More Fall Adventures

We had another fun weekend as a friend gave us tickets to go to a local farm for their fall festival. Here are some pictures from that fun day...

Sadly, she was too short to pedal herself, but she enjoyed getting pushed around by Daddy.

They had maze that Evangeline ran through twice, without any problems. On the third try, she kept getting it wrong and we had to help her in the end!

Rode a pony, Smokey, and enjoyed it for the 1st quarter of the ride. 

I think I enjoyed seeing her do it much more :o)

Fall Update

We've greeted fall with gusto this year. We've already done several fall activities with the girls and have more planned on the calendar...

Last weekend we did a full day by going to the Ag Farm Harvest Festival followed by apple picking, all of which we did with James & Jess.

 

There were some animals

Some more of the animals

A corn maze

Activities like farming and flower picking for the kids

Proud of the apple she picked. She ate several while we were there.

Aubrey wanted in on the apple action

We've also been working on Halloween costumes (other pictures will have to wait as it is top secret!)

Played outside and collected acorns

And stayed snuggly and warm inside.

Last week Ryan took Evangeline for a special night out. They dressed up and went to dinner at Chick-fil-a who was hosting a daddy-daughter date night. There was flowers, balloons, face/hand painting, and ice cream.

Since we picked so many apples, I've been busy in the kitchen - I've canned 7 qts. of applesauce so far and have another 7 or so to go. I've also frozen some. Up next is apple muffins, donuts, cake, bread, pie, crumble, and more...

2 years old

A month late (sorry!) but here it is...

Product Review: Kashi Chocolate Soft-Baked Squares & a Giveaway!

I'm part of this organization called Moms Meet which, among other things, provides ways to try and review products. I recently got sent Kashi Chocolate Soft-Baked Squares. Myself, Ryan, and my sister tried them. I've enjoyed some Kashi products in the past, but sadly not this one!

So overall, I was disappointed in this. I was impressed to see that it was made with sweet potatoes and looked forward to a moist brownie-like and tasty snack. It certainly wasn't brownie-like, but aside from that it was dry and wasn't very sweet. It actually had quite a processed taste to it.

They say it is kid friend and although the ingredients are better than some products out there, I wouldn't serve it to my girls. I didn't want to have another so I've been trying to find others to eat them for me. I gave half to my husband and he was glad it was only half and I gave one to my sister and she didn't finish it.

For the giveaway! One winner will receive a Kashi lunch tote, plus two vouchers for any free Kashi products. To enter, just leave a comment or let me know you'd like to win.

For more information on this and other Kashi products, go to one of these sites:
kashi.com/family
facebook.com/kashi
greenmomsmeet.com/kashi


I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Stats & A Recipe

Evangeline - 2 yrs.

Weight: 27lbs.  50-75th%
Height: 34"  50-75th%
Head Cir.: 48cm  50-75th%

Aubrey - 6 months

Weight: 19lbs. 13oz.  97th%
Height: 27 1/2" 97th%
Head Cir.: 44cm  90th%

At 6 months, Evangeline weighed 17lbs. (75th%), and was 25" long (25th%). Aubrey is now not only sitting up, and everything from the last post, but she is also crawling.

And now completely unrelated; a recipe that we had for dinner last night from Weeknights with Giada (I changed it some). It was so delicious.

Ham, Gruyere, and Apple Panini

1T. butter
1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced (1/4" thick)
1t. dried thyme
4 slices bread
Mustard (opt.)
1 cup shredded cheddar-gruyere cheese (the recipe calls for gruyere but I opted for the less expensive mix)
4 slices black forest ham

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apple slices and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly soft, about 4 mins.

Spread each piece of bread with 1T. mustard. Arrange half of cheese on bread, top with 2 slices ham. Divide the apple mixture evenly over sandwiches. Add remaining cheese. Grill or use panini press to cook until cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown and crispy.

Aubrey's Firsts

So she recently started to sit on her own. She recently learned how to go from laying down/rolling around to a sitting up position. And now, as of yesterday, she has cut her first tooth through! She's growing up so fast!

Healthy Mac n Cheese

So, like most children, Evangeline LOVES macaroni and cheese. So, to make it a bit healthier I sneak veggies in there... three different ones to be exact. Pureed cauliflower has no taste when combined with anything that has cheese in it and pureed squash has such a mild flavor that it isn't really noticeable. I've made macaroni and cheese with cauliflower and squash in it and served it to Ryan and he didn't have a clue :o) I told him after the fact. I usually add some pureed carrots in too, Evangeline notices if I didn't puree it very well and there are larger chunks... but she just puts those to the side of her plate and isn't bothered by it.

Cauliflower has many health benefits but what I like is its digestive properties - being high in fiber is good for our little girl. The different kinds of squash have various health benefits and are all high in vitamins, but I like that they are low in calories - tons of health boosts for few calories. Winter squash are good for blood sugar regulation (and so diabetes prevention) and summer or yellow squash are known for heart, colon, prostate, and bone benefits. I think we all grew up thinking that carrots are good for your vision, but in reality there hasn't been much study into that - what they are known for are their high antioxidant nutrients and cancer prevention.

I make all of these veggies (and others) and then freeze them in these trays. I pop them out and store them in a zip lock baggie, ready in a serving size whenever I need them. Typically a 6-9 month old should have 3-6 oz. of fruits and veggies a day (and 6-8oz. for a 9-12 month old). Each of the "squares" from the tray are 1 oz. So 3 oz. of veggies are mixed into her mac n cheese. She doesn't usually eat ALL of the mac n cheese in one sitting, but it surely helps get those veggies into her - since she's not really a fan of any yet. Thankfully, she'll take fruit over pretty much anything these days (and we always mix one of these cubes into her applesauce).

Delish

The two most recently tried recipes were quite good. This pinterest one, Spinach and Feta Quesadilla, was really good. Quick and easy to make, quite yum. I forgot to add the fresh herbs in, but I also didn't feel like it was missing anything. Look how good:

(not the best photographer in the world, or the best staging, but I was hungry and don't really care :o))

I also made Giada's Vokda Sauce the other night. The recipe was clear and simple, very easy to make, had few ingredients, and didn't need a lot of attention while making it (which is good when you have 2 under 2!). We really enjoyed it - the flavor was not what we expected, but was really good. Even the leftovers heated up the next day for lunch was great. The only thing is that she says in her recipe to serve it over a pound of pasta to serve 4. I served it over 1/2lbs. pasta and we both ate it for dinner and lunch the next day (so it could serve 4 like that) and we felt that if there had been more pasta, there wouldn't be enough sauce. Perhaps we like more sauce than most people?! Here is that recipe:

3c. marinara sauce (or 1 jar pasta sauce)
1c. vodka
1/2c. heavy cream, room temperature
1/2t. salt
1/4t. pepper 

In a heavy large skillet, simmer sauce and vodka over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture reduces by one forth, about 20 mins. Stir in the cream and continue to simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and add parmesan, salt, and pepper. Season with more salt & pepper to taste.

Last night, I tried another Giada recipe from Weeknights with Giada. It was called Crispy Chicken with Rosemary-Lemon Salt. I skipped the Rosemary-Lemon Salt part, but did the Crispy Chicken. It was great - so good that Evangeline, who doesn't like any kind of chicken every, asked to try it and then kept bugging us for bites of it (she'd already eaten dinner earlier). I also skipped putting rosemary in the oil, simply because I didn't have any fresh rosemary (and so I used dry instead of fresh in the chicken too). Every once in a while I'd get a taste of the lemon, but when I told Ryan there was lemon in it he had no idea - so not sure if I should up it, or just skip it... I'm thinking skip it.

Here is the recipe for the Crispy Chicken part:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 (6-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
3/4t. salt
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 lb. chicken, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2T. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4t. pepper
1/2c. fine cornmeal or instant polenta

Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat (the oil is hot enough when a pinch of cornmeal sizzles when added to the pan). (Add the rosemary sprig and fry for 30 seconds, until crisp. If you make the lemon-rosemary salt part of this dish, you use the fried rosemary for it. I didn't include what is needed for that in this copy of the recipe. Remove the sprig of rosemary.)

In medium bowl, mix the chicken, garlic, chopped fresh rosemary, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add cornmeal and toss until chicken is coated.

Add half of the chicken in the skillet and fry 2-3 mins. on each side, until crispy and cooked through (note: I cooked the 1st batch a bit longer than this and some of them were chewy, so try and stick to the 2-3 mins.) Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken.

She suggested serving with warm marinara sauce. I served it with ketchup ;o) And some Trader Joe's fries.

A New Recipe Day

Today I'm going to try out a couple of new recipes. The first, at lunch, is a Spinach and Feta Quesadilla found on pinterest. What I love about the recipe is that it makes only one - perfect for my lunch (and possible Evangeline if she is feeling daring enough to "twy").

And for dinner tonight I'm going to give another Giada recipe a go from one of my new cookbooks (Everyday Italian). I'm going to make pasta with Vodka Sauce - sounds good, right?! I'm looking forward to it and shall report soon. I just need to figure out what veggies to serve with it... or sneak in the sauce.

In a non-food related note, Aubrey - not quite yet 6 months old - is now sitting up and can go from a rolling around on the floor to a sitting up postion. She mastered both things yesterday. Where did my baby go?!

And since there is a picture of Aubrey - I'll add one of Angie too :o) Here she is eating her green smoothie from the other night (since she knows the camera takes videos, she always asks to watch and won't smile/pose for a picture)...

Last Nights Dinner

For dinner the other night I tried a new recipe for us and one for Evangeline too. I made Angie a green smoothie and she LOVED it. The recipe was for 1 c. frozen mango, 1 banana, and a handful of spinach. I started with that but it wasn't mixing well so I added yogurt to get the right consistency.

For Ryan and my dinner, I made this (original recipe/post is from Smitten Kitchen). We enjoyed it - I did put an egg on top and we also added a bit of grated cheese as well. Other than that I followed the recipe pretty faithfully.  (This is not my picture but happily ours did look as good as this.) It was delicious and the leftovers for lunch today were good as well... it was definitely added to my "good enough to make again" list.

Frederick: A little taste of England

Today, for lunch we (Mum, Ruth, and the girls) ventured to Cafe Anglais - in Frederick - for some British cooking. A man named Michael, from Lancashire, owns a little tea shop in downtown Frederick. It was raining so we didn't sit in his lovely garden in the back, but I've sat back there before and its beautiful. We enjoyed delicious pots of tea and hot chocolate and munched on pasties, bangers and mash, chips, baked beans, and sausages. We (well Ruth & I, since Mum gets to go back to England this year) also took home some sausage rolls and chocolates to share with our men.

Although the food is not 100% its-as-if-we-are-in-England-right-now, it is the closest thing by FAR that we have ever found here in the US. It's on N. Market Street and he has a nice menu available. If you want full-blown high tea, call the day before. And be sure to check out the few shelves of goodies he has... not cheap, but British items aren't over here.

Recipes

I've been trying out some new recipes via pinterest and some new cookbooks I received.

SUCCESS:

Salmon Baked In Foil (from Everyday Italian, by Giada De Laurentiis)
(4 servings)

3 tomatoes, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 T. plus 2 t. olive oil
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 t. chopped fresh oregano (or 3/4 t. dried)
1 1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme (or 3/4 t. dried)
1 t. salt
3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
4 salmon filets

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Stir tomatoes, shallots, 2 T. oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 pepper.
3. In center of large piece of foil, spoon about 1/2 t. oil. Place salmon in foil and turn to coat.
4. Sprinkle salmon with remaining1/2 t. salt and pepper. Spoon tomato mixture on top.
5. Fold and seal foil. Bake about 25 mins.

FAIL:

Baked Mozzarella Balls

This recipe uses mozzarella sticks cut up and baked instead of fried, but even after following the updates and tips, the mozzarella balls just melted flat. They still tasted pretty good, but we'd rather not have flat cheese discs.

Update

Our little girls are growing up so fast! Evangeline is sleeping a big girl/toddler bed, she's potty trained, and she's turning 2 at the end of the month! Aubrey will hit 6 months in a few weeks and is working on sitting up and crawling already. They both have appointments in a couple weeks, so we'll get to see the stats and how close Aubrey actually is to Angie in size (Aubrey is wearing 12 month clothing, Evangeline is still in mostly 18-24 month). They both love each other A LOT... Aubrey is always watching Angie and wants to be close to her:

Although it doesn't look like it in this picture, Evangeline adores Aubrey as well. SO much.

Ryan has been at his new job for a couple of months now and we're so grateful for it and he really enjoys it. His boss is great, the commute is easy, the hours are good, and we're just thrilled with the Lord providing it.

In other random thoughts/news, I, like millions of others out there, love Pinterest. And I love that I'm actually making/doing things I've pinned. Last night was another successful recipe and was promptly moved into my "Recipes Good Enough to Do Again" board. I can't wait until we have a place of our own/a bigger place so that I can put many of the idea's I've pinned to good use.

More Summer Fun

We've had some more summer fun here in the Tiren house. We've flew a kite (somewhat successfully):

And we went to the beach! Evangeline loved it... she didn't want to leave. She enjoyed playing in the sand and the water. She laughed whenever the waves hit her. Sadly, this is pretty much the only picture we got at the beach... we were just too busy having fun! Aubrey didn't have as much fun at the beach and was actually only there for maybe 30 mins. total - the extreme heat (100+) was too much for her.

Just to prove, yet again, that these two girls are definitely sisters... here they are in the hotel room, sleeping:

Summer Fun

We've had a bit of summer fun this weekend... yesterday we had a water balloon fight with some friends. And the day before that we took Angie out for a water adventure in Olney. Here are some pictures of our cutie playing in the water with her Dada (while Aubrey & I hung out in the shade):