Let's Be Real Here

I'm just wondering, am I the only mom who threatens to sell her children to the next passing gypsy caravan?

I'm just saying I'm glad we aren't on their route or they would be up two children and I would have a little spending money. 

hahah that's so horrible that I even wrote that. 

I think that helped.

Thanks for the therapy session.

The checks in the mail.

Camping Trip Number 2

A few weeks back I scooped up the girls and headed out to the beach to meet up with some of my family. My hubby had to work so it was just us girls.

We were meeting Nana and Papa Bear, G.G. and Grandpa C. and Aunt D. along with her munchkins, Deedle and Lulu. We camped in Grayland, WA.

Wherever G.G. is, you know that good food is coming too and this was no exception. They bought fresh crabs, shrimp, clams, and Mom and Papa had caught a salmon only a few days earlier.

G.G. gave Papa Bear lessons in cracking the crabs. Something about dead man's fingers and don't pay attention to the liquid that comes out. I stopped listening, I wanted to enjoy the food.

Aunt D. just kept inhaling the clams :).

After all that work this is all we found in the body.

 Or at least all that I saw come from it. Like I said I stopped paying attention.

Oh but in the legs, there was so much delicious meat!

 

Nana kept the kids entertained.

I think she's hungry

Ballerina has become camera shy so I have to snap quick and hope I get a good expression. . .this'll do.

G.G.'s delicious potato salad and a beautiful bouquet from her yard at home.

I did my best to Bogart these shrimp they were so delicious

And the crab ooohh dip it in a little garlic butter and oh heaven.

Sundown brought a heavy dew along with it but we toughed it out and spent the evening by the campfire, Belloise didn't last too long.

The next day the fog was still in and it was a bit chilly so we headed inland and visited my favorite vacation spot, Lake Quinault.

I was a little disappointed that the pizza place was under construction and the Salmon House didn't open until 3 so we had to scour the convenience store for sandwiches and snacks to make up a lunch.

Which we enjoyed on the lawn by the lake.

After we finished eating we went down by the water so the kids could play a bit before we headed off on a little hike.

I LOVE this spot!! They even left our sailboats right where we left them. (okay so they aren't mine but it's fun to pretend)

The kiddos enjoyed floating pieces of bark out into the lake.

Dog pile on Papa

just over halfway done with our hike. This area is so beautiful and there were so many huckleberries both the blue and the pink ones. The kids hands were blue by the time we were done.

When we returned to camp their was delicious ribs and ravioli waiting for us. The dew was back as well.

But the next morning we headed out to the beach.

We stayed until Belloise stuck her cast in the sand. It was at that point I decided it was time for us to start the 3 hour drive home. That way we could be somewhere that might have a drive through by lunchtime.

It was a bit windy at the beach.

Trying to get Ballerina out of the sand is practically impossible. Every time I would pause in my step to re-situate Belloise on my hip, Ballerina would sit down and start playing. I'll admit I was a bit frustrated by the time I got to the car.

The trip home was beautiful we stopped in Raymond and got some Dairy Queen, which we ate on the grass in the sunshine before piling into the car and driving and driving and driving.

I wanted to take the scenic route just because I hadn't taken it before. I took the route through Pe Ell and out through Vader to I-5, I loved it, all farm and forest land. It was amazing. Wish my Beloved could have shared it with me. . . and driven I could have used a nap. :)

~And So That's What She Did.

Monday Morning (*Giveaway*) On My Mind--Winner Announced!

The Winner is The Chatty Housewife!! I will be contacting you with details. Have a great day all and check back for next month's giveaway.

It's Monday morning.

I just got off the phone with my sister, she calls most every morning around 7, I was just glad to be out of the shower this time.

I just grabbed a cup of coffee.

The dog is stretching.

And my youngest just woke up.

This is the craft I did this weekend.

My oldest painted these coasters at our family reunion a few weeks back. I love them, in fact I love them so much I have decided to hang them on the wall.

So I grabbed a hammer some nails and some ribbon and . . .

Voila! Don and I agree they are adorable. I will be hanging them in the girls room.

Also I am thinking it is time for a giveaway and stat since the month is almost up.

So this month I am giving away a ribbon eyeglass case.

Here is one that I made as a gift  a while back along with the one at the top of this post.

I haven't purchased the ribbon for the giveaway yet, I'm going to the store today, so I can't show you what it will look like but I promise it will be good.

And as a hint I am thinking citrus: lime green, orange, yellow, something like that.

All you have to do to win is tell me what's on your mind.

Rules

One entry per person.

Please include at least initials so I know who you are.

Winner will be announced on the 31st sometime before midnight :).

Winner will be chosen at random.

~And So That's What She Did.

P.S. Here's a teasin', hope it's pleasin'.

Cooking with Ballerina and Belloise

 

Hello and welcome to cooking with Ballerina and Belloise. I am so glad that you could join us today. If it weren't for you we would just be two crazy kids talking to ourselves in a make-believe kitchen.

So Sis what are we making today?

Thank you Belloise, today we will be making Mommy's favorite quick lunch Fettuccine Alfredo.

Mom is a bit of a conosewer of Alfredo sauce so you know this is good. Start with 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and a tablespoon of butter. Get that going on the stove top. Till the garlic is really smelly but stop before it gets brown.

Add 1 cup of chicken broth, bring that to a simmer and let it mingle until their is less liquid than when you started.

While that's going on you want to start your noodles.

Boil up your noodles according to package directions.

I'll take it from here Sis. Let's get back to the sauce. . .

Once your broth and garlic are all kinds of happy together add 1 cup of half and half and let that simmer over medium low heat until it gets all thick and gooey.

While we are waiting let me show you what else mom uses this spoon for. . .

Anywhoooo. . .Once your noodles are done, drain them and stir in a cup and a half of grated parmesan cheese until the cheese is stringy, add your sauce and stir it up. Add a little sneezonings, S & P to taste. Feel free to go all kinds of crazy with the P. . . Pepper that is.

Then LICK the spoon yummmmmmmmy.

Oie, you are so impasure. . . or someking.

Anyhow thank you for joining us and I hope that you enjoy this delicious recipe from our Mom's kitchen.

This has been Cooking with Ballerina and Belloise, join us next time for more spoon licking fun.

~And So That's What The Wee One's Did.

Fettuccine Alfredo

1 tablespoon butter

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth1 cup half and half

8 ounces fettuccine noodles

1 1/2 cup grated, parmesan cheese

S & P to taste

melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and cook stirring constantly 2 -3 minutes. add chicken broth and bring to a simmer, lower heat and simmer uncovered until reduced by half. add half and half, simmer until the sauce thickens.

meanwhile cook noodles according to package directions, while the noodles are still hot add the parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and spread throughout.

add sauce to the noodles and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Alligator Bugs

I did a little research this morning on the life cycle of a ladybug. I realize that this seems like a strange way to spend my down time. But you see, we have a ton of these little critters all around our house and well . . .they scare me.

A little less so when I figured out that they are ladybug larvae. Only, the word larva makes me think of something slimy and so that didn't help much.

Ladybugs lay their eggs usually on leaves but lately, and because I squash and remove them I have no proof, but they have been laying their eggs on my clothes line. The eggs hatch remarkably fast only in about 3-5 days.  

When they come out they look like little worms and slowly they grow into these alligator bugs.

 

They wander around eating aphids and other little bugs for about 2-3 weeks before they begin to curl up and form a sort of chrysalis. This guy doesn't quit have his helmet on yet.

This guy does.

 After about a week they emerge from their little dens and are completely yellow. After about 15 minutes a few spots begin to show lightly and after a few hours they turn more of an orange color and the spots begin to darken. The red color and dark black spots don't show up until a few days later. 

And the cycle begins again. Don't these guys realize there are children nearby. . . how rude!

Most ladybugs only live about a year but if the weather is right some of the 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs can live for 2-3 years.

Interesting. . . The more you know the more you grow!

If you want to see a movie on the life cycle of a ladybug click HERE

~And So That's What She Did.

A Dead Plum

"I really had to wash my hands because I cutted a rat. I cutted a fish and a rat so I had to wash my hands."

I guess so, gross!

"Mom, look my tummy looks like a dead plum." squeezing her baby pudge together to make it wrinkly.