Tell Me Thursday - Viola

Colin is in the red shirt, with his viola.  He is playing at ASU, as part of the Strings Project.  Graduate and undergraduate music students teach elementary kids on Saturday morning so that the kids can improve their playing, and the students are able to practice teaching.

He started a month or so ago, and I am very pleased with the efforts of everyone involved.

When we toured the public school before school began this year, I told him I wanted him to join the orchestra.  He threw a mini-fit at the time. We circled back to the table with orchestra information and I repeated my desire for him to consider the orchestra.  He looked at me like I was mad.

School started, and kids had the opportunity to meet with the orchestra teacher to see if they were interested.  I insisted that he attend.  He came home excited about the opportunity to play viola.

He doesn't practice nearly as often as I'd like, but he truly enjoys playing and has had a wonderful year.  He takes private lessons once a week, in addition to the Strings Project and orchestra at school.  He recently told me that he wants to try out for Phoenix Youth Symphony next year.  (I hope that means he plans to practice more often!)  He has also shared that he wants to keep learning so that when he is in high school he can offer private lessons to help earn money for college.

I never took up an instrument, but I remember the lovely music my sister played on her flute & trombone.  I'm glad he's excited about music, and I hope that it becomes a lifelong hobby for him.

Wordless Wednesday - Viola

Pillsbury Bake-Off (Giveaway)

Are you an amazing home cook?  Do your neighbors come over at dinnertime in hopes of being invited over? Are you always asked to bring food when you're invited out?

Have you ever considered entering the Pillsbury Bake-Off?  This contest is in its 45th year!  Entries are being accepted online until Apri1 18, 2011 at www.bakeoff.com.  There are 4 categories that you can choose from:

• Breakfast & Brunches
• Entertaining Appetizers
• Dinner Made Easy™
• Sweet Treats

100 lucky finalists will compete in Florida during March, 2012.  You will find contest details, including eligible products, prizes and the official rules, on the web site -- www.bakeoff.com.


To help give you some motivation, I have a fun giveaway to send to one of my readers.  Tell me your best recipe (just the name is fine) and I will draw one comment randomly to receive this adorable apron, a pen to take notes with, and a copy of Bake-Off 100 Winning Recipes booklet.

To enter the giveaway, click THIS LINK and answer the questions in the Google Form.  The giveaway name is Bake-Off and the mandatory question is noted above (tell me your best recipe). This giveaway will be open until April 5, 2011. 

*Disclosure: My Blog Spark and General Mills sent me the prize pack shown above, and will send another to one of my readers.  No additional compensation was provided. *

Nutella!

During my college years, I had the opportunity to spend spring break traveling in Europe and staying in youth  hostels.  Our first morning, we headed to the breakfast tables and saw a large bowl of what looked like melted chocolate.  A fellow student, who had traveled to Europe in the past, said "Oh, yea, that's Nutella.  It's just like Ovaltine -- full of vitamins!"  My friend and I looked at each other, spread some on a croissant and immediately fell in love.  We told each other "Hey!  It's full of vitamins!" and we enjoyed it every chance we got.

Once back in the States, I looked for it in the grocery store, and realized that it was NOT full of vitamins like Ovaltine.  That didn't take away from its deliciousness, however.  Nutella is a creamy, hazelnut spread flavored with cocoa.  It's wonderful spread on a croissant, toast, or paired with peanut butter for the perfect sandwich.  And, while it may not be full of vitamins, in moderation it is a wonderful food to add to the breakfast table.


I recently had the opportunity to share some Nutella and breakfast recipes with some friends of mine.  I had every intention to have the party at home (but have  you noticed how busy our family is lately?) so I had the party in my office instead.  My work friends appreciated the break and loved having the chance to sample Nutella and learn more about good breakfast choices.

Moderation is the key for everything, and there is no reason I can't reasonably enjoy a bit of chocolate as part of a well-balanced meal.  In some of the material I received, Connie Evers (child nutrition expert & mother of three) answered the question "What is the best breakfast to serve my child in the morning?" with the response: "The 'best' breakfast is the one that will be eaten!"

That made me laugh, because it is so true.  When we first started school this year, mornings were a definite struggle.  I know the importance of starting the day with a good breakfast, so I worked hard to find breakfast foods that 1. the boys would eat and 2. they could make themselves.  Toasting a piece of bread and topping it with Nutella and sliced bananas is definitely a breakfast my boys are not only able to make themselves, but also will eat!  Pour a glass of milk and breakfast is served. Another favorite breakfast are toasted waffles with nutella and peanut butter, sometimes with sliced strawberries. 

Some nutritional information about Nutella:

• Each 13 oz jar contains more than 50 hazelnuts
• NO hydrogenated oil or trans fat
• No artificial colors or preservatives

It can be found in most grocery stores near the peanut butters and jellies.  If you haven't tried it yet, I suggest picking up a jar during your next grocery visit! 

*Disclosure: I received a party pack with samples and information, thanks to Nutella and Mommy Parties.  No additional compensation was provided.*

Tell Me Thursday - Amococo

Yesterday's photo was of Nate in the Amococo exhibit we visited over the weekend.  It was a pretty cool art installation -- called a luminarium.  It was a large, inflated maze with different colored panels so the different areas took on different shades of color.  It was interesting, and cool to experience.

We were told the artist called it "amococo" for the Latin word for love and his nickname for his son -- so it seemed appropriate that I posted a picture of one of my loved sons.

If it comes to your area, you should check it out!  It was here for less than a week, and I'm glad we visited.

Johnsonville Sausage - Yum!

Little League nights are long nights.  We have to head out by 5 to make a 5:30 practice, and don't leave the fields until after 7.  Thankfully, Bo's new job means that unless he's traveling, he is usually home in the evenings.  So, one of us can run the kids around to their activities (Little League is 3 nights, music is one night, who knows what else is coming up?) while the other can stay home and cook dinner.


Thanks to Johnsonville Sausage and SheSpeaks, I was able to put this dinner together quickly so I could get some work done while waiting for the boys to return from Little League.

I received coupons to purchase the Johnsonville sausage you see to the left, and a great recipe booklet. I picked up rigatoni noodles and tomato sauce at the store and was ready to make a dinner almost everyone in my family would enjoy.

The sausages grilled up nicely on our stovetop grill while I boiled the noodles.  When the noodles were almost done, I drained them and added them to a pan full of sauce.  I sliced the sausage, added them to the noodles and sauce and put the pan on simmer while waiting for them to return.

I baked a loaf of garlic bread, served a salad, and topped the dish with shredded romano.  Dinner was declared a success!  Everyone in the family enjoyed it (well, except for Colin - he doesn't like tomato sauce so he had noodles w/butter and sausage.  Still a success for him!)

Here's the family's reaction to dinner:




I have a few coupons to share with my wonderful readers!  Leave a comment below and 3 of you will receive $1.50 coupons towards your next purchase of Johnsonville sausage.

*Disclosure: I received coupons and recipes from Johnsonville, via SheSpeaks.  All opinions are my own, as well as photographs and videos.*

Travel Dreams

If you know me at all, you know I like to travel. I think we do a fair amount of traveling as a family, but if money were no object, we would do quite a bit more! Whenever those "If you won the lottery" questions come up, travel always figures in as a way to spend my winnings -- right after paying off the mortgage.

When I read this post about tying travel to Oscar nominated movies, I thought about the places I would like to visit that were listed.  Of course, Paris, France is high on that "no-worry-about-cost" list, and we just watched the movie Inception this week. (Although, I didn't understand why they flew to Paris . . . except as a way to connect with his FIL, but why would he be teaching in Paris anyway? Ok, I get it, it was a dream . . . so back to my dream travels.)

After Paris, we'd head off to London, England and relive some of the scenes from The King's Speech.  While I have been to Paris, I've never been to London and I would like to visit someday.  Eat fish & chips and see the sights and not worry about a language barrier!  (I still remember the French laughing at my laughable attempt to speak French.)

Of course, there are still plenty of places I'd like to visit right here in the United States as well.  Since that is more in my budget, maybe a trip to Santa Fe, NM could be in the cards this year!  (After we watch True Grit, of course!)

What about you?  Where would you travel if money were no object?  What movies have prompted you to visit (or want to visit) different places?

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. *

Wordless Wednesday - Amococo

Tell Me Thursday - Single Bloom

Nate came in from the yard the other day with this sweet yellow bloom and presented it to me.  I was in the middle of doing something, so I asked him to put it in some water. 

He had plucked the flower without a stem, so he floated it in a Tupperware container and placed it carefully on our table. 

It was a sweet gesture from a boy who clearly loves his mom and knows her love of yellow (except for cars -- no yellow cars, please!)

I snapped this shot with the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone and played with the lenses and film choices to get the brightened colors.

Wordless Wednesday - Single Bloom