Our Weekend

So I'm a little late getting around to sharing our weekend, but here it is. Starting last Wednesday I noticed Layla was having some pain and whimpering on occasion when getting up. Each time she'd settle down and then would be fine. On Friday morning I woke up as usual and put down the dogs' food. She wasn't willing to get out of bed. Layla is the biggest chow hound on the planet, so I could tell she was really sore if she wouldn't get up for food.  I lifted all 75 pounds of her out of bed and laid her down with the food bowl in front of her. She laid there with her face buried in her bowl. The vet couldn't fit her in until that evening, so we gave her some aspirin and waited things out.

Once the aspirin kicked in, the kids and I headed out to run a few errands. There were of course no double carts at Target, so I let them help push the cart. This went really well for the first 15 minutes and then they were into everything. I put one in the cart and carried the other while we finished up. 

I try not to bitch about kid things, and I definitely don't expect special treatment because I have twins, but if you have one kid, why do you need to use a double cart? There are moms of multiples or moms with two or more young kids that need to be strapped in who actually need that double cart. Ok, rant over.

The kids came to the vet with Layla and I. They did incredibly well. They sat in their stroller and snacked while Layla got examined and got a steroid shot for the pain. We finished up the night relaxing at home and keeping an eye on Layla.

The next morning Layla was feeling better so we headed out the the farmers market with two of our favorite ladies. The kids hung out in their Becos while we perused the wares. They got to sample a gluten free cider donut which they were all about.

After the market we went out for Indian buffet which we all thoroughly enjoyed, except Brooke. She refused to eat anything. She wouldn't even eat any naan bread. Harrison on the other hand went to town on everything. At least one of them eats well.

It's was my weekend to take care of the dogs at the daycare, so H, B and I headed in after their almost non-existent naps. They helped organize dog food and pretended to sweep the floors. At least they try and help even if they are actually counter productive. Plus they're cute doing it.

Like every other child on the planet, they woke up early on Sunday, even with a later bedtime on Saturday. They then refused to eat the delicious breakfast I prepared, and the rest of the day was a hot mess. They both took terrible naps, they were whiny and fussy all day. We basically did anything and everything to try and keep them happy. I made homemade play dough, and they were more interested in the cookie cutters. We let them self feed themselves hummus, which they rubbed all over their faces. They got to have suckers while wearing part of their Halloween costumes. I let them tear apart the kitchen while I made dinner.

They almost made it to their new bedtime and thankfully went down without a fight, and slept through the night! We had a few friends over for wine, dinner, coffee, cookies and The Walking Dead. It was a perfect evening, and definitely needed after a long day.

I hope everyone else had a great weekend and that all of the kiddos are getting adjusted to their new schedules. We finally had decent naps yesterday and they slept till their normal morning wake up time. I think we parents need to petition to abolish daylight savings time so we can preserve our kids sleep. It could happen, right? Or not.  Happy Hump Day!!

Tasty Tuesday - Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread

It's been a few weeks since I've shared a recipe, not for lack of good recipes, I just get busy, or take a nap, and don't get around to it.  I had another recipe I was planning to share today, but I made this banana bread this morning and thought it was worth sharing.

I really like the America's Test Kitchen banana bread recipe, but it is a bit too sweet. While looking in their cookbook today, yes I still use a few cookbooks even though Pinterest is my go to, I saw that there were a couple variations on their traditional banana bread recipe. One was with shaved chocolate and one was with coconut and macadamia nuts. Rob doesn't particularly care for nuts in baked goods but he loves chocolate, and I love coconut, so I decided to mix the two. I also decided to cut the sugar way down.

It turned out really well.  Better than a lot of other banana bread variations I've tried. Nutella banana bread was a huge let down. I will definitely be making this again, soon. There is also an orange spice variation that sounds perfect for the holidays.

Chocolate, Coconut, Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 very ripe bananas
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shaved sweetened coconut
12 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Spread shaved coconut on baking sheet.  Bake for approximately 6 minutes or until golden brown. Stir every two minutes. Set aside to cool when done.

2. Melt butter and set aside to cool.

3. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. Mash bananas with a spoon in a separate large bowl. Add eggs, yogurt, cooled butter and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

5. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture using a rubber spatula. Fold in the coconut and chocolate chips. Do not over mix. The batter will be chunky and thick.

6. Spread batter in a greased bread pan. Bake at 350* for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf sit in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.

Notes: The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup sugar. If you like your bread sweeter, use more sugar. The recipe calls for plain yogurt, but I used banana whole milk YoBaby, as it's what I had on hand. I'm sure greek yogurt would work as well. The recipe says to let the bread sit for an hour until fully cooled. I don't have the patience for that, and I like warm banana bread right out of the oven. I cut it within 15 minutes of being out of the oven and it was glorious.


I also posted a recipe makeover to my Broccoli Quiona Casserole recipe. The kids love the broccoli bites and will eat the every day. Brooke has been super picky lately, so I keep lots of these on hand in the freezer.

5 on Friday

I have always been a, "No Christmas anything until after Thanksgiving." No holiday music, no gift shopping, no anything.  However, now with kids around, I'm singing a different tune.  I'm ready for all things Christmas.

One • This aisle at Michael's has been speaking to me for a week now. I had to make a couple trips to Michael's this week as I finished up H and B's Halloween costumes. Each time I was there I felt myself being drawn to this aisle.  A gold and silver Christmas aisle? Yes please!

Two • I have a slight obsession with wrapping paper. Specifically white, silver and blue wrapping paper. Up until last year, I would not buy any holiday gift wrap that didn't match my color scheme. That beautiful red and silver paper? No way.  The lovely silver and gold paper? I don't think so. I decided to add in color for the kids gifts, but adult gifts will be sporting the same color scheme as years past.  I only have 263 rolls of color coordinated paper to use and then I might think about switching it up.  I can't wait for Hallmark to release this year wrapping paper options. 

Three • I know snow is right around the corner.  I'm not ready for it, but I know it will be here soon. Hell, we already had a little snow last week. The kids have been using the garage as their extra playroom, but I decided its time to park the van inside.  Yesterday morning Mario and Luigi helped me organize the garage so we can fit a van in there. I'm sad to see their play area go away for a few months, but it will be back come spring. 

Four • I love Black Friday shopping.  I didn't go last year, but I went the 5 years before.  Even when I didn't need anything, I would go along to help friends. We had a Black Friday SWAT team in place. Everyone knew their task and we had walkie talkies to communicate. Yeah, we were those people, but it worked. We would get what we needed and get out without killing anyone in the process. I miss the excitement of it all and am comtemplating going this year. Maybe there will be a great deal on a tablet I just won't be able to pass up. 

Five • As excited as I am getting for Christmas, I am still really looking forward to Thanksgiving. The majority of my siblings will be coming into town, and I can't wait. I am fortunate that all of my siblings and their spouses/fiancés get along great. We all know how to have a really good time too. I have to watch the daycare all weekend, but when I'm not kicking it with a bunch of dogs, you'd better believe I'll be kicking it with my family.   

Thanks to April, Christina, Natasha and Darci for hosting the Five on Friday link up Be sure to stop by and see what everyone else is blogging about today.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone! I know this isn't the kids' first Halloween, but it kind of feels like it. Last year we dressed them in costume, and technically the had a costume the year before too, but this is the first year they can really enjoy it. I may have enjoyed it more than them, but they seemed to thoroughly enjoy everything about today. We started our morning with pumpkin spice pancakes topped with Nutella.

Since a monsoon decided to try and ruin Halloween, we spent all day inside. I just finished dying the kids overalls yesterday, so we tried out their costumes for the first time this morning which they were very excited about. Their morning was so exciting that they both took a 3+ hour nap. That's unheard of in this house.

When they woke up we had sausage mummies for dinner and got ready to go trick-or-treating. We tried convincing Tyson to come with us, but he wasn't feeling it.  The weather had slowed to just a mist when it was time to head out. We took a few pictures and then we were off.

Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. They are seriously the cutest ever!

Rob only got to come home from work long enough to see the kids in costume and snap a few pictures for us, so it was just the kids and I for trick-or-treating. In the 15 minutes it took us to hit up the six house on our street with lights on, the rain went from misting to a steady rain. When we got home I handed out candy to trick-or-treaters while the kids ate their 6 fun size candy bars.

The rain was back to a steady downpour within just a few minutes of us being home. I'm so glad there was a small break in the weather so I could take the kids trick-or-treating. I wish I would have had the chance to get some better pictures. I didn't want to take my camera or phone out in the rain. Oh well, at least we got a few. 

I loved watching them figure out what to do with their buckets and candy. By the time we hit the last house on the street, they had it down. I'm already looking forward to next year when they understand things even more. 

I hope everyone had a great evening, and for those of you who had trick-or-treating rescheduled due to weather, I hope you have a great time this weekend. I am now watching "The Lost Boys" while I finish up this post.  Perfect end to a great day.  Happy Halloween!!

Our Weekend

The kids and I had to go into work for a little bit on Friday evening to close up shop, so our weekend started at 6pm on Friday. We had some Chipotle and a salted caramel pumpkin concrete mixer from Culver's once we got home.  Harrison decided he was all about my corn salsa and stuck his hands in the container.  He then ate salsa piece by piece until it was gone.  This was after finishing his quesadilla and an entire cup of guacamole.  

We watched the last 15 minutes of Cinderella while we ate our concrete mixer, it was delish by the way, and then it was time for baths. While they were in the tub, I was picking up their toys and thinking, "It's great that they're old enough now that I can pick up their things while their in the tub." I can hear them playing and check in every minute or two and know they're fine. 

I went to check in on them and imediately saw that one of them had committed the ultimate bath time crime.  I had to get both of them out of the tub and into the tub in the master. For some reason they hate being in our tub, so tears and screaming began and it became a race to see if I could get them clean before one of them climbed out of the tub. Thankfully we all survived and after a bath in bleach, so did their bath toys.  Time for a beer for mommy. 

This was the last weekend to get out and do fall things, so I planned a trip to the corn maze and a stop for hayrides on Saturday. We made the 30 minute trek to the first farm to do the corn maze.  When checking times on Facebook I must have got the the two farms confused, and we showed up an hour early.  We went into the little town nearby and found a diner to have lunch.  It was the perfect way to pass time and the food was pretty good. When we were done it was almost noon and time to get back for some corn maze fun. 

It was really cold and windy on Saturday so they were all bundled up in winter coats and hats. I just layered on my Under Armor since I'm not ready to break out my winter coat just yet.  The corn blocked most of the wind and it was really enjoyable in the maze.  H and B were running around having a grand time. I was so glad we decided to do this.  

Then we made it to the back corner of the maze and both kids gave up on life.  They refused to walk anymore. B laid down in the dirt and would not stand up. We were about 10 minutes, a third of the way through the maze, so going forward wasn't an option. I tried giving them both a few minutes and then walking back. Nope.  They still wouldn't walk. I picked them both up and started carrying them back. We found a little spot to sneak out of the maze that gave us a straight walk back to the van. Unfortunately it was in tall grass right next to a busy road and the van was at least 100 yards away. 

We had to stop on our walk back, carrying two 25lb toddlers is a workout, to rest my arms, but we made it back no worse for wear.  The kiddos both passed out on the way home which then equated to no real naps on Saturday.  Thankfully the lack of naps didn't turn them into little monsters for the afternoon. 

We went to Hilger's for hayrides and the kids loved running around.  There were hay mazes, wood mazes, a corn maze that was much more their speed (I wish I would have know about the 2 minute corn maze before our morning outing). 

While we were waiting on the tractor to get back, I went into the barn to get us a cookie and some hot cider.  It was then that I realized I lost my cash. I checked the van, retraced my steps, nothing. We ran to Target, about a 15 minute drive, to pick up a couple things and get cash. We made it back just before they closed, but we missed the last hayride for the night and the owner then informed me that they take credit cards. This is where I smacked myself upside the head for wasting our afternoon for no reason. 

At this point I was over Saturday. We got home and I started to warm up broccoli quinoa bites for the kids' dinner. This is when the microwave started smoking and gave up on life.  I had to get the kids and the dogs out of the house and open up all the windows to air things out. I have been holding onto our microwave from our last house, and now I know why. I was able to plug it in and still get the kids hot food without leaving the house again. We played in the garage until bath time and thankfully the house had aired out by then. Saturday was a clusterfuck, but we all survived and Sunday was a new day. 

We started the morning with Hilger's round 2. It wasn't nearly as wind as Saturday and Rob and Aunt Kim got to join us.  

The kids couldn't have cared less about the hayride.  They did have fun running around and playing in all the mazes again though. It turns out someone picked up the $20 bill I dropped and turned it into the farm owners.  I was truly amazed.  Sunday was definitely off to a better start than Saturday.  

We went out for Indian buffet after the farm and Rob snapped this adorable picture. These two kill me. They're so sweet!

Successful naps were followed by football and eating our cookie from Hilger's. Check out Brooke's awesome mullet. 

Our team lost, but we got to hang out with our awesome cousins, and I got to feel Baby Blake rolling around in his mama's belly. So amazing! We had wings and fries from our favorite wing joint and finished the night with The Walking Dead.  Another great episode that has me super excited for next week. 

It was a great weekend, even with the craziness of Saturday.  I hope you all had a great weekend too. Hopefully with none of the craziness ours included.  

Pumpkins

After our less than successful trip to the pumpkin patch, we were on the look out for good carving pumpkins. Last Monday we went apple picking, and wouldn't you know, the orchard we frequent has pick your own pumpkins. The kids chilled in the wagon while I went out with the vine cutters and picked four nice carving pumpkins with great stems. We will definitely be getting our pumpkins from the orchard again next year. The price was great and I really love their grounds.

Fast forward to yesterday, and we finally got around to cutting these bad boys. We didn't carve pumpkins with the kids last year, so this was their first go round. Little did I know, it was also Rob's first time getting in and doing the carving.  We have always put uncarved pumpkins on our porch in previous years, and he informed me yesterday that his dad always did all the knife work while they were growing up. I gave him a little direction on cutting the top at an angle, and then he went to work. 

We gave the kids each a spoon and let them help us dig out the insides. They were very hesitant to touch the insides, but eventually they put on their brave faces and touched the goo. As a FYI, the temps here have been below freezing at night, so our pumpkins were a bit frozen inside. It made the guts much less slimy. I'll definitely be remembering that for future years.

 Even Tyson wanted to get in and help.

Once were were done with the first two pumpkins, we took a break to clean up a little bit and the kids and I finished off my Caramel Apple Spice. I tried letting them take turns drinking from the cup, but that resulted in tears. Paper straws to the rescue. Enter adorable photo of them sharing. You can still see the tears on Harrison's face.

I knew I wanted to paint a pumpkin with them and had in mind black paint with "Happy Halloween" and then their doodlings around the letters. I should have known better. We wound up painting the entire pumpkin black. I am going to pick up some glow in the dark acrylic paint from Michael's today and paint on our now black pumpkin. I have never used glow in the dark paint before, so I have no idea how this will turn out.  I'm cautiously optimistic.  

Rob's and my carving skills light up for display. I'm sure you can guess which one is his.  He did an awesome job.

I bought one of those pumpkin shaving kits and thought we'd give that a go for our last pumpkin. After breakfast this morning the kids and I got to work. They were much more willing to get in and help out this morning. After we cleaned out the guts, I got to carving while they emptied the junk drawer.

Our bat turned out pretty well, but when I tried lighting it with a regular votive, it barely glowed. I carved out more from the inside, and on the outside without much improvement. I'm going to pick up a larger candle and maybe a battery operated light. If this sucker doesn't glow more, this will be the last year we do pumpkin shaving. Does anyone who's done this before have any advice?

We still have our black pumpkin and these two little guys I spray painted to finish up. I'm hoping to get them all done after work tonight. Even though we have all the pumpkins we need, I'm hoping the weather will be nice enough that we can make it out to another pumpkin patch or two this weekend for a hayride and corn maze. Why can't all of these things be at the same farm?

Less than a week until Halloween and I'm still working on our costumes. I officially gave up on sewing part of the kids costumes. Sewing patterns are like a foreign language to me. Baste this and interface that. Does Ikea make sewing patterns? Those I could probably work with. I just need a clear diagram and numbered steps. 

I have pants ordered that will be here on Tuesday that I will need to bleach and dye. I'm feeling a bit more confident that their costumes will turn out, I've dyed fabric before with good results, but a last minute Target run is still very much a possibility. Is anyone else still putting the finishing touches on theirs, or their kid's costumes?

The Walking Dead Party

I was hoping to get this post up before the second episode aired, but thanks to a two day headache, my blogging aspirations were put on hold. Our premiere party turned out great. There are a few food things that I might avoid if doing it again. The rice crispie treats turned out pink instead of red. Also, the brain mold's details were lost in the cheese balls.  Most importantly, everyone had a good time and we enjoyed delicious TWD inspired food and drinks. Rob's pizza was definitely the highlight of the night, at least for me it was. The hubs makes homemade pizza like nobody's business.

All of or decor supplies were purchased from Oriental Trading Company or Target. The door sign and wooden crosses I made myself. You can see our full menu here.

The first two episodes of the season have been intense! I'm already looking forward to next week. I won't mention any specifics since I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't been able to watch yet. Definitely hurry up and watch this season, NOW.