IT'S A GREAT DAY TO

celebrate Laird's birthday...

Laird loves to make people laugh, is kind, thoughtful, loving, interesting, funny, happy-go-lucky, a great helper, enthusiastic, eager to please and is a wonderful brother and son.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAIRD!

WE LOVE YOU!!

GETTING CHECKED OUT

of school early because it's your birthday is a little tradition we love.
We will have a thirteen year old tomorrow and he was ready to start his celebration with a lunch date with mom and dad...

The wee-est one came along too and didn't sit still for one moment - not.one.moment....

He enjoyed every single second of the birthday lunch and even graced us with some dancing and even threw some break dancing in at the end.

I'd like to bottle that energy and sell it, he'd make us rich!

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

We were and watched a great game tonight and it was really exciting to see our oldest get more playtime - he played great!
To celebrate another win, we made homemade root beer.
We would have had it either way, but it makes it more exciting when you celebrate something.
And if you're wondering about our wee one on the counter, the answer is yes - he is on the counter all time.
Are your children climbers too?

VEGETABLE MISO SOUP

The great thing about this soup is that you can use any combo of vegetables you like - anything that sounds good to you at the moment.
I got it out of Alicia Silverstone's vegan book The Kind Diet....
1/2 medium carrot, cut into large chunks
1/4 red onion, cut into large chunks
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
3-4 broccoli florets
1/2 medium leek, halved and cut into large chunks (make sure you swirl in a bowl of water to dislodge any grit)
Ginger juice to taste (grate a 1" piece of ginger and squeeze out the juice with your fingers)
Shoyu, to taste
3 teaspoons miso
1 whole scallion, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add carrot. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add celery, broccoli, and leek.
Add ginger juice and shoyu to the broth, to taste.
Simmer until all the vegetables are cooked through but still slightly firm, about 5 minutes.
Dilute miso with a little soup broth and add it to the soup and allow to simmer 2-3 minutes. Do not boil.
Add scallion and turn off the heat.
Optional - top each serving with watercress, mochi and nori. (I didn't and the soup tasted great)

PS - I have discovered I don't like daikon but if you like it, the recipe calls for 1/4 medium diakon, cut into large chunks.
PPS - I don't like mushrooms either, but if you like them, add 4 button mushrooms, sliced and 2-3 trumpet mushrooms, sliced.

REASON 6462 I LOVE MY HUSBAND

He surprised me today with concert tickets to see my boyfriend....Yup, I have the best husband ever.

BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS ENGAGEMENT PHOTO SHOOT

Seriously, the coolest, most fun photo shoot I've seen in a long time.

Hiya Papaya, I love your style!

Tiffany and Michael, you look a.m.a.z.i.n.g. I'm so happy for you!!

TEN THINGS I LEARNED

while at the beach celebrating Stephanie-Palooza...

1. Not all vegan restaurants are what they seem. Lincoln City has a vegan/porn restaurant. Seriously????? AND, when I heard it described as a cross between grandma's house and the creepy guy next door, that really gave me the heebie jeebies. No thank you!

2. I love the Nye Beach community.

3. Depoe Bay is the world's smallest harbor.

4. Savory Cafe is a favorite beach restaurant that I will be frequenting again.

5. I need to learn to fly a kite.

6. I want a Whirly Pop so I can make my own kettle corn.

7. I heart whales.

8. Stephanie has an awesome, contagious laugh.

9. I like firmer arm massages when getting a mani.

10. I am really going to miss my sister.

PACIFIER SUNGLASSES

I can't decide if this idea from Lytot is a cute and great idea or funny and ridiculous.

This is something I need to see in person....

via handmade charlotte

PART 4 - FINAL DAY OF STEPHANIE-PALOOZA AT THE BEACH

We have been to the beautiful Yaquina Head Lighthouse before, but what we hadn't realized was that Cobble Beach was there below.
Photographing that beach was on Stephanie's wish-list, the day was incredibly clear and sunny, so off we went....

It is a beautiful small beach with and i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e view and cobblestones that look grey but when they are wet, they are a shimmering jet black.

We weren't there at low tide, but word is the tide pools are wonderful.

I'm definitely heading back with my man clan next time we are at the beach.

With all those stones to throw, they will be in heaven...

{ WACKY }

Wacky Cake that is.

I don't know if it was a 70's thing, but I remember making wacky cake all. the. time. when I was little.

I had completely forgotten about this simple, little cake until last night when my mom reminded me that it has no eggs and no milk.

My wee ones and I had a fun morning, making this cake while I told them about making it with my brother when I was younger.

Their favorite part, of course, was when I told them they could lick the batter covered forks....

Wacky Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
3 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
5 TBSP oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup cold water

Mix dry ingredients in a 9x13 pan. Make three wells and add all the wet ingredients. Mix well, especially around the edges.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until done.

PART 3 - STEPHANIE-PALOOZA AT THE BEACH

We went back to Nye Beach to fly a kite - how hard could it be?....

We had two kites and they weren't going together like they were supposed to so Stephanie, being the MacGyver she is, improvised and used gum as tape.

It didn't work well, but she gets an A+ for effort....

We are going to say we flew a kite at the beach, but we really didn't.

I was laughing so hard I was crying!

This was one of my favorite Stephanie-Palooza activites...

We had a serious belly-roll laughing afternoon....

PART 2 - STEPHANIE-PALOOZA AT THE BEACH

We met up with Captain Dan and he took us to see some whales and we were beyond excited....

I was imagining seeing this.....

Or this....

We saw a lot of this....

A whole bunch of this....

And a little of this.

It was my first time seeing a whale and I'll take what I can get.

Even though we just saw spraying and backs, I thought it was so cool..

We had a blast and I've decided next time I go on a whale watching photo excursion, I want to go in a tiny boat in deeper water so I can get really close.

For those of you who know me well, I'll answer your question now - No, I did not get sea sick - yay me!

PART 1 - STEPHANIE-PALOOZA AT THE BEACH

We started our sister's weekend with a manicure - I'm sporting "Grace Kelly" and Steph has "Viking Copper".
Check my nails out when you see me, because you know me well if you know it won't last long....

We drove into Newport and I had my first vegan restaurant meal at Savory Cafe and it was SO GOOD.
So good, in fact, that we went back for lunch the next day to try another menu item...

We had fun exploring the streets of Nye Beach...

And we had the most amazingly beautiful sunset to end our evening out.

We headed back to our hotel, watched Valentine's Day and called it a night...

THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I WAS

having a belly-roll laughing girl's weekend with these beauties....To reminisce in our fun, click HERE and HERE....

CLEAR SKIES, CRISP AIR - IT WAS

a beautiful night for high school football game...

And they won - yay!

IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ME...

image via here

About three weeks ago, my body decided to be allergic to eggs, animal protein and dairy.Throat swelling allergic. It's been over whelming and a bit difficult figuring things out.

This past week, I've been eating vegan and thankfully my man clan hasn't been complaining too much but I'll be gone this weekend and they are more than excited to eat meat, meat and more meat (you can insert a Tim the Tool Man Taylor grunt).

So when I don't eat your food at a get-together, a holiday function or potluck, etc... please don't be offended. It really isn't you or your cooking, it's me and my whacked out forty year old body...

PS - If you know a great vegan recipe or restaurant, I'd love to hear about it.

IN A FEW DAYS, I'LL

be at the beach with my sister.... We're going whale watching.
We have both have never been and I'm so excited!
I hope I see a big one.....

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO

celebrate the birthday of our cheeky bub.
He is 3!

Lach is hilarious, loving, thoughtful, full of energy, happy-go-lucky, has the best laugh and is turning into quite the break dancer when he hears the tunes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LACH!!

WE LOVE YOU!!