Locke Hill hike

Last weekend was beautiful and we took a hike up Locke Hill in Gilford which offers a nice view of the lake. Our friends the Beikmans joined us and we packed up kids, dogs and lunch as well as the GPS to do a little geocaching. It was great fun until we were almost to the top and poor Becca got stung. Again. Many of you might remember her getting stung nine times several years ago. Well this was the same trail in almost the same location. Not sure what it is but wasps/yellow jackets love this kid. I mean, what were the chances of seven people and two dogs just hangining around and the only one to get stung was her. Poor kid! After a little first aid treatment we continued our hike.

We came across a nice outlook of the lake and lots of stones arranged into stadium seating-very cool! We found three geocaches during the hike and during the last one Kenzie slipped and scraped one of her legs all up. She was a real trooper and after our second first aid stop of the day we continued down the hill without incident!

The kids checking out the cache!

Dom checking out the view from his seat.

Boomer sharing a seat with Kenzie.

The crew in the stone seats.

Tom checking out the view with Sophie.

Dog-sitting

A few weeks ago we did some dog-sitting for friends of ours. They have a dog named Sophie and she and Boomer became instant friends. They are close in age, size and energy level so it was a good match. No one is quite sure what kind of dog Sophie is as she is a pound puppy all the way from Florida. The main guess has been a chocolate lab mix but after spending 10 days with her I am not entirely convinced. She doesn't like water and is quickly bored with playing fetch. My amatuer opinion, is german shorthair pointer and rhodesian ridgeback. She pointed on several occasions and she has a smaller head and longer snout like a pointer. Along her back is a slightly darker fur that would stand up on end sometimes while playing with Boomer and she is much more red than chocolate in coloring. But this is all just speculation on my part. What I do know for sure is that she is a great dog and was a joy to have around!

We be Jammin- Take Two

Despite the not so good luck with the raspberry jam, I decided to try again with blueberries this time. The girls and I were invited to pick at a local farm with friends and the girls picked a bunch! I guess things are always more fun with friends!

I was pretty sure that the reason my raspberry jam didn't work is that I added the pectin too soon. So with the blueberries I made sure that I reached a full rolling boil and added the pectin for only a minute and this time success! Blueberry jam!

We be Jammin or Not...

Last week I took the girls raspberry picking hoping to gather enough raspberries to try making a batch of raspberry jam. The girls started out strong and Kenzie is always game for anything that involves food. Of course getting her to actually pick the berries and put them in the basket and not her mouth was whole 'nother challenge.

Becca quickly lost interst in picking and didn't even want her picture taken. I used bribery to get her to continue picking and took her picture anyway. Such fine parenting skills, eh?

Back at home I attempted my first jam session .....

And failed. The jars look really pretty and all the lids sealed properly but the jam itself didn't set so what I have is raspberry sauce which, I quickly discovered, is a good thing. It is yummy over ice cream and we plan on trying it over pancakes and waffles next. I will attempt to make jam again but for now I will enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Lots of Visiting

This weekend was full of visits with family. Saturday evening was spent at a cookout at my uncles house where we got to visit with my cousin Tracey and her daughter Caitlin. Caitlin is the same age as Mackenzie and all three girls hit it off very well, diving right into making Fairy Houses together. Silly me though didn't get any pictures of the three of them.

Sunday my niece arrived with her husband Micah and their daughter Abby. We also got a visit from Mark and Ellen who were out house hunting and will soon be moving back to the area. Very exciting! It was of course Abby who stole everyone's attention without even trying but how can you resist this face?

Abby found Kenzie and Becca very entertaining.

Enjoying the swing.




Swinging with the big girls

Good friends, Good Fun

Earlier this week we had a great visit with our good friends the Child family from Colorado.

They were able to spend the night with us which gave us a great opportunity to catch-up and hang out since it has been awhile since our last visit. The sun actually came out on Monday so we were able to take them out on the boat and have a nice little cruise around the lake.

Back at the house we had homemade sausage and a campfire with s'mores and sparklers. Due to several Star Wars fans we even fit in a lightsaber fight, though I won't say wether it was the big kids or the little kids who enjoyed that more!

Kindergarten Graduation

Today Kenzie graduated from Kindergarten and has officially become a first grader! She is so excited and proud of herself and we are very proud of her too!

Mackenzie getting a hug from her big sister. Becca was able to be dismissed from her class long enough to attend the graduation.

And of course a little cake. The school mascot is a Tiger cub so I used a sitting bear pan and turned him into a tiger cub.

Homemade sausage

Dom and I have taken up making our own italian sausage. Really good italian sausage is hard to find around here and we used to be able to get some in Gloucester but they don't make it anymore so the only thing to do was make our own.



We bought the grinder attachment and the stuffing attachement for my KitchenAid mixer and that is how we grind up the meat and stuff the links. There is a little bit of a learning curve when stuffing the links but it really isn't too hard. We started with a basic sweet italian sausage recipe and have played around with it each time and the last couple of time have come out really good.

So since the weather was rainy again yesterday we made another batch. Our next batch will even be better because we'll use our own fresh herbs. It really is satisfying making something from scratch and knowing exactly what went into it.

Getting ready for the Harvest

Okay, so I just put my wee little plants into the ground and I am already planning ahead to harvest time. I have wanted to try canning for several years now-tomato sauce, applesauce, pickles etc., but since we just kinda threw some plants into the ground last minute without much planning and usually too late for the short growing season in the northeast we didn't really have enough extra to make the effort worthwhile. This year I've planned ahead a bit and hope to have at least enough tomatoes to have some fresh sauce into the cooler months. I'd like to try making some fresh salsa too. My dad always has lots of apples so there should be plenty for applesauce and other appley things (apple butter? apple-cinnamon syrup? Preserves?) I've been bugging my dad to make a cider press. I know he started working on it but will he finish in time for this season? That is the million dollar question.
I made a batch of icebox pickels last year that were a big hit with the family so I will do those again and maybe try some different kinds.(Dill? Cucumber chips? Relish?).
After doing some research on the internet it is recommended that I purchase all my supplies, especially jars now, because at the end of the summer they will sell out quickly. This makes sense so once I decide on the recipes I want to try I'll purchase some jars.

Anyone got some tried and true recipes they want to share?

New Self Portrait

I colored my hair darker because that is what my husband likes and then decided it was time for another self portrait. This is what I came up with. Why won't Blogger let me change my profile picture? Anyone???

Waterbug

Becca is a little waterbug. If there is water nearby chances are she's in it, and she usually isn't satisfied with just sticking her feet in, she's got to go all the the way in. And it doesn't matter how cold or muddy it maybe. So this spring we were able to find her a pair of waders so she could get wet without me worrying that she was going to get hypothermia. So she splashes all around and is totally content to just sit and think.

Luckily the waders totally protect her feet because there is the little issue of water in the boots!

Sun-Wherefor Art Thou?

Yes, we needed the rain. And we got rain all day Wednesday, all day Thursday and now today is Friday. And it's still raining.
Be gone ye clouds of darkness that pour forth rivers of wetness that imprison me inside. It maketh my brain moldy and unable to thinketh clearly. It maketh me spew forth nonsensical drivel in the form of bad Shakespearean prose.
I need to see the sun and I need to go outside. After three days of rain, make that cold haven't gotten out of the 40s rain, I can't motivate myself to do anything. Dom walked into the kitchen this morning to find me staring blankly at the coffee maker. Luckily he gave me clue and told me I needed a cup. Thank goodness he rescued me or I still might be standing there!
So if you see the sun please tell him I am in need of his warm healing rays to lead me out of the darkness and into the light.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I tried this recipe from the show Cook Yourself Thin and it was pretty good. The recipes are supposed to be healthier than regular recipes, but you can still only have one!

The girls both liked them which speaks volumes and makes it a hit in my book. I didn't put walnuts in mine because I knew the kids wouldn't eat them if I did. I also used egg whites instead of the two whole eggs. It was the prepackaged kind so it equaled a 1/3 of a cup.

I think next time I might try adding a little more cinnamon and maybe even a little more vanilla for a little added flavor. The chocolate chips are sprinkled on top and I put Kenzie in charge of that so there are a few more than reccomended but who's counting?



Here is the recipe if anyone wants to give it a try:



Serves 12

Calories per serving: 200


1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups reduced-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons chocolate chips



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tray with paper liners. Set aside.


In a standing mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, rolled oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mashed banana, and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and reduced-fat buttermilk, and blend for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin, and top each muffin with 3 to 4 chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once muffins are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. Serve.

Camp Fire

There is just something about having a campfire even if it is just in your own backyard. Though technically if your not camping I guess it's not a campfire or is it??

Anyway, our fire pit is in the back corner of the backyard near the woods so if you sit with your back to the house it's like being at a campground with all the comforts of home nearby, like bathrooms.

The girls like to run around the yard and into the woods on an adventure and Dom and I just like to hang out and have a few drinks while we take turns tending the fire.

My dad gave us a grate so now we can even cook on the fire. There is nothing like food cooked over a wood fire...mmmmm. This particular night we had steak strips on barbecue skewers, they had kinda of a teriyaki flavor and the meat was so tender. I am drooling just thinking about it.

Boomer helped keep an eye on the meat to make sure Dom was cooking it just right.

And of course no campfire would be complete without s'mores. Instead of graham crackers we

used chocolate chip cookies. Yum.

"You gonna finish that?" Boomer seems to be asking.


And there is something mesmerizing about just staring into the flames, especially when you've got a nice comfy pillow.

What is it about men and their abundance of testosterone that makes them want to light things on fire and blow them up. My husband is no exception. Plus we live in a state where it is legal to buy fireworks and the town doesn't care as long as the neighbors don't complain so why not??

The girls enjoyed some sparklers. Actually that is putting it mildly. We bought a package of 96, thinking it would last awhile. They used every last sparkler in one evening!!

This picture is totally psychedelic but I love it!

Climbing trees

On Saturday we went to Mom and Dad's house to celebrate dad's birthday and Mother's day.
The girls enjoyed climbing the apple trees in the backyard. Even though we have lots of trees at home they aren't very many that are good for climbing. Neither of the girls wanted to go very high and Becca actually enjoyed just swinging from a limb. Kenzie found herself a nice little spot to just sit but then needed help to get down!

How to Remove Silly Putty from the Carpet

I found silly putty in the carpet in Becca's room. Not just this one spot either but several. Damn that Easter Bunny for bringing them Silly Putty! I went online hoping for some magical way to get it out and I found one!

So here is one of the dreaded spots, and yes, it bears a striking resemblance to cat vomit:



Now you simply take some hand sanitizer and rub it into the spot and it magically dissolves the silly putty and leaves no stain! Now I imagine it was the alcohol in the hand sanitizer that removed it, so I think that straight alcohol would work too, though I do not know if it would damage the coloring of the rug so test a spot first. I guess I should have even done a test spot with the hand sanitizer but I was thinking, what the hell, it really couldn't look worse.


It's disappearing.....



And gone!



SSSHHH... Don't tell the kids but this was actually kinda fun and I didn't mind that there were three spots to clean up!