Day Two Hundred Thirty-Three: Cheese Making

Jeff and I took a cheese making class at Dallas Mozzarella Company this afternoon. We had a good time making several different kinds of cheeses including ricotta, mozzarella, Oaxaca, and a mozzarella roll stuffed with olives, all of which we got to bring home.

Cute cheese makers

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Two: Wind in the Willows Picnic

Yesterday while we were picnicking during our hike, everyone started talking about what the best picnic was they had been on and what would be the greatest picnic of all time. Ruth mentioned that her dream picnic would be a Wind in the Willows picnic (which is to say a very elaborate, fancy, excessive picnic), and the boys readily agreed.

Parents aren't always able to give their children everything they want, nor should they, in my opinion. But when it is within your power to fulfill a simple dream and create memories that will last a lifetime, you do it when you can. So, with the Wind in the Willows picnic as a our starting point, everyone contributed ideas to create the most epic picnic ever. We heard things like, "We need to find a big shade tree to spread our red-checkered blanket under," "We have to have a layer cake," "We need to use nice dishes," and "We have to pack everything in a real basket," in addition to a multitude of food and drink requests. We certainly modified the contents of the picnic (because, cold tongue?!?!), but the spirit was right on, and we felt Mole and Ratty would have approved.

The original Wind in the Willows picnic

Our version of the Wind in the Willows picnic

Day Two Hundred Thirty-One: Urban Hike and Cidercade

We wanted to enjoy this beautiful day with a hike, but we wanted to try a trail we had never done before. Our research revealed the Katy Trail in downtown Dallas, which we were eager to try since we had never really done a true urban hike. It was such a lovely day and a wonderful trail, and we took our sweet time getting from one end of the three-mile trail to the other and then back again, stopping for a picnic and some play time along the way.

Fun along the Katy Trail

After our hike, we headed over to the Bishop Cider Co. which is better known as Cidercade. Talk about a unique venue! This brewery only serves cider, but they have about 30 choices. They also have more than 100 vintage arcade games. For the price of the $10 cover charge, you have unlimited access to all the games. We had a blast sipping cider (and non-alcoholic drinks for the kids) and playing all the games, some of which Jeff and I haven't played since we were kids.

Bishop Cider Co. (Cidercade)

Day Two Hundred Thirty: Meals on Wheels Rider

I had the opportunity to have a Meals on Wheels volunteer trainee ride along with me on my route this morning, which was a fun change of pace. It was nice to get to "show someone the ropes" and to have someone to visit with between stops.

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Nine: On Guard Beadlets

I love doTerra's On Guard blend and have used almost every product they make with it. However, I had never tried the beadlets, so I was excited when one of my Essentials families gifted me some today.

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Eight: Essay Submission

A blog I follow called the Art of Simple is currently allowing readers to submit essays for potential publication, so I decided to send one in. That First led to another, which was creating a profile on Gravatar. Whether the essay gets published or not, I'm excited to have the opportunity and proud of myself for putting something out there.

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Seven: Pumpkin Breakfast Custard

I haven't been on Pinterest in ages, but I was trying to help Max look for ideas for a fort he wants to build, and while I was there, I decided to just take a look at things I've pinned in the past. I came across this recipe for pumpkin breakfast custard, and it just sounded so good, I decided to make it on the spot. I know it's not really pumpkin season, but I do what I want! It is completely unsweetened and is Paleo/Whole 30 friendly, and I think it's wonderful!

Pumpkin Breakfast Custard

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Six: Ginger Honey Switchel

I recently read about a fermented drink called switchel, which is quicker to make than kombucha but supposedly has many of the same benefits. I made my first batch tonight. It has to rest in the fridge over night, but I'm looking forward to trying it tomorrow.

Ginger Honey Switchel

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Five: Lunch Adventure

We were in Plano today so that Ruth could take a practice PSAT test. She finished up right around lunch time, so we decided to grab a bite to eat. We all agreed on Thai food, so we found the place with the highest rating on Google and set the GPS to take us there. There was just one little problem: the restaurant no longer existed. By then we were trying to prevent a hunger mutiny, so rather than track down another Thai place, we simply picked the first place we saw: Jack Mac's Swill and Grill. It was basically a bar with a fun menu. Our adventurous group of eaters was so excited when we found the Russian Roulette pizza, which had this description: "If you have an allergy or special request, this is not for you. NOT KIDDING. This has everything, or nothing. I don't know, and neither does your server. So, if you're not up for a mystery pie, DO NOT ORDER THIS! Don't ask what's on it; just eat it!" We ordered one for an appetizer, and it turned out to be pretty normal, but our server told us it is different literally every time it's ordered, and we guessed they were just trying to use up the kitchen surplus in a clever way. This place turned out to be quite a happy accident! We had so much fun and some delicious and unique food!

Our Russian Roulette Pie

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Four: Avocado Margarita

I'm not super crazy about regular margaritas, but I pretty much love flavored ones. I was excited when we ate at Wild Salsa tonight to discover that they had a whole list of flavored margaritas. I've never seen an avocado margarita on a menu before, so I knew that one was going to be the one for me. It was fantastic!

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Three: Writing Fiction

I spent much of my free time as a child writing stories. Made up people, in made up places, doing made up things. No one forced me write the stories. I just did it because I found it entertaining. In my high school and early adult years, writing for fun ceased to be a priority. And when I finally came back to writing, I stuck strictly to non-fiction, which is how things have remained until the present.

I recently read that one way to discover happiness for your future is to think about what made you happy in the past. The article specifically said to think about what you loved doing when you were 10 and there was no pressure to do it; you just did it because you loved it. That got me thinking about how I filled my childhood hours. And that, of course, led me to think about writing stories.

So, I decided to try my hand at fiction again and spent much of my writing time today trying to tap out the beginning of a story with made up people, in made up places, doing made up things. The process is not quite as fast and easy as it used to be, but I'm excited to see how this little experiment goes.

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Two: Photo Collage App

I used to use Pic Monkey for making photo collages, but they eliminated the free option on their site, and I suddenly became less interested in creating collages. Also, since I take most of my pictures with my phone now instead of my camera, I was finding it somewhat inconvenient to use, as I had had to download the photos to my computer and then upload them to the site. (First world problems, I know!) I am not really an app girl and never really think of looking for apps that didn't come with my phone, but I happened to read an article that referenced a photo collage app, and a little lightbulb came on in my head. I went to the app store, found a free but highly rated photo collage app, and installed it. So far, so good! Here's my first collage:

KOA fun

Day Two Hundred Twenty-One: Lunch at Choctaw Casino

This isn't terribly original, but it was a First. On our way home from Sallisaw, we stopped at the Choctaw Casino in Durant, Ok to enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet. We have eaten at other casino buffets before, but never this one. Our kids love buffets, especially "fancy" casino ones, and it's usually cheaper than eating elsewhere. Win-win!

Day Two Hundred Twenty: Box Hockey

There was a high chance of rain for today, so we decided to just hang around the KOA, enjoying some of its amenities. We ended up getting only about 30 minutes of rain, and the rest if the day was gorgeous, so in addition to playing many board games, we also got in lots of playing outside. We played family games if H-O-R-S-E and Knockout, frisbee, tetherball, and box hockey, which I had never even heard of and had certainly never played. It took me a little while to get the hang of it, but I didn't get beat too badly. I did have a lot of laughs and got to hang out with some of my favorite people, so that part was definitely a win!

Day Two Hundred Nineteen: Devil's Den

Today's adventure took us to Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas, which is absolutely gorgeous and full of wonderful trails. We hiked a moderately difficult three-mile trail this morning, had a picnic by the river at lunch time, and then hiked a less strenuous two-mile trail in the afternoon. It was the kind of day that makes my heart happy, and I was so glad to experience this First with all my people!

Day Two Hundred Eighteen: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

Our goal for this gorgeous day was to find a nice hiking spot, and we definitely succeeded with a visit to the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. We did two very easy one-mile hikes that took us through forests, along rivers, and around lakes. We spotted some turtles sunning and swimming, an eagle catching a fish, and lots of ducks along the way. We even found a beaver dam, though the beaver itself stayed hidden from view. Clay was a little concerned we might see a "water neckison" snake, but, thankfully, we did not. We had a picnic and collected an untold amount of sticks, rocks, and seeds. It was an absolutely lovely adventure!

Day Two Hundred Seventeen: Sallisaw, OK

On Monday morning, Jeff and I were looking at our calendars and were shocked and delighted to find that, through some bizarre twist of fate, the coming weekend was wide open. We looked at each other in atonishment, quickly discerned each other's thoughts, and immediately started trying to get a plan together for a weekend getaway. The kids all voted for a KOA, so we literally picked the first place within a reasonable driving distance that had an available cabin to accommodate all of us and booked it. And that is how it is that I came to make my first-ever road trip to Sallisaw, OK.  We arrived just before midnight, so we haven't had a chance to explore yet, but I'm so very happy to be here!

Day Two Hundred Sixteen: Pie for Every Meal

Pi Day is one of our family's favorite holidays and we've been celebrating it in various forms for years. But this year, Ruth had a vision to mix things up by having a different kind of pie for every meal, and she made that vision a reality by making four amazing pies for us. We started the day with an fantastic egg pie, with a bacon lattice top, and a delicious apple pie. For lunch we had a wonderful chicken, mushroom, and leek pot pie. And for dinner, a delectable pot roast pot pie. This Pi Day ended with store bought sweet pies in chocolate, pecan, and cherry to match everyone's preference. Celebrating some of the silly holidays is one of the ways our family has found to bond and make special memories, and I'm so glad we got to enjoy so much of a good thing this Pi Day!

Breakfast Pie

Backup Breakfast Pie

Chicken, Mushroom and Leek Pot Pie

Pot Roast Pot Pie

Happy Pi Day, from our family to yours!

Day Two Hundred Fifteen: Cheese and Cracker

A while back, Clay bought a cookbook at the library's used book sale. He immediately picked out a couple of recipes he wanted to try and made a grocery list. This list spent several weeks in his room before being moved to a prominent place on the refrigerator where it kept getting overlooked because, frankly, it just looked like another piece of paper. When I announced a trip to the grocery store yesterday, Clay determined he would go with me, list in hand. I had long ago forgotten about his list, but I dutifully bought the items. So, he was all set to make fried mozzarella sticks and butter noodles for dinner tonight. The only problem was we didn't actually buy all the ingredients that were needed for the cheese sticks because mysteriously not all of them were on our list. I am generally a strict recipe follower, especially when I'm trying something new, but I didn't want to disappoint Clay, so I literally made something up on the spot using ingredients we had on hand. And then, not wanting to waste the breading, I decided to make it into a giant cracker. It was a grand experiment! Neither the cheese sticks nor the cracker turned out very pretty, but they tasted pretty good, which I guess is what matters. That, and the fact that I got to spend some quality time with my little guy in the kitchen!

Fried Mozzarella "Sticks"

A giant cracker or something similar

Day Two Hundred Fourteen: Teff

Yesterday, I discovered the world's smallest grain and decided I better give it a shot. It's called Teff and hails from Ethiopia. Following the recipe on the back of the package, I made a porridge with dates and honey that I thought was pretty good.

The World's Smallest Grain

Teff porridge topped with walnuts

Day Two Hundred Thirteen: Spiked Morning Coffee

Jeff and I stopped by the liquor store yesterday to restock on a few items, but while we were there, we found a couple of new things to try. One of those was Brinley Gold Shipwreck Coconut Rum Cream. It seemed to me like it was just begging to cuddle up with a cup of coffee, so I introduced it to my morning cuppa joe. I am not in the habit of adding that kind of cream to my morning coffee (read: I have never added liquor to my morning coffee), but, truth be told, I didn't get around to coffee until about 11:00 this morning, so it didn't feel too indecent.

Making pirates everywhere proud!

Day Two Hundred Twelve: Paralympics

I am sad and embarrassed to say the I have never watched the Paralympics before. My kids got super excited about seeing them when they were being advertised during the Olympics, so we made a plan to watch. I believe it is one of the most awe-inspiring, amazing things I have ever seen! And it is especially poignant to me as I'm recovering from a relatively minor injury that will likely not have a lasting impact on my ability to be as active as I want to be. The physical and mental hurdles the Paralympic athletes have overcome and continue to overcome every day must be significant, but they do it anyway. I'm so inspired and amazed!

Day Two Hundred Eleven: Cards at Kimzey's

After we dropped Weston off at his Scout campout in Denton, we stopped at Kimzey's Coffee in Argyle on our way home. It is housed in a whimsical cottage reminiscent of something from a fairy tale. We had coffees and teas and played cards for a couple of hours. We always enjoy finding new and interesting places to hang out, and Kimzey's is a jewel!

Kimzey's is full of whimsy!

A hot game of Hearts

Day Two Hundred Ten: Brilliant

I was introduced to Brilliant today through a TEDEd video I found on Real Clear Science. The site claims to offer training in critical thinking through real-world STEM problem solving, which sounded like the kind of thing we might want to incorporate into our homeschool. So I poked around on the site for a while and took the course entitled "How does a Refrigerator Work?"

Of course, I have learned these principles in physics courses I have taken in the past, but, honestly, it's been a long time, and these days I usually just sit around taking my fridge for granted and not thinking about what makes it tick. The course was a great refresher and quite interesting.

I like the way the courses are set up as quizzes that require users to think through possible solutions based on previous information they have received. This is better than just reading or watching a video that tells all the steps without engaging the mind of the listener/reader. I'm looking forward to introducing my math and science loving kids to the courses and taking more of the courses myself.

*Photo Credit

Day Two Hundred Nine: Yoga with Jeff

I've been going to yoga classes for about a year and have been trying to convince my people to come to classes with me. Schedules and interests haven't really been aligned with that purpose until now. Jeff recently expressed some interest in trying out a class, and there was finally a break in the schedule to allow him to do so. It was my first yoga date, and I thought it was great!

Day Two Hundred Eight: Elliptical Trainer

I was cleared to start running again right after the first of the year, and even though my progress is much slower than I would like for it to be, I'm so thankful to be back at it. On Friday, I managed to run a whole mile! But since then, my knee has been a little tender, so I decided to take a break from the treadmill today and try out the elliptical trainer for the first time ever because I thought it would be a little easier on my knee. It wasn't exactly the solution I was looking for, but it was a good First.

Day Two Hundred Seven: Electric Corkscrew

My parents gave us a cool electric corkscrew for Christmas, but today was my first time to use it. I admit that I have not displayed amazing wine opening skills in the past, but this is a game changer, and I love it! (I also really enjoyed the new-to-me Landon red I opened with it!)

Day Two Hundred Six: Sushi Zushi

Today's First isn't very original, but I had so many Firsts yesterday, I figure it sort of balances out. We had lunch at Sushi Zushi, which was new for us, even though we are no strangers to sushi. I had the Mango Habanero Poke Bowl, and it was absolutely delicious.

Day Two Hundred Five: Firsts on the Third

Well, there were quite a few Firsts tucked into this day, which was super fun! It was my first time to attend a track meet as a parent instead of as an athlete, and it was a perfect day for a track meet, so that was pretty awesome. It was also my first time to eat at La Finca Chiquita, a tiny little Mexican food restaurant in Allen serving delicious food. Additionally, it was our first time to walk from our house to a brew pub. Based on the selection of food, drinks, and table games, we are now pretty sure Local Pint is our new favorite place and that we will return often. While we were there, we tried several new-to-us beers and split a plate of fried deviled eggs to keep the list of Firsts going. What a wonderful day of Firsts!

It was so fun to watch Ruth compete in the 100, 200 and 4x200 today!

Our new favorite place!

A selection of barrel-aged strong ales and barley wine

Fried Deviled Eggs

Day Two Hundred Four: Groupon

I promise I haven't been living under a rock the last few years. I've obviously heard of Groupon, but I have never bought a voucher from them until now. I came across a deal for my yoga studio quite by accident, and my class pass just had one more class on it, so I jumped at the opportunity to get another class pass for more than 50% off.

Day Two Hundred Three: C.R. Smith Museum

In need of a "mental wellness day" and a change in our learning environment, we spontaneously decided at breakfast to cancel our regular school day and head over to the C.R. Smith (American Airlines) Museum in Ft. Worth. We practically had the place to ourselves, and it was just what we needed today. We got to learn about the history of flight in general and American Airlines specifically. In addition to seeing all the cool displays, we got to make crayon rubbings of different planes, construct a variety of paper airplanes in different styles, play around with the principles of aerodynamics, and build whatever our minds could imagine with the Big Blue Blocks we fell in love with in D.C. at the Building Museum. One of our favorite displays was all about the flight that Captain Sullenberger landed in the Hudson River in 2009. In fact, when we got home, we watched the movie, "Sully", with Tom Hanks, just to round out our flight-focused day. I'm so thankful we have the flexibility to make our days be whatever we want/need them to be!

Strapped in and ready to watch a movie about the history of flight

I was pretty proud of my paper airplane, which coasted easily through the holes of the point board