Snow Day: Indoor Edition & Crayola Washable Paint Review!

It's been snowing like crazy here in Michigan and while there are surely way more pinterest worthy projects we could do with our afternoon, I decided we would practice learning our colors with a very basic activity.

Supplies

I bought these paints and brushes at target before Christmas so I grabbed the two shades of blue and one green. I've had these take and toss bowls hanging out in my Tupperware cabinet making a mess for months now, most of the lids are MIA but at least now I have a use for them. I happened to be able to match the colors to the bowls which makes it easier for Stefanos to identify and learn the colors we are focusing on. I also went for the blue brush and made a point only to bring out one brush because I knew he would be distracted by multiples and I wanted him to focus on making a masterpiece!

By choosing only two colors we were able to talk about both colors a lot while painting without any confusion. We could also identify both colors on the paper (too many colors can blend together and be hard to see)

The bowls are very light so they were easy for him to pick up and hold while he dipped his brush. He quickly got the hang of things.

We did two paintings that took about 25 minutes which I think is long enough for a toddler to focus on one thing. We chatted about the green and blue paint, the green and blue bowls, and practiced repeating the words green and blue in both English and Greek during that time. A productive half hour I'd say.

What happens when you let the dogs outside!

Art!

This is a quick and easy project for a snow day or any day. Crayola washable paints make it easy to clean up too. It is easily cleaned up from skin, clothing, and surfaces with just a baby wipe (or a pack of baby wipes depending on how long it takes you to let the dogs out the back door)


So you'll still have time to make dinner...

This is my own spin on a Skinnytaste recipe I love. I substituted the frozen spinach for a bag of fresh baby spinach leaves and added some chopped mushrooms, I then added a pound of ground lamb to the spinach and cheese mixture. I reserved some meat and mixed it in with my sauce to pour on top before baking! It was delish =)

Hiking The Smokies

Detroit --> St. Louis --> Nashville --> Gatlinburg!

As much as I loved exploring St. Louis , and as much as I enjoy country music (in small amounts) and whiskey (in larger amounts), I was most looking forward to the Smoky Mountains.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park spreads through North Carolina and Tennessee. We rented a cabin in Gatlinburg, TN. just a few minutes outside of the Sugarlands entrance to the Smokies. The price for renting a cabin for a week (practically the only option) was comparable to that of a hotel but you can't beat the convenience of having a fully furnished cabin! Not to mention the serenity of not being in the middle of a tourist populated town. We went through vrbo.com, but dealt directly with the owners and the experience was very easy and we were extremely happy with the cabin!

The drive through Pigeon Forge and into Gatlinburg was... Terrible. It was streets lined with tourist trap attractions such as Ripley's, mini golf upon go carts upon variety show theater upon seizure inducing lights adorning all these attractions. Not really my thing; Crunchy Momma was not pleased. 

But then we made it to our cabin, and all was well. I heard crickets and frogs and leaves and babbling creeks. And no lights. Ah, vacation :)

We were in Gatlinburg for three days and two nights. We should have been there all week!

Day One:

We woke up in our adorable and very roomy cabin, made some pancakes and eggs for breakfast, packed some lunches, and headed into the park.

Our first stop was the Sugarlands Visitor Center, where Hamburger met a friend:

 And we got ourselves a trail map.

We decided to start out with the Laurel Falls trail. The longest paved trail in the park (yet coming in at only 2.6 miles) it is stroller and wheelchair accessible (but barely!).  We didn't know how Hamburger would do hiking, and my mom is not particularly keen on long straneous hikes, so this was a great start to feel out everyone's comfort level. 

The round trip took about 3 hours. The average time is 2 hours, but we had some exploring to do along the way:

I had to climb up a large boulder; Hamburger couldn't let me have all the fun and decided to tag along.

Then there were the numerous mini waterfalls along the way we had to splash in! Good thing I brought his water shoes!

 Splashing in Laurel Falls. It's cold and slippery!

We then took a break at one of the many picnic areas and headed up the mountain towards Clingmans Dome. At the summit of Clingmans Dome is an observation deck lookout. We didn't do the 7 mile trail but parked at the parking lot that leads to the summit. The parking lot itself has fantastic views and leads to a very well paved, but very steep, half mile trail to the observation deck. On a clear day you can get a 100 mile panoramic view. Usually you're lucky to get 20. We got 10? Still it was worth the climb. I attempted to do the walk with Hamburger in his stroller... Needless to say that idea didn't last long.

Partially because he wanted to ride like this but mostly because I was not thrilled to be pushing 50+ pounds up a steep ass hill.

And we made it to the top!

If you're here and you can, climb your way to the top. We mostly did this trail because I couldn't go home after only hiking one two mile trail in a day and it was a short one we could do relatively easily with a baby. It is a bit exhausting because the hill is quite steep. If you're not able to get to the observation deck, don't fret... The view from the parking lot is also spectacular.

*A note on strollers and such*: The Laurel Falls trail is "paved". By paved I mean at some point some attempt was made to put concrete down. It eroded quite quickly. The trail is not terribly steep but definitely has many hills and the pavement is broken up by tree roots and general erosion. I have a fantastic three wheel heavy duty off-roading jogging stroller that has made it through everything... And I had a tough time getting up the trail. The trail gets especially narrow, steep, winding and broken towards the top end. I saw several families with basic 4 wheel strollers along the path and every single one commented on how much they wish they had a jogging stroller instead. That being said, they did end up making it to the top with the whimpy strollers, albeit with a lot more effort.
SO: yes, we made it up with little problems with our jogging stroller. Yes, it is possible to make it up without one, although much more difficult. If you have a baby carrier and won't break your back using one, this is the way to go! As far as strollers and Clingmans Dome, well it's a hell of a workout! So either you're in great shape or you have someone to switch off pushing it... I got lucky and have an active kiddo who didn't mind walking part of it. The downhill is also pretty taxing on your arms trying to keep the stroller from getting away from ya!

***

With a decent fill of the Smokies for one day we headed back into town for some food and beer. It was nearing Hamburger's bedtime and he had skipped his nap for the day so we had quite the cranky baby on our hands during dinner. We had to eat pretty quickly to avoid a full melt down, but that's just the price you pay sometimes when having a jam-packed day. Not a big deal in exchange for getting to spend the whole day in the woods with the BurgarMan!

Day 2:

Hamburger did, as all babies on vacation do, wake up bright and early for day two of hiking. We headed back into the park and made our way to  Grotto Falls. 
 
Grotto Falls is a 2.8 mile hike to a 25 foot waterfall you can walk behind. The hike takes about 2-3 hours, or closer to 4 in baby time. Don't even think about taking your stroller. The path is covered with large rocks, tree roots, and small waterfalls and streams you have to rock hop to get over. It's a fantastic time for a toddler!

If you can't tell what this is, it's the trail. Anyone else see a weird face in the tree roots? It's in the upper right hand.  Or am I just crazy?

Again, this hike took us about 4 hours going at Hamburger's pace. It is not a difficult hike but does make its way uphill over many obstacles. We weren't sure how long Hamburger would last hiking on his own, as he is too big for his baby carrier, but he loved it! He was about a month shy of 2 years old and hiked nearly the entire 2.8 miles on his own, save for a minute here and there of piggy back rides. I don't think this is normal, as everyone we came across was amazed and other people with toddlers older than him had their kids in super awesome carriers (although I still doubt I would be able to carry Burger's fat ass even in one of these heavy duty things!)

Hiking with the BurgerBuddy

If you play in the falls, an extra set of clothes is helpful, it gets very muddy!

After Grotto Falls we made our way back down the mountain, stopping occasionally for some pictures.

We decided to head back to town and stroll around the shops after tiring Hamburger out from a three mile hike. Gatlinburg is full of little wineries and distilleries... Mostly playing on the tourist crowd... But we couldn't help ourselves.

Ok, so the moonshine couldn't even be considered liquor and the whiskey was chocolate flavored (are you even allowed to call that whiskey?!) but I'll take some samples! And get suckered into buying a bottle or two...

And Hamburger had his first slice of pizza! DUN DUN DUN...

We had a blast exploring the Smoky Mountains and I can't wait to go back when Burger is a little older to do more hiking! Although this trip was extremely exhausting with so many stops (we're lucky Hamburger is so easy going, otherwise such a packed agenda would have been a nightmare) it was great to see so many different places! 

And the total wildlife sighting count is...

1. This pink worm thing (don't Google pink worm BTW)  2. A BEAR!!! Actually, 3!  3. POOP. Someone told us it was bear poop, Hamburger said it was "blueberry poop," you decide  4. Lots of butterflies  5. Mushrooms, yes we're gonna count them, because, look at them!  6. Many salamanders (not pictured) they are quick little boogers!

 

 

Happy Hour Friday, Post-Christmas Edition

Hamburger got into my mascara.

And did a very lovely job applying it.

Then he took his favorite cup, and asked for "piva".

My adorable little cross-dresser:

Obviously I didn't give him beer (piva) in his "Let's Get Wasted" cup. I gave him juice. Which is why it looks like he has lipstick all over his face. And don't worry, the juice was organic, it's gonna be alright.

Thus commenced Christmas at the Burger Household.

How did you guys hold up?

Bacon Squash Soup

Brrr it's cold out here! It hasn't been above 20 in a few weeks and it snowed (hard) in November. This is turning out to be a hell of a winter... And I don't mind! It just means that it's soup time! So go outside, throw some snowballs, and warm up with this delicious bacon squash soup!

First do this...

Then eat this!

This recipe is adapted from DaNelle over at Weed 'Em and Reap from her post, 10 Spectacular Fall Soup Recipes.  I saw the squash soup recipe and thought, "BACON!". Although I usually think BACON for everything. And onions. And garlic. Who doesn't love piggy goodness and stinky veggies?? Sounds appealing now doesn't it!?


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 onions, chopped
• Butter for sauteing (from grass-fed cows is best)
• 1 pound bacon, chopped (try to find uncured from a local farmer)
• 4 cups vegetable, chicken, or beef broth (or a mix)
• Butternut squash (either 3 containers organic pre-cut squash from Costco (6 lb. total) or about 3-4 medium squash)
• Chopped garlic
• Sea salt, pepper, chile powder to taste and a pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

1.  In a stainless steel pot saute onions in butter

2. Add one pound chopped bacon.  Here's a tip: use scissors and just cut the bacon! Cook until bacon is cooked to your preference.

3.  Transfer onions and bacon to a separate dish. Let the grease run off back into the pot or add some lard into it to prevent burning, add in butternut squash and broth of choice. Or get a whole new pot if, like me, you got distracted and the bottom started burning. Bring to a simmer and cover.

This is the squash I got at Costco. Since it's pre-cut it's a little more expensive ($3.99 for 2lb.) than getting a whole squash but it saves you a ton of time and annoyance in the kitchen. If you use a whole squash you have to cut it in half, place face down in a dish of water into the oven on 400 for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Then let it cool, peel off the skin, and dice.

4. Allow squash to simmer for a few minutes until it starts to get more tender. Add the bacon and onion back into the pot as well as garlic and spices. Continue cooking until squash is tender.

5. I believe this is where those immersion blenders come in handy... But I don't have one. So I transferred the soupyness to a blender and blended it for just a few seconds. I wanted to keep some texture and this turned the bacon into little bits!

SOUP! Top with some cheese and om nom nom!

This is also a good option for smaller toddlers and older babes who have started on solids (make sure all ingredients are age appropriate for your child). Just puree a little more to even out the texture. You could also swap out grass-fed beef chunks for the bacon if you're iffy on pork or don't have a good source of it! 

Happy Hour Friday the 13th!

Over the summer (as in about 5 months ago), Hamburger had a little incident:

He awoke from his nap and was happily babbling in his crib. He sounded perfectly content so I didn't rush to get him out of bed. A few minutes go by and out of nowhere he starts screaming. I run into his room, and there he is, huddled in the corner of his crib, butt naked.... With poop everywhere. Everywhere. It was in his hair. Everywhere. 

He was clearly terrified. Apparently it was one of those farts gone wrong situations.

I made a "Who pooped the bed" comment (it's from Always Sunny, I hope you don't know what I'm talking about), and quickly gave him a bath... Well shower, it was gross. I just wish I had pictures.

Fast forward to now, one week before Christmas, 5 months later, and Hamburger has this really fun habit of taking his socks off and throwing them against the wall behind his crib. By fun I mean he thinks it's hilarious to tediously annoy me. I finally ran out of socks and was forced to slide his crib away from the wall in search of all these long lost socks.

I found the socks.

Amidst dried pebbles of poop.

Poop.

POOP EVERYWHERE.

Again.

Is this the mommy version of getting coal in your stocking?

I prefer coal.

Happy Holidays! 

Jack Daniel's Distillery Tour... With a Baby. YUP.

It's educational. YUP.

 The next Master Distiller perhaps?

We left Nashville bright and early and headed to our last stop, Gatlinburg, TN. But not before a quick detour to the Jack Daniel's Distillery... It was on the way... As in two hours out of the way, but when you're that close, you really can't pass it up. I like whiskey. 

 It's good for the gums. (Not medical advice)

Anyways.

The drive to the distillery is a long one off the main roads and through small towns. My favorite! Definitely off the beaten path; even though the distillery gets 200,000 visitors a year... Yet only one traffic light in the whole town.

On the slow drive up to the distillery we decided to teach Hamburger to say "Jack Daniel's!". When we began our tour and our tour guide said "Welcome to the Jack Daniel's Distillery," Hamburger was the only one to respond with clapping and "YAAAAAY Jack Daniel's!".

THAT'S how you start a whiskey tour!

Your tour begins in the visitor center where you sign up for your tour. There are two options to choose from: The standard tour which lasts about an hour and the tasting tour which lasts closer to two hours and includes a whiskey tasting. The tasting tour is $10 per person. Everyone has to be at least 21 for this tour. I look young and had to explain to the annoyed looking receptionist that yes, I am over 21 (Hamburger never helps the situation, they just think I'm the babysitter or a bit irresponsible). That wasn't good enough though; she pointed to Hamburger and said, "EVERYONE has to be over 21." Oh ok, we were totally gonna sneak Hamburger some booze, you caught us. Now I don't even know what whiskeys you can sample!

Oh well, the regular tour it was!

The Jack Daniel's Distillery lobby, lots of fun to chase Hamburger around all this!

Almost there kiddo.

Once your time slot has begun your group will be allowed to enter the small theater area where you watch a brief movie about Mr. Jack and the distillery. Then your very own personal tour guide arrives and greets you (this is the part where Hamburger makes his presence and his excitement known to all).

You then head outside, take a group photo (which is available for purchase after the tour or can be downloaded online), and are shuttled by Jack Daniel's bus to the beginning of the tour.

The various sights of the tour

 The spring they get their water from... So they say

The safe that led to Jack Daniel's death. For real, take the tour, learn all about it.

Ok, ok, it was because Mr. Jack had a temper and kicked the safe in a fit of anger. Broke his toe. Infection spread. He died.

Arguably the happiest trees in the world, covered by a black fungus due to the high levels of ethyl alcohol from the stills. Perfectly healthy though! I feel like there's a life lesson in there somewhere??

Some more fun facts we learned:

Jack Daniel was only 5' 2"... He was lucky he was such a bad ass. 

Lynchburg is located in a dry county. The irony. Of course, they would want to sell Jack at the distillery, and all their fans wanted to buy Jack when coming for a visit. The night that the politicians convened to discuss the matter, a barrel of Jack mysteriously appeared at the hearing. It worked and the distillery is now allowed to sell "special edition" Jack and somehow gets away with tastings. Politicians swayed by alcohol (and perhaps other things?) who would have thought! 

When touring the bottling facility a two gallon special edition was being bottled... Not for us though, but for Europe! In the United States you can't sell  more than half gallon bottles, damn puritans! These babies were going out to Germany and Great Britain. The largest consumers of Jack outside of the U.S.

The barrels used to make Jack are sold after one go. The barrels are bought by other companies to make hot sauce and other whiskeys. They also make nice tables. 

The over-sized "life-sized" statue of Jack Daniel. In real life we would be the same height!

 

After the tour you are treated to some lemonade, a few snooty comments from a select few that will clearly never have children (they were just jealous Hamburger is so cool) the rest of our tour group had Hamburger's back though ;). You can also buy your photographs here and purchase some special edition Jack if you like.

Once through at the distillery you should definitely check out the business district. It is about a mile walk from the distillery grounds; I wish we would have had time to take the walk but unfortunately we were strapped for time and decided to drive instead.

The business district. Pretty much all of it.

There a few shops here, mostly selling Jack Daniel memorabilia, as well as the General Store, selling A LOT of Jack Daniel memorabilia. You will for sure be inclined to but something. I got a hat. I needed it. Ok, and a shirt. Most of the stores have promotions that if you buy a certain amount they will give you a free shot glass... Souvenirs for friends, CHECK. And don't miss the Tennessee Whiskey Candy Shop, specializing in Jack fudge and Jack and chocolate covered cherries!

Make sure to grab a bite to eat here as well. There is the famous Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House who serves up old-fashioned styled meals. You have to call and reserve a specified time slot. We missed it, obviously, thanks to baby time. Instead we ate at Southern Perks, a lovely little sandwich shop that will leave you very satisfied. And great coffee too! Did I mention the owner is wonderful?

There ya have it! Lovely little (almost dry) Lynchburg. Beautiful and tasty! Even if you only got a whiff...

Contemplating life over a game of checkers.

Love With Food Review & Deluxe Box Giveaway!

Love With Food who so graciously sent us this deluxe box is a monthly subscription service that delivers new, organic, and all natural snacks to your door. And get this...for every box you buy Love With Food will donate a meal to a hungry child right here in the United States.

This month's box was packed. We received the deluxe box which, for as low as $17/month, includes 16-20 items, some of which may be duplicates which is great if you have others in your house who might want to dive in to your goodies too.

If it's just for yourself you may also opt for the tasting box which contains 8+ snacks and is as low as $10/month.

This is my kind of box. It puts a variety of snacks in our pantry that I would never normally buy and it's nice to have something different now and then, or something a little healthier to hand out to my nephews or other guests. Crunchy Momma was here when I opened up this box and obviously gave her two cents on the items...lets call it a guest appearance!

This month's box left a great impression and I can't wait to see months to come especially as the seasons change!

 

Sweet Potato Pop Chips

I've never had Pop Chips before but I have seen them and kept saying I was going to try them. I ate a bag while I was taking these pictures and they were so good and so light. I love chips but hate that crappy, full of grease feeling they leave you with so these are a perfect substitute.
 

Dried Sweet Corn Crunch

 

Has anyone seen these before? I haven't... but I love corn (mostly drenched in salt and butter) I tried a bag already and I have to say, at first I wasn't over the moon in love with them but I think that's just because I found the idea so unusual. I'm happy to report they are good and even though I could happily eat the other bag I'm going to send them to work with my "trying to snack healthier" husband. These are also crunchy momma approved*
 

Tuxedo Popcorn

 

You're gonna die...seriously...you really need to taste this stuff because it's insane and that's coming from a person who ALWAYS chooses savory over sweet. Classic caramel popcorn Love With Food suggests adding a drizzle of milk and white chocolate...mmmm!!
 

Ginger Twist Tea from Mighty Leaf

 

It's no secret that I love tea, and I go against the mold of my British roots, in that more often than not I don't do black tea with milk and sugar. I have a pretty sick obsession with flavored teas (you should see my stash!) My all time favorite (right now...lol) is Lemon Ginger so this tea is going to be used here. These tea bags are so cool looking too (I need to add another picture of the actual bag) I'm sure you'll be hearing about how wonderful this is pretty soon =)
 

Black Rice Cracker Chips from Grains of Wellness

 

I didn't think I would like these because I thought they would lack flavor but they are pretty good. They are super light and have just enough sea salt. They are gluten free and Crunchy Momma approved* I will be on the lookout for these at the grocery store.
 

Seasoned Pistachios from The Guilded Nut

 

My husband is obsessed with pistachios, lucky for him these were in the box because I am not a fan, although this flavor is appealing to me and I would try it on say...a cashew (is that gross?) So, he is going to love them I'm sure.
 

Rosemary Sea Salt Shortbread from Dancing Deer Baking Co

 

I loved these. I could have done without the sugar on top because I'm so much more into savory foods and snacks but that didn't make these any less amazing and I'd have at a guess that they end up being my favorite item from the box and the item I am most likely to buy. Love!
 

Almond, Apricot, and Yoghurt Bar from Eat Natural

 

I hear a little voice say "momma, open" while taking pictures and sure enough my little peanut gobbled this entire thing much to the dismay of little Hamburger who kept saying "bar, momma, bar" I know you're thinking he wanted a beer but he wanted the yogurt bar and Stefanos was not sharing! I managed to sneak a little nibble and it was delish (I stole that from Rachael Ray) I just need to find some more for the picky little dude!
 

Green & Black's Organic, Dark 70% Chocolate

 

They say you won't believe it's dark chocolate and they are correct. I don't like the dark stuff but I liked this. I was pleasantly surprised and pretty glad I have three more left! Now what to do with the cute little bags....?
 

Maple Fudge from Laura Secord

 

If you love the sweet stuff you will love these. They weren't for me. Just too sweet. Crunchy Momma loved them...although she didn't approve them!

Arora Creations Authentic Indian Spice Blend

The recipe given with this spice pack is for a vegetable medley with Okra, Asparagus, and String Beans. It sounds so good...it's going on my meal plan for next week and I will update how we like it. I tend not to use a huge variety of spices in our food. I have the same old ones I always buy so this will be a nice change.

Now, not only did Love With Food send us this amazing box...they want to send YOU a box in January. Just enter in the rafflecopter below for your chance to win. Don't forget to leave a comment for those extra points!! To learn more about their subscription service go here.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*If it's Crunchy Momma Approved that means Hamburger is allowed to eat it!!