Foodie pen pals - July edition

I sent my box to Lindsay at Say No To Bacon. She lives in Oklahoma so it was my third time sending there. Maybe it's a sign that I need to visit that great state.

Debbie at Accidentally Delish sent my box all of the way from Arizona. Since I was going on vacation, I asked for food that would be great for traveling. She sent me some granola which is one of my favorite foods. I also got black bean chips. I did not bring those on the trip. I have to be in a mood for any type of chip item and then I eat them until I'm no longer craving chips. I know I'm random. I'm saving them for when I am really craving chips. She also sent me bars. Those are great not only for the trip down but also for when we are walking around town. I stick them in my back pack and away we go. I also got some fruit leathers which are great. The Wee One really loves them so I can give him one if he's complaining about being hungry while we are walking around town.

I will add pictures and links when I have actual wifi. I took the pictures and put them on my computer. However packing for 3 people for a week and a half trip was my priority.

My travel bag

Today we are leaving for our big vacation. We are traveling to Charlottesville, Va for the night. Then we are traveling to Charleston, SC for the week. Then we are on to Atlanta, GA for 2 days and Huntsville, AL for a day before heading home.

I'm notorious for packing way too much food when we travel. I attempted not to have too much. We have the family snacks and then mine.

I'm going to talk about what I packed in my travel bag.






Snacks for me and Hubby (kids won't touch them):
Trail mix (2 types)
Pistachio, cashew, and almond snack mix

Snacks for only me:
Wheat thins (small bags spicy buffalo and sundried tomato and basil)
Snack mix (walking taco flavored)
Homemade granola (breakfasts for the trip)
2 containers of individual creamers (for beach house - only thing I put in coffee)
Dentyne Ice gum (lots - love it)
2 go picnic - salami with cheese (lunches for this week)
2 go picnics - hummus (lunches for this week)
Freeze dried pineapple
Freeze dried mango
2 containers of random bars and peanut butter/almond butter packets - even though I don't particularly like peanut butter)
Instant coffee
Fruit punch (1)

Other stuff:
Books (6)
Notebook
Folders with puzzles and coloring pages for boys
Folder with puzzles for me
Mechanical pencils
My purse
My camera

White chocolate granola

I've mentioned how much I like a local Farmer's Market called Second Street Market. One of the vendors has a delicious granola called Triple Treat Granola. It contains walnuts, cranberries, and melted white chocolate. I sent a container to my May and one to my June foodie pen pals. Both of them loved the granola:).

I've decided to recreate the granola and add another flavor element - coconut. It turned out delicious.

White Chocolate Granola

Adapted from Finding Joy in my Kitchen

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil


• 1/4 c. Water


• 3/4 c. Brown sugar


• 5 c. Old fashioned oatmeal


• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon (add more or less depending on your likes or leave it out)


• 1/4 c. Chopped walnuts


• 1 and 1/2 c. White chocolate chips


• 1/4 c. Dried cranberries


• 1/4 c. Dried sweetened coconut

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


2. In a big saucepan, combine water, olive oil, and brown sugar. Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.


3. In a separate bowl, combine the oatmeal and cinnamon.


4. Slowly add the oatmeal mixture to the saucepan. Stir each time you add some of the oatmeal. Make sure the water, olive oil, and brown sugar is evenly coated on the oatmeal.  Take it off the heat.


5. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet.


6. Place in preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes.


7. Take out of oven and stir.


8. Add walnuts to the granola. Place back in oven.


9. Bake for 5 more minutes.


10. Take out of oven and sprinkle with a cup of the white chocolate chips.


11. Put back in oven for a minutes.


12. Take out of oven and stir the granola so the melted white chocolate gets all over the granola.


13. Allow to cool and then add the remaining white chocolate chips, cranberries, and coconut.


14. Store in an air tight container.


15. Enjoy over yogurt, froyo, or by itself.

Dinner Conversations

We eat dinner together most days.  It is important to both Hubby and I.  We were both brought up eating dinner as a family.  So we want to continue this tradition with the boys.  Our conversations can be so funny at times because you never know what the boys might say.

Here are some of our conversations:

Key:

• WO = Wee One


• IO = Imaginative One

Hubby told the boys he used to have a mustache because he wanted to look older.  He shaved it off when he turned 30.
IO:  Did you get a senior discount at the movie theater?

Me:  Why are you so loud?
WO:  I was born in the year of the rooster.
IO:  When was I born?
WO:  In the year of the ram, that's why you are so ramy.

IO:  These fries are so spicy.
Me:  Then quit eating them.
IO:  (Dips the fries in the ketchup.)  These fries are so spicy.
Me:  Then quit eating them.
(This pattern continued several time.  He ended up eating 2 servings of the fries.)

IO:  Why can't you tell eggs jokes?
Me:  I don't know.
IO:  They might crack up.

IO:  I go to the University of Monkey Face.  I take classes about how to make glasses for seals and another class is arm pit smelling class.   Kids 62 is the newspaper for the University of Monkey Face and Kids 68 is the normal newspaper.

IO:   This spinach tastes different.
Me: I just opened the container.
IO: Maybe I like aged spinach or something.

WO taking the onions out out of his sauce.
WO: I'm a ghost hunter. I think this is ghost slime.

These are a few of the dinner conversations we have had at our house lately.  I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Easy Watermelon Fruit Removal

I absolutely hate cutting watermelon and then removing the fruit.  Okay not hate but don't particularly love doing it.  So when I read about using an ice cream scoop to remove the fruit, I had to try it out.  It was so much easier.  (I don't remember where I read it.)

Easy Watermelon Fruit Removal

Stars of the recipe:

• Whole watermelon


• Knife


• Cutting Board


• Bowl to put the fruit in


• Ice Cream Scoop

Steps:

1. Cut the watermelon in half.


2. Using the scoop, remove the fruit.  Place in bowl.


3. Enjoy!

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Menu Planning Monday - July 1st

Monday - (The Imaginative One's delicious food day.)

• B - French Toast Mini Muffins, fruit


• L - Long John Silvers


• D - Ham Steak, Crustless Zucchini Pie, Veggie

Tuesday - 

• B - Smoothie (Imaginative One's favorite breakfast), sausage links


• L - corn dogs, raw veggies, Cheez-Its


• D - Easy Pepper steak in the slow cooker, pasta, salad

Wednesday -

• B - French Toast Mini Muffins, fruit


• L - sandwiches, raw veggies, Cheez-Its


• D - Chicken and broccoli stir fry in the slow cooker, rice

Thursday - Happy Fourth of July!!!

• B - Smoothie, sausage links


• L - Corn dogs, raw veggies, Cheez-Its


• D - Hamburgers, French fries, veggie

Friday - 

• B - Cereal


• L - Waffle House (Going out with my mom to celebrate birthdays)


• D - Barbecue Chicken sandwiches, chips, salad

Saturday -

• B- French toast (or French toast sticks), fruit


• L - Pizza or sandwich


• D - Left-over night

 

A Birthday Packed Full of Memories Part 1

A couple of weeks ago, the Wee One wanted to go on a date with his mom so we decided to go to King's Island for his birthday.  The trip would take the place of a birthday party.  His only concern was "Am I still going to get presents?"  The concerns of an 8 year old.

Since it was his first visit and my first visit in 11 years, we were super excited!  :)  We left early on Saturday morning  so we could get there before the park opened for the day.  As we stood waiting for the rope to come down, the Wee One was so anxious.  He kept asking me when we could go into the park.  "How many more minutes mom?"  Finally after the National Anthem was sung, we were on our way.  

First ride of the day was the Viking Fury.  The Wee One let the attendant know that it was his birthday so they told us to go to another ride because they had  something for him.  At first he loved the ride, then it went higher and higher.  He was afraid he was going to call out so he grabbed onto me and held on tight.  Afterwards he told me that he would ride it again when he got bigger and braver.  

We headed over to Adventure Express to pick up the birthday surprise.  It ended up an invitation to come back later for a celebration of his birthday.  He was too short to ride Adventure Express.  I wanted to ride it though so he sat to the side while I rode it.  (Only time we did that all day.)

We were right next to all of the games.  The Wee One wanted to do all of them especially the ones that had a giant Pikachu.  He doesn't understand that it costs money and he's lucky if he wins one of those prizes.  So we didn't try those games.  Okay later in the day, I allowed him to try one that cost $1.  He didn't win :(  but I didn't allow him to try more than once. While we were in that area we rode the Scrambler.  He really enjoyed that ride.

Next stop was White Water Canyon.  There was absolutely no line so we got on right away.  The smile on his face every time we got wet was priceless.  He loved that ride.  Since there were people in line, we could not stay on the ride but they told him about a shortcut.  So we did that.  He had a blast and told the other people on the ride where all of the water would hit them.  Afterwards we went back to the shortcut and once again got on the ride.  This time there were 3 kids on the ride and they had a blast - laughing and talking about the water.  :)  It was wonderful to see.  One of the boys and his father decided to ride on the ride again so they did the shortcut also.  The father and I had a hard time keeping up with them because of their excitement.  Unfortunately we were not on the same boat but the little boy waved at the Wee One before we left the launching dock.  We didn't ride it for a fifth time because it was starting to get busy.

Right next to the White Water Canyon is the train to Soak City.  We rode on it so we could go over there to get some relief from the heat.  The Wee One loved the wading pool (Coconut Grove) and the water slide that was just his size.  He's wanted to ride on a water slide for at least 2 years so this was a plus 

After playing in the water for an hour, we went over to Planet Snoopy.  The Wee One was hungry so we decided to get some food once we got there.  I was surprised and happy when he saw the strawberries and whipped cream and asked for those.  We ended up having the strawberries and the soft pretzel.  He bought himself a bag of cotton candy.  While we were eating, we saw a show was going to be starting soon so we went to that show.  Since we were one of the first visitors waiting for the show, they asked him if he wanted to go on stage during the show.  How cool!

He ended up on stage in a toy jeep being pushed around by a person in a Charlie Brown costume.  What a way to remember his birthday!  After the show, we went over to a gift shop and bought him a small Charlie Brown stuffed animal to remind him of his special birthday.

To be continued . . .

Pics:

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