Christmas Party

Okay folks...I'm really wondering if anyone is out there anymore. I'm considering closing up shop on the blog, so enoy the post. It might be my last!

This past weekend we had our annual playgroup Christmas party (Here is last year's picture.)
The cute angel idea came from Martha and a slinky for a napkin ring on the kids table, idea from BH&G. These kids have been playing together since they were 1. Such fun!

Breakfast With Santa

Last weekend, we had "breakfast with Santa" and got to meet him, see a live nativity scene & everything. Ethan asked for an "orange brontosaurus."

Granola Cereal Recipe

Some of you remember that last year my family made homemade gifts. This year, I'm working hard to do the same!!! A couple of people have even told me they are making my granola. Yeah! If you'd like to give it a shot, here's the recipe below. I had labels made from MyOwnLabels.

The Granola Cereal recipe is below. Adjust seeds, nut, fruit ratios as desired. You can also use other stuff, like nuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, etc. ALSO! If you are making these for people, I suggest you try a batch for yourself first. The timing/temperature varies depending on your oven. It can go from tasty to burned very quickly.

4 c. oats (quick or old fashioned)
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup coconut
1/3 c. raw brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ c. vegetable oil
¼ c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
½ c. dried cranberries
½ c. dried chopped dates

Warm oil and honey in a small saucepan. Add vanilla. Mix all dry ingredients and spread out on large flat baking pan with sides. Pour sauce over the dry mixture and stir well. Spread it back out on the pan. Bake at 300° for 40 min (or less, depending on oven). Stir every 10 min. Let cool. Add dried fruit. Store in plastic container or zip loc. Stays good for about 2 weeks.
(Added note: Don't let these cool on the pan, or they will stick to the pan. Cool in a separate bowl.)

Real Tree, Fake Smiles

We've picked out our tree & strategically decorated it - the same way all other parents of curious children do. Yet we still are down 2 Christmas balls & an angel. But our house is ready for lots of Christmas merriment. We've been dancing to carols & chipmunk musicals. And counting down the days until Christmas!
Picking out a tree
Fake Smile #1
Fake Smile #2
Watching as the classic light-up angel twinkles on the tree! Merry Christmas everybody!

Sugar-Free & Farm Raised Turkey

Lance & I went Sugar-Free for the month of November! We still used honey & agave nectar. It wasn't too bad & we felt really good. But I did welcome December in with a nice batch of chocolate chip cookies!!! Bring on the Christmas cookies!

In other food news, we bought a Farm Raised local turkey for Thanksgiving. It was so yummy!!! We also bought several pounds of grass-fed beef from a local farmer and have been enjoying it. We laugh because it reminds us of this very funny (and true) description of "constantly hugged goats" from this funny (and close-to-accurate) depiction of "Total Foods." If you ever shop at Whole Foods, you've got to watch it!

Winter CSA, Week 1

I'm so excited to be starting my first season of the winter CSA through Avalon Acres. Pictured here is one half-share of the "Preserved Goods" package, plus some farm fresh brown eggs. This week's deliver consisted of cornmeal, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, & peach preserves, green beans. I'm so excited!!!

The winter CSA delivers every 2 weeks. If you have been considering a CSA, I think the Winter is a great time to start. With the preserved goods package, there is so little pressure to cook so quickly! Also, if you go to OC, they deliver there on Sunday morning!
Avalon Acres offers other packages or a la carte options, which might include meats, eggs, canned, dried goods, root vegetables, winter vegetables, canned corns, beans, tomatoes, tomato juice, sorghum, honey, jellies, preserves, pickles, apple butter, pear butter, popping corn, cornmeal, peanuts, sweet potatoes, winter squash, homemade pastas & spaghetti sauce, amish breads & desserts. If you are interested, the order form is right here. This winter, you can also hand pick your own package.

Life Lately

A dwindling number of you out there might be wondering what have we been up to? I always shook my head when people became too busy too blog. I never think I spend that much time updating. But these days, I've been ramping it up as we move into the holiday season! I'm scouring the web & working on handmade Christmas gifts. Anyway, here's a glimpse of our lives the past month. Entertaining Hamming it up for the camera
Enjoying the beautiful weather.
Meeting the bison
hanging out
stealing brother's marker's
And just being together!

Green Eggs & Ham

We recently added little pureed spinach (and food coloring) for a tasty version of "Green Eggs & Ham"!

Butternut Squash

I know I have been a C- blogger, and haven't shown any yummy food or crafts in ages. But there has been so much yumminess that I haven't had time to blog about it all! Looking forward to my Winter CSA program, which starts in a few weeks. Do you know what I love most about butternut squash? That it stays good for months! Anyway, my butternut squash from my csa is finally all gone. These 3 recipes using butternut squash are all highly recommended!

Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard Lasagna
Winter Squash Bars, from "Simply in Season"
Gingery Butternut Squash Soup, from "Simply in Season"

1st Real Camping Trip!

The weather was so beautiful last weekend that the boys went for their first real overnight camping trip. Lance decided at the last minute, and fortunately was able to find some friends to join us. The last time E spent the night in a tent was when we had friends over for a little city camping. I can't wait for us to all get to do this together with other friends! Wanna come with us when that time comes? :)

Mary Alice Duncan Photography

A few weeks ago, we had some pictures made with Mary Alice Duncan. Love these! Check out some more from Mary Alice Duncan Photography here. For a flashback of some other great family photos, click here!

Fun for Kids

Neither of these are glamorous projects, but they were fun for our kids! Our tents (Sheets, Blankets & Pillows) are always falling in the middle, and I can't fit in them, so I made a version, inspired by this tent. Mine is much less refined, but it's fun & does the trick! Also, we made a "house" for Ethan's cars, which he decorated with pictures of cars cut out of magazines. Kept him busy for like 2 days straight!!!

Pumpkins

We've been roasting & pureeing a lot of pumpkins these days! The freezer is stocked for the yumminess of pumpkin breads & pies & pumpkin black bean soup. Anyone have a favorite pumpkin recipe for me to try?

Trunk or Treat, 2009

In contrast to last year, KB was a flurry of activity at Trunk or Treat last week. She was everywhere! And Ethan got to actually eat some candy! Although I still had to look through his loot for nut ingredients, it was fun for him to be able to eat more candy!

Halloween Allergen-Free Candies

I'm behind schedule on posting this, but I wanted to share this link of Halloween Candies which are free of all the top 8 allergens, as well as Gluten-Free. This year, I've got Halloween whistles, spider rings, and other non-food treats. These go over pretty well, people! You should try some non-food items. The kids were coming back to our Trunk-or-Treat trunk for more whistles! Smarties are the easiest-to-find safe food that is good for most everyone & very easy to find.

CSA, Week 26 (the last week!)

This week (The LAST week!) of our CSA gave us potatoes, bok choy, butternut squash, long island cheese pumpkin, muscadine grapes, tomatoes, popping corn & some more of those white beans.

This week we'll be making some kettle corn, homemade grape juice, vegan pumpkin bread, butternut squash soup, baked potato soup, & bok choy salad. Cannot WAIT to eat some kettle corn - my favorite!

We are considering doing the Winter Program of Avalon Acres CSA. Most of the foods are canned, and therefore less pressure to eat them right away. You can choose among several packages, which might include meats, eggs, canned, dried goods, root vegetables, winter vegetables, (canned corns, beans, tomatoes, tomato juice, sorghum, honey, jellies, preserves, pickles, apple butter, pear butter, popping corn, cornmeal, peanuts, sweet potatoes, winter squash, homemade pastas & spaghetti sauce, amish breads & desserts. If you are interested, the order form is right here. This winter, you can also hand pick your own package.

Now that I've written that, I think I've talked myself into it!

Just a Little Taste

This is just a little taste of the cuteness I get to enjoy every day. Nothing particularly special about this, but it's just classic E awesomeness!!! I could just eat him up.

Ethan's First Climbing Trip

A big moment in our house - Ethan's first climbing trip!!! He got to pick out his own outfit (check out the Diego Mountain Rescue hat!) and pack his backpack. He stuffed it full of cars, of course. Lance said he didn't complain at all about all the hiking. There was a LOT of hiking!
Taking a break.
He was so excited about the waterfalls!
Watching Daddy climb!

Farm Field Trip

Ethan's preschool class went to the pumpkin patch last week. They were so cute. I can't believe we've reached the field trip stage!
Weaving the loom...

CSA, Week 25

Anyone know if that's chard? And we also got some sort of white bean that i can't identify.

Dragon Park

A few weeks ago, we got out to visit Dragon Park on a pretty day. I wish we had more pretty days, but it's like we've moved to Seattle!

You will probably notice that the nearly-4-year-old is becoming more & more elusive in my blog. He's like a wild creature that hates to be photographed. While the baby is hamming it up.

CSA, Week 23 (Missing 24)

Just now getting around to posting a picture of last week's CSA. I forgot to take one this week. Week 23 gave us: Cushaw Squash, Pumpkin, Purple Hull Peas, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Peppers, Bell Peppers, and Potatoes.

Cushaw Squash Pie, here I come! Here is a yummy vegan version I made a couple of years ago. I am coming to the conclusion that nearly all winter squash are hard to distinguish, and all are yummy baked with butter & brown sugar or baked apples. It seems that they are all pretty interchangeable with pumpkin in recipes.

KB & Daddy

I have been a horrible blogger, although not as bad as some people I know. But I refuse to let the blog die! KB is getting bigger & bigger & bigger, although she's still a tiny little girl. It hurt me when I had to go out last week and buy a few 9 month shirts! I had completely stocked up on 12-18 month winter clothes at consignment sales. They didn't fit. So then I caught the next wave of consignment & bought a few 12 month items. Now many of them don't fit!!! Ahh! Well, we will be stocked on clothes for a while.

Madsen Cargo Bike Contest

Oh, I would love to win this super awesome MADSEN Cargo Bike. I hope I win, I hope I win! They are giving away one bike a week!!! Check it out!

Personality

Our little one is full of personality these days! This is the super-fun developmental phase where there is something new going on every week! Last week, she started giving us this face that she knows is adorable! Here it is. She scrunches up her face with a bit toothy grin!!And the little stinker has a new favorite past time - unlocking the baby gate! My mom can't even figure that one out!