Halloween Handiwork

This year the wife decided to give carving a real-life image a try using a picture of the two peas themselves.

It turned out really fun, especially when the image stood out in the dark.

 

Family Moments

This past week the two peas got to visit with some family. It's been a while. The hubby's brother was interviewing for a job and we jumped at the chance to take him to dinner and his hotel. And not just any hotel. It was high class. The real fun, though, was getting to talk together for a while, even amidst all of our busy schedules.

Here's some highlights:

Brothers are so alike.

Check out this honeymoon worthy bathroom....

We thought the room number fitting considering the stress of job interviews.

Check out that real cow hide.

The hotel had swinging cocoons for lounging outside. Wow fancy!

Easy Hairdos

A sock? In my hair?

Who knew it would turn out really cute?

The wife has seen those amazing looking hair buns that seem to curl, tuck, and stay effortlessly on the wearer's head. And one day, whilst researching some craft ideas online, she came across a website by the weddingchicks. Lo and behold, in their list of DIY's, she found instructions for that awesome hairdo dubbed "the soxy."

Apparently lots of people know how to do this, but for those that didn't know (like the wife) here's how:

Required - 1 used, old, CLEAN sock

Instructions - (1) cut the toe and heal-to-ankle section from said old sock; (2) roll left over portion into a doughnut with inside facing out; (3) put hair into a pony tail at however high you want the bun; (4) put rolled sock round tip of the pony tail and start wrapping the hair around the sock; and (5) roll the sock down toward your noggin (while still tucking hair around and under doughnut). If the bun is loose, simply pull doughnut up and out away from your noggin, and roll some more. Then you can use bobby pins to secure lose ends of hair and the bun.

If you'd like, check out weddingchicks.com for their instructions and pics, and for more really fun and easy decorating ideas, etc.

Going Green: Mostly Pureed

It's another installment of our recent favorite vegetable recipes. This post's winners: Roasted Asparagus Soup, Carrot Soup, Summer Squash Soup, and Fried Teriyaki Tofu.

Roasted Asparagus Soup: 1 head of garlic, 1/2 an onion, 1 celery stick, 1 carrot stick, 1 bunch of asparagus, 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth, 3 Tbsp Olive oil, and a little butter and salt.

We took one bunch of asparagus and chopped the bottoms off of each stalk. We chopped the stalks into 4 pieces, and chopped one carrot stick. After dousing the asparagus and carrot in olive oil and salt, we roasted them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. We stirred them half way through roasting. While that simmered in the oven, we chopped the garlic, onion, and one celery stick, and sauteed it in a little butter until soft. We added the roasted ingredients to the pan with 1 cup stock and simmered it for 5-ish minutes. We then combined all of the ingredients, plus another half cup of chicken stock, into the blender and pureed it until it was really smooth. We set aside of few of the asparagus tips to garnish our soup. 

It's way yummy. We licked our bowls clean....

Carrot Soup: 4-5 carrot sticks, 2-3 celery sticks, 1 onion, 1 head of garlic, 2 red potatoes, 2 cups of chicken broth, 2-3 Tbsp oil of your choice, and salt to taste.

We chopped all of the ingredients and sauteed them in the oil and a little salt for about 5 minutes. Then we added the broth, brought it to a boil, covered the dish, reduced the heat, and let everything simmer for 20 minutes. We let the concoction cool, and then pureed it in a blender until smooth.

The Best dish by Far?
Summer Squash Soup: 1 Summer Squash, 1-2 carrot sticks, 1 celery stick, 1 onion, 1 head of garlic, 1 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 3 Tbsp oil of your choice.

  We minced the garlic and chopped the onion and celery. These ingredients were sauteed in about 3 Tbsp of olive oil for 2-3 minutes. We peeled the summer squash and carrot sticks, chopped them, and added them to the pan. We then added the broth, brought the pan to a boil, and then reduced the heat, covered the pan, and cooked the veggies for about 20 minutes. Once the veggies were cool, we pureed all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. This dish was surprisingly very flavorful. We did not need any seasonings. And yes, we definitely licked our bowls very clean. We added dashes of nutmeg to the soup before consuming it.

Time for an old family favorite from the wife's side.
Fried Teriyaki Tofu: One block of Firm Tofu, 3 Tbsp or more of olive oil, 1/2 cup or more of your favorite brand of Teriyaki sauce (mine is Very Very Teriyaki Island style), Basil to taste, Onion (either 1/2 of an onion or about 1 Tbsp of onion powder), and 1/2 a head of garlic.

I mince the garlic and onion (when not using powder) and saute it in the oil. I chop the tofu block and add it to the pan, along with the ground basil. I fry the tofu until it begins to get golden brown spots. Then I add the teriyaki sauce. I continue to cook the tofu until it looks golden brown all over.
Tofu is an acquired taste. I grew up with it. But I just thought I'd share this recipe for those who would like to try it. It's an excellent source of protein.

Edible Monsters

Once again, the two peas ventured out as country bumpkins to an After-Halloween party. They brought mummy dogs to share. And they turned out pretty awesome.

It takes two packages of hot dogs. Cut each dog in half and set them aside in a bowl. Open two packages of Pillsbury cooking dough. Use your pizza cutter to get thin strips of dough. Wrap each half of hot dog from one end and a little past its middle. Then wrap the top. Cook on a greased baking sheet at 350 degrees F for approximately 8 minutes. You can make eyes with drops of mustard, but wait until they have cooled after baking.

 

 

It was tough saying goodbye... but they tasted so good!

Halloween Fun

This year the two peas had barely any time to sit down together for a few seconds, let alone think about what to wear for a costume. So, during the few second they had just before the annual trunk-or-treat, they put their heads together and...

Voila!

They became hicks using stuff they had sitting around the house: a little make-up here, some flour and spaghetti there. And with a few other things tossed into the trunk, they had a small farm with plastic spiders crawling around all over the place.