Hershey’s new Chocolate Almond Spread

I am a huge fan of Hershey's.  In fact, I use Hershey's unsweetened cocoa almost every single day to make hot cocoa.  It has just the right chocolate flavor and I can adjust the sweetness myself.  I am also a huge fan of Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread). So when the Hershey's Chocolate Almond Spread arrived in the mail from Crowdtap, I had high expectations.

I decided to try the Hershey's spread with a wide variety of foods.  So I set up a little smorgasbord for the family.  I melted some of the spread and drizzled it over Chex cereal and  popcorn.  We dipped pretzels, potato chips, corn chips, pecans and almonds into the chocolate spread.  I mixed it into warm milk to make hot chocolate and I spread it on ritz crackers and with cream cheese on a tortilla.  The Hershey's spread was a huge success with the under 10 crowd.  Hubby was pleased with it as well.  I enjoyed the spread, it has that signature Hershey's chocolate taste I love, but honestly it was lacking in almond flavor.  Overall it is a good product that I would probably buy in the future if the kids ask, but for myself.  I will stick with Nutella.

 

100 Indoor Kids' Activities

Lately it has been so cold that the kids have not been able to go outside or on the porch to run around.  School was even cancelled two days!  All this leads up to a house full of pent up energy and slightly cranky kids.  I admit some days to letting them watch too many tv shows, but we've been trying to think of some creative ways to keep them moving, thinking and imagining.  Below I have a list of ideas.  I typed each one into Publisher and made little cards that I cut out.  I put all the cards into an empty tissue box.  Now whenever the kids are looking for something to do or tell me they are bored, I can have them reach in and grab a card.  But beware!  Some of the cards say "do a chore."  Two even say "do homework!"

100 Great Indoor Activities during Inclement Weather

1. do gymnastics stretches
2. crab walk the length of the living room
3. bear walk the length of the living room
4. bunny hop the length of the living room
5. frog leaps the length of the living room
6. flamingo walk the length of the living room
7. walk backwards the length of the living room
8. walk on tip toe the length of the living room
9. ten donkey kicks  (gymnastics-inspired activities are great for strength!)
10. ten jumping jacks
11. ten sit-ups
12. play red light, green light
13. play Simon says (teaches listening skills)
14. hop on one foot
15. spin around 5 times
16. act out your favorite story or book
17. read a book
18. build a fort
19. have a tea party or indoor picnic
20. have a dance party (let loose of all that energy, great for kids and parents)
21. write a letter (email is great and efficient, but who doesn't love a handwritten note?!)
22. make a card (homemade is extra special)
23. use toilet paper rolls to make a craft
24. go on a treasure hunt
25. bake cookies
26. color a picture
27. scrapbook
28. build an obstacle course
29. play cards
30. play a board game
31. take a bubble bath (entertainment and cleanliness at the same time)
32. make a music video (reminds me of my childhood singing Madonna...)
33. build something with recyclables
34. duct tape crafts
35. play hot potato
36. build a Lego city
37. record a video for a relative
38. plan a sleepover
39. make care kits for homeless (teaches kids compassion)
40. be a pirate
41. build a trap
42. tickle monster
43. use masking tape to make a game (ie hopscotch, balance beam, spider web)
44. make slime or ooblek
45. play playdough
46. use paper plates to make a ring toss
47. write secret messages with crayon and paint over to reveal
48. use lemon juice to write secret messages (science experiment in disguise!)
49. put together a puzzle
50. play pantyhose polo
51. do shadow puppets on the wall
52. write a story
53. play hide & seek or sardines
54. play musical chairs
55. blow bubbles on a plate
56. bead a necklace
57. make a snack necklace
58. cut up magazines to make a collage
59. draw with window markers (why waste paper?)
60. race paper airplanes
61. origami
62. have a playdate
63. plant an indoor herb garden
64. do a fashion show
65. play dress-up
66. make sock puppets (I know you have a million mismatched socks in the laundry room)
67. look at old photos (kids love hearing stories about themselves or their family)
68. re-arrange a room (even if only for a day)
69. have a family movie night, with popcorn and snuggles
70. host an un-birthday party
71. make paper dolls and clothes
72. edible sculptures from grapes or marshmallows and toothpicks
73. do a photo shoot
74. interview each other, make a "newspaper"
75. paint in the bathtub
76. have a spa day
77. freeze dance
78. use a balloon to play keep up
79. play charades
80. put on a kids' work out or dance video
81. learn the words to a song
82. memorize a bible verse or poem, then recite to each other
83. draw secret names, do something nice for that person
84. ring around the rosie
85. hokey pokey
86. duck, duck, goose
87. nerf dart war
88. nerf ball bowling
89. kitchen science experiments, like a vinegar & baking soda volcano
90. holiday crafts (there is always a holiday around the corner, and starting early on your crafts never hurts!)
91. let the kids frame some photos for their room
92. skype or facetime someone
93. write birthdays on a calendar
94. laminate photos and draw silly mustaches on them with a dry erase marker (or use a plastic page protector)
95. jelly bean portrait (have you seen the portraits at the Jelly Belly factory?)
96. play house (classic)
97. do homework (sometimes when I didn't have homework, my dad would make something up for me to work on)
98. build something with pvc (playhouse, greenhouse, ballet barre, hurdles, doll beds, kid size chairs)
99. sort toys to donate
100. get out of your house - sometimes, just getting out and changing the scenery will appease the kids (and you).  If the weather is not too bad to drive in, look for an indoor attraction like a museum, kids gym, indoor playground, bounce house place or even a mall with a playground.

**Bonus:  You might already know that Pinterest is like, the most amazing website.  You can find science experiments, arts & crafts projects, learning worksheets and just about everything else under the sun.  You can follow Farming in Flip Flops here or my personal account here.

Christmas

Christmas isn't the same every year, but over the last 12 winters that hubby and I have shared, some patterns and traditions have emerged.  There's always lots of family and sugary sweets.  Below we are sharing some of memories and traditions.

The weekend after Thanksgiving is our big Christmas season kickoff.  We start playing Christmas tunes in the car, in the house, outside... wherever we are.  We also head to Silveyville Christmas tree farm.  Sometimes the day after Thanksgiving, sometimes a few days later.  We sip hot apple cider, eat popcorn by the outdoor fireplace, ride in Santa's sleigh, take photos under the measuring stick and of course, pick out a beautiful Christmas tree (usually for my parents).  There is even an adorable "Charlie Brown Lot" filled with small, but still perfectly awesome trees.

 

We have a large extended family spread not only across California, but in several other states including Nevada.  Each year that we spend Christmas at home, we make a trip to Reno beforehand to visit family, play in the snow, go sledding and bake cookies.  Nana Shirley always makes sure the kids have fun new Christmas Eve jammies and Grandpa helps the kids gather fresh snow for slushies (but never the yellow stuff).

 

Under the tree we keep a box of Christmas books. When mommy reads the Christmas Story to the kids, we talk about how little they had and how special it was to have the three wise men bring gifts. We also talk about how fortunate we are and how some kids don't get any gifts. Just as baby Jesus received three gifts when he was born, we have limited the kids gifts to three from Mommy & Daddy and three from Santa Claus. This really helps us from going overboard, both in the number of gifts and in finances.

 

But of course the kids like to buy gifts too.  We take them to buy one gift for each sibling and one for each parent.  The Davis Art Center has an awesome weekend-long craft show with a Children's Store.  No adults allowed!  Each child is escorted by their own helper that keeps track of the list and makes sure the kids spend within their budget.  They have so much fun and love having something to put under the tree that is a secret from mommy and daddy.

 

You simply can't talk about Christmas without talking about all the movies!  My dad is all about "N.L. Christmas Vacation" and "Elf", stepdad is a fan of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and hubby loves some old school claymation like "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer."  I am particular to "It's a Wonderful Life", but my kids would rather watch animated specials.  "Harry Potter", "The Santa Clause" (with Tim Allen) and "The Polar Express" are all magical movies that we watch as a family during this season.  We all agree that The Polar Express is not only an awesome book and movie, but if you can get a real life Polar Express experience on a train, that can hardly be beat!

 

All of this leads up to Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.  The Christmas Eve service at church is always packed - with people who regularly attend, people visiting from out of town, people looking for meaning during the holidays.  Children rarely sit still and listen and sometimes run around (um... particularly my social butterflies!).  It is always beautiful and friendly and capping the service off with Silent Night sung in the candlelight is amazing.  After church we always rush to Uncle Bud's house because who wants to be late when Aunt Maria is cooking paella?!  The chicken and rice are tender, the garlic fought over and the octopus make the kids laugh.  The food and company are wonderful and we look forward to the after dinner gift exchange.  It might be secret santa this year or maybe a story where you pass gifts left to right a million times or maybe you're stealing the present from under grandma's nose, hoping no one steals it back, but its always hilarious.

 

Christmas Day arrives and we are dashing out the door for breakfast at my brother-in-laws.  The kids are probably tired from being up too late at the gift exchange, sleeping in the living room and waking to find Santa has visited the house, but you wouldn't know it with all their energy.  They run and jump, talk and shout, giggle and play.  We're off to Nana and Papa's house now and Christmas dinner is a blur with cousins and aunts and uncles.  With 11 kids under age 15, it's like a scene from Whoville with all the noise, noise, noise!  When we put the kids in the car at the end of the evening, they are sure to fall asleep, so mommy puts their jammies on while daddy loads presents in the car.

 

This year we are celebrating Christmas at the farm, just the six of us.  We've watched Polar Express, baked cookies, made candy, played in the snow and decorated the tree just like in Christmases past.  But with snow coming again this evening and hubby working his first ever Christmas Eve, we won't be singing in church tonight and we won't be rushing to get the best serving of paella.  In the morning we will be eating coffee cake just like Aunt Mia makes, at our little formica table looking out at the fields covered in snow.  We will open presents and listen to Christmas tunes, but will there be all that noise, noise, noise?  (Well actually, probably since my kids are soooooo loud!).  We will bake a ham and mash some potatoes, we will eat chocolate pie, but most of all we will miss our friends and family!

Thanksgiving Recap

Thanksgiving was bittersweet this year.  Although we spent much of the week sick, we were grateful that my mom, stepdad and youngest brother and sister were here.  We had fun playing card games and board games.  The kids made snowballs and forts.  Us moms made pies while the dads braved the freezing temperatures to check out the siding project that was temporarily on hold.  And we celebrated Sean's third birthday with the neighbors.

Turkey being injected

On Thanksgiving day, two turkeys were stuffed and injected, sweet potatoes and green beans baked, rolls toasted and cranberries boiled.  It was during these preparations that a landmine, as a friend of mine calls them, exploded (don't worry, small explosion!).  Landmines are these thoughts, emotions and memories that sneak out of seemingly nowhere, relating to the loss of a loved one.  While putting together casseroles, I had a tiny thought that crept into my head as I realized that this was the first thanksgiving we spent on the farm since Grandma's last thanksgiving.  

In 2006, after grandma had finished her chemo and was temporarily a little healthier, we flew back to Iowa with my sister, niece, nephew and (at the time, only) daughter.  We visited family, explored the farm with the kiddos, cooked yummy food and took family photos.  It was also the last time I saw my grandma.

Thanksgiving 2006

But at the forefront of my mind this year, is that it had just been a year since Grandpa was gone, and for my cousin's family who joined us for dinner, just several weeks since the passing of his daughter.  These losses were evident and raw.  Not an unexpected landmine waiting in an old recipe card.  So, even though we have countless blessings to be thankful for, sometimes the holidays are just bittersweet. 

Yep, there's kids somewhere under that blanket fort

Holiday Gifts

There has not been a holiday season that hubby and I haven't spent hours in the kitchen making goodies to give as Christmas gifts.  We've made jams and jellies, apple butter, English toffee, fudge, truffles and pies. Our handiwork doesn't stop at the kitchen though.  I've been known to pull out the sewing machine, stay up late cropping photos for scrapbooks or going to bed with paint under my nails.  Hubby, ever the good sport in my crafting adventures, has spent lunch hours and early mornings drilling and nailing, measuring and cutting, gluing and painting along my side.

When it comes to holidays though, sometimes you just have to buy some gifts.  Don't get me wrong, I love shopping.  I even love that crazy, chaotic energy in the mall right before Christmas.  Everything is decorated with twinkling lights, colorful trees and snowflakes.  Cheerful music plays in every store and the weather is perfect for a peppermint hot cocoa. 

This year, I am encouraging you to rethink your holiday shopping.  Sure, head to the mall for that crazy chaotic rush and that photo with Santa if you want.  But instead of spending money at those big box stores, try supporting a local farmer, an unknown artist or a small business.  We're hoping to be one of those local farmers at the market next year...

1. Society 6  The images on Society 6 are created by thousands of artists across the globe.  You can buy prints, iphone covers, pillows, notecards and more. 
• Check out my photos for sale on Society 6 here.
• I have some awesome friends selling their artwork on Society 6 too: Adrienne Heing and People, Places & Things.
2. Etsy  Etsy is a marketplace where 30 million people connect to buy and sell handmade and vintage items or craft supplies.  I have made some pretty awesome purchases on Etsy.  For example, a set of four handmade wooden guitar picks - each carved from a different type of wood.   
3. The Grommet  The Grommet is a product launch platform, which means they find awesome new products that you haven't heard of and gives them a chance to succeed.  They promote businesses built on strong values, with a story to share.
4. The Davis Farmers Market  In 2008 the Davis Farmers Market was voted #1 large market during an American Farmland Trust competition.  The Davis Farmers Market regularly boasts upwards of 60 vendors any given Saturday morning or Wednesday afternoon.  You can buy local honey, nuts, produce and beef or handmade blankets, baby clothes and candles.  While shopping at this market isn't an option for all, you can find a farmers market close to you here 
5. Persnickety Prints When I finally gave into digital photography, I tested all the popular websites for printing my photos.  I was relatively happy with Shutterfly, until I discovered Persnickety Prints.  The shop is located in Utah, but you can order prints online from anywhere.  They use actual photo sensitive paper and chemicals instead of ink printed on paper.  The quality is amazing and the prices are really reasonable.  Plus they have a huge range of sizes and papers.  I had a landscape photo enlarged and then I framed it for my step-mom two Christmases ago.  It was beautiful.
6. People you know and follow (your friends, your family, bloggers, yourself).  Who better to support than someone you love?  Are there bloggers you follow that are graphic designers, crafters or bakers?  Chances are they have shops linked to their blog or an etsy store of their own. Your money will be supporting a real person, not a corporation, and you will have purchased a unique, handmade gift.
7. Downtown.  If you live in a city with a downtown, there are bound to be some local small businesses like family owned restaurants, clothing stores, art galleries and toy stores.  Local shops are neat in that they offer products that are not mainstream.  You know that if you buy your niece that awesome t-shirt, twenty other girls won't have received the same one for Christmas this year, as may happen when buying at a big box store.  Many local shops also offer gift certificates.  This is like two gifts in one!  The receiver gets to have a special shopping experience and pick out something they want.

Movie Night

Moving to Iowa gave me the opportunity to go from a working-outside-the-home mom to a working-at-home mom.  (By the way, I'm pretty sure staying home with the kiddos, even without trying to restore the farm, is way harder than going to work every day.  But I digress...).  I am beyond thrilled to be able to spend all day with the boys, attempting to do some sort of homeschool preschool, hanging out and playing with them.  On the other hand, the girls are gone most of the day.  They get on the school bus at 7:04am and don't return until about 4:15pm.  They are not overloaded with homework, thank goodness, but there is the nightly reading, weekly gymnastics and girl scouts, household chores and we've got squeeze in some play time!

This school year we established Friday nights as "family movie night."  I get to spend some time with the kids, not feeling like I have chores or projects that need to be done.  The kids take turns picking a movie, I pop some popcorn in the air popper and everyone convenes in the living room (Tucker sits still for about 10 minutes, then wanders around playing, snacking and climbing all over everyone.  But who can blame him? He's only 17 months old).

Another thing we love is celebrating holidays and seasons, so this month our movie nights are taking on the Halloween/ghosts & ghouls theme.  We are watching some classics and trying out some movies we haven't seen before.  Check out this list of family friendly Halloween movies we've compiled.  Do you have any favorites you would add?

Hey good lookin, whatcha got cookin

Hubby and I have always enjoyed spending time in the kitchen - cooking, baking, canning and making candy. Making food from scratch ensures I know exactly what is in it and most of the time, it's less expensive than pre-made or restaurant prepared.  In California, we were extremely fortunate to live downtown, within walking distance of so many things.  We were just blocks from the food co-op and the farmer's market.  

Now that we live on the farm, we are about 12 miles from a grocery store.  What used to be a quick stroll to the store, now takes a minimum 45 minutes to pick up one or two things, and much longer for weekly grocery shopping.  The most practical thing is to keep inventory of the fridge, freezer and pantry so that each week when I am planning meals, I can easily add items to the grocery list.  If I forget to buy something, I know I'm not making a quick trip to the store, so being right the first time is pretty much my only option!  Download my grocery list and learn the art of checking off items as you run out.

That being said, sometimes a craving pops up.  Like on a cold rainy day, you might want to bake.  Or you open up the bread box to find that not only did he kids eat all the banana muffins, but there's no bread either. And you can't always predict when a batch of chocolate chip cookies are necessary.  (I like to keep at least a couple bags of chocolate chips on hand for this reason!)

When I bake, the first thing I like to do is gather all the ingredients in one spot on the counter.  Hubby used to be notorious for starting something and realizing we were out of one or two ingredients.  He would set out for the store, usually with a stroller and at least a couple kids, and be back in a few to finish his masterpiece.  Gathering all my ingredients first ensures that I'm not stuck in the middle of a creation, only to find I'm out I don't have all the necessary components.  This has become especially important now.  

Sometimes I start to gather ingredients and realize that I am out brown sugar.  Has this ever happened to you?  It can change your sunny attitude into a tailspin quick if you're looking forward to a tasty treat.  Here's where knowing how to make your own an really come in handy!  The last couple months more than ever, we have relied on these skills in the kitchen.  Hubby and I have made our own brown sugar, powdered sugar, buttermilk, tortillas, sandwich bread, pasta and refried beans.

Powdered sugar is probably the easiest to whip up in your home kitchen.  All you need is white sugar and a blender.  (If you won't be using all the powdered sugar immediately, blending with cornstarch will keep it from clumping.)  Simply measure the amount of sugar you need for a recipe and blend until it becomes a fine powdered consistency. 

Just as simple is brown sugar.  It only takes two ingredients!  Check out my photos and recipe below. 
 

Homemade Brown Sugar
-2 tablespoons molasses (if you're trying to make dark brown sugar, add more molasses)
-2 cups white sugar

Molasses is really sticky, so I love using the back of a little rubber spatula to mash the sugar.  It takes a little elbow grease, but comes together pretty quickly.