Maddie Goes to the Zoo

Because Maddie has been around animals since conception, it comes as no surprise that she really loves them. LeeAnn and I have been anxiously awaiting the day that Maddie could appreciate the Zoo. That day was last Thursday during our visit to Boise. It's still early Spring in the Northwest so a lot of the animals were still indoors for winter. However, the great thing about taking an 18 month old to the zoo, is that a squirrel in the vacant giraffe exhibit is just as exciting as seeing the giraffes themselves. Maddie had a blast looking at the animals but what she really loved was walking all by herself on the paths and of course the giant giraffe slide. We had a great time too. Having a kid is a great excuse to be a bit of a kid and experience the wonder of the world all over again. Here are some pics.

Idaho is Calling Me Home

Watch the full episode. See more Outdoor Idaho.

Recipe 11 Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

It has been a while since I have posted a recipe (there are a few I should put on here) but this is a new family favorite and needs to be done first. Red Quinoa and Black Bean Salad was featured on The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen blog a while back. We love quinoa and the flavors looked good to us so we made it that night... Jeff has requested it every time I have been planning meals since that night. Let me just say that if you have tried quinoa because it is so healthy and not enjoyed it, you should try it again with this recipe. More than anything else the quinoa gives the salad texture, it is the other flavors that make it so good. This is a great recipe if you have time to make dinner in the morning but not that night. The longer the flavors combine the better it tastes.

My alterations to this recipe:

- Red or original quinoa are both fine, not really a flavor difference so do not worry about finding red quinoa unless you really want the salad to be extra pretty
- I do not cook the quinoa the way the recipe tells me to, to much work. I buy mine prewashed. Add your quinoa to a pot, add in 1 and a quarter times liquid to quinoa (I use chicken stock but water would be just fine), add a little salt. Bring this to a simmer at medium heat, turn down to low heat, put a lid on the pot and let it cook on low for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and let it sit for an additional 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and then let it cool before combining with the rest of the salad.
- I have not had access to fresh corn since using this recipe, using a drained 15 oz can of kernel corn has worked for us for now.

As you can see below, Madeline likes it as well :)


(photos taken by my very talented husband!)

Dizzy Maddie.

One of Maddie's favorite new activities.

Fetch

Maddie loves her dogs and they are pretty fond of her too.

Maddie In Black and White

Now that LeeAnn has gone back to work part time, Maddie and I get to spend a lot of time together. One of the ways we pass the time is by taking pictures. Maddie has recently discovered that she can see herself in the back of the camera after it makes the clicking sound. This has become a source of much entertainment and some pretty cute photos too. They are in Black and White as I believe the light and the different textures in our house make for some great black and white photography. Here are some of my favorites.

Thanksgiving 2010

It has been awhile since we made this trip but I still feel compelled to make sure it is recorded here on our blog. It has been 3 years since we have made it to the White family Thanksgiving. Jeff had just accepted a new role in management in 2008 and it was not good timing for us to spend a week in Texas and in 2009 we were blessed with our precious Madeline Mae. Had we known about her early arrival we might have still attempted the trip but it was wonderful to celebrate at our house with Jeff's parents and his brother Tim's family! Our two Thanksgiving celebrations here in Montana were great but there really is something missing when I miss out on my whole family being together. We are a family who loves food and fellowship, a holiday that facilitates these two things is not something you want to miss.

Our first full day in Longview my Mom had to work so we spent the day at Uncle Walter and Aunt Mona's hanging out with some of my best friends/cousins. Caleb and Tyne, Jon and Leigh, Jeff and I along with our combined 7 children, with 2 on the way, had a great day of just spending time together. Thanksgiving day was filled with wonderful food (if I elaborated on the food I feel that I would be typing far longer than I have time for today) and some quality time with extended family, it met the build up of what I had missed out on the previous 2 years. I must say that my favorite part of the whole week was getting to spend a lot of quality time with my Mom, my two brothers and their families. Watching all of them love on Madeline and seeing her interact with cousins, aunts, uncles and grandma was wonderful!

Here are some pictures to commemorate Thanksgiving 2010: