so much going on!

whew! soooo much going on lately!

here's a few things:
warning the following may either leave you intrigued or frustrated (ha ha!)

*we are wrapping up some fun projects of different types. some are gifts & some are school projects that we are finishing...so i cant share yet. 

*we've been LOVING the freedom of homeschooling independently (i reopened our private school as opposed to our charter) these last few months. more eclectic & less textbook-y...the way we like it, but waaay more learning & flexibility. (a whole 'nother post)...so i cant share yet.  

*if everything works out tomorrow the girls & i are taking a class that i've been dying to take for years...sooooo excited!...but i cant share yet.

*at the last minute we finally got a renter for this house, but she wants to move in by MONDAY!!! He is coming tonight to help get us packed up & out. we cant wait to see him! but we haven't figured out where to stay for our last few days here...so i cant share yet.

*tues 2 had a last minute skin biopsy done. so we have to wait here a few more days for the follow up test results & stitches to be removed instead of FINALLY going home.

if the Dr. assumption is right...you wont believe the diagnosis or how it was diagnosed)...but i cant share yet.

*spring has been such a tease but it has been very warm & sunny all of sudden. sunshine makes us very happy...& happiness is something i can share :)

* a few new friends have joined our space recently. YAAAY!!! hello & thank you :)

Poor Sweet Ollie

Poor Prince Oliver Coco!

it's called love & these girls got it bad for you sweet boy.

he's our only boy besides Hubby & Carmello the bunny.

BTW yes, we think Ollie is sooo much stinkier yet sooo much cuter shaggy!

*the girls just got back from a movie date & sleepover weekend with their cousins at their Grandma's.

(i actually got to go see a grown up play IN A THEATER!!!)

Ollie missed them badly & was so happy to see them when they came home...mind you it was only overnight.

ok ok my tail was wagging because i was happy to see them too,

but he may (or may not) have been the only one spinning around the floor in circles.

is it just me or does everyone elses kids seem like they grow a bunch when they are away ?!?

*dont know what the deal is with blogger this post is screwy...you may have to click the icon to see the pic...trust me you'll want to see it :)

{visiting back home} the girlies visit the salon

{visiting back home}

the girlies visit the salon

eventhough my girls are not super girly girly, they still think visiting the salon is such a treat!

(unlike myself)

i dont like using a lot of heat on my girls hair (or straightening their gorgeous curls), but they badly needed their ended trimmed & they've been begging to be pampered at a real salon.

they were so happy!

{3's turn}

(BTW- 3 put a makeup sample from a mag on her face & even after a shower it was still on her face. you can see it in her pix. that's some fantastic makeup!!!)

this was her 1st time.

she was way more than excited!

 the "just for girls" Princess cape was icing on the cake!

THE BEAUTIFUL FINISH!!!

she looks sooo different!

all the girls hair was waaaay longer than anyone imagined!

one of the stylists was using purple shampoo & 3 was fascinated.

the stylist surprised her by asking her if she wanted some then put the foam on her fingers.

 too cute!

{2's turn}

THE BEAUTIFUL FINISH!!!

sooo pretty!

i have to admit i miss my curly girlies, but this is fun too.

 we all want whatever hair we dont have.

 what i wouldn't give to have their hair!

& im sure this is not even the beginning.

*deep sigh*

{1's turn}

THE BEAUTIFUL FINISH!!!

SUPER LOOOONG & beautiful!

 1 is such a tomboy & always wears two braids pretty much.

my oldest baby is growing up & it's showing!

& like all the rest of my girls...into a beautiful young lady!

(just not so fast please!)

these two have been having fun dressing up alike now that their hair is the same.

{salon artwork}

the shop owner brought tons of amazingly beautiful paintings from Bali & decorated the shop with them (as well as sells them).

they are all of ethnic women...i had to share.

my fave

{visiting back home}Nana's house pt 3...the horses

{visiting back home}Nana's house part 3
 parts 1 2

  my girls & Chloe spending time in the warm sunshine with Gram

{the horses}
visits to Nana's house always end with the horses.

Nana (Aunt Kathy)

this woman LOVES her horses

 Mickey & newly rescued Misty.

{Ms. Mia...THE horse girl}

the real kind of horse girl that lives & breathes horses.

 lovin' this girl in this hat

{Ms. Kai...becoming a horse girl?}

a while ago the girls did horseback riding lessons together & Kai wasn't interested, but Nana's house has changed her mind.

{Ms. August...horses? ummm...not so much}

well ok...maybe just not ready to ride yet.

i'm still lovin' my girls in the hat 

{ok now! Mama a horse girl???}

surprisingly this was my second time ever in life riding a horse.

i've always thought of horses as magnificently beautiful & powerful animals,

 yet they have always intimidated me.

 i loved it!

horses are one of my new faves!

i already warned Ryan that i totally see them in our (VERY distant) future! 

is everyone elses luck this bad?

ok so yesterday i posted the delish huevos rancheros recipe & how much i cant wait to get back home & make some from our own fresh chicken's eggs & our own fresh produce.

*remember the whole story about how we got the 4 girls

 & handraised them,

waited 6 months for them to start laying,

our dog ate 2, 

the last 2 started laying when we left of course

 & right before we head back home

(check the posts labeled chickiegirls)

...last night He called & said the coyotes ate the chikiegirls yesterday.

is everyone else's luck this bad???

GRRRRRR!!!!!

{huevos rancheros}...with a twist!

my quicker, easier, healthier, plenty to go around 

{huevos rancheros}

this morning i made DELISH huevos rancheros & tried something new.

& it's my new fave! 

not kidding..

they were so fantastic that one of the girls eyes actually rolled to the back of her head!

(while you're putting this all together, wrap your tortillas in foil & heat them in the oven)

My Ranchero Sauce

(please use what you have...to your taste. have fun & make it easy!)

i used canned black beans

(heated in the skillet first in canola oil).

then added

  green & red salsa from a jar,

taco seasoning (to taste), 

the white chunks are actually cottage cheese...

sounds weird,

but it still tastes delish

(can't taste it at all or tell it's there), it

helps with the volume of the ranchero sauce, cuts down on the amount of cheese & fills up the belly! 

(lately my girls appetites have been insane!)

*i use cottage cheese in other things like lasagna, ravioli bake, Doritos pie & many other casseroles.

to serve

cook your egg up how you like it 

(i like mine a tad runny for this dish).

slap it on top of a heated corn tortilla or 2.

top with plenty of the ranchero sauce.

sprinkle with cheese & fresh cilantro.

DIG IN!!!

serving suggestions : Tabasco, rice & beans, sour cream (or plain yogurt), fresh fruit, black coffee. make the sauce ahead if your serving company. 

* He sent me pix from our grove in So Cal & it's avocado season back home.

i cant wait to get home & make these with our homegrown avos,homemade salsa, ripe fruit & fresh organic free range eggs from our chickiegirls. 

random act of Saturday-ness :)

our random act of Saturday kindness

...in case you cant see it or in case you find one on your car...

signed "a happy human"

today the girls & i went out for bagels, people watching & errands in one of our fave shopping centers.

we left this note on a stranger's car

(just like mine...diff color)

i hope whomever they are they found it amusing & it brought a smile to their day.

it def did mine :)

eventhough we're not big on celebrations, we really miss Him & wish we were with him today.

next weekend though...very, very soon.

now we're out the door again

& off to hang out with Gram & the horses for the afternoon.

def a FAB Saturday!

{visiting back home}Nana's house part 2...trying new greens

{visiting back home}Nana's part 2

trying new greens

at Nana's (see part 1)

she had a winter veggie bed with among other things,broccoli, brussel sprouts & red cabbage. the plants alone are beautiful, but

i LOVE raw greens

& couldn't help noticing the gorgeous, broad, thick, very nutritious & delish looking leaves.

we started munching on them & loved them.

 my mind immediately went to work on how else they could be used to eat beside nibbling them raw off the plant.

or FOR COMPOST *GASP*

(when i got home i researched the leaves to make sure they were safe to eat. not only are they safe, according to my research, they are even more nutritious than the actual veggies)

as much as i love gardening i've never grown my own brussel sprouts.

had no clue they grew under the plant leaves!

A FUN SURPRISE DISCOVERY!

(they as well as the leaves are fantastic in curry lentil, quinoa & veggie stew (below) & alone simmered in balsamic dressing)

love the beautiful leaves & color of this red cabbage

the broccoli leaf as well

we made veggie leaf chips.

washed & dried the leaves very well,

coated with olive oil

& sprinkled with salt.

baked in preheated oven at 200 degrees.

these leaves are very thick & dense so it took @ 40 mins.

i didn't have nutritional yeast (or lemon juice) here to sprinkle on a little "cheesy" flavor.

would have been even more fantastic.

we ate them ALL right out of the oven.

sooo good!

the leaves are much more nutritious raw so i added them to salads.

(make sure you take your time & chew raw greens slowly)

{curry lentil, quinoa & veggie stew}

sorry no recipe just dump a bunch of veggies & & greens (don't forget the leaves)

in water & olive oil. 

boil to make a broth.

(ex:broccoli, carrots, onions,garlic, bell pepper, celery, brussel sprouts, greens, cabbage, kale, chard... wish i had okra!)

 add lentils & quinoa.

season to taste with curry & spices.

let it cook thoroughly.

serve with brown rice (GF)

this was a salad i made using what i had & took over for lunch before riding horses.

it's so quick & easy.

 you can make many variations of it from whatever is in your pantry.

chopped raw kale, canellini beans, albacore tuna, black olives, carrots, diced red onion & oil & vinegar dressing.

mix it all up & let set a few minutes before serving.

i think it is better at room temp.

i would definitely substitute any kind of the above greens.

cant wait to grown my own,

they are def a new fave!

{visiting back home} Nana's house part 1

{visiting back home}

at Nana's part 1

my Aunt's aka Nana house is the place our family always gathers & have for years. 

everyone LOVES Nana's house.  

this family gathering was a funeral brunch for my Grandma's. grim reason for having a gathering, but my fam loves getting together for any reason & sad occasions become happy, fun & crazy reunions. (see my brunch dish here)

(tried to spare too many pics)

we had family come from ALL over, some i haven't seen in close to 20 years.

 being the nerd mama i am...i printed out a list of questions for my girls to interview family members they may or may have not met.

it's amazing the family history lessons we learned but the big bonus was the 1st hand black history lessons we learned.

really brought the history close to home & made it real for us all, not just the girls.

a small part of the "monkey bunch",

many had already left.

me & two of my cousins...

it's been YEARS!

my Daddy.

looks like he's reading...he's actually catnapping :)

my cousin "Guido".

it's been FOREVER & EVER!!!

we used to visit him in NY when we lived in CT when we were younger (I was in high school). he still lives on the East Coast. it was such a fantastic treat to see him.

Ahhh!!!

the visit wasn't nearly long enough!

Grammy (my mama)

catnapping with 3...

who should be napping.

Nana & my horse-loving girl 2.

this is how it ALWAYS goes at Nana's house

:: the horses Mickey & Misty, 

& the sunset (or well beyond)::

1 being brave on Misty.

my little cousin...

she's a true horse-loving girl!

another little cousin

*in his cowboy voice*

anybody gonna get on a horse-say?

*i heart my fam*