Sunday, October 21, 2012

Fun at the Patch

This weekend we went to the Pumpkin Patch to have some fun with the Morales Family. The patch has a petting zoo, lots of jumpers, corn maze, train ride, cars to drive, and a tomato launch. The kids got nice and dirty and sweaty! Still pretty warm out here for October. 
 Fall is one of my most favorite times of year because it is so nice outside. We had so much fun and then grabbed dinner with our friends. 

Our Sunday has been nice and relaxed today. We hit the golf course and played a round of golf with Papa. Carmen played her first round of 9 holes and played the entire thing! She did so great. I was totally impressed with her skills and stamina! 

Back to work tomorrow.  Gianni is still playing baseball and practices on Monday and Thursday. Carmen's tennis lessons start back up in a week or so and that is Wednesday and Friday. I seriously have no idea how my family will ever eat dinner at home again. It is hard to keep up with these two but I love that they want to stay active and healthy!

PS......We REALLY REALLY REALLY miss Nonna. 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Our End to Fall Break and The Princess Turns 5

 This week we surprised Papa at the airport. The kids hid behind a trash can and waited and waited. It was so funny because they thought they saw him coming 15 times. Pretty much anybody that had a hat on and was a man they thought was Papa. Once her arrived Gianni hugged him so hard and Carmen gave him a picture that she made for him!
After his arrival and a little breakfast at McDonalds, we headed to the Natural History Museum. The kids have only been here once and Carmen was 2 years old. The museum has all kinds of old things and lots of hands on stuff for the little ones. The kids explored, did puzzles, looked at bones, panned for gold, and learned about ancient civilizations.
Look at these two cutties! They can be so sweet at times, of course this is when someone is not saying, "he is looking at me" or "she won't stop touching me". 

Today was Saturday and man was it a busy Saturday. It started off with dance class for Carmen and Sophia. These two are just so cute together. Next session they are moving up to the next class. There are a lot of little ones in with them and it is time to learn a few new moves!
After dance it was over to Gianni's baseball game which had already started. He is playing so well. It makes me so proud when I show up and parents tell me, "wow, Gianni made some great plays and has been hitting the ball way into the outfield!" He is ALL sports right now. The child will not play with toys at all. I asked him the other day, "Gianni why won't you play with legos or transformers or wrestling guys?" He looked at me and said, "mom, I'm growing up you know!" Cartoons are totally out. This kid is addicted to ESPN and Sports Center.

After the baseball game, it was home for a shower, a little lunch, and then off to Carmen's Birthday party at Michael's craft store. My little princess turns 5 on Monday and today was her special day! She had a Tangled birthday theme filled with crafts, friends, and fun!
For the first time ever Carmen wanted a girls ONLY party. Gianni was the only boy allowed and even he had to do a boy craft. Once her friends arrived the kids painted jewelry boxes and made jewelry to go inside. Then it was cake, gifts, and face painting. Each child got to take home their crafts and a balloon. The face painting took a while but it seemed to be a big hit. Tonight we had tears when it had to come off int he shower. 
I had so much fun with her today. As my second child, the focus is not always on her as much as it sometime has been on him. Today was so special for her. In the past we picked the guest list and the party but today this was all her. She had 6 girls attend which was perfect. She loved the pink, the crafts, the balloons, and she was glowing the entire time. She is so beautiful and smart and I am so proud to be her mom! She has the best friends in the world and they all got her the most perfect gifts. She received purses, art supplies, LiteBrite, Barbie Ballerina, a tea party set to paint, dry erase boards, and Cinderella toys. Tonight she had no idea where to start because she wanted to open everything and do everything tonight. Then after the party Papa took her to by her very first BIG GIRL bike. She is riding all over with no training wheels. What did she pick??? A pink Pinkalicious bike with a horn! What a perfect way to celebrate turning 5!
HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY CARMEN! We love you so much munchkin!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Supper Club and Fall Break Pictures

Fall Supper Club was recently hosted by Angela and Ryan. Unfortunately, Chad and Jenni were not able to attend so we had less food, which was a blessing because even being down 2 recipes we all left completely stuffed. Not a blessing that we were down two friends. They were missed and absolutely need to give all these recipes a try. The theme this season was Breakfast for Dinner and at first I was a little nervous but each recipe was amazing. 

Here are the three ladies of the Fall Supper Club and one Baby on Board!

Holly and Adam

Angela and Ryan

Kristin and Abel

PS...this is the last photo of me that you will see with long hair. I chopped 9 inches on Saturday and now am sporting the Jennifer Aniston bob!

Here is the menu:

Raspberry-Orange Sunrises


Mixed Fruit Granola with Orange Syrup over Yogurt

Ingredients


     3 cups uncooked regular oats
                     1/4 cup wheat germ
                     1/4 cup sunflower seed kernels
                     1/4 cup chopped pecans
                     2 tablespoons sesame seeds
                     1/2 cup butter
                     1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
                     2 tablespoons corn syrup
                     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
                     1 cup chopped dried mixed fruit


Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Set oats mixture aside.
Cook butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Stir in corn syrup. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
Pour sugar mixture evenly over oats mixture, tossing to coat well. Spread mixture evenly in a lightly greased jelly-roll or broiler pan.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring 3 times. Cool completely. Stir in dried fruit.

Orange Syrup
Ingredients


            1 cup sugar
                     2 teaspoons grated orange rind
                     1/2 cup orange juice
                     1 tablespoon lemon juice
                     1 tablespoon corn syrup
                     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
                     2 tablespoons orange liqueur (optional)
                     Fat-free yogurt, orange segments, and Mixed Fruit Granola


Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients and, if desired, orange liqueur in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves.
Top fat-free yogurt with orange segments and Mixed Fruit Granola; drizzle with syrup.

Apple Waffles

This recipe is a for sure make again! In fact, the kids and I made it this morning but did pancakes since we   don't have a waffle iron. All it requires is a little extra regular milk to thin it out. They were so GOOD!
                                             1 cup whole-wheat flour
                     1 cup all-purpose flour
                     2 teaspoons baking soda
                     2 teaspoons baking powder
                     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
                     1/2 teaspoon salt
                     Dash of ground nutmeg
                     2 cups low-fat buttermilk
                     1 tablespoon honey
           1 tablespoon molasses
           1 tablespoon margarine, melted
           2 teaspoons lemon juice
           2 eggs
           2 cups finely chopped Granny Smith apple


Savory Ham-and-Swiss Breakfast Pie 
with Rosemary Potatoes

 The pie in my opinion was the hands down show stopper of the night! So creamy and full of flavor. 

Ingredients  


     1 2/3 cups water
1 cup whipping cream
                         2 garlic cloves, pressed
                         2 tablespoons butter
                         1 teaspoon salt
                         1/4 teaspoon pepper
                         2/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
                         1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
                         8 large eggs, divided
                         1/2 pound cooked ham, diced
                         4 green onions, chopped
                         1/2 cup milk
                         Garnish: chives


Preparation
Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1/2 cup cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Lightly beat 2 eggs, and stir into grits mixture; pour into a lightly greased 10-inch deep pie plate.
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes; remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 400°.
Sauté ham and onions in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Layer ham mixture evenly over grits crust. Whisk together milk and remaining 6 eggs; pour over ham mixture. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese evenly over egg mixture.
Bake at 400° for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, and cut into wedges. Garnish, if desired.


Apple Pull-Apart Bread


Ingredients


     1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
                   1 cup warm milk
                   1/2 cup butter, melted, divided
                   1 egg
                   2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
                   1 teaspoon salt
                   3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
                   1 medium tart apple, peeled and chopped
                   1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
                   1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
                     ICING:
                   1 cup confectioners' sugar
                   3 to 4-1/2 teaspoons hot water
                   1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions
                   In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Add 2 tablespoons butter,
                   egg, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth.
                   Add enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. Turn onto a
                   floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place
                   in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in
                   a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
                  
                   Combine the apple, pecans, cinnamon and remaining sugar; set  aside.
                   Punch dough down; divide in half. Cut each half into 16 pieces. On a
                   lightly floured surface, pat or roll out each piece into a 2-1/2-in.
                   circle. Place 1 teaspoon apple mixture in center of circle; pinch
                   edges together and seal, forming a ball. Dip in remaining butter.
                  

                   In a greased 10-in. tube pan, place 16 balls, seam side down;
                   sprinkle with 1/4 cup apple mixture. Layer remaining balls; sprinkle
                   with remaining apple mixture. Cover and let rise until nearly
                   doubled, about 45 minutes.
                  
                   Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10
                   minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack. Combine icing ingredients;
                drizzle over warm bread. Yield: 1 loaf.  


Today is my second day off for Fall Break. Yesterday the kids and I went to my appointment with my doctor. Then it was over to the trampoline place for a little jumping. Today it was off to go park hunting. This is the best free activity in the world. You throw the kids and snacks in the car and you just drive and explore new parks. We found a few really cool ones!




 Gianni is doing great in school. He received an excellent report card for the 1st quarter and fantastic test scores for the start of the year. He has a bit more homework this year but he does a great job managing it with baseball. He recently competed in The Punt Pass and Kick competition and has started Kids Rock Stars which is an program that emphasizes fitness. He logs his miles of activity and it is an ongoing program this year. 

Carmelita is doing great in school too. She is a bit sad about not being able to start Kinder but I keep telling her it is just an age thing! She is doing great with writing her numbers and reading 3 letter words with short vowels. The teacher is going to start her on sight words and although she recognizes all lowercase letters and their sounds, the teacher has her working on writing all lowercase letters with accuracy. She is SUPER EXCITED for her upcoming birthday event this Saturday. It is very small compared to what we usually do but it is what she wanted. 

Papa comes to town tomorrow. We can't wait to see him tomorrow. Tonight I get to work out again. As you may have heard, I was recently back to the cardiologist for my very minor heart rhythm issues that had flared their ugly head again. After tests and a weekend heart monitor, I recently got cleared to work out again. Everything was because of an electrolyte imbalance. Supplements of potassium and magnesium have done the trick and I am excited to get back into action. 

Fall Break is going by fast but we plan to enjoy every minute of it. The weather is cooling off and we have lots planned for the weekend. I will keep you posted.