Thank You, Agatha Christie's Hat?

September 15 was National Thank You Day. Those words were said in our home, of course.

It was Linguine Day but I didn't have any linguine so I made spaghetti with alfredo.

It was National Double Cheeseburger Day. To go along with Shelftember, I used a tamale casserole from the freezer (it had both hamburger and cheese in it). I made Spanish rice to go with it and homemade bread and applesauce (not homemade).

It was Agatha Christie's Birthday. I checked out an Agatha Christie book from the library.

It was Make a Hat Day. I watched Alice Through the Looking Glass while doing dishes and making dinner.

One of these years, we really need to make an Agatha Christie themed hat.

   

The Shadow Mountain Publishing calendars for National Literacy Month had the following for that day's literacy activities, in order of adult calendar and children's calendar:

 

September 15 Join a discussion online

Read a book about friendship

Mixture of Holidays and Celebrating

We celebrated Jr.'s birthday in August. We spent a few days doing celebrations. It wasn't all on the same day. So here's how we celebrated his birthday and some other holidays around the same time.

August 28 was Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day. I did that in the morning.

It was also National Bow Tie Day so we had Jr.'s birthday dinner of bow tie pasta with homemade alfredo sauce and other yummy stuff and garlic bread and orange soda, of course.

August 28 was also National Thoughtful Day. I added bacon in with Jr.'s birthday dinner even though it wasn't on his list of dinner items. He appreciated it. 

Jr. got earbuds and fabric Thud board for easier traveling. 

He also got banana runts. He likes runts candies.

 

Jet insisted the candles on the birthday cake be in the shape of a "love heart." 

August 29 was More Herbs, Less Salt Day. Lucky got up in the morning and cleaned the table so he could display this for me to see. 

August 20 was Toasted Marshmallow Day. The kids had s'mores. 

Garden's Bounty

I am thrilled with how our garden has done so far this year.

Jet wanted to pose with our most recent garden picture.

 

I'm also thrilled with what we've done with what our garden has produced. 

I cut a bouquet of basil and made homemade pesto (a couple times). The recipe came from Shelf Cooking 101 by Jordan Page.

Some I froze to be used later. Some I used to make pesto alfredo. Oh, that's yummy.

We've used banana peppers in sandwiches and in salads.

 

We ate one cucumber and have more to use. We're still figuring out cucumbers.

 

We've used jalapenos for various things including mini jalapeno popper egg rolls, which I love so much, but didn't get a picture this time because they didn't last long and got all gobbled up. 

 

We used zucchini to make zucchini bread- LOTS of zucchini bread. 

This year since we actually grew zucchini early enough, I took some of that zucchini and on August 8, I baked zucchini bread. Then I put some bread on a friend's porch and sent her a message saying, "Happy Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night. Look on your porch." I didn't actually want the zucchini bread to sit there all night and it was fine that she knew it was us. She likes my zucchini bread so I like to give her some when I bake enough.

 

We also harvested enough tomatoes (and basil) to make homemade spaghetti sauce, which we used in more slow cooker beef lasagna (from Six Sisters' Stuff). 

I am so happy with our garden this year. 

Seeking Persephone with Stephanie

Nichole and I introduced our friend, Stephanie, to the movie, Seeking Persephone, in February. We watched the movie and drank herbal tea.

In March for our Girls Gather (Girls' Night) activity, we had a green foods potluck (because St. Patrick's Day was earlier that week) and introduced Seeking Persephone to even more friends.

I brought alfredo pizza with artichoke hearts and bell peppers and spinach and Nichole made cucumber sandwiches (from the cookbook, Whisk Me Away). There were some other green foods and we laughed because nobody brought a salad which is the obvious choice for green. At our February Galentines potluck, so many people brought salads. They were good, of course. I like a variety of salads. 

Now I'm craving alfredo pizza. Thanks a lot, blogging. I'm too busy to make alfredo pizza right now.

A Couple More March Holidays

Beware the Ides of March which we celebrated on March 15 with Caesar Salad.

On March 16, however, we celebrated Artichoke Hearts Day with alfredo pizza. Mmmmm. Sooo good. 

I'm a Helper

Saturday, February 7, had nice weather. I'm glad of it because I walked over to someone's house in the neighborhood to help paint platforms for the school play... twice. Base coat in the morning, texturing in the afternoon.

It was Play Outside Day. It was nice to get out for that short walk (four times because of back and forth) because I have just gotten over a cold so I haven't been out for walks much lately.

Between trips to do that service I made sure to eat ice cream. It was Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Several people in the family celebrated.

Sadly I was too tired to take anyone to the library for Take Your Child to the Library Day. Oh well. 

It was National Fettuccine Alfredo Day but we didn't have any fettuccine so we had rotini alfredo. Mmmm. I love the homemade alfredo sauce we always use. It's from ourbestbites.com and it uses ingredients I always have on hand. Guiltless Alfredo Sauce.

Saturday was a good day.

Bread and Butter and Cider, Oh My

I'm still thankful I know how to bake and cook.

November 17 was Homemade Bread Day as well as National Butter Day. I made homemade wheat bread which we ate with butter (not homemade). I used the recipe I always use for wheat bread from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. "Darcy's Whole Wheat Bread."

I also made homemade alfredo sauce to go with spaghetti. I used the recipe I always use for alfredo sauce from Our Best Bites. "Guiltless Alfredo Sauce." 

A few people had toast for breakfast on homemade bread (Pantry Secrets White Bread recipe).

 

November 18 was Apple Cider Day. Several people had apple cider.

Balloon Bonding

Real quick- August 22 was Be an Angel Day. It's become tradition to have angel hair pasta that day with alfredo sauce and chicken. Yumm. 

 

Now to what I really wanted to blog about.

 

Every year, Jeremy volunteers to build a balloon sculpture in the children's section of the Orem Library for the Summer Reading Program. He's been doing it for over 15 years. This year, because of construction, they didn't have him do that. He and Lucky did teach simple balloon animals at the Kid's Art Gala and in August, they built a balloon sculpture to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the children's wing of the library.

I'm very impressed with how Lucky is picking up the balloon sculpting. He built the number 30 and the hat. Way to go both Jeremy and Lucky. I love that Lucky's getting into this and they are getting to have this bonding time together.

Since they were building on Gene Kelly's Birthday on August 23, when I went to deliver some missed items to them (I'm also a helper), I found Lucky dancing around to celebrate.

Later to also celebrate Gene Kelly's Birthday, I wore my bow earrings and pirate ship necklace and we watched "The Pirate" which Gene Kelly was in with Judy Garland.

 

That evening, we went to an end of the Summer neighborhood barbecue. I had a great time socializing. I love our neighborhood.