Friday, September 09, 2011

Avo season


I’ve said it before, but you should know that we are swimming in avocados! We have a wonderful tree that boarders (or hangs over into) our yard. She produces these amazing avocados that reach the size of a Nerf football. These mammas are huge- and delicious too! They are buttery in texture, a bright green and a very mild flavor.

Anyway this tree provides hours of entertainment for our family.
Brian put the swings up a few months ago, so the kids really enjoy swinging, climbing and resting in the shade the tree provides.  The adults in the house have found great joy in watching the fruit grow and finding new ways to harvest it.
While my dad was here they thought it was a hoot to pick some of the mamma fruit. They went after the higher fruit with a rain gutter. This is a hilarious tool because it seems so ghetto, but it also adds a lot of excitement to finding the highest, fruit picking it and watching it roll down the gutter. It clangs and bangs it’s way down as the girls squeal with excitement.

Now in case you are wondering, everyone has a plethora of avocados and they will try to pawn them on you at any given moment. It is like the zucchini of the mainland, with less options for using the bounty. I have used the avo's for your basic guacamole, quinoa avo salad, just sliced and eaten, on sandwiches and burgers, I’ve even made chocolate avo pudding. I mean I am really stretching here. I was finally to the point where I look at an avocado I feel sick.

Then it happened. My dad and the family decided to hang out with the neighbors while they were here. Jon and Polly LOVE my dad. They brought him gifts of aloha, and they tried really hard to make our goodbye difficult by not picking up on social cues and leaving us alone while we were trying to hug it out. So now, they have really taken us under their wings. And mostly, it is great. And then…. Polly busted out the Jell-O dish.






Now being from Utah, I am no stranger to Jell-O.  "Vote Jell-O, Utah State Food!"  I think the stuff is just awful, but plenty of people enjoy it.  I remember hearing stories of people coming up with the nastiest Jell-o dishes, like tuna jello (YUCK) just to see if silly Utah peeps will eat it. 




Anyway, it seems Polly had picked up on my roots and presented us with a Jell-O dish.

Have you guessed the "special" ingredient? 
                                                                            Nope? 
                                      How about a clue, it starts with an A and ends with an O. 
                                             You've got it!  It was an Avocado Jell-O mold! 

I was peeing my pants, so excited to blog about such a thing. It was truly special! I even went to her house to get the recipe! Turns out, Polly didn’t make it! Ha! Someone else gave it to her and she pawned it off on me. Crap. She quickly got on the phone to jot it down for me. Everyone was so excited that I had liked the Jell-O. Double crap! The whole point of me saying anything was so I could use it as a blog! I am the worst! Anyway, here is the recipe, dear reader. I hope you enjoy!

AVOCADO JELLO
3 C boiling water
2 small boxes of Lime Jell-O
2 pkg of Knox gelatin
3/4 C white sugar
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 C ripe avocado
1/2 C canned milk

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Pour in baking pan or mold sprayed with Pam. Refrigerate.
♥ me


Saturday, August 13, 2011

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Let's Go Fly a Kite





Yesterday we went to a birthday party where they flew kites. The girls were so impressed! Livie was in awe as the older kids let those kites soar into the clouds. She kept holding her head and screaming!  Too funny!
Anyway, on our way home we stopped at a yard sale and picked up our own Barbie kite for $0.50! Woot!  So we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun, the sky and our big backyard.  I am so lucky!



It took Lola a while to be convinced to stay still... she was pretty sure that she needed to run with the kite to keep it in the air.
 



In awe of the whole thing...  If Barbie's boobs are that big, how does she stay in the air?



Liv seems to be wondering the very same thing!



SWOOSH!
 

Shall we call her Goldie Locks?


She was laughing the entire afternoon


Livie getting in on the kite flying


Oak, the goat, is enjoying this too!


Oops!  I guess this is what happens when you are trying to fly a kite and take pictures!


The boat trailer has fallen victim to my photo shoot


Ha!  If I stomp me feet it makes a loud noise AND shakes the trailer!  I love it!


"Gog is coming!"


"Gog" or "Oak Max" or "Oak the Goat"


Just being kids


"GOG!"


The light was starting to look nice, so I put the girls in the tomato patch for the rest of this shoot.




My Hunter/gatherer girls


Lola grew Lima beans!



I wonder what Liv is thinking...


This is Liv's new favorite place to hang out.  Right on my feet!


And so, that is where big sister wants to hang out too!



Modeling my stained shirt makeover


My favorite hour of the day



Sunset

I have been enjoying the 6 o'clock hour these days.  The light is fantastic, and I can't get enough of this place!  Everything is so beautiful... the colors are so vibrant, the birds sing so sweetly, and my girls love with their whole hearts.  ♥  Sometimes it is hard to take it all in.  I guess there are worse things ;)