Do you remember, Once Upon a Time When There Were Open Doors, An Invitation to the World?

I'll be off to Seattle and Vancouver tomorrow night with W, the kids and some friends- yay! So my posts will be far and few between since we'll be busy - plus I may have to wrestle W for use of his laptop... the original computer hog.

And here's some other things I'm happy about...
Nigella's back on the Food Network - premiering on October 1st, yay!

And how yummy does this sound-
Espresso Chip Poundcake
1 pound butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/8 cup sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup espresso, liquid shots, not grounds
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar together. Start on a slow speed until blended, then turn it up to the highest speed until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla to the mixture and mix on medium speed until the eggs are fully broken up and combined. Do not over mix this part. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together, add to the mixture and mix until combined. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix until combined. Add the espresso, and mix until it is combined. If you are using hot espresso shots, then pour them slowly into the mixture so that it does not begin to cook the eggs. Add the chocolate chips and mix them until combined.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.
Scoop the cake mixture into the prepared pan. Place the cake on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until an inserted knife comes clean from the cake. Placing the cake on a cookie sheet is just a suggestion to keep your oven clean, in case the cake mixture spills over the sides of the pan.
Let the cake cool, then remove it from the pan upside down. Garnish it with powdered sugar.
Yield: Active preparation time: 30 minutes Non-active preparation time: 0 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours

Courtesy of Food Network and Cafe Ladro - Seattle, WA

Okay, I didn't make it but it sounds super good... if I have time when I return it sounds like a keeper...

Do This Don't Do That Can't You Read the Signs?

I didn't take the digital camera (so W would have it in case of any Kodak moments while I was away, needless to say the camera did not leave the counter the whole week) so I took this with my phone -

This was being held up by a young woman standing in the middle of the Vegas crowd, it looks like the guy is holding the sign but you can just make out the back of her head. She was being confronted by the guy and another beer toting guy next to him. I am not one to poke fun at people with strong religious convictions, everyone has their own ideas and beliefs and I respect them all- as long as they don't tell me what to believe myself. So I'll just say I give her props for effort...

10 things I learned on vacation

I just got back from Vegas with my mom and sis on Saturday night. Tired. But there are some very important things I have learned from this trip.

1. If you are a Beatles fan it is neccessary, if not required, you go see Cirque Du Soleil - The Beatles, at the Mirage Hotel. If you are not a Beatles fan and you see this, you will become one.

2. Sleep deprivation will not catch up to you until precisely 24 hours to the minute after you have stepped off the plane and children are climbing all over you and you have a 1 year old birthday party to attend.

3. The black cloud that looms over your head as you gamble does not go away just because you think happy positve thoughts. Snide rude remarks to the poker machine don't help either, but it will make you feel better.

4. Although I make fun of them, I am lost without my husband and my monsters.

5. Shopping like a maniac for four days is fun. Period.

6. When someone tells you and your sister that you look like twins be faster and louder to shout out, "I'm YOUNGER!!" before your lying older sister does.

7. My hair is happy and a wonderful friend in Nevada, my hair is nuts and mean and spiteful to me at home.

8. Theres never enough money when you're losing.

9. All the best stores in the country are everywhere but in Hawaii.

10. I really enjoyed hanging out with my sis, its been a while we got to spend time with each other(if your're reading this L, I never said that)

11. Coming home is awesome.

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Ok, apparently I can't count, so I might as well add a 12th one in...

12. If I were to pack up and run away from home, I would hide away in Anthropologie store, seeing as there is none in Hawaii (theres a shocker), I would catch a plane and move right in. This was the first time I got to go to one, I have ordered online but never been to one. I walked in circles to find the one in SF last year but couldn't find it, my sis said 'oh, it was the right around the corner from our hotel- I can't believe you missed it.' Thanks, L, that would have been useful information if we were STILL THERE. Anyway, LOVED it and will visit it again and blow some more money when I go to Seattle next week!

To a Place I Recall, I Was There So Long Ago

I was cleaning out my closet the other day and found some old stuff in there...

Holy moly, thats scary.

I also found this...

Bought in Japan circa 1984.


If you look closely at the shoe you will see that its not Converse people... its Conperse. Yes, fake ones. Why would I buy fake ones, in Japan no less? Because, back then, in '84, Japan was freaky cheap. You could buy a bunch of clothes and end up paying very little. If G. Stefani could get into a time capsule she could have bought ALL of Harajuku.

Anyway, the most vivid memory I have of those 3 weeks in Japan (it was a class trip with other high school Japanese classes)-besides the nuts haircut I got in Tokyo and the fact that you could buy sake from a vending machine right outside our hotel door, was one of our friends from another high school, my sister, Nonnahs and I in a ticket purchasing kiosk while our gay friend is screaming at the Japanese guy at the counter in English because they wouldn't let us buy sold out tickets to WHAM! who was playing at the Buddakon.

Good times.

Here Kitty Kitty

We got a great swap package from Melissa and her family yesterday. How fun are those!? C-girl had never really heard of a place called Kentucky. Oh my, I think we'd better get out the World Atlas, before my daughter becomes one of those who absolutely avoids at all costs the geography color (and the sports one too) whilst playing trivia pursuit like her mommy. She wants to bring the whole package to school so she can show them what her new friends in Kentucky have sent.

Melissa also sent a bunch of craft starters to make animals from shapes to stick onto cardstock. And circle stickers with rubberbands to make more crafts! The kids can't wait, they wanted to do it, of course, right away. Since I told them they needed to take baths first they sprinted upstairs and acted like cats the whole time they were in the bath. Even crawling out of the tub afterwards on all fours meowing. Yikes.

Getting Carded

I worked on some cards last night-

I imagine they are a bit boring and somewhat plain compared to others that I see. I do like them not too busy, and of course I'm lazy too. I think the fun is just deciding on the colors and the ribbon, yes, sadly thats the extent of my excitement last night.

swap fun

We got the coolest teeny tiny swap package from Ali and her sweet boys, Johnny and Mark ... just look at the wonderfulness! If you can see in the right bottom corner there was even the cutest illustrated book made by her boys just for C-girl. She loved it! They included a painting book(that uses only water, yay!), paint brushes, little goldfish tub toys, beautiful molded crayons, a animal book with internet links, a postcard with their inital, a dino balloon(that c-boy has offically claimed for himself), some yummy gummy bugs and Bob the Builder pencils. We were overwhelmed - what fun!

And these sweet finger puppets were a hit!


Thanks Ali, Mark and Johnny - the kids loved it!

Raisin Apricot (Chocolate Chip) Cookies

We made Debra Ponzek's Raisin Apricot Cookies for dessert tonight. Featured in the Nick Jr. Family Magazine September issue. This makes 18 big healthy cookies.

Heat oven 350 degrees F and coat two baking sheets with cooking spray

Mix:
2 cups all purpose flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup white)
1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt

Then add:
1/4 cup store bought applesauce (we used unsweetened)
1/4 cup orange juice
3 T unsalted butter, melted
3 large egg whites
1 t. vanilla extract

Mix in:
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped apricots (we used a no-nut trail mix instead)
(we added a couple handfuls of chocolate chips too, that's the kid enticer)



For each cookie drop in 2 generous tablespoons of batter onto baking sheet. The batter tends to be very thick but I think that's how its supposed to be.
Then it says to bake 10 to 11 minutes, but for some reason, probably because mine were huge, we added a couple extra minutes to make sure the middle was cooked. It kind of flattened out a bit and looked more like a mini scone.

The picture looked way different from ours, but the kids ate it up anyway.

With a glass of OJ or milk these also make a good option for breakfast, even with the chocolate chips. Yay!

Go Go Goji

Goji Berries. Not yummy.

But I've been trying to live a more healthy lifestyle, so there they are. Before this our eating habits were pretty good, no meat, pork or chicken (the kids eats some at school). Very little dairy. Whole wheat breads, brown rice, wheatgrass juice. As Organic or local as possible. The kids are used to it, I didn't say they like it. I sometimes include kid staples for them like chicken dinos and the occasional turkey bacon - I'm not that mean.

Lately, I've decided to step it up a notch. Thus a promise to no more dairy (for me) and no white refined flours of any kind (only me again). And tons more fruit and veggies(for everyone- that will eat it without crying). Therefore, more odd foods are added, so goji berries it is. This is just a trial of course, I could break at any time. Especially when I go to Vegas...

But, I'm hoping this will increase energy and help with any illnesses that may come along. Its also, I think, more environmentally friendly. Don't worry, I still pack some of the bad stuff in with the lunches so the kids aren't that deprived. A little bit of chocolate pretzels with their whole wheat apple bars- thats pretty good, no? I don't want to get too deep in granolaville to deprive my kids. What if when they can make their own decisions, they binge on doritos and otter pops until they hurl?

We'll see...

Here Kitty Kitty!

I finally finished pointy kitty from Wee Wonderfuls. Its not that it was a hard pattern but something about 'blindstitch opening then blindstich head to body...' made that poor kitty sit there headless for a few weeks. When I finally did it, it must have taken about 10 minutes, and this is while catching up with my taped Rockstar-Supernova. Although its not a smashing job, a bit wobbly and I think I could have stuffed the legs a bit better(as you can tell by the bad picture). But I really like the bright colors (another vintage from my great aunt) and the humongous head adds to her charm.

I bought the Kitty, Bunny and Bear pattern hopefully I can get started on a couple for Christmas!

Happy Ants

I love this. Apparently our house is an ant village. I don't see any ants inside but their houses await them, all over the place. This first one is in the front entrance.



This next one is in the family room.



This last one is in the front living room.

We're not allowed to touch them as they are houses only for the ants. And they will be sad without them. We'd have unhappy ants moping around the house. We can't have that.

If C-girl hears any blocks fall, and she can apparently hear it from upstairs, she shouts down - "I hope thats not from the ant houses". She has superhero hearing for a single falling block but can't hear me right in front of her telling her to pick up her dirty socks from the floor.

Fun and Games

We had the most fun at the beach yesterday with a bunch of our friends. Besides the kids' scheduled every-ten-minutes fights (of who got the bigger cheetoes, who got more juice, who threw the football at whose head, and getting sand in each others eyes- among other things)we did manage to have a great day.



We bbq'd, and played in the water. Then the guys played football in the sand. Then someone lost their wedding band. Its all fun and games until someone loses their inscribed one-of-kind-now-your-wife-is-going-to-kill-you wedding band. It finally turned up, thank goodness. Although, that would be a forgivable homicide, I think.

All in all a wonderful day.

Zoo & Poo

We went to the zoo today. Lots of walking. Lots. No, I don't have three kids, the smallest is my friends' son. We had lots of fun though, lions, elephants and goat poo. What's not to love about the zoo? Besides the goat poo.

Happy Morning Senses

Some things that are making me happy this morning...

Seeing-
my shiny green herbs and little flowers coming out right outside the window
my little munchkins fast asleep cuddled with heads touching

Smelling-
same said herbs, love the basil and rosemary scent
my favorite mocha
with some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins -recipe via justjenn...yummm

Hearing-
dianne krall while sipping on said mocha in the early a.m. before the kiddies awake
W typing away in his office

Happy Friday!

Evil Eye

This is a very strange toy that W bought for my son. Its Superman(of course) and it shoots these red transparent discs out of him. I don't remember that happening in any of the Superman movies. He also has red eyes. Yes, red. Maybe W accidently bought evil Superman instead. Or maybe Superman was at the beach too long and had some beers. At least Superman doesn't need to drive.