It's baaaaack!!!

I love Casa Bonita! And it's back! No more Casa Viva, but the real deal! Casa Bonita has been a place that I've loved since I was a kid. I'm not saying it's the best food, but there's just something so nostalgic about being there and raising that little flag for more food (which I believe every restaurant should do)...the sopapillas...the game room...FREE queso! Love it all! I remember back in the early '80s in first grade, Mrs. Taylor's class, and just waiting for school to let out for the weekend bc that evening my mom, dad, and little brother were going to Casa Bonita! I specifically remember parking on the north side of the building and walking up to the big pinkness and being absolutely thrilled to be there. It was a huge thing for me back then! I can't wait to take Lola there bc there's nothing I enjoy more than starting new family traditions and now maybe Casa Bonita can be something fun for her too.

I Like Big Biscuits and I Cannot Lie

The title of this post speaks for itself. Lola comes by her love of bread naturally. It's in her genes. If we're out to eat somewhere and they bring us a basket of rolls/biscuits, we are happy. That doesn't mean that that's all she gets at dinner. Oh, no. We save the bread for last. It's our dessert. (Actually, I have a few with my meal as well.) I load it up with butter, let it get soggy, and then dive into my butter bomb. The only place that really just sends us both over the edge with our bread is Cracker Barrel bc they have apple butter. Yum.

** Side note: For you other moms out there, I admit it, from time to time I let my girl eat the buttered bread. I am particular about what Lola eats and drinks daily, but I have yet to see the harm in an occasional buttered biscuit. I grew up sneaking the buttah from the fridge, from what I've been told, and I am fine. Now, if you break out a sugar-filled, fruit-flavored-not-even-real-fruit , high fructose corn syrup-packed fruit juice, THAT is where I put my foot down.)

So, all that to say, these pics are of Lola enjoying her roll at a little diner in Hominy yesterday. She'd already eaten her lunch, so this was her dessert. :) And, no, I don't let her eat the whole thing. She'd be sick!

Something to be Excited About!!

I admit it: I love New Kids on the Block! I still know all the words to all the songs. In fact, I still even have all of my TAPES upstairs in my storage closet bc I just couldn't let them go! These guys were huge upon huge when I was a young teen. I went to their concert at Skelly Stadium while I was in middle school and believe me when I say that Donnie and I totally made eye contact. I know we did. Forget the fact that we were half a football field away and he was swinging through the air on some crazy contraption during their performance. He saw me. I just know it. Well, now, after more than 15 years, they're back!!! Rumor has it that their new CD will be out on September 2. I saw them on the Today show a couple of weeks ago and I think they're still great. Maybe I'm in denial, but so what if they're kinda old now and still dancing around. I can't help but still be a fan.

"Please Don't Go Girl"...

"Hangin' Tough"...

"I'll Be Loving You Forever"...

Yep, they're still awesome. The countdown begins!

Sunshine Day

Below: Taking a quick grape/strawberry/cookie/water break. I was bribing her with the snacks. That's the only reason she's actually sitting still and looking at the camera. This normally never happens!


Below: Capt. Lola...She LOVED this boat! Maybe she's watched too much "Deadliest Catch" with Daddy. She'd say, "Fish?"

Below: Exhausted and ready to go home. Since she'd had no nap today, she literally feel asleep in the car once I put it in drive.

Today, Lola and I went to the swimming pool at Nienhuis Park. It's new, clean, and just down the street from my house. Now, granted, we could have stayed home and used the free neighborhood pool (gotta get something out of those homeowner's association dues), but we wanted to try something new. Nienhuis was great! We stayed in the toddler area and Lola had a blast. Once she got the hang of climbing into this padded boat, she never wanted to leave it. There was a cute teeny tiny slide at the end of it, but she was more interested in "driving" the boat and just sitting up front.

However, after today I have made myself a new rule for the future: Toddler pools are for TODDLERS. (And their guardians, obviously.) That's all I'm going to say about that.

Dogs, Frogs & Chalk

** Jan, at lunch today you requested pics of Lola with Izzy. Here you go! I wanted to post these anyway, so you gave me a great excuse!

A couple weeks ago, after we finished dinner, Lola and her Gramby went out back to play with Izzy and ride the 4-wheeler. (Lola is a true nature girl and is ALWAYS most content outdoors. It doesn't matter how hot it is.) She likes it best when Izzy chases her. So, that's what they did for the evening, and later her Nana and Poppers came by with sidewalk chalk. This was Lola's first time to play with it. I'm hoping she'll enjoy crafts and projects as much as I do once she's older, so I don't know why I haven't got her chalk sooner! Later, a friendly little frog decided to join in and that's how the rest of the evening went: Lola chasing a frog.

Below: This pic cracks me up bc Izzy looks so fierce. And she's just not!




Below: Izzy's attempting to lick some leftovers off Lola's face. And Lola let her.

Below: This is just before Lola decides that Frog is friendly and not worth freaking out over. Look at his little legs! So funny.

Below: Still fiddling with the frog. She WANTS him! Sorta...

A Shout-out to Jodi

Thanks for helping me get my blog up and running! I couldn't have done it without you -- really. I could have emailed you to say thanks, but then nobody would know it's all bc of you that my blog exists. You're right, it IS addicting!!!

Family Pictures

Here's a link to our new (and first ever) family pictures which we had taken last month. Go to www.kellystocksenphotography.com, click on "Enter the site," then "Clients" and the password is 072508. Lola loves the bubbles...

Where to Pick Berries

Okay, I should have mentioned this in the last post about berries. However, I honestly thought that most of you would get bored with the post and quit reading. (It was kinda wordy.) Boy, was I wrong! Kinda makes me feel good... :)

I like to go to Toomey's Thornless Blackberry Farm to pick my blackberries bc it's close to my house and they're just so friendly. I highly recommend them. Their blackberries always make my cobblers so sweet and de-lish. http://www.toomeyblackberryfarm.com/

Here's a link to a Tulsa World article with info on lots of pick-your-own-berries places.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/lifestyle/article.aspx?articleID=20080709_39_D4_spancl867338

I'd like to check out Thunderbird Berry Farm in BA bc they offer all kinds of berries, but just haven't had the chance to go yet.

A berry helpful tip

A couple of years ago I learned of this great tip for freezing fruit, particularly berries. Many of you may already do this, but I'm always so thrilled when one of my ideas is useful for someone else.

Because it's summer and berries are at their peak and much more affordable now than, say, in the middle of winter, now's a great time to store up! I can remember just last November when I needed some raspberries for a dessert I was taking to church, so I ran to Reasor's to buy some. Because the berries were out of season, I had to spend something like $6 for one of those tiny packages of berries. Nuts! So I have learned my lesson and now buy berries in bulk in the summer and just freeze them using the following method. It's so simple, so healthy, and so affordable! Now, that's not to say that these berries will taste exactly like fresh when you go to use them, but they're still very tasty and, oftentimes, no one knows they're not fresh. I do this with blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I've tried peaches, but they tend to turn a yucky color despite the fact that they still tasted good, so I use a different method for them. Individually freezing the berries is just the way to go.

**Also, it makes for a fun morning if you actually go to a berry farm and pick the berries yourself, then come home and freeze them for later. Just go early in the morning, like as soon as they open, because it gets way too hot!

Step 1: Gently wash your berries and let them dry on paper towels. (Remove stems, if any.)

Step 2: Once dry, place them on a plain ol' cookie sheet. No need for Fruit Fresh, sugar, or any other preservative. Just be sure that whatever pan you use will fit in your freezer. The first time I did this, I ended up rearranging my whole freezer! Depending on the amount of berries you have, I've even used a jelly roll pan. Make sure that whatever you use has a lip around it or else the berries will roll off once frozen.

Step 3: Place in the freezer section of your refrigerator. You can also place them in a deep freezer.





Step 4: After several hours, (I usually just do this overnight) remove the berries and place in a baggie with a label of what's inside, and the date. Keep in the freezer for months and months.




Now, the best part about individually freezing the berries is because it makes it so super convenient to simply pour and measure the amount of berries you need for your recipe. If you merely poured all of your berries into a baggie and threw them in the freezer, they gel together and freeze into a big chunk. For instance, if you're making a dish that calls for 1 cup of blueberries, you'd have to thaw that whole frozen chunk to get your 1 cup - and then it's nothing but a cup of mush - and then you have to figure out what to do with the remaining chunk, and by that time, you're frustrated and will probably end up just throwing it all away. Trust me, I've done it! That's why I love this technique much better.

One last thing: The berries get a little soft once thawed, so don't think that you'll be able to throw a handful of raspberries on top of a dessert or something and expect them to be as firm as fresh. The blueberries are the only ones that tend to do okay thawed and thrown into a salad or something without getting too mushy. I use my frozen stash primarily in cobblers, pies, smoothies, and breads. Following this method is definitely helpful in the majority of my recipes, but there are times when only fresh will do. Don't let me mislead you!

Art of Barbecue

A couple weeks ago we went to The Art of Barbecue. One of the law firms we work for was kind enough to invite our office to their tent for dinner, and it was DELICIOUS. (Might I mention that they were last year's corporate champs.) While we were there, Lola had her first encounter with a clown. She basically freaked out. Mr. Clown was kind enough to not be insulted, and he made her a balloon flower which she "loved" (by that I mean, hugged and chewed on) so much that it didn't even make it home before deflating.

Porter Peaches

Last weekend after Kendall got off of work, we headed to the Cherry Street Farmers Market and then to Porter to get some peaches! Outside of the fruit stand they had this little train set up for pictures. I couldn't get Lola to pay attention to me and "SMILE!" (And it didn't help that Kendall is hidden just to the left of her, holding her up, and hollering at me, "Are you done?! Are you done yet?!?) However, about that time a little elderly couple pulled up and they began waving at her and making a fuss over how cute they thought she was, and she perked up and I finally got my pic. They were the sweetest little couple and they told me it just made their day to have Lola wave at them and tell them hi. So cute. Once I got my shot, we headed inside and got lots of fresh corn (which Lola helped me shuck once we got home; she was fascinated by all the silk inside -- which eventually got spread all over the kitchen), new potatoes, blueberries, some onion, and, of course, PEACHES!!! Those Redhavens were just oustanding...

Vintage Lola

This picture just kills me every time I look at it. Seems like just yesterday...

Give Her a Tums Already

Okay, so this is one of the most bizarre things that has happened to me in a veeeery long time. Last weekend my in-laws gave us a watermelon. We were thrilled bc we cannot seem to be able to keep fruit for very long in our house these days (Lola) and a watermelon would be delicious. So, we came home, set it on the counter, and left it there. I planned on cutting it up once we had room in our refrigerator for the big bowl I was going to store it in. (A couple days, tops.)

Yesterday morning I was picking up around the house before I left for my deposition and I kept hearing this hissing sound. Kinda loud, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I shut off the TV, walked around my entire house all hunch-backed with my head poked out, turning my head from side to side as if my ears would zero in on this mysterious sound -- you know the look, don't laugh. I just could not figure out where this noise was coming from. The idea of my water pipes crossed my mind, but nope, wasn't them. I give up.

Well, about 45 minutes later I'm in the kitchen putting dishes away and I notice that my watermelon is FOAMING and HISSING and SPEWING water/juice stuff all over my countertop! It was so thick it looked like shaving cream. I am just speechless. I have never in all my 30 years seen a watermelon have a fit like this. So I pick it up, move it over to the sink and notice this teeny tiny little sliver on the side of it is where the watermelon puke is coming from. (And it's still hissing at me.) I just sat there and looked at it, clueless as to what to do. Was it possessed?!? Kendall and I were psyched about this melon, so I don't want to just dump it in the trash. So I call him. He thinks I'm crazy and tells me to cut it open. I hang up. I grab a giant knife and very gently start to slice into the top of the melon and the split second I do that, the watermelon "BOOMS!!" LOUDLY and explodes into two pieces. I jumped back, drop the knife, and am totally freaked out. Watermelon seeds are everywhere, all over me, the kitchen, and sticky juicy stuff is sprayed across the kitchen! I thought I got shot for a second there.

*Side note: It sort of reminds me of the scene in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when Clark cuts into the burnt turkey and it sort of pops, then deflates. LOL

Now I have to call Kendall back. I was still in a little bit of shock from this explosion when I talk to him and, frankly, I think he's having a hard time understanding what I just went through. So bizarre. I had to take pictures of it for my blog (which wasn't even created at this point) bc it's such a crazy story that I had to share it! We still do not have a clue as to why the watermelon exploded. And, for those of you curious about what I did with the melon after it threw up on me: I had to throw it away bc it didn't really smell watermelon-y, and after the way it treated me, I didn't trust it. (Teresa: Beware of the other watermelon that you kept for yourself!!)

Before the explosion:

After the explosion:

Why "Carrot Cake" You Ask...

Once I finally decided to go ahead and start my blog, I was looking for a name that would conjure up feelings of home, friendship, happiness, smiles, fun, sharing, and on and on. The purpose of my blog is to simply share highlights of what goes on in our home so that friends and family have the chance to see Lola and read about how she's growing up, neat things I come across and want to share, crafty things, and even tasty recipes from time to time; to put it simply, just a fun little place to visit.

Well, since nothing really came to mind while trying to think of a name, I gave up and just went to bed. Well, lo and behold, that night I had a dream about my blog! Seriously. I don't remember too much about that dream except the next morning the words "blog" and "carrot cake" were just in my head. (Needless to say, I've been debating on starting a blog for quite a while; several of y'all know this bc I oftentimes find myself saying "Oh, I gotta take a picture for my blog!" Only then to get the response, "You don't even have a blog!") Anyway, it then occurred to me that that is exactly the type of thing I'd been searching for.

When I think of carrot cake, I think of being at home, hanging out -- just happiness. Anyone who knows me even remotely well knows that food is where my heart is. I mean, Kendall even referenced this in his wedding vows to me. "And I promise to always let you have the bigger piece of cake." That is SO me! Nothing thrills me like getting the chance to just be at home and bake something sweet...then sharing it! I love, love, love carrot cake...all that cream cheese frosting...so sweet and just a little nutty. Just like yours truly!

So, there you have it, the silly little way I came up with the name of my blog. (However, it didn't hurt that some of the more popular types of titles were already taken.) My goal is to post several times a week, so leave your comments and hope you enjoy visiting us!