Date Night Alternative to Dinner and a Movie

For my husband and I, Washington's downtown mall holds a special place in our hearts. While many, especially Washingtonians, may find it overrun with tourists and attractions, it can also be a great place to escape for a special night with your loved one. C'mon what is more romantic than walking hand in hand on a cool D.C. evening awing at the beautifully lit marble monuments.

Our latest excursion downtown is one I would recommend to anyone. We began our day at the National gallery, another oddly romantic place to walk hand in hand, to view the hopper exhibit. Everyone who has the opportunity to see this exhibit should. It is excellent, and since it is the first time a comprehensive representation of Hopper's work has been showcased in the United States outside of NYC in 25 years, you should jump at the opportunity.

You don't have to be an art aficionado to enjoy Hopper, especially since many of his paintings are so recognizable.

If you want to learn more about the exhibit and the artist, check out these links:

National Gallery of Art Hopper Exhibit
Edward Hopper, Wikipedia entry




After a great tour around the gallery, you will of course be hungry, and this can present a problem while at the downtown mall, unless you like hot dogs, or as my husband refers to them: pigeon dogs. But don't worry, there is quality food to be found among the museums and monuments. The National Museum of the American Indian offers a splendid array of grub. Don't be fooled by their cafeteria setting. If you are hungry and want something satisfying and tasty, do not hesitate to visit them. If you have never had an Indian taco on home-made Indian fry bread, you do not know what you are missing. Fresh produce, great pastries, even buffalo burgers and chili are all standard fare at the Native American museum which should not be missed, and if you don't trust my word for it, check out the Washingtonian, as they are frequently listed in their cheap eats guide.

So if you want to spend the evening with your significant other, actually interacting and not starring up at a movie screen, head downtown; there are lots of adventures to be found.

Cure for Winter Time Blues

It is finally starting to feel like winter, and as the temperature drops so do our trips to the park. So if you are like me, looking for fun and creative indoor playtime activities for toddlers, I have a great one for you.

While playing with paint, play dough, and bubbles are always fun indoor activities, they can pose a threat to younger children who still have an affinity for placing everything in their mouths. The toxic chemicals that store bought molding clays, paints and bubbles contain pose a dangerous problem for many moms, but don't fret. Here are a few home made recipes which provide an all natural, more economical and often funner variations of your these good old standbys.


Recipe for Homemade Play Dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 T oil
• 1 T powdered alum
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 T vanilla
• food coloring (Don't have or want to use food coloring, use beet, spinach and/or carrot juice instead.)

All you need to do is mix all dry ingredients. Add the oil and water. Then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until reaching the consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and food coloring. Divide into balls and work in color by kneading. And now your ready to start sculpting. When your done playing keep your play dough fresh wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge.

Recipes for Homemade Finger Paints

Jell-O Finger Paint

• Any kind of flavored Jell-O
• hot water

Mix enough hot water, just a little at a time, until mix has the consistency of finger paint. Allow to cool before play.

Pudding Finger Paint

• Instant Vanilla Pudding
• Food Coloring

Mix pudding according to directions. Add food coloring for desired color.

or for a more traditional paint

• 2 cups flour
• 4 cups cold water
• food coloring or dry tempera

Mix flour and water and cook over low heat until thick. Let cool. Follow with a pinch of salt. Add dry tempera, food coloring or kool-aid packs to color. Store paint in covered jar in refrigerator.

Homemade Bubbles

• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Light Karo syrup or 2 Tablespoons Glycerin
• 4 Tablespoons Dishwashing liquid (or for a more tear friendly alternative use baby shampoo or wash)
• Food coloring (optional)
  

Mix together and have fun!


Now you need a bubble wand!!

• 2 straws
• A piece of heavy string or yarn about 36-48 inches long
• Scissors
• Bubble solution

Thread the string through both straws and tie a knot at each end. This will form a rectangular wand. To use hold one straw in each hand and lower the wand into your bubble solution. While the wand is submerged bring both straws together. Now lift the wand upward, through the air. As you raise the straws up, move your hands away from each other and then back again, letting your bubbles fly free.

Scar Faced Pumpkin

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I absolutely love Halloween. For us it is just fun non stressful holiday that provides tons of opportunities for our family to hang out together in the beautiful autumn weather. For me a Halloween celebration should always begin with an afternoon to the pumpkin patch and corn maze. My husband and I have made it a tradition of ours to participate in this wonderful fall festivity each year, and we always have a great time, but this year was especially fun because we were able to share the experience with our two year old son. Although he is still a bit too young to understand or get excited about the whole Halloween experience, he had a blast running around like wild eating popcorn and drinking apple cider. The corn maze was especially exciting for him, as peekaboo is one of his favorite games, although I have to admit I was a bit of a mess constantly worrying about losing him among the rows of corn. Another huge bonus of the pumpkin patch, is it is a great place to take some amazing family pictures. And the end of the day we left with an extremely tired little boy and a great hand picked pumpkin for carving, and hence the birth of pumpkin scar face.

Once my husband and I saw this beautiful colored, perfectly shaped pumpkin with a giant scar running down the front of it, we immediately saw the potential for a completely unique and grotesque jack-o-lantern.

I had been excited all month about sharing the pumpkin carving experience with my son. But to my disappointment, Sebastian wanted nothing to do with the gooey contents inside the pumpkin. I have to admit that I was somewhat amazed that my son, a boy whose curiosity seemed to know no boundaries, was not even tempted by the insides of a pumpkin. One touch of the slimy guts and seeds seemed to be enough for him and he focused his attention instead to poking and writing on the pumpkin with a pencil.

Despite Sebastian's disinterest in the evenings activities it was a wonderful family evening. Homemade beef stew and pumpkin spiced muffins provided us with necessary sustenance to carry on with our carving duties, and were the perfect compliment to a great October evening.

Beef Stew Recipe
This is a great recipe if you are looking for the traditional comfort food style of beef stew, making it well worth the effort.

Vegetable oil, for searing
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, cut into 6ths
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, or to cover
10 cups cold water, or chicken or beef broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
6 sprigs parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 pounds medium red potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
7 canned whole, peeled tomatoes, lightly crushed
2 to 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or to taste

Heat a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat (a dutch oven is really the way to go, but if you do not have one, a large pot will work as well.) Pour in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/4-inch deep. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, and add to the pan. Saute half the meat, uncovered, stirring only occasionally, until well-browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef. Discard the oil and wipe out the pan.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Return the pot to the stove and melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Add the reserved beef and scatter the flour over the vegetable and beef mixture (enough to lightly coat) and cook stirring until lightly toasted. Add the water or broth, and bring to a simmer. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves together with a piece of kitchen twine and add the bundle to the pot. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook the meat until just tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (This can also be done on the stove at a low simmer.)

Remove pot from the oven. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid with a spoon or ladle. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the herb bundle. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among bowls and serve immediately.

If you are still unsure about your ability to create an amazing stew for your family, here are some helpful tips from cooking light on how to make Simply Wonderful Stews.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
These muffins are a fall favorite at my home and are great way to finish a meal.

1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 2/3 c. flour
1 c. chopped nuts, if desired
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Beat together for 1 minute. Add flour, spices, soda, and salt together. Stir into pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly until mixture is moistened. Don't over stir. Fold in nuts. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Pour batter into cups filling 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve while still warm. For added sweetness frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Vaccinate your Children!

This week was doctor's visits all around for everyone, and even though I was forced to choke down a bottle of super sweet glucose for my 28 week testing, it didn't even compare to the agony my 16 month old son was subjected to during his routine visit to the pediatrician.

After being trapped in the small examining room for nearly an hour, Sebastian was at his wit's ends. He knew full well that beyond that exam room door lied a waiting room filled with books, puzzles, toys and seesaws, and yet there he was stuck in a boring room with nothing more than mom, dad and a tongue depressor to entertain him. Perhaps for 15 maybe even 30 minutes we could have held him together with patty-cake, hide and seek, and us making fools of ourselves for his entertainment. But soon all our efforts were exhausted and the worst part, his vaccinations, were still looming ahead.

It turned out to be a pretty awful way to spend the afternoon, but even in spite of the heart wrenching image of desperate boy being poked by needles and the irritable and defeated kid we brought home with us that day, we would have done it all over again if it meant protecting our son from preventable but sometimes deadly diseases.

Currently there is a debate going on about whether vaccines are worth the perceived harm they cause, and there has been a movement by many parents to forgo the needle and hope for the best for their children. This in my opinion is ludicrous, and bred from the spread of misinformation and ignorance.

Aside from having a much higher risk to catch potentially deadly diseases like polio, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and chicken pox, unvaccinated children also threaten the health of their surrounding communities, as no vaccine is 100% effective at preventing infection.

According to statistics by the CDC, 1% of children nationwide have been exempted from vaccinations, but with several states, like Colorado, Washington and California, making it easier for parents to exempt their children from vaccine requirements, hot spots with over 11% exemption rates are popping up all over the country.

There are many reasons sited why parents choose to go vaccine free: government mistrust, religious objections, and fear that children are truly harmed by the side effects and the immediate pain and trauma of receiving a shot. Some even claim that vaccinations may cause siezures and autism, despite the scientific evidence to the contrary. We are all very lucky that we live in a time were the threat of smallpox, polio, diphtheria, and measles epidemics are behind us, but this is only due the introduction of vaccinations and an entire generation with defenses built up against these diseases. But these viruses still exist in our world threatening us with every breath, and by not immunizing our children we are not doing what is necessary to protect our children and future generations from disease outbreak.

Caring for our children is a responsibility that every parent should take seriously, and although each parent should be able to choose for themselves how best they are going to accomplish this, it is your responsibility to inform yourself on the best way possible to do so. While it ultimately is, and should be, every parents own choice to vaccinate their children, it should not be something taken lightly. Don't assume everything you hear is correct. Do your research, and make informed decisions about your child's health.


Here are a few links about child vaccination:

The Center for Disease Control Vaccination Homepage: This is an excellent and credible site for reliable information about vaccines. Find recommendations and guidelines for vaccines, a vaccine schedule, possible side effects for each vaccination, as well as articles about the importance of vaccinating children, common myths and misconceptions about vaccines and the risks of choosing not to vaccinate.

The American Academy of Pediatricians: this is another reputable source providing great information about the risks and benefits of vaccines.

Parent Fears Keep Children from Vaccines: This a broadcast of a story done by NPR about more than 2 million children from getting vaccinated.

When Parents Say No to Child Vaccinations: This article from the New York Times interviews parents who chose became ill as a result of not being vaccinated.

Welcome to my blog

Hi all. Welcome to my blog. The original purpose and motivation for this blog is to fulfill an assignment for a communication course I am taking at Georg Mason University, but I have decided I might as well have fun with the assignment and make my posts as fun and interesting as I can. When assigned to pick and interest and write a blog about it for the next several months topics ranging from books, movies, food, and news all jumped into my head, but when I really thought about what fulfills my time, energy and thoughts all day I realized it was being a mother and wife.

Now I realize for many, especially of my generation, this may sound a bit too June Cleaver for their tastes, but my life is far from the fictionalized archetypal stereotype of the 60's, few are. Nor would I want it to be so. However, in today's world, a world filled with successful women in every frontier, I find women are concerned less and less with trying to prove ourselves capable in life and we are now ready and willing to devote ourselves to what we love.

For me these loves are my family. While some may call my interests in cooking, and crafting matriarchal or my obligations to my family and home domestic but I choose to do these things not based upon any obligations or constraints I feel, but upon my own personal willingness and desires to do so.

A new definition of what motherhood truly represents is being created right now by women everywhere. Labels such as housewife, homemaker, caretaker, and career women are no longer sufficient in today's world, if not ever, as women try to straddle each of these roles simultaneously. This blog to an extent will be a representation of that. As I balance being a student, mom, expectant mother, lover of arts and literature, movie enthusiast, my own top chef, housekeeper, and a contributing member of society I hope to try and share with you what being a "housewife" of the 21st century really is.