The 2011 Flashback Series: Vacation O'Connor

July 24th 2011:

We had a great vacation this summer with Mike's family! Grandma and Papa rented a beautiful house in Horton Bay right next door to Kathy's sister's cottage and invited the whole family to come up. We did miss Mike's sister Molly and his brother Patrick and family but we sure had a ton of fun with Uncle Bob and Uncle Brian, Aunt Wendy, Grace & Emma (they live in Connecticut so we don't get to see them enough). Our friend Amanda also came with her two girls to spend her Birthday with us. Kathy's two sisters Mary Ann & Debbie were up then too.

I have so many pictures it is hard to pick what ones to put up...

Uncle Bob & Gabriel

Smile Mia!

Mia after her turn tubing

Grace & Olivia

Uncle Bob & Uncle Brian

Mike with his farmer hat

Gabriel did great kayaking

Jumping off the dock

Emma, Grace & Gabriel relaxing in the hammock

cousins and mini-golf

Gabriel knows how to do it!

Aunt Deb jumping in the bouncy castle with the kids

Aunt Wendy & me!

On top of a super fun week we came home to a wallpaper free living room & bathroom thanks to Chloe who stayed to dog/chicken/duck/house-sit.

The 2011 Flashback Series: Bike Riding

July 14th 2011:

We had a great summer around here. With the garden, ducks, chickens and just hanging out in the yard. Gabriel spent a lot of time on his bike. I decided to get out the sidewalk chalk and make him a "road" to follow around the drive way. Anytime we do this it entertains him for so long that I can sit drink coffee and read.

The 2011 Flashback Series: Cake Contest

June 22nd 2011:

In my March issue of Hobby Farm Home Magazine they announced that for their 5th anniversary there was going to be a contest for readers to submit their favorite cake recipe using farm-based ingredients. Sounds like fun to me. So I came up with a recipe to enter into the "Best Vegetable-based Cake" category. Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Maple Frosting. I had Cori test it out before I sent it in. She made it and took it to work and said that everyone loved it.

I didn't get selected as a winner but I was thrilled to get an email from the assistant editor telling me: "we loved it too much to keep it to ourselves and felt it deserved honorable mention. That's why we've included it in a special online slideshow of our favorite entries."

You can see the slideshow on the website here.

And here is the recipe...

Cake

• 2 cups cake flour
  
• 2 tsp. baking powder
  
• 2 tsp. baking soda
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  
• 1¼ cups oil
  
• 1½ cups sugar
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 3 cups shredded cooking pumpkin or butternut squash

Frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
  
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into medium-sized mixing bowl.

In large mixing bowl, cream oil, sugar and eggs. Add pumpkin, and mix well. Add dry ingredients gradually, stirring until just mixed.

Pour batter into greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan or two greased 9-inch round pans. Bake 40 to 50 minutes for sheet cake or 35 to 40 minutes for round cakes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before inverting onto wire rack. Let cool completely before icing.

Frosting

Beat together cream cheese and maple syrup until smooth.

In chilled mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add to cream cheese mixture and beat until desired consistency is reached.

The 2011 Flashback Series: So Many Tomatoes

June 4th 2011:

The past few years Chloe has started a whole lot of tomato plants. She sells them to support her gardening habit and this year Mike wanted to take home all the ones she didn't sell. It was a little cramped in the van getting them there but we did have lots for canning and freezing.

this is the trellis Mike made to support all the tomatoes

The 2011 Flashback Series: Paris

April 23rd 2011:

Mike had yet another trip to Paris (and sometime back in April I mentioned that I was going with him this time). He arrived ON Easter Sunday and no one was going to be in the office that Monday so he asked if I wanted to come along, and I went. All I had on my "must do when I am in Paris for two short days" list was walk around and take a ton of pictures. And that is just what we did.

I have a lot more pictures in my facebook album all about this trip.

The 2011 Flashback Series: Early Birthday Gift

March 3rd 2011:

I have been hinting to Mike for years that I would like a sewing machine... sometime. Well now I have one. We went to JoAnn's and picked out my birthday present a little early. I am glad we did because I got to make Papa O a birthday gift, before I even had my birthday.

I also have made a few other small projects. Maybe some day I can make Mia's wedding dress like my mom did for me.

pants for Gabriel out of one of Mike's Drupal shirts

an apron for Mia out of an old ripped shirt she had

a shower curtain from a ripped sheet

a backpack for Gabriel (that he now takes to preschool)

someday...

The 2011 Flashback Series: A Boy and His Papa

January 12th 2011:

Don came to plow the driveway after a big snow and Gabriel helped drive the tractor with his "Papa coat" (The Carhartt Don & Kathy got him that looks just like Don's). It was so cute I just had to take pictures.

He came in and said, "Momma, Papa helped me with the snow."