The Human Jungle Gym!

There is nothing I love to see more than my kids using my husband as a human jungle gym! The laughter and screams of delight that fill our home when this happens are un-matched. It's no wonder a favorite primary song of ours is: "Daddy's Homecoming". Otherwise known as: "I'm so glad when daddy comes home!"

Ava's 100 Days!

A few weeks ago my Ava celebrated 100 days of kindergarten. They marked the occasion with a special activity day full of fun crafts and counting activities.

I can't believe my baby is already 100 days into her first year of formal education!

Where does the time go?

Roseville Dentist?

Hi Everyone,
If you have a recommendation for a dentist in Roseville please let us know. We love our current dental group, Greater Sacramento Dental, but they moved to Rocklin and because we need to schedule our appointments late in the afternoon, we're stuck in traffic going to and from their office. Not fun!

We appreciate your help!

Happy V-Day Owen...I mean, Ava?

We have two girly-girls in our family: Isabella & Iris.
Period.

Ava is definitely in a class by herself-no frou-frou stuff for her. Her family knows this, especially her grandparents, so when Grandma Clista gave the kiddies their Valentine cards, Ava was speechless to discover that while Isabella & Iris received Disney Princess cards, and Owen received a Spider-man card, she recieved...Strawberry Shortcake?!? On the way home she kept repeating in a soft and dazed voice:

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it."

That was the end of it-or so we thought. Later that evening, after finishing her homework, she announced to Samuel that now it was time to do her other homework. She then proceeded to furiously erase Owen's name from his Valentine only to replace it with her own. She was so proud that this gross error was now rectified!

All I can say is:
Thank goodness Owen's too young to care.

Spread the Love!

Here's another fun blog game courtesy of Laurie H.!

The first THREE people to respond to this post will get something made by me.
My choice.
Made especially for you.

Restrictions and Limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done this year.
4. You have no clue what it's going to be, because I don't even know what it's going to be!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The Catch:
You must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first THREE people who comment on your post and agree to do the same!

So get ready for your mystery treat but be prepared to share the love!

Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you get when you get it.

Valentine's Traditions: Part V

Crab Feast!

There is nothing I love more than crab legs! And several years ago, when we obtained our Sam's Club membership, we learned that they sell 2 lbs. of frozen King Crab legs for under $15.00. That's a steal! We began by boiling the legs, but now prefer to bake them, and in 6-8 minutes you can have a feast!

Since we eat later than we normally would due to waiting until the kiddies are in bed, we keep the meal really simple:

Main Course

Steaming Crab Legs
Bubbling Butter & Fresh Lemon Wedges
Crisp Caesar Salad
Warmed Sourdough Boules

Dessert

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

The whole meal is exquisite and comes together for under $25.00!
You can't beat it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Traditions: Part IV

Early Kiddie Dinner & Super-fun Dessert!

I think we've actually gone out to eat on Valentine's Day as a couple only once. It was at Black Angus, and all I remember is that it was PACKED! Since then, we've opted to stay in for the evening.

We start by making dessert:

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.
They are so easy-just melted chocolate chips and a smidge of shortening!-and the kids love dipping and decorating them with assorted sprinkles.

By the time we finish with a fun and easy kid dinner (usually hot dogs, corn dogs, or chicken nuggets), the chocolate has set and everyone is ready for dessert!

We find that placing them on wax paper works best, and to set them more quickly you can place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

These also make super-impressive gifts too!
Happy Dipping!

Valentine's Traditions: Part III

Family Breakfast

I hate breakfast! It is seriously my least favorite meal of the day, but I will admit that if you throw in strawberries and whipped cream I'll probably like it!

Hence, to Sam's delight, breakfast has weaseled it's way into our family traditions in the form of egg bakes, chocolate croissants, crepes, orange juice, fried ham, and yes, waffles with strawberries and whipped cream!

Usually we serve a cinnamon-peach topping with all of our waffles (it's so good!), but for Valentines Day, how can you not spring for strawberries? I start off with 2 pounds of frozen berries that I drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sugar. Toss to coat and then let the fruit macerate while you turn your attention to the waffles.

Note: This topping can be served cold or warm, though we prefer it warm for the toasty waffles! Don't forget the whipped cream and always, always sprinkle with powdered sugar. It's a rule!

Our waffle recipe comes from one of the best cookbooks ever: The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. And what I love best about this recipe is the folded in egg whites. The resulting batter is almost like a foam, and the waffles turn out so beautifully.

Buttermilk Waffles
6-8 waffles

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons fine-ground cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• Pinch of Cream of Tartar

1. Heat the waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl whisk flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, butter, and buttermilk.
4. In an mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (approximately 2 minutes).
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in buttermilk mixture. Whisk gently until just incorporated (batter will be lumpy).
6. Fold the whipped egg whites gently into batter.
7. Ladle mixture onto waffle iron.
8. Top with syrup or fruit topping.
   

Buttermilk Substitute: For the buttermilk I always substitute 2% milk and 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I just don't use buttermilk enough to justify buying a carton from the store for a single recipe.

Waffle Warmer: Because our waffle maker turns out one waffle at a time, the cookbook has a brilliant solutions for holding your waffles until all are cooked. Heat your oven to 200 degrees, and place several baking sheets with wire racks in the oven. As the waffles are done, place them on the racks and cover them with a cotton towel. When the final waffle is in the iron, remove the towel to let the waffles crisp for a few minutes. This works great every time. No more soggy or lukewarm waffles!

Valentine's Traditions: Part II

Sinfully Delicious Sweets!

I love cooking and baking, and when I think of any holiday I think of sweets made from scratch. I always make more than I think I can possibly share, and then before you know it we have none left!

Truffles

This year we made Chocolate Balsamic Truffles courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. I substituted Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips for the dark chocolate and made sure to fully chill the chocolate mixture. In addition to rolling them in cocoa powder, I also chopped some almonds super-fine and coated 1/2 the truffles in the nuts too. Remember, the smaller the truffles the better. They really are very rich.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the perfect gift, and in addition to making some for our neighbors and Home & Visiting Teaching families, we also made some for Isabella's second grade class.

These beauties were a cinch to make. Especially considering you can use a from-scratch or box method for the cupcakes and frosting. The real star of the show is the flashy extras: Melted chocolate and Maraschino cherries!

After your cupcake frosting is set, melt 1/3 c. of chocolate chips in the microwave (for 2 dz. cupcakes). Using a fork, drizzle the melted chocolate before placing a dollop in the center. Then nestle your cherry right in (making sure your cherries are thoroughly drained), and in an hour the chocolate will have set and you have a spectacular dessert!

Isabella was thrilled when her cupcakes were voted "THE BEST" by all her classmates!

Valentine's Traditions: Part I

Messy, Messy Valentines!

The Thursday before Valentine's Day I had a Valentine Activity Day for the kiddies at home. I knew Isabella and Ava would be coming home from school bearing all kinds of goodies from their class parties, so I wanted to make sure these little ones had a chance to join in the fun too.

Way to go Owen! He never gets a hold of markers-can you guess why? So he really made the most of this opportunity!

They were so funny about the placement of their heart confetti. It took them forever to get them "just right". They also made hearts and figures out of pink salt dough, which I baked later in the afternoon.

Happy Valentines Day!

Bizzare Sockless Party!

The other day Owen and Iris once again took refuge in Owen's Tupperware Cupboard, only this time they opened the door briefly to fling their socks out! I tried to grab the socks but they quickly snatched them back and closed the doors so I wouldn't have a chance to make them put them on again!

No Booster?

After our vacation we discovered we left Owen's booster chair at Joe & Jessica's house. That's a little tricky because he's definitely still at the age where he needs some seat-belt type apparatus to keep him from bolting from the table. Oddly enough though, for the first two meals of the day he did fantastic. Causing me to think, maybe he's already outgrown it at only 19 months! Then lo and behold dinner time rolls around and we cannot keep him seated for more than two seconds at a time! Needless to say, the chair is back!

8 Years Already?

The first weekend in February Samuel and I celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary in San Francisco!

We kicked off our trip at the place it all began...the beautiful Oakland Temple. On February 9th, 2001 Samuel and I were sealed for time and all eternity. It will always be the happiest day of our lives.

8 years later.
Not so fresh-faced but still so much in love!

After our session we crossed the Bay Bridge and entered the beautiful city of San Francisco. While I would never live here, I do love to visit.

We drove directly to Pier 39 and stopped for a quick to-go snack from a favorite eatery of ours, The Crepe Cafe. The Fresh Strawberry Crepe with Chocolate Chips is excellent, but this time we opted for the Turkey, Monterey Jack Cheese, Basil Pesto, & Avocado Crepe...yum!


We hit the road, crepe in hand, for Pier 33, where we had reservations for the 1:55 PM tour of Alcatraz! Neither of us have ever been, so we were excited to check it out.

The views from the ferry were beautiful, and we could not have asked for better weather! The sun was shining and the air was crisp and sharp! Sam was so happy he could get away with just wearing his t-shirt!

The island itself is gorgeous. And everywhere you turn, among the decaying buildings, are beautiful gardens.

The cell house is another story entirely. Very sobering. We each took headsets to take advantage of the audio tour, and I was so glad I did. The tour is narrated by former Alcatraz prison wardens and inmates, and it is chilling to hear them re-count what life was like there.


Our ferry docked just in time for dinner, and since we were headed back to Pier 39 we dined at the Crab House. I had read on "Yelp" that they are famous for their "Killer Crab" cooked in a secret garlic sauce. Sam and I love crab legs and we were not disappointed-especially considering we had a beautiful view of the sun setting behind the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. It was a perfect meal!

After dinner we finally headed to our hotel room to check-in. We were on the 15th floor in the Financial District, and we were surrounded by other high-rise buildings. By this time the sun had officially gone down, which means that much of San Francisco is just getting up! You'd think we would be exhausted, but all we really wanted to do was get out once more to catch the biggest event in town...

The 149th Chinese New Year Parade!

It's billed as the the 7th largest parade in the world, and it was all happening not two blocks up from our hotel! As we stepped out onto the sidewalk we heard the explosion of fireworks and music and we took off running-uphill!

As you can see, the floats were spectacular, but what really got us cheering was seeing Sam's former employer represented, "UPS"!
I had fun screaming,
"WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?"

The end of the parade route was about 2 blocks south of us, so unlike the thousands of people making their way for the firework finale, we were already there. We saw men with row after row of fireworks draped around their necks and hanging to the floor taking their position, and we knew we were in for some serious noise. And sure enough, when those fireworks went off it was as though an ocean of sound was erupting all around us!

Normally, I don't want to be wandering the streets of a strange city late at night, but the conclusion of the parade meant that Chinatown was officially open for business. Hundreds of people poured into shops for snacks or souvenirs, or they tried in vain to get an open table at the many restaurants that were overwhelmed with customers.

Of course after all the excitement Samuel and I had the munchies! We had already purchased souvenirs for the kids, and a bag of my favorite snack in the whole world, "Sourdough Snacks" (more on those later), but now we wanted some serious Chinese food. Luckily, a restaurant that was emphatically not taking any more dine-in customers, was welcoming take-out orders. And not minutes later did we walk away with spicy General's Chicken, Chicken Chow Mein, and my favorite, Egg-Drop & Mushroom soup. It was finally, finally time to head "home" for the night!

I include this picture as a lesson, to all those who would wake up at 1 AM, after two evening meals of "Killer Crab" and Chinese food, with the brilliant idea to down 2 cups of hot cocoa and a whole bag of "Sourdough Snacks". I woke Sam and simply said, "I am soooo sick."

He was not sympathetic.

The next morning we had our first day time view from our hotel balcony. In the distance you can see the Bay Bridge.

Sam was thrilled that he could look up and then down to make himself extremely dizzy. He did this several times before I told him to "get away from the balcony!".

Yes, that is my man.

We were several blocks from the famous Ferry Building Marketplace on the Embarcadero. What better place for breakfast than a building that houses some of the finest breads, cheeses, meats, and chocolate? From Acme Bread we purchased an a beautiful crispy baguette and from Cowgirl Creamery some of their signature Mt. Tam cheese. We rounded off the meal with some hot chocolate and a french pastry-voila!

Seriously, I could have stayed there ALL DAY LONG! It was that fabulous! But Samuel was getting the itch so we grabbed a couple of sandwiches to go, Sam's a meatball and mozzerella from The Golden Gate Meat Company, and mine a Cheese Sandwich from Acme (Mt. Tam cheese, fresh jam, arugala, & black pepper)...heaven!

Our next stop: Coit Tower!

Many years ago Samuel and I once got it in our heads that we would walk there. It looked do-able, especially considering you can see it from practically anywhere in the city. Needless to say, we tried...and failed miserably. And also got lost in the process! So this time, with map in hand, we were determined to DRIVE up and visit it properly!

The tower was built with funds from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who left 1/3 of her estate to the City of San Francisco "to be expended in an appropriate manner for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city which I have always loved". The tower, like so many building in San Francisco, is beautiful, and the murals in the rotunda-stunning, but the views from the top of the tower of the city are even more so.

When I told Sam that while I was glad we visited Alcatraz, I didn't think I ever wanted to return again, he replied the he could go back over and over.

Hence this shot of him kissing his favorite island.

A great shot of the "crookedest street in the world": Lombard Street!

After the tower we headed to the Fisherman's Wharf and Ghiradelli Square.

How can you pass up Fish n' Chips and fresh Shrimp and Crab Cocktail?

Or Boudin's Famous Clam Chowder?



Or Ghiradelli's ice cream sundaes?

Yes, we came, and ate...and ate, and ate, and ate.

Our blissful vacation was coming to a close. Before we left we took the Scenic 49 drive through the Presidio before stopping at beautiful Baker Beach.

We had a wonderful time. But seriously, you could put us in a box and in 5-seconds we'd be laughing over something stupid. Well, maybe we'd be fighting if the reason we're in the box in the first place is something Sam did...but either way, being together is what counts.

I love you Samuel Dodge Elmer!
Here's to 8...80...800...800 million...infinity years to come!

And to all you other lovebirds, take the time to reach for your sweethearts hand.

Give it a good squeeze and count your blessings!