Photo photos everywhere! But where are they?

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I have been on here... Life sure does get busy. I hope you are doing well!

Courtney, Cecelia, and Cole were visiting most of the month of September. When we are together we do so much... we held our first summer camp where we just had some good old fashioned summer fun, swimming, fishing, camp fires, and tractor rides. We did a day trip to the Lehigh Valley Zoo
where we saw penguins, otters, wolves, farm animals and a skunk just to name a few of the animals. It's a great place to take smaller kiddos. We had an UNBirthday Party for Cole and Cecelia... we will not see them this year on their birthdays, but we still got to celebrate with them! As I said we were busy...

We took a lot of pictures this summer of our time together. I love to take photos! My kids always loved to take photos, I remember one year after a trip to Walt Disney World I had 20 rolls of films to get developed, we have spent so much on film developing it's kind of crazy. And of course a lot of those pictures didn't really need to get developed, but...you know how that goes a shot with most of a finger or better yet a pic looking up someones nose...  That was the past of course, because now all of our photos are on our computers, tablets, phones, in the clouds... etc. Which is really nice in one way but yet on the other hand will we ever get them printed? Will they get lost? So a few years ago I started to make a photo collages with my phone pics. It is a really nice way to save our memories...

This was a picnic we took with the tea set Chelsea got at a thrift shop in England. We were at Shikellamy State Park I love to go there, it is where the two branches of the Susquehanna River come together. It's actually a man made lake, Lake Augusta, there is always a lot of activity to watch on the water.

These are pictures from around the time Cole was born. A few in the hospital and Cece and Cole's first sibling photo.

These pics are mostly from our time spent on Tybee Island, GA in May. It's funny Cece will look at those pictures and remembers that the sand dollar she found! We also went on a eco tour with Sundial Charters, Captain Renee made Cece an honorary captain, she always points the pic out and of course the one with her mommy's head in the alligators mouth! 

This is the one I had made today of some of our memories from September. 

They are very easy to make. I went to CVS and went up to the Kodak kiosk, I had the Kodak app already downloaded on my phone. You can also use memory card or a USB. And the kiosk does the rest, there are all kinds of layouts, colors, fonts you can really spend a lot of time choosing. One 8x10 collage cost about $5.00, money well spent. 

If you ever have any questions or comments feel free to leave them beneath in the comments section. I would love to hear from you. I would also like to hear how you make memories with your family and friends. 

May you make sweet memories!

Kelly

Yummy Scrummy Apple Cake

The kids and I are back in England, the moment we walked out of the airport, the cold crisp air bit our noses, it was raining and we were for sure back in the UK.

We have been busy changing closets from summer to winter clothes, putting away summer toys outside, and just everything to get ready for Fall! I have a few Halloween decorations up in the house.  I can't wait to put up the outdoor ones, but I am waiting for October 1... I don't want Craig to be to embarrassed (of his American Wife)!

Today Cecelia and I made this Yummy Scrummy Apple Cake and it is wonderful and delicious for Fall!

Yummy Scrummy Apple Cake

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chopped apples 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, oil, egg and buttermilk. Then stir in baking soda and vanilla. Lastly, mix in flour and apples. Pour batter into prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and butter, mixing gently with a fork. Spread it evenly over the batter. It will not fully cover the batter, but it will bake up fine.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

and Cheerio,

Courtney

To Market To Market

Two things that have always gone hand and hand in my life are Wednesday's and Farmers Markets!

My great grandfather, LeRoy J. Weist along with his wife Mary B. (Graeff) started the Leesport Market and Auction in Leesport, Pennsylvania back in 1947, a few things have stayed the same over the years it is still managed by family and a few things have changed through the years, it is now known as the Leesport Farmers Market. It is a great market to visit! www.leesportmarket.com

I remember when I was growing up going with my Nanny... really early before the sun was up we were leaving for the auction. Then as the years went by I would go along with my Nanny and Poppy... and it was something even when my Poppy had a hard time getting around he still loved to go to the auction to look for baseball memorabilia, get an egg sandwich and visit with friends. So every Wednesday I think a little about these times.

Another great market to visit on a Wednesday is Lewisburg Farmer's Market. Today two of my daughters, Courtney and Chelsea and my two grandchildren, Cecelia and Cole went to the Lewisburg Farmers Market which is located on Fairground Road, in Lewisburg 17837.

There are many vendors with fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh cut flowers. We picked up some apples and peaches from K. Schlegel Fruit Farm. I really like the fact that they are trying a new and safer approach to managing pests, they have reduced their pesticide usage by up to 80%. The fruits of their labor are delicious, also!

 Another one of my favorite shops is Tony's Delicatessen. They have great salads, spreads, lunch meat and fresh meat. Today I got some seafood salad, dried beef spread, and ring bologna. Cecelia likes her sausages, so I figured she might like bologna! 

We walked by the candy shop and Cece was admiring the candy, she just loves her sweets. The second time around she picked out one kind of candy, she thought the gummy rain forest rainbow frogs looked the best, and of course she had to share with her brother. 

A visit to Lewisburg Farmer's Market is not complete without a stop at The Country Cupboard for some really good Chicken Pot Pie! http://www.countrycupboardinc.com/

And some shopping...

And we even saw some of Santa's elves getting ready for December 25th! 

It was really a great day for all, the kids were very well behaved and so were the adults!

Make your memories Sweet!

Kelly

Zucchini Bread

I am currently visiting my family in Pennsylvania, it was a very last minute trip, and we were just here in May and June, but when you miss home... you miss home!

My dad is a fantastic gardener, it is what he loves to do in the summertime, so I was looking forward to his fresh vegetables! Every year there are literally a million zucchinis, everything for that month is made with zucchini in the household, neighbours receive zucchinis by the bag full and they are given away to whoever wants some.

He loves zucchini bread, my mom has a tried, tested and loved recipe, but I found one with a little more pizazz to it, and it is so good! There is a little bit of everything in it and you will love it just as much as we did!

Cece loves to spend time at my parents house, she helps my dad in the garden, my mom in the kitchen and helps with everything in between.  So, needless to say she loved helping to wash the zucchini!

Gingery Olive Oil Zucchini Bread with Poppy Seeds
Makes On 9- by -5 inch loaf


3 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 pound)2 cups granulated sugar, divided
Unsalted butter, for greasing pan
2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
3 large eggs
Grated zest of 2 large lemons
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a small mixing bowl, mix the zucchini with 1/4 cup sugar. Transfer the mixture to a fine-mesh strainer set over the mixing bowl. Fill another small bowl—just large enough to nestle inside of the strainer—about halfway with water and set it directly on top of the zucchini so that it is pushing down. This will press the water out of the zucchini and into the bowl below
2. Butter the loaf pan, line with parchment paper, leaving some to hang over the sides, and butter the parchment.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, poppy seeds, and chopped ginger.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 3/4 cups sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla until well blended. Beat in the olive oil gradually, whisking it in until it's thoroughly incorporated.
5. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well incorporated, with no remaining white spots. Working with a handful of zucchini at a time, use your hands to wring out all of the excess moisture. When all of the zucchini has been pressed, add it to the batter, and stir it in gently until evenly incorporated.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 70 to 75 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
7. Cut into thick slices and Enjoy!

***it is very important to get all of the water out of the zucchini!

Stay tuned for some more yummy recipes with Garden Fresh Vegetable!

Cheerio!

Courtney

Retro Auto Festival

Lydiard Park (which I previously talked about in another post) held a Retro Auto Featival. Craig being a car lover, we had to attend!

It was a fabulous afternoon seeing all different makes and models of vintage cars. Besides the Volkswagens and Minis, I barely knew what any of the kinds were, but I still enjoyed looking at them all!

Besides the "retro cars", there were a ton of retro fashion and memorabilia stalls. There was one that sold old original vintage toys (the guy would not let me take a picture of anything!). But, the toys were very cool and very expensive. 

They had swing dancers performing to 50's music and there was a place you could get your hair done in a retro style! Which, was very popular at the event. 

There were food trucks and cocktail bars that were built into vintage cars, and the food was amazing. 

There was a classic "British Afternoon Tea" 

And some others:

My favourite, of course:

They served the British Classic: Pimms. Also, they sold ciders and glasses/bottles  of champagne. But, why buy a glass when you can buy the bottle? 

It was a great family day out. It was a very chilly day, especially for being summer, but that's England for you I guess!

Definetly mark it on your calendar for next year! The different events I have been to at Lydiard Park have been a lot of fun, if you are in the area and something is going on there, it is worth checking out! 

Cheerio!

Courtney 

Thirsty Thursday: RumChata coladas

It has been super hot here the past few weeks so I decided to make an extremely delicious drink for a day at the pool. 

INGREDIENTS

3 oz RumChata

1 oz light rum

1 oz pineapple juice

0.5 oz cream of coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice and drain into glass.

2. Also is delicious blended with ice instead of shaken.

Enjoy!

xo

Chelsea

Craft Project for Cole

My latest craft project has been a "Taggie Blanket"... Cole's first birthday is coming up and I wanted to make him something. Crafts always look easy... but crafts always look better when someone else makes them! I admire anyone who can sew, knit, crochet, etc... But this is a simple sewing project, I know I can handle, I made one for Cecelia when she was in utero.

First things first ... figure out the color scheme and find the right material, I found a soft flannel with jungle animals on it for the one side and and a brown textured cozy material for the other side. I shopped at Joann Fabrics they usually have a nice selection of nursery graphic prints and different textured material. The color scheme for the ribbons I went with is brown, orange, green, yellow, and turquoise.

Now to start the project I figured out what size blanket I wanted to make. Cut the material to size, then laid the material right sides together, I then pinned the material together. Next step is to cut the ribbon, I cut the ribbon in 6-8 inch pieces. With the material pinned and the ribbon cut... Now I was ready to sew! As I sewed along the edge of the blanket I put a piece of the folded ribbon between the fabric on the inside of the two materials every inch or so. I continued to do this till I was 3/4 of the way finished, or 3/4 of the way the around the blanket. I then turned the blanket right side out and continued to sew the ribbon. Quick and easy! (and I only had to rip it apart once! I was lazy and tried to sew without pinning the material together!)

A visual aid

Finished project... Happy Birthday my sweet Cole!

Making Sweet Memories...

Kelly

Thirsty Thursday: Sand in Your Shorts

Sand in your shorts. 

In the literal sense, über uncomfortable. Literally Hell on Earth. 

In the figurative (alcoholic) sense, fabulous! 

Really, though. This drink is delicious, and you're going to love it. Though there are a good number of ingredients, it's a very easy process. No shakers or any fancy equipment required. I'll get right to it. 

What you need (for 1):

**though the math isn't hard, it's even less hard when someone else does it for you. So, in parenthesis I've added how much you'll need for 4 (whether you want 4 for yourself or if you're going to share...)

- 1/2 ounce (2 ounces) Vodka

- 1/2 ounce (2 ounces) Triple Sec

- 1/2 ounce (2 ounces) Peach Schnapps

- 1/2 ounce (2 ounces) Midori Melon

- 1/2 ounce (2 ounces) Chambord Raspberry (or you can use Razzmatazz like I did, for an economical alternative)

- 5 ounces (20 ounces) Orange Juice

- 3 ounces (12 ounces) Cranberry Juice

- Ice

How to do it:

- Mix all of the ingredients together. Personally, I like to mix these in a measuring cup as opposed to the drinking glass, but that's a matter of preference. 

- Pour into a glass filled with ice.

- Garnish as desired. Cherries are delicious!

- Enjoy! Be careful not to drink it too fast.

Bonus Tip:

These are absolutely fabulous frozen. Especially On a hot summer day. 

Just pour the mixture into a freezable container and let it sit. I don't know how long this takes; I let it sit for 2 days, so it was good and solid. I would say let it sit overnight - don't rush it! When you're ready to eat it, scrape it with a thick metal spoon. Don't use a regular teaspoon; the metal will bend easily. 

At first, it will have the texture of shaved ice. This is great with a spoon. Or, you can let it sit for about 10 minutes and it will get a wonderful slushy texture, perfect with a straw. Have it whichever way you prefer! 

Stay fab!

Chloe

Thirsty Thursday: Tequila For All Hours Of The Day!

Chelsea has been über busy lately, so the responsibility of Thirsty Thursday bevies was placed on my shoulders.. no pressure. We had a carafe of orange juice in the fridge, and we always have tequila on hand, so I decided to make a minimum-effort, maximum-result drink. Actually, two of them. I made a Tequila sunrise and a Tequila Sunset (understand the title now?!). These are so easy to make, and sooo tasty! 

What you need (for 1):

1/2 cup (4 oz.) Orange Juice 

1 oz. Tequila 

1/2 - 1 cup ice

1/2 oz. Grenadine (for a sunrise) or Blackberry Brandy (for a sunset)

Glass and preferred garnishes (cherries are classic; sadly we didn't have any. Orange slices work well, and a sugared rim is always appropriate!)

How to do it:

I actually did mine 2 ways. The first was on the rocks, and the second was blended. 

On the rocks:

Prep your cup. Sugar the rim and fill glass with ice (about a 1/2 cup).

Mix together the orange juice and tequila. Pour into glass.

Slowly pour the grenadine or brandy over the top. This will sink to the bottom, since it is denser, giving a beautiful layered look. 

Garnish as desired and enjoy!

           

Blended:

Prep your cup. Sugar the rim. 

In a blender, blend the ice (about 1 cup), orange juice and tequila together until smooth. Pour into glass.

Slowly pour the grenadine or brandy over the top. Though the grenadine/brandy will make its way to the bottom, as it is denser, it will not be as clean as the "on the rocks" version. It's more of a tie dye. 

Garnish as desired and enjoy!

The Blackberry Brandy wasn't as colorful as I was hoping, but it tasted fab! 

I thought I would be creative and use sprinkles to cover the rim of one of my glasses. Sadly, this didn't go so well because I wet the rim with water. Learn from my mistake! Use honey or agave  if you're going to use something heavy to deck out your glasses. Easy fix!

I hope you enjoy! These would be great for a brunch too - orange juice is typical breakfast fare, and the ratio of alcohol to juice isn't very high. If you have any little ones that like fancy beverages, just skip the tequila and use maraschino cherry juice instead of grenadine. Voilà!

Stay fab!

Chloe

White Chocolate Mousse

When someone says they are craving chocolate and they go for a bar of white, I think they are crazy! And, that is my husband spot on.  Before him, white chocolate did not really exist in my life.  But, I try to incorporate in my baking now. The things you do for the ones that you love!

In the states, growing up I was not aware of too many white chocolate bars, but in the UK Cadbury does white chocolate buttons.  I admit, they are good! But, when I am craving chocolate, I still want milk chocolate.

Anyway, since we have two small children and no one to babysit, we try to have a "date night" at home once in awhile.  We take turns making an extremely good meal and try to make it special for each other.  It was my turn and I wanted to make something new and something Craig would love. I was on Pinterest searching white chocolate desserts and came across white chocolate mousse.  I put a blueberry compote on top and it was fabulous! Craig was in heaven!

White Chocolate Mousse 
Serves 4-6

2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp. kosher salt
3 egg whites
¹⁄₂ cup sugar
8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped

1.  Place cream cheese and vanilla seeds in a large bowl, and beat on medium-high speed of a hand mixer until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add cream, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes more; set aside. Place salt and egg whites in another bowl, and beat on medium-high speed of a hand mixer until soft peaks form; while beating, slowly add sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form; set aside.

2.  Place white chocolate in a medium bowl over a 4-qt. saucepan of simmering water, and cook, stirring constantly, until just melted; remove from heat, and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour white chocolate into cream cheese mixture, and fold with a rubber spatula until almost combined; add beaten egg whites, and fold gently until just combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a ³⁄₄" tip, and pipe into serving glasses; refrigerate until set before serving, at least 2 hours.

Blueberry Compote

• 2 cups frozen blueberries, divided
• 3 tbsp. water
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½-1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (optional)
• 
  
• 1. Pour half the blueberries (1 cup) into a medium sauce pan and set aside the remaining 1 cup. Add the water, sugar and lemon juice, Cook over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes. 
• 2. After 10 minutes, gently smash the blueberries against the pan using a wooden or plastic spatula. Add the remaining blueberries and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes to heat through.

If you have extra blueberry compote, you can always make pancakes or waffles for breakfast the next day and use it for a topping! Or, you could put it on vanilla ice cream!

Did you know we have a Facebook page? Please "like" our page! 
https://www.facebook.com/14thehoneyhouse

I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as we did! Let me know what you think!

Cheers,
Courtney

* junkfoodtastersdotcom credit for buttons photo

Cadbury World

The forecast for this past Friday was 100% rain and Craig had the day off. So, we decided to visit Cadbury World in Birmingham. 

Before I go anywhere new, I always go to Trip Advisor to see people's reviews. There were people complaining about not receiving enough free chocolate, only good for kids- boring for adults and on and on. Though I always visit Trip Advisor, it does not deter me from visiting!

As you start the tour they give you three full sized candy bars each, so we got 12 big candy bars! How is that not enough "free chocolate"?! 

As you enter the tour they have a timeline of the cocoa bean being discovered by natives and then you enter life in Birmingham when the company was founded in 1824.  You then sit down and watch a film about the company's history. 

It was fun to learn how creme eggs and different chocolates are moulded, also to see all their paper and TV advertisements throughout the years. We were able to see real factory production going on. The best bit though? They give you a cup of melted dairy milk and you can mix in some toppings! ...that alone was worth going! 

We had Cole on Craig all day in the sling. After you watch the shows and hands on fun there is a factory tour that is a 1/4 mile walk. You are not allowed to take strollers through that part, due to the steep steps. So we decided to just let the stroller in the car all day.  But, take your stroller for the rest of it, it is a long (but very nice) day. Cole and Craig were exhausted by the end of the day. 

There were a ton of interactive activities for kids! Cece loved it. 

Unfortunately because of the nonstop rain, they did not have any characters out to get pictures with! Which, I was really looking forward to!  With it being the school holidays here, it was very busy. But, they had everything running smoothly and once you started the tour, you did not even realise how busy it was. There is a little ride to go on which we had to wait about a half hour and there is also a 4D experience show which we had to wait for forty minutes. But, overall it was a good day. 

They have the "Cadbury Cafe". Which was another thing I was looking forward to see what they served, but it just had some sandwiches and brownies... I thought there was going to be a huge chocolatey dessert selection! 

Overall, it was a great British day out! If you are a Cadbury lover (who isn't?) you need to visit.  From the moment you step out of your car til the moment you leave it smells of chocolate, a cup of melted dairy milk and fun for the kids... What more do you want?

What are some great truly British day trips in the UK that you would suggest for us to do? Please share!

Cheers,

Courtney