what will they be?

Do your kids change their minds about Halloween costumes as much as mine do?  We have been through a flurry of costume changes and ideas over the past few weeks.  I think I know what they are dressing up as tomorrow night but I am bracing myself for changes that might happen in an instant...

What will they be?

happy halloween weekend!

fair

We recently made a trip to the state fair.  It was everything I have ever heard about and more.  The kids loved the animals and people watching.  All the fried foods were there too {although I somehow missed the famous fried butter}.  My favorite were the corny dogs and potato chips.  What a healthy way to spend the day.  And we can't forget Big Tex.  The all-knowing cowboy hovers over everyone and charms with his thick southern drawl.

We had a ball at the Children's Corner.  They had a wonderful little farm activity for the kids that taught about harvesting your crops, selling, earning money and then spending it.  It was adorable and a fun way for the kids to learn about where food comes from and how hard people work to get it to our tables.   

It was fun to see this 100-year-old state tradition and take part in it with the kids too.  

ballpark

There is something so familiar about the ballpark in the summertime.  The exuding warmth from the field and intensely patriotic feel keeps everyone's eyes locked on the field and the excitement of the game.

Well, our Texas Rangers have made it to the world series.  Yea!  Now, I have to clarify that we aren't huge baseball game watchers but we have been to a few Rangers games and enjoy them immensely!

What fun it is to cheer our home team!

warm and cozy: time for SOUP!

With the arrival of the cooler weather, it is definitely time for soup!  I love homemade soup.  Lovely concoctions of herbs, vegetables, stock and sometimes meat make for the most delicious and healthy meals.

I made this one today to soothe a growing cold and to warm the little souls in the house.  It was the most delicious tomato soup I have ever tasted.  Of course, the recipe included basil which is still growing like mad. I feel like I need to utilize it before it dies off for the season.

I kept my soup a little more hardy by not blending it too smooth.  It was hardy and full of flavor, yet light and fulfilling.  I served mine with a toasted cheese sandwich.  It would also be great with some hardy bread.  Enjoy it on a cold night!

Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup  

The Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 quart chicken stock or water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

driving in heels {and a crown} with the skirt stuck in the door

There is nothing like getting dressed up, wearing heels and driving yourself somewhere fun...even if your skirt is stuck in the door!

 

ice cream, hot air and halloween

We recently attended a fun little small-town event for Halloween.  A sweet friend told us about the celebration and we decided to give it a whirl.  Children were dressed up in their costumes and hot-air balloons illuminated the night sky.  Collecting candy and eating it was a favorite but when the skies darkened and the balloons began to stand tall, fright consumed my kids.  As the fires illuminated the balloons, they made a loud sound that terrified both my kids.  The little one was ready to go home after she saw the first balloon but my big girl decided to hang in there for the candy that was being given out at each balloon basket.  Funny, how candy can motivate.

The best part was the vintage ice-cream truck!  After all the hoopla with the balloons and fire, it was neat to see that the charming vintage ice-cream man and truck experience was a favorite!

What fun it was to take part in a fun little community celebration.  We are hopeful we will be able to stay longer and enjoy the beautiful balloons next year!

flowers at the door

Ringing doorbells, leaving goodies and dashing away {while we were booing neighbors} peeked the interest of my big girl.  

The other day, she asked me to wait at the doorway while she busied herself in the yard.  As I waited, she tore through the yard gathering little leaves and flowers.  When she peeked back at me she asked that I close the door and wait for the doorbell to ring.  When it rang and I opened the door, a sweet little bouquet awaited me on the front step while she hurried around the pillar. 

Oh, what fun it is to leave little surprises for unsuspecting folks {or Momma}!

taking care of pumpkins

Since my little one snatched this pumpkin at a local pumpkin patch a week ago, she has not let a day go by without moving it or shuffling it around the yard.  When it rained, she dutifully moved out of the rain and into the garage.  When we arrive home, she walks up to the font step and picks it up and heaves it around before we go inside.  When we walk out the front door, she takes it out to sit under the shade of the trees.  When we went for a walk, she attempted to take it along but decided not to after she dropped it and it rolled down the driveway.  At the rate she's going, I am not quite sure this sweet pumpkin will make it to Halloween.

the rain came

When the skies darkened from the west and the winds kicked up, it was like a magic signal sent out to everyone.  Doors swung open and kids ran outside while parents marveled at the sight of rain -- a sight that hasn't been seen for many, many months.   Little boats were sailed down the water-filled gutters while umbrellas were abandoned in the yard.  It was almost surreal to see the dark clouds instead of the accustomed blue.  We are so thankful the rain came down today.

 

Caprese Salad

With the basil still abundant, we needed a few more recipes that included this favorite herb of mine.  I ran across this traditional simple salad from here and it very quickly became a favorite.  I hope you will enjoy it too, while the tomatoes are still ripening and the basil is tasty!

Recipe for caprese salad: 

A Country Farmhouse

fresh picked tomatoes (we used store-bought)

fresh picked basil

fresh mozzarella (in a pinch, I use cheese sticks cut-up)

 olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

salt and pepper to taste

barefoot in the garden

I dreaded dismantling the garden this fall.  When it failed to thrive this summer, I knew we needed to dismantle it and start over next spring.  As I tore away the tall sides and dug the dirt away, the kids flocked to me like I was Santa.  The little wheel-barrow made an appearance and the gardening tools came out too.  Shoes were flung into the lawn and little toes squirmed deep into the rich dirt.  They dug, and dug, and dug for the entire morning.  I contemplated leaving the mess because they had such fun playing.  Instead, they helped me move the dirt to another part of the yard that needed a soil boost.  They took turns trying to push and balance the wheel-barrow full of dirt.  

I would have never thought that this long-dreaded task would become such a wonderful morning with my children--well, with the exception of the little one eating the dirt...of course!

BOO!

via

We have begun the "booing" tradition on our street a bit early this year.  After seeing this adorable "BOO" sign and directions at The TomKat Studio, we decided it might be fun to start the "booing" ourselves.

My kids think it is so much fun to look around at the neighbors' doors to see if anyone else has been booed!  By starting early, we are hopeful that our whole street will be "BOOED" by the time Halloween rolls around in a few weeks.  

Enjoy some "booing" of your own!  The free printable sign and directions were found here.  

Happy Halloween Month!

Warm and Cozy: Perfect Banana Bread

via

I love banana bread but finding a recipe without dairy for my dairy-sensitive kids can sometimes present quite a challenge.  When I ran across this recipe for banana bread without a trace of butter or heavy cream, I was overjoyed.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/3 cup vanilla yogurt

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup ripe mashed bananas

1 ½ cups white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ¾  cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½  tsp salt

*we add walnuts {approx. 1/3 cup chopped walnuts} to ours and enjoy the texture and taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare chosen pan.

Blend together the eggs, yogurt, oil, extract and bananas in mixer with low speed.

Add in sugars and fully incorporate.  Then add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

(Be sure to start checking your banana bread at 45 minutes.  I have had it be done in 50 minutes or heard that it can take as much as 75 minutes.  It just depends on the accuracy of your oven.)

Enjoy this warm and cozy recipe on a cool Fall day!

paint project gone awry

When the weather turned cooler, I thought it might be fun to stamp some apples with my little one.  

{yes, those are my scissors jabbed into the apple...it was an attempt to make the stamping a bit easier}

I had grand ideas to create some apple print goodies with her stamps, or so I thought...

 

She had other plans...

She thought it might be fun to eat the apples with paint on them, smear paint on herself faster than I could blink, take paint and smear it on every surface she could find, snatch the bottle of paint and open the top with her teeth {not sure where she found out how to do this?} and pour paint all over the painted and eaten apples, and finally, she wanted nothing to do with cleaning the paint off.  If she had it her way, she would have slept with the dry crackled paint all over her skin.  I am sure you all are thinking, where was Momma during all this commotion?  As I was cleaning up one mess, she was making another--it was a vicious cycle that didn't end until everything was put away.  

I am not so sure we are ready for any more painting projects for a while. Whew!

I think this little one is in the paint exploration phase of life, not the "paint something and make a nice product" phase.  I will remember this the next time I decide to whip out the paints and make cute apple print goodies!