Bruneau Sand Dunes...

This past weekend we attended the first annual Family Fall Festival at the Bruneau Sand Dunes. From the pumpkin hunt to the special guest speaker (NASA Scientist) Saturday evening at the observatory...the weekend was one to remember. Sand dunes, horse rides, campfires, rangers, pumpkin hunts, scorpions, star bright nights and the biggest telescope in Idaho...how would it possibly be anything other than spectacular?

Puppy Love...

Meet our cousin's new puppy, Yogi Bear. Such a sweet little pup!

Missing My Line...

Not working from home has it's advantages and disadvantages...like my clothes-line. I have found that I don't have the time to put everything on the line like I used to. As it is, there seems to be a constant mile high laundry pile, and that is with using the dryer once a day. I still put the heavier items out, but I have had to sacrifice some loads. Weekend washing is a must and with the cooler weather, it can take a whole day to dry one load.

Oh...the woes of a clothes-line. This summer-time line photo is a reminder of the beauty a clothes-line can hold.

Hey..there is another Thrift-Spinner up for viewing at Craft-Crazy-Thrift-Spinner!

My Watering Gnome...

My watering gnome...and pickin's for dinner.

Autumn Equinox Celebration...

An apple press, good friends and a reason to celebrate...Fall is in the air! Our Autumn Equinox Celebration was like none before. It started with an apple press and ended with twelve quarts of apple cider. Not to mention six happy kids who took part in every step, a double rainbow over the fields to get us going and a fire pit to wind it down. Need I mention the yummy beer? Or friendships that feel like family? How about the joy I find in watching my family learn and grow together?

Love, it's in the crisp fall air.

Farewell To Summer...

Whether it was camping, new landscaping, playing in the garden, sewing, hanging by the pool or lake...doing what we do best -being a family...we enjoyed our summer to the fullest. Now that fall is in the air, with it's crisp mornings and chilly evenings...I am looking forward to quieter times. When it is dark by dinner-time, breads and scones are being baked, holidays are on my mind, leaves will need to be raked up and a garden to winterize. The return of fall is the return of dance class, play auditions and bike-a-thons. A long vacation to the OR Coast for Thanksgiving, Christmas gifts to sew and various items to knit. But I must say...nothing says "Fall's here!" like the adding of pumpkin spice to my favorite coffee...or baked acorn squash with butter and brown sugar...I'm just making myself hungry!

Farewell to Summer...and a warm welcome to Fall!

Alive and Well...

My Thrift-Spinner project is alive and well...as long as I have time to search for long lost treasures and sew them into something magical...like this new play mask. Kids need only a little prompting to help the imagination take full force.

Birthday Wishes...

Wishing my brother a Happy Birthday here in blogosphere land. He is an amazing man whom I am proud to call my brother. He lives life to the fullest, never saying never and constantly trying new ways to live. Proof of his non-conformist ways...living in a shepherd's wagon for the summer.

I hope your day is full of the happiness you deserve Matt, I love you.

Ginger Fancy...

Cooking from the garden has proven such a delight for me this year. Finding new and exciting ways to cook dishes that, perhaps, have become a little worn-out or contains ingredients we no longer consume. It has been more than a year since I took our family off beef and there are just a few recipes I really miss, my ginger beef was one of them. Deciding not to give it up completely, I just changed the beef out for chicken. The flavor was not lacking in any way, and I felt good about feeding it to my children. The cilantro, green onions and zucchini were all picked by the kids...which I believe is a great tool in teaching our children the ways around a garden. Getting them involved in every step is important.

The zucchini sticks are simple. Just cut the zucchini into sticks, egg wash with egg-whites and then dredge in breadcrumbs. I like to add freshly grated parmesan to my breadcrumbs. Next, just drop into the skillet with some hot oil, and turn often.

Ginger Chicken...
Combine:
*1/4 cup sesame oil
*1/4 cup soy sauce
*2 cloves crushed garlic
*2 tbs grated ginger
*1 tbs lemon juice
*about 2 tbs chopped green onions
*1/4 cup brown sugar.

Add your 1 lb of chicken tenders and coat well with above marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Add a bit of oil to your wok or iron skillet and cook. We like this dish over rice and with a bit of cilantro...which gives it a nice ending punch.

I always add more garlic, ginger and green onions then the recipe calls for and never cook just one pound of chicken. This is also a great camping meal. Just prepare as above without cooking and store in whichever Ziploc/storing system you prefer. Boiling water for rice and heating up the iron skillet is 'nothin but a thang' on the first night of camp. Oh...and it tastes sooo yummy up in the mountains...

My next change-up in this recipe...switching the chicken out for tofu.

Up Goes the Castle...

Roxie here, practicing her deep breathing with Bert and Ernie's Greatest Hits, Up goes the Castle. Ernie sings... "You breathe in...up goes the castle...you breathe out...the castle goes down...breathe in...high on a mountain top...breathe out...low in the town."

What a great way to teach our children -and ourselves- the importance of breathing deeply, something most people don't do enough of. Breathing deeply helps us to focus and to live in the moment. I love finding my children practicing this in their daily activities.

Another great song/tricky tool for kids also included on this music mix is the song, Imagination.

I remember these songs from my childhood and sharing them with my children is so magical. Hearing them sing along to songs I sang along with just makes my heart melt.

I'm telling you...good clean fun for all!

Tangled Heart Love

Finding love in the garden...in so many ways!

You Say Tomato...

There is a heaping load of garden activity happening everywhere. And, although our garden may be of the postage stamp size variety...we are not short of tomatoes that need canning and peppers crying out to go on a salsa adventure...With so many yummy eats from the garden, I find myself eating salsa for breakfast. Mmm...salsa for breakfast -almost better than coffee!

Time For Some Campaignin'!

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So, this is almost painfully funny...

No Interruptions Please...

Pollinators at Work...

Backyard Visitor...