New Cat Feeder

Those of you who have visited my home know that our cat Kaspurr lives and breathes for only one thing in life.  Food.

He has vocal chords like no cat I've known... and he's constantly asking for food.

Several months ago, we bought an automatic feeder for him in hopes that he will direct his meowing at IT instead of US.  It worked well, until Kaspurr learned how to "beat the system" by sticking his paw up the food chute to release more food.  We tried taping all sorts of contraptions to it to keep his paws out of the grub, but nothing worked.

Until now.

Michael modified a cabinet in our laundry room so that the food chute is way longer than his paw!  Now, food just "magically" drops out of this pipe into his bowl three times a day.  It's hilarious to watch Kaspurr tear through the house when he hears that food drop!

Here's what's behind the cabinet door.

Nope... no stealing meals now!

Sugar Scrub

My new passion - Sugar Scrub.  It's absolutely heavenly!  Here in the dry Colorado mountains, we constantly struggle to keep our skin nourished.  And with a house full of boys with cracked, calloused hands, I simply MUST keep mine looking feminine!  This is, by far, the most luxurious way I've been able to do just that.   (...and I've witnessed my men using this from time to time as well!)

I have fiddled around with several different styles of scrubs.  Salt scrubs are also popular, but I personally don't like them as much.  And I can't even imagine how they'd feel on a cut!  No, I prefer sugar... just look at this richness...

There are several different ways to make it, but I will share with you my favorite (aren't you lucky?).  Many people on the internet say to just use sugar and olive oil.  Well, I like to step mine up a notch.   Olive oil has a yucky odor that is hard to mask.  If I'm going to pamper myself, why not treat myself to the very best?!  Below you will see the ingredients I like to use.

My local Vitamin Cottage (Natural Grocers) carries this inexpensive brand called "Now".  There are higher priced brands out there, but this is my compromise.  I like to use apricot kernel oil and vegetable glycerin for my oil base.  Then I experiment with different essential oils to add a lovely fragrance.  The green container has Grapefruit and the yellow is Lavender... mmmmmm!  I found these little rubber-sealed crocks at our local kitchen specialty store - the tiny spoons came from there as well.

To use a sugar scrub, start by taking off your rings.  Then wet your hands with warm water and scoop out a small dollop of scrub. 

"Wash" your hands with it as if you were using soap - paying particular attention to the backs of your hands.  Below is my hand with the scrub all rubbed in - yes, this was a tricky photo to take.  :)

Rinse your hands as usual.  See below how the water beads up on my skin?  (click on the photo to make it bigger and then you should see what I mean).  When you reach for the towel, dry your palms as usual (rubbing) because you don't want them slippery, but only PAT the backs of your hands.  You want that oil to have time to soak in and nourish!  Oh, it's divine!!

It's like treating your hands to a spa treatment each time you use it!  ...and if you put some in a plastic, water-tight container, you can keep some in the shower or tub... NOW we're talking!  Below is how I make mine. Experiment - use this as a base and play around with it.  I guarantee you'll love the way it makes you feel!

Sugar Scrub

1/4 cup white sugar (vanilla sugar if you want to go all out!)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp apricot oil
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable glycerin
10-12 drops essential oil

Start by mixing the sugars in a small bowl.  Add the apricot oil and the glycerin.  Stir until well combined and fully coated.  Let it sit for a few minutes to really incorporate.  Even if you think it needs more oil (and it may), you'll be surprised how the oil "settles".  Add essential oils to your liking and stir again.  Scoop it into a pretty covered container and keep it at your sink so you'll remember to use it.  Enjoy!

Bananas Foster

Tonight is Michael's dessert night choice, and as usual, he has chosen something I've never made before!  This time, it's Bananas Foster - and he explicitly mentioned that it MUST include the flambe part.  Because, really, what fun would it be if I did NOT try to catch my kitchen on fire?

Well, I did a test run yesterday, and I am happy to report that I had great success the very first time I tried!!  There were no catastrophes, no spilled alcohol (except that which I spilled in my mouth... kidding!), and the flames were completely contained at all times.

Here are the bananas just after they were placed in the yummy sugar glaze.

...and here they are on FIRE! The picture doesn't show the flame very well, but you can see a glimpse of it on the left side of the photo.  I promise, it was quite spectacular... but I was alone when I did this so no one else can attest to it.  You may question why I was holding a camera instead of a fire extinguisher?  ...well, I was determined to document it regardless of the outcome. :)  Fortunately, it worked just fine.  And it was quite tasty! 

Bananas Foster
Serves 4

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 shot banana liqueur
2 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
1 shot dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a skillet.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble - about 5 minutes.  Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan.  Cook for 5 minutes, turning once 1/2 way through, until bananas soften and begin to brown.  Carefully add the rum and let it heat for a few seconds.  Use a grill lighter to ignite the surface.  When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place two sections over a scoop of ice cream.  Generously spoon the warm sauce over the top and serve immediately.

Milk, Continued

Because our weather has been SO nice lately, I took the boys for a walk around the lake with a special trip to Baskin Robins.  Maddox had his first dish of REAL ice cream... and needless to say, he's quite smitten with it!

Animal Planet

The other night, Kaspurr spent a good 15 minutes staring at our TV screen...

Just to prove how long he was there - NOT MOVING - I will show you some progression of the program.  Here, he is watching some bears. 

Later, we moved on to birds... his personal favorite.  At this point, Kaspurr requested a bowl of popcorn.

And finally, we switched back to some antlered creatures.  He got bored at this point, because he can see these up close on the many other television screens throughout the house (aka windows).

After his Animal Planet inspiration, Kaspurr decided to check out another television... this one broadcasts a 24-hour 3D program called Mocha & Mango.  :) 

Milk at Last!

Yesterday, we hit a MAJOR milestone in the Force household... Maddox passed his milk challenge!!  We are SO excited for all that this will open up for him... ice cream, macaroni & cheese, lasagna, sandwiches with sliced cheese, yogurt... you get the idea!

And here he is, 5 1/2 years old, enjoying his first ever cereal with milk!  Yippee-skippy!!

He has passed egg and milk... now, all we have to worry about are his nut allergies.  We will soon begin challenges on a couple different kinds, but this mom is just as happy as can be that we've come this far!

Fabulous Vacation!!

We had one of the best vacations ever last week.  We flew into Ft. Lauderdale and took a cruise to Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas.  Below you'll find some of my favorite photos from the trip.

This first one is very special, as the boys all surprised me by getting all dressed up for formal night.  Normally, the boys just wear shirts and ties, but this time, they managed to buy, pack, and keep completely hidden from me these handsome suits!  It was an incredible surprise!

Here we all are posing off the back of the ship.

In Nassau, we visited Atlantis.  The wind was furious, which made things a bit chilly, but it didn't stop us from enjoying this calm little lagoon.

The boys' sole purpose on the beach was to dig a hole and sit in it.  Well, they did just that...

Back on the ship, Mason and Morgan had a blast on the "Flowrider" - a surf and boogie board simulator.  They started on the boogie boards, and then eventually worked their way up to surfing.

Other sports related things we enjoyed on the ship include ping pong tables, a zip line, and a couple of rock climbing walls.  Yes, we tackled those, too!     

Down on the Boardwalk, there was a carousel, cotton candy, and a lot of other "carnival" things to enjoy.  Maddox, Morgan and I all had our faces painted a couple times... but Maddox's was by far the cutest!  He was admired by all who saw him.

Dinner was one of our favorite events... here you can see the little "eye design" that the face painter gave me.

This little motorcycle was on the Boardwalk and Maddox just HAD to get on it every single time we passed it.  This time, the older boys went along for the ride.

Maddox enjoyed the "Ocean Adventure" program.  They are so good with the kids and make sure they have a ton of fun.  Here he is modeling the pirate bandana he made on pirate night.

We attended the Q&A session with the captain, and were thrilled when Captain Hernan Zini came over to pose for a picture with Maddox!

After departing the ship, we spent the day in Hollywood, FL.  The highlight of that day was renting this little surrey where everyone except Maddox had to pedal!  If his legs were long enough, I'm sure he would've been put to work, too.

Well, that was just a glimpse of some highlights.  It was a fantastic vacation... many, many happy memories were made!

Pumpkin Pancakes

We were in the mood for something different one morning... so I gave pumpkin pancakes a try!

Just look at this pure yummy-ness!

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp vinegar

Mix the above ingredients together and set aside.

Combine the following ingredients in a separate bowl:

2 cups flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just enough to combine.  Cook on a hot griddle, and enjoy with butter and real maple syrup (none of that fake junk!).

I Don't Get It...

So my wonderful husband comes home from Portland tonight with a surprise for us...

He says that this place is immensely popular in Portland.  He says he had to stand in line for 20 minutes in the middle of the afternoon to get this box of... box of... well, see for yourself:

Yes, those are donuts... and yes, they are covered in things like Froot Loops, Cap'n Crunch, and Cocoa Puffs.  Michael says he gingerly carried these on the plane (after being eyed curiously at security) and carefully guarded them the entire way home.

The boys, excited about anything containing sugar, dug right in...

Maddox was in bed, which was a good thing, as I'm not sure these concoctions would pass my allergy scrutiny.

So, did I dare try?  Well, I didn't want to appear ungrateful.  However, I decided to be a little more dignified in my consumption method.  Hence, the knife and fork.

Two bites later, I was done.  ...I just don't get it.