Monday, November 16, 2009
Party Lite part deux
A big THANK YOU to all the lovely ladies who came over yesterday and bought candles!!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, 28 October 09 - Ladies' Game Night
I wish I would have had the foresight to take pictures of this event, but I'd like to document it nonetheless.
Last night we played a rousing game of cranium with an even more rousing table of snacks!
Blue Team: Allison & Kim
Green Team: Cheryl & me
Red Team: Stephanie & Christy
Yellow Team: Sarah & Heather
After at least 5 turns of the Blue Team being in the "Winner's Circle", Kim and Cheryl found themselves needing to leave...so Allison became my new partner on Team Green and we eventually took the trophy (which didn't exist). Everyone played admirably, though, and we all enjoyed watching Sarah bodyboard, listening to Kim humming "I got you, Babe", and seeing Allison make molars out of green play-doh.
We drank a bunch of hot cranberry cider and some delicious wine and ate chips & dip, meat & cheese & crackers, ginger & lemon cookies, egg rolls, popcorn and obviously Halloween candy.
Fun times! Can't wait to do it again.
Last night we played a rousing game of cranium with an even more rousing table of snacks!
Blue Team: Allison & Kim
Green Team: Cheryl & me
Red Team: Stephanie & Christy
Yellow Team: Sarah & Heather
After at least 5 turns of the Blue Team being in the "Winner's Circle", Kim and Cheryl found themselves needing to leave...so Allison became my new partner on Team Green and we eventually took the trophy (which didn't exist). Everyone played admirably, though, and we all enjoyed watching Sarah bodyboard, listening to Kim humming "I got you, Babe", and seeing Allison make molars out of green play-doh.
We drank a bunch of hot cranberry cider and some delicious wine and ate chips & dip, meat & cheese & crackers, ginger & lemon cookies, egg rolls, popcorn and obviously Halloween candy.
Fun times! Can't wait to do it again.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, 16 October 09 - POKTOBERFEST!!
First, an apology to those of you who have been waiting on the edge of your seats for this blog to appear. There's so much to share, and only so much time I can get away with sharing it in while I'm at work...
As expected, Poktoberfest 2009 was a blast. There was plenty of good food, great people, and even some prizes and money floating around. Matt and I had been looking forward to hosting in our basement since we moved in, so this was a fun opportunity for us to dress it up all Fall-like and introduce it to our friends!
Before the tournament got started...
We consumed:
- A fridge full of IPA and organic amber Fish Tale beer;
- A big bottle of red wine Tyler brought
- nearly a gallon of hot cranberry cider
*Dump a 64oz. jug of cranberry juice into a crock pot (or regular pot)
*Add 1/2 can of frozen lemonade, a few cinnamon sticks & a handful of cloves.
*Add a bit of sugar or honey if you need it - I prefer it just as it is, but it's a little tart.
*Let it brew on low heat and serve when warm or let it sit and make your house smell delicious all day!
- a gallon of mulled wine (cider?)
*Same recipe as hot cranberry cider, but with a big jug of cheap wine instead of juice...you'll probably need the sugar in this version. I use raw sugar.
- Jalapeno poppers (with lil' smokies)
*Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and top with a pam-sprayed baking rack.
*Slice jalapeno peppers lengthwise, scraping out the seeds (and a bit of the inside walls, if you don't like them too hot)
*Spread a chunk of cream cheese on each piece.
*Lie a lil' smokie on the cream cheese (if you want to - they're awesome without them, too)
*Wrap the combination in 1/2 a slice of bacon and stab with a toothpick to keep it together.
*Every time I make them, I feel like I should have cooked them on a higher temp, because they take forever. I start out with them at about 375 and check every 15 mins or so, usually turning the heat up about half-way through. Plan on them taking at least 45 minutes. You really want the bacon crispy, so err on the side of too done.
- Pumpkin cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting from last month's Real Simple.
*http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting-00000000021359/index.html
- Artichoke-Spinach Dip with a french baguette.
- Kim's fantastic olive tapenade with homemade crackers.
- Pickled Okra.
- Pizza. Lots of Brewery City pizza!
There were enough people for 3 tables in the tournament. I believe we were down to two in this picture:
Aaron wore his Poker Hat for good luck...
...but alas, Brett took the pot ($150 + a really wicked awesome custom-engraved stein)
Overall, we deemed the party a huge success. We met some cool new people, hung out with some friends we haven't seen in awhile, ate & drank some delicious food & drinks, and some people won things! A big thanks to everyone who helped break in the Burdick Basement...
~Kaylene (and Matty)
As expected, Poktoberfest 2009 was a blast. There was plenty of good food, great people, and even some prizes and money floating around. Matt and I had been looking forward to hosting in our basement since we moved in, so this was a fun opportunity for us to dress it up all Fall-like and introduce it to our friends!
Before the tournament got started...
We consumed:
- A fridge full of IPA and organic amber Fish Tale beer;
- A big bottle of red wine Tyler brought
- nearly a gallon of hot cranberry cider
*Dump a 64oz. jug of cranberry juice into a crock pot (or regular pot)
*Add 1/2 can of frozen lemonade, a few cinnamon sticks & a handful of cloves.
*Add a bit of sugar or honey if you need it - I prefer it just as it is, but it's a little tart.
*Let it brew on low heat and serve when warm or let it sit and make your house smell delicious all day!
- a gallon of mulled wine (cider?)
*Same recipe as hot cranberry cider, but with a big jug of cheap wine instead of juice...you'll probably need the sugar in this version. I use raw sugar.
- Jalapeno poppers (with lil' smokies)
*Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and top with a pam-sprayed baking rack.
*Slice jalapeno peppers lengthwise, scraping out the seeds (and a bit of the inside walls, if you don't like them too hot)
*Spread a chunk of cream cheese on each piece.
*Lie a lil' smokie on the cream cheese (if you want to - they're awesome without them, too)
*Wrap the combination in 1/2 a slice of bacon and stab with a toothpick to keep it together.
*Every time I make them, I feel like I should have cooked them on a higher temp, because they take forever. I start out with them at about 375 and check every 15 mins or so, usually turning the heat up about half-way through. Plan on them taking at least 45 minutes. You really want the bacon crispy, so err on the side of too done.
- Pumpkin cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting from last month's Real Simple.
*http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting-00000000021359/index.html
- Artichoke-Spinach Dip with a french baguette.
- Kim's fantastic olive tapenade with homemade crackers.
- Pickled Okra.
- Pizza. Lots of Brewery City pizza!
There were enough people for 3 tables in the tournament. I believe we were down to two in this picture:
Aaron wore his Poker Hat for good luck...
...but alas, Brett took the pot ($150 + a really wicked awesome custom-engraved stein)
Overall, we deemed the party a huge success. We met some cool new people, hung out with some friends we haven't seen in awhile, ate & drank some delicious food & drinks, and some people won things! A big thanks to everyone who helped break in the Burdick Basement...
~Kaylene (and Matty)
Friday, October 16, 2009
POKTOBERFEST 2009
Today's the day!! I was hoping to have my blackberry back today and be able to post real-time updates as the night unfolds, but the outlook on that is a bit grim, since it shipped from Texas yesterday. Stay tuned!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Cork Boards!
Another fun thing I do in my house is make cork boards.
Check them out, and add one to yours!
I just started this online store with the few I have finished and not found homes for yet...I'm fully open to bartering and to making custom projects.
happyflights.etsy.com
Check them out, and add one to yours!
I just started this online store with the few I have finished and not found homes for yet...I'm fully open to bartering and to making custom projects.
happyflights.etsy.com
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday, 30 August 09 - Blueberry Buckle & Corkboards
Well, another weekend is rapidly drawing to an end. Today was fun and relaxing, and for the first Sunday in a long time, I stayed in for all of it (minus the brief outing I took this morning for a couple necessities). Aaron and Christy came over for brunch and a day of fun with games in the basement.
We had some farmer's market blueberries we needed to use, so I made this Blueberry Buckle:
2 c all purpose-flour (I use whole wheat flour)
2&1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening (I use butter)
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c milk
2 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 c all-purpose flour (I doubled to 1 c)
1/2 c sugar (I doubled to 1 c)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I doubled to 1 tsp)
1/4 c butter (I doubled to 1/2 c)
1. Grease bottom & sides of 8x8x2" baking pan & set aside. In a medium bowl combine the 2 c flour, baking powder & salt & set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter w/ a mixer on med for 30 sec. Add the 3/4 c sugar. Beat on med-hi until light & fluffy. Add egg. Beat well. Alternately add flour mixture & milk to beaten egg mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle w/ blueberries. In another bowl combine the 1/2 c flour, the 1/2 c sugar & cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs; sprinkle over blueberries. Bake in a 350 degree overn for 50-60 mins or until golden (a little longer if you double the topping) Serve warm.
Before:
After:
After dessert, I decided to be crafty. I hauled the ginormous bag of corks Tyler & Kim gave me --
downstairs and created these 2 boards:
...and now I'm beat!
We had some farmer's market blueberries we needed to use, so I made this Blueberry Buckle:
2 c all purpose-flour (I use whole wheat flour)
2&1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening (I use butter)
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c milk
2 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 c all-purpose flour (I doubled to 1 c)
1/2 c sugar (I doubled to 1 c)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I doubled to 1 tsp)
1/4 c butter (I doubled to 1/2 c)
1. Grease bottom & sides of 8x8x2" baking pan & set aside. In a medium bowl combine the 2 c flour, baking powder & salt & set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter w/ a mixer on med for 30 sec. Add the 3/4 c sugar. Beat on med-hi until light & fluffy. Add egg. Beat well. Alternately add flour mixture & milk to beaten egg mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle w/ blueberries. In another bowl combine the 1/2 c flour, the 1/2 c sugar & cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs; sprinkle over blueberries. Bake in a 350 degree overn for 50-60 mins or until golden (a little longer if you double the topping) Serve warm.
Before:
After:
After dessert, I decided to be crafty. I hauled the ginormous bag of corks Tyler & Kim gave me --
downstairs and created these 2 boards:
...and now I'm beat!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Friday, 28 August 09 - Kay uses a crock pot for the first time - EVER!
I made stew!
I threw in some tiny potatoes, one huge carrot, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 walla-walla sweet onion, radishes, 1 kohlrabi, rainbow chard, and a ton of green beans.
Then I added 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can tomato soup, and some (I don't know, about a pound?) lean, all-natural stew beef, followed by a bit of dried oregano, sea salt and pepper.
Voila!
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of stew. But I think that, as stew goes, this turned out pretty well! Matt agrees.
I threw in some tiny potatoes, one huge carrot, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 walla-walla sweet onion, radishes, 1 kohlrabi, rainbow chard, and a ton of green beans.
Then I added 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can tomato soup, and some (I don't know, about a pound?) lean, all-natural stew beef, followed by a bit of dried oregano, sea salt and pepper.
Voila!
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of stew. But I think that, as stew goes, this turned out pretty well! Matt agrees.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Saturday, 15 August 09 Party Lite Party!
A couple weekends ago (I've been terrible at updating this thing!) I hosted a Party Lite party. I'd gone to one Cheryl hosted a couple weeks prior, and realized I couldn't afford anything I wanted unless I had a party...and of course our house needed more stuff, so...a party I had!
What we feasted upon:
* K's killer artichoke/spinach dip - this time with the added flair of Tilamook pepperjack cheese in lieu of feta...served with soft french bread, carrots & celery
* Zucchini dip, served with costco's organic tortilla chips -
Ingredients: 1 medium zucchini, cubed; 2 tbsp. white sugar; 1 tbsp. soy sauce; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 3/4 tsp. dried oregano; 2 c mayonnaise. Directions: (1) Place zucchini in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 5 mins. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients (except mayo) and process until blended. (2) Transfer the pureed mixture to a serving bowl and stir in the mayonnaise. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
* homemade chocolate chip cookies
* strawberries
* wine, of course!
In attendance were: My mom and sister Aimee (her first time meeting the house), our favorite new neighbor Allison, Sarah J, Heather K, Cheryl S (who has just re-become a Party Lite consultant herself. Visit http://www.partylite.biz/sites/cherylsloan to buy stuff from her!), her adorable daughter Desi, Julie, Betsy, Christy and her friend Lauren, My wonderful mother-in-law, Kathy and grandmother-in-law, Marilyn, and of course our fabulous consultant, Brenda.
Thanks so much to everyone who came and helped me score all this cool (& nearly free) stuff:
What we feasted upon:
* K's killer artichoke/spinach dip - this time with the added flair of Tilamook pepperjack cheese in lieu of feta...served with soft french bread, carrots & celery
* Zucchini dip, served with costco's organic tortilla chips -
Ingredients: 1 medium zucchini, cubed; 2 tbsp. white sugar; 1 tbsp. soy sauce; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 3/4 tsp. dried oregano; 2 c mayonnaise. Directions: (1) Place zucchini in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 5 mins. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients (except mayo) and process until blended. (2) Transfer the pureed mixture to a serving bowl and stir in the mayonnaise. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
* homemade chocolate chip cookies
* strawberries
* wine, of course!
In attendance were: My mom and sister Aimee (her first time meeting the house), our favorite new neighbor Allison, Sarah J, Heather K, Cheryl S (who has just re-become a Party Lite consultant herself. Visit http://www.partylite.biz/sites/cherylsloan to buy stuff from her!), her adorable daughter Desi, Julie, Betsy, Christy and her friend Lauren, My wonderful mother-in-law, Kathy and grandmother-in-law, Marilyn, and of course our fabulous consultant, Brenda.
Thanks so much to everyone who came and helped me score all this cool (& nearly free) stuff:
Friday, August 14, 2009
Friday, 14 August 09 - Impromptu Video Making Night
A few clips from our impromptu "You're in the Movies" party we accidentally had Friday:
Friday, August 7, 2009
Mr. & Mrs. Tortoise
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Saturday, 1 August 09 Pre-Concert Housewarming
To kick off Saturday's "Ladies' Day o' Fun", the group picked me up, bearing a gift basket of rum and mixers, which Aunt Barb transformed with haste into five delicious strawberry daiquiris. I gave a brief tour of the house, changed clothes twice, and we were off!!
Debbie, Sara, Marla Dee, Yours Truly and Auntie B.
My legs are so white, you gotta wear shades!!
Debbie, Sara, Marla Dee, Yours Truly and Auntie B.My legs are so white, you gotta wear shades!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, 31 July 09 (POKER & NOT POKER PARTY!)
Last Friday we introduced the Division House to a Burdick poker party. They got along smashingly!
Justin Taylor, Jay (III), David (Polly's dad), Chris & Tiff T were among the first to show. Following suit were:
Jay's friend: the owl-adorned Kelsey (who displayed amazing beginner's luck by winning everyone's money!)
Sarah J, Natividad, Chris D, Heather K and Brian, Christy & Aaron.
We feasted on red sangria, chips & salsa, bread & pesto (once again!), freezer-burnt meat-lover's costco pizza and a safeway frozen cheese pizza.
The non-poker players had a blast re-establishing their mad Super Mario Brothers skillz on the old-school Nintendo!
A ridiculously cute and nerdy cross-legged Dashboard Confessional sing-along ensued...
Justin Taylor, Jay (III), David (Polly's dad), Chris & Tiff T were among the first to show. Following suit were:Jay's friend: the owl-adorned Kelsey (who displayed amazing beginner's luck by winning everyone's money!)
Sarah J, Natividad, Chris D, Heather K and Brian, Christy & Aaron.We feasted on red sangria, chips & salsa, bread & pesto (once again!), freezer-burnt meat-lover's costco pizza and a safeway frozen cheese pizza.
The non-poker players had a blast re-establishing their mad Super Mario Brothers skillz on the old-school Nintendo!A ridiculously cute and nerdy cross-legged Dashboard Confessional sing-along ensued...
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, 30 July 09 - The Alaskans!
Followed by a delicious Angel Thai dinner, The Alaskans came back to our place for some refreshing Sangria under the backyard umbrella!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 09 (NATIVIDAD'S SEEING OFF)
In consideration of a busy weekend of packing ahead, Natividad requested that her Seeing Off gathering take place on Tuesday evening. A delightful 3-hour happy hour resulted. In attendance were:
Aaron & Christy, Tim, Adam & Annalisa, Vince, Kim & Tyler, Heather & Brian, Chris Duchaine, Ian & Julie, Sarah Jutte & Natividad!
We listened to Rod Stewart on vinyl and attempted to stay cool, amid one air conditioner and 2 fans.
We feasted upon:
-Soft slices of baguette w/ Pesto (we really need an industrial strength food processor) & those cute little BabyBell triangles of spreadable cheese, served on our fancy Lenox tray (wedding gift from Grandma Pat)
-White wine sangria this time, featuring peaches & strawberries, and again falling drastically short of the necessary supply. For next time, I have learned that our friends really enjoy sangria, and that we can probably never have too much.
-Christy's delightful pitas & hummus;
-Julie's ridiculously amazing homemade 7-layer dip;
-Kim's delicious homemade guacamole (with tomatillos from her garden)
At some point, it was discovered that it was finally cooler out back than it was in the house. We migrated that direction and sat out back, corralled by tiki torches.
Bon Voyage, Natividad! We'll miss you!
 |
| From Division Street Blog |
Aaron & Christy, Tim, Adam & Annalisa, Vince, Kim & Tyler, Heather & Brian, Chris Duchaine, Ian & Julie, Sarah Jutte & Natividad!
 |
| From Division Street Blog |
We listened to Rod Stewart on vinyl and attempted to stay cool, amid one air conditioner and 2 fans.
We feasted upon:
-Soft slices of baguette w/ Pesto (we really need an industrial strength food processor) & those cute little BabyBell triangles of spreadable cheese, served on our fancy Lenox tray (wedding gift from Grandma Pat)
-White wine sangria this time, featuring peaches & strawberries, and again falling drastically short of the necessary supply. For next time, I have learned that our friends really enjoy sangria, and that we can probably never have too much.
-Christy's delightful pitas & hummus;
-Julie's ridiculously amazing homemade 7-layer dip;
-Kim's delicious homemade guacamole (with tomatillos from her garden)
 |
| From Division Street Blog |
At some point, it was discovered that it was finally cooler out back than it was in the house. We migrated that direction and sat out back, corralled by tiki torches.
 |
| From Division Street Blog |
Bon Voyage, Natividad! We'll miss you!
Tuesday, 28 July 09 (NATIVIDAD'S SEEING OFF...a prequel)
A sort of streaming narration - let's see where this takes us:
It's roughly one million degrees outside. My office is reasonable today...yesterday I had to wear a sweater to fend off the air-conditioned chill, but today I merely sneezed a few times, fought a short battle with a sore throat, and powered through.
I went home at lunch time, after a hurried trip from one end of Tumwater Safeway to the other and back again for a few key items I would need for the evening: one three-way light bulb <150 watts, one package of live basil (roots intact) two french artisan-style baguettes, one 2-liter bottle of diet 7up, and a pack of 100 white napkins.
I opted to deal with parking in the garage on my break, so as to minimize the times I scorch my legs on the leather seats today.
So, I hauled the air conditioning monster from our bedroom onto the front porch, emptied its watery contents, and jimmy-rigged it back into operation in the dining area. It has been blasting cool air into the atmosphere ever since.
Let's hope the 6 & 1/2 hour head start it has on our guests will prove fruitful!
It's roughly one million degrees outside. My office is reasonable today...yesterday I had to wear a sweater to fend off the air-conditioned chill, but today I merely sneezed a few times, fought a short battle with a sore throat, and powered through.
I went home at lunch time, after a hurried trip from one end of Tumwater Safeway to the other and back again for a few key items I would need for the evening: one three-way light bulb <150 watts, one package of live basil (roots intact) two french artisan-style baguettes, one 2-liter bottle of diet 7up, and a pack of 100 white napkins.
I opted to deal with parking in the garage on my break, so as to minimize the times I scorch my legs on the leather seats today.
So, I hauled the air conditioning monster from our bedroom onto the front porch, emptied its watery contents, and jimmy-rigged it back into operation in the dining area. It has been blasting cool air into the atmosphere ever since.
Let's hope the 6 & 1/2 hour head start it has on our guests will prove fruitful!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Friday, 24 July 09 (ROCK BAND & KEBABERY)
Friday Jay & Justin came over for a kebab feed. We didn't actually eat anything off a stick, but chickens & beefs were marinated overnight, skewered, and char broiled to perfection, along with potatoes, pineapple, mushrooms, peppers & delightful little pearl onions.
Pursuant to the previous week's Sarah Silverman Program marathon, Jay brought over a half-rack of TAB, a roll of necco wafers and a delicious chocolate cake (the latter 2 completely unrelated to the Sarah Silverman Program) to share. Matt, as was suspected, has since become a TAB addict.
After dinner, David showed up with a bag of Funjuns (which google recognizes as a legitimate word) and some Mike's hardER something-or-other, which I very much enjoyed. We employed his drum stool and our fancy new drums (wedding gift from Mr. Jay) and played our first Rock Band set at the new house.
Performances of note were: "Geraldine" by Glas Vegas, "Make Damn Sure" by Taking Back Sunday, that one Jimmy Eat Worls song, and a lot of other songs that I don't remember or know about because I am 100 years old and I went to bed at 11, missing the latter portion of the set. (Therefore, I don't have anything else to say about this night.)
Pursuant to the previous week's Sarah Silverman Program marathon, Jay brought over a half-rack of TAB, a roll of necco wafers and a delicious chocolate cake (the latter 2 completely unrelated to the Sarah Silverman Program) to share. Matt, as was suspected, has since become a TAB addict.
After dinner, David showed up with a bag of Funjuns (which google recognizes as a legitimate word) and some Mike's hardER something-or-other, which I very much enjoyed. We employed his drum stool and our fancy new drums (wedding gift from Mr. Jay) and played our first Rock Band set at the new house.
Performances of note were: "Geraldine" by Glas Vegas, "Make Damn Sure" by Taking Back Sunday, that one Jimmy Eat Worls song, and a lot of other songs that I don't remember or know about because I am 100 years old and I went to bed at 11, missing the latter portion of the set. (Therefore, I don't have anything else to say about this night.)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Friday, 17 July 09 (WARMING OF THE HOUSE)
Last Friday we invited a bunch of amazing people we're lucky to call friends over to an official Housewarming Party.
Jay led the crowd, followed closely by Cheryl and her beautiful white mums & singing card. Further received were 2 Duchaine Brothers & one Christy Sawhill (who brought us an awesome book on living off the land and a delicious bottle of red wine), Tyler and Kim (who brought their own wine glasses and a bottle of very tasty orange muscat to share), Ian and Julie (who brought Toby and amazing strawberry upside down cake, and who I think are responsible for leaving the absolut citron & pomegranate juice we've been enjoying), Natividad (who offered her services as an on-site nanny for Toby), Sarah W, Chris T, Andrea, Jackie (who enjoyed the backyard swing almost as much as Jaxon did), our new neighbor Allison (who brought puckery granny smith cider), the Botanas, Justin Taylor, Sarah J & Kristen S, and the Wilkins Family (minus Polly).
3 batches of Sangria* were consumed, along with a big dish of Killer's Killer Artichoke-Spinach Dip** and Julie's strawberry cake***. We lit the tiki torches and played games around the fire, including the "I'm having a party and I'm bringing..." game.
*Sangria (one big batch): one huge jug of Carlo Rossi burgundy table wine, one 2-liter bottle of diet 7up, a healthy splunk each of triple sec and brandy, one sliced lemon, one sliced orange, refrigerated overnight. Add ingredients as needed to refresh a near-empty bowl.
**Dip: one can of artichoke hearts (in water - not marinated), about 2/3 bag of spinach (or a couple handfuls of fresh spinach), 1 brick of cream cheese, 1 tub of sour cream, one ball of mozzarella, 1/2 cup or so of shredded parmesan, a squirt of dijon mustard, 1 clove of garlic, onion flakes, garlic salt, sea salt & pepper to taste. Mix everything together in a big bowl. Bake covered at 400 for about 45 mins. Serve w/ warm french bread.
***Cake:
2 cups crushed fresh strawberries
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin mix
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix, batter prepared as directed on package
-Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
-Spread crushed strawberries on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle strawberries with the dry gelatin powder, and top with mini marshmallows.
-Prepare the cake mix as directed on the package, and pour on top of the marshmallows. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the sides, and turn the cake out onto a serving tray. Store cake in the refrigerator.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Saturday, 4 July 09 (INDEPENDENCE DAY)
Having moved in over the weekend of June 26, we had to put a bit of pressure on ourselves to have the house "company-ready" for our summer kick-off and introduction to the Division House on July 4th. We decided to skip out on several invitations for Independence Day festivities, and keep our party small & sweet: family only.
We kind of forgot that the phrases "small" and "our family" don't really go hand-in-hand. In attendance were:
Mom & Dad, Mom & Phill, Grandma Marilyn, Cousin Kevin & Christina, Cody & Samantha, Debbie, Tracy & Michael, Emma, Ethan, Anna & Grace, Kandi & Jim and Jaxon.
Matt's dad presented us with a surprise gift: a nice new (big) grill to replace our somewhat pitiful by comparison hand-me-down one we had. Matt slaved over hot dogs & hamburgers, while the rest of us enjoyed potato salad, Tracy's corn casserole, a vast variety of chips and iced tea. Lunch was followed by Matt's delicious dessert creation that included a graham cracker crust, cool whip and a patriotic assortment of berries.
The kids loved the house ~ Cody and Ethan relished in the opportunity to play xbox undisturbed while their sisters & cousins played outside. Jaxon enjoyed the swing so much he fell asleep on it. Grace hardly left the kiddie pool, while Anna & Samantha found new ways to get dirty and Emma chased them all around.
As the sun and the party wound down a bit, we were able to hear fireworks from all directions. Unfortunately, our view of the Valley's show was blocked by a few big trees, but our neighbors down the street put on quite a show. We roasted marshmallows over our new fire pit and had s'mores (with peanut butter!).
All in all, it was a really great way to introduce the house to the family, and kick off summer!
We kind of forgot that the phrases "small" and "our family" don't really go hand-in-hand. In attendance were:
Mom & Dad, Mom & Phill, Grandma Marilyn, Cousin Kevin & Christina, Cody & Samantha, Debbie, Tracy & Michael, Emma, Ethan, Anna & Grace, Kandi & Jim and Jaxon.
Matt's dad presented us with a surprise gift: a nice new (big) grill to replace our somewhat pitiful by comparison hand-me-down one we had. Matt slaved over hot dogs & hamburgers, while the rest of us enjoyed potato salad, Tracy's corn casserole, a vast variety of chips and iced tea. Lunch was followed by Matt's delicious dessert creation that included a graham cracker crust, cool whip and a patriotic assortment of berries.
The kids loved the house ~ Cody and Ethan relished in the opportunity to play xbox undisturbed while their sisters & cousins played outside. Jaxon enjoyed the swing so much he fell asleep on it. Grace hardly left the kiddie pool, while Anna & Samantha found new ways to get dirty and Emma chased them all around.
As the sun and the party wound down a bit, we were able to hear fireworks from all directions. Unfortunately, our view of the Valley's show was blocked by a few big trees, but our neighbors down the street put on quite a show. We roasted marshmallows over our new fire pit and had s'mores (with peanut butter!).All in all, it was a really great way to introduce the house to the family, and kick off summer!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
