Summertime Kids Crafts: Painting Outside with Your Kids

We used finger paints outside on the two sided easel. Stella (1 1/2 years old) had one side to paint on and Marina (4 years old) had the other side. When the weather is nice and warm it is fun to set up some messy paints outside and let the kids experiment with them. After they finished their pictures on the easel, they both began to paint their bodies. Bath time!

Above: picture number 1

Above: picture number 2

Pictures from Choochokam Arts Festival 2009

Above:
Veritas, a rock band on the Main Stage. Choochokam always has a lot of music. There are 3 venues that host bands around town during the art festival.

What does the word "Choochokam" mean anyway? The organizer's website says:

Choochokam is a Hopi word which roughly translates as "a Gathering of Stars." Our "stars," a diverse group of several hundred local artists, inspired by the early organizers to create what we now know as The Choochokam Festival of the Arts.

Below are some pictures that I took during the two day event. Some of the highlights include a park dedicated to kids and families with face painting, crafts, music, and other fun things; Saturday night street dance; Whidbey Children's theater play; live music; local artists' booths; and of course lots of interesting people watching!

Face painting at the Children's play area on 2nd street hill park

2nd street Coldwell Banker Real Estate's office has an amazing climbing rose bush just outside. Marina admires it, above.

Stella enjoys a panini at Useless Bay Coffee Company on 2nd Street

Buskers play for money

Whidbey children's theater (WCT) in Langley always has a show for Choochokam, this year it was a fun and lively tale of Peter Rabbit. I loved it!

Above: the girls each enjoy their own hot dog. Day 2 of Choochokam (Sunday) was cold, rainy, and even had thunder storms! What a difference from Saturday's beautiful & hot sunshine!

An artist's booth: Painted Tile Pictures, above

Artist, above: Kathleen Otley

The girls: Marina, Candice (me), and Stella

Jackd Boards: a group of local young men who make skim boards, complete with paintings, and sell them.

Above: Alexei Kazantsev, artist, sculptor

Congratulations Langley Half Marathon Runners!!

There will be 3x as many runners in the Langley Half Marathon this year!

Last year the half marathon had approximately 100 people racing, this year there are more than 300! The race is tomorrow, but I got some insider scoop. The race begins at 8:30 AM Sunday at de Bruyn & Saratoga Rd. The race ends in downtown Langley. It is 13.1 miles long and is THE HILLIEST course I have ever seen. Up and down, up and down up and down . . . Good Luck racers and remember that you an still sign up Sunday AM before the race, just get their early!

Burrito Ideas for Summer ~ Use your Garden & Farmer's Market

. . . to create beautiful food. Probably my favorite part of cooking is using the ingredients that I get from my garden and the local farmer's market in new and creative ways. Because I have been a bit busy lately and am healing from a neck injury, simplicity in cooking is important. Stella has also had a bit of a digestive virus so I wanted to make a meal that would have enough options for her to eat something.

Burritos= simplicity + options / local ingredients + traditional ingredients (avocado, lime, salsa, jalapeno)

Today I want to focus on some ideas for making your own burritos with fresh local ingredients. My kids love burritos and it gives them and me a lot of options depending on our mood.

Stella (1 1/2) ejoys a big plate of burritos

For me simplicity was looking in my pantry and using adzuki beans & sushi rice. I used my own spinach & lettuce, parsley from my garden and eggs from my chickens. Another reason I think burritos are simple is because you can start with a shell and just a few fillings and have a spectacular meal. I place "toppings" in bowls and people can add what they like.

Here are some ingredients you can mix and match to make burritos:

Tortillas: we like 100% corn tortillas. they are usually smaller than flour ones. Get a bamboo steamer for your tortillas, it makes a huge difference in the taste!!

Lime & lemon: squeeze some on top of your burrito or add to salsa

Tomatillos: can buy as in a salsa, or as a fresh fruit and cut, cook, and make into salsa or topping.

salsa: try a mango, pineapple, or green salsa, or make your own. I think it would be fin to make a rhubarb and mango salsa, and rhubarb is in season!

Plain yogurt or sour cream

Guacamole or avocados

Fresh tomatoes: sometimes if I froget salsa, I slice up a tomato and barely miss the salsa.

Rice: I like wild rice mixes, jasmine, and sushi rice

Beans: any type (black, pinto, black eyed peas, adzuki)- adzuki beans (little red beans you can buy in bulk at health food or co-op stores) are especially good as they soften into a nice refried bean type mash as they cook. All dried beans soak in water for 4-8 hours and then cook in a pan covered by several inches of water for a few hours. You may need to add more water as they cook. Beans soak up a large amount of water, especially if you do not soak them for long before hand.

Meat: chicken, beef, fish, soy alternative

Herbs: parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, cumin, fennel. Try using one or two herbs at a time, can prepare as toppings or with meat and/or beans

Onions & garlic: cook on its own as a topping or with meat and beans

Greens: spinach, lettuce. Cut small and serve as topping. If you will be reheating the burritos, choose spinach, as it will reheat beautifully

Cheese: feta, farmer, jack, jalapeno, anything you will enjoy.

Jalapenos: cook on the side or with the meat/beans. If you will be serving children, put the jalapenos on the side rather than in the meat/beans

Eggs: scramble and enjoy with beans and cheese

Beer: for the adults, serve burritos with a nice cold specialty beer, I have been enjoying Kona Wailua Wheat Beer with Passion Fruit

Anything I am forgetting that you like to add to yours? Add a comment at the bottom!!

Whidbey Islanders know how to celebrate the 4th of July

Here is a List of Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July on Whidbey Island. This is not a complete list, just a personal one.

3rd of July Fireworks at Freeland Park:

The day before the 4th there is a big celebration and big fireworks at the Freeland Park. A barge/boat loaded with fireworks sails into the harbor and at or around 10 PM they begin a large display of big booms. This year was a little shorter version due to money cutbacks. Still well worth a party on the beach with family and friends. The festivities start early in the afternoon and there is a nice play gym for the kids.

Pictures from the Freeland Park Celebration:





MAXWELTON PARADE & ACTIVITIES:
I really didn't see the actual parade, just the after effects. I recommend if you want to see the parade you get there early. It was crazy- at least for Whidbey Island standards. Lots of people, cars, walking, heat, and fun with friends. Here are some tips for next year's parade, should you choose to go to it, and I would recommend that you do!

1. Get there at least 1/2 hour early. At least! If you wait any longer you will have to part 1 mile away and catch a shuttle or walk. Not a big deal unless you have little kids or stuff to carry.

2. Consider bringing your bike, that way if they have closed the road you can bike there nice and quick. And a bike trailer for the kiddos. Also helpful with kids are strollers and backpacks. I forgot mine and got a sore arm from it. Oops!

3. Bring a picnic lunch and something refreshing to drink. There is food for sale, if you want.

Here are some pictures of Maxwelton Celebration~




The 4th of July:

~There are always a lot of fireworks and celebrating at Double Bluff Beach on the 4th. You can also see the fireworks in Seattle from the beach. If you go, be responsible and pick up your trash. I would not recommend lighting off fireworks on the beach, as it is not good for the health of our beaches.

~Celebrate with loved ones, good food and drink. In that order. Fireworks and flags optional, and not as important as aforementioned loved ones.

Where oh where has my big computer gone!

The dreaded computer "crash" has happened. My nice big laptop is currently out of service and I am on Luc's little web book. Very little. So I have been putting off blogging due to my diminutive computer screen size. Just so you all know why I've been slacking. That and the constant summer BBQs and parties. Lots of fun, but it makes it hard to stay motivated to sit down and write.

Currently accepting laptop donations ;-)

Surrounded by Water

I'm surprised how many people who live on Whidbey Island don't know where Goss Lake is located. Well, I won't tell you! It is my secret and I won't share it, go find your own lake.

Yes, it's that good.

We spent played there Thursday and Friday of last week and I swam there Sunday morning too. The lake is great for swimmers, kids, non-motorized boaters, sunbathers and apparently trout fishermen, as I see them there occasionally in the early morning.

Goss Lake is the site of the swimming portion of the Whidbey Island triathlon. So you will often see people swimming in the summer months to prepare for the race.

Here on Whidbey Island we have many lakes and are of course surrounded by the calm, cool sea. The Island is well protected from the big ocean waves by the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island.

During the summer we really appreciate our island setting as the weather is warm enough to enjoy frequent outdoor swimming and play time at the beach or lake, young or old.

Throwing rocks at the lake

View from the shore, public side