Enjoying Outside

This April our warm weather has come and gone as it pleases but we've been out to enjoy it as soon as it does appear.

The Bikes

Chaeli needed to learn to ride on the smaller bike, but once she is confident, she will switched to the larger bike we got her. And Dillon will be thrilled when he can have the smaller bike with training wheels all to himself full-time!!!

Learning to Ride

Congratulations, Chaeli, for learning to ride a bike WITHOUT training wheels!!!!

The Beginning

Spring is here and we are eagerly anticipating a garden!! We're having to do things a bit different this year though. With all the shade in the back yard and sandy dirt in the front yard, we're trying garden boxes this year. Right smack in the middle of the front yard where we get the most sunshine! Hope the neighbors don't mind...I can't be without any garden at all!

This is the plot. The end product will be two garden boxes with gravel on the rest with a fence around the whole things. We didn't want to put fence around them individually because it would make weeding quite compicated! By the middle to end of May, the project will be complete for planting Memorial Day weekend. :)

Field Trip

To the bay...





To the park...

Birds

A few weeks ago, we learned about birds and these are a couple pictures of the bird feeder the kids made and the bird seed craft.

They smeared peanut butter on pine cones and then rolled them in bird seed.

Thai Tofu with Pineapple and Veggies

So I really can't remember which cookbook I adapted this from. But this is so yummy and satisfies my taste for PF Chang's Coconut Curry Vegetables. Very delish!

Thai Tofu with Pineapple and Veggies

1 lb extra firm tofu
2 T olive oil
1 T soy sauce
1 med onion, quartered and sliced thinly
8 baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 C frozen green peas or red bell pepper
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
Snap peas or broccoli
1 C coconut milk
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into thirds and bruised, optional (I used powdered lemongrass this last time and it worked well...could even just leave it out)
2 tsp curry powder
2 T cornstarch
¼ to 1 tsp red or green curry paste, optional (but very good!)
¼ C mined fresh cilantro
Salt to taste
Rice, quinoa, or couscous

Stir-fry diced tofu over medium heat with oil and soy sauce until golden brown…about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside. Heat the remaining T of oil in the same pan. Add the onion and carrots and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add peas, pineapple, peas, coconut milk, lemongrass, and curry powder. Gently stir in the tofu. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and optional curry paste in a cup or small bowl. Add enough water to dissolve, then pour the mixture into the pan. Simmer gently until the liquid has thickened. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt. Serve over hot grain. Roasted peanuts are an added bonus also!

Picnic with Friends

Last week was beautiful!! And we just so happened to be out our way to TN where it was even warmer! We stopped in Indiana to visit some friends and also got in on a fun picnic!

Laughing Out Loud

Definitely laughing out loud! He was pretty proud of himself for climbing up here!

A Mess

Such a necessary, but MESSY process. Little man is learning to use a spoon and fork and sometimes I just have to look away!

Look! There is even some on the spoon! :)