So You Want to Know Even More About August, Huh?

August 19 was International Bow Day. Jet and I did some coloring on a Minnie's Bow-Toons coloring page. We may have watched a little bit of the cartoon later (I can't remember).

Ah, bonding time.

It was also National Potato Day. Continuing with using A Season of Family Meal Plans by Jordan Page, I learned how to make "baked" potatoes in the Instant Pot. I like doing it that way. Along with the potatoes we had Sheet Pan Bell Pepper Chicken but I cooked it on the stove instead of in the oven. I can do that. I'm a shelf cooker.

It was also Mr. Snuffleupagus' Birthday. Our kids don't know who Mr. Snuffleupagus is. They didn't grow up with Sesame Street. Jeremy and I had to explain to them who he is.

August 20 was National Lemonade Day (it used to be in May). We made a pitcher of lemonade to go with our Tex-Mex Bowls (using leftover fajita filling) and spanish rice. I made Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 3. The recipe in there is simpler than the recipe I've used in the past to make cilantro lime dressing. I liked it better after it had been refrigerated for at least a day. Mmmm.

Jet was my little kitchen helper again. He decided to help spin lettuce this time. He didn't bother waiting for me to cut it up first. That's fine. I'm so glad he likes to help me make food. I hope it continues.

August 22 was Be an Angel Day. Dinner was angel hair pasta (of course) with leftovers. Jet was an angel and ate better than any of the other kids when it came to dinner. He got first choice of cupcakes for dessert.

After dinner, Nichole and I went to a Relief Society activity, a sourdough class. It was cool to again see a demonstration but it reminded me that I am not in the season of my life to make sourdough. It is a long complicated process. I did enjoy the samples and socializing, though. I do like to eat sourdough. I just can't commit to it right now.

August 23 was National Cuban Sandwich Day. I tried out some new techniques with cooking (I am constantly learning) and made Cuban Sandwiches (even if they weren't authentic).

August 24 was National Waffle Day. We made a whole bunch of waffles with the intent to freeze some of them for easy breakfasts. Ha. They didn't last long enough to be frozen. 

That day, Nichole, Jeremy, and I went on a UCB field trip to Jordanelle Reservoir- Rock Cliff area. That felt good.

Jeremy also decided to try out a new look that day. Look closely.

August 26 was National Toilet Paper Day. I used some to wipe up tears while I was crying.

August 27 was Banana Lovers Day. After our Cajun Green Beans & Pork Bites and roasted potatoes (both from that same cookbook listed above), we had Frozen Banana Bites (also from that same cookbook). 

August 28 was National Bow Tie Day. We had bowtie pasta along with macaroni with our dinner. We also had Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps, apples, and carrots.

Day, Day, Day, Day

May 2 is a great day to celebrate.

The kids and I went for a nice Sunday drive up the canyon so we could all see Bridal Veil Falls. This time we just stopped at the overlook to get some quick pictures. 

Having fun like that was appropriate for World Laughter Day.

My precious!

 

For dinner that evening, we celebrated World Tuna Day and Baby Day with snowman sandwiches with tuna filling and baby carrot noses. We saved the rest of the lemonade from Paco's birthday so we could celebrate Lemonade Day on May 2.

Itsa Gooooood!

I love my brother, Paco. In a lot of ways growing up I wanted to be like him, to do things he was doing. I got into drama because he was doing drama. I learned some balloon animals because he was learning balloon animals. I got into juggling because he was juggling. I'm sure glad I did that because I got to know my husband through a juggling club in college. I've mentioned before that I've videoed myself juggling in different places because I copied my brother with that.

My brother and I definitely have differences and I don't follow him in everything (I don't build skateboards or walking sticks for example). My brother is fun, though, and my kids and my husband also think he is fun. Since we don't see him in person very often, living in different states, we enjoy watching "Paco videos." Every year he puts up a New Year's video on YouTube and we get a kick out of watching those as a family. He has a lot of other random videos and we get a kick out of those, too. Sometimes we even celebrate Paco's birthday... two states away. Sometimes we eat cake, sometimes we put together a little video for him. This year I contacted him while I was working on the menu plan and asked what he would suggest we eat for a Paco-themed birthday dinner. He suggested eating a "Confuso" while wearing fake mustaches. Of course! I told the kids the idea and Jr. Jr. told me we should also get cans of lemonade to "shake gently before opening."

So that's what we did. I spent the day before and the day of preparing ingredients and on Paco's birthday, we followed his instructions to assemble the "Confuso." Then we turned on the "Shake Gently" video and copied Paco's movements while shaking our lemonade.

It was a fun evening and all the kids actually ate the food. "Itsa gooooood!"

I love my brother. It's fun to celebrate his birthday since he is such a fun person.

Celebrating With Beverages

May 3 was National Lemonade Day. Yeah I made some to go with our dinner.

May the 4th was National Orange Juice Day. Yeah, I made some to go with our dinner of biscuits and gravy. Yum.

Later, to celebrate Star Wars Day, Jeremy, Nichole, and I watched part of Captain America: Civil War. After I woke up after missing most of the best scene in the movie- the part at the airport, Nichole pointed out that we did celebrate Star Wars Day because Spider-man mentioned that really old movie, The Empire Strikes Back. Way to take notice, Nichole.

February Catchup

It's amazing how I can miss just a few days of posting on this blog and I feel like I have to do major catchup. Oh well. So let's do some of that catchup right now.

February 19 was National Chocolate Mint Day. Jr. really wanted to make chocolate mints but couldn't find everything that was needed so he took my advice, melted some chocolate, and dipped pieces of candy cane in it- voila, chocolate mints.

February 21 was the anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. The kids played Zelda music on their stringed instruments. A couple days later, Jr. played the game Majora's Mask while Nichole painted. Yeah, that's right. If you give Nichole a medium...

February 23 was National Rationalization Day. It was somewhat low key that day. I did make banana bread because it was also National Banana Bread Day. I'll tell you something. It was so nice to sit around the table as a family, eating banana bread and talking. I love my family.

February 26 was Carnival Day. We had pink lemonade with dinner.

February 27 was National Chili Day, National Toast Day, and National Strawberry Day. Guess what we ate. Turkey chili and toast with strawberry jam. Mmmmmm.

February 28 was National Tartar Sauce Day. We had fish sticks sandwiches. That day was also National Tooth Fairy Day. Lucky celebrated a day later by having another loose tooth come out while he was eating carrots.

February 29 was Leap Day. Apparently, according to our 2020 National Day Calendar, it was also National Rare Disease Day USA. How appropriate I was sick that day. Luckily it wasn't a rare disease, though. I'll take what I had over something really scary. I looked back at my last Leap Year post in 2016 and family members were sick then, too. Sigh.
Nichole and I watched the movie, Leap Year, on Leap Day. Nichole and Joshua also took care of dinner that night. Thanks, kids. Joshua took care of dinner the next night as well while I was recovering but I'll go into more of that when I post about the beginning of March.

Wow. Busy busy. And it's still Winter so this is all still with the baby and me not going out much. Wow.

Carnival Day 2015

So we had some ideas for celebrating Carnival Day, February 26.  Unfortunately Jr. woke up this morning sick so we couldn't do our plans.  However, we could still eat carnival type foods.  So we had corn dog bites and onion rings.

We had pink lemonade and I took the other container of cotton candy left over from Cotton Candy Day and put some on skewers for the kids.

So we were still able to celebrate even if we weren't able to do some of the things I was thinking of.
And that's okay.