T-Ball - Take 2

Ari took a sabbatical from T-Ball last summer in order to focus on getting more play time on Saturday mornings.  But the lure of being on the same team as Piper and Samuel did him in; he really wanted to play this year. 

I can't believe the season is already over.  All the games were a blast to watch and the kids did a great job.  Ari will move on to South Side next year, so it was fun that he had a chance to play with Piper and Samuel.  Here are some of the highlights:

Piper running to first base as a swarm of children try to field her hit.

Ari eyeing the ball as he was about to make one of his best hits of the season. 

Piper running home, with Samuel behind her and Ari rounding second base.  The kids usually batted one after another and it was neat to see all of them on bases at the same time.

Ari reflecting on the season that was.

Eggfest 2011

It's that time of year again!  The time has come to strip down the kids and color some eggs!  An event that used to be held on the kitchen floor has been moved to the dining room table.  Ari, Emilie, and Piper are a year older and a year wiser, and they colored those eggs like a well oiled machine.  They colored those eggs with such precision and efficiency, they may be able to keep their shirts on next year.  Although, with Thomas in the mix, who knows what will happen.  The kids had a blast and we ended up with some beautiful eggs.

BEFORE

AFTER

(I love the way Ari's hand looks in this picture)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

All Hallows Eve Eve

Halloween is almost upon us, so I would like to direct you to Ditalini Press where this months topic is "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."  Included is my own original scary story "Pink Carnation."

Perhaps you'll find a new bone-chilling tale to tell around the campfire.  Plus, if you'd like to get in one the spine-tingling action and submit an original ghost story, just leave a comment in any of the posts, and we'll be happy to accommodate.

We've been busy getting ready for the night by making costumes and carving pumpkins.  Here's a look at the kids with all of our pumpkins.

Now with the lights off...

Spooky!  Carving was a lot of fun this year, especially because Ari drew the face on his pumpkin and I carved it with his supervision; as to not misinterpret his vision.  His is the second one from the left in the picture, the one with the wide eyes and crooked smile.  It looks really neat with the lights out.  Stay tuned for pictures of the kids in their costumes.  Here's hoping everyone has a happy and safe Halloween!

Nonna's pizza

I posted about pizza last month and mentioned how Nonna and my mom inspired me to make my own pizza from scratch. I had no idea that post would create such a firestorm of pizza chatter that culminated with me, my mom, and Angela making pizza, as she so eloquently put it, 'Nonna style.'

It started when Eva left a comment on the pizza post stating that she had a recipe card with Nonna's pizza recipe on it. She offered to send me the recipe and I was eager to see it. As I read the recipe, I saw that it called for the cheese to go directly on the dough, then sauce and toppings on top of the cheese. I did not realize Nonna assembled her pizza that way, so I asked Eva if she remembered. She did not remember either, so we decided we needed to get the facts from more experienced 'Nonna's pizza' connoisseurs.

So, Eva emailed Aunt Sue and Aunt Mare, and I asked my mom. We heard back from Aunt Sue first, and she confirmed the cheese was directly on the dough. I learned the term "Where there's no cheese, put cheese," which was what Nonna told Nedra when she was helping her assemble the pizzas. I also learned that Nonna used slices of mozzarella and not shredded. We then heard back from Aunt Mare and she added that Nonna used a mixture of half whole wheat, and half white flour for the crust, and to sprinkle finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on top of the sauce and toppings. When I talked to my mom, she told me how Nonna made her own sauce, and some of the herbs and seasonings she used.

I felt better knowing how Nonna made her pizza, but I realized I really didn't really remember Nonna's pizza. I just had a vague recollection if it, perhaps an amalgam of different pizzas I have had. I couldn't even remember the cheese was under the sauce, for goodness sake. Then, I had a revelation, the best way to remember Nonna's pizza was to make Nonna's pizza.

Eva and I continued emailing each other about what we found out about Nonna's pizza. Meanwhile, I asked my mom if Nonna still had her pizza pans, and she said she would check. If I was going to make Nonna's pizza, I wanted to make it as authentic as possible, right down to the pans she used. My mom asked Uncle Lee if he knew where the pans where and he was able to find them. I wanted to make the pizzas with my mom, so we decided to make them for my birthday party at her house.

We each made a batch of dough using Nonna's recipe that Eva sent us. My mom got the sauce simmering early in the day, and by the time I got there in the afternoon we were ready to make the pizza. We decided to make one cheese pizza, one with pepperoni and sausage, and one supreme.

Angela helped us too, and my mom showed her how Nonna cut the slices of mozzarella. We then placed the slices of cheese on the dough remembering the adage 'where there's no cheese, put cheese.'

Then came the sauce and toppings with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

We baked the pizzas at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, and when they came out of the oven I thought to myself, 'these look like Nonna's pizzas.'

Complete with the crispy edges.


The proof was in the eating, though. The cheese pizza brought back what I remembered Nonna's pizza to be. My mom said is best when she took that first bite and said, 'This is my mom's pizza!" She looked stunned, and said she didn't think it would be so close to the original. I asked Angela, and she said it was just how she remembered, too.

It was a little surreal eating that pizza again after so many years. It was also very rewarding because we were able to introduce it to Valerie, Michael, and Marty. Watching Ari, Emilie, and Piper eat it was also special, since this pizza was so much a part of my childhood. Ari even asked for seconds, which is something he rarely does.

I loved using Nonna's pizza pans, and I am so glad I was able to borrow them. Seeing all those marks from the pizza cutter on the bottom of the pan, I knew these pans were special and got a lot of use. This recipe is definitely a keeper, and I look forward to breaking in my own pizza pan and revisiting Nonna's pizza for years to come.

Easter!

We got the Easter festivities started this year by coloring some eggs on Friday. We spread some newspaper on the floor, filled some cups with dye, and let the kids have at it! It was pretty much chaos, and we attempted to control it to no avail. The kids hands were shades of colors I didn't know existed, but it was all the name of fun and creativity, so it was well worth it.

It was over in no time and we ended up with some beautiful eggs.

We arose Easter morning and I baked a delicious little lamala (thanks again Eva and Daniel) and the kids dug into their Easter baskets.
We then headed over to my mom & Marty's house and the kids hunted for their colored eggs. Emilie did really well considering Ari showed no mercy.

You don't want to mess with the boy when he's huntin' eggs!

It was a gorgeous day and I've got a lot of egg salad to eat! Here's a look at my favorite egg this year...

Carvin'

Well, Halloween is over, and it sure was a doozy. We got the festivities going by carving our pumpkins on Wednesday. Mom, Marty, Ang, Michael and Piper were all over at our house for a fun-filled evening. Five pumpkins went under the knife that night and they all turned out really good.

We went to a pumpkin patch with my dad and Mary Lee down in Southern Indiana a couple weeks ago so the kids could pick out their own pumpkins. Ari liked the "bumpy" pumpkins, so we got a couple to display on our front porch. On Wednesday, when I cut the top off Emilie's it was rotten on the inside. Ari's was a little rotten, too, but after we got over the smell, the carving went off without a hitch.

All the kids liked their pumpkins and we lit them all up together before everyone left. We did them freehand this year after using patterns with Eva & Daniel last year. I would have used a pattern, but I couldn't find the one I wanted. I had a specific face in mind, but all my searches came up empty. Also, I noticed a lot of websites did not provide free patterns this year, you had to pay or join the site too see the patterns they had. Nevertheless, it was a fun evening of pumpkin carving, and I can only imagine it will be even more fun when the kids can carve their own.

Here is some visual proof of the pumpkins we carved this year. From left to right the pumpkins belong to Emilie, Ari, Michael, Angela, and Piper.


And with the lights out...

End of Summer Party

This past weekend, Valta hosted the first annual 'Sunspot End of Summer Party' and it was a rousing success. After we got there, Valta showed us around and we immediately spotted the paddle boat peacefully floating next to the dock. Valta said we could take it out and Angela and I were all over it. Valta got some life jackets for the kids and we were off.
Ari got to steer and he even paddled a bit himself. We went all over the pond and then decided we had better let someone else have a turn. It was tremendous fun, and Ari and Piper really enjoyed themselves. As we were waiting for the food, the kids took advantage of the hill that lead from the house to the pond and played on it for quite some time.

Ari had a blast rolling down the hill; and watching him brought back a lot of memories from my childhood. This was the first time he rolled down a hill successfully; we tried to show him how to do it on the hill at Jackson Morrow Park last year, but he just couldn't figure it out. He got it on his first try this time, and it was hard to get him to stop so that he could come eat dinner. After we ate, we were treated to the musical stylings of the Eleventh Hour.

It was an awe inspiring, rocking good time! It's always fun to watch them, and they put on a memorable show. The kids were dancing, spinning, and running to the music; they were having the time of their lives.

It was a wonderful party, and I was happy to hear that Valta said she would like to host it every year. Looks like the start of a tradition to me!

Holiday Road

Last week we took a trip to the Smoky Mountains. My dad wanted to take us on vacation and he rented us a house in Gatlinburg to stay in for the week. It was the second big trip we have taken with Ari and Emilie, the first being a trip to a beach house in Myrtle Beach when Emilie was just one month old. We were a bit nervous about it, but our fears were unwarranted and everything was wonderful.

We arrived at the house on Monday. Some of the scariest turns I have ever made were on the way up to the house.  Steep roads and sharp turns aren't really my cup of tea. I had a GPS in my car and it was not much help once we got into the actual mountain. When we finally made it up to the house and saw the view from the deck, we knew the trip was totally worth it.  It was breathtaking.
Monday night we kept it simple and had dinner, walked around downtown Gatlinburg and then called it an evening. On Tuesday, we went on a hike first thing in the morning. We ended up doing about eight miles on the Old Settler's trail and found an old wrecked steam engine laying in the stream. It was very cool. The trail was nice and we saw only one other person on it the entire time we were there.

Wednesday, we took another trail to Laurel falls. The Laurel falls trail was much more crowded which made it difficult to get as much enjoyment out of the actual hike. The falls were magnificent though, and made the crowded hike worth it. Below is a picture of Ari and I in front of Laurel falls.
On Thursday, Michael and I decided to do the Chimney Tops trail. It is a two mile trail that pretty much goes uphill the entire time. I was exhausted by the time we got up to the top and I forgot my camera so I was unable to take any pictures. Luckily, Michael had his.  The view from the top combined with the sense of accomplishment I had from climbing to the top was indescribable. I'm glad I did it.

Thursday night we all enjoyed some miniature golf. Ari loves to golf and the course we played had so much going on, he was blown away.
All in all it was a wonderful vacation. We probably only got to do about half the things we wanted, so that leaves the door open for a return trip. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

The thrill of the hunt (really)

Oh what fun it is to search for little colored eggs hiding is the grass. We went to a few Easter egg hunts this year and I have to say the one we had at our house was the best! Just Ari, Lilli, and Piper running around our yard looking for the eggs with all the adults rooting them on. No winners, no losers, no special "prize" eggs. It didn't last long, but it was fun the kids' eyes light up when one of them spotted an egg.

We used plastic eggs filled with candy, Reese's Pieces as a matter of fact. Yum! We also used the real eggs that we colored in the kitchen a couple days before. The first time Ari found a real egg he picked it up, looked at it for a minute, and threw it back on the ground because he knew it didn't have candy in it. Kids these days! So the kids got to keep their candy and I got to make some "egg"cellent egg salad (get it?) out the the hard cooked eggs. Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun. Alas, the egg salad is now gone, but still so much candy remains.

Here's a look at my favorite egg the kids colored this year. The picture does not do it justice, but, it's pretty neat nonetheless.

I'm done with the Easter posts now, I promise.

Easter eggs

We colored eggs with Ari for the first time this year, and Piper was there to join in the fun as well. We stripped the kids down and let em' have at it in the kitchen floor.

They were both pretty into it and had a lot of fun. Ari was more conscious of not getting the dye on him, but Piper didn't care; she was just after the results. They started out doing one color at a time, but as it progressed, each egg went into each color. So when it was all said and done, a lot of the eggs were a greenish-blue color. Both kids had a lot of fun and were upset when we reached the last egg. They produced some really beautiful colored eggs.

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As for Emilie, she was content to just sat back and watch in her Easter bonnet.