Summer Snapshots

Summer in Snapshot

Hey there!  This summer we have been keeping busy and blogging has taken a backseat to being outside and doing other fun activities with the kids so I think I'll be doing a few of these types of posts, sharing some snapshots from the past week!  As for activities, I've found so many fun ideas on Pinterest and the Play at Home Mom Blog.  All the bug/insect related craft activities were from LizzieJanes 20 Bug Craft Ideas and the rest can be found on my family activities board in pinterest including more we haven't done yet!  Things not pictured are many trips to various pools and splash pads, sprinkler fun, keeping J practicing her handwriting, riding bikes, laying around being lazy and watching cartoons, and eating lots of popscicles (in my mind I can hear my husband interject "you mean ICE POPS!" lol) - love the Breyers Real Fruit Popsicles in particular.  Watching fireworks, Nebraskans love fireworks!  We can hear a show going on almost every weekend and this week....every night there are tons going off.  Fireworks stands are not illegal here so every parking lot has a big tent and giant gorilla, dragon, t-rex, eagle, etc inflated next to it!  I can't even count how many are within 5 miles of our house.

 Bead Caterpillars

 Hatched Bird Egg we found in the yard

 Butterfly Fans 

 Hand Print Caterpillar Art

 Colored Ice Blocks from Play at Home Mom. This is a favorite and I have more in the freezer to do this again!

 Stitching Board idea from play at home mom but used stiff felt and a real needle, gave her an assortment of buttons, beads, etc and it's an ongoing project she like to do a little more each day.

 Summer Soccer....it's hot, kids don't know what's going on but she loves it

 Introduced the kids to painting with stencils

Play till you drop, worn out from the spray park all morning

Summer Days

Summer Days

I know I've been quiet around here, so I thought I'd update on how we are spending our summer days, so far....

Started our Y.O.L.O summer journal list along with a summer bucket list for ideas (got this idea from the Brassy Apple)

On the to-do list, J said she wants to put on sunglasses and walk around the neighborhood...

Practicing writing skills...

Going to the carnival

Backyard games and campout night (laid on blanket watching bats and fireflies, telling stories and then came in at 10 to go to sleep in real beds)

Making yummies in the kitchen...Peanut Butter Crispy Treats with chocolate topping

Rainbow Toes

Spray Parks

Playing in a creek in NJ

A couple days in New Jersey

A couple days in Conneticut

B learned that ocean water is yucky!

What is your family up to this summer?

Summer Mantle Decor, Flowers and Starter Garden

Summer Mantle Decor 

from around the house

Nothing beats free decor!  I needed to swap out my easter mantle for something more summery, so I spent 10 minutes looking rounding up some stuff from around the house.  It's not perfect or the coolest mantle decor but I think I'm slowly improving in switching up the mantle and arranging things...from May-Dec of last year the mantle was very bare with like a small picture and a couple other things and just looked dumb.

The picture frame was in my daughter's bathroom, the clam and basket of sea shells (and the shells in the glass cylinders from the $1 store are all from the beach in Madison, CT)  

The pink wreath I picked up at a church yard sale for $2

 The green bottle was a bottle of sparkling cider from thanksgiving, I had the stems in the craft room, the conch shell was a centerpiece from a wedding 5 or 6 years ago...and my friend gave me the white vase as a gift last year

I love these shells

I might switch it up, but I think it's better than it was before and all I did was look around the house to see what I had.  It's fun to challenge myself to be resourceful and figure out how to use what I have rather than going out and trying to buy everything new each season!

I also planted some lillies...we'll see how they hold up!

Here is the start to our first garden!  If you know what those are growing in front, then you will also know that I am an idiot.  I got all excited and started planting seeds in these starter cells with the kids...then when I was telling my mom what we planted she laughed and said we were supposed to plant the carrots straight into the ground...how are they going to grow in these small things??!?  So yeah...didn't really think it through or obviously read the package that closely because when I went back and looked there was an actual picture showing it being planted right in the ground.

We are going to build our raised garden bed this weekend hopefully....we need to get it ready and move those carrots!  It's a good thing my husband is really interested in having a garden, he wants to grow tons of tomatos and he'll probably be the one to make sure it stays healthy...I am determined, but I've just had bad luck with every pot of plants I've ever had so I'm trying not to set myself up for disappointment.  My mom knew my hesitation so she surprised me with a subscription to Organic Gardening to help inspire me...and..it did.  But I'll never have a garden as awesome as hers...

Savory Waffles as Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns or Hamburger Buns

Gluten Free Hot Dog Bun and Hamburger Bun

Here's another reviewed recipe from the Cooking For Isaiah book by Silvana Nardone.  She has a meatloaf sandwich recipe in there and she came up with the idea of using savory waffles for the bread.  Savory waffles are exactly what it sounds like...waffles with some savory seasonings added in like italian seasoning, sun dried tomatoes...etc.  We made savory waffles to use as hamburger buns a couple of weeks ago and it worked out great! So yummy!  We wrapped up the extra waffles and put them in the freezer so when we decided to BBQ some Hebrew Nationals the other day, I just took them out and put them in the toaster to thaw them and crisp them back up a bit.  I love having these on hand!  I just don't enjoy a hamburger wrapped in lettuce and a hot dog with no bun is no fun!

The Hamburgers we made were so good!  We shredded a sweet onion and then mixed the shredded onion in with the hamburger meat when forming the burgers.  We cooked them over briquettes and then topped with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce and carmelized onions...and my hubby did the grilling just right, they left my mouth watering with that lingering smoky flavor the rest of that evening!  Having savory gluten free waffles for the bun just made them even better, I mean, waffles are awesome and typical hamburger buns and hot dog buns aren't even good...they are like cardboard bread....so it's not a dietary sacrifice by any means...substituting these waffles in for buns is a total upgrade!

You can easily make gluten free buns by making gluten free waffles with either Silvana's Recipe in her Book, or use the gluten free bisquick mix, or if you are way too lazy, you could always try using Vans gluten free dairy free waffles (they just wouldn't be savory..but it would still be yummy without the seasonings)

More props to The Cooking for Isaiah Cookbook...Silvana...you have made living gluten free and dairy free exciting! You are such a genius in the kitchen!  Even if you aren't gluten free...you should try making some savory waffles sometime to use as a hamburger bun, hot dog bun or whatever kind of bun or sandwich bread you need.