappointed with my pictures. I'm hoping someday to get one that matches the real life experience.

Airplane Park

2010-04-02T22:40:00.023-04:00

This park is really called Gravelly point but we call it airplane park. On the right kind of day it is soooo fun. You are literally under the plane as it makes the final turn and lands at Reagan airport. The air does this whooshy thing and it's loud. This time they had fun trying to race the planes. They never won. I think the other people in the park were looking at me like I was crazy because I show up with these four boys who can't stop wrestling and running all over. But, I let them be boys and I hope they remember this day. I will.

I guess I need to lose some weight. I'm killing Spencer.

Silence please

2010-04-02T19:41:00.001-04:00

We hadn't been to Arlington for awhile so I thought the boys needed to see the changing of the guard again. It is a very impressive ceremony that made quite an impression on the boys. They were immitating it for a week.

a Tail

2010-03-30T23:43:00.001-04:00

Found this guy on our walk at Mason Neck

Our happy new friend

Coolest tail and shell

THE END

Out on the Town

2010-03-26T19:50:00.001-04:00

This year we have had the benefit of spending time just with Cameron on the Mondays Matt has off. We love being able to talk to him and give him lots of attention. After going places with four in tow, it is so easy to just take one around. This was a great day out. We stopped at Matt's favorite store for a pick up. Then ate lunch at Potbelly's. Then went to Bull Run park and played on the playground.

Higher Ground

2010-03-24T23:09:00.001-04:00

A great day for a visit to the temple and a little kite flying at the National Kite Festival.

I love spring in DC.

Cutie

2010-03-21T22:20:00.000-04:00

Just some pictures of Cam for fun! I love that fence and the ham sitting in front of it.

mischief

2010-03-17T12:18:00.003-04:00

Someone came in last night and made all sorts of messes around the house. Who would do such a thing? At least they left behind some gold dollars amongst the shamrock trails.

Nate=Deacon

2010-03-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

Nate=Dozen

2010-03-12T11:44:00.002-05:00

Nate turned twelve this year. Holy Cow! His fun personality and ability to recall all lines from movies or books he has read keeps us laughing. It is great to have a Nate!

Before and After: Garage

2010-03-12T11:31:00.002-05:00

We've been gradually working on this since Christmas. Looking back at these pictures is somewhat embarassing. I knew it was bad, but I didn't realize it was THAT bad. We're not totally done, but I thought I should post some before and after because I can't believe what a change. We kinda want to paint the floor red or something fun. Would that be too crazy?

Credit for this goes to Nate for choosing to do this for his Family Life Merit Badge. Everyone in the family helped out. Cleaned, washed, swept, painted, hauled....Most of the credit goes to Matt of course. He spent many more hours out there than the rest of us. He still has plans for more shelving, but I think it is coming all nicely. Didn't he build a great workbench?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Tubs

2010-03-12T11:20:00.002-05:00

I wish the light was this nice everywhere in our house. Cam loves having a bath. Can you tell?

It is going to come

2010-03-05T00:27:00.003-05:00

Found these today making their way out. Our snow is almost gone and now I can see all the work ahead, but I don't mind.

While I was away...

2010-03-04T23:58:00.002-05:00

...a little snow came to Virginia. I was actually very lucky to make it home when I did. The next day another storm came and dumped another foot. The boys were out of school for more than a week and Matt didn't have to go to work most of that time too. It was kind of like a vacation, mostly because I didn't get much done all week. I guess that is not true. I was the head sled run designer and repairer. We had so much fun sledding and snowboarding all week, for two weeks, really three weeks. It felt like a Utah winter. I didn't take any pictures of how beautiful it was. Oh well, sometimes you just have to enjoy things.

Boys love to jump off things!

They also surprised me and Nate refinished the "shoe" closet. We are still going to add some shelves, but he painted, hung a low coat rack and made it so nice. Yea!

Tea Time

2010-02-27T00:27:00.002-05:00

I had a lovely tea party with my nieces on Sunday morning. We listened to Chopin, drank pink "tea", and the girls were darling!

Elsie LOVED this little fork!

Sweet treats and pretty bracelets to remember each other by.

The tea party wasn't complete without some twirling!

The girls looking lovely.

Remember Aunt B loves you girls!

Bowling with B

2010-02-27T00:15:00.006-05:00

I was able to take my nephews out, and we had FUN! It was great to talk to each of them and do something with just them. They we so cute bowling in their capes!

Cohen didnt' get to go bowling with us this time, but he sure looks cute in his cape!

Had to get us some Nielsons of course!

Remember Aunt B loves you!

Sister Time

2010-02-27T00:01:00.002-05:00

The main reason for the trip home was to have a sisters weekend. I am so glad we finally arranged it! We went to a Time Out for Women event at Weber. I loved the speakers that we heard, but mostly I loved being together and talking. We didn't get much sleep but it was worth it.

We went to this cutie cute ice cream shop for dessert.

Love you girls so much!

Snowbird

2010-02-26T23:47:00.004-05:00

My weekend in Utah started with a perfect ski day with Hill at Snowbird. It was AWESoME!!! I miss those beautiful mountains!

Valentines

2010-02-23T09:14:00.002-05:00

Lovely roses from M. I still can't figure out how he got them to appear on Sunday morning.

Sweet notes left on our door from Nate and Sam.

For M, because I love him.

tied

2010-02-18T00:15:00.003-05:00

Was glad I caught this moment awhile ago...

Almost over the hill

2010-02-13T11:52:00.001-05:00

Matt turned 39 this year. His cake is pretty much a fire hazard now, taking much energy and skill to light. We had some friends out for sledding and lunch. It was a good thing that Nate and Brian took pictures because I somehow ruined the ones I took. I'll post the sledding pictures later.

Happy Birthday Matt! We all love you so much!

Memorial Day 2009

2010-01-26T15:04:00.005-05:00

This year we drove down to Chancelorsville for our morning memorial. We arrived before the visitors center was open so we walked around, climbed on canons, saw a huge black snake and brought some ticks into the car with us. After we went through the little museum the boys each stamped their books.

Monumental

2010-01-26T14:48:00.004-05:00

Before going to the airport we were able to walk around some of the monuments in DC. It was so nice to be outside on such a sunny day. Even though I have walked these paths more times than I can count, I still love it.

14

2010-01-26T11:09:00.005-05:00

I love this cookbook. It was a gift from a good friend. It is a favorite because there are beautiful pictures for every recipe, it is not too fussy, not too many ingredients, there is a sections for each season with soups, main dishes, side dishes and desserts.

I wanted to make potato pancakes because I had some at a fabulous Relief Society breakfast and wanted more. If you have a food processor the grating will be a lot easier than by hand, but it still worked. I squeezed the liquid out of the vegetables before I added the other ingredients because they seemed too wet. If you have a big family you might want to double the batch, it really only makes 8. I ate mine with Tzatziki because I love that stuff!

Potato Carrot Pancakes

3/4 pound (about 3 medium) white potatoes, peeled
8 ounces (about 3 medium) carrots, peeled
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 3 scallions)
Coarse salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup matzo meal
1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, for serving (optional)

In a food processor fitted with a fine-hole grating attachment (or on the small holes of a box grater), grate potatoes and carrots. Transfer to a large bowl; add scallions and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Using your hands, mix thoroughly. Mix in egg and matzo meal until combined. Divide into 8 mounds of equal size.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat bottom of pan. Add half the potato mounds; flatten each to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per side.

Transfer to paper towels or parchment paper to drain. Repeat with remaining mounds (reduce temperature to medium if browning too quickly). Sprinkle with salt, and serve with sour cream, if desired.

NYC

2010-01-26T10:37:00.007-05:00

One of our favorite trips this year was experiencing New York City. Matt had to go for work so I drove up with the boys to stay with him for a few nights. The car ride was long but we almost didn't want it to end because we were listening to the 7th Harry Potter book. That saved us because it took over two hours to get through the Lincoln Tunnel. Our hotel was overlooking Times Square which was so fun and great to be able to just walk out the door into the excitement.

Things we loved:
Riding the boat to the Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Getting our passport books stamped
NYC Skyline
Playing in Central Park
Walking with the boys
Watching TV in the Hotel

Buying Yankee Hats
Sitting in Times Square
Taking the boys to Mary Poppins!!!

Things I learned:
It is hard to carry cameras, everything else you need, and take nice pictures when you are trying to keep track of four boys in NY.
The boys were great at staying close to me.
Looking back I'm thankful for Cam's binky but I'm also really glad it is gone--he looks way too big to have that!
When you go to NY with kids you don't experience the good food--hence the McDonalds--but it is fun anyway.
The tolls are ridiculous.

Not buying $100 muppets was a good choice, even though I wanted one. (They are CUTE)

Sometimes you can't fit everything in that you want to do, but that is ok.

We still have a lot of reasons to go back again.

It is good to watch your kids enjoying themselves and appreciating new things.

Berry Pickin'

2010-01-26T10:31:00.003-05:00

One lovely day we made it to the Westmoreland Berry Farm. We rode the tracker down the hill to the berry patch and picked enough to make jam and also have plenty to eat. The boys worked hard to try to get the goats to cross the walk and eat some corn and then we all enjoyed eating fresh strawberry ice cream. Yummy!

Race Time

2010-01-20T22:37:00.000-05:00

This was Spencer's 2nd Pinewood Derby. There was some fierce competition. I think it would be interesting to see what happened if the boys actually made their own cars. Spencer's is the tank. He got 6th place which isn't bad for a tank.

Here comes 2010

2010-01-12T00:38:00.003-05:00

Festivities occured at our house New Years Eve and into the wee hours of the morning! Hope you had a great night too...

13

2010-01-12T00:17:00.003-05:00

I have wanted to share another food blog that is fantastic! It is called Smitten Kitchen. I haven't made a lot of recipes from her blog but I think it is beautiful and fun to read. We made these donuts back in October at a party with some friends. (Thanks for the cooking help Brian and Chad!!) They were fun to make and I think the concensus was that they were best with the glaze and the sugar. We must like things sweet here. Kind of rich though, you could hardly eat more than one or two. I ate some for breakfast the next morning and they were surprisingly good. I maybe even liked them better the next day with cold milk, for some odd reason. I think making donuts could become a fall tradition!

via smitten kitchen

Apple Cider Doughnuts
Adapted from Lauren Dawson at Hearth Restaurant

Makes 18 doughnuts + 18 doughnut holes (suggested yield for a 3-inch cutter; my larger one yielded fewer)

1 cup apple cider
3 1/2 cups flour, plus additional for the work surface
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil or shortening (see my explanation in the post) for frying

Toppings (optional)
Glaze (1 cup confectioners’ sugar + 2 tablespoons apple cider)
Cinnamon sugar (1 cup granulated sugar + 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon)

Make the doughnuts: In a saucepan over medium or medium-low heat, gently reduce the apple cider to about 1/4 cup, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed (with the paddle attachment, if using a standing mixer) beat the butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until the eggs are completely incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the reduced apple cider and the buttermilk, mixing just until combined. Add the flour mixture and continue to mix just until the dough comes together.

Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper and sprinkle them generously with flour. Turn the dough onto one of the sheets and sprinkle the top with flour. Flatten the dough with your hands until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Use more flour if the dough is still wet. Transfer the dough to the freezer until it is slightly hardened, about 20 minutes. Pull the dough out of the freezer. Using a 3-inch or 3 1/2-inchdoughnut cutter — or a 3 1/2-inch round cutter for the outer shape and a 1-inch round cutter for the hole from a set like this, as I did — cut out doughnut shapes. Place the cut doughnuts and doughnut holes onto the second sheet pan. Refrigerate the doughnuts for 20 to 30 minutes. (You may re-roll the scraps of dough, refrigerate them briefly and cut additional doughnuts from the dough.)

Add enough oil or shortening to a deep-sided pan to measure a depth of about 3 inches. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350°F*. Have ready a plate lined with several thicknesses of paper towels.

Make your toppings (if using): While the cut doughnut shapes are in the refrigerator, make the glaze by whisking together the confectioners’ sugar and the cider until the mixture is smooth; make the cinnamon sugar by mixing the two together. Set aside.

Fry and top the doughnuts: Carefully add a few doughnuts to the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden brown, about 60 seconds. Turn the doughnuts over and fry until the other side is golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Drain on paper towels for a minute after the doughnuts are fried. Dip the top of the warm doughnuts into the glaze or cinnamon sugar mixture (if using) and serve immediately.

Dozen reasons I love Nate

2010-01-12T00:10:00.000-05:00

Nate turned twelve. I'm still not sure I believe it. But, here are twelve reasons I love that boy.

He is willing to help when I ask
He has beautiful eyes
He still lets us hug him
He does so well in school
He is friendly
He loves to tell stories
He is happy to include everyone, even three year old brothers
He is creative
He is not afraid to do things
He is responsible, a little forgetful, but responsible
He has a good attitude
He gives it his all when he plays sports

Christmas at Home

2009-12-26T23:33:00.000-05:00

We are not usually at our own home for Christmas, but this year we were. It was kind of bittersweet because while we really enjoyed the day, we missed our families! I love being together with our parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, and grandparents. I love the parties, the food, watching everyone open gifts, seeing the kids play together, playing games, and talking.

We had a party the day after Christmas (I didn't take any pictures) with some good friends that felt a little like being home to me, which was nice.

Christmas Eve

Almost impossible to get them all looking at the same time!

Christmas Morning

Waiting for Dad to turn on lights and check to make sure Santa came.

Heading down youngest to oldest.

He came!

Cam finally got his Nutcracker.

The long awaitest Stratego game.

Sam got his SLINKY!

KAYAKS!

I gave the boys fleece blankets with their favorite baseball teams.

The back of Nate's has old uniforms and special t-shirts from sporting events.

I was excited about this goody that Matt gave me. I love the polka dots!

Lots of screams when the boys opend Beatles Rock Band from Nana and Grandpa!

Another fun surprise--which I only took video of--was from Mom and Ennis. The boys had fun doing a treasure hunt which led us to the final clue and message that we will all be going to DisneyWorld next Christmas! I'll have to add the cute puzzle Mom drew. The boys didn't quite know what to think. I'm already getting excited. It is always fun to have something to look forward to.

Thanks you to everyone for the wonderful gifts and cards and for making our day great,

even though we couldn't be with you! We love you!

Merry Christmas!

Snow Snow Snow

2009-12-24T12:35:00.005-05:00

TWO FEET of SNOW!

WOOHOO!

Christmas Vacations starts three days early!

Matt doesn't always wear this coat, it just looks like it lately.

Cameron could hardly play outside the first day because it was too hard for him to walk around.

Some good face plants happened

Two ways: Which one do you like?

DC Tradition

2009-12-23T23:23:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite things to do before Christmas is the go into DC to see the national tree. it is a beautiful setting with the White House on one side and the Washington Monument on the other. This year we went a few days after the big snow storm so it was trickier to find parking and some the trains were still buried. It is always fun to warm up at the GIANT yule log, peek in Santa's workshop, look at the manger scene and walk around the state trees and find Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Utah.

Cam was getting cold by this point.

On our way home we stopped to buy some donuts. The girl was so nice and she gave an extra half dozen, which the boys were pretty darn excited about!

Tree Pickin'

2009-12-11T23:12:00.000-05:00

The day we planned to get our tree we had an early snow storm which made everything so beautiful and feel Christmasy. During the day Matt took the boys on a snow hike. Later we went to Five Guys, dropped some packages off at the Marine Museum, and headed to Home Depot to pick a tree. While it is not the most picturesque place to purchase a tree, they have good prices and it is close to home so it works for us. One of these years we'll get out and cut our own somewhere.

This is one day of opening the advent box. There were plenty of useless plastic objects this year. Some favorites were the snowglobe (which only lasted two days until Cameron broke it), jingles bells (who knew they could have so much fun spinning them?), and of course they loved it when they got chocolates.

12

2009-12-06T23:37:00.002-05:00

Honey Butter

From My Kitchen Cafe

2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip this stuff together and then slather it on anything edible. We had it with our scones one morning. I've made honey butter before but with the marshmallow it is so light!

11

2009-12-06T22:50:00.002-05:00

THESE ARE DELICIOUS! This would be a great recipe when you need to take a tray of something sweet for an event. I made them following her suggestion to substitute 1/2 of the oil with a 1/2 cup applesauce. That did make it lighter like cake, but really yummy. Olivia was a great helper!

Pumpkin Bars
from Paula Deen

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for 1/2 cup oil)
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

10

2009-12-06T22:38:00.003-05:00

I think recipes9-15 will all be from the My Kitchen Cafe blog. I tried most of them for the first time while we had company recently, which is not always a smart idea. Everybody were good sports about my experimenting, especially Olivia if it happened to be a dessert:)

I made this meal with chicken instead of pork, just because that is what turned out to be easier that day. It was good, but I think I'll try the pork next time just for fun.

via My Kitchen Cafe

Mu Shu Noodles

12-ounces fettuccine
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
3 medium-sized boneless pork chops, thinly sliced (it is easier to slice thinly if pork chops are slightly frozen)
Ground black pepper
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger (about a 2-inch piece), peeled and grated
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1/2 pound mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 small head Napa or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. When the water comes up to a bubble, add some salt and drop in the fettuccine. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and reserve.

Combine the hoisin and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat one tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add eggs and scramble. When done, scrape them onto a plate and reserve.

In the same skillet heat two tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes (don't overcook or pork will be tough!). Remove the meat from the pan onto the same plate as the eggs and keep warm.

Add the scallions, ginger and garlic to the pan, and cook until aromatic and the scallions are tender, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry until golden brown, 4-5 minutes.

Add the cabbage to the pan and stir-fry until tender, about 3 minutes. When the cabbage is tender, add the reserved pork and scrambled eggs back to the pan along with the hoisin-soy mixture and the chicken broth. Stir-fry to fully heat through, about 1 minute, and then toss with the reserved cooked pasta. Cook to heat through and serve.

Recipe Source: adapted from Rachael Ray