Getting Super Bowl Ready

We are having some friends over for the Super Bowl.  I'm looking forward to opening our home to friends again, as well as the opportunity to make a couple of my favorite dishes. It's funny - when I lived in the South, I found myself experimenting with dishes that weren't typically southern.  I was always looking for something different.  But now that we aren't there anymore, I find myself going back to those old southern recipes that have become so familiar to me.  I think that when I open my home to others I want to share a bit of who I am, and my food is a way of doing that.  So without further hesitation... here is the menu I've picked.  (I have linked either to the exact recipe I use or one very similar and I will tell you the changes I make...if you know me, you know I never follow a recipe!)
Our guests are brining some appetizers such as pigs in a blanket, hummus and veggies and some fruit.
Here is what I am serving:
1. Texas Caviar - This recipe is a little more complicated than mine.  I leave out the black eye peas, double the black beans, add a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (I rinse everything I use that is canned) I leave out the jalopeno (because of the kids) and only use a green bell pepper b/c I am cheap and red bell peppers cost more - HA!

2. Buffalo Chicken Dip - This has become a favorite of my family  - we serve it with tortilla chips and celery. I prefer the celery! The only change is I rarely add the ranch dressing... sometimes I season some dry ranch in the cream cheese, but sometimes I don't even do that and guests still love it!

3. Brownies - I use the Betty Crocker Hershey mix that you can buy at Sam's Club.  It is truly the best brownie I've ever tasted! I love to top them with this to die for chocolate icing and we are good to go.

4. Banana Pudding - the only "unsouthern" thing I do with my banana pudding is top it with homemade whipping cream.  My kids prefer that...and I don't love making meringue. So it's a win win.  I literally use the recipe from the Nilla Wafers box. For my whipped topping, I put heavy whipping cream in my stand mixer and start it on low, I slowly add in powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt until I like the sweetness.  If I am using a cup of whipping cream, that is usually about 2-3 tbs of powdered sugar.

I'm definitely thinking of an adult beverage to serve as well.  This article is full of some really good ideas  - but I haven't made my decision yet. I will have to get back to you with that decision.  Until then, GO PANTHERS!

A Three Day Weekend in Washington D.C. - Making it Count

 Two of my dear friends came to visit this past weekend.  One brought her two kids  - the youngest of which just happens to be my middle's very best friend in the whole world;)
It was a whirlwind of a trip filled with sight seeing, lots of laughs, lots of coffee, and lots of #hashtags.  It was a wonderful time and I am left sitting here, looking at photos, and thanking God for blessing our family with such wonderful people.

Here is a quick itinerary of their visit.  We tried to hit the highlights of DC but when you take into account a one year old, two seven year olds, COLD weather and Metro repairs, we didn't get to see everything on the wish list.  (oh well, they will just have to come back!)

Friday - they arrived at Dulles and took the shuttle to the Metro stop here.  It's super easy and from the metro, you could get anywhere in DC.  I recommend it if you need a quick transport for little money (it was $5.00/pp)
When they arrived we visited and decided (mainly thanks to the rain) to just stay close to home.  We took them to eat at the Famous Ted's Bulletin and then to ice skate (in the rain).  We closed the place down! The kids' energy was endless!

Ted's Bulletin Famous Homemade Poptarts - this one was Salted Caramel - YUMMY!

Saturday - after a slow morning, we hopped on the Metro and headed into DC. Due to repairs, we had to train hop, so we lost a little time, but we still had plenty of time at The Museum of American History.  It really is a gem filled with information, as well as lots of entertainment for the kids.  After a late lunch in their cafe (I recommend the BBQ - it's really good!) we headed out to see some monuments.  We of course saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the kids were able to stand where Dr. Martin Luther King stood when he delivered his famous speech - which was totally fitting considering the weekend - and we walked back by the Vietnam Wall.  By then IT WAS COLD... so we hopped on the most amazing DC Circulator and rode back to the Metro to head for home.

I Love DC - I don't love the Metro...we had to wait 20 min for a train b/c we missed a connection because they had the last two cars closed down - YIKES. We were frustrated. 

To quote my friend - the kids were "HANGRY"

Sunday we got an earlier start.  We headed straight to Arlington National Cemetery for the changing of the guard.  It still brings tears to my eyes no matter how often I visit.  Added to that, it snowed - it.was.beautiful. After Arlington we headed to Rosslyn for lunch at a new place District Taco.  It was really good and the service was excellent.  I recommend the nachos! After lunch it was time for the Museum of Natural History.  Of course the kids loved the Dinosaurs and the mammals. What's not to love about a bunch of stuffed mammals? My kids are always in awe.  Next was Georgetown! It was a quick trip through Georgetown to a little ice-cream shop called Georgetown Scoops - yummy ice-cream and excellent service! We tried to walk along the Canal but it was getting dark and cold, so we just took in a few of the locks and read a little of the history and moved on.  The final stop was the White House. After standing out there and trying to catch a peek of the president... we decided it was time to head home.

The visit was wonderful! Too short but filled with lots of memories.  I know we didn't get to show them everything that is in DC but we tried to hit the highlights.  What items would you add to this list?

Meal planning for the holidays

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As I mentioned here, we are thrilled to have a house full for the holidays. While we cannot wait to share George's birthday and Christmas with them, it's gonna take some prep. The first thing I did after we nailed down everyone's schedule, was plan the food! I basically planned breakfast and dinner for everyday. Lunch will be leftovers or I will have plenty of sandwich stuff and chips.  There are only a couple of days that I actually anticipate having a breakfast that everyone will eat, but I planned one per day to be sure I had enough and a variety for everyone. Some are allergic to eggs, some of the kids are picky, some are not eating carbs, it presents a challenge. With that being said- here's my meal plan.

12/22- chili in the crockpot (this is the day Erik's parents come into town. I thought a nice warm chili waiting when they arrive would be a good idea.)

12/23 - 

B- oatmeal

D- out (we plan to ice skate at the National sculpture garden and have dinner at the Pavillion beside it)

12/24

B- english muffins, eggs, cheese, Canadian bacon

D - pizza ( possibly a Christmas Eve tradition? )

12/25

 B - sausage and grits casserole, and orange rolls

D - turkey, dressing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, rolls, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and another dessert- probably brownies. 

12/26

B - leftovers

D - spaghetti / salad

12/27

B - yogurt / granola

D - taco soup

12/28 (George's Birthday)

B- pancakes

D - party food :)

12/29

B - French toast casserole / turkey bacon

D - chicken and rice, Lima beans, salad

12/30

B - cereal

D - Ted's Bulletin ( wanted to try this place forever!)

12/31- New Years Eve!

B - eggs/ biscuits / bacon

D - I'm thinking party food! Mini Quiches,

Meatballs, buffalo chicken dip, chips and salsa, maybe pigs in a blanket.

12/1 

B- pancakes / waffles

D - traditional New Years Lunch

Ham, black eye peas, greens

12/2

B - Breakfast Casserole

At that point our company leaves and the kitchen closes, at least for a day :)

Most of my recipes are on my Pinterest boards. It doubles as my makeshift cook book. I will share another post about George's birthday!  Until then, I better get shopping!

Hip hip hooray for Christmas Vacation

It's Christmas week! And we are getting ready for a family invasion- and we cannot wait! While the family will be coming and going, at one point, for George's birthday, we will have 14 people under our roof. We have been preparing for a couple of weeks. I thought I would share our time line and meal plan as well as some little extras we did to prepare for our family.

First, I should say that before the invitation was extended to everyone, we made sure we had a place for everyone to stay. They will be scattered everywhere, but they will have a place- that's what matters. I've made a special point to be sure each guest has access to 

1. Clean linens

2. A place for their bags and to hang clothes

3. Their favorite foods and drinks

4. Water bottles by their bed

5. Outlet/extension cord if needed for charging phones, iPads, etc.

While everyone is here- which is only for a couple of days, there will be people sleeping in our guest room/ basement/, our bedroom, George's room and Ella and Anna's room. While I can't make each space a guest retreat, if I make sure they have these few things, they will feel more comfortable, and most of all, welcome. Which is what they are!

The week before we:

1. Nailed down everyone's schedules- when they are arriving and when they're leaving. 

2. Finished up Christmas shopping.

3. Meal planned

4. Made a run to our local wholesale club to stock up on kcups, favorite drinks, snacks, etc.

This is definitely not pinterest worthy, but I made up a coffee/tea bar so our guests would have access to warm drinks anytime they wanted. 

5. Made a run to Trader Joes for wine and specialty items we wanted to have on hand.

We did the same for the "other" bar ;) we don't drink lots of liquor but I did buy some that could be used in holiday drinks. 

6. Made a run to the liquor store for the seasonal drinks we wanted to make.

7. Did some last minute sprucing up to the house- hung pictures, and Erik put lights in my China cabinet- yay! 

One day before:

1. Last minute grocery shopping and errands 

2. Buy sheets! We have two sets of queen sheets, but I don't want to have to do laundry while I'm prepping for George's party and making arrangements for family. So we are going to get another set so we have enough for the air mattresses without stopping and washing. 

Arrival day:

Nina and Papa are coming in on December 22. I plan to: 

1. Vacuum and sweep all floors

2. Final wipe down of bathrooms

3. Put chili in the crockpot- it's an 8 hour trip- we want them to have dinner ready whenever they're ready.

4. Prep some of the food for Christmas morning. 

5. If time permits- let the kids do some baking. 

I have also researched some seasonal activities that are in our area. I'm not making plans for anyone, however, having a list of activities will help if anyone finds themselves wanting an outing. 

I believe in any undertaking it's always important to keep the goal in mind. My goal for this visit is to do the leg work ahead of time to prepare for our guests then simply let go and enjoy the ride.  Erik and I are thrilled to open our home and feel blessed so many want to come be with us as we celebrate Christmas and George's birthday! 

I'll post my meal plan on the next blog. Meanwhile, laundry is calling my name!  

Preparing for Guests

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Guests Arriving - Home Prep
My mom is coming in two days! To say we are excited is an extreme understatement. This new life we are living kind of sets the stage for lots of guests, mainly because we are far away from all of our family and friends. If they are going to visit us, they're going to stay a while.  We are also in a good area for a little vacation, so it guarantees we will get to have some friends come see us! Kind of kill two birds with one stone - see good friends, see D.C.  - free place to stay;)  Anyway, in preparation for mom, the girls and I have been working to set up our basement/playroom/home school room (pics in another post) into a desirable and relaxing guest space.  I think we have done the best we can. I think the best part about it is that mom will feel like she is welcome, and we are ready for her. To help keep us on task I created a check list.  I've been working through it a little at a time ready by Saturday.
We planned to do our grocery shopping today, however, I had a migraine, and George and Ella are both completely cruddy, so grocery shopping is on hold.

Guests Arriving - Making Plans
Now, I wouldn't do this with most guests, but in mom's case, I have taken the liberty of planning some of the sights we will see.  I did this because she isn't a big traveler and I think if I left it up to her, she would leave it up to the girls, and we would probably visit an ice cream shop, a cupcake shop, their favorite restaurant, and a mall...ya feel me?
So here is what I've come up with so far.
Day 1 in DC: Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial

Day 2 in DC: Museum of American History, The National Archives, and possibly another Smithsonian of her choosing.  She would love the Holocaust Museum, but my littles are not ready for that.

Day 3 in DC: The Kennedy Center, Gravelly Park for lunch and to see some planes take off, and possibly a drive into Georgetown.

Day 4 in DC : Arlington National Cemetery - I've written about my experience here.

Day 5: I want to leave a day for Virginia.  It's pretty interesting on it's own.  The town we live in was the first planned community in the United States.  It has a beautiful lake surrounded by a coffee shop, walking trails, and play areas. I want to leave a day to enjoy our little area too.

Day 6: Amish Country - It's a couple of hours from here, but I think if we get going early we can make it a day trip.  I've always wanted to visit, and I know mom would love it too!

She will be here more than just 6 days, but we have an infant, and we home school, so there will be some days that we just need to hang here and recoup.  And some days that we will just get up and decide on an outing. Some I have in my back pocket are: 1. Monticello
                                                                                            2. Mt. Veron
                                                                                            3. The Newseum
                                                                                            4. Virginia's Natural Bridge
It's obvious that I am excited. I will post more on the little touches we added to welcome BeBe! And of course I will inundate you with share pictures of our adventures - that's why I started this blog :)
Well, that's all for me, gotta go get ready for mom!