Day 275

As a child growing up, we would make campground donuts.  It was an occasional treat that my brother and I really loved but my mom usually only fixed them when we would go camping.  It’s been years (since the late 1990’s) since I last had one and so I decided to make some this morning.  Though not a healthy breakfast, it’s easy peasy.  Simply take a can of refrigerator biscuits.  Use a shot glass or donut-hole maker to cut a donut hole in the center of each biscuit.  Place the donuts & donut holes in a single layer in a pan containing a layer of heated oil and fry each side slowly until golden brown.  Remove the donuts from the pan and bread them with cinnamon/sugar.  Eat and enjoy! 

Though tasty, I have to admit that these aren’t nearly as delicious as I remember.  Probably because I’m not as much of a fan of grease as an adult.  Not only are the donuts fried in oil, but the biscuits themselves are fatty (with shortening).  If you make these, avoid using the grand or extra large refrigerator biscuits as they tend to get too well done (nearly burnt) before the donuts are fully cooked in the center.  We only had the extra large kind today and that’s how I know!  You can see how thick the donuts are since the hole isn’t very big.

And here’s the finished product…

And of course I have to include a photo of our cat being cute.

We had a large conifer behind our shed that developed some type of wilt and was dying.  It was quite the eyesore, but we had to wait for Ameren to come cut it down because it was intermixed in the power lines and was located within a few feet of the main transformer.  Though it took them many months to get out to our house, they finished it in one day.  Unfortunately they only cut it down just below the lines so the tree trunk was still taller than our shed.  Crockett got to work cutting it down this morning.  He had to go section by section until it was more manageable.  Even then, I had to help guide it’s fall with a rope as a backup.  No sense damaging our shed.  Ignore the mess behind the shed (please and thank you).   

 

And then for the best part of the day….a date with my wonderful hubby.  We went out a day early to celebrate our 13th anniversary over dinner while the neighbors watched the kids (my mom is going to watch the kids for us overnight at a later date, so we’re just doing dinner tonight).  We dined at a local restaurant called Indigo.  The food is a bit pricey, especially for the portion sizes, but I had purchased a $50-off coupon a few months ago for just $2 at Restaurant.com. Here’s what we dined on and a little review of each dish…and pictures too, though keep in mind they were taken with my iPhone in a candlelit restaurant.

Appetizers:

• Scallops - Pan seared jumbo divers with roasted roma tomatoes and honey balsamic reduction $15 (delicious but there were only 3 scallops)
• Crab Cakes - Panko encrusted jumbo lump crab over tahitian vanilla bean, lemon grass beurre blanc $12 (2 large meat-ball sized cakes, lots of crab meat, tasty but doesn’t compare to crabcakes we had in Maine)

Salad:

• Small plate of mixed greens with craisins and roasted almonds.  Served with a small platter of pita triangles accompanied by roasted garlic pods, hummus, and olives.  (Salad was good, though Brian thought it was a little boring.  Hummus and garlic pods were yummy.  I’m not an olive fan so no comment on that)  Forgot to get a picture.

Entrees:

• Sea Bass – Fresh Chilean Sea Bass pan seared and served over basmati rice cakes with a carmelized shallot and lemon emulsion $32 (this was my entrée and it was FANTABULOUS….perfectly cooked fish and the carmelized shallots were the perfect touch.  Rice cakes were good but I would have prefereed a little more flavor.  We both agreed that this was the BEST DISH of the night!)
• Yellowfin Tuna - #1 Sashimi grade tuna steak seared RARE in black and white sesame crust over ginger wok fry, mandarin ponzu and wasabi aioli $19 (this was Crockett’s entrée and it was really delicious as well.  I’m not a fan of sushi so I wasn’t sure if I would like it.  I’m glad I decided to taste it because it was really good.)

Desserts:  Crockett and I shared our desserts

• Crème Brulee (very delicious but I prefer a little more carmelization on the top and I thought the custard was just a touch runny)
• Lemon Shortcake with berry topping (superb taste.  I was worried the cake would be dry but it was super moist & it was a great dish to end the meal)

In order to get the $50 off, we had to spend $100.  Not too much of a problem at this restaurant, though we did have to order more food than normal.  Despite the list of foods we ordered (and finished), we were not overly stuffed.  As I said, portion sizes here are smaller than most restaurants, but I actually liked that. With all this food and 1 glass of Merlot, our total came to $100.50.  By the time they added on tax and gratuity, we still ended up paying $80.  But it was an awesome meal.  There was a beautiful sunset when we walked out of the restaurant.  It was the perfect end to a perfect date night.  I have a 2nd coupon for this restaurant and I can’t wait to come again!    

I’ll leave you with a photo of us.  I had my neighbor take it before we left on our date.

Day 184

I missed a post a couple of weeks back.  It happened on a day when I did a double maternity shoot for two of my friends.  Since I had taken so many pictures, it took me longer than normal to edit.  If you’d like to see the photos (which are really the first photos taken with my new 7D), click HERE.

Since today was the 4th of July, there have been quite a few articles about how to shoot fireworks.  I didn’t think I’d have the chance to try any of the techniques because I didn’t plan to go to any firework displays with the rest of the family out of town.  But around 9:30 last night, I heard some booms and walked outside the front door.  We can see several smaller firework displays from our yard at times and one was just about ending.  I tried a few of the techniques, but wasn’t getting very good results especially since I didn’t have time to grab a tripod.  So, I went with another technique…the Bulb setting on my camera.  Under this setting, you dictate how long your shutter stays open by simply by depressing and holding the shutter and then letting off when you want the shutter to close.  With this technique, it’s possible to achieve longer shutter speeds.  I was able to get a couple of half-way decent shots (though the fireworks were fairly far away).  Unfortunately the display was over before I could get really comfortable with this setting.  Note that the lines are squiggly because the camera was hand-held.  Not too bad for a first attempt with only a couple of minutes of shooting time to experiment.

Hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day!

Day 169

It’s Father’s Day, so of course I had to take a few shots of my awesome hubby with the kids after they gave him the cards they made.

And here they are later in the neighbor’s pool.  This photo was taken shortly after Crockett snuck up on the neighbor’s garage, which is next to their pool, and squirted the kids with a squirt gun before jumping down into the pool.  We made sure to tell the kids they were not allowed to do this themselves!

And because they are like family to us, I had to include a photo of our neighbor Joe and his girls, Lupa & Ambo. 

Joe’s son, Ryan, and his family stopped by later so I had them pose for another photo.

Day 153

It was the last day of school for the kids and it was a half-day at that.  They had an Awards Ceremony for the 3rd & 4th graders and GothGirl asked me to come watch since she was getting several awards.  She ended up earning the following:

• TeamQuest Academic Challenge Certificate of Achievement
• President’s Award for Educational Excellence
• Outstanding Effort in Reading
• National Physical Fitness Award (top 50% of the nation)

I was a proud mama to see her get called up so many times! 

Though I took some pictures at the assembly, they didn’t turn out very well due to low lighting and the distance from the award recipients.  Afterwards, the school had a cookie & punch reception for the kids and I snapped a shot of GothGirl with 2 of her closest friends.  You may recognize them from a photo I took of of them together on Middle School Preview Night.  It’s kinda cool that all 3 of them wear glasses. 

Next, it was time for the 4th graders to head back to class for the final time.  Once there, Mrs. Haddick let the kids each pick out a new book as their goodbye present.  We gave her our gift as well: a set of hand-stamped thank you cards and a gift card to Culver’s.  I made sure to get a photo of GothGirl with her beloved teacher.  Can’t believe that my little girl is done with elementary school already.  Seems like she just started yesterday.  

It turns out that they had a small Awards Ceremony for the Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd graders too; though I didn’t know about it until after the kids got home from school.  LilCrockett earned the Presidential Fitness Award (top 85% of the nation).  It was the only award that kindergarteners could earn.  Yea little man!

Day 141

Today was our grand finale Girls on the Run 5K event!  And for the first year ever, it was being held as a community event at a local park.  Compare that to last fall when the girls ran a 5K in the parking lot of a church!  Today’s event was a real race, though not competitive.  I was excited, but nervous.  I hadn’t trained as much as I would have liked and hadn’t even walked the full distance continuously. 

But things started to look negative last night.  The forecast was calling for a 70% chance of rain and thunderstorms for the entire day and though the race would only be cancelled in the event of lighting, the rain would have put a damper on everything.  If that wasn’t bad enough, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to walk in the race.  LilCrockett stepped on my little toe, which was still healing from when I broke it in mid-April.  I slipped on a pair of tennis shoes and took a few steps to see how it would feel and I almost fell over in pain.  Ahhh, of all nights, why did it have to happen the night before our race?!!  I went to bed and said some prayers to chase away the rain and heal my toe (despite the fact that it was throbbing when I went to bed).

When I woke up, my toe wasn’t any better but the weather was beautiful.  I tried on every pair of tennis shoes I owned, but they hurt too much to wear; so I ended up slipping on my Keene’s shoes (actually there were a $15 Walmart knockoff pair).  I pretty much figured that I would just hang around the finish line and take pictures of the girls as they crossed.  Sad, but the end of the world. 

I downed some Advil and GothGirl and I headed to the race.  It was so amazing when we got there….there were girls in green shirts everywhere, plus other race participants in blue shirts, and volunteers in yellow shirts.  They had set up signs for each Girls on the Run group, so we would have a place to meet up.  There was face painting and hair painting and under-eye decals (to cut glare).  It was really moving to see such a wonderful event dedicated to these girls.  I think there were about 500 people participating, plus lots of onlookers cheering us on.

Since I was walking and such, I didn’t take my heavy Canon.  All photos were taken with my point and shoot. 

Our group of awesome girls (minus two)!!

Me with my fellow coaches!

Waiting for the start!

Two of my coworkers showed up.  The one in dark blue was slated to be my walking buddy (as the girls would leave me in the dust).  The one in yellow was there to run with her daughter (in turquoise).  I was so happy to have these ladies show up to help support a great program!

I told my walking buddy that I would just start walking and see how my toe felt, knowing I could turn around at any time since it was an out and back course.  The race officially started and we were off.  At first, my toe was a little sore; but then miraculously, the pain seemed to disappear.  I kept going….and going.  And before long, I knew I’d be able to finish the whole race.  I didn’t set any speed records (51 minutes), but considering that I hadn’t really trained for this event and was walking in Keene shoes with a broken toe on a course with some decent-size hills, I was elated!  And though I didn’t see her much, GothGirl had a great race too.  She and a few of her friends did a combination of walking and running and made it to the finish in about 45 minutes!

The organizers really made this race fun.  There were arches (made from cut hula hoops) and big high 5 signs, people ringing cowbells, mile markers, and water stations.  For their first community event, they did a great job of covering all the bases.  I felt really cheered on, so I know the girls must have felt it as well.   

And because it was an out-and-back course, I got to see all of my girls as they were coming back toward the finish!  (sadly, the photo of GothGirl was extremely blurry so I can’t share it with you)

After the race, we collected our finishers medals and headed to the pavilion for refreshments.  There was tons of food and I’m sure that made the girls happy!  I was ready for a drink and a chance to rest too.  Shortly thereafter, a zumba dance party started and the girls hung out for more photos and such.

Day 140

At the end of each school year, the kindergartners learn all about Hawaii and the kids get to do several fun events like pretend flight to Hawaii & a t-shirt painting days.  But the highlight of the year is the Hawaiian luau complete with games, snacks, and crafts.  The kids are split into small groups and they travel to each of the 4 kindergarten classrooms to do different events.  I helped out in LilCrockett’s classroom today and got several breaks to take pictures of him in the other rooms as well.  Because I was working, I didn’t want to lug my big Canon around; so, I had our little point and shoot instead.  Here are just a few from the day. 

 

Day 127

Since I shared GothGirl’s Mother’s Day creation here yesterday, I’d better share LilCrockett’s here today.  What mom can resist a child’s handprint and a cute poem?!! 

LilCrockett also brought me another gift today.  He went for a walk to the local pond with the neighbor girls and came back with a bouquet of flowers for me.  He told me he got me the flowers “because it’s Mother’s Day and because I love you”.  Awww….melt my heart!  I took a cute photo of him with the flowers but that photo is on my phone.  I was lucky to get the photos from my camera downloaded, so this one will have to do (it’s actually a better quality photo anyway, but just doesn’t have my sweet little boy in it).

Crockett had baseball practice today and since it was picture day, they got to wear their uniforms for the first time.  He was especially excited about his new hat.  Here are a few photos from practice. 

Batter up!

LilCrockett is still trying to get his timing down during batting and catching, but he already has an amazing throwing ability.  Sometimes I can’t believe how coordinated he is especially since I’m not!  He definitely gets that from his dad.

I love this shot.  He was playing 1st base and got his teammate out (they were playing a scrimmage).  Overjoyed, he leaped up off the base.  So cool that I caught his jump mid-air!

This is probably my favorite shot of the day.  A close-up of the coach with the players.  They give each other high fives at the end of practice and then end by singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”.  Love this candid shot with no one even aware that I’m taking the photo.  And who can resist cute little kids in ball uniforms?!!  Too bad the other coach was in the background picking up the bases.  I may end up Photoshopping him out at some point.

During practice, GothGirl hung out with one of her friends (whose brother is on LilCrockett’s team) and another of their friend’s little brother. 

After practice, the kids make a beeline for the playground equipment.  This particular playground is normally reserved for the other elementary grades when school is in session, so the kindergarteners don’t get to play on it much.  Thus, it’s the first thing they want to do after practice.  Here’s a shot of LilCrockett jumping from the top of the equipment.  So glad he didn’t break a leg or anything.  Crazy boy!

And then a shot of him at home playing on top of the wheelbarrow, which is his new favorite toy.

Day 126

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday and the kids brought home the creations that they made for me at school.  GothGirl brought home the cutest hand-painted rock and I simply adore it!  See how awesome it looks in my flowerbed.  I’ll share LilCrockett’s creation with you tomorrow.

   

Tonight was a friend’s birthday and I offered to have his kids spend the night so he and his wife could go out to a movie.  It was beautiful weather so we spent most of the night outside.  One of the neighbor girls came over as well and got in on the action.  Here’s the gang…

And a cute photo of GothGirl by herself: