Dark Chocolate/Coconut Custard

It seems we sneak in an "In the Kitchen" moment every time we see Grand these days! Which, I might add, makes me especially happy for a couple reasons: 1) the kids love helping in the kitchen so I'm excited to foster their interest in cooking and baking, and 2) getting the chance to learn from a highly accomplished chief like Grand is particularly lucky for Malynn and Jack!

This visit Grand taught us how to make a dark chocolate/coconut custard. She made it for the kids a couple weeks before Valentine's Day and filled little heart containers with it so they had special after dinner treats leading up to V-Day! I'm not sure which is better, the fact that it is crazy simple to make or how delicious it is!

First the kids learned about coconut milk. They agreed it didn't smell like milk, but Jack pointed out it is probably called milk, "because it's white like milk."

Here's the run down...

Pour a can of coconut milk into a pan.

Pour a bag of dark chocolate chips into the pan and stir over low heat until melted and mixed through.

As chief Ramsey would say, "Taste, taste, taste!"

The kids helped decide when there was enough cinnamon. Malynn said, "It's good."

Finally pour into containers and chill.

Grand gets big props for helping both kids pour at the same time!

Thanks for the DELICIOUS treat!

Snow in March with Rourke...again!

Last year when Uncle Nate and Aunt Missy and Teigen went on their ski trip, Samma and Rourke came to visit and we got a big snow storm. We thought it was so crazy and perfect for Rourke to be playing in the snow while the rest of his family was off skiing! Well it was even crazier when it happened again this year!

 It was a doozy. The count was 15 inches in town, and I'm sure we had at least a foot ourselves!

Jack overheard Rourke and Samma talking about the shovel he likes to play with in the snow at home. Once we were all bundled up, Jack forged the first path out across the deck to get a shovel...

...for Rourke. This guys never ceases to impress with his thoughtfulness!

 We played out in the driveway where Daddy was shoveling which provided:

1) piles of snow for climbing and sliding.

2) snow mountains for off-roading.

 3) easy access to big clumps for "snow snacks."

("Don't eat yellow snow," was a favorite line of the day!)

4) fresh snow to plunge into.

 5) open space for a little riding around.

but most importantly, 6) a safe spot from all the trees crashing down from the weight of the snow.

(Darn Virginia Pines!)

 Jack wasn't the only one making sure Rourke had the tools he needed.

 A quintessential father/son picture!

 " I'm helping too!"

 Then we headed inside for hot chocolate and rainbow french toast! Samma read the weather story featuring a rainbow to the kids while I got the bread and "paints" set up.

I didn't have to give much direction, because...

 

...Malynn and Jack were eager to show Rourke how to make one of our new favorite story/snacks themselves.

 They passed the time while the french toast was cooking with plenty of silliness!

 

 And, finally enjoyed a perfect warm treat after a good romp in the snow.

There was a little play time before naps, and Malynn and Rourke had a spin on the rocking horses. I try very hard to just pick the best one picture of any given event, but this time I was amazed when through this series Malynn and Rourke's expressions match in every picture!

 

 While the kids were napping, Daddy worked on the HUGE tree which had fallen right across our drive way!

Fortunately, by the afternoon we had our power back, the road plowed, and a clear path out of the house.

In the afternoon we had to get back outside to make...

...a snowman!

 

We did have a couple, "I'm stuck!" moments.

 Malynn was the most invested in helping with the snowman.

The boys helped too, but...

Jack was busy pushing trucks around and Rourke was getting cold.

 I brought three carrots outside so there was...

...one for Malynn...and one for Jack...

 

...and one for the snowman!

The next morning was busy, busy, busy! It started with building a mini-snowman out on the deck with Samma.
The kids loved the starfish hat!

 Next we headed out for library story hour. Somehow Mommy got us all out the door way early. We had over a half an hour before the library was even going to open! There was a grocery store near by so we bought mini-cupcakes and juice and had a special little cupcake party in the back of the car! (Sometimes you do what you've got to do!) We had a fantastic time getting books at the library and enjoying our own private story hour because no one else showed up that day!

We wrapped up the first half of the day with lunch and reading some of the new books we got.

It was a fun, action packed visit and all three kids have been talking about it ever since. Being so close in age, I see the potential for Jack and Malynn to have a special cousin friendship with Rourke as they grow up. :)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

It's Dr. Seuss's birthday! And, we wouldn't miss the chance to celebrate it, sooooo....

Last night we started getting ready by reading Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat at bedtime. (Malynn was mesmerized -I think she loves to soak up the rhythm and rhyme of those authentic Dr. Seuss books!)

I thought we'd do green eggs and ham for lunch, but the kids woke up ready to make it right away. They were right, it was a perfect breakfast!

 

A little food coloring in honey mustard and we were in business with our own green ham.

 Then a little food coloring in the deviled egg mix, and we had our green eggs!

I think Dr. Seuss would be so proud!

The cooked ham with honey mustard was a big hit.

 The deviled eggs took a little more bravery, but thanks to Dr. Seuss we knew:

"You do not like them.

So you say.

Try them! Try them!

And you may.

Try them and you may, I say."

After lunch it was time to make our Cat in the Hat special treats!

I have to give props to Pinterest -I often find the perfect little ideas there by merely scanning their images! That's where I got the idea for making Cat in the Hat hats with marshmallows and a little red food coloring.

 

As Jack started making his, it was awesome enough to coax Malynn into finishing her cucumber slices. :)

 

Super easy and cute, but even better...super yummy!

 Even with a little help, I'm really impressed with how careful and precise Jack and Malynn were with their painting!

Ah, the sweet reward at last!

Few years have gone by (since I started my career back in 2000) without some sort of nod to Dr. Seuss on March 2nd. I always celebrated Read Across America Day (which occurs on Dr. Seuss b-day in his honor) with my students. My second grade team would sign up to host the teacher breakfast near his b-day so we could do a breakfast themed in his honor. And now I have the joy of honoring Dr. Seuss with my own children. Dr. Seuss is one of those authors who has authored so much rich literature for children and much of it has changed lives. Older generations have "first reading" memories with Dick and Jane. Generations around my own have "first reading" memories of Hop on Pop  and One Fish, Two Fish. The prosodic flow of the books truly authored by Dr. Seuss (so many others are published under his name) and the messages tucked into the elegant combinations of his simple words make his books a timeless treasure. Thank you for your gift, Dr. Seuss!

We'll finish the day off with a few coloring pages from Seussville.com and be looking forward to next year!