So in the last post it was just pictures of Boy 1 & me at the zoo. (Duhh...) I didn't mean to mislead some of you....we all went to the zoo; I just had to do something to make it fun for Boy 1.  I mean he is a teenager and this is a zoo.  What teenager in his right mind would want to go to the zoo?  (Do you sense the sarcasm?)  Anyway taking crazy pictures with Boy 1 did make it fun for him & he even cracked multiple smiles.  The other kids wanted to join in on the crazy pictures, but I had to tell them this was  'special' for Boy 1 & they all got it.
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My beautiful little butterfly!
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This little guy is the reason Girl is going to ask Santa for a tarantula for Christmas. THANKS A LOT zoo lady!
If you ever find yourself in San Antonio with an extra day on your hands and you have already done all the other touristy things (Alamo, riverwalk, museums and so on) then the zoo is the place to go!  We had a great time and even enjoyed the zoo more than we enjoyed (gasp) Sea World.  The San Antonio Zoo is open every day of the year from 9-5.   The cost is $10 per adult and $8 for kids ages 3-11.  They offer a military discount (I always love a military discount!) of $1 off per ticket.   They also have a $1 off coupon on their website for you non military folks.  

So this was the best part of the zoo and we all had a ton of fun even though we were all freaked out a little.   I know certain friends of mine are going to have a so much fun with this, go ahead, it is a free for all....call me "Bird lady" or call me OLD, I'm ready.  We fed parrots nectar.  There.  I said it and I did it.  Laugh all you want.  I love you too.  (And I'm posting LOTS of pictures of our bird experience.)
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It started off all nice and innocent. One little bird taking the lid off Boy 3's nectar.
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And then there were three.....
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They just kept coming...notice the one on his head? Boy 3 is starting to freak out a little....
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OK...better, he is off his head & moved to his hand.
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This is the only picture of I got of Girl before she BOLTED!! Yes, that is a tear rolling down her cheek.
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They loved Hubby...
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and he was so nonchalant about it - just call him the 'bird whisperer'!
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It was like Boy 2 had been feeding birds his whole life. (Check out the guy in the background with his head in the trash.)
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This is nothin'!
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I'm very thankful Boy 2 is NOT asking for birds for Christmas.
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Boy 1 stuck around about as long as Girl did. He couldn't stand it!
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And then there was me.....these little guys LOVED me. (This is for you Staci.)
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God help me!!
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Having a bird walk around on your head and pulling your hair is a bit freaky!!
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He loved my sunglasses & my scalp!
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Right before this picture I had FIVE birds on me.
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Starting to breath a little easier....
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but totally have the giggles.
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Just call me bird lady.
 
No words are really needed.....
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A few weeks ago Hubby scored 2 tickets to the Houston Texans Military Appreciation game.  Although I cannot report to you what happened at that game (he took Boy 1), I can tell you that that Girl, Boy 2, Boy 3 & I had a GREAT time at the Downtown Aquarium in Houston!
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I would hate to see this guy loose out in the wild!
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The kids LOVED the sting ray exhibit!
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These are their 'scared' faces. ;o)
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No one else wanted to ride the Merry-Go-Round, so Boy 3 happily did it by himself. He is SO independent!
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Hanging with my boy!
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Girl in awe on the train going through the 'Shark Voyage' tank!
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The kids had SO MUCH FUN on this ride! They rode it no less than 10 times each!
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Cooling off at the end of the day!
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OK, so another traditional Thanksgiving food I can live without is cranberry sauce from a can.  What is that stuff anyway?  You open the can go to 'pour' it out and it makes a sloooop plopping sound when it finally hits the plate.  Oh, then the rings on the sauce, you've gotta love that.   You know what I am talking about, the can rings.  They stay there and never leave - I bet you could leave it sitting out for weeks and the rings would still be there.  Oh, this sounds like a great experiment for my kids.  I'm really not sure this stuff is even edible.  I wonder what it does to your insides.  Hummm...

So, here is my version of Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.   It really isn't that much harder than opening a can & you can make it the day before and put it in the fridge. 

1 12 oz package fresh cranberries
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 TBL honey
1/4 tsp allspice
1 cinnamon stick

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium-high heat bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until slightly thick. Cool completely, discard cinnamon stick.

(I think this recipe came from Cooking Light.)
 
It is that time of year again.  People have started talking about the abominable, alarming, appalling, atrocious, deplorable, depressing, dire, disgusting, distressing, dreadful, fearful, frightful, ghastly, grody, gross, gruesome, grungy, harrowing, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrific, horrifying, nasty, offensive, raunchy, repulsive, shocking, stinking, synthetic, tough, ugly, unpleasant, unsightly GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE.  

Oh goodness I just barfed in my mouth a little just thinking of it.  Whoever thought of the green bean casserole should be shot.  OK, maybe not shot, but how on earth did it become a Thanksgiving tradition in homes across America?  I have ban green bean casserole in my house.  It has never been in my house and never will be - I mean really, what is up with those crunchie onionie things sold in a can....

I do agree that green beans should be on every table across America on Thanksgiving and Green Bean Bundles are what have become tradition in our home.
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2 pounds of fresh green beans, washed, ends cut off
6 strips of bacon cut in half and partially cooked
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (I like Tony Chachere's)
Garlic salt
4 TBL melted butter
3 TBL packed brown sugar

Steam beans until crisp-tender in water seasoned with 1/4 tsp Creole seasoning.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
When beans cool enough to touch, wrap approximately 6-10 beans in the partially cooked bacon.  Place bundles in a baking dish.  Sprinkle bundles with garlic salt and Creole seasoning.  Pour melted butter over bundles and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until bacon is done.
 
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I loved this cheesecake.  Hubby wasn't thrilled....he thinks it is wrong to feel heat when eating dessert and it didn't help when he took his first bite and must have crunched into the only piece of habanera that was not minced into nothing.  Oh well, I can't win them all with that man.  However everyone else LOVED this bad boy.

This cheesecake is a very light cheesecake.  Be sure NOT to overcook.  I was afraid it wasn't done because it was still pretty jiggly, but when I texted my brother he told me to TAKE IT OUT!  It will firm up while cooling.  He was right.  I cooked it about 20 minutes longer than I should have, but it turned out fine.

Crust:
30 Chocolate wafers (enough to make 1 1/2 cups of chocolate crumbs)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Sauce:
1 cup water
1cup sugar
2 key limes, juiced
Candied hibiscus flowers (really? I couldn't find them anywhere) or dried cranberries

Filling:
5 egg yolks
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup key lime juice
1 TBL key lime zest
1/2 habanera pepper, seeds removed, minced (use gloves while working with habanera - just trust me)
2 cups whipped cream cheese softened
1 cup mascarpone cheese

Meringues:
5 egg whites
3 TBL sugar
1 tsp white vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To make crust:
Put wafers in a resealable bag & crush into fine crumbs.  Pour crumbs into bowl and add melted butter & mix.  Mold the crumb crust into the bottom of a  spring form pan & bring up the sides a little bit.   Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove and cool on counter.

To make sauce:
Over medium heat combine water & sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Add key lime juice and cranberries (flowers if you can find them).  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes untill slightly reduced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl add egg yolks, brown sugar, key lime juice, lime zest, habanera pepper & whisk together.  Add the cream cheese and Mascarpone & beat with an electric mixer for 15 seconds.

Place 2 layers of wide aluminum foil into a large roasting pan put the cake in the middle of the foil & bring the foil up the sides to create a seal.  Do not cover cake.  Pour water into the roasting pan 1/2 way up the sides of the cake pan.  Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.  Allow cake to cool completely on the countertop, then refrigerate overnight. Serve each slice of cheesecake drizzled with a tablespoon of the sauce. 

 
I don't like flan.  I would have never made this on my own.  My brother made me do it.  This is one time I am glad my brother made me do something!  I was having a dinner party and was stumped on what to make for dessert. In fact, I was considering forgoing dessert.  I wasn't in the mood.  Then I ask my brother because always knocks dessert out of the park.  He wanted to know what was for dinner ~ it was simple, a taco salad bar (beef and chicken) with chicken tortilla soup and my rockin' beans.    He knew immediately what I should make - Chocó flan cake & Habanera Lime Cheesecake.  (Really?  REALLY!) 

Here is the Chocóflan (forgive me for my bad pictures lately).


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Ingredients:

12-cup capacity Bundt pan
Softened butter, to coat pan
1/4 cup cajeta  (it is a caramel sauce made from goat’s milk found on the international isle of your grocery store)

For the cake:

10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar 1 egg, room temperature

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder (make sure you use a really good cocoa powder!)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the flan:

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk


1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For garnish:
1/4 cup chopped pecans



Directions


Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Coat Bundt pan with a little butter, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta and put it in a large roasting pan. (The roasting pan will serve as a water bath during baking.)

For the cake: Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and 1/2 of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Blend until well incorporated.

For the flan: In a blender combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds.

Scoop the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spreading evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and add about 1-inch of hot water to the roasting pan.

Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the Bundt pan, grasp tightly together, giggle a little and flip over. Remove the pan and scrape any remaining cajeta from the pan onto the cake garnish with chopped pecans and serve!

Cook's Notes: The batters may appear to mix when you pour them into the pan, but they completely separate while baking, with the flan ending up on the bottom when it's inverted.

Traditionally flan is chilled 24 hours before serving, but many people like to eat it warm.  

You can find the original recipe here.

 
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And some people wonder why American's are so large.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good pancake breakfast from Cracker Barrell. They always cook my eggs just right and the country ham, oh how I LOVE their country ham. Don't even get me started on their pancakes.  They ROCK and I always have such a hard time choosing pecan pancakes or pancakes with blackberry topping.  This day the blackberries won & yes, they were worth it.   But really who can (or should) eat all of that in just one sitting?  Now check out Hubby's breakfast - hash brown casserole, eggs, country ham, grits, cinnamon apples and 2 biscuits with gravy.   This could have fed all 3 of our little ones, Boy 1 well, that's a different story....
 
Hello my beautiful new love.
Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting.....what more could a girl ask for.  Well, there is lots, but for today I will settle for the cookies.
My friend Jewel posted this link to this recipe on another friend's facebook page and being that we are all connected (not that I am a snoop) I had to check it out & I am so glad I did.  These little babies are just right for the fall season.
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Now for the lady I met at the zoo in San Antonio - I really thought there was less butter in these bad boys.  In fact, I really think I only put one stick of butter in the cookies the first time I made them.  I'm going to try it again with only 1 stick.  The first time I made these they were more cake like than than the second time I made them.  Hummm.......

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 cups flour
2tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray.
Using mixer, beat butter & sugars till light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time.  Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.  Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter. 
Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon size) drop onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz cream cheese softened
4 tbl butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Using mixer beat cream cheese and butter till smooth.  Add vanilla, then slowly add powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Mix till smooth.  Frost cookies ~ any leftover frosting, eat it.

 
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I'm going out of order here. You regulars know how that freaks me out a bit, but it's OK, I'm going with it, living on the edge.

On 10 October Hubby and I took the kids to Sweet Berry Farm.  Since this is our THRID time back in the Hood, we know a few hidden gems; Sweet Berry Farm is one of them, nestled in the heart of the sweet little town of Marble Falls.

For those of you planning visit to Sweet Berry Farm, take plenty of cash with you, as that is the only way you can pay (They do have a cash machine on site).  You could spend all day at SBF and parking and entry into SBF is free, but you pay for each thing you choose to do.  

We bought pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins!  At SBF you have a HUGE selection of pumpkins to choose from.  I love getting the funky/ugly pumpkins for our front porch!


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They have big pumpkins, little pumpkins and every size in between, and don't forget your gourds!

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AT SBF you can build your very own scarecrow and take him home with you!  They provide everything (for the price of $14.50), shirt, pants, hay, sack head, staples, twine to tie off the legs and hands! 

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Sweet Berry Farm has two different corn mazes.  One is in the shape of Texas and it takes at least an hour to go through (and $7 per person).  You have to find different cities in the state of Texas and mark them off on your maze sheet.  Then there is a smaller corn maze just for the little ones.  The cost for this maze is $2.50 per child.  Here are two of our little clowns in the maze....

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SBF has a free petting zoo, ok; there are only goats, but whatever.  You can buy food to feed the goats (50 cents) if you would like, or you can just pet them....

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SBF has hay rides ($3.50 pp), pony rides (4.75 pp), sand art ($3 pp), barrel train rides(4.75pp), face painting ($1-5 pp) and flower picking ($2 per cup)....

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If you plan to spend the day at SBF, there are a few other things I would like to suggest....1) Try the pumpkin ice cream, it is great!  2) Have a cup of their strawberry lemonade, simply divine!  And 3) Bring a picnic with you....there are many places to throw a blanket! They also have picnic tables if you don't like hanging out on the ground with the bugs.