halloween costumes

This year Kennedy wants to be Batman. 

Typically we pick out a costume pattern and the fabric and my mom and I piece it all together (primarily my mom). Well, we were going to coordinate Piper as Robin and call it a good year! The unfortunate part is that there were no Batman patterns! They had Captain America and Thor but no Batman. They had these:

And while I'm very happy to see them catering to little girls and superheroes it was not conducive to our search for Batman. Kennedy absolutely did not want the skirt version but she also wasn't quite grasping the idea that we could make Captain America into Batman and we started brainstorming other ideas for this years search for candy. I'm happy she was fine with thinking of something else because I didn't really want to buy a chintzy store bought Batman.

Trick or treat!
Leia

kindergarten fun facts: week 6

Bahahahhahaa, this week I can tell you without asking Kennedy what she learned or what she thought was cool.

The Pledge of Allegiance.

Except each time she said it.. each and every countless time she sang it, said it, yelled it.. she forgot the word: indivisible. Each time we would tell her and each time said said she got it; she did in fact.. not have it. I am wondering if they took that word out? I have yet to research but her memory is pretty keen so to have neglected to remember that word. IDK, seems odd for her.

INDIVISIBLE.

Leia

book delivery

After finishing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child I foolishly attempted to start A Game of Thrones. Nope, too much time and focus involved for me to be picking it up randomly. Funny story when my box set arrived (that I scored for $35 after a sale and a coupon) it was not my box set, but a cook book. Yeah, I don't know either. I thought it was going to be a nightmare to return but my local store didn't hassle me at all!

So over the weekend, Barnes and Noble had a friends and family event going on and there was a 20% off coupon that could be used an unlimited amount of times. The only catch was that you could only use it once per order. Well, since I'm a Barnes and Noble member I get free express shipping so making three separate orders to continue The Inspector Gamache series was not a problem in the slightest.

For a horrible count of #19 for the year is the fourth installment: A Rule Against Murder from Louise Penny.

If anyone recalls, my friend Angelique and I started this series as an across state lines book club. Well, after getting my new job it put my reading pace way below average. While I'm starting the fourth book, she's waiting for the twelfth. Yah, look at me spoiling our plans!



One page at a time.
Leia

three cedars farm: a bright af photo series

One thing I love about the cooler weather is being able to go places and not sweat to death! With Fall here, it was time to hit up some pumpkin patches and apple orchards. First on our list was Three Cedars Farm for some pumpkins, cider, and of course DONUTS. Another thing I love about these outings is attempting to get some nice photos of the girls, and it's great when you don't realize the setting on your camera was bumped and all your photos turn out like shite. Did I bother even attempting to enhance them with a filter? Nope, mostly all of them are just a lost cause. Le sigh. That's what happens when you get used to shooting on auto and don't check the images as you go. Womp womp.

^^ GET IT GIRL!

^^ The "corn sandbox", though barely visible through the obvious solar flare that was happening, was their favorite part aside from the donuts.

^^ Piper kept carrying the tractor toy around instead of riding it. Obviously there were many tears to be had when I redirected her back to the 'road'.

A fun day out usually ends with a nice diaper change in the car (pending there were no shitcidents) and a quick wipe bath. Haha, and don't even attempt to pass it off that I'm the only one guilty of that. I'm happy that some of the pictures turned out OK and that I thought to snap some on my phone. The donuts and cider softened the blow when I realized what had happened. Oh well.

The Great Pumpkin.

Leia

mid-week meal share: gnocchi with pomodoro sauce

I was totally in the mood to try something new for dinner. This meant searching through recent recipe saves and a trip to the store. It also means you don't quite look all the way through the instructions because the name of the recipe seems simple enough. Typically I like to give myself a lot of credit for  the meals I cook for the first time. Well, with this one.. I fumbled from the beginning to the end. It's about consistency, right?

Cost effective: about $15-$20 depending on brands you prefer.

Easy to concoct: ugh, it will be the next time I make it!

On your mark. Get set. GATHER!

¼ cup EVOO (yas, Baby Mama)

4 stems "italian flat leaf" parsley

4 stems oregano

2 stems rosemary

4 stems basil (2 for garnish)

½ diced yellow onion

1½ tsp (3 cloves) minced garlic

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

salt + pepper

red pepper flakes

¼ cup heavy cream

1 16 oz package of gnocchi

*8 oz cherry sized mozzarella balls

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

*boil water and dice onions

1. In an OVEN SAFE (if you want to cook the recipe properly) skillet, heat your olive oil and add your parsley, oregano, rosemary and basil. This is where I initially fell off the wagon. A) I didn't realize the skillet would need to go into the oven and B) I apparently ran out of EVOO, how does that even happen?!

2. When your herbs are crispy remove them from your pan and add your onions and garlic and cook until your onions are translucent, per usual.

3. Add in the tomatoes and season with the required salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I bought petite diced. The recipe seems to call for canned whole tomatoes that you crush. Depending on which road you want to take I would definitely just get crushed tomatoes because let me just say trying to crush petite diced tomatoes was annoying af.

4. By this point your water is likely boiling. Add in your gnocchi; boil until they are floating. Another fumble, I think I cooked them for too long? But I've never eaten them before so I really don't have a clue.

5. Simmer your tomatoes for 30-40 minutes. When your gnocchi's are done, drain and set aside.

6. At around 20 minutes I thought my tomatoes were cooked enough and added in the heavy cream. Remove from heat.

7. Add in your gnocchi's.

8. If you had the proper skillet, this is when you add your mozzarella and parmesan and broil until the cheese melts and becomes crispy. If you're a hot mess like me you'll have tried to melt the cheese by covering your pan.

9. Enjoy!

Mer, for me this recipe was a fail. It might have been a little different if I was able to broil it at the end. Definitely should've simmered longer with more spice. The flavor was very, very tomatoey. Brendon and Kennedy really loved it and I feel like that typically happens. I hate it, everyone else loves it. Which means two thing. 1) it's going to get requested again and 2) I will have to make dinner and then not eat it. The life of mom, amiright? But I also know that the next time I make it I'm going to buy pomodoro sauce instead of making it from scratch and I will likely transfer to a baking dish because I do feel like it would've made all the difference. And maybe I'll invest in mozzarella balls.

Gnocchi vs pierogi.

Leia

noodles + co

You know those days where you try to just be simple and take the easy way out? Maybe spend more money on dinner than you would've had you made it? Yeah, I thought last night would've been one of those days but I was inconveniently mistaken.

And trust me I know how first world problem this post is, but hey.

Last night I worked from 3p-7p (this is a shift I traded with a coworker until December for school) and thought I would order food for delivery and take it home. Smart, right? I thought so too since I had to work today from 3a-3p (yeah, that's right an 8 hour turn around between shifts; had I realized this when I agreed to the switch I probably wouldn't have.. but now I have the weekends off.. whatever).

So I ordered our food around 5:30 for future delivery at 7:15. I thought this was ample time for Noodles + Co to prepare and deliver my food. HAHAHAHAHAAA.

Well, I clock out right at 7 and hurry towards the front of the hospital because usually they are early (so do I feel silly complaining about the one time they fuck shit up? nah). I talked with a few ladies from my old job as I was waiting while they were heading out to leave, which made me incredibly sad, and tried to patiently count down the minutes til my food would arrive. Hangry, hangry, hangry.

Well, needless to say 7:15 rolled around and I still haven't seen or heard from anyone. At 7:21 I finally called to check on the order because at this point it's going to be almost 8 by the time I get home and will be an extremely small window to finish bedtime and fall asleep myself.

Noodles: "Noodles + Co, blah blah location now offering delivery this is blah blah how can I help you?"

Me: *not wanting to be a rude ass* "Um, I ordered food a few hours ago for 7:15 delivery and I was just called to make sure everything was okay with my order."

N: "Your name please?"

Me: "Leia."

N: "Leia.. Leia.. oh yes! Your order.. is.. right here and all ready to go! Um, 7:15.. we're just waiting on the delivery driver. They aren't here yet so your order will be on the way shortly."

Me: "Okay, thanks.............................."

So then I just get upset. The delivery driver isn't even to the store yet to pick up my food????

So, I call back.

Noodles: "Noodles + Co, blah blah location now offering delivery this is blah blah how can I help you?"

Me: "Yeah, it's Leia again I'm just going to come pick up my order."
N: "Okay, sorry about that! We'll have everything ready when you get here!"

Me: "No problem......................................"

And then just confusion; like duh! Of course it's going to be ready because you already told me it was bagged and ready to go already AND it'll probably be cold by the time I get there because parking is going to be hell downtown. Which yeah, it was totally hell. I had to drive around two blocks and even then I still parked in an illegal spot while I ran inside.

Guys, they didn't remove the delivery fee or the driver's tip from my bill. The bag was warm but only because it had been sitting under the heat lamp or whatever. It's 7:45. I didn't make a scene I just asked for the various fee's to be refunded. I couldn't believe they didn't just automatically credit it back to me. And then I still had to drive home.

The food was still an okay temperature when I got home which is the only reason I didn't call them to complain. I do value customer service and understand restaurant employee's get the brunt of all bitching that they don't always deserve but Noodles + Co almost got me, man. Mainly for the sake of knowing how much extra time it cost me on my already limited window for sleep.

And I left my leftovers at home.

Leia