It's Daddys Day!

The city of Chicago, Ill. was lobbied in an effort to make a special, distiguished days for "Fathers" by a loving daughter who felt as though a June Day to honor a Dad ,just like Mothers Day might be in order. What a heartfelt story, and a simple, yet touching display on how touched we are to have these great men in our lives. Fathers Day for us means nothing other than spending a fantastic morning with my Dad & family, soaking up the sun and having hotdogs and lots of fun courtesy of the water slide and balls to throw, the kind which soak up lots of water then burst when they hit something. Yes I know, this can be a dangerous thing with three boys, and requires discipline at some point as well when they hit their mark. I made two large pans of Lasagna as well as what I deem to be a fantastic Key Lime Pie. I have never made a Key Lime Pie before and was inspired to do so after reading KatieDid & the award winning recipe she showcases on her blog... I had two small bags of approx...18 limes a piece which I juiced (by hand) which yielded just under 1 cup of fresh juice. My arm sure got a workout as I was wondering the whole time through why on earth I gave my juicer away a few years back, that was definitely one kitchen item I should have kept. Fresh whip cream topped it all off and the homemade graham cracker crust which included EXTRA brown sugar was a tasty companion. Fathers Day gifts consisted of the new release of Frank Sinatras Love Songs & Old Blue Eye's alltime favorites, with a few classic DVD's to boot. Ready to start the week I am inspired tonight by no other than Henry David Thoreau & a few sentences which I tend to relate to which offer me affirmation whenever I read them,,,they will set the stage for the coming week...
"Simplify! Simplify!"
"Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes."
"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone."
"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion."
"I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society."
"I turned my face more exculsively than ever to the woods where I was better known."
"No wonder that the earth expresses itself outwardly in leaves, it so labors with the idea inwardly."

Wednesdays Words of Wisdom

Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride.... Hunter S. Thompson

I have been thinking about the Good Dr. quite a bit this evening, moreso lately due to the eloquent article in this months Vanity Fair magazine showcasing Johnny Depp. It reminds me of how important breakfast was to him.....how it was almost a ritual on a daily basis to wake up late...eat a huge breakfast ....coffee ...juice .....bloody mary .....in the sunshine with all of his favorite newspapers....how he'd linger over it....how he wouldn't start a day without this adjustment period....how he made this commonplace beacuse he could and he had the freedom to do so.........how he left a dead rat on Jack Nicholsons doorstep ( his neighbor in Aspen) as a symbol to his then coming of age daughter as to what to expect from the opposite sex....his failure to posess the ability to compromise....these are just a few things that come to mind and make me smile, hence Hunter will start Wednesdays Words of Wisdom.....and there are many......whose words are inspiring you today?

Breakfast is Sometimes Best at Night~~

I talk very lightly at times as this blog serves as a glimpse into what inspires me, gives me reason & purpose and most of it is filled with beautiful things, the people I love, and the life we lead. Even though I do realize it there is a dark side to life as well sometimes, this I do know too, even though it is something I don't care to recount on a daily basis. Sometimes there are bills that go unpaid, Dads that just leave and never come back, People you miss , Customers you just can't please and days you just can't seem to reason with it all. The worst thing you can do in these times is wish for something you do not have. Each and every day it is important to take a look around and take stock, have you, often. These my dear are the days of your life, the little things and the huge things....the people that love you and you grow with and those that are better left behind. The beautiful opportunity that tomorrow brings if you dare to open your eyes. There are children all around, and there is Nicholas wanting to make me dinner because my aching back doesn't allow for me to bend down or get up very easy this afternoon. Tonight it was Breakfast!!! Who knew breakfast would be the perfect "Ending" to a day that brought one thing after the other. That a homemade salad courtesy of an 8 year old would make everything okay? That eggs, potatoes, bacon and strawberry toast could be so good for the soul...and the conversation around the dinner table...And that he would have the great idea of making us frozen yogurt for dessert. I don't think I will ever eat yogurt any other way again! What a great Summer treat. Mine is key lime...and I am thankful for my wonderful boyfriend ....my lovely boys...all that we have in our hearts and home and the lovely breakfast that made my day!

Simply Breakfast

I don't know about you but my breakfast during the week mostly consists of a Venti Iced Sugar Free NonFat Carmel Machiatto, sounds really healthy right? If I am lucky to eat lunch (most days I do not) It is usually some sort of take out which serves as my only real meal of the day, not including the kids leftovers I may scarf down after getting everyone fed at night. The only exception to this may be the nights where I am up standing at the fridge eating sweets in the middle of the night, a nasty habit that started when my youngest Jake was born and waking up through the night. I always have "a plan" to bring my lunch into work every day, something that goes by the wayside every morning, it is hectic getting myself and three kids out the door. This is something which I can proudly say I can master within a half hour period of time, providing that there are no pottytraining accidents, we have all showered, and there are no lost shoes. The weekends are another story altogether, Charlie is home and there is time to linger in bed, watch the morning news, converse over coffee and a cool breeze, and make breakfast! Eggs, homemade potatoes, fruit, bacon..are usually on the menu. Homemade cinnamon rolls will do too. I am inspired to jazz up these weekend breakfasts by this beautiful little blog I came across entitled...you guessed it SimplyBreakfast. The photographs are superb and the recipes...I can't wait to try. It would even make one who would normally try to catch up on that last half hour of sleep rise to the occasion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and relish in this most important meal of the day. Maybe, just maybe, we can all get up a little sooner and there will be less Cherrios & Captain Crunch & better ways to start off our day!

Caramel Macchiato
The average coffee mug is probably equivalent to a Tall (12-oz/355 mL). I am not following precise Starbucks standards, though if you must know it's properly one shot of espresso, about .75 oz syrup (.25 oz per 4 oz liquid capacity).
milk
espresso
vanilla syrup
your favorite caramel sauce
In a regular-sized coffee mug, add vanilla syrup and steamed milk. Top with milk foam and add freshly brewed espresso through the foam. Drizzle with caramel sauce.
Iced Caramel Macchiato
Same ingredients, plus some small ice cubes and (optional) whipped cream
In a pint glass or iced tea glass (we're assuming 16 oz), add vanilla syrup and fill about 3/5 of the way with cold milk. Add ice almost to the top and pour espresso (2 shots would be typical) over the top. If you've done it right, the espresso will mix in only about halfway down without stirring. If adding whipped cream, add it here. Drizzle the top with caramel and enjoy

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Me This Monday~~

10 Things That Describe My Day

I am recouperating from this cold
My back hurts
There is a box of Nilla Wafers on the bed
Logan is cruel to leave cookies on the bed
I like to eat cookies in the middle of the night
My nails & toes need my attention
I love when I asked Jake a ? today & he says Cuz.
Butterscotch is good on pretty much everything
I watch too much of the History Channel
I see so many women sporting "bumpits" now

Note: I left out anything "work" related today as I spent the day putting out fires so to say. What are your ten things??

Sunday's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie with Almond Crumb Topping


Prep Time: 40 min Inactive Prep Time: 0 min Cook Time: 55 min Level:
0 Serves:
8 servings Ingredients
7 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 pounds fresh rhubarb, trim root end, peel and cut 1/4-inch thick
2 pounds strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup rum
1 cup sliced almonds
1 unbaked 10-inch pie shell
8 scoops of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saute pan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the sugar, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the flour. Stir the mixture for 1 minute, to dissolve the sugars. Add the rhubarb and cook for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the strawberries and continue to saute for 3 minutes. Add the rum and carefully flame the mixture. Saute for 1 minute. Mix thoroughly and remove from the heat. Cool the mixture. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining butter, brown sugar, flour and sliced almonds. Using your hands, blend well, until the mixture resembles a crumb-like texture. Pour the rhubarb and strawberry filling into the pie shell. Sprinkle the crumb filling evenly over the fruit filling. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven. Let the pie cool before serving, about 10 minutes. Slice and serve w

PIE DOUGH
2 cups flour
Pinch salt
2/3 cup lard
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
In a mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the lard and work it in with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Form the dough into 2 smooth balls. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Yield: 2 pi

Sunday's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie & Colds!!!

Ahhh the Summer cold....we have spent the weekend trying to get this nasty little bug out of our system!! It is too bad we missed The Strawberry Fest however you must feed a cold and nothing sounds much better to me today than Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Vanilla Bean ice cream!!!Yum yum! I am trying to recall the last time I actually baked a pie from scratch. I am thinking it was probably The Apple Pie Disaster Thanksgiving circa 2002. I could be wrong ,but making a really good pie from scratch is something I never have quite yet gotten right. I figure there is no time like the present to try and perfect this skill....I have not yet tried the finished product, have a ways to go on making a pretty perfect lattice top...but they sure smell good as they cool on the counter,I chose my Aunt's recipe which included a crumbly almond & brown sugar topping. Hopefully this will help us all feel a little better ,but if nothing else keep our bellies full with this sweet treat...who needs the Strawberry Festival anyways???

From Floral too.....Stripes??

This is how I woke up this morning.....

Him: Everywhere I look I see Flowers... Flowers over the bed... Flowers on MY nightstand.... Flowers above the TV.. & what is this on MY bedtable a beaded lamp??? I mean really sweetie can't we tone down the femininity a little. I am thinking modern... at least on MY bedtable.

Me: Well...Ummmm....Ya....I...Ok...
Stripes it is ...Some Stripes...(I am thinking well then theres the blanket my MOM just bought me..it's roses then the carpet..with the pink and brown flowers that match the sheets and frames and....) Did u say Modern??

Yogurt Parfaits & Views from The Observation Deck~~

Let's Relax this Saturday!!

After the hussle & bussle of this move this is our first weekend in our wonderful new place where we aren't unpacking and moving things around, we both have the backaches to show for all the activity associated with the past two weekends trying to get our home together. Last night we cooked steaks out and set up the charcoal grill I have been hanging onto for two Summers now. Bought for the purpose of a camping trip that hasn't yet taken place. It was an unusually nice evening for June and the boys, Charlie & I sat outside for most of the evening enjoying the cool breeze. This morning we were considering going to the Strawberry festival in Strawberry/Pine, AZ.It was decided quite early on that we would relax today and that Charlie gets to pick what we do tomorrow when we venture out. He says it is his turn to pick something...lol....I have been dragging him to way too many Summer concerts and shopping trips ( not a shopper) I am sure whatever we do it will be fun..This morning it was all about parfaits, cinnamon rolls,& cheesy eggs. AND the best news of all he found me a Vintage Singer sewing machine , cabinet and all that I Cannot Wait! to use. He will be fixing the belt this evening...best part is???I have been wanting one for some time, especially now as I have been itching to sew. It was only $25.00 at a garage sale...what a deal....I love it. Hopefully I will have my sun dresses sewn by end of Summer just in time for the trunk show I am planning in August!!!! I love it so much!! The old needles, spools of thread, yarn as well as newspaper clippings and whatnots in the drawers were so neat to go through. Like a Vintage cookbook, the best part is what you may find between the pages!!Jakey is napping and its crispy fried chicken for lunch and maybe a little Leonard Cohen Documentery...Probably Im Your Man like usual.I am glad we stayed in today:) We sure aren't missing a thing.....

I Love Charley Harper

I am looking for The Book Of Illustration & The Childrens Books out by this fantastic artist!! I found some Vintage Ford Mags that include his illustrations which I am bidding on via E-Bay. Jakeys birthday is the week after next and he is sure to find the memory game and puzzle among his gifts. The coloring book is neato too! I collect birds and love these prints as well. I am sure my little one will too...I am digging out my collection of Ed Emberly drawing books this weekend as well, Nick is at the perfect age!!! Tomorrow is Friday & I could not be happier.

There's the new home & then theres the closet~~

Sunday Night Summer Concerts

What fun rides we had!

The best cheeseburgers ever!!
My little man was picky no more! Loved his cheeseburger!

The grass felt great beneath our feet

My love Music Stars Great Food Family & Kisses

Sunday Night Summer Concerts

For the past two Sunday evenings we have been going to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park for the train rides & the awesome music! Last Sunday we arrived early (around 5:30 pm) and were able to take Jake on a few train rides & took a carousel ride as well ( mommy got dizzy)....The wet cool grass was such a nice feeling on our bare feet. Too few places in Arizona offer this in June and it actually became sort of chilly as the sun went down. We saw the Groove Merchants play and danced the night away under the stars as Jake flew like an airplane into the cool dark night and Charlie and I made magical moments and memories together. The food (if you purchase it there) is yummy and inexpensive. Last night we brought a picnic basket and Charlies sausages were wonderful, a perfect compliment to the 80's band and the libations......ahhhh sweet summertime...