Friday, September 24, 2010
{this moment}
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Pizza
I have written about making our own pizza once before. Not much has changed except that Clark can eat cheese on his now. I make my own dough in my bread machine and then the boys get their step stools and get to work. We didn't have any special toppings this time since we haven't been to the store since the vacation, but I think most of us were satisfied with the cheese pies.
The boys participate in every step after the dough is made, from stretching to saucing to topping. Here you can see the little one eyeballing his parents big pie.
The five year old still declares the 'round pizza that the guy brings' as better than the ones we make, but the two year old really was pretty happy with his results. I don't know if it was because he made it himself or if he was just having a good day, but that little cutie ate the whole little pie he made for himself. I call that success!
The boys participate in every step after the dough is made, from stretching to saucing to topping. Here you can see the little one eyeballing his parents big pie.
The five year old still declares the 'round pizza that the guy brings' as better than the ones we make, but the two year old really was pretty happy with his results. I don't know if it was because he made it himself or if he was just having a good day, but that little cutie ate the whole little pie he made for himself. I call that success!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Celebrate!
It's that time of year again!
This is what I found when Curt and I came home from our semi-annual weekend get-a-way on my birthday.
I'm a lucky woman!
More about the weekend away another time...right now I'm still catching up on laundry.
This is what I found when Curt and I came home from our semi-annual weekend get-a-way on my birthday.
I'm a lucky woman!
More about the weekend away another time...right now I'm still catching up on laundry.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Making Yogurt
I recently got this idea that maybe I could start making my own yogurt. In a wonderful moment of serendipity SouleMama posted about this very thing that same day. When looking at her blog post I remembered that I had bookmarked something about yogurt making ages ago and went on a search to find it. Making yogurt in the slow cooker....how ingenious, I was game!
At first I wanted to start with half and half, but alas my store only carried ultra-pasteurized half and half and this is not good for yogurt making. So I decided to try whole milk instead, since I am still trying to fatten up these skinny boys of mine.
The process was easy and the product turned out great. What a thrill when I awoke that next morning and found a crock full of yogurt on my counter. For the price of a half gallon of organic whole milk I made a lot of yogurt.
And I must say the smoothies have been flowing ever since....and they are good! I have recently been feeling like my green smoothies were missing something, and I do believe I have found the missing link to the perfect smoothie. Not only does this addition make the smoothies more meal-like, it also adds the benefit of live active cultures to each sip.
I'm planning to experiment more with straining some to get a Greek style yogurt and look forward to finding some good cucumber/yogurt dip recipes. The possibilities are endless.
At first I wanted to start with half and half, but alas my store only carried ultra-pasteurized half and half and this is not good for yogurt making. So I decided to try whole milk instead, since I am still trying to fatten up these skinny boys of mine.
The process was easy and the product turned out great. What a thrill when I awoke that next morning and found a crock full of yogurt on my counter. For the price of a half gallon of organic whole milk I made a lot of yogurt.
And I must say the smoothies have been flowing ever since....and they are good! I have recently been feeling like my green smoothies were missing something, and I do believe I have found the missing link to the perfect smoothie. Not only does this addition make the smoothies more meal-like, it also adds the benefit of live active cultures to each sip.
I'm planning to experiment more with straining some to get a Greek style yogurt and look forward to finding some good cucumber/yogurt dip recipes. The possibilities are endless.
Friday, September 03, 2010
{this moment}
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Reusable Snack Sacks
In a recent effort to have a 'greener' kitchen, I have been trying to reduce our use of plastic zip top baggies. With school now in session I've been packing 7 lunches a week for the boys (5 for kindergarten and 2 for preschool), which can mean lots and lots of zip top baggies. After doing some research online I found several tutorials for sewing my own reusable snack/sandwich baggies that looked to be within my skill level.
After buying the supplies at the local Joanne's, I tried my hand at two different patterns one rainy evening. The pattern on the right is much easier to sew but I personally prefer the finished product of the one on the left because of the hidden inside seams.
Here you can see one of these baggies in use. I will need to adjust the size to hold a full sandwich, but this size seems pretty perfect for a snack of pretzel thins or any other munchie (by the way these things are really yummy and B1G1 at Publix right now). Because I used a food safe fabric for the lining I can even use these baggies for any moist food like apple slices or strawberries (two of Clark's favorites right now).
I will definitely be trying my hand at a few more of these and even have some more ideas about how to personalize them further for each boy.
After buying the supplies at the local Joanne's, I tried my hand at two different patterns one rainy evening. The pattern on the right is much easier to sew but I personally prefer the finished product of the one on the left because of the hidden inside seams.
Here you can see one of these baggies in use. I will need to adjust the size to hold a full sandwich, but this size seems pretty perfect for a snack of pretzel thins or any other munchie (by the way these things are really yummy and B1G1 at Publix right now). Because I used a food safe fabric for the lining I can even use these baggies for any moist food like apple slices or strawberries (two of Clark's favorites right now).
I will definitely be trying my hand at a few more of these and even have some more ideas about how to personalize them further for each boy.
{this moment}
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Jaws Alton Daniel Lopez Fisher
A little over a month ago our beta fish 'Bobby' passed away. He had lived to the ripe old age of 4, which is pretty old for a Beta, but the kids were still sad to see their little pal go. Each morning we look toward the spot where his bowl used to sit and remember giving him his smelly fish flakes before breakfast.
This happened around the same time that a neighbor's dog gave birth to 7 puppies. For the past 7 weeks or so we have been wondering if one of these puppies would become our new pet. The puppies are 1/4 poodle, giving them a good chance at being easier on my allergies, so it seemed like one of them might be a good choice for our family.
After the writing of many pro/con lists and playful visits to the puppies, we have finally come to the hard decision that getting one of these puppies would not be the best choice for our family right now. While all four of us still hope to find the right canine companion for our family at some point in the future, we took joy today in a trip to the pet store to invite a new pet beta fish into the family. So here he is....
After looking at many fish we settled on this pretty blue guy. Curtis immediately commented on his back fin, comparing him to a shark, hence his new first name 'Jaws'. Of course for our family one name would not be enough for our new fish so each boy gave his own middle name as well as both of our last names to Jaws. So this little pet store beta was happily introduced to the family today as Jaws Alton Daniel Lopez Fisher.
It was fun to see the excitement on the boy's faces as we ushered Jaws into his new home. Clark insisted that we play music and dance for him once his bowl was set on the record player where his predecessor 'Bobby' once lived. Listening to both boys talk about their new pet and dance and giggle as they relished the excitement of the day was very heartwarming.
Welcome Jaws! We hope that you enjoy your spot in our home.
This happened around the same time that a neighbor's dog gave birth to 7 puppies. For the past 7 weeks or so we have been wondering if one of these puppies would become our new pet. The puppies are 1/4 poodle, giving them a good chance at being easier on my allergies, so it seemed like one of them might be a good choice for our family.
After the writing of many pro/con lists and playful visits to the puppies, we have finally come to the hard decision that getting one of these puppies would not be the best choice for our family right now. While all four of us still hope to find the right canine companion for our family at some point in the future, we took joy today in a trip to the pet store to invite a new pet beta fish into the family. So here he is....
After looking at many fish we settled on this pretty blue guy. Curtis immediately commented on his back fin, comparing him to a shark, hence his new first name 'Jaws'. Of course for our family one name would not be enough for our new fish so each boy gave his own middle name as well as both of our last names to Jaws. So this little pet store beta was happily introduced to the family today as Jaws Alton Daniel Lopez Fisher.
It was fun to see the excitement on the boy's faces as we ushered Jaws into his new home. Clark insisted that we play music and dance for him once his bowl was set on the record player where his predecessor 'Bobby' once lived. Listening to both boys talk about their new pet and dance and giggle as they relished the excitement of the day was very heartwarming.
Welcome Jaws! We hope that you enjoy your spot in our home.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Clark's Morning Out
That's right, even my baby is going to 'school' now. I enrolled Clark into a Mom's Morning Out program at a local church this year. I wasn't planning to put him into a program until next year but after listening to him cry for half of his big brother's VPK year I decided to listen to his needs. Even during summer VBS Clark cried when we dropped his big brother off, asking "My go to school peeease!?!?!" It became very clear that he and I could both benefit from a little time apart during the long boring and hot summer months, so I took a leap of faith and enrolled him into a two year old class. Clark will be one of the oldest kids in the class due to his fall birthday, but after meeting the teacher and seeing the daily schedule of events I knew that he would fit right in. So now I sit here blogging away freely in a quiet house without any background video game noise or toddler demands. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry...
You can trace the progression from excitement to tenacity in these photos I took of Clark on his first morning at preschool.
When I told him he got to have his own back pack (handed-down from big brother)and got to go to his own school this morning he was VERY excited.
As we drove over he asked me about who would take him to the potty and got a little anxious when I told him that I wouldn't be there to take him.
As we reached the church I could tell he was getting a little nervous.
And of course once we got in and heard one of the other kids crying for his Mommy the mood definitely changed. Clark has never had any kind of separation anxiety and had no hesitation as he walked into his classroom, but this expression on his face certain shows that there was a little anxiety there on his first day away from Mommy.
After all the transitions this week I'm not gonna lie....I was in tears before I even made it back to my car. I love both of my sons so much that I cannot even put it into words and I can only hope that all four of us will manage these transitions gracefully, and most importantly, together.
You can trace the progression from excitement to tenacity in these photos I took of Clark on his first morning at preschool.
When I told him he got to have his own back pack (handed-down from big brother)and got to go to his own school this morning he was VERY excited.
As we drove over he asked me about who would take him to the potty and got a little anxious when I told him that I wouldn't be there to take him.
As we reached the church I could tell he was getting a little nervous.
And of course once we got in and heard one of the other kids crying for his Mommy the mood definitely changed. Clark has never had any kind of separation anxiety and had no hesitation as he walked into his classroom, but this expression on his face certain shows that there was a little anxiety there on his first day away from Mommy.
After all the transitions this week I'm not gonna lie....I was in tears before I even made it back to my car. I love both of my sons so much that I cannot even put it into words and I can only hope that all four of us will manage these transitions gracefully, and most importantly, together.
The First Day
It's hard to believe that my first baby is in elementary school. It has been a bittersweet transition which, lucky for me, included a resounding thumbs up from the little guy on the first day. Apparently kindergarten is "way fun". Here is the story of my son's first day of kindergarten in pictures.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
ZoomAir
Recently Curtis was invited to ZoomAir to celebrate the birthday of one of his friends. ZoomAir is an obstacle course set up in the trees in wild Seminole County (well right in front of the zoo, but it definitely isn't the city). We have marveled at the course each time we've walked past on our zoo trips for the past year, so we were excited that Curtis would finally get a first hand experience.
The children's course starts with a practice run through a course that is lower to the ground. Once that course is completed, the children then go over to the main attraction, which is much higher (at some points well above my reach) and a bit more challenging.
I was very proud of Curtis for pushing through a little rough patch mid-course with some help from the guide. Once the course was completed he got to ride a tree swing down to the ground and was awarded with a water bottle with carabiner holder for future course work.
I'm not sure if Curtis will be asking to do the course again anytime soon. It was quite a workout for him and I do believe that if he was even a cm shorter that he wouldn't have been able to reach the guide wire at all. Maybe after another year of growth we will try again and see how much he has improved, but for now we are happy to be just looking over the photographs and enjoying the memories of such a fun, hot, and challenging experience.
The children's course starts with a practice run through a course that is lower to the ground. Once that course is completed, the children then go over to the main attraction, which is much higher (at some points well above my reach) and a bit more challenging.
I was very proud of Curtis for pushing through a little rough patch mid-course with some help from the guide. Once the course was completed he got to ride a tree swing down to the ground and was awarded with a water bottle with carabiner holder for future course work.
I'm not sure if Curtis will be asking to do the course again anytime soon. It was quite a workout for him and I do believe that if he was even a cm shorter that he wouldn't have been able to reach the guide wire at all. Maybe after another year of growth we will try again and see how much he has improved, but for now we are happy to be just looking over the photographs and enjoying the memories of such a fun, hot, and challenging experience.
Friday, July 23, 2010
{this moment}
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!
Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!
Friday, July 16, 2010
{this moment}
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Showing off
I'm excited about my new(ish) craft space and my overabundance of fresh herbs, so I decided to show them off here on my blog.
So here it is, my own little spot in our office/craft/art/guest room. Hey, when you have two kids and a 'work out of the home' husband in a 3 bedroom house your rooms have to multi-task.
Here you can see my comfy little set up. I bought a table at Office Max and set up my sewing machine and Aero garden right next to my husbands desk a few weeks ago. I don't get many daylight hours in there yet, but I can envision happy mornings crafting and writing away next to my beloved once both boys are in school.
I can't tell you how nice it is to finally get my sewing machine off the dining room table and in it's own little spot. No longer do I need to worry about little hands getting into my machine or having to pack it up and move it when company comes over. Maybe having this spot will even motivate me to sew more often.
And here you can see the abundance of my Aero Garden right now. This was actually a Mother's Day gift from two years ago that was just waiting for a spot to be set up. My own Mother won it for me in a contest and I have found it very easy to set up and the herbs seem quite happy.
So this morning I had to do another Basil harvest. I have been researching new ways to use basil (basil iced tea, purple basil lemonade, lemon basil muffins, basil sorbet, etc etc) and I have thankfully had some pretty good success since this is the herb that seems to be taking off the best right now.
Stayed tuned for future blog posts for more of my tales of experimenting with fresh herbs.
So here it is, my own little spot in our office/craft/art/guest room. Hey, when you have two kids and a 'work out of the home' husband in a 3 bedroom house your rooms have to multi-task.
Here you can see my comfy little set up. I bought a table at Office Max and set up my sewing machine and Aero garden right next to my husbands desk a few weeks ago. I don't get many daylight hours in there yet, but I can envision happy mornings crafting and writing away next to my beloved once both boys are in school.
I can't tell you how nice it is to finally get my sewing machine off the dining room table and in it's own little spot. No longer do I need to worry about little hands getting into my machine or having to pack it up and move it when company comes over. Maybe having this spot will even motivate me to sew more often.
And here you can see the abundance of my Aero Garden right now. This was actually a Mother's Day gift from two years ago that was just waiting for a spot to be set up. My own Mother won it for me in a contest and I have found it very easy to set up and the herbs seem quite happy.
So this morning I had to do another Basil harvest. I have been researching new ways to use basil (basil iced tea, purple basil lemonade, lemon basil muffins, basil sorbet, etc etc) and I have thankfully had some pretty good success since this is the herb that seems to be taking off the best right now.
Stayed tuned for future blog posts for more of my tales of experimenting with fresh herbs.
Friday, July 09, 2010
{this moment}
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
July?
How can it already be July? I thought the summer would be so slow, but it has been flying by. I have totally neglected the blog and since I hate excuses I won't make any and instead I'll just pretend like I've been blogging all along.
So far this July has been:
...lots of smiles...
...some good old fashioned pirates...
...a little bit of baking...
...and of course, fireworks...
So far this July has been:
...lots of smiles...
...some good old fashioned pirates...
...a little bit of baking...
...and of course, fireworks...
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