fun in the snow, blue sky and a dance party

 This past week has been pretty chilly here in Northern Michigan.  Our winter started out very mild, with not much snow.  But that has changed. 

 

 

 

 

I feel a bit like Mr. Rogers now.  I take off my coat when I come inside my house and promptly put on my warm sweater.  I don't have any inside shoes, though.  And I don't sing the song.  But, maybe I will tomorrow...

 

Today we spent our afternoon in the backyard.  Daniel is working on building a snow fort.  He's calling it a quinzie  and I'm not really sure how to spell it and what makes it different from a snow fort.  This is what the Boy Scouts slept in last weekend...outside...in January.

He had some helpers.   (I'm using that term loosely)

 

Or maybe I should say supervisors.

This one enjoyed the challenge of walking in the deep snow.

 

 

 

He'd fall...

 

...but then get right back up.

 

Such a proud boy!

 

The squirrel nests are no longer hidden this time of year.

 

This big boy showed me his talents at making a snow angel. 

 As of this evening they have made progress with the quinzie.

 

 

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I saw blue sky today.  We don't see that much of it around here, this time of year.  It was something to take in - and appreciate.

 

We finished up the day with a dance party.  The oldest boy had his turn first and was letting the younger two have a go at it.

 My middle one can really bust a move!

We did it!  We're over the hump and on our way down the hill.  Daddy will be home in a couple of days and then it will be the weekend.  A nice, relaxing weekend.

Late night, phone calls and no photos

I've been on the phone most of the night.  Chatting with my Mom, sister, and brother.  Nothing in particular, just catching up with my Mom, talking to my sister as she was on her way to her book club meeting, and enlisting my techno-savy brother's help in debugging my computer.  Let me take this opportunity to apologize to my family and friends for the bogus email sent by "me".  I'm not sure how it's happening, but I'm trying to get it figured out and hopefully it won't happen anymore.  The virus scan looks to be about 75% complete and no viruses have been found.  I was hoping it would find something.

We had another nice, snowy day today.  It started out with freezing rain, which I thought would have hampered our grocery shopping, but it didn't.  The roads were messy, but not slippery.  However, by the end of the school day, the roads were very snow-covered and I hadn't seen a snow plow yet (it's after 11pm...very late for me...and I still haven't seen one go by our house and it's been snowing all afternoon and all night) so I made the decision to cancel piano.  I don't want to cancel every time it snows, but it was coming down pretty hard.  And I knew we'd be driving on the curvy roads, around the lake, in the dark, in the snow, and that had me concerned.  So, we went home to clear off the driveway instead.

Now, if I were computer savy, I would insert a picture here that I took with my phone.  But, since I'm unable to figure out how to get my pictures from my phone on my laptop, it'll have to wait...sorry.

That was pretty much the whole of our day.  I made some soup but refrained from baking (two days in a row now!) and will have to bake cookies tomorrow.  sigh  It's a tough job and someone has to do it.

So, good night all.  I will be back, with more pictures tomorrow.

extra days off and a cold weekend

Silly me...I thought my kids had school today, Martin Luther King, Jr day.  My oldest thought to check the school website.  I'm glad he did.  Since they had a snow day on Friday, we had a nice four day weekend.

A good time for Play Dough.

And boys concentrating very intently on their task at hand.

I love bringing out the Play Dough bin, after a long vacation down in the basement.  It keeps them occupied for about 30 minutes.  Just long enough for me to get lunch on the table.  Perfect!

It was especially nice having the day off today because it gave my oldest another day to recover from his camping adventure Saturday night. 

I missed my oldest boy.  Thankfully, Daddy called a couple of times to let me know they weren't freezing their you-know-whats off.  The building they slept in was nicer (from what I heard) than what I expected.  I was imagining them sleeping on a dirt floor of an old, drafty barn.  Apparently it was a finished pole barn.  Still, it had concrete floors, but it was heated.  And, Daniel informed me he didn't even need to sleep with his gloves on!  He also informed me that Daddy said he could sleep out in the snow next year.  What!?!?  Daddy and I will have to talk about that.

They helped the Boy Scouts build their snow forts that they slept in and did lots of sledding.  Another part of the fun was helping make the meals.  Note to self:  encourage boys to be in charge of more meals.

He went to bed early last night and slept well so I think he's recovering in that respect.  However, he's at a scout meeting right now....it's 8:47pm EST and he still isn't home.  sigh 

Now I think I'll sign off for the night, drink my wine, and watch trashy reality TV.  Yes it's Monday night and the Bachelor is on.

Good night.

a snowy day and letting go

 

 

We awoke this morning to a lovely blanket of snow, a long list of school closings, and boys excited to get out and clean the driveway (or maybe just play in the snow).

Fridays are busy days for us.  While the two older boys have school, our youngest boy has music class in the morning.  And then there's cello after school.  I was also going to stop by a couple of stores to get some more supplies for the oldest boy's camping adventure this weekend.  Yes, I said "camping".  Yes, it is January in Michigan.  I know, me too.

He's a Webelo with  our local Cub Scout group.  He's camping with a group of Boy Scouts for 24 hours which will help him earn the Outdoorsman badge.  The Boy Scouts have to camp in the elements whereas the Webelos will sleep in a heated pole barn.  That makes me feel a tad better.  They will be doing activities outside like building a snow fort...  That's all he can remember right now. *smile*

Nonetheless, I had to purchase some cold weather necessities like a fleece hood, nylon liner socks, ski socks, long underwear, and nylon shirts (I had those...he's wearing my running shirts) and pants.  He informed me that he may not wear cotton.  He'll be wearing a little cotton, but mostly a poly blend in multiple layers.  I think he'll be just fine.

 

This mama will feel much better when he and Daddy come home Sunday morning.

I had my helper in the kitchen again today.  Since we didn't have our full, busy day I was able to make a nice, big dinner.  I made Gimme Chimis from Dreena Burton's Eat, Drink and Be Vegan.  Have I mentioned I love this cookbook?  We had a yummy salad with her cumin-cinnamon vinaigrette and an avocado and tomato salad.  Yum.

Now we're just relaxing, having our movie night.  It's almost bedtime.

There's just one more thing that I'm very excited about.  I just joined Dr. Melissa West's website.  She is a Namaste yoga instructor and Thai massage therapist.  Being a member of her site I'm able to view her yoga DVDs online, receive her weekly yoga podcasts, view the bonus footage from her podcasts, participate in her online forum, self retreat, and lectures.  I'm very excited.  I've been wanting to learn more about yoga and work it into my daily life for a while now.  I'm happy to be able to do that with someone as knowledgeable as she.

It's getting close to bedtime, for boys and their Mommy (and Daddy).

Have a wonderful weekend.

husband's return home and more snow

I have a pretty steadfast routine.  It says that we stay home on Thursday.  I have been baking a lot this week.  I normally bake a lot, but we seem to be really going through the baked goods.  I don't buy any premade bakery items.  I'm not a fan of the added ingredients they put in theirs plus I like to use healthier flour and sugar and of course make them vegan.

Today we made granola.  More specifically, Hempanola (did you remember I spoke of it yesterday?)  This is a delicious recipe which uses barley flakes as well as oats.  The sweetener is brown rice syrup which coats every grain and leave the granola crunchy and in chunks.  Just the way I like it!  I added slivered almonds and chopped apricots.  I haven't tried any yet.  I'm waiting to have some for breakfast tomorrow morning.

I had a helper with me in the kitchen today.  He was in charge of stirring and adding the vanilla.  He was very specific that he wanted to add the vanilla.  Cute boy.

He had a rough night last night.  It took him a bit to fall asleep, then woke up several times before I made it to bed myself.  I could tell that he was warm and wanted to give him some ibuprofen to make him more comfortable, but he refused the medicine.  I was shocked!  Was this my child?  Refusing purple-colored syrupy medicine?  Apparently so.  He just wanted me to "put him back in there" pointing to his crib.  Adorable.  So, we kept things low-key today.  My type of day.

Anyway, more baking.  Chris had a fire meeting tonight and wanted me to make cookies.  Chocolate chip anyone?  Delicious.  I had to sample one, I must admit.

It was a coloring day, a day good for rolling Silly Putty into hot dog shapes and slicing it for "eating".

We were anticipating some snow.  Watching for it out the window.  Nothing happened until late afternoon.  It was right about the time we were expecting Daddy to leave and fly home.  His flight was delayed a bit, but not too long.  He was able to be with the boys for a bit before heading out to his meeting, cookies in tow.

Lunch was delicious leftovers.  I have my egg-less sandwich mix in the fridge, so I made another delicious sandwich to eat with leftover Quinoa, Kale, and White Bean Stew.

Oh my it's good.  You need to try it.

Now, I'm just watching the snow come down outside.  We're so happy it's snowing again.  It's been an odd winter.  We have gotten snow, then it promptly melts in 50 degree weather.  I can't complain really, although my boys are complaining!  And, I certainly don't want winter to be sticking around in April!  I'd rather have my snow now, thank you.

As I was taking these pictures, I could hear the teenagers across the street as they were shoveling their driveway.  One of them said, "I just saw lightning!"  Funny...it was just my flash.


Last night was a late night.  I tend to stay up late when my husband is out of town.  So, I think I'll finish both my glass of wine and my episode of chopped.  Maybe one day I'll see them compete using all vegan ingredients.  Now, that would be something to watch!

Good night all.

cooking catch-up

I've been on holiday hiatus.  Now that the holiday season has come and gone, the boys have gone back to school and we've gotten back into our school routine, my blog will hopefully follow suit.

We recently celebrated a big birthday in our house.  Mommy (aka, me!) turned the Big 4-0.  *sigh*  How can that be? 

 I'm not so sure, but I'm accepting it.  I'm getting more used to to the idea that I'm no longer in my 30's.  I'm approaching it more by thinking of what I can accomplish in my 40's now, instead of what I can no longer do now that I'm 40.  For instance, I've grown my hair out again.  There's that stereotype that older women (am I really an "older" woman?) shouldn't have long hair.  Forget that!  I want long hair again, so here it is.  Also, I'm eating healthier than I ever have in my life.  I hope to continue to run half marathons and strive to run a full marathon sometime in my 40's.

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We celebrated a lovely Christmas with my Mom, niece, brother, and his girlfriend.  I also was able to visit more with my other brother and his girlfriend.  Being with family during the holidays is the best.

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Now for the fun stuff.  My dear sister gave me Dreena Burton's third cookbook, Eat, Drink and Be Vegan, for my birthday.  Have I mentioned she's my favorite sister?  Eventhough she's my only sister, she really is the best.

I've been cooking my way through this fabulous cookbook, after reading it cover to cover.

I made Hempanola with pecans and dried cherries. 

It held up great in almond milk and was so yummy it didn't last long in our house.  I'll be making round two tomorrow with slivered almonds and apricots.

Another great recipe was her banana cream pancakes.  They're made with coconut milk.

I served them with her recipe for warm raspberry sauce, substituting blueberries for the raspberries since I didn't have any in my freezer.  So delicious!

I made a delicious vegan Christmas feast and I did not take pictures.  Boo!  It included chickpea cutlets, mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies (brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes), and various Christmas cookies for dessert.  Delicious!

But, I did take pictures of some of our New Years Day munchies.

Pizza Focaccia:

Delightful Artichoke Dip (from Dreena's The Everyday Vegan)

Roasted Red Pepper Dip (also from The Everyday Vegan)

And, back to Eat, Drink and Be Vegan.  Chocolate Mint Melties.  I had my eyes on these when I first saw them in the book.  So minty and chocolately and deliciously chewey.  I just made these last week, but I'll be making them again soon.

Now, this next photo is a sort of the best of both worlds.  It's a combination of a modified version of Fusilli Roasted Veggie Primavera from Isa Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction and Dreena's Cashew Cheese.  I used some different veggies than what Isa had in her recipe and stirred in the cashew cheese.  What resulted was a miracle in its deliciousness and the fact that it pleased all 3 of my boys!  Definitely a miracle!

One last sweet treat to show you.  Again from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan..."You Got Peanut Butter in My Chocolate" Cookies.  Yummy!  Kari, this is the recipe I sent you today.

It's getting late (after 11pm my time!) but one more thing before I sign off.  I decided we need to begin a new tradition in our home: candles at dinner.  Maybe it's because my husband is a firefighter and that's why my boys appear to be pyromaniacs, but they love a candle.  We lit candles at dinner all through the Christmas season and they ooo'd and aaahh'd over them.  I know they've missed having candles lit at dinnertime and I have as well.  So, we're starting it back up again.  Maybe I'll get a little more creative and come up with a better centerpiece.  But for now this will do just fine.

Good night for now and until next time...

breakfast for dinner

We have breakfast for dinner quite often.  When I first started it, the boys thought it was hilarious.  Breakfast for dinner?!  Now, it's their favorite dinner.  It's great for me because I usually don't have to pick up anything specific at the store, I almost always have all the ingredients on hand.  And I can pre-measure my dry ingredients in the afternoon so dinner comes together quicker in the end.

Tonight I made pancakes and waffles, with my new waffle maker!  Well, I made pancakes on the griddle and waffles on the waffle maker.  Although you probably could have figured that out.  We also had fruit salad.  The boys are purists, and very set in their ways.  They can always tell when I try to make their pancakes different.  Whether I use whole wheat flour or try to veganize the recipe, they can tell.  So, I made their standard pancakes that I've been making for over 15 years.  They're good, but unfortunately they aren't vegan.  However, I did sneak some whole wheat flour in there.  Sneaky! 

For my waffles I used Isa Moskowitz's pumpkin waffle recipe.  They were vegan and so delicious served with pure maple syrup. 

 

I made chocolate chip brownie waffles last weekend.  Whoa mama, they were good.  And yes, they too are vegan.  

I'm kind of going backwards, but I want to mention lunch too.  I love mock egg salad sandwiches, and my sweet boy loves them too.  Today I tried Dreena Burton's egg-less salad recipe from The Everyday Vegan.  It's very easy to make and so delicious.  Mash the tofu as you would mash hard boiled eggs.  The recipe called for chopped pepper (I used a sweet red pepper), green onion, and celery (which I didn't have because it's a favorite of our guinnea pig).  Also a bit of apple cider vinegar, agave nectar, Dijon mustard, dill, salt and pepper.  Mix and put it on your favorite bread.  This is mine:

Stone House's Northcountry.  So yummy.

And here's the egg-less salad mix:

My helper wanted to be in the pictures too.  Don't you love that smile?

I served my sandwich with spinach and I would have liked to have put a slice of tomato on there, but I forgot to pick one up at the store.  The red pepper made up for it though.  I didn't miss the tomato at all.  And Mr. Smiley loved the sandwich so much I had to make a second one.

We'll be finishing up the leftovers tomorrow.  I can't wait!