I have the perfect Halloween cake for you. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: October 2019
Baking with Kids : Halloween Style
Cooking with Kids is an ongoing series where we share recipes that are easy enough to make with assistance from a two-year-old. If you’re new to the series, our first post provides detailed tips for cooking baking with little ones.
On Tuesday Sarah shared a Halloween appetizer. Yesterday I shared a well-wrapped main dish, and today we’re sharing the dessert that’s sure to make your little trick-or-treaters squirm giggle.
The focus of this Cooking with Kids post is all on the decorating, and in this post we give you sources for all of our fun supplies (including the spider cupcake holders!). Kids LOVE decorating treats, and Halloween is the perfect time to let them go wild. Make it spooky, creepy, silly, cute. It definitely doesn’t have to be perfect. And that’s what makes this project such a hit with big and little people.
I like to plan projects for us to do throughout the season, some more time and energy intensive than others. Decorating spider cupcakes purposefully falls on the easier side. It’s something that you could do on an afternoon when you want to add a little bit of Halloween excitement (and sugar!) to their day.
(Hey Kids!) Make Your Own Tacos
This past spring we started serving make your own tacos, and the boys LOVE them. Do you want a spoiler? These are your standard beef tacos in a hard shell, we just serve them in a unique way – click through for the big reveal! Continue reading
Disappearing Ink
If you like this post, you should check out our cooking with kids series, our favorite nature books for kids, and our favorite kids’ camping gear.
Fun back story: the idea for today’s post was hatched during a trip to our favorite thrift store, which is slowly becoming “the infamous trip to the thrift store” because so many awesome items were purchased.
We stopped in on a whim to pick up some thermoses, but left with so much more, including a pair of spy glasses for Alex. One thing led to another, and he wanted to write notes in invisible ink. Snow was predicted for a couple days later, so I made sure that we had the supplies on hand, and this little activity made for a fun morning indoors!
You might be surprised to learn that you probably have everything you need to start writing secret spy notes tonight… Continue reading
Fall Favorites
Fall has been feeling really special this year. I think it’s due to a magical combination of beautiful weather, kids that are SO excited about Halloween, and having the time for special trips like our recent visit to the pumpkin patch.
It definitely helps that I’ve been making all soups in my favorite pumpkin cocotte (that’d be a fancy word for Dutch oven). The mushroom quinoa soup above comes from Easy Soups From Scratch with Quick Breads to Match. If you’re looking for a kitchen gift for someone, you can’t go wrong with that pot+cookbook combo.
If you don’t have the pumpkin pot or the soup book, we recommend this old fall favorite: veggie and sausage gratin in a pumpkin! You can find that tasty recipe here.
And the next time you’re making soup or gratin for dinner, pick up a beeswax candle-making kit. You’ll have just enough time to roll candles while everything is simmering. And dinner will feel extra special the moment you light those candles.
What are you enjoying this fall? Any favorite books we should know about? xo
Seattle Weekend Getaway and Day Hike to Colchuck Lake – Central Cascades
If you’re looking for an amazing autumn getaway near Seattle and you’ve already visited the beautiful crystal clear Blue Lake, head to Colchuck Lake as it is just as gorgeous! Another alpine lake, Colchuck Lake is surrounded by mountains and lined with plenty of boulders to sit on and snack the afternoon away. Take a dip if you dare, but remember your quick-dry towel and warm puffy jacket because Colchuck Lake sits at an elevation of 5,570 feet. We hiked Colchuck during the final weekend of September when the undergrowth was popping with color, the air was crisp, the sun was hiding, and the breeze encouraged a quick pace to the top.
Colorado Hiking: Devil’s Thumb Trail
If you want to read about more of our hiking and camping adventures, you can find them here. And if you want more Colorado hikes, they’re here.
Last weekend I went on my first big hike in years, and it felt amazing. Click on to read about my little day hike across the continental divide from one Colorado ski-town to another. Continue reading