Lovely friends and just because..

Today is a great day.....

and you are in for a special treat. Actually....four days of treats!

Today is day one.

First....let me introduce you to my friend Jacki in the photo above....

she's sitting with her daughter Selah and i just happened to love the way

they were LOVING on each other when i stopped by for a visit.

I happened to have my camera with me and this was a total impromptu

photo and i did NOT ASK permission to use it.

{I'll make it up to you Jacki...pinky promise}

Anyhoo...

I've been wanting to do something fun for a while now...to thank you girls for

taking the time to stop by and read my little thoughts here on this blog.

You know i have a passion for photography....

i just don't want to take it to the next level.

I have the most fun with grabbing images of my kids....

my kids friends and the small things i see with my eyes.

This photo above is baby Devin.

{i also didn't ask Devins permission either...}

She is my neighbor baby.....the one who when my ovaries are kicking in...

all i have to do is go next door to hold her.

To get my baby fix.

Then i hand her back.

And lastly....

the girl who rocks Fin's boat.

This girl is competing BIG time for his heart...

and i have to say...i think she won him over;-)

Okay....

now for the fun....

GIVEAWAY DAY ONE:

Adobe photoshop Elements 8.

You can edit your photos galore with photoshop....

making your own fabulous memories.

Just leave a comment ...comments close tomorrow {april 30th} at midnight.

Then make sure to check back on Saturday for day 2 {and the winner}.

{p.s. i did and have not forgotten about the name giveaway....don't worry;-)}

xo

Red rover......

Good morning girls.....

it rained here most of the weekend...but i was able to catch some photos of the

kids before the rain hit. We were at a friends house for dinner...and i swear...

they have the best back yard EVER!

I really need to take photos of their home....

it's over 100 years old..and totally charming.

They were asked to be on the home tour....how fun!

I think my backyard is big...but there's is double the size of mine.

Tons of room for the kids to run....which is exactly what they did.

Red rover...red rover...send Fin right over!

Since it rained most of the weekend...we caught up on our movie watching.

I took the kids to see "oceans"...which was really good....then we hopped into

"diary of a wimpy kid".

So now all Fin says is...."hey Brice....cute butt".

He says it to everyone...anyone....all the time.

I really like it when he says it to me...considering i haven't been exercising since i

returned from my trip almost 2 weeks ago.

It's almost pool season!

What am i thinking....back to the grind today girls...back to the grind.

In other news....our cockatiel layed a few eggs.

SERIOUSLY!

She doesn't even have a mate....but i guess she was in the ...

must have eggs mood.

I had to google.....

"how can birds have eggs....and are they viable"

apparently not.... i mean...yes...they can have eggs...but there will be no babies.

The eggs are very pretty...sort of a pale pink.

I love birds...

but damn...they are messy. I hate the mess....especially sweeping up bird seed every day.

I've tried giving the bird away...but every time i try...Lola freaks out.

Anyhoo....

my hair stylist talked me out of getting bangs...

but she talked Lola into getting some.

We are off today for some bangs....

pics to come.

It's not about me today....

In honor of Earth day, i promise to....



*unplug my tanning bed for the day







*not waste energy by not cooking dinner....again







* i will cancel the cleaning ladies for today, i can probably clean the toilets myself....







*i will not run the bubbles when i take a jacuzzi tub tonight.....







*i will have my children wear the same clothes that they did yesterday.....{saving some more water}







*i will wear the same clothes as well.....







*my hubby just said he won't come home tonight.....{that should save something????}







*i won't go thru the drive-thru starbucks today, i will get my arse out of the car and walk myself in....







*instead of buying flowers, i will pick them out of my neighbors yard.....







*i won't waste more water by running my dishwasher again....i will just wash the dishes by hand...





what will you do today???


xo

Hello Paris....

It's here.

I can almost taste it...it's that close.

My clothes are packed...

my shoes wrapped up...

my passport is tucked away in my bag.

I've charged my camera batteries up...

I have chosen the lenses i am bringing along.

I am leaving my computer home where it belongs as

i would like to spend every waking minute devouring the city.

I bought an international plan for my iphone so that i can at least

twitter the moments for you so that you can live

the journey as well.

My flight is overnight...so i arrive in Paris at 8am Wednesday morning.

I will spend three days in Paris with one of my closest friends...Kimberly.

We will also meet up with Simone..who I've yet to meet but cannot wait to.

I have a special compartment in my suitcase filled with treasures for my friends.

After three full days in Paris...Kim and I will head on the train down to Avignon...

...which lies in the heart of the south of France....

and spend three days wandering the streets in search of ...

ummm...

who knows.

Possibly a flea market...or maybe we'll get lost and find our own adventure.

Then i will leave Kim and head back up to Paris

for one more night before i fly back home.

To answer your question....

yes..i am bringing an extra suitcase for treasures.

anyhoo....

I am signing off.

Seriously...do you really want to read old posts from years past..

i didn't think so.

You can follow me on twitter { here }.

Till we meet again.

xo

I didn't know.....

I realize that some of you might drop me like a fly...

and i don't blame you.

It's been that sort of week.

I just want to say that i plead the fifth.

I had no idea that it was ILLEGAL to leave children unattended in a car.

I really only left them for maybe 10 minutes at the MOST...

to run in and grab a pair of shoes i had on hold.

I promise the kids had water...

errrr...

i think think they did.

I was standing in line...

seriously...the LONGEST line ever...

only to hear one of the girls near a window say aloud

that there were kids in a mini van outside.

gulp

deep breath

run outside

run straight into a police officer.

I was so embarrassed.

I didn't know.

This is Phil....he works for
Child Protective Services.
He was nice enough to let me photograph him as
he wrote me up.
He didn't think it was funny when i offered him a glass of wine though...
seriously...
it was almost five o'clock.

Oh susannah.....

I only made it thru Monday before i called the park district and signed the

kids up for a no school day field trip.

I really was going to try this week....

you know...

try to be "that" mom.

But i failed....and i failed so early on in the week that i don't know how to

turn it around and make it all better..

actually...i'll make it all better soon...

just not by tomorrow because there is another field trip to be had.

I mean really....how many times can we sing

'100 bottles of beer on the wall...100 bottle of beer...'

ooops...wrong song.

I mean....'Oh susannah...don't you cry for me'

As of right now i have about 15 minutes before i have to go and pick them up...

and while i sit here typing away ....

our hermit crab is missing.

gone.

escaped.

lost.

I should probably be looking for it...

but i'm not the one that put him in a glass bowl this morning so

he could stretch his legs.

I have a feeling my next recipe will be crab legs....

don't get to excited because it'll only be an appi.

I also tried to get into my stylist this week to get my hair cut...

and since she always books 3 weeks out..

i had to try someone new today.

I'll let you in on a secret....

never try someone new before you head out to France.

Just a small word of wisdom from this girl to you.

I am going to go all out for Thursday though...

as i am planning a backyard picnic.

I will redeem myself on Thursday....

That is...

if the crab is found.

Another adventure.....

I have made my plans for the beginning of summer....

and i am going to kick it off by heading back to Spokane, Washington

for The Farm Chicks show on June 5th and 6th.

I can't wait to head there again with friends.

You should go also....

i'm just saying....

it's so much fun.

I know for a fact....that as soon as the plane lands we are all headed

over to this sweetest restaurant right downtown...and around the corner from our hotel.

It's called Madeleine's....and of course it's FRENCH.

I might even be able to throw a word or two out correctly...

hmmmm....

we'll see.

Oh....and for sure...i'll be eating a cupcake.

I know my trip to Spokane wouldn't be complete without

heading to Chap's. {click on chaps for the info}

If there is just one restaurant that you should go to..it's this place.

I even hear that Celeste is opening a bakery called Cake.

Helloooo....now that is right up my alley.

I can't really say that i am saving my pennies at this point...
since there are no pennies to be had...
every last penny is headed with me to France...
so i'm thinking i'm going to call Celeste up and ask her
if i brought my sleeping bag..would she let me crash in the back of her truck.

Private salsa lesson......

What a guy.

This is Ernesto.....

and sure enough...i showed up right on time this morning for my

private

SALSA lesson.

I've never had a private lesson before...

and when i phoned bryan to tell him...

he was shocked....

dropping the phone.

I tried to tell him that it was a salsa lesson...

but he didn't get it.

See....i told you i don't cook...

and i'm pretty much done showing you what i can cook.

I really don't think i have much else .

hmmph.

Anyhoo.....

the lovely Ernesto told me he wings it with the amounts

that are thrown together here for his

Mango salsa.

In a bowl he combines lemon juice, lime juice, honey,

and some chopped fresh cilantro.

wing it.

don't email me for amounts.

i don't know the amounts.

estimate...

i promise it'll turn out great;-)

Peel and dice up a fresh mango.







Peel and dice up a fresh papaya...

making sure to discard the seeds.




Add the diced fruit to a bowl.....

dice up a fresh red pepper....

also discarding the seeds.

{duh}

If you are like me....sometimes i need to read that

because i would probably eat the seeds.

Peel and dice up about 1 tbsp of an onion.

Throw it all together in that bowl...

dice up one green jalapeno pepper...

also making sure

you de-seed it.

unless you want to burn your mouth.

Pour the dressing over the diced fruit......

mix it lightly with a spoon

Viola!

Ernesto's mango salsa.

It's best if you refrigerate overnight before you use it...

sort of like marinating it.

Not only is it fabulous on crab cakes...

but grilled salmon or even as a dressing for salad.

....

{if you are ever in in St. Charles...make sure you stop

at his place..Diamond Seafood... for some wonderful fish taco's}

xo

oh...and i didn't have to wear green today because i have a child named Fin.

His name is Irish.

I'm not.

I'm feeling crabby......

I think i need a bigger kitchen if i am going to continue this thing called....

cooking for my family.

I already told bryan that i need something a little

bigger then the galley size kitchen i now have.

He asked if i had a bigger kitchen would i indeed cook more...

and i said....

probably.

I might even cook once a week.

I'm not signing anything though....

so don't get any ideas...okay.

I am not afraid to admit that i don't hand make

everything.

As a matter of fact....i buy my mango salsa from this lovely boy named Ernesto.

He runs a little seafood shop here in town...called Diamond Seafood.

They have the best fish tacos. yum.

So...when i showed up yesterday to get some photos for you

on how to make some killer mango salsa for the crab cakes...

Ernesto informed me that he didn't have any ripe mango's ...

which meant i couldn't photograph the little segment for you on how

to make Ernesto's mango salsa.

I have to go back tomorrow for that .....so if you wait a few more days...

i will post the recipe later in the week.

I had to come up with a back up plan for last nights crab cakes...

which is okay with me....

and i think you'll love it.

Life would be so boring if everything went according to plan...

I will list the ingredients at the bottom...

but walk you thru the steps.

Crab cakes with avocado pomegranate salsa.

I get my lump crab at Costco...it's the least expensive I've found.

Open the container and empty it into a med size bowl.

In a separate bowl you are going to want to mix

your egg, mayo, mustard, dry mustard,

dried oregano and worcester sauce.

Mix it up real well.

pour it into the bowl that's holding your lump crab.

fold it all together.

Call your husband and tell him he's going to get lucky tonight.

{ahem}

not that kind of lucky.....

you girls!

Lucky in the ...

i've made dinner tonight and it took me all day to make it...

but in reality it only took a total of 20 minutes.

Fold in the 1/2 cup of bread crumbs to the crab mixture.

I like to use my hands....

it's just the way i roll.

but because i'm holding a camera...

and i can't really afford an assistant at this point...

i couldn't take a photo of me using my hands.

sorry.

It's for your own good.

It's either an assistant or a week in France.

France won.

After you mix the bread crumbs in....

add your melted butter and fold it all back together.

Alright....here is the one handed shot of me molding the crab cake.

mold them so that they are about the size of your palm.

You can make about 8 of them if you make them that size...

i like to make small ones when i'm hosting a party...

then you can make about 16 of them.

Or...

go totally crazy....

and make 4 really large one's.

I can't help you here....

it's up to you as to how many you want.

After you make them...

you are going to want to brown each side lightly

on the stove top.

Once you've lightly browned each side...

you are going to bake them in the oven

at 350*

for about 10 minutes

Avocado pomegranate salsa:

{make ahead of time and stick in the fridge till crab cakes are ready}

{also makes for great salsa at a party with some crackers}

I get the pomegranate seeds at trader joe's ..it's in the refrigerated section...

i'm sorry if you don't have a trader joe's...

you can omit the seeds if you want....

or if you have children...

tell them you'll pay them $1 to de-seed a pomegranate...

it's tedious work.....

and most kids will eat all the seeds first...

go figure.

Dice up one or two zucchini's......

you'll need about 1-2 cups worth..

Season with dried oregano

{or fresh if you have some}

olive oil, salt and pepper.

roast in the over at 400*

for 25 minutes...or till lightly brown.

Cut up your avocado....

mix it with the pomegranate seeds,

feta cheese and roasted zucchini.

mix it all up.

squeeze some fresh lime juice over the salsa....

and viola....

Crab cakes with avocado salsa.

If you feel the need to really go all out...

make these with this {mac n cheese}.

{oh..winner of the pretty things is: Preppy mama! }

Crab Cakes:

1 can lump crab

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 tsp dried mustard

1 egg

1 tsp Worcester sauce

1/2 c bread crumbs

or

1/2 c. panko crumbs for crunch cakes

2 tbsp melted butter.

........................

Avocado Pomegranate Salsa:

1 ripe and diced avocado

1-2 zucchini

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c crumbled feta cheese

1/2 c pomegranate seeds

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

salt & pepper.