Monday, January 30, 2017

Children's Sakura Party-Isabella Turns 10


Isabella turned 10 over the weekend. She is so excited to be in the double digits. I'm not sure why but she thinks that double digits makes her a bit more grown up. I am encouraging her to not grow up so fast--wish me luck!

Isabella loves Japan. I am not surprised. Her dad speaks Japanese because he lived there as a kid and again as a young man. She is currently learning to speak Japanese herself. She wants to go to school in Japan.

Her theme this year is centered around the cherry blossoms that Japan is so popular for. We have seen the cherry blossoms bloom in Washington DC that were gifted to US on March 12, 1912.  We are going to Portland in March to see the Japanese Gardens and waterfront trees, and hopefully, view the cherry blossoms during their blooming season.

The party was easy to plan.  The things I did to decorate were fairly easy to assemble at home or purchase from your local craft store.

To get the party started, I used a free online evite to send the parents emails. This allowed the parents to RSVP, ask me questions, and I was able to send out  thank you cards after the party. This is a simple and efficient way to handle the invites.


I made:

1.  A center piece of Cherry Blossom sprigs. I bought these from two different stores. I used a glass vase that I purchased on clearance at a local store in town. Inside the vase I added beach glass and shells because our home is a beach themed home. I bundled the sprigs together and placed them in the center of the vase and poured the class and placed the shells around it to hold it up.  I separated the sprigs so that the fanned out and made a beautiful focal point for our table.


2.  I made origami (paper toys) to scatter at the base. We are working on our 1000 crane project and this was perfect for the party.

3.  I made the gift bags. I bought plain white bags (10/1.00) and cherry blossom stickers.  Each bag had a few on the outside. We bought Japanese themed goodies to go inside: chopsticks, ramen, candy,  and a panda rice paper balloon.



4.  I made cupcakes.  I bought the pink flowers at a local craft store. This was a project that we did together so that Isabella felt a part of the party plans.



The things I bought:

1.  I bought a Japanese curtain with cherry blossoms and puppies. I cut this in half and used it to decorate the tables as a table runner.


2.  I bought Japanese sodas from our local Asian market (gotta support local businesses).

3.  I bought a dozen hot pink lanterns.  These were much cheaper than buying balloons. I used fishing line to attach them to my ceiling fans and lights.

4.  We bought chalk, origami paper for a craft project, and the goodie bag items mentioned above.



What we did to entertain the girls:

1.  I taught the girls to make some origami toys: a piano, kimono, and the crane.

2.  Cory taught the girls to speak to ten in Japanese.

3.  We let the girls play outside and ride bikes, jump on the trampoline, and use chalk in our driveway.

4.  They sampled a few foods from Japan.

5. They watched Kiki's Delivery Service. A cute film about a young girl becoming a witch and setting off on her first big adventure.

The party was simple.  Several of the girls stated,"this was the best birthday party ever".

Now that feels good as a parent when you can provide a wonderful experience for your child's friends.




Thursday, January 26, 2017

Sweet Potato Tacos





Mini tacos are the best.

I bought these 4in round corn tortillas from Fred Meyer and can't stop using them. I thought for sure they would be too small but the reality is they are just right.  

Sweet Potatoes make a great alternative filling to meat.  The sweetness countered with any spice you add to your taco sets the tone for a yummy experience. 

The sweet potatoes can be baked the day before and reheated for a quick and easy dinner on the go or midnight snack.  School keeps me up at night and midnight snacks are once again something I contend with. 

The cool thing about tacos is they can be layered with a variety of toppings to create a variety of flavor profiles.

Some of my favorite toppings are: avocado, lettuce, onion, tomato, Chalula, jalapenos, black olives, and cheese.  (Use vegan cheese if you need to.)

Overall, the mini's are just fun!  They look cute on your plate and are just the right size to hold.  A couple of bites and your done. On to the next one. 

To prepare my sweet potatoes I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.  Cubed them about all the same size and tossed them in a bowl with: oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.  Baked until crispy on one side. My oven took about 45 minutes.

The tortilla's I heated on my cast iron griddle for a few seconds on each side. No oil needed.

I precut the toppings and grated our favorite cheese.

We each made our own taco's using which ever toppings suited our fancy at the time.

Then, we went back for seconds.

Another easy dinner idea and option for busy parents and families on the go.

ENJOY!

Sherron


Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Sushi Bowls


My Sushi Bowl all messy and stirred together.
I like eating mine this way because each bite is a party to my taste buds.

Our family has discovered a new family favorite. Sushi Bowls are a great way to use up stuff in your fridge, especially, if you made sushi a few days ago and have left overs--like we did. Visit link to see what we used.

We make rice every day. This is something we have done for years. The kids love it and it's a great easy meal when we are in a hurry. The sushi bowl starts off with a bowl of white rice.  I open the refrigerator and notice I have pineapple, mango, and asparagus left over from the night before. I grab these. Then things just rolled from that point. I reach for a sheet of seaweed and using my scissors, start cutting the tiniest strips. I grab a few green onions, throw a handful of Panko crumbs, and make a small batch of Sriarcha Mayonnaise.  My bowl takes on a life of its own.

My belly says thank you.  That was yesterday.

Today, I make another Sushi Bowl.  

Tomorrow I might make a third Sushi Bowl. 

These sushi bowls are easy. Too easy for a formal recipe.  Use your imagination to create the perfect bowl of UMAMI for your desired taste buds. 

I used: rice, soy sauce, red bell pepper, pineapple, mango, red onion, cucumber, asparagus, sesame seeds, strips of nori (seaweed sheets), and my imagination.  Use what you like. If you don't have any dietary restrictions then this will open up a few more options that our family does not do.


Cory and the kids made it home from our nieces wedding all safe and sound.  That night we sat down to watch a movie while the kids were also settling in for the night.  We thought Isabella had gone to bed but she surprised us with a gentle knock and opening of our bedroom door. She could not sleep.

We turned the movie off until she was tired. We talked for a few minutes about MLK's birthday on Monday.  We watched his speech  from 1963 and talked for about 30 minutes on an important subject.  I wrote this on my Facebook page and took a picture of it. I didn't think I could remember it all again. Overall, it was a valued few minutes to help her understand some important social topics of our time and those of our past.  My role as her teacher never ends. I don't punch a timecard. Moments of learning and teaching can happen at any time and I hope that I am always ready and able to use that time wisely. 


We made hot chocolate mix earlier in the day. Finnley is quickly turning into a little kitchen helper. She wants to help and I am excited to have her help. Our kids all work in the kitchen and I love this about them. They love to help cook, prepare, clean-up, and create. Cooking is a wonderful tool because it allows us to spend time with our kids, it gives us an opportunity to teach them something fun, we are able to make memories, and they are learning something that they will use their whole lives. Cooking opens doors to communicate, to laugh, and to share.  I wouldn't trade those minutes spent in the kitchen with my kids for anything; priceless moments with the returns of eternal blessings.


I hope that you each have a week filled with intention, purpose, and joy.

Sherron

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Drake heads to Oregon State University


Wintery only begins to describe the scene this morning as we took Drake to college.  The roads were filled with water, slush, and gravel.  We have lived in Oregon for almost a year and a half and this is the first winter that snow has been a part of our vocabulary.  And not just a little bit of snow, but lots and lots of white fluffy flakes falling from the clouds.

To be honest, I wasn't sure we were going to make it this morning. The forecast was calling for ice. We waited until the afternoon and left when we thought the roads would be plowed and cleared. We were right and ventured over the Cascade Pass and down into Corvallis with little problem.  The trees were dusted with white piles of fresh snow.  Each tree a different shade of green.  It was as if we were driving through a picture.

Arriving on campus was thrilling for me. I could tell Drake was filled with anxiety as the day approached and even more so as we drove pass the stadium.  His reality was becoming more and more confirmed with a decision that he was still grappling with-college or no college.  Arriving we found ourselves parked out front and ready to move into his dorm room.

With key in hand we set out to open his floor door.  With each attempt we saw red, not green.  UH-OH.  Something was not right.  After a few exchanges of cards we were told that we would have to be patient and get assistance each time he wanted on to the floor.  His dorm area is brand new and they were experiencing some technical difficulties.While he ran between the buildings trying to figure out the key, Finnley and I waited with his stuff.


He brought the bare minimums.  Maybe it's a guy thing.  I'm not sure how he is going to manage with so little but he will figure it all out soon enough.  His room mate was out.  It felt weird to drop off our stuff and run but that's what we did.  We still had to buy him a bike, some last minutes stuff, and take him to his job to get his key to open on Monday morning

Against his will, he posed for a selfie of the two of us. I was all smiles and he was over this whole day.


The weather continued to warm up but we were still anxious to be on our way back to the beach in case the roads were icy once the sun went down.  He was anxious for us to leave.

He has been patiently waiting the last four months for this next chapter of his life to start and today it did.  He took the leap and is plunging into college life.  I didn't want to leave.  The energy and vive of the campus is amazing!  The kids were all nice, helpful, and full of life.  I could have stayed there in his place.

He walked me to the car. Said goodbye to his dad. We drove away.

I never looked back. I don't know if he stayed or turned away and went inside.

I know that he is going to have an amazing experience. I'm glad that he made the decision to go to college. Who knows, maybe we will graduate at the same time. I will be a student there this time next year.

He better tell me when parents day is too--I'm coming in all my orange glory to celebrate in his accomplishment of becoming an engineer at Oregon State University.

GO BEAVERS!

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Happy New Year


Happy New Year friends!

It's been quite a year for our family with lots of changes and adventures.  As we start this New Year we have a long list of "honey-do's" in mind.  The top three are finishing our garden plans outside, finally completing Cory's office, and completing Isabella's room.

The garden is off to a great start. We bought the Square Foot Garden book, our seeds, and have scouted around for a variety of container gardens and greenhouses.  Now we are reading all things garden related in the hopes that our brown thumbs turn the most vibrant green this summer.

Isabella's room finally is not a kitchen.  When we bought our home we were short a room or had too many kids..LOL  Either way we found ourselves using our second kitchen downstairs as a bedroom for our adorable third child.  We added a door this past summer and yesterday ripped out the counter tops.  YAY for progress.  This summer we will paint, do the floors, and finishing the base boards.

Cory's office is our second garage.  Gotta love our creative resilience to make our beach house work no matter what!  Well, after a year we have decided that he likes his office in the garage and now we need to make it more office like.  This will require some, okay a lot, of ideas that insist I think outside the box.  I am excited to step right into this project.

BUT...first,

I need to finish my next semester of school.  Can you believe its been a year?  Holy cow where did the time go.  I still love it.  I did really well with 42 credits and all A's.  Not too bad for a girl who thought her whole life she wasn't smart enough to go to college.  Never give up on your dreams!

Our kids are great.  We finally had a bit of snow this past week.  The little girls loved it and the big kids had to drive in it.  That was a love/hate relationship.




We got a couple of cats!  Saki and Oreo.  They are awesome.  Except for Saki refused to take a selfie with me--what's up with that?


Oreo, well, she is our princess cat.  She is an older cat that we rescued and her days are spent finding the warmest place in our home and laying there for hours. Rescue animals are the best!


Tomorrow we drive Drake, who also turned 20 last week, to Oregon State University.  CRAP--when did that happen.  Rye is now a manager where she works.  Isabella quit gymnastics and jumped into ballet with zeal. Finnley started preschool.  Our little family is growing up.

I'm hoping to write more on the blog this year.  Nothing fancy or planned out in advance. I simply don't have time for that with 16 credits this semester. I started this blog as a way to document our life for my kids. I need to return to that style. With that in mind, it will be filled with pictures, random thoughts, our daily adventures, and my ups and downs as a mom, student, wife, and pagan.  Expect to see a bit of everything this year.

I cook every day. Our plant based diet is exciting and I have learned so much with this new journey into preparing our meals without meat, dairy, cheese, and eggs.  Are we perfect yet?  Hardly.  It's still challenging sometimes, especially when we travel.  But you know what,  its okay.  We are moving forward with our goals and doing our best.  We still live by the 80/20 policy and find that our tummies are full and happy.


I'm not sure how many readers I have left but thank you to those that are still finding their way to our little bit of paradise at the beach.

Happy New Year!

Sherron

Donut Breakfast Casserole

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