Dallas Blooms

Dallas Blooms at the Arboretum on a beautiful, sunny Monday morning of Spring Break was a perfect way to start the week.

Rodeo Time, Y'all!

We kicked off Spring Break with a visit to Debby, Jeff, and the girls in Houston.  We spent Saturday at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  What a fun day of animal petting  and feeding, mutton bustin', carnival rides, and great food.

Royal Dinner

Ever eat dinner with a Princess?
We do every now and then.  :)

Aussie Food Frenzy

Last week, Liam's class had an international feast.  Every student was assigned a country and assumed responsibility for bringing a dish or food from that land.  Liam got Australia. You know--the land down under. Immediately when I saw his country, my mind drifted to Men at Work lyrics--

I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"  
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.

Perfect, I thought, I'll just make up some Vegemite sandwiches for the Kinder Kingdom to enjoy.  Now, several people warned me that the Aussie spread tastes like a cross between battery acid and chunky salt, but it still sounded like a pretty good plan.  You know, exposing little taste buds to new things, and all..

I told Jon my idea, and he reasoned, "Where are you going to find Vegemite?"  So, I started looking.  The only place in Irving that even stocks it ran out--guess there was a rush on Vegemite around here.
Once again, Jon tried to be practical, "How about we just find a kiwi recipe?  They call Australians Kiwis. And New Zealanders, too....Look it up just to be sure, though."
(Somehow I always miss that part).
Anyway, that seemed like an acceptable alternative IF I couldn't track down Vegemite.
A few calls later, I found it!  Central Market in Southlake, in case anyone is wondering.
After attending a birthday party in the area, Liam and I stopped at the grocery store on the way home.  At ten dollars for little jar, I'd probably have to buy at least a couple of jars.  I just couldn't bring myself to spending the money, especially since everyone told me how rancid it tastes.  So, I headed over to produce and bought a dozen kiwi.

(Yes, the kiwi I purchased were produce of Italy.  Technically.)

When we got home, Jon asked, "You're sure kiwi are Australian, right?"
"Just a second..."  I mumbled as a picked up my phone and did a Google search.
Here's what I found:
Kiwi is the nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand,as well as being a relatively common self-reference. The name derives from the kiwi, a flightless bird, which is native to, and the national symbol of, New Zealand.
WHAT?!?
Just people from New Zealand?!?
A Bird?!?
Seriously.
Stuff like this happens to me all the time.
All.The.Time.
And, it's always my own fault.
And, kiwi fruit are actually native to China.

No worries, though, we did discover that kiwi fruit is one of Australia's major exports, and Jon found an Australian recipe for apple pancakes topped with whipped cream and kiwi.  We took creative liberties and named them Aussie Apple Jacks with Kiwi Fruit. Sounds Aussie-rific, right?  Not only that, Jon also cut and sculpted some of the extra kiwi into a koala bear, just to add a little extra Australian flare.
Kinder Kingdom international feast success, but not without some grunt work!

Fresh Tortilla Chips

Sometimes tortilla chips out of a bag, just won't cut it, and a trip to your favorite Mexican place isn't happening.  In cases such as these, here's a winning recipe sure to satisfy your chip cravings.  It's what was frying in our kitchen this afternoon.  And it's really this easy.

Heat some oil in a pan.

It should be enough for about 1/4 inch covering the entire bottom of the pan.

Then grab a package of thin corn tortillas-as many as you want to make.

I fried up 24 small ones, cut in quarters.

When you hear the oil start to sizzle, toss in a dozen or so tortilla wedges.

Fry them until they turn a golden color and become crispy.  

Grab them out of the oil with tongs. 

Place them on a paper towel covered plate to dry.

Sprinkle with kosher salt.

And start another batch.

YUM!

Braiding Envy

I'm not into making New Year's resolutions, but if I was, I think learning how to create a perfect French braid would be on the top of the list.  Sometimes when I pick the girls up from school, their amazing teacher, Ms. Erin has transformed their locks into little works of art.  Can anyone out there please help me learn how to do this?  My girls thank you in advance.