Best Salad EVER!

So last April I rode the train for the very first time ever and when it came time to have dinner I wandered down to the snack car and bought myself a salad. It was the best salad EVER, and tonight I recreated that salad because I LOVE it and lets face it, it's too expensive to take a train ride just for the salad, although this weekend I got to enjoy two of those salads as I was taking the train to run a 5K! So because I love this salad so much I am going to share my recipe with you!

Linsay's Farmer's Market Salad

Cran-Raspberry Vinaigrette

2 cups Cranberry Juice

1 cup Fresh Raspberries

2 TBS Olive Oil

2 TBS Honey

2 TBS Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

Combine Cranberry Juice and Raspberries in a small sauce pan on stove and bring to a boil. Continue to build until it is reduced to 1/2 cup total. Combine with remaining ingredients in the blender on liquify until smooth. Resist tasting as you won't be able to stop.

Salad

1 Apple chopped (I used Pink Lady)

1/2 Cup Chopped Dried Apricots

3/4 Cup Dried Cranberries

1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds

2.5 oz Blue Cheese

1/2 Bag of Baby Spinach

1/2 Bag of Chopped Romaine Lettuce

Layer lettuce, Blue Cheese, Sliced Almonds, Dried Cranberries, Dried Apricots and Apple in a large salad bowl. Served topped with Cran-Raspberry Vinaigrette. ENJOY!! If you try this you have to tell me if you like it. Everyone in our house besides Lippy Lou LOVED it. I can't believe 3 out of 4 kids enjoyed the blue cheese!

Want more great summer recipes? Check out Works for Me Wednesday on We are THAT family!



This post is also linked to Foodie Friday, check it out!

The Post In Which I Win Mother of the Year.....

Because any mom who is willing to fill 100 water balloons all while knowing that it is going to take 10 mins for said water balloons to be popped and all over her backyard deserves an award. After we put water balloon fight on our Summer Bucket List the kids asked daily when they could cross this one off. I bought a water balloon kit at Target in the Dollar Spot about 3 weeks ago and that just seemed to fuel the fire! So Monday I decided that even though I wasn't feeling well I would bite the bullet and fill some balloons. In the end we had about 94 balloons in our bucket and they had a BLAST!

The one in which Ky Guy tags Lynner in the back.

The Hubs decided he needed to get in on the action!

I was the only one who successfully tagged Ky Guy, see that pink balloon on his back??

Ready....Aim...FIRE!

The kiddos in action.

Lippy Lou running from the splash.

The Fish wanted in on the action!

Thar he THROWS

A great time was had by all with only minimal whining by Lippy Lou which is par for course in this family. If it wasn't so hard to fill the balloons I would say this would be something we would do over and over and over. The kids had a BLAST!

What is on YOUR bucket list?

Let Summer Begin...

right along with the summer bucket list! While the big kids were at camp this week Lippy Lou, The Fish and I started our weekly trips to the library and we had a great time! We were only able to spend about 30 minutes there due to a dr. appt looming in the afternoon but we still made the best of it. The Fish wasn't sure what to think at first and was acting all sorts of shy but he soon warmed up to the idea of pulling books off the shelves to look at and even tried to make a friend! They each picked out 3 books to bring home and we have been reading them over and over and over. Here are some pictures from the day!

If only she always looked this sweet!

I should have known The Fish would pick a bus book, he LOVES buses.

He seemed amazed at the sheer number of books!

This one must have been silly as she was stifling a giggle!

My Heart is Whole Again

Last Sunday I dropped half my heart off at Operation Purple a summer camp for military children dealing with deployment. Today my heart is whole again after retrieving said campers from camp. This was their first experience at summer camp and my first experience having them be away from the house for more than one night. I myself have been away from my children for more than a couple of nights but they were always home safe and sound with daddy and I could speak to them each night.

Just before leaving the kids at camp we saw this awesome "halo" around the sun, something I have never seen before.

My campers crossing the bridge at camp, with their little sis in tow.

For 5 long nights I was not even able to pick up a phone to call and check on them, it was harder than I ever thought it would be, I missed them terribly. The only thing that kept me sane was knowing that they were having a GREAT time. And a GREAT time did they have. We have spent the majority of today talking about all of the fun things they did. I even found out that their fears of having horrible camp food weren't realized. They said they ate very well all week, and that not a single meal was "bad", they absolutely loved everything they were fed! My heart aches for the two boys at camp who lost their father who was overseas fighting for our freedom while they camped at Operation Purple. Their father paid the ultimate price for our freedom and his family needs our prayers in their time of grief.

The Fish was so excited to see Lynner, he had cried for her almost every night at bedtime :(

Ky Guy received the award for Strangest Sleeping Position. He was sleeping on the floor due because the mattresses were lumpy..silly boy!

The Fish did not want to leave his sissie's side!

Lynner with her new friend!

I got up at 6 am today to drive the 3 hours each way to pick up my babies and the drive over was tough because I was very sleepy. The hubs woke up at 4 am very sick and I was unable to fall back asleep after he woke up. So I was running on just 4 hours of sleep but once I had the extra kiddos in the car telling tons of camp stories I was wide away and energized, the Starbucks Double Shot may have had something to do with it also.

Once we got home we spent the entire afternoon on the trampoline just having a blast. Here are some shots of us in action. Ky Guy isn't one for having his picture taken so it's just the rest of us having some good ole fashion fun!

Lynner perfecting the front flip

Lippy Lou having fun.

And while I may be in my 30's I still have it!

And yes I can flip too, can't land on my feet YET but I will!

The Fish is loving the trampoline too!!

Sorry for the picture overload but it has been awhile since I have posted some of the kiddos!

Breast Cancer 3 Day Training Log

Monday - break
Tuesday - 2 miles
Wednesday - break
Thursday - 1 mile
Friday - 10 miles
Saturday - 12 miles
Sunday - driving my kiddos to camp

This weeks total = 25 miles!
2010's miles = 205.55 Whooo hooo over the 200 mile mark!

Sugar and Salt Scrubs

Today was the last day of school so for Lippy Lou's wonderful teachers I made some sugar and salt scrubs. Some of my family members may recognize these as I gave them as gifts a couple of years back for Christmas. They are a great thing to have around and I actually made some more up for myself because I missed having it around. To start off I found these wonderful jars at Fred Meyer in the canning section and they are perfect!!


They are made by Ball and they are the Elite Platinum Collection and I just love their simple elegance.


For the salt scrub I used grape seed oil, sea salt, lime essential oil, lemon essential oil and sweet orange essential oil. I just filled the jar with salt and added oil until it looked just right, not too wet and not to dry. Then I added 10 drops of each essential oil and mixed it up really well in the jar.


The sugar scrub is even easier it is just Sugar in the Raw, grape seed oil and vanilla essential oil. Add sugar to jar and again add oil til it looks just right and then add 20 drops of essential oil and mix well.


Let me know if you try these out and like them. You can add all sorts of different essential oils to make different scrubs to your liking. I also made a cinnamon sugar one last night and it smells delish!! The teachers were thrilled to receive them this morning. Told them it was to help start their summer vacation on a relaxing note!! Lynner has male teachers so we got them each a treat from Starbucks, they enjoyed that as well!

4th of July Wreath

Remember this from last year????



It still looks just as awesome on the door this year, thought I would share it for all the followers who missed it last time around. I am loving it this year just the same as last! Looks great for 4th of July or any other patriotic holidays as well.

Happy Birthday Lippy Lou

It is hard to believe that 7 years ago you looked like this....

And have slowly grown into a beautiful young lady. Even though you are our strong willed child that has been stubborn from birth with your sweet little chubby toes so wedged into my birth canal that there was no way the doctors could turn your 10 lb 1 oz little body around inside of me, we wouldn't trade you for anything (ok so somedays I dream of trading you for a never ending supply of yarn, but that is only when you are screaming at me for something). I love you sweet girl! Happy Birthday.

Breast Cancer 3-Day Training Log

Here is an update of last weeks totals, not to great for a whole week but I was out of commission Monday-Wednesday due to drs orders.

Monday - OOC

Tuesday - OOC

Wednesday - OOC

Thursday - 2 miles

Friday - 1 mile

Saturday - 12 miles

Sunday - Boobie'Q with my friend Melanie

This weeks total = 15 miles

2010's total = 180.55 ( hope to go over 200 this week!! )

Breast Cancer 3-Day Training Log

Sorry for the delay last week was a lazy one but I thought I would post about it anyways.

Monday - recovering from sickness

Tuesday - resting still

Wednesday - 2 miles

Thursday - super duper busy

Friday - 1 mile

Saturday - 6 mile training walk with other 3 day walkers

Sunday - 4 miles (Race for a Cure 5K with Lynner + walking around Seattle)

This weeks wimpy total = 13 miles

2010's total = 166.55

Summer Bucket List

When going through my blog roll the other day I came across this post from Lori at Be Different Act Normal and I just knew our family had to do one. So tonight after dinner we sat at the table and came up with our summer bucket list and I am so excited to have fun things planned for us. I will be taking pictures as we do each thing on our Summer Bucket List and share them with you all summer long!

Go camping in Oregon.

Summer camp for big kids.

Backyard camping.

Roast marshmallows.

Visit a water park.

Visit a beach.

See Toy Story 3.

See Karate Kid 3.

Visit library once a week.

Go fishing as a family.

Go to the zoo.

Visit six new parks.

Visit a Wildlife Reserve.

Visit a Farm.

Visit Seattle Children's Museum.

Visit Museum of Flight.

Visit Space Needle in Seattle.

Have Papa visit.

Family family game night once a month.

Water balloon fight.

Make marshmallow guns for a marshmallow war.

Make sidewalk paint.

Make playdough.

Have a scavenger hunt.

Take a train ride.

Sleepover with Leslie

Go biking once a week.

Movie night every other week.

Do three science projects.

Repaint Ky's Dresser.

Finish furniture project.

Go Hiking.

Make a blanket fort and leave up for a week.

Teach girls to knit.

No TV once a week (kids wanted this ;) )

Fireworks on the 4th of July.

Cook freezer meals together.

Potty train The Fish (aka 3 yr old)

Stay in PJ's for the day.

Bake cookies.

Buy a slip and slide.

Mom goes camping with her bff.

Dad goes camping with his bff.

What has been taking up my time...

Over the past week and a half I have had a ton of stuff to do with raffle cans being the biggest project that HAD to get done. The ladies at the school saw the teacher appreciation gifts I brought in during teacher appreciation week and came looking for me to ask if I would do raffle cans. Silly me said "OK", 17 raffle cans later I was totally regretting that answer. I am really glad I was able to help and think they turned out GREAT, but it was a lot of work and a lot of staying up til 1 am to get them done on time. So here they are in all their glory! (at least 6 of them) I am really sad I didn't get a picture of all 17, but I was tired and the bed was calling me.

There were made from the huge peach cans from the school cafeteria, construction paper, my cricut, fabric and tape, lots and lots of tape! If you have any questions on how I did them let me know! Each of the 17 places that donated items to be raffled off had a can and you could place your tickets in the can of your choosing. The carnival had a great turn out and lots of fun was had by all!

Breast Cancer 3-Day Training Log

Ok so I have to apologize for not catching up last week but we got sick on Sunday and then it was all down hill....

Monday - 2 miles

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - 3 miles

Thursday - 6.25 miles

Friday - rest

Saturday - 10.4 miles

Sunday - Sicker than a dog and haven't walked since :(

This weeks totals = 21.65 (not to shabby for 3 days off)

2010's total = 153.55 !!!