As soon as we opened the door and smelled the "evening air hits ac air" smell...mmmmm....they were instantly in happy land. Before you knew it, fingers were pointing up to the North Star...to Venus...to other planets...to the moon...all proudly announcing which is which, while sparkling eyes were lighting up the evening air around us.
I personally enjoy hearing the hum of the air condition units running....watching the lights of big planes in landing formation ready to enter DFW airport grounds...the sound of water splashing at the community pool where swimmers come to swim in the late evening when it is cool enough to swim! And the best of the best....well, that would be the evening symphony of orchestrated insects all playing to their own tune!
Yes! Evening walks are truly magical if you allow your mind to just be... and dream.
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Now for that recipe I wrote about last night...Baked Spaghetti....and it was delicious!
I baked cheesy garlic bread to serve with it. The kids had seconds...so I know it was good.
Ingredients:
Reynold's Wrap
1 (8oz) package of cooked spaghetti
2 tablespoons of butter OR margarine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (24oz) carton ricotta cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 jar of preferred spaghetti sauce
1 (8oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with Reynolds Wrap.
2. Combine hot cooked spaghetti with butter; stir until butter melts and coats spaghetti. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; stir to coat. Arrange spaghetti in an even layer in foil-lined pan. Spread ricotta cheese over spaghetti. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Brown ground beef, drain; add pasta sauce. Mix. Spoon over cheeses. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.
3. Cover with non-stick foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil cover and continue baking 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
And for tonight, I'm trying yet another new recipe. A Potato Soup that is cooked in the crock pot all day long. Right now it smells divine! I'll post about that tomorrow.
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I am starting to gather my thoughts about our impending trip up north. We leave July 3 and are totally excited to visit with family and friends. The trip will take us well over 2,000 miles. Grandpa Bill is turning 80 so we will end our trip with a big birthday party for him!
A little ways back...my friend Kat over at Pappa Doodles posted about preparing "goody bags" for her two girls in preparation for a long car trip that they would be taking. I'm thinkin' that is a fantastic idea!
So... thoughts are starting to swirl in my head already...I want to make it fun and exciting for the little people. Does anyone have any good ideas? Please share. I'll start gathering their "goodies" this weekend. I want to surprise them and start the trip off with a lot of giggling and laughing!
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And guess who was flying overhead again? David heard them early this morning and we went out the front door to find this across the street. It gets me every. single. time! Totally cool! One of these days...you will see a picture posted on this blog with me in the basket waving back at ya!
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The older two girls and I iron every other Tuesday. It isn't a fun chore. Never was.
I started training with an iron when I was around 8 or 9. Mom trained us by ironing Dad's handkerchiefs and boy! they were perfectly laundered, starched and crispy clean! These girls are such a HUGE help to me!!!!!
But, we got 'er done! I told them we had to between swimming lessons and and meeting friends at the pool for the afternoon.
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Walking in this afternoon, the soup smelled absolutely divine! I have to say it was easy to make. I'm just waiting for the final taste test...the family!
Have an enjoyable evening. And if you can, remember to post some ideas for me for those "goody bags" that I want to surprise the kids with.
I am not sure what the goody bags are, so please forgive me if this is a repeat. When we do major traveling, I stock up on things ahead of time, and wrap them up and label with names. The kids get it all in a box, and they can choose one new thing to open with each state (or 2 things, sometimes). Special snacks and drinks, puzzle books, magazines, books (yea, Half-Price), and so on.
ReplyDeleteWell, when I called them a goody bag..I'm thinking a bag, with their name and a cute note attached to it, waiting on their seats (as a surprise) when they climb in. Something that they aren't expecting but will put huge smiles of delight on their faces.
ReplyDeleteSo, what to put in...I like your idea of the puzzle book!
I want to stay away from crayons because of the likelihood of a major melt down.
Patty, for our last trip I found a lot of neat printables at www.momsminivan.com/printables.html including car bingo and a state license plate tally sheet. The girls really liked those. I also went to Cracker Barrel and stocked up on those cute little dover books ($1 each) and got some of their candy sticks. I found a stick on mosiac at the homeschool convention that took them awhile to complete in the car. I also bought them each a new little polly pocket and provided a "lap desk" of sorts to use to create a ply space. And for a special treat....we had popcorn, chocolate and a Karaoke CD so that Dad could sing to us! It was actually an enjoyable trip. We also packed all the meals. Food is ALWAYS key on trips. Baked goodies (banana bread, cookies) are always a hit. My best gift to my kids was to be well rested so Mom wasn't a grouch. :) TeeHee - Have fun Patty!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Thank you! Great ideas!!! I started shopping last night at the $1 section in Target.
ReplyDeleteWe, too, pack our food. We keep a cooler and stock it during different legs of each trip. So economical and time-saving.
These ideas are getting me excited to go hunting for more goodies!
Here is what we take on a long trip.
ReplyDeletePuzzles and mazes printed from krazydad.com
Paper for hangman and tic tac toe
Word searches and crossword puzzles
Sudoku
Car bingo
Other travel games
Rush hour game by Think Fun
Playdough (to be used when waiting for dinner at a restaurant)
Colored pencils (we have even have markers melt in a hot window)
Pencil sharpener
Bucket and paper towels (just in case)
Water bottles
Books
Books on tape and/or cd
sunglasses and/or hats
string and cat's cradle book
Transformers are good for boys
Bendaroos* new for this year, not sure about the heat
Mary packs a weaving loom and supplies or crochet needles and yarn
Paper and origami book
Plastic clipboards with storage inside are great! We bought ours at Michael's with coupons. You can even personalize with Sharpies or wet paint pens.
Stephanie
My best hint is an Electric cooler which plugs in to the cigarette lighter and into an electric outlet when you reach your destination.
ReplyDeleteThis avoids the mess with ice and the lack of it when visiting friends or relatives. Just carry the cooler in and plug in at a motel or your destination. I keep it in the car for trips to the grocery when not on vacation. Coleman is the brand and it is available at Walmart here in Texas.