Friday, May 13, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Splash Pad and Butterflies
Yesterday my best buddy Jen and her son Owen joined me and Liam at a splash pad (park with cool sprinklers) out in Phoenix. We had a blast. Liam and Owen are too cute together.
At first Liam didn't know what to think about the water. It was a little cold. But after awhile he started crawling (a little) in the splash pad. I ran with him through one of the tunnels and he seemed to enjoy it. We had a picnic and enjoyed being outside.
If you want to go to a splash pad there a couple around the valley. We went to Altadena Park (36th Street and Cactus). There are several in the East Valley like Chuparosa Park Spray Pad (Germann and Dobson), Desert Breeze Park (Rural and Ray), and Espee Park (McQueen and Arizona Ave). There are also splash pads at some of the outdoor malls (Desert Ridge, Kierland Commons, San Tan Village). The biggest one I know of is Tempe Beach Park, which I plan on going to when it opens up again on May 31st. These are all free, which is fantastic. But if you feel like paying you can always go to the splash pad at the Phoenix Zoo. I have heard that it is pretty cool.
Today, Liam and I went to Desert Botanical Garden with my friend Janea and her two kids. Apparently today is National Public Garden Day so it was free to get in. It usually cost $18 for one adult admission. So great deal. I am going to have to put this down as a reoccurring event in my outlook so we can go next year. I had never been to Desert Botanic Garden so I thought it was pretty neat.
My favorite part was the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion. I didn't take any pictures because they wouldn't let me take the stroller in. I am not talented enough to carry Liam and take pictures at the same time. There were tons of butterflies everywhere. One landed on my arm :) There also was an area that showcased the Native American population which used to live in the Salt River Valley (now know as Tempe/Phoenix). They had replicas of their huts and gardens. By the time we left, which was at 10:30am (we got there at 8am), it was already 93 degrees outside. I don't know how anyone could have survived in Phoenix without air conditioning. The past two days have made me think about how truly blessed we are to have water and air conditioning. Also as a side note, if there is anyone who lives in a much cooler climate who wouldn't mind me and Liam staying with them this summer let me know. Ha ha
At first Liam didn't know what to think about the water. It was a little cold. But after awhile he started crawling (a little) in the splash pad. I ran with him through one of the tunnels and he seemed to enjoy it. We had a picnic and enjoyed being outside.
If you want to go to a splash pad there a couple around the valley. We went to Altadena Park (36th Street and Cactus). There are several in the East Valley like Chuparosa Park Spray Pad (Germann and Dobson), Desert Breeze Park (Rural and Ray), and Espee Park (McQueen and Arizona Ave). There are also splash pads at some of the outdoor malls (Desert Ridge, Kierland Commons, San Tan Village). The biggest one I know of is Tempe Beach Park, which I plan on going to when it opens up again on May 31st. These are all free, which is fantastic. But if you feel like paying you can always go to the splash pad at the Phoenix Zoo. I have heard that it is pretty cool.
Today, Liam and I went to Desert Botanical Garden with my friend Janea and her two kids. Apparently today is National Public Garden Day so it was free to get in. It usually cost $18 for one adult admission. So great deal. I am going to have to put this down as a reoccurring event in my outlook so we can go next year. I had never been to Desert Botanic Garden so I thought it was pretty neat.
My favorite part was the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion. I didn't take any pictures because they wouldn't let me take the stroller in. I am not talented enough to carry Liam and take pictures at the same time. There were tons of butterflies everywhere. One landed on my arm :) There also was an area that showcased the Native American population which used to live in the Salt River Valley (now know as Tempe/Phoenix). They had replicas of their huts and gardens. By the time we left, which was at 10:30am (we got there at 8am), it was already 93 degrees outside. I don't know how anyone could have survived in Phoenix without air conditioning. The past two days have made me think about how truly blessed we are to have water and air conditioning. Also as a side note, if there is anyone who lives in a much cooler climate who wouldn't mind me and Liam staying with them this summer let me know. Ha ha
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
My bad
Today I attempted to make French Dip Sandwiches. Attempted being the keyword here. We will see later today if they turn out. Below is the recipe (just in case you feel inclined to cook...cough...cough...mom...cough)
Ingredients:
1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
20 slices French bread
Directions:
1. Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place trimmed roast in a slow cooker.
2. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, bouillon, bay leaf, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over roast, and add enough water to almost cover roast. Cover, and cook on Low heat for 10 to 12 hours, or until meat is very tender.
3. Remove meat from broth, reserving broth. Shred meat with a fork, and distribute on bread for sandwiches. Used reserved broth for dipping.
As you can see, its a pretty easy recipe. I bought the ingredients last night and planned to start it first thing in the morning (the meat needs to cook for 10-12 hours). Well I forgot to make it this morning and didn't realize it until I had put Liam down for his morning nap around 10:30am. So I hurried up and put everything in the crock pot and turned it onto "low". Just now I went down stairs to check on my masterpiece and realize that my crock pot was not plugged in. The meat has been sitting out for four hours. I hope I don't make us sick. I am my mother's child.
May??!! Wow how time flies.
I can't believe it's May already. What happened to April? I am not sure. I guess we were pretty busy. We didn't even make it to the Easter Pageant this year. Not that Liam would have really enjoyed it. Man once 7:30 pm comes around that kid is ready for bed. I can't think of really anything exciting that happened in April. Sorry. This weekend Liam started to stand up. I swear last week he just started crawling. It happened so fast.
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