#27: 30 Days of Thanksgving

So I've skipped a week plus- I plan on making it up. But let's just work on this amazing week because Tuesday afternoon we made it into Long beach, drove to Anaheim and enjoyed character dining at Goofy's Kitchen.

Zoë, just shy of a year old is spooked by the characters without real faces (though she was ok with Minnie).

Thanks to my in-laws for the start of an amazing Disney Vacation. (They took the whole family for Christmas!!!)

#28: the nut guys

This was in my drafts... set to post on November 28. Never put it up. It's from our latest trip to Disneyland.

#17: 30 Days of Thanksgiving

So I have lots of things to be thankful for today -- entertaining, a fun family and friends, a husband who "knows the drill" when I'm party planning. My house smells of diffused Tea Tree oil and is basically clean (looking, DON'T PEAK IN MY CLOSETS OR DRAWERS!!!!)

But life feels pretty beautiful... I am kind of bummed it's raining because I had all our windows cleaned at the end of October and the sun room looks so amazing with clean windows... so that's kind of a bummer. But I've got my health and my family is good.

Old picture, but still good. 

And maybe, just maybe the Utes might win tonight?

#16: thirty days of thanksgiving

#15: 30 Days of Thanksgiving

It's already Third Thursday... can you believe it? That's what I'm thankful for. That I have this amazing friend and boss who has given me an opportunity to share one of my passions with hundreds or thousands of people once a month.

I still remember when Marie (author, editor, crafter, Mommy-Blog Cult of Personality, in the best possible way) told us she was going to start posting daily. THe funny thing is, I don't remember where we were (maybe dinner, maybe a gals retreat?); but she told us and at the time I was thinking "that's some serious dedication -- pretty cool." And then it BLEW-UP... went completely viral and it's not by accident. She's a talented and dedicated lady who has worked hard for the success she's seen -- book deal, HELLO!

Marie and I have been friends since Elementary School. I am lucky for so many reasons to have had her as a friend all these years.

We'd often chit-chat about environmental causes and taking a more natural approach to parenting and health. She's even called me to consult on products businesses want her to use/endorse/advertise. I guess that's really where this whole thing started... I mean, obviously my professional back ground is in writing and public relations, but to do it for the planet? DREAM JOB, CHECK!

Holden selected the photo from Make and Takes

Thanks Marie and Make and Takes.... and Planet Earth.

#14: Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

Sometimes being a Mom is hard, and somewhat thankless...

and nursing sometimes feels the same way to me. 

But then again, sometimes if feels like this:

From the Blog OhBaby

Thankful Zoë's a good nurser, and even though we've had our share of troubles (a couple of bouts of mastitis, plenty of plugged ducts, a nursing strike, etc)... we keep figuring things out and making it work. 11 months and going strong. Yep, sometimes motherhood makes me feel like WonderWoman.

#13: Thirty Days of thanksgiving

What am I grateful for today?

Well, I could say that I am grateful for this boy and his sweet Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin. It was a gift. The man said, "You could make pumpkin pie with it." 

To which I responded: "I've done that before -- never again." 

Pumpkin Pie made from scratch -- and I mean REALLY from scratch. No canned Libby's; no crust from the freezer section of your grocery store.... made from scratch pumpkin pie is NEVER worth the return on investment. You would have to really, really, really love pumpkin pie... which I do not. I'm perfectly fine biting into the ones made from Costco and not feeling the least bit bad about it...

So one time (a couple of years ago) I made one from scratch, and vowed to NEVER do it again... Except today Holden wanted to make pie. And we had no agenda or "project" set in stone for Tuesday -- so I got suckered in. 

That picture above? Yep, that's Cito showcasing the Jack-o-Lantern  pumpkin we just gutted for pie. Here's a little interesting factoid: if you're going to spend the time making pumpkin pie, you might want to use a PIE PUMPKIN. They are sweeter, they are not as watery... they are not ginormous and take 90 minutes in an convection oven to bake just so you can start mixing in the ingredients. 

Yes, you read correctly. You have to bake the pumpkin before you can even start mixing the ingredients for your pie. Also, I would like to point out that after this step Holden retired to the basement and did not help with the rest of the process... Zoë was having one of those awesome days where she only likes to sleep in 20 minute segments and both children desperately needed long naps today -- didn't happen. But what did happen was a disastrous kitchen:

Yep, I'm airing my dirty laundry... or at least my wicked-messy kitchen. Ug. 

I think saying it took more than 4 hours to bake this pie is playing it safe. We basically started after Holden got home from preschool just after noon, and it was cooling from the oven when Danny got home after five. Also, somehow my hot pad stabbed it in the side... so it doesn't even look pretty. 

As far as taste, it was ok...it was actually pretty good. I've never had Jack-O-Lantern pie before, so I don't have a lot to compare it to.  My evaporated milk was more than year past the expiration date so I used sweetened condensed milk instead (but I had already mixed the sugar in with the pumpkin so it was doubly sweet). Also, I ran out of vanilla last week and only have vanilla beans on hand, which I refused to waste on something I wasn't even sure would be edible. No Allspice and I was short an egg too... did I mention that Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins are really watery? 

After draining and pureeing and pureeing and draining, it's incredible the pie is even edible. But yeah, it's pretty good. Since the pumpkin is not real strong, it kind of tastes like a ginger and cinnamon custard with a hint of pumpkin... and the crust. Well, I am a big believer in butter for pie crusts (the only thing one really ought to use Crisco for is making soap.) Anyway, the crust is divine... 

Holden wanted to try to the pie. When I cut him a piece, he pointed to inside the crust and said "I just don't like that stuff in there." Sooooo, I'm thankful I learned AGAIN that pumpkin pie should come from a can... or costco.