{How to eat an Artichoke}

Artichokes are beautiful. The pattern, symmetry, and color of this beautiful vegetable automatically make it a favorite of mine, add to that the fact that it's fun to eat and delicious and you've got a match made in heaven for me.

A dear friend of mine emailed me the other day requesting that I post how I eat an artichoke.

Artichoke dip is divine but my favorite way to eat an artichoke is by steaming the whole thing and eating it, leaf by leaf until I get to the heart...the best part of the whole artichoke.

So Rochelle, here's how I eat my artichoke:

How to cook:
If the artichoke has thorns on the ends of the leaves you can cut them off (I usually skip this part. Remove stem. Rinse the artichoke in running cool water.

In a large pot add about 2 cups of water and a slice of lemon (lemon is optional and only used if I have a lemon on hand).

Add artichokes and bring water to a boil allowing to boil for 2 minutes then bring down to a simmer. Cook for 25-45 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke. You know it's done if you can easily peel the leaves off.How to eat:
Everyone uses a little something different to dip their artichokes in. Mayo, melted butter, sour cream...these have all been mentioned to me before.

Mayonaise is not my favorite and can't fathom ruining my artichoke by dipping it in straight mayo...gag! You can add a dab of mayo to some homemade vinaigrette dressing (let me know if you want my recipe) or if you don't have any homemade on hand the BEST dressing to use on salads and artichokes is pictured above. It's the closest thing I've found to my mom's homemade red wine vinaigrette dressing.Pour some dressing in a small dish (add a dab of mayo if that's your thing). Pull off petals one at a time and dip them into the dressing. You don't have to dip the whole leaf into the dressing, just the bottom where you can see the "meat".Tightly grip the top of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft,delicious portion of the petal. Repeat this process until you reach the baby leaves that are white in color. You can pull multiple baby petals off and dip together.Work your way down to the middle (the heart) of the artichoke. Remove the few baby petals that cover the heart. Covering the heart is a fuzzy layer known as the "choke". Remove the choke with a spoon and discard.Once the choke has been removed cut the heart into bite size pieces. Dip pieces into dressing and savor.Artichoke hearts are used in most artichoke dips and found canned in grocery stores, but nothing can compare to a fresh artichoke heart.

Eating an artichoke is an enjoyable and delicious process and my favorite way to enjoy artichokes.Do you like artichokes? How do you eat yours? What do you use to dip your petals in? Have any good artichoke recipes you'd like to share?

{Pleasant day of P's}

Saturday was Bret's day off. It was a day filled with fun family time. While looking at the pictures from that day I realized it was also a day full of P's:

Playing at the park

Watching Bret perform some parkour (The Office style). He makes me laugh everyday...I love it.On our way down from the park we couldn't pass up the Pizza Palace's $8.99 for an XL pizza, giant lemon bars and fudgey brownies.

Yeah...it was pretty much an awesome P day.

{No. 101}

On my list to make and use yearly for some Thanksgiving decor is a large cornucopia (side note: I thoroughly enjoy saying that word...Cornucopia). A lot of cornucopia's I've seen are filled with fake flowers, artificial fillers and unnatural colors, which isn't my cup of tea. I do however love the arrangement pictured above with real apples, stalks of wheat and gourds. I just might attempt to make this...Saw this bag in person the other day and it's far more fabulous than the picture shows. The size and the detailing make this a perfect bag for me. It would hold all my stuff and then some.At my house growing up it wasn't unusual to see a whole wall in our family room covered in white paper filled with genealogy trees/graphs and names while my parents worked hard at our family genealogy.

While I still struggle with the desire to delve into genealogy I love hearing stories about my ancestors and proud how far back we've been able to trace relatives. I would love to have one of these beauties to display my family tree proudly on my wall...I'm thinking it would look better than 50+ pieces of white paper taped to the wall. A perfect gift to give as well.Of course there's always a few more shoes being added to my shoe folder. Both these pairs are at the top of my list currently.My grandma had these super cool silver stirring spoons that also were straws (these exact ones). I remember enjoying many a root beer float with those straws/spoons. An updated version of the straws we use today would be cool to have. They're reusable and my kids can't chew on them.Would love to add this to my hair accessories. I wonder what Ella would say if she saw me wearing this. I have a feather headband that I wear and she always says I look like a turkey...hmmm. Isn't the color and the pearl bead accent so pretty?I've been meaning to tell you about these jeans for a few weeks now. They are amazing. Comfortable, the perfect wash and very flattering. As with most pictures of clothing on Target's website it's not the best picture, but believe me they are so much better in person. I am always asked where I snagged these jeans every time I wear them. They are so comfortable! Go and get yourself a pair. You're welcome.

The song for today is one that has been stuck in my mind all weekend. My girls are always humming this song and request to watch it a bazillion times a day. I can't help but laugh every time I watch it. Click {HERE} to enjoy.

{Entertainment}

Every I watch these videos I think how much fun it would be to take part in something like this. Just watching these make me smile and laugh.

Some of you might think I'm crazy but something like this is SO something I would do. Would you?

p.s. the last video is amazing!






Have a great weekend.

{Yays & BOOS}

YAY:It felt so good to take down all the Halloween decor and put up the minimal Thanksgiving decor I have.
BOO:I don't have much decor for Thanksgiving. It's a holiday I feel shouldn't be overlooked or overshadowed by Christmas and I want to add to my decorations for this special holiday. Anyone have any cute, simple, non-toll painty or scrapbooky decor ideas for Thanksgiving?YAY:Picked up some chocolate covered cinnamon bears while in Utah. You're missing out if you haven't had them.
BOO:I am trying to be good and not eat the whole package in one sitting. So far so good...but not sure how much longer I will be able to hold out. They are that yummy.YAY:The weather has cooled off since last week. I was over the 90 degree weather.
BOO:It's so hard to remember it's November when you can still wear sandals and warm weather clothes. Don't get me wrong I don't miss the ice and cold of Iowa, but wish it was a bit cooler. To me cooler weather makes the next few holidays a bit more festive.YAY:Ella finally got some new shoes. Her old tennis shoes were pretty worn. She loves them and is fully convinced they make her run faster.
BOO:It took me forever to find some tennis shoes that I liked (no cartoon characters, blinking lights or flowers) in her size. It seemed that all the shoes I liked were out of her size. Now I just have to teach her how to tie her shoes. Any tips on how to do that?YAY:Found some great books for Ella and Mailee at a few favorite thrift stores. The Disney set is from the 70's and has some great classics. I love the colors as well.
BOO:New books = contention between the girls. Why must they both want the same book at the same time??!YAY:Finally went through and corrected all the inventory in my shop. I've had so many local purchases that I had to put my shop in vacation mode until I had time to go through and update inventory.

The shop is now open with the inventory I have currently. Also, I am working on new inventory with new designs and colors that will be in the shop for Christmas. These make wonderful gifts and stocking stuffers. Keep checking back to know when the Christmas update happens...
BOO:So bummed I didn't have time to get things ready for the Bijou Market going on this weekend. I had good intentions to do so...sigh.YAY:Received my Stephens Hot Cocoa earlier this week. This stuff is the best store bought stuff out there, though not as good as the hot cocoa recipe I posted a while back.
BOO:For some reason I thought the container would be bigger. I hope this lasts until our trip to Utah in a few months.

YAY:Have you been watching Modern Family? Oh it makes us laugh! Bret and I find ourselves quoting lines from it to each other all the time. The video above is one of my favorites.
BOO:Boo for you if you haven't seen it yet...you're truly missing out.

{Real}

Just keeping it real...Yesterday I raised my voice - and by raised I mean yelled/growled - at least 5 times before 8 o'clock in the morning. My girls get up at 7.

I let the girls fill each room with bits of kiddie debris (ie toys, books, blankets, gold fish crumbs, candy wrappers, stencils) and left it that way while I lost a few brain cells watching daytime television.I still haven't gotten around to washing all the place mats so gave Ella a dish towel to eat her lunch on instead....a dirty dish towel.The girls have been asking for weeks to save the milk gallons so they could build a birdhouse. I didn't want to have the houses visible on the front porch (cause let's face it, I might think all the art my kids make are amazing, but that doesn't mean you will) so I threw them out before they were able to decorate/make them. I told them Bret threw them away, then talked up decorating a Jamba Juice cup they could proudly display in their rooms instead.I've eaten cold cereal for 2 of the 3 daily meals the past 3 days. Cold cereal is a weakness. Sugar cereal is an even greater weakness as of late. If I'm content with eating cold cereal that means my family has to fend for themselves durinig feeding time...poor little family....I have yet to unpack from our Utah trip! The suitcases are screaming at me to unpack them...I will...eventually. I did however feel bad when Bret tripped on one in the middle of the night.

Care to keep it real with me and share (confess?) anything you've done lately that will burst the "perfect life via your blog" bubble?

{Book Worm}

Yesterday while preparing lunch I heard the sweetest sound in the playroom. Walking over to the playroom I peaked in and found this sweet scene:I stood there and listened as Ella read every word of a book to Mailee .

When did this happen?! I knew Ella could read words, but something clicked in her little mind and in the last few days she's a full blown reader!

This milestone makes me rejoice, knowing that a whole new world of imagination and fun awaits her little mind in the books she can now read.Reading and music are my solace. They allow me to relax and be taken away from the busy daily grind I find myself in quite often. Being able to see that my children are getting old enough to develop a love of reading and discover the power of reading is awesome.The first book I can remember reading all the way through on my own was Morris Goes to School .

I want to get more books for Ella to read. What were some of your favorite children's books? Do you remember the first book you were able to read?

{That's a Halloween wrap!}

We are coming off our sugar high. The past few days have a been a blur of candy, costumes and fun with friends.

I am in love with the weather Halloween night provides here in California! You can actually see costumes instead of people walking around in coats asking for candy!

I thought it would be best to of course wrap up our Halloween festivities with pictures of our costumes.

Bret's costume was a last minute idea that I think turned out just perfect - couldn't keep a straight face when I looked at him and it even had a little bit of sentimental value since his dad dressed up in a similar costume when Bret was younger.

Bret made a sweet Tooth Fairy. The mullet he threw in there for good measure (cause you know how I feel about mullets). My favorite parts were the pink wings and the lilac active pants - which he already had in his closet, but that's another story.Bret's dad dressed as the Tooth Fairy. Despite all my other suggestions the girls both insisted on being super heros this year. We had a lot of fun watching them pull out their karate moves and singing their super hero theme songs.Of course I'm the one who takes all the pictures but I really wanted to have proof that I dressed up as well. I had Ella take a picture of me in my costume at the end of the night just before she ran upstairs for bath time. I checked to be sure she got a good shot and found that she took a wonderful picture of the kitchen island and a portion of my leg...so I quickly snapped a shot with her camera:So there's my proof that I do in fact exist and that I dressed up (as an Indian in case you can't tell from this high quality photo - although with the oh so flattering flash I look like a dead indian right?).

Maybe next year we'll do something as a family where our costumes coordinate...but I doubt it. My kids should just be happy Bret and I dress up at all.

Now I'm off to take down the Halloween decor and put up the Thanksgiving ones.