First time in pigtails!

Isn't she so cute in her piggies?  Where'd my baby go?

Look at my muscles, Mom!

Lately Brighton is obsessed with super powers.  He has come up with many explanations of where he gets his super powers from.  The latest involves a super large Superman shirt I wore while pregnant with him (given for helping the Camp Hobe camp director a few years ago).  He makes us laugh with his curiosity and infatuation with it.  Here he is displaying his powers (and huge blue eyes too!)

Lesson learned: Don't mess with Brighton

We had a new one in our house a few weeks ago: a broken bone.  We've been through quite a few things already, with 5 kids, but never a broken bone.  Brighton fixed that for us when he broke Keaton's toe.  Ok, so no one actually saw it happen; we just heard and saw the aftermath.  But the accepted story on the street is that Keaton ticked off Brighton, Brighton chased him down, pushed him over, and for good measure, fell on Keaton's foot.  The result?  One broken toe bone (I'm sure it has a name, but I don't know it).  Luckily, it wasn't his ankle, as the dr told us.  He will spend 3 weeks in this cute little red cast, then it should be healed and we can remove it.  Poor baby!  But he's been such a trooper and doesn't ever complain.  For the first few days, he rode his bike around the house to get around, or crawled.  Now he runs...like a cripple, but he's pretty fast on his feet.  What cracks us up, however, is when he gets mad and stomps his boot on the floor.

Look at those cute little piggies sticking out!

Again, hopefully he has learned not to mess with his older brother.

Hare Krishna Temple

Culminating our study of India, we visited the Hare Krishna Temple today.  I've driven past it many many times, and was always curious to see inside.  I think the building is gorgeous, albeit a little oddly out-of-place in the small town it resides in.  Here is the outside.  You'll have to forgive me for taking so many photos;  a fancy camera + an interesing architectural subject=a whole lotta pictures!

We had to remove our shoes before entering the second level.

Not sure what this is, but it was beautiful.

This is the room at the top of the building.  I expected something larger and more grand, but this was it.  This is their worshiping room; they gave permission for photos, but I felt so odd and disrespectful taking them, especially of their deities, which is at the back of the room.  They burn incense and other offerings to their God here.  One has to be correctly robed to enter the space before it.

This is looking up at the center dome of the temple.

I did wonder why Lord Krishna is always blue in the paintings, and asked, but didn't get a clear answer on that.  I wondered how many of our Mormon doctrines I would be unable to explain clearly to an outsider.

Not sure what this statue represented; we missed the first part of the tour.  It gave Savannah the creeps though.

I liked the front doors with the peacocks in them.

They sang and played their instruments for us at the end of the tour.  Brighton wanted to know what their instruments were called afterwards.  The only one I remember was a harmonium (like a mini piano and accordian mixed).

My kids liked the wildlife best.  This bird was just free inside the restaurant/gift shop downstairs.

Outside, we greeted the other 3 birds.  This one greeted us with a "hi" and a head bow.  Keaton got too close and it about took off his finger.  He now says "birdie bite." 

This is Peaches, from Irelynd's narrative a few months ago.  She was calm and did not bite when we pet her.

This bird shrieked along with Keaton after his finger was bitten.  I've never heard a bird make such a noise before.  With Waverly crying too, it made quite a ruckus.

Koi pond

We liked feeding the llamas our baby carrots.

More Indian food and recipes

We are getting an overload on curry and turmeric this week.  I joked with the kids that our insides are probably as stained yellow as our dishes have become.  We made Chicken Tikka Marsala, roasted red potatoes and naan bread for dinner this night.  I've had tikka marsala before, and really liked it, but this was too spicy for me.  If you make it, tone down the spices and eat it over rice.  We neglected to do that.

Chicken Tikka Marsala

1 cup yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

4 teaspoons salt, or to taste

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

4 long skewers

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

3 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1.In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2.Preheat a grill for high heat.

3.Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

4.Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Roasted Red potatoes

3 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 pounds small red potatoes, halved (about 8 cups)
1 3/4 teaspoons black mustard seeds
6 dried red chiles (I omitted these after our Chinese fire-breathing experience)
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
8 lime wedges

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon oil and potatoes, tossing to coat. Set aside.
3. Heat remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons oil, mustard seeds, and chiles in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until seeds begin to pop. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add ginger, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, turmeric, and Garam Masala; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add spice mixture to potatoes, tossing to coat. Arrange potato mixture in a single layer in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned, stirring every 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, mint, and juice. Serve with lime wedges.

Indian Naan bread 

(just google a recipe for this--there are so many, and mine turned out too crunchy, so try a different one)

Day 4? of Indian food we had something more mild, thank heavens!  We ate on the floor for a more authentic Indian dining experience.  I made Bombay Chicken and rice, Indian sweet bread, and creamy rice pudding for dessert.  The kids were really wary of the rice "pudding" but I stressed that they had to try everything and couldn't proclaim anything "yucky" until they tried 3 bites.  Surprisingly, at the least the older girls have been adventurous in trying all the new foods.  I've been proud of them as they've sampled all the different and strong foods I've put on their plates.  Hopefully it will stick with them into adulthood.

Bombay chicken and rice

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

6 ounces diced dried mixed fruit (I only had craisins so that's what I used.  I'm thinking apricots would be good)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons curry powder, divided (I believe I cut this down to 2 tsp, since I was on curry overload)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2.In a 9x13 inch baking pan, mix rice, fruit, onion, sugar and salt. Pour in water. Arrange chicken parts over the rice mixture. In a small bowl, mix butter, curry powder and paprika. Brush butter mixture over chicken pieces. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
3.Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until chicken juices run clear and rice is tender.

I didn't get a photo of the sweet bread, but we all really liked it.  There were no leftovers.  Here is the recipe:

Indian Sweet Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1.In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt and water until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Divide dough into golf ball size pieces and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.
2.Select a ball of dough and roll out until very thin but not torn. Sprinkle lightly and evenly with sugar. Fold up dough into a small square and roll out again until thin.
3.Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat. Place the rolled dough onto the pan and cook for 1/2 to 1 minute on each side until golden. Serve immediately. Repeat until all dough balls have been rolled and cooked.

Bollywood, Taj Mahal, and all things curry

Today we started learning about India.  I had to clarify with my kids when I said "Indians" I was not meaning the kind that slept in teepees and wore moccasins.  We had an Indian meal tonight.  Man, do they like their food spiced!  I had half my spice cabinet on my countertop to make these 4 dishes!  I was skeptical about some of them, but I think everybody liked them, for the most part.  I'll post the recipes, if anyone is interested in trying them. 

In the pitcher we have Mango Lassi.  This was by far everyone's favorite.  You might want to double this.

3 c plain yogurt

1 c chopped mango or peaches

1/2 c water

6 Tb sugar

Blend well in a blender.  Serve over ice.

This is called Garbanzo Stew.  Sounds gross, I know, but I actually really liked it, for ethnic food.  Even my older kids ate it, and Waverly ate some of the beans. 

1 Tb olive oil

1 c finely chopped onion

4 c chopped tomato (about 1.5 lbs)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp curry

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp ground red pepper (I left this out)

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained (I only used one)

1/2 tsp garam masala (an Indian spice--Macey's carries it, but it's expensive so I made my own)

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute 5 minutes or til tender.  Stir in tomato and next 5 ingredients.  Cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in beans and garam masala (if you google this spice, you can find an ingredient list for it.  It's just a mix of more familiar spices, plus some odd ones that I omitted.  So maybe it's not completely authentic without the green cardamom pods, but close enough for us!)  Cook for 5 minutes or til heated through.  Serve with cilantro.  Serve over peanut rice (recipe below).

Peanut Rice

1 c basmati rice (I used regular white long grain, as true basmati rice is EXPENSIVE!)

2 1/4 c water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 c petite peas, thawed

1/2 c roasted peanuts

Mix rice, water, salt and turmeric in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.  Cover and turn heat to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  When done, add thawed peas and peanuts.

Tandoori Chicken

1/2 tsp curry

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 Tb water

4 chicken breasts

In a bowl, mix spices.  Add water to form a smooth paste.  Rub paste into chicken breasts, and place on a plate.  Cover, and let marinate for 20 minutes.  Brush grate with oil.  Grill 6-8 minutes per side til done.

Apparently Indians eat every meal with some kind of flatbread.  This one is called Chapati, and it's very similar to tortillas.  Here is the link for the recipe and instructions.  It's not hard, and my kids really liked it.

http://indianfood.about.com/od/breadrecipes/ig/How-to-Make-Chapatis/

After dinner, my girls disappeared for a short time.  They're usually good about clearing their plates after they're done, so I wondered where they went to.  About 10 minutes later they came back in.  They had been in the bathroom, painting red dots on each other's foreheads with washable paint.  They wanted to be authentic.  We all had to get one too.  Tomorrow they want to wear the headdresses and eat on the floor, in true Indian style.  Tomorrow we are having Tikka Masala, Roasted potatoes, and Naan bread.  I might also serve them rice pudding, though Savannah has already declared it to be yuck.  I searched for Indian dessert recipes, and even found a cupcake one, but my excitement soon petered out when I saw it had curry in it.  Most of the desserts had something similar.  Hmmm...I'm thinking chocolate chip cookies?

Eclipse Fire and Ice Party!

In honor of the newest installment of the Twilight Saga, I hosted a Fire and Ice party.  I had huge plans for this, but, with all the other craziness going on in my life presently, it wasn't up to my standards.  However, I think we all had fun, and gave both Edward and Jacob a fitting tribute:)

I found this link for making ice candle holders.  They were fun, and tied everything together nicely, I thought.  I think Scarlet may have lost a finger or two to frostbite in pulling them out of the containers for me though!

We had Italian again; this is one area I had big plans for, but inspiration never really struck me for fire and ice foods.  Everyone brought such yummy dishes.  Thanks, girls!

The only two printables I got off Scott's computer before his printer had an aneurism.  And this book had some great quotes!  Oh well.  Both are from Hostess with the Mostess.  She's awesome!

I had two tables set up, each a tribute to either fire (Jacob) or ice (Edward).  This was the Edward table.  I wish I had gotten a picture of it before people.  It did look really nice, with silver chargers, my snow goblets and all white linens and candles.  Thanks, Sallie!

Edward's loyal supporters, minus Jen, who thought she was at the Edward table, only to find out later she was with the "Jacobites."  heehee!

Fire table.  I used my autumn candles for a nice, warm glow of reds and oranges, and my gold chargers.  Again, didn't get a photo before use.  Dang!

I made Baked Alaska, as it went nicely with the Fire and Ice theme.  I didn't get a picture before cutting it, but it was pretty, though I didn't see what the big to-do about it was.  It was just ice cream with merengue on it.  I'm thinking I'll have to try it again when I have time to spend perfecting it.

After dinner we played a few games.  Our movie was earlier this year, so we had less time to hang out after dinner.  We played Eclipse Jeopardy.  Team Jacob won, but never got their prizes, due to my horrible memory.  Sorry ladies!

Then I found photos of 20 of the cast members of Eclipse and cropped just their eyes.  We played name those eyes.  Scarlet won.  Go Scarlet!

True to my sweets-lovin' nature, I created a candy buffet in the fire and ice theme, and gave everyone baggies to fill and hide in their purses for movie snacks. 

Edward's side was all white, silver, and blue.  Funny story about the peppermint taffy:  I bought white taffy but it was in red, white, and blue wrappers for Independence Day.  So I unwrapped them all the night before and put them in my jar, congratulating myself on my preparation.  Only to find the next morning that they had all melted into one hard lump at the bottom of the jar.  Needless to say, no one had any peppermint taffy.  It may stay there til the end of time.

Jacob's side was all in reds and browns.  I found a recipe for Rosalie's Werewolf Kibble and had to include it, even though the label didn't fit my fire theme.  But it was yummy!

Go Jen go!  Smooch him!

Thanks for coming ladies!  I had fun, and hopefully we'll all get together for a Breaking Dawn party next year!