Freezer Cucumber Slices

If you are finding yourself with an excess of cucumbers from your garden, this is the way to store them.  You wouldn't think that by freezing them they would retain their crispness, but with the brine solution they really do!  We have enjoyed them all year long in salads, or even right out of the container!

1. Wash 6 to 8 firm, slender cucumbers.  Slice thinly with a food processor (or by hand).  Peel and thinly slice 1 medium-size onion (we like red onion).  Measure out 2 quarts of sliced cucumbers.  Mix with onions and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large bowl.
2. Let stand for 2 hours.
3. Drain vegetables well.  Rinse thoroughly with cold water.  Drain well again.  Return drained veggies to the rinsed bowl.  Add 2/3 (that's two-thirds) cup each of oil, vinegar, and sugar.  Add 1 teaspoon celery seed.  Mix well.
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. Pack in freezer jars or rigid freezer containers.  Leave 1-inch headspace.  Freeze.

**Cucumber slices can be defrosted and eaten after 1 week.  Store defrosted cucumbers in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Enjoy!

To do...

1. blog about Parker's birthday...in APRIL
2. blog about Time Out for Women in Spokane
3. blog about mother's day fun
4. blog about our trip to Silverwood Amusement Park & Couer d'Alene
5. blog about the last days of school
6. blog about the updates in the house...washer/dryer, guacamole wall, new window, new bedding, croffice, yada yada yada
7. blog about swim lessons
8. blog about our sad little garden
9. blog about our new swagger wagon
10. blog about my birthday
11. blog about Peter's and my trip to Hawaii
12. blog about our trip to Oly for the Fourth
13. blog about our trip to the Portland zoo and the Pearl District
14. blog about Peter's new calling in the bishopric
15. blog about Picnic in the Park Playgroup Wednesdays
16. blog about how summer is too crazy to sit down and blog!

Hope you're all having as much fun as we are!

Garden Delights

Easter 2010

I didn't even get pics of my boys in their Easter duds this year!  And they were darling, too.  Oh well.  Here is our Easter morning.  The Easter Bunny left butterfly nets, gardening gloves, puzzles and plenty of treats!

April Fool's

This year for April Fool's day I decided to play a trick on my boys for dinner.  I gave them dessert first and dinner last...

They were ecstatic...until they realized the cupcakes were meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting!  After resigning to that small fact, they ate them right up!

Then, I served them "dinner" for dessert.  Mmm...fish sticks and veggies....

Look at Tyler's confused face when he realizes that he is really eating sugar wafers coated in peanut butter & graham cracker crumbs dipped in strawberry jam!  Awesome!  The "veggies" were bits of AirHead candy rolled into the shapes of green beans and peas.

Grandma & Grandpa Hovik

Peter lost both of his surviving grandparents this winter.  We will always remember Grandpa Hovik for his great interest in our lives and Grandma for her sweet smile and hugs.

Happy Birthday, Teebs!

Our teeny little super guy is FOUR!!  We can't believe it.  Officially a preschooler as of next September.  Crazy!  We love our boy. 

We had an Orange Party for Tyler this year (pardon the lack of pics, my camera battery died!) with some of his best buddies & their families.  If you know Tyler, you know that orange is his favorite color.  He insists on having orange of whatever, whenever it is an option for him.

He also insisted on having a fighter jet cake.  I did a jello poke cake with orange jello.  Think dreamsicle...mmm.  Of course he was stoked to see the new fighter jets taking off from it.

The stats on our four-year-old wonder:

Height & Weight: 39 inches and 34.5 pounds

Obsessions: playing board games, Toys R Us, monster trucks, physically pestering Parker, and still sneaking treats.

Must-haves: WIN at everything (although it doesn't happen), his rain boots, paper/rock/scissors to decide who gets the first bedtime story, help with prayers, his tongue sticking out of his mouth when he's concentrating.

Favorite Foods: CANDY, snacks, cheese pizza, macaroni and cheese, Saturday cereal.

Favorite Song: "Wise Man and the Foolish Man"

Nicknames: T-Bone (although he is starting to show resistance to this one), Teebs, T, Stinky Cheese

Hair Style: Fuzzy wuzzy - just thicker now.

Favorite toys: his new "orange" bike, big monster trucks, and little monster trucks.

Favorite pasttimes: playing any crazy thing Parker talks him into, playing monster trucks, playing outside or snuggling Mom or Dad.

Smile: an infectious, mischievious, slightly bucky smile. (hasn't changed from last year :)

Favorite words/phrases: "I caaaaaan't..." when he's frustrated; any other crazy word/phrase that he & Parker find funny on any given day.  Usually ending in "head."  "Poofyhead" comes to mind.

He amazes us with: His attentiveness, his sweet soccer skills, his persistence, his ability to figure out and operate things (cameras, dvd players, computers, LOCKS, puzzles), and his funny, sweet, and expressive personality.

Sunday Afternoon

Valentine's Day

Have I ever mentioned that I think Peter is wonderful?  Well, I do.  Here's what he did to show our family love this Valentine's Day:

I woke up to this outside my bedroom door.  He made it with the boys out of their toy screws for me.

He got me flowers.

Picture courtesy of Boehm's Candies.

And fine chocolates.  Yes, were gone too fast for me to get my own picture. 

And made me a CD, with these songs:

"Only You Can Love Me This Way" by Keith Urban

"Fallin' For You" by Colbie Caillat

"Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzales

"One Dream" by Sarah McLachlan

"Two is Better Than One" by Boys Like Girls (feat. Taylor Swift)

"Opportunity" by Pete Murray

"Thinking About You" by Norah Jones

"Star Mile" by Joshua Radin

"All I Have" by Mat Kearney

"Come Home" by OneRepublic

"Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble

"When You Got A Good Thing" by Lady Antebellum

"Slow Moves" by Jose Gonzales

"By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North

"Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's

"Let's Just Fall In Love Again" by Jason Castro

"Smile" by Uncle Kracker

"Make You Feel My Love" by Adele

And got us each a balloon.

And made dinner using this idea from Family Fun.  Yes!  My husband finds ideas all by himself. 

Not to mention, he has single-handedly kept my kitchen clean, bathed the boys, and folded our laundry for over two weeks now since my back has been out.  He is amazing to me.

If you're looking for more great music, here is the CD I made for him this year:

"Brighter Than Sunshine" by Aqualung

"Just You And Me" by Zee Avi

"I Know" by Meaghan Smith

"Never Had Nobody Like You" (feat. Zooey Deschanel) by M. Ward

"The One Who Loves You The Most" by Brett Dennen

"You're So True" by Joseph Arthur

"Only You" by Joshua Radin

"Your Song" by Kate Walsh

"Let My Love Open The Door" by Sondre Lerche

"Umbrella" by Marie Digby

Enjoy!

Happy Hearts Day!

Scrumptious!

Valentine's Day is upon us!  I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes - I know some of you have this one already from our good friend Alyson Matkin.  I actually submitted my favorite variation of it to Gooseberry Patch last year and it was published in their cookbook, 101 Christmas Recipes!  I think cherries and chocolate are a great taste & color combination for the holiday de l'amour, so these would make a great Sunday breakfast this year.  I, however, plan to omit the chocolate & cherries and serve my family plain scones with strawberries & whipped cream!  It's so delicious!  So if you're reading, Alyson, thanks for passing on a great recipe that has become a classic in many homes!

Outing the Uncle

A conversation over dinner last night:

M:  "So Parker, what was your favorite thing you got to do at Grandma's?"

P:  (thoughtful)..."Peeling out with Uncle Mark in Grandpa's truck.  He left smoke!"

Lately

T-bone is finally getting his shot in the sports arena.  We enrolled him in indoor soccer and although he was sick/out of town for the first three practices, he showed no inhibition during his first game last Saturday! 

What a go-getter!  He was so cute to watch.

Our little scrapper couldn't get enough of chasing that ball and he nearly scored twice! 

He even smelled stinky & sweaty when it was all over!  We were beaming with pride!

Parker has been getting in on the action these days with Tae Kwon Do. 

He started a couple of weeks ago and loves it!  We love watching him do his thing!

He has a great instructor who is very fun, but also very good at discipline.  This has been fantastic for Parker.  Here is our little white belt, about to do a back punch...

Ay-yah!  He is so cute when he yells!

We were lucky to have Grandma & Grandpa Brown come over to watch the boys in both sports this weekend.  They are so much fun to have around and now they have taken off with the kids!  We are a free couple for a few days!  Which has been very nice, since I have been dealing with some recent flare-ups with my RA.  This is giving me a chance to catch up on rest AND housework!  The best gift ever!

And forgive me for adding this photo, but it is almost Valentine's Day and I couldn't resist adding this shot of Peter's profile.  He was intently watching his son when I took this.  I think he is H-O-T.