Black Tie Birthday Bash- Mea and Eva's Themed Party!

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Dear Diary,

The girls' birthday party this year was a lot of fun! Months ahead of time, they started brainstorming.  Mea wanted to know what theme we should chose.  "What could we dress up like?" she asked.  This apple is not falling far from this tree. There is no denying it... we love dressing up! We invent reasons to do so.  And Birthdays are a perfectly good reason to do something silly.

Adults are invited (encouraged) to participate as well... (its all for the kids, right?)  HOWEVER! Allow me to layout my disclaimer: Rest assured... nobody is required to dress up... in fact, nobody has to do anything that will make them too uncomfortable. We want everyone to come and enjoy and we love you no matter what! I know that some of my friends and family wince at these ideas... "Oh gosh, Sarah, what do I have to do? What do I have to wear?"  "Really? Can't we just have a normal birthday party?"  I have come to understand that dressing up and being totally ridiculous is not fun for everyone.

The birthday party is meant to be a celebration of life!  It should be fun for everyone.  Those who want to come and be peanut gallery observers to all the silliness- perfect!  Believe me when I say that us HAMS totally appreciate your role.  I think it is more than fair to agree... as long as you aren't negative about what I am doing doing, I promise not to give you a hard-time.  

So, without further adieu, this year, the theme was... (drum-roll please!)...  BLACK TIE BIRTHDAY BASH!  Mea wanted everyone to dress up in their prettiest things, "like their real clothes and look really pretty and handsome."
  
We sent a red carpet themed evite.
The invitation read:

Mea and Eva request the pleasure of your presence at the most sought after event of 2012- their “Black Tie Birthday Party! 

COME RED CARPET READY! The preshow will begin on the red carpet with photo opts and VIP interviews. "Who are you wearing tonight?"

Special note to the talent’s agents, managers, stylists and staff: Please prepare for a possible impromptu talent show.
We went and got some red pillow cases and sheets at salvation army to lay down a red carpet rug.  We printed off some direction arrows to the red carpet and photo area.  I set up a little backdrop (thanks Jill for cutting out the bow-ties) with twinkly lights and balloons.

Dad is a super good sport too! Nice bow-tie!

We printed out "backstage pass card... and lad lanyards for people to where they areound their neck.  they had titles on it such as official photographer, stylist, agent, producer, talent etc.

  
Some people want to get silly but either they have no idea what to wear or they have anxiety. "If you do it, I will do it."... "Are you going to look cute or ridiculous?"  I always have extra props and costume pieces laying around the day of the party... and once everyone is warmed up, more people join in for a photo opt or two.  I happen to have a ridiculous collection of wigs and hats (halloween stuff from over the years). 

The little gentlemen looked so adorable!


Some famlies came in full rock star mode and aunts and uncles were dressed to the nines! (What does that mean?) I can't find all the photos right now.

We set up a "SWAG ROOM"... for kids to take home some little prizes:

 

Before cupcakes, we had a talent show.  The girls sang their favorite song: Avril's "complicated".  Everyone who wanted to got a turn to sing or dance or show off their best somersault.  Some kids introduced themselves on the mic.  Where was the video camera?... uncharged but I can tell you that I have a mental recording of it that will stay with me.
Eva threw a fit when I starting clapping before she was finished.  This mamma will learn to be more patient but my little diva has to also learn to share the spotlight :)  Where does she get it?

The talent show continued with a (shirtless? and somewhat dangerous) dance off!
 
  All in all, a GREAT TIME!  We are so fortunate to have awesome friends... who can show up and make themselves at home in all the chaos.  And we have family that is loyal and loving beyond belief.  A special thanks to my friend Jen for helping to make this day special for the girls.

Annie Themed Birthday!

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Dear Diary,

The Sun'll come out... TOMORROW! Betch your bottom dollar... that TOMORROW... there'll be sun!

Seeing as how we are still heavy into our family's birthday season, we will stay on this topic for a few posts. As I explained in my black tie post, we love to dress up and birthdays are a good excuse to do so. (Thanks uncle Rory for the photoshopping here.)

Blasting into the past, way back to 2010... When Mea was turning 3 years old, she wanted to dress up as Annie. To following theme we were Ms. Hannigan and Daddy Warbucks. This made for cute PHOTOS!








Eva who was 1, was a little orphan. (Molly from the movie)



Our friends, played along and their kids. They came dressed as orphans too! They worn mute color clothes and rubbed some brown dirt on their face.









Before Singing Happy Birthday, Mea sang The Sun'll Come out Tomorrow. After her instruction "everybody... "! we all joined in for the chorus. (HAMS)

A video:


It was this year, in 2010 that the tradition of dressing up for birthdays started and bar was set high.

Crafty McCraftersons Over Here

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We had the amazing opportunity to have 3 craft shows in our first week of looking.

Our first show was hosted by Salon Tress.  The owner, Stacie, welcomed us with open arms and allowed us to test our products to the public.  There were many people who came through and purchased what we had to offer.  It feels great to know that we are doing something we love and people appreciate it!



Our second event was at the Mom2Mom sale at Orchard Grove Church. Holy cow, there were a lot of people! (pun intended) We were preaching to a different crowd and they were loving on us. We met the Mary Kay consultant who had a table next to us and she invited us to our third event. 


Maggie, the Mary Kay consultant, allowed us to set up a table at her training class with her friends.  They had many questions and had orders for our Mod Podge letters! Craft shows are in the cards for us and we will set up wherever people allow us to.

Thank you to all of the owners of the events and also our amazing customers who make us feel loved and appreciated every time they "oooo" and "ahhhh" over our goodies!

Start Solid Foods = Headache

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Dear Diary,

What a nightmare starting solid food with Layla. I am nervous every time we start a new food. The pediatrician informed us to introduce a new food every three days to ensure she isn't allergic to anything. I always find the slightest blemish on Layla and assume she is allergic to carrots, or kiwis or...etc. I need to relax and understand side effects to having a food allergy, instead of making up my own ideas. Mike re-assures me every time I have a crazy idea.


I have found new ways to prepare the food and save time all at once! I received a magic bullet for my baby shower and was overly excited to use it.  I blend the food and put it into ice trays or small containers from food that I purchased earlier. After figuring out how much Layla eats during each sitting, I know I need to take out 3 ice cubes of food and, melt in the fridge if I think about it ahead of time, or warm up for a few seconds. Then I started getting different kinds of food and mixing after she has already tried it for the 3 days. I have found myself putting kiwi, blueberries and pears together. Of course my curiosity takes over and I try her concoctions! Yum!

Although starting solid foods has been a headache and I am worried non-stop, it was nice to read about why it is necessary.  I would love to breastfeed Layla for the rest of her life (over-exaggeration) , because I know that she can't choke, or be allergic. But now I know she needs more.  She needs more calories in order to keep her weight at a normal number. She needs different vitamins that I can not provide for her. In my specific incident, Layla needs extra Vitamin D so I need to add it to all of the food I make. My pediatrician gave me samples of Vitamin D to use before purchasing any. It has lasted me a long time!

Motherhood is one huge headache at the beginning but I have been told it is only a matter of time before I start trusting my daughter and become able to enjoy the little things once again. That day may not be here just yet, but I'm patiently waiting!

New Year's Resolutions in MAY?! Calorie Budget Report!

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Who talks about New Year’s Resolutions in May? We do. How youare you doing with yours?  My 2 resolutionshad to do with BUDGETING… 1. My money 2. My calories to lose some weight.  Today’s post will revisit the latter.   I started to count calories (using myfitnesspal app) back inNovember.  I’ve lost 12+ pounds and I amreally happy with how all my clothes fit.  Moreso, I am happy about what I eat and how I feel.   My “pals” who include girlfriends, sisters,mom, cousins, uncles, my husband and everyone else who asks us about it, can’tbelieve how it works!  It is pure MATH…clear scientific evidence (calories in- calories out)!  Counting calories works to lose weight! Everyonewho stuck with it religiously for 12 weeks has made significant healthy changes.  Besides the inches lost, we have had some greatlaughs and created memories cheering each other on and competing atthings.  It has been a fun game to playwith each other- for heaven’s sake, my husband special ordered me adidas shoeswith “muffintops” embroidered across the heel.  A couple girls got into the “alpha dog”competition at the gym and they kicked BUTT! One of them is advancing to the nextround.  I have enjoyed many “plank offs”at parties with these healthy buddies. My uncle who is 20- years older than me won the last round- darn it!      

This post was inspired by 2 of my favorite “sisters”… we won’tuser real names just yet so we will call them… Mrs. Weet Weet and Mrs. GigglesMcGoo!   They want to lose weight but they just aren’tsure what to eat or how to grocery shop. A fellow muffintop loser (the Ridler) and I put this together as aneasy to use guide for dropping some pounds. Starting with BREAKFAST!
First, a few notes from my experiences: When I first became aware of calories, I kept going over my1310 calorie a day budget.  My friendlooked at my log and we quickly realized that I ate up most of my calorie allotmentbefore noon!  I also realized that I havea lot of will power in the morning and it starts to dwindle as the day goes on.SO- the best place to start to make changes was in the morning… atbreakfast.  Then later in the evening, Imight have room for an evening snack or glass of wine. 
COMMIT TO 8 WEEKS!  Ifyour 8 weeks starts now- you are looking at now until the middle of July.  First, you have to learn to record everythingyou eat… that takes a few days.  I usedto nibble the kids leftovers and take “handfuls” of things without even realizingit.  Measure EVERYTHING! Once you knowhow to record everything that goes into your mouth, you can try to adjust theamounts.  Becoming, aware of your dailyhabits takes a few weeks to get used to. Then it will take you a few more weeks to make new habits.  That’s why I think that 8 weeks is a magicnumber to see results!  You will get intothe swing of it! Before you know it, you will be dropping 1 pound a week. Yourclothes will loosen up! You will feel lighter! You will have more energy! Youwill be able to move more quickly and confidently.  Boom! You hit your goal then you can eat morecalories per day again. When you reach 8 weeks, you will want to do another 8 weeks with a new goal.  
 Calorie Breakdown:200 (breakfast 8- 9am)100 (snack 10 or 11am)250- 350 (lunch- noon or 1)100 (snack 3pm)350-450 (dinner 6-7pm)100 (evening snack)
TOTAL: 1100- 1300 calories
Breakfast:
OPTION 1:

Oatmeal Bliss! 

Oatmeal (150 for 1/2 cup)- Almond unsweetened vanilla milk (18calories for 1/2 cup)Add a handful of blueberries, strawberries, grapes or blackberriesJ (when they are startto go bad and are getting mushy you can still eat them in your oatmeal or a smoothie!)- ~20 caloriesCoffee or Tea with measured 1 Tbsp creamer 35 calories- (Splenda?Stevia? NO SUGAR) Total – just over 200

OPTION 2:

Eggerific Sandwich!

Egg white sandwich- ½ English muffin (50 calories for Thomaswheat), 2 egg whites (18 calories per), thin slice of ham (15 calories) spraybutter (zero calories)¼ cup of cottage cheese (45 calories)Coffee or Tea with measured 1 Tbsp creamer 35 calories- (Splenda?Stevia? NO SUGAR) Total- less than 200
  OPTION 3:

Shake it up! 

Protein shake- 1 scoop ~100 calories, 1 whole cup of almondmilk (35 calories) plus fruitIt doesn’t seem like it fills you up but it’s fast andhealthy- great way to get your vitamins and suppliments. It’s an energy booster…it starts your metabolism.  Plus, youwill be eating 2 hours later. Coffee or Tea withmeasured 1 Tbsp creamer 35 calories- (Splenda? Stevia? NO SUGAR) Total: Less than 200

OPTION 4: 

Yogie Morning!

1 serving of greek yogurt (140 calories) with high protein granola(1/8 cup 70 calories) Coffee or Tea with measured 1 Tbsp creamer 35 calories- (Splenda?Stevia? NO SUGAR) Total: 200


OPTION 5: Peanut butter (1 Tbsp is 100 calories) on an English Muffin(Thomas wheat 100 calories)*You will figure out that a whole Tbsp and a whole muffin isa lot! You could cut it in half.Coffee or Tea with measured 1 Tbsp creamer 35 calories- (Splenda?Stevia? NO SUGAR) Handful of berries (25 calories)Total- less than 250

Now remember, IF YOU DO A CARDIOVASCULAR exercise to burnextra calories, you can eat more! Add them to your calorie count! Get to the gym, go for awalk, a bike ride, chase your kids at the park, play softball, do yoga etc.etc. !
As I have said before, I LOVE breakfast foods! I use to LOVE cereal.  I used to eat Kashi Go Lean Heart to Heart cereal (thekids call it “mom kind”) almost every day. Now I enjoy it now and again but smaller portions and with skim milk or almondmilk.I have beenknown to eat a pumpkin roll with cheesecake filling french toast but I savethose for dessert on days that I work out.  
I don't like to call this a "DIET" in the sense of a temporary thing... it should be changing the way you eat forever... HOWEVER, you will NOT have to monitor so closely what you eat for too long.  Do it until you make new habits and lose the weight. While you are trying to lose you are consuming a deficit of calories.  Once you get used to new foods and portions, you will not want to go back to your old ways- your old ways will gross you out.  You will get more calories a day to maintain you new weight and your new calorie count will feel like a ton.  This new YOU will feel great! It WILL make your form new habits to eating the rightportions of food!  Please note: I knowthere are always better and better ways to eats. (eliminating caffeine,cleanse, raw foods, all organic, vegetarian, no sugar) This is where I am on myjourney and I am REALLY happy to be here now.  Another BLOG that I LOVE is REAL FOOD. They are all about healthy choices! 
So, there ya go… those are our favorite breakfast options todrop pounds.  Tell us what youthink!  Look forward to upcoming posts forlunch, snack, dinner and dessert options.

Lorac Femme Fatale Palette

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I recently picked up this palette from Hautelook for $14. The palette has 10 shades and are a mix of matte and shimmer. They are not named. I thought it was a great price for the brand and number of shadows. I was however quite surprised when I opened the box to see this tiny palette that could literally fit in my hand. Simply saying, it's tiny!

Each shadow is about the width of my pinkie finger. It does come with a brush and the packaging is quite nice. As for the actual shadows, some were chalky and really hard to swatch. Some were nice. Overall, not the quality I'm used to with this brand. So far I'm not in love but will try to work with it for now. If you have the Urban Decay Naked or Naked2 palettes, pass on this one.






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Gluten-Free Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pecan Crust

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Gluten-free turkey meatloaf with sun-dried tomatoes and pecan crust.

The morning was cool and bright. It was going to be one of those quintessential Cape Cod autumn days. A day tourists swoon over. Worthy of a post card with The weather is sublime- wish you were here scrawled in black gel cursive between sips of a Hot Chocolate Sparrow latte. The sky was a cake bowl of cobalt blue with that particular pink edge to it that only painters notice, the blush that softened the tree line at the north end of the West Barnstable marsh gentling the heavy greens of the pines and oaks into a bluish, almost violet gray.

She brushed her teeth with fennel toothpaste and spit into the low slung sink, pausing to breathe. A long inhale to slow her heart. The cottage was pin drop quiet. The boys had climbed the rubber lined steps into the school bus hours ago, peanut butter and honey sandwiches bagged, milk money in their pockets. She had waved from the street and watched them navigate the bus aisle in shadow, avoiding her maternal gaze, not turning to wave back. Too risky, she understood.

The walk back up the curve of road to the rental she had found last spring felt different this morning. Not because of the air and its September clarity that sharpened the asters and the Queen Anne's Lace with impossible precision- though she felt a kinship with the acute focus the turning of the seasons always brings. That sense of realignment, a perennial return to purpose. Ironically, she always felt as if fall was the season of new beginnings. Not spring.

Fall was the season she woke up, as if from a dream.

Today was the first day of a plein air painting workshop. A post-divorce return to premarital roots, when she painted for the love of it- not the pragmatic bill-paying need of it. Painting for an income (however necessary it may be) is dangerous business. Courting the marketplace changes your work. A self consciousness slithers in and infiltrates your choices. The observer becomes observed. Judged. Rewarded for meeting expectations.

She had always been more than willing to please. To notice the cues and needs of others. It was more than habit. It was ingrained in her bones. She had an uncanny knack for it. And she hated it about herself. She hated her automatic willingness to anticipate and acquiesce. Sometimes she would hear her own words hang in the air and for a quantum, split second wonder who had just spoken. There were entire days lost to living outside herself, hovering above her left shoulder, just beyond reach.

Stepping into the tiny sunlit kitchen she stood still for a moment, tempted by the cluttered breakfast table. The sticky bowls and spoons. The allure of distraction. The comfort of routine. But it didn't take. She snatched her car keys off a hook and grabbed a canvas bag of painting gear by the door, turned the knob with her free hand and opened it wide. Three minutes later she made a right at the empty bus stop, and accelerated east down Old King's Highway.

To be continued...

This gluten-free turkey meatloaf is studded with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs.

Gluten-Free Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pecan Crust

This simple turkey meatloaf is moist, flavorful and light. And you won't miss the gluten. Using fresh gluten-free bread crumbs (I used Udi's sandwich bread) gave this loaf a wonderful texture. The sun-dried tomatoes (I used Trader Joe's organic dry packed sun-dried tomatoes) and fresh herbs add a satisfying tang and depth. The pecan crust makes a crunchy top that adds a touch of fancy.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground organic turkey (not too lean- for best flavor)
1 large organic free-range egg
1/3 cup plain rice milk
3 pieces of gluten-free bread
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

For topping:
1/2 cup chopped salted pecans

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a 9-inch ceramic or glass loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey with the egg and rice milk.

Process the gluten-free bread into crumbs. Add them to the turkey mixture.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, herbs. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper. Mix to incorporate all your seasonings.

Scoop the turkey mixture into the loaf pan and use the back of a spoon to press it into a loaf shape.

Sprinkle with chopped pecans and press them into the top.

Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes, until done (internal temp. should be 165ºF).

Let the loaf rest for five minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes:

This is a gluten-free dairy-free soy-free recipe.

Leftover loaf makes fabulous sandwiches.

If you prefer using regular milk, it will work in this recipe.

To be nut-free, skip the pecan crust.

Makes one two-pound loaf.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you. 

Cooking light and flavorful with organic turkey, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs.

 

More gluten-free meatloaf recipes from bloggers:

Lydia's Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf at Perfect Pantry
Katrina's Ground Turkey with Apricots and Sage

New Quinoa Bars Recipe - Blondie Style

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Our new favorite quinoa bar with almond meal, lots of good vanilla and dark chocolate chips.

The turn of the year's wheel inevitably stirs up ghosts. Last night we walked after dinner. Slowly, in a warm breeze, curled paper leaves scuttling the uneven side walk. Something in the air reminded me of New Mexico. And I remembered a day we drove to Taos, just to get out of our heads and escape the particular tunneling isolation of the writing life.

The afternoon was golden and soft, almost balmy. The kind of day that lulls you into believing winter is still far off. The trickster wind spun burnished leaves and pinon smoke around us with fingers warm and cool and so dreamy we almost floated along the crooked streets of Taos center, bumping elbows with straggling tourists in beaded earrings and adobe hued scarves, and locals in scuffed cowboy boots barking Spanish into cell phones.

We wandered through empty galleries and a well-stocked kitchen store. I fingered a set of engraved silver measuring spoons, but put them back on the shelf (too expensive to justify). Steve ordered a cappuccino to go, and we drove home along the Rio Grande listening to Steve Earle and watching the late afternoon sun dart down the canyon walls, back-lighting the almost bare cottonwoods, grayish brown and silver.

It was good to get away that day, get out of my head.

That night I dreamed of Russell Crowe. He was close by that month, filming 3:10 To Yuma up in Abiquiu. I read in my journal that we spoke about our fathers. He listened with his eyes, I wrote, grasping the loss of never knowing my father with a depth and muscle that held my pain fiercely.

This morning I woke feeling less heavy, and relieved of my usual L.A. bruxism. For the first time in a long time I felt the urge to pick up a paintbrush. To smooth a raw canvas with palms, flat and expectant.

Soon.

But in the meantime, I wait.

To wait, to surrender to this thing, this process, this road home to myself- it's not an easy thing. But if you offered me a pill to swallow, some cure, some promise, some magic, I doubt I would be tempted. Because there is a part of me- some stubborn, rusty, ancient part of me- that understands I must go through it, not around it. I must go down. Not up in a flight of fancy. I must get muddy and singed and hollow and exhausted.

I must tunnel through and scrape away with the tiniest of tools- my will- toward some small, shy truth. Excavating, digging past the illusions, the denial, the desire to please, to be light, to be pretty, to be approved of.

Authenticity.

It is my Holiest Grail. And why it is so hard to find it, I don't know.

For some of us, it just is.

Dark chocolate, lots of good vanilla, and nuts make these quinoa bars special.

Warm from the oven, when the chocolate is melty- divine.

Take a break with a good book and a blondie style quinoa bar.

New Quinoa Bars Recipe - Blondie Style

Gluten-free quinoa bars (and cookies!) are a long time family favorite. Hence, we are forever tweaking, experimenting with variations on a theme. This time out we tried almond flour in the mix, and added chopped walnuts for a nutty crunch. (This version uses eggs, find a vegan version here for a template on making this recipe egg-free.)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2/3 cup organic coconut oil
2 organic free-range eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract
2/3 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

If needed: rice milk

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9x11" baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and starches, quinoa flakes, xanthan gum, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Add in the coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until you get a smooth, but sticky batter.

If the dough is dry, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of rice milk, as needed, one spoonful at a time, to achieve a dough that sticks together when you pinch it- much like cookie dough.

Stir in the dark chocolate chips and nuts by hand.

Spread the dough into the prepared baking pan, and using wet or oiled hands, smooth out the surface. Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven until the dough is golden and set - about 22 to 30 minutes. The top should appear golden brown around the edges, and the center should be firm to a light touch.

Cool on a wire rack.

Remove from the pan whole, using the parchment paper edges to lift it, and place the baked bars on a cutting surface. Using a thin sharp knife, cut into 18 squares. Wrap the bars in foil or wrap; bag; freeze in a freezer storage bag.

Makes 18 bars.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.