Happy Birthday Eli!

My baby brother turned 21 today! I don't usually post about birthdays here, but he deserves a special mention because he's been serving as a missionary in Brasil for two years. He's coming home in a month and a half and we are so excited to see him! He's grown up so much and we are so proud of him. Luckily we won't have to wait long to see him because we're arriving in Utah a few days after he comes home.

Oh, and did I mention that he's crazy? He sent my parents this picture last week.

Candice M. Stringham: Photographer Extraordinaire

I am sick, sick, sick so no new photos from me today, but I HAD to post these new one year portraits Candice did of Creed when they were driving through on their way to New York

Candice doesn't like this one because she thinks it's too flat/gray, but it's my favorite because it really captures his smile, and it's taken in the same spot that she took the photo we used for his birth announcement. I'll have to post the comparison later.

Creed was really having an off day so Candice did an amazing job. We are planning to visit her soon and I can't wait to see more from this shoot!

Columbus Corners - Hayden Falls

I think I mentioned this here long ago, but in case I didn't, did you know there's a waterfall nestled in between Columbus and Dublin? Hayden Falls is in the south side of Hayden Run Road between Riverside Drive and Dublin Road just to the west of the bridge over the river.

There's a tiny parking lot that was unmarked for years, but now it has a brand new parks and rec sign clearly marking it. At the east end of the lot, you'll see these stairs leading down to a creek. These stairs are new so it used to be a lot harder to get down to the falls. At the bottom of the stairs just follow the dirt path and use stepping stones to cross the stream heading away from the river. It's a very short walk to another wooden platform, where you'll see this.

And you'll completely forget that there's a busy road so nearby.

Creed even thought the falls merited some applause.

Sometimes if the summer is dry there's not much to the falls, so if that happens, be sure to visit another time.

Three Everyday Meals

Well, it's no secret that I'm a beginning cook so I've been trying some really easy non-church-casserole type recipes. I've found a few that Larry and I have really liked that my sisters have asked me to share so here are three that we loved from Everyday Food. The first is from their book, Good Food Fast, and the other two are from their magazine (Thanks Brittany for passing along your copies!). You can click on the titles to link to their site where you can print out these recipes and search for other good recipes.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
8 ounces (8 slices) bacon, cut 1 inch thick crosswise
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup half-and-half

Directions

1. Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
2. Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside.
4. Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Tenders with Creamy Honey Mustard

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 cups crisp rice cereal
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (tenderloins)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
4 medium carrots, cut into sticks
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into sticks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475. Place flour in a shallow bowl, and egg in a second one; season both with salt and pepper. Pulse cereal and oil in a food processor until fine crumbs form (I don't have a food procesor so I tried a blender and that did NOT work. I ended up using a baby food jar to smash the rice crispies in a bowl like I was using a mortar and pestle and that worked just fine). Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a third shallow bowl.
2. Coat chicken: first in flour, shaking off excess; then with egg, letting excess drip off; and finally in cereal mixture, pressing to help it adhere. Place on a baking sheet, and bake until light golden brown and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes, turning over halfway through.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together sour cream, mustard, and honey; season with salt and pepper. Serve tenders and vegetables with creamy honey mustard on the side
   

Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Pecans

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 cup pecan halves
6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 pint (2 cups) grape tomatoes
1/3 cup white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 to 3 bunches (1 1/2 pounds total) flat-leaf spinach, trimmed, cleaned, and dried
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in oven until golden and fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet.
3. Add onion to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar; simmer until liquid thickens slightly and tomatoes are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Place spinach in a large bowl, and pour hot tomato-onion mixture over; toss quickly to coat and wilt spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved pecans and bacon.

Risky Business

These pictures were just too funny not to post.

Send in the frills

I've had bits of this apron strewn about the house all week as I've worked on it here and there, but I finally finished it today! I made it for Cat as a late birthday gift because she cooks more than anyone I know and deserves to feel cute while she cooks. I finished the bottom first and wasn't really liking it because it seemed a little too frilly and girly. The Zozes stopped by as I was debating about taking the ruffle at the bottom off and starting over, but they changed my mind because they said, "It's an apron! It can't be too girly or frilly, that's the point of it." So instead I decided to embrace the frills. I'm so happy with how the waist band turned out.

I also sewed her name and a little note on the apron ties (it was not so easy with my sewing machine so pretend it turned out prettier).

We delivered it tonight and I think she liked it. It even matched what she was wearing!

Now Larry wants one just like it!!!!!!!

Creed's Week in Pictures

A spatula in hand everywhere we go: check

Lots of quality time with the Zozes before they moved out of our neighborhood today: check

First awful eye infection: check

Exhausted dad who has picked up two extra overnight shifts this week: check

Mom struggling to keep Creed entertained: Check

First fat lip from slipping after a bath: check

Smiles because this week is over: check

Project CD

So we weren't really sure what to give David for his birthday. We made Nikki and Audrey homemade gift so it seemed like we should make something for David too, but I was having a hard time coming up with ideas. Then Thursday night Larry had a brilliant idea: a mixed Cd for David. I wasn't sure at first because we really don't know a lot about David's musical taste so how would we know what to put on the CD, but Larry suggested that we make a CD of kids' music for him and we would each make one and make it a competition to see who could gues what David would like more. Well, I couldn't refuse that challenge and let him think that he's a better CD maker than me, could I? So we had one day to come up with a CD of kids' music for David.

David's Muzak - Compiled by Larry

Jungle Gym (featuring G. Love) / Jack Johnson And Friends
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything / Relient K
Red Sweater / Aquabats
Coconut / Kermit & Cast
Steal My Sunshine / Len
Oompa Loompa / Anthony Newley
Mudfootball (For Moe Lerner) / Jack Johnson
Daydream Believer / The Monkees
Heigh-Ho / The Dwarf Chorus
Borneo / Cast
You've Got A Friend In Me / Randy Newman
"C" Is for Cookie / Frank Oz
Everlasting Gobstoppers/Oompa Loompa / Anthony Newley
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious / Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke
Rubber Duckie / Jim Henson
I Want It Now/Oompa Loompa / Anthony Newley
Playdough / Aquabats
Wonkamobile, Wonkavision/Oompa Loompa / Anthony Newley
Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me) / Disney Ride Tracks
Smile / Vitamin C

Songs To Grow To - Compiled by Stephanie

Big Bang Boom / Big Bang Boom
Mah Na Mah Na / The Muppets
Doodlebugs / Laurie Berkner
Speed Racer / Everclear
La La La La Lemon / Barenaked Ladies
Sweet Pea / Tommy Roe
Seven Days of the Week (I Never Go to Work) / They Might Be Giants
I Know a Chicken / Laurie Berkner
The Happy Song! / Adam And The Couch Potatoes
Clap Your Hands / They Might Be Giants
ABCD Medley / Laurie Berkner
Bicycle / The Jellydots
The Foil (Malfoy) / Harry and the Potters
Me and My Arrow / Harry Nilsson
We Can All Get Along With Dinosaurs / Terrible Twos
Catch the Moon / Elizabeth Mitchell & Lisa Loeb
Lady Bug / Terrible Twos
Rainbow Connection / The Dixie Chicks
Home / David Tobocman
Who's My Pretty Baby / Bird Elizabeth Mitchell



A couple of the songs that I chose were catered just to David, but you would probably like the rest of them. "Big Bang Boom" is a really fun birthday song that I think most people would like, but it's not for sell on Itunes, which is a pain. "Speed Racer" because it was a Speed Racer themed party. "Sweet Pea" is on there because I've heard Nikki call Audrey Sweet Pea, but I might not have thought of it if it wasn't on a CD Brittany gave to me. "Bicycle" because David loves to mountain bike. And "Me and My Arrow" because I know Nikki and David love the Beatles and the Beatles were big fans of Harry Nilsson. "Me and My Arrow" is from an album called The Point that Alicia introduced me to ages ago. It was a cartoon musical and one version of it was even narrated by Ringo Starr. Oh, and "The Foil" because Nikki and David are also big Harry Potter fans and that song is just funny to fans. Then I put the peppy songs at the beginning and wound down to the slow songs at the end.



Just before Creed was born, I came across this blog and decided I would follow it and become the ultimate kids' music expert, and our house would be full of non-lame kids music that adults everywhere could enjoy. That lasted for about five minutes when I checked our library for some of the CD's that Warren reviewed and our library didn't have any of them. Plus, who has the time when you could be outside jumpingin mud puddles and picking dandelions? Anyway, this challenge was a good opportunity to do a little research and come up with some new music for Creed.



We presented David with his CD's on Saturday morning before we left for Hocking Hills so he would have the day to judge them and select a winner. We spent the day trash talking each others CD's, which was pretty funny because Larry and are one of the least competitive couples we know. At one point Larry even told David, "I just want you to know that my CD is compiled of music we already owned, while Stephanie purchased a bunch of her songs so mine is homemade with love and hers is just store-bought!" Ha!


That evening David held a hilarious award ceremony while we were at the Park. He called it Project CD and formatted it like the end of a Project Runway episode and presented the winner of Project CD with a Speed Racer medallion (it was a Speed Racer themed party afterall).


And the winner was . . .


ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I have to acknowledge that I had wonderful suggestions from my sister Candice, Warren of KidsMusicThatRocks, and Brittany, and Larry's CD was also great. We each forgot a few songs on our CD's so we're going to combine our forces for a third CD, which is bound to include:


Hot Dog by They Might Be Giants (Creed's favorite song that he does a sweet dance to)
Nellie the Elephant by The Toy Dolls
I Love Trash by Oscar the Grouch
I Love My Lips by Larry The Cucumber
Teeny Little Super Guy from Sesame Street

I hope that you found some new songs here to share with your kids and if you have any favorites that we missed, I'd love to know what they are.

Columbus Corners - Homestead Park

Recently my sisters and I have complained that they just don't make playground like they used to because all of our favorite playground equipment is now deemed unsafe; no teeter-totters, no Merry-go-rounds, no super-tall swings (never mind that I would never let Creed on a playground merry-go-round like the one I used to love). Every playground I've seen lately seems like it has the same old generic equipment. Well, never fear, there are still some amazing, original parks out there and one of my favorites just really upgraded.


Have you been to Homestead Park lately? I already loved how different it was from other parks in the area. It still has the caboose kids can climb on, it still has the fishing pond, it still has the huge wooden fort with built-in squirt guns (at least I think the squirt guns were just stored for the winter). But now, my friends, you need to head back to the park because they have an incredible new playground. The playgrounds on the south side of the park could use a bit of rehab, so head to the north playground and check it out.


They have a crazy triple-slide

All sorts of things to climb on

including this cool jungle gym/sculpture

And two of these cavesCreed's favorite is still the sandbox, but Larry and I loved the rest of the park so much we headed back a few nights later with Nikki, David and Audrey (do public sandboxes like this make anyone else a bit uncomfortable too?)

From Nikki in my email today . . .

This made me smile when I opened my email. I had to post it here so I can remember it. This may seem like an odd picture, but I just had to share it. While trying to capture Audrey on the music making machine, I captured you and Larry in the act of parenting . . . reaching for Creed at the same time and brushing hands. Your hands look so graceful and in my humble opinion is an excellent representation of your seemingly natural mode of parenting. I'm sure you have your moments (we all do), but you two are clearly in love with each other, in love with Creed and are loving your role as parents. It's refreshing to have friends who are in the same place as we are.

Love ya,
Nikki