Summer 2013: Treats & Eats

While going through my random snapshots from the summer, there were enough food related photos to warrant their own post.

Homemade popsicles - we really like our Zoku


Robert gave me a pasta maker attachment to my Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas, and we finally tried it out.  We made spinach fettuccine for our first attempt - we learned some lessons for our next try, but the results were pretty tasty.


We picked up Krispy Kreme donuts for their teachers for the last day at their old school - and got a couple for the road.


First trip to Baskin Robbins - clown cone for Will and an ice cream sandwich for Claire.


Frozen yogurt during a shopping trip on a hot day at La Cantera - mmmmmm!


One of the recipes I found on Pinterest - Zesty Shrimp Salad.  I thought it was so bright and summery - and yummy!


Pizza on the patio after playing in the sprinkler


We are trying to get the kids to try some new foods/restaurants - this was our second try at Kumori (Japanese/sushi restaurant), and they both found something they loved.  Success!


Early morning trip to Krispy Kreme in pajamas - we love donuts!

Summer 2013: Berry Picking

At the end of June, we went to a berry patch in Fredericksburg with our friends Courtney, Elliot & Jack.  It was HOT, but we had a lot of fun picking blackberries and strawberries.


The blackberry bushes had lots of thorns, but Claire became a pro at navigating around them to get the fruit pretty quickly.  We left the picking to the ladies and let Will & Elliot run up and down the rows.  It was the end of strawberry season, so we didn't have a lot to choose from, but what we got was really tasty.  We decided we will have to go back earlier in the year next time and focus on the thorn-free fruits.


Over the weekend I made a blackberry crumble with our bounty - yum!

The Fisherman

Claire was invited to a birthday party one Saturday morning, so while I took her to the party, Will, Robert & Granddaddy had a "Man Day" complete with a trip to Cabela's, lunch at Frank's Bait & Taco, and fishing at a catfish tank.  Will was really proud of his catch!



The place will clean the fish for you, and Robert said Will was really upset when they took his "gray fish" away and was not impressed with its condition after they brought it back.

We cooked it the next night, and we all enjoyed eating Will's gray fish.

Disney 2012: Last Day

When planning our trip, I left our 5th day in the parks open to see things we missed, re-ride favorites, etc.  We started off back at the Magic Kingdom, arriving for the opening show (the characters arrive on the train) and rope drop.

Through the gates one last time (on this trip!)


First on our list was a visit to Tinkerbell.  The waits were always 45 minutes or longer, so we wanted to go before it got crowded.  Even so, we still had to wait awhile, but the kids were happy to meet Tink and her sister, Periwinkle.  (Claire's wearing the other shirt I made for her the night before we left - Minnie's bow didn't last very long.  I guess I need stronger glue!)






Another ride on the Jungle Cruise!




Robert went to get FastPasses for the Winnie the Pooh ride while Mom & I took the kids to see Tinkerbell. He also got a bonus FP for Dumbo - score!



This one pretty much sums up how the kids felt about the day!




We were right next to the Fantasyland Train Station, so it was the perfect opportunity to take the train for a loop around the Magic Kingdom.  We grabbed a couple of snacks for the trip - Claire was pretty proud of herself for sneaking bites of Nana's caramel corn, although she wasn't really as sneaky as she thought.  :)  Will loves trains and was thrilled to go for a ride.  When we got back to the station, he got to watch as they filled the steam engine with water - he kept talking about it for the next few days.



Before we left Fantasyland, Claire wanted to ride Barnstormer - the only roller coaster than she is tall enough to ride.  We watched it a couple of times, and she kept saying she wanted to try it, so I took her.



Verdict?  She LOVED it - squealed and giggled the entire time and immediately wanted to get on again.  I am so glad to have a fellow thrill seeker - now I just need for her to grow a few inches.  :)

We started walking back towards the castle, talking about what we wanted to do next, and we noticed that New Fantasyland was open for dress rehearsals.  It officially opened on Dec. 6, and I knew from reading the Lines message board that it was frequently open to everyone, but I didn't want to get my hopes up that we would be able to check it out.  We thought the lines for the rides would probably be long, but we decided to go in just to see it.  Surprisingly, the posted wait for the new Little Mermaid line was only 15 minutes - I was so excited!  The actual wait was even less, and the queue was designed to keep kids from getting bored.  It was a cute ride, and I was glad we got to check it out.



We walked back by the new restaurant, Be Our Guest, which is themed after Beauty & the Beast (one of Will's favorite movies).  It looked like they were taking reservations for dinner, so I went to try to get one.  They didn't have any for parties our size, but they said the wait for lunch was about 20-30 minutes.  We didn't have to be anywhere, so we got in line - and were SO glad we did.  Definitely the best counter service meal we had, both in food and in experience.  It was a little chaotic since there were still working out the system, but it was expected and worked out fine.  You order at kiosks at the entrance, and you get a plastic disc shaped a little like a rose that you set on your table, and the rose links your order to your table, which is then delivered to you by waitstaff.  The main dining area was noisy, but we realized there was a side room that was really quiet.  It turned out to be a great choice for lunch.

Keeping Will entertained with stickers while we were in line


Replica of the stained glass from the movie

Disney 2012: Dinner at the Castle

Thursday evening was a big night - dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.  We were all looking forward to getting a glimpse inside the castle, and we were not disappointed.

Claire is - to put it mildly - particular about what she wears.  I knew a lot of the little girls would be dressed in princess dresses, but I knew she probably would not enjoy wearing one herself (too scratchy, sleeves too short, you name it,...), so before our trip I took her to the mall and let her pick out a special dress.  We found one that we both thought was cute.  She told me that she felt very beautiful in it.  :)

We got to the Magic Kingdom in time for a couple of photos outside before our dinner, and then it was time to meet Cinderella.









We had the best experience - one of the top highlights of the trip for all of us.  The food was good, the princesses were sweet, and there was something especially magical about being in the castle at night.

Claire's special dessert - decorate your own ice cream cup


Claire with her wand and Will with his sword


Will got a big kiss from Snow White, and he loved showing it off


Aurora and Jasmine


Ariel said that Will's hug was one of the best she'd ever received.  :)


The park was closing at 7 that night for the Christmas party, but we had time for another ride on the carousel and a chance at the Sword in the Stone.




The castle at night - the large windows near the bottom of the photo are the restaurant windows.  Beautiful!


It was time to go, and as we made our way down Main Street, the snow started for the party.  It was a magical end to a wonderful evening in the Kingdom.

Ma & Bob's visit

Robert's grandparents drove down from Arlington last week to spend the weekend with us.  They arrived on Friday and joined us for a visit to Kiddie Park Saturday morning.  That evening we grilled and Carol & Grace & my parents were all able to join us.  Saturday was church and lunch out, and that afternoon Claire and I tried a new recipe - Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread from Southern Living.  It was a hit with all of us, and we enjoyed it for dessert, breakfast, and snacks!  Claire enjoyed posing for a photo with our results - and reviewing the photos taken my Ma.





We all had a great visit and look forward to seeing them again soon!

Krispy Kreme!

March 24 - I couldn't remember the last time we had been to Krispy Kreme for a special doughnut breakfast - I didn't think Will had been since he was able to take part in the wonderful deliciousness, so this rainy morning seemed a perfect time to introduce Will to one of our favorite treats.  He took it very seriously.


There's a smile!


Claire in full-on sugar rush.


Best photo I could get of the two of them:

January Random - Food Edition!

Since I seem to take so many food-related photos, they may deserve their own post.

January 11 - Homemade pizza night!  (Well, the crust was purchased, but we topped it ourselves!)  Spinach, mushroom, and cheese - my favorite.


January 13 - I eat at least one salad almost every day at home, and it rarely wavers from the following - baby greens, celery, heart of palm, feta cheese, and dressing.  Claire likes feta and heart of palm, so she usually asks for a few bites.  Tonight she asked for her own salad, and I gleefully made her one.  She ate most of it!


January 20 - Will feeding himself his yogurt - messy, but he has fun and needs to figure it out.  He did really well!


January 29  - Smoothies have become a favorite snack.  I've been making a lot of green smoothies - adding something green and leafy to get in a few more vegetables.  You can't taste it, and we all love drinking them.  I usually do spinach but tried kale today - I just had to have photos of my kids happily "eating" kale.