Family Ties: A Special Visitor

Oh the joys of summer - school is out and nieces come to play! One of the best weeks happened while our oldest niece, H, came to visit our home in July.

I love spending time with our nieces and nephews. To me, having an experience, making a memory with a child is so important for both children and adults. It is important to for all relationships of a family unit, making strong connections and creating feelings of responsibility and joy for the family. I have significant memories from my childhood visits with loved ones, and I hope to create even more now that I am in an adult role.

Our house was total summertime favorites for a week! We always have a good time with H by providing responsible, realistic, and fun activities for her to choose from (and often several preplanned surprises). We typically try to make sure a few of those are things that she can't easily do at home (living on the family farm has so many unique experiences and freedoms to explore, but coming to visit our little town provides easy access to different types of enriching activities for children).

Some highlights from the week...

Baking

Bedtime Stories

H's first sewing project: headband

Games and Ice Cream 

Rainy day fort building

Unfortunately I did not get a good photo of H on the bike path, which she loved biking (everyday of her visit). This summer she started riding her two-wheeler and thought the paved path to get us to and from town was just the bee's knees!

At the end of the week, we had a lovely (rainy) afternoon visit to the Dayton Art Institute. I enjoy going to art museums with others or alone but especially on days with extreme weather. If you can't go out and appreciate the beauty outdoors, why not see something beautiful inside?!

Before we got ready to have our afternoon out, I shared with H the fun of wearing "something that makes you feel beautiful while you see so many beautiful things". Her eyes lit up during the blown glass exhibit- hand in hand with her uncle while wearing her favorite dress.

Of course we spent lots of time in the children's area of the museum! H is one busy lady! So it is best to have interesting ideas for her not only to think about, but also do with her hands.





We truly loved our days together. Can't believe this little miss started First Grade yesterday! I suppose next summer will be here in no time and she can come for a lengthy visit with new adventures!

Florida 2012: A Visit to the Sarasota Brewing Company

We recently traveled to sunny Florida to visit some family - and enjoy some beach time.


When scheduling our trip we had heard that the first (and only) microbrewery of Sarasota County was close to one of our favorite beaches. I visited their website prior to our trip and we made plans to head over for a lunch date. While visiting the nearby Siesta Key Beach for an awesomely lazy day on a cabana (talk about luxury) we knew it was the perfect time to order something tasty from Sarasota Brewing Company!

First impression: Interested. We pulled up to the general area of the bar and parked down the street near a few little shops and many other restaurants and bars. Upon entering the bar we noticed several college football team flags - most of which were colleges from Ohio!

Service: Just fine. We chose to sit in the dining area. We were even able to watch a soccer game on a large screen. Our waitress was attentive but quiet. She eventually warmed up to us by the end of our meal.

Food: We had an order of fish and chips and a reuben. The food was warm, tasty and perfect after a morning on the beach!

Prices & Other Notes: Affordable prices on both food and beer ($5.50 for a pint). Since we went during lunch time we did not get a good feel for a dinner or late night crowd. The website states that the bar is family friendly and has a children's menu. 

As for the beer: Since it was only lunch time we decided to order the flight of samples to taste all of their current brews on tap. (Only $4.75 for the flight)

The Sarasota Brewing Company mentioned many times (on website and on location) that their selection is often changing. During our experience this is what was on tap:

Sarasota Gold - Light golden easy drinking beer

Sequoia Amber Lager - Mild sweet amber lager

Honeymeade Ale - Sweetest of the flight. The honey was evident and was my favorite!

Maibok - Medium bodied, mildly hoppy, German lager

Sarasota India Pale Ale - Pretty tasty IPA (which are not typically my favorite)

Midnight Pass Porter - Full bodied, dark porter (received my husband's approval)

If you are ever in the area and want to visit the first and only microbrewery of Sarasota County it will be a drink or meal worth consumed! And after you visit feel free to add a comment about your experience. I hope to go back again to see what else is on tap!

An Exceptional First Anniversary

At the end of July we had our first wedding anniversary! It was awesome. A day that will be special for years to come. We decided that if a first anniversary is on a Monday then a two part date is in order :) A couple cannot fit everything into one night after work hours!

Last Sunday we went to brunch at one of our favorite restaurants - the same restaurant where we hosted our rehearsal dinner just last year and then to a movie.

 

Monday we ate our year old cake - surprisingly very good for having been frozen for an entire year! We hiked the same trail that we hiked on our wedding day (for our "first look" and photos before the ceremony). It was fun to hike it together instead of meeting each other in the middle. After our hike we had a lovely dinner at another favorite restaurant in our little town.

One of my goals for our first anniversary was to figure out a way to document the day that we will value as a couple for years to come. Let me just say, I love documenting life. I was a scrap-booker during my teens and then as I became a teacher I found that charting student growth should be much more than just tests and final scores. I have kept portfolios displaying work and images of children to see their many aspects of growth during one school year. I also try to incorporate the idea of documentation into useful items or representations in other places of our lives, such as our home or special traditions in our family.We decided that taking a photograph each year would be a wonderful way to remember how much we've grown together each year and would be a vital part of our documentation piece. This is why I decided to create "anniversary bunting". On Monday, I trimmed and sewed little flags and left spaces for a photo from our upcoming anniversaries too (We already added a wedding photo to the beginning of the bunting and took several photos on Monday during our evening to add for our first year's celebration). It is a work in progress, sort of like a sweet little timeline to see how we age over the many upcoming anniversaries we are to celebrate. I cannot wait to choose a photo to print and add to our anniversary bunting to represent our first year of marriage!

Making bunting for our anniversary timeline

Family Ties: Aunt & Uncle

Auntie in the hospital with the little man

I know I've said this before but... I am one lucky lady. I am blessed with the role of being an "aunt".

Currently my husband and I have a six year old niece and a five year old niece who love to imagine. We tell stories (typically of the "Princess Pirate Ninja" variety which entertains both the niece and uncle involved), play with plastic horses, make up songs, and we've been known to randomly be sucked under the ocean for an adventure. No joke. There we are just playing a game, watching a movie, or reading a story and all of a sudden the entire room fills with water. You would not believe what we see during this phenomenon - but most often our behavior makes the entire family either laugh aloud or shrug their shoulders. I am crazy about these girls.

Then there are the twins - our youngest niece and first nephew. Sweet babies. Only months old. I cannot put into words how much they make me smile. Every blink and smile makes me remember when our older nieces were just tiny too. I cannot wait to hear their little voices. I want to teach them all sorts of songs to sing and hum. I love to see my husband "be dudes" with that tiny man, and hold the littlest lady of our family close in his arms.

The aunt and uncle responsibilities are jobs that my husband and I take seriously. We want to be with our nieces and nephew whenever we can. We love to see them, talk to them, hold them, and be just plain crazy together. They are some of the many reasons we travel so often to see family all around the state.

We are so excited because this week our oldest niece is here for a visit! Maybe I'll have a few fun photos to share after her time here. She had promised her mom that us girls would "party all day while Uncle Joe has to go to work"!

Back when our oldest niece was a little one

Florida 2012: Hunting for Shark's Teeth and Some Family Memories

In June we went to visit some family in Florida. We had a great time: going to the beautiful beaches, hitting up a microbrewery, hanging out with loved ones, and grilling out - an awesome start to summer. Since we were traveling light we decided to document our trip with the cameras on our phones... you know I love me some instagram :)

My favorite beach in Florida is the Caspersen Public Beach. It is so quiet and peaceful. I love the way the beach changes from soft to rocky and back to soft. And when one drives to this favorite beach it has a sweet little fishing pier and Sharky's restaurant on the way! Double bonus!

Did I mention the shark's teeth? That part is pretty fun. It makes a romantic beach walk turn into a treasure hunt. (Sometimes beach vacations need a little more "oomph" for those of us who cannot slow down for more than a minute and hunting for shark's teeth is just enough extra stimuli for my main man) This is why we head to a few specific beaches on our Sarasota County trips. We like the Siesta Key beaches for a lazy afternoon to kick back in a cabana and nap or talk, but we enjoy the Caspersen Beach morning walks for the shark's teeth hunt and quiet start to a day.

 Oh and we went bowling. Which isn't a typical stop on our Florida trips - it has surfaced in conversation over the past few months that my husband and I had never gone bowling together! So we found a nearby bowling alley and played a few rounds of pool, bowled a ton of games, and drank a tall Blue Moon. The next day we had super sore arms and decided we should bowl more often because we had so much fun.

Just yesterday we caught ourselves asking when we could go back to the beach again. And it probably goes without saying, I hope it is sooner rather than later. :) 

Gad-zucch's - this is tasty!

Mmm.. the middle of summer means a bounty of summer squash. I think one might find this recipe a yummy choice to save for when harvesting a few zucchini squash. We like it with quinoa, however I think it would be lovely on its own (just veggies and white beans) or over cooked rice (instead of quinoa).

Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Peppers with Quinoa 


Vegetables and White Beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion
1/3 green bell pepper
1/3 red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves (chopped to preference)
1 medium chopped zucchini
bay leaf
shake of garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
4 tomatoes (peeled and sliced into wedges)
1 cup white beans (canned or already prepared)
Chop onions and peppers. Cook them in skillet with olive oil over medium heat for about five minutes. Add garlic and zucchini. Cook about four minutes. Season with crumbled bay leaf, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and cook three more minutes. Add the prepared white beans and continue to heat skillet until vegetables are soft and all ingredients are a desirable temperature for your family.


Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
1 1/4 cup cold water; plus water to rinse

Soak 1 cup quinoa in a bit of water for five minutes. Drain/rinse using a strainer if needed. Add quinoa to a pot for boiling. Add 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to boil and then cover pot. Lower heat to allow quinoa to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and have quinoa sit for about five minutes with lid in place.


Plate up the quinoa (give it a good fluff!). Top with white beans and veggie skillet mixture. Serve it up!


*If you're up for a bit more protein add one pound browned and crumbled Italian sausage. The spices with the veggies are super pleasing! And the leftovers make for the perfect little lunch that keeps your belly full until dinner.


To do this I just brown the sausage first and then set the browned sausage crumbles to the side while I cook the vegetables and white beans. I add the sausage to the skillet at the end to make sure it is a consistent temperature as the rest of the food.

Update: My 12 in 2012

As I inch closer to the big 3-0, I've been slowly crossing off items on my 30 before 30 list. I recently realized in my quest to simplifying daily life it might be beneficial to break down my 30 into a manageable list of 12 tasks to complete by the end of this year. Now that it is half way through the year (what? 2012 can you please slow down?) I thought it was time for an update, not to dwell on how little I have accomplished, but to regroup in a formal way. 

My 12 as follows...

1. Explore my cooking creativity and post about 10 recipes on my blog this year - Started: I am no where near ten recipes posted, but I've been considering a variety of favorites to include while posting this summer.  

2. Run, hike, bike, or hit the gym four days a week - Started: a routine is mounting and there is noticeable growth in my running abilities; I will strive to document my physical activity to see if it is a routine four days each and every week

3. Sew an article of clothing that I or someone else will actually wear - Ideas are forming but not started

4. Make homemade bread an average of one loaf per month- Started: but inconsistent at best

5. Paint and decorate our bedroom- Not really started: but colors are being considered

6. Register and run a 5K- Not complete

7. Go on a brew-cation- Not complete

8. Start and care for a container garden- Started: needs work and continued care

9. Read and finish one book each month - Started: I am a reading fool who is currently involved in the Chronicles of Narnia

10. Organize my box madness- Started: I wish this could go much faster 

11. Draft plans and a working schedule for our "backyard heaven" - Started: we have drafted a list of ideas we want to include in our outdoor space

12. Host a party at our home - Not complete or started

Six months is a decent amount of time. Hopefully enough time to accomplish these remaining goals and tasks.