Thursday, September 30, 2010

pumpkins, cupcakes, and a little zingo.

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fall has been welcomed back home. like a long lost and very missed friend, she has returned. and while we have not been graced with some of the season's sweetest gifts; crunchy leaves, pink noses and cheeks from the perfectly chilled air that make a visit to the nearest pumpkin patch just right for a very large and warm cup of spiced cider to accompany that sugared donut or three. yeah, yeah...the bees. they'll be there too, but have you ever seen a couple of toddlers and maybe a mama thrown too...to overreact at the sight of a bee and start running like a bat out of...

well, it's entertainment to say the least.

i've hung pumpkin vines (40% at michael's crafts right now) and stuffed vases with moss; my house smells like a cup of chai tea and at night it looks like it's on fire from the all the candles flickering inside. it's just the way i like to start off the next few months.

and since we floridians don't have the weather for it...i just crank down the ole' thermostat, cover myself in pillows and blankets, turn on You've Got Mail...and well, we have fall in florida ladies and gentlemen!
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and speaking of halloween...peyton has changed her mind YET again even after i told her that once we bought anything for her former (former being one month ago) desire to be a witch AGAIN, she was not allowed to change her mind. rather, she could change her mind, as women often do, but the mama would not be purchasing anything else!

well, she politely walked into my bathroom and matter of factly told me that she would now like to be a catwoman.

i stopped curling my eyelashes long enough to say, "i don't think so."

but then she looked at me and said, "but i wanna go, 'meow!'" and she didn't meow it out it like a fluffy kitten with big blue precious moments eyes would. girlfriend said it like she was already sporting the black latex bodysuit complete with dagger sharp, painted red nails.
yes, she had it down.

i was impressed.

we compromised on a catwoman witch as long as she let me do the teeniest bit of face painting to complete the look. she agreed, but something tells me that this little girl of mine has a mind of her own.
(without the claws, latex, and attitude-thank you very much)

just writing about this makes me want to make a pot of chili, roast hot dogs, and have friends over!

***

right now, i am getting organized for peyton and beckham's joint birthday party! it's going to be small to save time and a few bucks, but very much geared toward the kids.

i wanted to share the book i am loving right now...
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you can get it on amazon for like $8

it is an amazing book of ideas and inspiration. you check it out here. whenever i need inspiration for a party of any kind...i almost always start with cookbook. I start with food to inspire the rest of the event. i swear by this method because sometimes i just can't get it together. for a kid's party, baby or wedding shower/brunch...a cupcake book gets me started. before i know it my blank page becomes filled with party & food ideas, colors, themes.

along with this book and a few little google searches... i think anyone can throw a fab and fun get together.

peyton and beckham are having...
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an artist party!

how stinkin' cute are these cupcakes? and extremely easy to make.

i'll keep posting ideas for this party as i figure it out.

***
my friend jenn, is like freaking amazing at party planning. she has exquisite taste, and she throws wonderful dinner parties. however, her birthday parties are always special because she really does what she does to make the day special for her little ones.

jenn creates an experience for her guests and it is such a treat to see what she's cooked & dreamt up. if love is in the details, then she's got a lot of love going on.

the last one she did was for sophie and griffin's 6th and 4th birthdays. her idea to join them together changed my life..ha, maybe not but it's a great idea. with birthdays so close together, and with the holidays upon us...it just makes sense. our kids have special one-on-one days regularly, so sharing a birthday is exciting for them.

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she did a ladybug and bee themed party!
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she decorated with a few, sharpied up balloons, stunning cupcakes, and sunflower wrapped silverware and it was a beautiful party.
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throw in a few hot dogs and some really good potato salad (a few other delicious tidbits), and a water slide too and we had ourselves some fun.

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yeah, the 'older' cousins got into it as well. i'm pretty sure we had some limping going on after a few hours of non-stop running and supermanning it through the air!!!

times spent together with family like this...
well, it just makes me happy. all of our babies growing up together. sharing firsts together. it really is...special.
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*the little ant carrying watermelon cupcakes can be found in what's new cupcake?

happy birthday, sweet sophie and griff! we love you, xo.
***

once upon a time, a loving yet, apparently competitive family decided to play a game of zingo.
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they laughed, smiled, and were just generally happy to be spending some time together before bedtime.
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they played and played until...ZINGO, someone won.

beckham was victorious!

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peyton just missed the train tile she needed...
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or had she just not yelled out that magic word.

you see, beckham raised his hands and said, "i won, i won!" and with a covered board, he almost had, but his big sister realized that no one had said zingo and so she quickly grabbed the victory by yelling in her loudest voice..."ZINGO!"

it was over in a matter of seconds...

and suddenly...
the flood gates opened.
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"what? i didn't get to win?" cried the boy.
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heartbroken becks sobbed while his parents tried to remind him that the rules were the rules and that he needed to remember them in order to play the game correctly. after all, they had been practicing the rules for some time.
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a hard lesson for a small boy.
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soon though, the lesson paid off and the very next game he covered his board and yelled..."BINGO!"

ha. bingo, zingo...it all works!

our sweet little guy. winning isn't the most important part of a game. learning and doing your best is. besides, winning wouldn't be as fun if you never lost. we love you, baby boy!

***

the other day, i had the bright idea of indulging on fresh shrimp. i wanted to make roasted shrimp cocktail to go with the sweet pepper bruschetta i was making.

this is how it played out and it started with my husband asking me if i knew him at all.
"heidi, when do i eat shrimp? ever?"

"whenever we are out somewhere and they are serving shrimp cocktail, you make it point to come over and stuff an overly sauced shrimp in my mouth where you proceed to tell me how phenomenal they are!" i defensively whisper to him.

"heidi, it's the sauce i like, not the shrimp!"

"well, jeff...I'm not going to make you a bowl of cocktail sauce to drink down for dinner. it's...weird."

so faced with a pound of grey and slimy headless shrimp (but peeled and deveined)...i decide to roast some, and saute' the others.

i sauteed some in cornmeal and the others in panko breadcrumbs, and jeff liked them;)

Sauteed Shrimp
take a pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined and combine them with two tablespoons olive oil,
some fresh garlic, salt and pepper. dust them with 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs and saute' in pan.

disclaimer: i am not good with seafood, so i just threw this together quickly because i knew my non-shrimp-eating-husband wasn't going to touch it so i had nothing to lose by trying a few different ways of preparing the shrimp.

it was good though!


Roasted Shrimp Cocktail
to roast the shrimp, i used ina garten's recipe and placed the shrimp on a baking sheet, drizzled olive oil over them, kosher salt and pepper.

pop them into a 4oo degree oven
when done, i squeezed lemon over them.

i used prepared horseradish & ketchup to taste to make the cocktail sauce.

then i used another one of ina's recipes to make,

Bruschetta with Peppers & Gorgonzola: these are amazing! make these.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
2 yellow bell peppers...
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
kosher salt and black peppers
32 baguette slices...i made less for just jeff and i
4 to 5 ounces of creamy gorgonzola cheese at room temp.

preheat oven to 375

heat the olive oil in a pan over med-high heat, add the peppers and saute' for 15 minutes until tender. sprinkle with sugar and saute' for 2 minutes more. add the capers and basil. i like to make sure the capers are hot and soft, so i cook them until they look a tad soft. sprinkle with salt and pepper. set aside.
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arrange bread slices on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. brush each slice with olive oil and pop into the oven and toast until lightly browned.

the one thing i did to this recipe: i peeled one garlic clove, cut it in half and rubbed each slice of bread with the meat of the garlic. it gave it heat, punch, and it was fabulous. hold the garlic if making for an intimate dinner party though.

top each piece of bread with pepper mixture. sprinkle in one spot, some gorgonzola. return to oven to melt the cheese. ina says to sprinkle with salt, but the cheese is salty enough for me.

these are so good and so pretty! try 'em out!
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***
lastly, a fun photo shoot with abigail. i took her newborn photos last year and am amazed at how quickly these little ones grow up!

abigail's first birthday is almost here and her mama is so excited for her first birthday party!

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happy birthday, abigail!

***
although fall isn't showing it's prettiest face here in sw florida, we are rocking it out and faking it till we make it...
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with freshly baked banana bread baked by daddy...the whole house becomes engulfed in some of my favorite childhood memories...coloring at the table with my mom and sitting on the front porch with my sisters in the little green house on campbell street. i didn't live in a norman rockwell painting, but there is nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread dancing in the house.
(i will post this recipe on the next post)

also, on the next post, a HDP Photography Q & A on Photoshop. I'm not an expert, but this little lesson may help someone. I'll have that one up in no more than a few days. scout's honor.

xoxoxoxo,
happy fall-ing!!!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

11 years & the tooth fairy!

i look back on my wedding photos and for the first time ever, they finally look really, really old. you know what i mean. it's like when you discover an old wedding album of your mother's or your grandmothers and you touch each page gingerly and you imagine what it must have been like to think it was really cool to wear your hair like that or wear a dress of that style.

well, my photos have the 'feel' now. i wonder what peyton will think when she looks at my album? with eyes of someone with an opinion on what a wedding should be or look like. now, when she cracks open our album she says things like, "mommy, you look so different," or "you are a princess in these pictures," or "mommy, you had a party and i wasn't there."
(insert sad face followed by pouting and the 100Th explanation that she wasn't born yet)

"well, if i was born then, would i be at your wedding?"

"yes, honey. of course you would be. you would have dressed up like a princess just like mommy!"

the reason i even picked up my wedding album was because it was mine and jeff's eleven year wedding anniversary last week. i can't even believe that is possible, but it is and add two little kids to the mix and we are officially a little family of our own. darwish powers unite!

i've gotta say...i love that feeling. the feeling of being a grown-up and having our own little way of life. our own traditions and routines. our way of doing things, right or wrong, the little things that make us 'darwish-party of 4!'

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happy anniversary, jeff! i love you.


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i love our beautifully unique, imperfect, and lovely life together. i love that we keep 'growing up' together and in a lot of ways still learn new pieces of one another.


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(j and i wanted to replicate this photo of my mom and dad at their wedding in 1977! i just love this photo of the two of them)


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***


guess who stopped in for another visit?


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the tooth fairy (daddy), left a note that mommy didn't know about until after peyton discovered it under her pillow. it said something like this:


peyton, congrats on losing your second tooth. i am so proud of you for not crying...you are such a big girl. i just wanted to say, next time you have loose tooth and it feels ready to come out-daddy's are the best people to pull them out! they know how to do it just right and it won't even hurt.


again, i am so proud of you. i love you.


xoxo,

the tooth fairy.


ahem. daddy thinks it's some rite of passage of being 'the daddy' to pull out any and all wiggling teeth in this house (please note: i disagree). i had to laugh last night when, again, peyton came to us with her tooth in her hand and proud smile on her face. i looked up at jeff and it between the hoorays and hugs, he was mouthing to me...

"i didn't get to pull it out...again. i'm supposed to get to pull it out."


ha. ha. ha.


anyway, it all went well again and i'm pretty sure peyton is getting used to this whole money under her pillow thing. although, she said she made a wish on a wishing star last night that the TF would bring her a baby. so, this morning, she kept looking around the house, the closet, her drawers, until finally she gave up on that and focused in on the fairy dust. less fairy dust than before per her request, but dust just the same.


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then, she woke her brother up to share the news. quite honestly, i think he's tired of being so supportive of this tooth fairy thing. after all, he's not getting any under-the-pillow-treats, but he's still going strong and with no complaints...yet.

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i love you so much, peyton mae. you are my little sweet girl and i am so proud of you and the little girl that you are.

you have such a sweet and caring heart.

xoxo

***


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our little guy woke up on the sick side today. our sweet little baby boy. he was sad at first, but after daddy left...he and i just cuddled and watched tv for a while. he asked me to scratch his back and lay down with him and it felt so good to turn off the responsibilities and to do lists and just make him feel better. no better excuse to play zingo four times in the middle of the day.


sick cuddles is what i call it. is that weird? maybe, but i kinda look forward to these days.


and then, p kinder teacher called and said peyton wasn't feeling well. i nearly tripped over my words as i pushed out, "i'll be right there. on my way."


i was there in record time and as i walked into the office, i saw her sad little face behind the big desk. she was holding her teacher's hand and i couldn't get to her fast enough. i didn't understand why that moment felt so important for me? why i needed to be there as soon as i could possibly find my keys and get becks in the car? why i felt such a wave of emotion at seeing her face...after all, i could see instantly that she was fine. i think it was more of a i-miss-my-mommy sickness than anything else (that and it was hot outside and she didn't wanted to go to P.E. and 'get hot and feel worse'-i heard this later).


i think it is because i have never really been away from her when she's not felt well. rather, she's never been in the care of someone other family for such long periods time and when she has become sick. i guess a part of me wanted her to know that,

hey, i'm still here, baby. whenever you need me, big or small...mommy's here.


it's funny how we grow emotionally. you don't always know what will trigger a reflective moment, a moment in time that may open the door to their little hearts or minds. their concerns, maybe their fears. my concerns, my fears.


it was my need to let her know i was there when she needed me.


here i go again on one my deep tangents on motherhood and how our roles keep changing and how it takes some getting used to. it is amazing and it sucks all rolled into one big fat cheesy burrito.


***


last week, beckham and i made bran muffins! they were soooo good. could have been better had i had molasses in the house or had thought to use honey, but this was a spur of the moment activity and it was fun and delish.


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oat bran muffins with applesauce


1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 1/2 cups of all natural oat bran

1 1/2 cup of all-purpose four

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 large room temperature eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup of chilled applesauce

5 tablespoons unsalted room temp, butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

teaspoon vanilla

1 mashed up over-ripe banana (because i had it in the house, but i loved the favor)


preheat oven to 400 degrees

line muffin cups with liners


combine the bran and applesauce in a bowl and let it sit.


in another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.


in a third bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla until fluffy...about three minutes with a hand blender.

then, add the eggs slowly. then, add the bran/applesauce mixture.


with a mixer set to a low setting, add the dry ingredients to the batter, be gentle. do not over mix the batter. finally, fold in the mash banana. ( i think you could add one additional banana if you have one.


spoon batter into cups, let them sit ten minutes, and then pop them into the oven. bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown.


***note, i over baked mine...not fun! i would set the timer for 15 minutes and check for doneness.

****also note: i'm not a professional baker, so if the steps seem off, they may be, but this is what worked for me:) i welcome any baking suggestions that is for sure!


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beckman LOVED these and they are healthy! he asked if i would pack all of them in his lunch box!


***


and from a mama that does know how to bake...

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this is just a sneak peek of the party she threw for her babies, sophie and griffin, peyton and beckham's cousins.


that is for the next post which i will do in a couple of days.


and as promised, i dug up the link for my photog Q&A that may answer some of the emails i am getting. i don't mind answering questions, so keep them coming if you think i could help, but this is easier since i already answered these.


i will be adding this as a tab next to the other two tabs under the header, but until then...


HDP Photography Q & A


dinner idea:

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i know it's fall, but i had a ton of peppers left over and i had to use them up, so i used some to make

grilled brats on grilled potato hot dog roll, covered in peppers and onions that i sauteed with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and one of salted butter (i didn't say it was healthy).


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i served it up with boiled corn on the cob. easy, cheap, and it may inspire a dinner one night when your mind draws a blank:)


g'night.

xoxoxo