Halloween bottles and a pasta problem!

Today I finished up working on my Halloween decor, by putting the final touches on these bottles that we painted. I really liked how they turned out!

I still have to give them a final spray of sealer, so the paint doesn't chip off, but other than that, they are ready to display! The smaller one is a pasta jar that was painted orange on the inside, and other two are green bottles (one olive oil, one wine) that my 5 and 3 yr olds helped to paint on the outside.  

I much prefer the clean, inside painted look, but since I'm also about letting the kids help with the crafts, I'll take whatever I can get! 

The other thing I have going on today is my never-ending battle with pasta. Awhile ago I brought some pasta home from the grocery store that had pasta bugs in it. 

They.are.so.gross!!

And I didn't realize at first what it was, so I did nothing about it. Then they were everywhere. All over my pantry closet. Trying to climb out and on my counter. Ick. 

I took drastic steps. Cleaned out and sprayed down the entire pantry closet. Threw a ton of stuff away. It was probably about time. Ever since I started the Konmari Method  I've had an easier time just throwing things away.  I'm never going to make those strawberry lemonade flavored cupcakes, never. Why did I buy those? I ended up doing some research about the pasta bugs, and the best way to kill them is to put the boxes in the freezer when you get home from the store so the cold can kill the bugs and their eggs. 

Again, ick.

So that's what I've been doing, and I'm happy to say, NO MORE BUGS!!

What a relief!

Except for tonight, when I took a box of pasta from the freezer, emptied it into the pot of boiling water, and a ton of gross little bugs started floating on the surface of the water. I panicked and threw the entire pot down the drain, which lead to my (temporarily) clogging my garbage disposal. But, thankfully, I got rid of all of it! Shudder.

Which lead me to this photo. I had a half a box of clean rotini left, but the other pasta was down the drain, literally. So I found a box of tri-color pasta and picked out all of the white pastas (red bowl) to go with the half box. My 3 kids were none the wiser. Then I made the red and green pasta for myself (and extra for lunch tomorrow).

Dinner was saved, a mess was made but our bellies are full. For that, we are thankful!

Until next time, come and hang with me on Instagram!  It's the perfect platform for a visual person like me; I love looking at all the photos!

-Patricia

Peru!! Restaurant Reviews and a whole lotta ocean!

Today I wanted to share with you photos and restaurant reviews from our recent trip to Lima, Peru!

My husband and I, his mom, a single friend and another couple all went together. We had the BEST time! I definitely would go back, and if you ever get the chance to go to Lima--take it! We literally ate our way through Lima (it probably took me a week to recover from all the food), and it was delicious.

We arrived Thursday night (really late), and after checking into Hotel Estelar and having Pisco Sours (because that's what you drink in Lima, obviously!), we all retired to our rooms, ready to check out the city in the morning.

Friday: The hotel breakfast was great, as was the view! Also, don't get too close to the window; there are no screens. Anywhere. And no bugs actually, which made the lack of screens ok. 

That's right friends: no screens on the 21st floor.

For Friday's lunch we went to a cute little neighborhood place called Mama Olla after we explored the Miraflores neighborhood a bit. We walked from our hotel all the way down to view the ocean at an upscale shopping mall. I bought a cute set of fake pearl earrings, because I felt naked as I had left all of my real jewelry at home (you can never be too careful while traveling, but I felt really safe in Miraflores).  After all that walking, Mama Olla was great. The food was yummy and the server, Angel, was super sweet and helpful.  Sure he tried to sway us to order the most expensive items on the menu, but with the exchange rate, even those weren't that pricey. 

Friday night we went to the amazing restaurant Astrid y Gaston. For a 30 course tasting menu. Which changes every 6 months, including the paint colors and decor. It was amazing. Seriously. There were only a few items that I didn't like, and I really didn't feel like it was too much food either. It does take a really long time to eat that many courses, but it's an awesome, once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

One of the amazing, crazy dishes at Astrid y Gaston. It's actually orange cake with a sugar candy that looks like a cracked egg! 

The kitchen, where the magic happens.

Above the kitchen: We are free, and may we always be.

Saturday, we walked off some of that food from the night before at the Indian Market. The weather was perfect the entire time we were there, 70 degrees and pleasant. The word is that it doesn't rain much at all in Lima. We bought a couple of touristy souvenirs at the Indian Market, like an alpaca blanket, Peruvian nativity set, bracelets and bags for the girls, and of course, some paintings. I also took my photo in front of a fake Machu Picchu, because hey, faking it is a lot easier than hiking it. Lol

Saturday afternoon we booked a cooking class with a local guide, which turned out to the be most memorable part of our vacation. The guide, Paula, was so friendly! 

We first went to the local spice market, where she showed us some of the local fruits and where the locals shop for food.  If they sold cherimoya here in the US, I would buy it everyday. It's better than ice cream. Seriously. So. Good. 

After that we rode the bus back to her house.  The bus was super crowded (and surprisingly not stinky at all!). At one point I wasn't even holding on. I was so squished that I just let the crowd of people hold me up while riding along. And I have to admit, I was giggling to myself the whole time. It's pretty funny to be the foreigner on a Peruvian bus, something about the absurdity of being squished into a bunch of strangers on a fast-moving bus made me laugh. 

At Paula's house, we met her mother, an inviting women that was so sweet, even though she didn't speak English. She taught us to make causa (a cold potato appetizer) and ceviche. They were both so good! Paula showed us the secret to making a great Pisco Sour: the order in which you add the ingredients is important and don't let your ice cubes melt.  This is the site where we booked the tour, if you ever get to Lima and want to do it. 

Causa y Ceviche

Sunday a few of us went exploring and walked all the way from our hotel to the beach. The beach in Lima is basically a bit of dirt and a whole lot of rocks.  It's super beautiful, as you can see:

I could have spent hours just staring at the ocean, but there really isn't any place to sit, except on the rocks.

We walked down a huge hill cliff to get there:

Lima is up on a cliff, overlooking the ocean. We walked down the entire cliff on a path, it actually wasn't that bad.

We also passed a surfing competition (which inspired me to want to try surfing-more on that later), so we ended up walking the beach and then getting some snacks at La Rosa Nautica. It's on a cute boardwalk, with a few shops, and has a great view of the ocean.  The shops, oddly enough, were pricing everything in US dollars (apparently it's a tourist destination), but the food was good and the view was better. The waves are just so pretty! 

Me, after lunch at La Rosa Nautica.

And the walk back up. Easier after a few pisco sours.

That night we had dinner at Huaca Pucllana, a name we could never quite pronounce, but somehow everyone knew what we were saying. We tried a bunch of different foods, and it was all really good!  I was really stuffed from the late afternoon snacks, so I didn't really enjoy it, but I sampled a few things here and there and liked it.  We sat outside on their patio, next to the ruins, which date from 200 AD to 700 AD.  We got to view them a little that night, but the tours were already closed. We actually tried to come back on Tuesday to visit, but that's the one day that they are closed. (Can't say we didn't try to sneak in a little history on our foodie trip, lol.)

Want to see more of our fabulous trip?  Stay tuned! I'm going to save the rest of the restaurant reviews (Central, Rafael and Cala) for another post, coming soon!  And sorry if everything is sounding so yummy, it was!!

~Patricia

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Bakers and Chefs Baking Sheet Review (hint: it's a winner!)

Hey there!

It seems I'm in a mood to upgrade lately. I've switched out a bunch of things and most recently I bought a new set of rimmed baking sheets from Sam's Club.  They are the Bakers and Chefs brand, and they come in a pack of 2 for around $11. And they are super shiny:

Ooooo....shiny!

Before I bought them, I did some research. I really wanted to consult America's Test Kitchen (because they are so thorough with their research), but I realized that most of their stuff you need a subscription for, and I don't have one. Boo.  So, after a little more googling, I found this really intensive article from thesweethome.com.  If you care about baking sheets, you should read it, it's a great article!

It said that the Bakers and Chefs rimmed baking sheets (only available in-store) were it's #2 pick, and cost half as much as the #1 pick.  (The number one pick, by the way, was this one.)  Also, these sheets may warp at temperatures over 400 degrees, so that's a consideration if you're always baking at a high temp--which I don't usually do.   We've used them a few times a week since getting them, and I only noticed some slight warping once for a few seconds after I pulled it out of the oven. I actually pressed down firmly on the pan on both sides while it was still hot, and then it wasn't warped anymore. Maybe I have super powers! I haven't noticed any warping before or since then.

I guess some people like rimless baking sheets for baking cookies and things, and there was some research that your cookies get done faster on a rimless sheet (for those of you that can't wait), but I like the rimmed.  We mostly use our sheets for roasting, and I like that nothing will roll off of these.

Hello rim!

And this is super embarrassing.....

But these are the baking sheets we were using before....

Ick. 

We'd put foil down for everything (a habit we still do because it makes cleanup a breeze).

These are not so shiny.

And to celebrate our new baking sheets, we've been making some yummy dinners too!

Delicious! 

My husband is a much better cook than I am, and I know we both love these new baking sheets! I just wish that I would have picked these up sooner, since I have to make a run to Sam's every few months to stock up on essentials anyways!

And just fyi, I have not been compensated in any way by Sam's to tell you about these baking sheets (I wish!).  I just really like them and and wanted to share with you! 

Here's the recipe for the photo on the left btw, it's a keeper! (Click here)

Thanks for stopping by!

~Patricia

#tbt and an upgrade!

Many years ago now, when I was in college, I went on a 6 week exchange program to Cuernavaca, Mexico. My roommate and I stayed with a host family and the experiences we had will stay with me forever. Oh, the stories I could tell!  But, I won't: what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico.  

Seriously, if you ever get a chance to study abroad, do it!  

Remember when people used to print photos and make collages?
Yeah, me too.

One of the things I remember most about the experience was the food.  Our mama used to make these delicious ham and cheese sandwiches for us for breakfast, and I liked them so much that when I came back home I bought a sandwich maker so that I could make them at home. 

That was in 2004. And after several moves, including one across the country, today that sandwich maker finally died (well technically it broke in half). It was a sad day. 

Goodbye, faithful sandwich maker.

A sad day that was instantly made better when I remembered that I had a fabulous panini press just sitting in my cupboard, unopened.

It was a present for our wedding in 2007.

And I just opened it for the first time today. And it was fabulous!  It's a Breville panini grill (buy it here) that someone generously bought for us from our Williams-Sonoma wedding registry.  A little side note: when we got married, we registered at Williams-Sonoma and just walked around the store and registered for things that looked cool.  I had no idea what to register for and honestly, at that point I could count on one hand the number of times I'd even been in a Williams-Sonoma, so I had no idea what to register for.  It took me four years to get over that I had registered for a banana yellow Kitchenaid stand mixer.   I used it for the first time to make bread in 2011 and blogged about it (here); I've been writing for awhile!

Ok back to the panini press. I'm really excited that we registered for this. The paninis I've made so far are = delicious! My husband keeps making fun of me, since fancy, pressed sandwiches aren't a new concept; but I love them!! 

In the box, waiting patiently for me!

It looks like bigger IS better my friends.....

Mmmm. Panini. 

My favorite thing to add lately is avocado, yum!  I'm feeling hungry!

I'm going to go make a sandwich panini.

~Patricia

Watermelon

Awhile ago I came across this video which explains how to easily cut watermelon. It's pretty genius, and if you haven't watched it, you should!  It's pretty awesome.  Now, I always think that perhaps the people who make these videos are like, professional chefs or something, and there's no way I could ever do the same thing and make it look quite as nice and easy.  

So I tried it, and I failed. I think if I would have had or been able to use a more flexible knife to cut around the inside of the watermelon, it would have worked. Is that a thing, a flexible knife?  BUT, then I just cut the watermelon into fourths (instead of halves) and it worked really well! 

The watermelon cut into fourths, then sliced all around, as in the video.

Chunks came out!

There was just a little bit left inside, not bad!

C and M liked helping (sorry for the blurry photo, they were too busy eating to stand still)! 

Well, mostly they were eating the watermelon, but that's helpful, since my husband doesn't like watermelon. Someone's got to eat it! :)

I love reading about all sorts of life hacks, and this is one that I will definitely continue trying to perfect. 

And if anyone knows of a flexible knife I should try, let me know!

Thanks for stopping by!
~Patricia

An Easy Way to Hull Strawberries!

Tired of cutting the tops off of your strawberries? Feeling like you're wasting a bunch of the strawberry that way? Time to try something new! 

Hull your strawberries with a straw! 

Crazy, right?! Actually, it works really well, and I feel like it wastes less strawberry too.  Check out the photos!  I also love that the kids can help with this and I don't have to worry about them getting cut with a sharp knife. 

So easy! 

The kids can help too! 

Give it a try and let me know how it worked for you!

4 + Tips for driving across the country with your mother and 3 children under 8.

Don't.

Haha.  Just kidding. That wouldn't be a very good post, now would it?

A month ago, the kids, my mom and myself, left for "up north" as we southerners like to call it, and we traveled successfully for 3 days and 28 hours total.

I drove all 28 hours.

Here are 4 tips for making it that far, and keeping your sanity.

Chicago, anyone?

1. A good navigator.
My mom was great. I'm a talker, so she stayed awake and chatted with me the entire time. She even bought one of those airplane neck pillows and never used it.  She also had contacted AAA and got these fancy Triptiks that told us exactly where to go and and how far it was to our next destination. I could have just used my phone's GPS, but the Triptik is a cool perk of anyone's AAA membership, and it sure beats waiting for your GPS to "locate."

2. Food. Good food.
We packed ham and cheese sandwiches, carrots, celery, apples, strawberries, trail mix and water in a cooler with ice packs.  Everyone had their own reusable water bottle that I filled up each day. (An example here.)  I bought milk for the youngest one when we would stop at gas stations, but in a pinch I got some shelf stable milk boxes that I tried to keep cold too. On the first leg of the journey, anytime the girls were hungry my mom would grab something from the cooler between us, pop it in a plastic container, and then I'd hurl it at my oldest daughter in the back of the minivan. No joke.  On the second half of the journey, I got the girls their own cooler for the back and just had them grab snacks when they were hungry. It was probably safer that way. But they ate what I gave them in the first half, because that was their only option. On our last day traveling up north, we stopped at a gas station and had some chips. A lot of chips. And I felt yucky. So pack some healthy snacks if you don't want to feel yucky while driving.  If you stay at a hotel, pick one with a fridge so you can keep the food cold and refreeze your ice packs overnight.

3. Minimal stops.
Unless stopping and seeing things along the way is a part of the trip. But for us, it wasn't.  The real excitement was getting up north to my mom's house where the girls could run and play, so minimal stops was important.  I would fill up the tank and drive as far as I could before one of the kids had to use the bathroom or the youngest was crying, and I had to stop to see what was wrong. I still have my almost 2 year old facing backwards, so sometimes she was just annoyed that no one was looking at her. We (I) drove at least 8 hours each day, and not stopping every hour to use the potty is a real blessing when you are trying to get somewhere.

4. Distractions.
Distractions are what some would call activities. You could encourage your children to spend 8 hours staring out a van window while you roam the country, but I'm guessing that wouldn't last long. Instead, pack a variety of things for the kiddos to do.  We packed a DVD player with a car charger and dual headphone jack (we started out with 2, but my oldest seemed to think that the brand new one was "dirty" and washed it with a baby wipe, and the picture hasn't quite come back yet), a Nook with new games, a Leap Pad, several stuffed animals, a bag full of mini dolls, a few crafts from Jo-Ann's, reusable sticker packs from Melissa & Doug, a container of markers, coloring books, board books, plain notebooks, and some soft blankets for cuddling with when the A/C got too cold or they were tired.

Some other tips:
-A good night sleep (which I didn't get. The first night C threw up all over the hotel room. Twice. and the second night she kept waking up so I had to keep getting up off the foot of the bed I was sleeping on with my other two girls to get her back to sleep.)

-Coffee (I don't drink coffee, but I'm guessing some might find it handy)

-Good tunes (the only cd we brought along was the FROZEN soundtrack, which was fun to sing along to, many, many times. Really, it was. I also had some Raffi and other Disney songs on my phone, which I was able to play via an auxiliary cord. I also downloaded a few podcasts for those especially long intervals when there isn't much to say anymore.  I downloaded some from Maternally Yours Radio and Snap Judgement.)

-Comfy clothes. You're going to be sitting for a long time. Get cozy.

-A small overnight suitcase or bag with just the essentials for staying in a hotel. Or at a friend's house (much cheaper and more fun). You'll be thankful you thought ahead to pack just what you needed, instead of lugging in a giant suitcase and rummaging through it when you're tired each night. And you'll probably realize that you didn't need everything you packed in that giant suitcase anyways. 

-Comfy car seats for the kids. Safety and comfort are important. I had the two oldest in the third row of our van and the youngest behind the passenger, rear-facing in the middle row. Here's what we used:
My Ride 65 rear-facing for the youngest (almost 2)
Diono Radian RXT for the middle child (almost 4, in the spring pattern)
Graco Highback Turbo Booster for the oldest (7)

I do wish I would have brought along our extra Bubblebum booster for the in-between times. It's so little and handy to have an inflatable booster, so that you can safely put another friend in the van between the girls in the back.

And there you have it.

Some tips for making your long, long drive a successful one!

Feel like I missed something?  Add your thoughts in the comments! Happy Traveling!

~Patricia

(Note: All the links are my Amazon affiliate links.)

Taste test!

This morning we tried a taste test: non-organic (Astin Farms, on left) vs. organic strawberries (Driscoll's, on right). I picked both up at Super Target last night. Today is a school holiday, so a little lesson on the differences between the two was in order.

The non-organic ones were a deeper red and tasted good. The non-organic ones were much lighter in color and firmer. I left some cut-up ones on the counter for a bit and was surprised that the organic ones were firmer, although this could have just been due to the batch that I bought. The organic strawberries had a more complex flavor, a little more earthy.

The final verdict? My 5 year old liked both of them! She didn't pick one over the other. Based on flavor, I'd probably have to pick the organic. It was interesting how they tasted different but both were good.

(Pizza) Roll it UP!

I'm going to make a confession here: I love pizza. 

Really, I LOVE pizza! It's just so yummy!

Recently, we've been buying whole wheat pizza dough at the grocery store and experimenting with making our own 'homemade' pizzas.


While looking for ideas, I came across this idea for making a pull-apart pizza. So cool!  Here's the basics:

Roll out the dough into the shape of a pie plate that has been lightly brushed with olive oil.
Add yummies! 

Roll it up and slice, then place rolls into the pie plate.
Magically, it all fits!

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Enjoy! 

I couldn't believe how easy it was, and how fast we gobbled it all up! I used jarred pizza sauce, ham and shredded mozzarella in mine, but you can add whatever cheese / toppings are your favorite. Roll it up!