Day Three Hundred Fifty-Five: Homemade Samoa Cookies

It's hard to choose a favorite flavor of Girl Scout cookies, and, frankly, sometimes it just depends on your mood. But, having said that, I can say that I ALWAYS like the Samoas. I haven't had an actual Girl Scout Samoa in years, but just thinking about them gets my salivary glands all fired up! So when I came across a recipe for healthy Samoas, I knew for sure they would materialize in my kitchen in the near future. They are very easy to make, and they only have four ingredients: dates, coconut, dark chocolate, and coconut oil. I thought they were super yummy. Maybe they can be my gateway back into the sugar-free lifestyle I have sadly abandoned over the summer.

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Four: Kajukenbo

Our library organized a free, two-night, self-defense class for women, and I signed up as soon as I heard about it. The kajukenbo class is taught by a fifth-degree blackbelt and focuses on a  blended form of martial arts, which borrows techniques from karate, judo, jiu jitsu, kenpo, kung-fu, and Chinese boxing. I did take a self-defense class in college, but thankfully, I haven't needed to use any of that knowledge, so it's gotten a bit rusty. I think it's a great service to our community, and I'm glad I have the chance to participate.

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Three: Rocket

Clay came to me and asked if I would help him build a rocket from a kit he had acquired from who-knows-where. I said, "Sure," because I like to occasionally pretend to be a fun mom. Besides, it was a kid's rocket kit; how hard could it be? Well, five minutes into the project, Clay and I both realized it was going to be quite a bit more involved than we had suspected and that there were only picture instructions that tended toward vagueness at times. Clay quietly slipped out of the room the first time we had to wait for glue to dry, but for some dumb reason, I just couldn't let it go and would get all cringy seeing the partially finished rocket sitting on the table where I was trying to plan Grammar lessons for the upcoming school year. So, I would glue a part, prop it up just so, and work while I waited for it to dry. And I did that over and over again until I got the whole dang thing put together, fudging a little at the end when I realized that we did not actually own all of the parts needed to complete the project as per the instructions because the launching mechanism was deceitfully "sold separately." It was my first rocket to build, and unless an adorable little boy who shares my DNA asks me to build another one on a day I feel like I need to prove myself as a fun mom, it will likely be my last.

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Two: Roasted Plantain Chips

I love shopping at Trader Joe's, and every time I visit, I find some new product to try. Unfortunately, we don't have one here, so I rarely have the opportunity to shop there. But, when Jeff and I were in McKinney the other day, we made a point of stopping by. I picked up some roasted plantain chips while we were there and finally opened the bag this evening. This could very well be my new favorite hummus substrate!

Day Three Hundred Fifty-One: Donating to a Busker

Clay will be taking a guitar class during the upcoming school year, and he was thrilled to find that his new guitar had arrived while he was away. He immediately pulled it out and started playing around with it. After dinner, he had already set himself up as a busker in our living room. I normally don't give donations to buskers, but this time I found myself powerless to refuse!

Day Three Hundred Fifty: Hot Air Balloon Flight

This morning, Jeff and I got to check off a bucket list item by going on a hot air balloon flight. I have always wanted to do this, and I was absolutely thrilled that we had the chance! We met the crew about 6:00 am and were airborne by 7:00. We travelled about 10 miles, reaching a speed of 17 mph, at our fastest. The trip took a little more than an hour, and then we all had celebratory mimosas upon landing. It was beautiful and peaceful and such an amazing experience!

Blowing up the balloon

Adding some heat

In the basket and ready to fly

Up with the sun

We dipped down into this
fountain, and I got soaked!

A perfect landing

Here's to another great First!

Day Three Hundred Forty-Nine: A Day in McKinney

We have been to McKinney but mostly just for kids' sporting events. But, on day two without the kids, Jeff and I decided to go over to just hang out. We had lunch at Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen, visted Landon Winery and Lone Star Wine Cellars, and did a little shopping in the historic dowtown area. Later, we had an appetizer dinner a Sol, picked up a few things at Trader Joe's, and browsed in Half-Price Books. It was a lovely day, and we enjoyed it very much!

Fun in McKinney

Day Three Hundred Forty-Eight: Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Jeff and I took advantage of all our kids being with grandparents to go out for a a fancy meal at The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, which is a place we have always wanted to visit. We decided to try the seven-course tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was so delicious, and the atmosphere was very elegant without feeling stuffy or pretentious. We loved the experience!

Salmon ceviche, compressed watermelon with goat cheese,
avocado cannoli stuffed with crab, smoked foie gras,
scallop with tomato basil barley, red snapper in lobster bisque, beef tenderloin with roasted tomato and corn,
lemon panna cotta with peach sorbet, cappuccino, and
signiture green tea and milk chocolate turtles

Day Three Hundred Forty-Seven: Katy Trail Ice House

A few months ago, while hiking on the Katy Trail in downtown Dallas, we learned about the Katy Trail Ice House and vowed to come back sometime to enjoy a burger in the expansive outdoor eating area. At the time, I didn't imgine we would choose one of the very hottest days of the year for that little outing. But, we did. It really wasn't that bad since the patio is very shaded and the restaurant runs mister fans everywhere. We had a great time, though we missed having our younger guys with us!

Day Three Hundred Forty-Six: The Shining and The Dining

I have never watched The Shining, because, frankly, I'm typically too much of a scaredy cat to watch horror movies (or really even slightly scary movies). But, tonight, I decided it was finally time to see this classic movie. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but it was creepy, for sure. (And, in the interest of full disclosure, I did shriek once.)

After the movie, Amazon suggested other movies we might want to see based on the one we had just watched. When we came across a short film entiled The Dining, starring Annoying Orange, we couldn't imagine why we wouldn't go ahead and watch that, too.

Let's just say it was two completely different cimematic experiences! 😉

Day Three Hundred Forty-Five: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Taste Test

Ruth and I decided to do a dairy-free ice cream taste test this evening. We had two made with coconut milk but from two different brands, one made with soy milk, and one made with cashew milk. All were different flavors. Our hands-down favorite was the SO Delicious Salted Caramel Cluster made with cashew milk.

Taste test contenders

Day Three Hundred Forty-Four: Sewing Machine Lesson

My mother-in-law has some amazing sewing skills. She can repair anything, and she creates and produces beautiful quilts and many other things. I have always thought of myself as a non-sewer, and frankly, I have never even really been interested in learning the skill. But on this visit to my in-laws' house, I decided that was faulty thinking, and on a lark, I ask my mother-in-law if she would teach me how to sew something on the sewing machine. She was more than happy to give me a lesson, and I'm so proud that, after practicing several stitches and getting a feel for the machine, I attached several squares of fabric together with some nice, straight(ish) seams. And, I didn't tear up any of the equipment or end up with a needle through my finger! And rather than feeling the overwhelming stress that permeated the estimated two sewing projects of my childhood 4H days, which caused me to completely swear off the activity, I actually really enjoyed it!

Playing around with the machine
and learning the different stitches

So thankful for such a great teacher

Day Three Hundred Forty-Three: Sushi Burrito

I have been wanting to try a sushi burrito basically since I heard there was such a thing, and today I finally had my chance. It was delicious but super-filling!

Day Three Hundred Forty-Two: The Catch

After my Meals on Wheels deliveries today, I decided to grab some lunch at The Catch, a relatively new fast food seafood restaurant in Lewisville, which isn't the kind of place I normally choose. But that's one of the things that makes it a good First. I had the grilled shrimp tacos, and they were very tasty.

Day Three Hundred Forty-One: Table Football

Max has really been enjoying his copy of The Dangerous Book for Boys lately. And, today he let me be in on one of the projects. He taught me how to play table football with quarters, and we played for close to an hour and had so much fun!

Learning about Table Football

The competition was pretty fierce!

Day Three Hundred Forty: Mom to a Licensed Driver

Well, I am officially a mother to a licensed driver, which is exciting and terrifying all at once!

I am so proud of this young lady!

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Nine: Ice Cream for Lunch on National Ice Cream Day

In my opinion, every day should be National Ice Cream Day, but today actually is, which we found out quite by accident. But we certainly weren't going to let it go uncelebrated, so we popped in to Clear River, a super cute retro ice cream parlor, to do it right. We had a late breakfast, so the ice cream ended up being lunch, which was perfectly fine with me! I tried a flavor I had never had: peach amaretto pecan. So, so good! It was the perfect end to the perfect Girls' Weekend!

Happy National Ice Cream Day!

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Eight: Harp Serenade During Dinner

This evening, we decided to dine at Rathskeller, a restaurant housed in the basement of a former hospital that was built in the 1800s. It's a beautiful stone building, and it was interesting to dine underground. (It was actually our second time to dine underground today, and we also had wine in an underground cellar. We are practically moles now! 😀) The food was great, but the entertainment was truly unique. There was a young lady playing the harp while we dined, and the music was really beautiful. I have never had a harp serenade during dinner before, and I absolutely loved it!

Harp Serenade

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Seven: Girls' Weekend in Fredericksburg

I was home for less than 36 hours when I hopped in the car and headed to Fredericksburg to meet up with my mom and my sister for our first-ever Girls' Weekend. Seriously, the three of us have not spent time alone together since my sister and I have been grown-ups! Isn't that crazy?! I love these lovely ladies, and I'm so thankful that the stars finally aligned so we could do this!

First-ever Girls' Weekend with two of my favorite women

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Six: Kroger ClickList

I know that ordering your groceries online and picking them up at a brick-and-mortar store at your convenience has been a thing for quite a while now, but as is typical, I'm a little late to the party. But since we returned to a fairly empty kitchen and a million other things to do, I thought it would be a good time to try it out. Honestly, it wasn't my favorite grocery shopping experience, though I think if I only ever bought particular brands and knew exactly what I wanted, it would be a much better experience for me. But, I like to try new-to-me products and read ingredient lists and use my senses in the produce department and find the best deals. With the learning curve of using the website, I probably could have picked up the things just as quickly if I had gone into the store, but I'm glad I tried it and I'm glad to have an account set up in case I want to give it another go in the future.

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Five: Admiral's Club

Sadly, we have come to the end of our vacation and are headed back to Dallas shortly. But, since we bought first class tickets for this overnight flight, we gained access to the Admirmal's Club, a First for all of us. Unsurprisingly, the buffet and open bar have been a hit with our crew, and everyone is supremely happy while we wait on our flight! It's fun to feel a little fancy before we jump back into the real world!

Enjoying a Mango Pisco Sour and some snacks in the Club

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Four: Bío-Bío Market

Today, we visited the Bío-Bío Market, which is a rabbit warren of shops and stalls, spread out over several blocks. There is everything from fresh produce, meats, and cheeses to homegoods and clothing all intermingled, sometimes in nice enclosed spaces and sometimes out in the open. It was somewhat similar to other markets we've visited in the world but still retained its uniqueness. Some of the most interesting finds of the day were a bin of various broken pastas, a cat cleaning itself in a produce bin, right next to the avocados, and a stack of eggs crammed in next to cheap house shoes. It's definitely a different shopping experience than you would ever find in the States, but it's so fun!

Hodgepodge pasta bin

The fuzzy ones aren't good to eat!

Walmart has nothing on Bío-Bīo!

We were mesmerized by the
 beautiful revolving cake display!

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Three: Vibrant Valparaíso

We joined a tour group today that took us to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, which both sit on Chile's Pacific coast. I will share more about the whole tour on my family blog, but here I want to focus just on Valparaíso, which is unlike any city I have ever visited. First of all, it is a city built entirely on hills, so every little road is steep. There are staircases everywhere, and the city seems like a maze. (The hilly, staircase-ridden aspect of Valparaíso actually reminded me of a city we visted in Bulgaria a few years ago.) There are also several funiculars that make it easier for people to ascend the hills. The thing that is really striking about the city, though, is how colorful it is. There isn't a surface that hasn't been touched by street art--some of it just your run-of-the-mill graffiti and some of it truly amazing. Also, all the houses and buildings are either vibrantly painted in single bright colors or are covered in murals, and many of the staircases are eithered painted or tiled. Plus, it is a busy shipping port, so boats loaded with colorful containers dot the coastline. It is such a unique city, and I'm so glad I got to visit!

Colorful staircase

Pretty row of houses

Ascensor El Peral

Every surface is covered with art

Vibrant Valparaíso

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Two: Food Firsts

We went out to eat at Nolita tonight, in the cool Lastarria neighborhood, and I had the opportunity to try several things I had never had before. First, we had beef tartare for an appetizer. (I had had ostrich tartare once in Africa, but the beef version was new.) And, although we all agreed it looked kind of like canned cat food, the flavor was actually pretty great. Later, Jeff and I opted to share the grilled seafood sampler, and I got to try merluza austral (hake), reineta (pomfret), and octopus for the first time as well, and all were enjoyable. There was a time in my life when I would have turned my nose up even at the thought of these things, so to enthusiastically eat them and enjoy them makes me feel like I grown as a person.

Beef Tartare

Southern Pacific Sampler

Three Hundred Thirty-One: Coffee in a Castle-Inspired Former Bridge

We found a lovely French restaurant with outdoor seating at the edge of the Parque Forestal, right next to a playground. The building looks like a castle, but we later found out it was styled after the bridge that used to cross the river in that location. Jeff and I had coffee and the kids had "second-breakfast," and the younger boys had a blast playing on the playground. It was a wonderful way to pass a few hours on a beautiful day!

Castello Forestal

Three Hundred Thirty: Embroidery and Ice Cream

The day was full of Firsts as we were exploring new parts of Santiago. Our first stop was the Cultural Center in the basement of the Palacio de La Moneda (the president's palace). While we were there, the kids and I worked on some little embroidery projects together in the activity room. That was a First for all of us and something we want to try again in the future when we have more time.

Our embroidery was supposed to answer the question
"What does it mean to be Latin American?"
We went off our experiences while we've been here and
came up with a soccer ball surrounded by rain drops
and snowy mountains. I think we pretty much nailed it.

Upon leaving the museum, we headed over to Heladería Emporio La Rosa, which we had heard was one of the best ice cream shops in town. In fact, they claim to be in the top 25 in the world, but I don't know since I haven't yet visited all of the ice cream shops in the world. I have all of them on my list, though, so maybe someday. Anyway, the shop had several unique flavors, and I tried two that were new to me: rose and honey of ulmo, which is a particular type of flower that grows in Chile. Both were very good!

New ice cream flavors always make good Firsts!

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Nine: Interactive Art Museum

Today we visited Artequin, which is an interactive art museum unlike any I have ever visited. On the first floor, there are touchable reproductions of famous paintings and sculptures, displayed at a level that is perfect for kids to really see and explore them. A guide even took one of the paintings off the wall so we could get a better look at it. That floor also houses a virtual reality box, which was fun to play around with.

The second floor is full of interactive art stations, where you can learn about artists' tools, warm vs. cool colors, and the mixing of primary colors to make new colors. Another area focuses on upcycled art. There are also plenty of opportunities to create your own masterpieces.

And, the building itself is a work of art, which was built in France for the 1899 World Fair, and then disassembled, shipped to Chile, and reassembled some years later. It is perhaps the best art museum I have ever been to!

Artequin

Getting creative with my kiddos

My rendition of Starry Night, using mostly warm colors