The VM Family Footprints

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

A Day Downtown

We were more than pleased that it worked out best for us to pick up Kyle from his downtown Chicago home and shuttle him to the VM Vacation cottage in Michigan. The day downtown with Kyle was a real treat-- to see him and the city I haven't visited in 6 years!
.

We spent time wandering around Millennium Park first, then strolled by the lake shore and ended our time at the Taste of Chicago. Millennium Park was all new to me, but the lake, Buckingham Fountain and The Taste were memories straight from my youth. Ella and Delia really loved riding the bus to and from Uncle Kyle's apartment.
.

The Face Fountain

The Bean

The footbridge over Lake Shore Drive

The bandshell/amplitheatre

The Taste. One thing we choose to taste was Lou Menotti's pizza. We couldn't get enough good Chicago pizza on this trip!

Our country home has won our hearts for now, but we'll always reserve a place for you in it, Chicago!

Sherman's Ice Cream with a Side of Lighthouse

As I feel myself about to type, "Another favorite night..." I realize I should just take Ella's approach to this vacation and say, "It was ALL my favorite!" On this particular favorite night we went to famous Sherman's Ice Cream for an after-dinner treat.
.

This may have been the most delicious single scoop (yes, that's just a single!) of peanut butter ice cream my taste buds have ever encountered. Sherman's is actually a big factory that churns its own ice cream.

We let our hopped-up-on-sugar kids run off the ice-cream high on the public beach. They chased sea gulls and went crazy on the playground.

A wander down the pier to the lighthouse at the end completed the evening.

Birthday Babies

On July 13 Delia will turn 2 and on July 15 Cole will turn 1. We got our pointy party hats on and celebrated these two milestones with some brownies, presents and singing. It's a rare occasion that we get to celebrate birthdays while actually being together. To watch our nephew open his gift or have Delia's birthday song actually sung to her not via the phone. This was a special little party.
.

Birthday Babies and their mamas.

The Children's Museum

A little inclement weather tried, but couldn't stop our fun. For the few days it was rainy and 60 degrees, we sought out other entertainment. Karen and I had a great time when we took our kids to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. This place was an incredible playground of stimulation. And the range of activities was quite impressive.

Calvin puts sentences together on the giant word wall.

An excellent farming exhibit kept the kids attention forever. Here Ella and Delia collect eggs from the chickens.

Ella serves Auntie Karen some food at the pretend restaurant.

Aidan and Theoren stack at the domino table.

The VM Family Players. This music station was cool and no one else made the drums go louder than Aidan!

We learned about bees and saw a real hive in action. Delia dressed up as a beekeeper.

The girls loved building towers.

Kaleidoscope Ella

Nick and Amy...and Benjamin!

We have pictures of us in every state between Michigan and California. Pictures of us camping and hiking and playing in snow. Pictures of us at Sleeping Bear Dunes, the zoo, Yosemite, Big Trees and Knight's Ferry. Pictures of us just hanging out and being silly. But this picture is a brand new one-- us with our beloved friends Nick and Amy and our children. Yet another treat of this trip was the opportunity to meet little Benjamin. Nick and Amy were headed to Wisconsin from their Michigan home and were literally driving right by our cottage. We loved that they stopped in and visited with us for a few hours.

Last Night in the Cottage :(

How do you end an incredible week? How do you bring closure to 7 days of late nights, laughter, lake play and luscious meals? We did it with a whole family outing to a pizza restaurant and then a campfire on our beach.
.

Ella and Uncle Chris were BFFs at this dinner. I loved seeing how happy both my girls were to play with and laugh with their wonderful uncles-- Kyle, Eric, Chris and Dan.
.

Well, of course, we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores! The senses of this night were so ideal: the pink sky, the blue lake, the colors of our beach, the warmth of the fire, the laughter and ooey gooey taste of the perfectly roasted marshmallow.
.

Christopher even treated us to our own July 3 fireworks show. He bought a whole load of fireworks on the ride up and launched them on the beach for our viewing pleasure. Sitting on a big rock by the lake listening to big booms, the kids' screams and the waves lap was better than any show we could have driven to and will remain a favorite 4th of July memory for us!

Dan and Heather

A definite perk to this VM Family Vacation was its close proximity to my sister's house in West Michigan. She was able to come hang out with us at the cottage on several occasions and then we were able to spend a few extra days at her and Dan's home when our vacation was over.

Ever since Ella learned what a convertible was and that Auntie owned one, she has been so excited for a ride. Heather took the girls out for a couple spins around the neighborhood in her Mustang. Ella thought she was the coolest thing in the world.

Dan and Heather were excellent hosts-- patiently enduring our invasion of kid messes in their home, cooking delicious meals and taking us on some adventures. On the 4th of July we played at Timbertown, an excellent wooden park. Then we stopped in at the Dutch Village so Ella could see how the "klompies" (wooden shoes) that Heather gave her and Delia for their birthdays were made.

A kind gentleman showed Ella each of the steps to carving a wooden shoe and even let her take home a block that was partially formed. And Delia's Dutch initiation was complete when she posed in the infamous giant wooden shoe.

Another campfire was built that night and the girls lit sparklers and dressed up in glow-necklaces for our country's birthday. After they went to bed we busted out the graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows and peanut butter (Haven't had peanut butter on a s'more? TRY IT and thank me later!!) and played a couple rounds of bean bag toss.

One of my requests was a walk around Calvin College. It has changed so much in the few (okay ten) years since I was there. I have effectively brainwashed Ella into thinking she's going to Calvin College and I found myself telling her things like, "When I went here we had to run across the Beltline!" or "Back in my day, Kalsbeek Huizenga was not Kalsbeek-Huizenga-van Reken!" or "This humongous new field house has me feeling disoriented! Where am I on campus?!"

Our last day with Dan and Heather was a fun one at the John Ball Zoo. A fun and interactive zoo for the kids, we especially enjoyed the Madagascar exhibit where we were practically in the wombat enclosure. We watched in awe at something I've never seen-- a baby in its mother's pouch. We observed him climbing in and out. It was so cool!

First and Last

So, as you're probably piecing together our time was all divided up. Thirteen days gone, 7 at the cottage, 3 with Heather and Dan, leaving two days at the beginning and one at the end of the trip to just hang in Chicago. Our first day was such a lovely taste of the happy ones to follow. We spent it with one of my all time favorite people, Dave's Grandma and Karen, Kris and the boys. Grandma invited us all over to her pool and jumped right in to splash around with her great grandchildren. She served us lunch and popsicles. A couple of Dave's other aunts and uncles even stopped by, unable to resist a good pool party.

Another fun time was had at Karen's house the second day where we ordered pizza and took the kids to the awesome splash pad practically in their backyard. The cousins were so quick to bond and play together. Seeing their interaction and conversations was one of the best parts of the trip for me.

Our last day was spent soaking in some last-minute quality time with Karen, Kyle, Kris and the kids. We went to the Morton Arboretum and took in the breathtaking landscaping and creative play areas.

Uncle Dave catches and shows Cole his first frog.

The tree house

We love Uncle Kyle!

~~~~~~~

Sigh, thus ends my record of this memorable trip. Already pumped for VM Family Vacation 2010! How 'bout it guys?

VM Recipe Suggestions

Dave's Healthy Hawaiian Sausage

1 green pepper, cut in chunks
1 handful cherry tomatoes
1/2 (or more if you like) medium onion, cut in chunks
1 smoked turkey sausage link, sliced
1 can chunk pineapple
juice from can of pineapple
1 Tbs. cornstarch
olive oil
2 cups brown rice

Boil water and begin preparing the brown rice. When rice has 15 minutes or so left to cook begin browing sausage in olive oil. Add chunks of green pepper and onion and saute until brown and as tender as you like. Drain pineapple and add to pan. Mix juice from the can with corn starch. Add this sauce and the tomatoes. Simmer together for a short time. Serve over brown rice. Makes great left-overs!

Kyle's Almond Encrusted Chicken with Lemon Sauce

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved length-ways.
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbs. cold water

Dredge chicken breasts thoroughly in cornstarch. Dip each one in eggs then roll in almonds, coating well. Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in a large pan and lay chicken breasts in hot oil. Saute at medium heat for 5-10 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

In a saucepan, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, sugar and dissolved cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly about 3 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Serve with lemon sauce drizzled over chicken breasts.

Make this DUTCH BABY once and you'll get so hooked, it will become a regular in your "Special Breakfast" lineup. Besides being ridiculously easy, the doughy crust is simply fabulous with fresh strawberries.

4 eggs
1 cup milk
dash salt
dash vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
At least 2 baskets fresh strawberries (sliced)
powdered sugar

First put 1/2 cup butter in 9x13 pan. Heat oven to 425 degrees and put pan in oven right away to melt butter.

In blender mix 4 eggs for 1 minute. Add milk, salt and vanilla and mix again until frothy. Add flour and blend well.

When oven is done heating and butter melted, remove pan and pour batter in (with butter). Bake 20 minutes. Cut into pieces and top with fruit and powdered sugar.

White Chocolate Party Mix
(Scoop into festive little cellophane bags and give away as Christmas gifts!)

1 pkg. (8-10 oz) mini pretzels
5 cups Cheerios
5 cups Corn Chex
2 cups salted peanuts
1 lb. M&Ms
2 1/2 pkgs. (12 oz each) white chocolate or vanilla chips
3 Tbs. vegetable oil

Mix first 5 ingredients in a BIG bowl, set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, heat white chocolate chips and oil on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring once. Microwave on high additional 10 second intervals, stopping to stir until smooth. Pour over cereal mixture and mix well. Spread on 2 wax paper lined cookie sheets. Cool then break apart.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup

1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 medium onion
1 1/2 cups carrots
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup wild rice
1/2 cup butter
1/2 flour
2 cups cream
1 tsp. Worstershire sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper sauce, like Tabasco

Chop all veggies (I use my food processor) and saute with thyme, salt and bay leaf for 15 minutes. Add broth and simmer, covered 15 minutes. Add rice and simmer 1 hour, covered on low heat.

In saucepan, combine melted butter, flour and cream and cook until bubbly and thick. Add to soup. Also add Worstershire and Tabasco and simmer additional 15 minutes.

Dave says this soup is his very favorite one I make. Thanks to my friend Donna for sharing the recipe!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
2 cups oats
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter with electric mixer, mix in sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen. Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Since I have zucchini-o-rama in my kitchen, I've been trying to make recipes that use up the abundant goods from our garden. Perhaps you grow the same things and can also enjoy these recipes...

PASTA PRIMAVERA

olive oil
1 cup/handful baby carrots (chopped in half lenghwise)
1 cup/handful zucchini (cut into chunks)
1 cup/handful yellow squash (cut into chunks)
1 cup/handful green beans (trimmed and cut in pieces)
1 cup/handful cherry tomatoes
1 cup/handful onion (chopped into chunks)
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash salt
small handful chopped, fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 cups/handfuls whole wheat penne pasta
Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in skillet then brown carrots, zucchini, beans, squash and onions. When veggies are tender, add garlic, broth, salt, basil and tomatoes and turn heat to low. Boil penne in seperate pot. Drain pasta and top with vegetable sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. This feeds our family, increase quantity of vegetables and pasta to serve more.

CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD (I actually grew up with this one!)

3-4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 cup sour cream

4 Tbs. cider vinegar

3 Tbs. sugar

sprinkle salt and peper

finely chopped onions

Put all ingredients in big bowl (or tupperware with lid). Mix or shake.

TOMATO-BASIL BISQUE

6 stalks celery (chopped)

1 red peper (chopped)

1 small onion (chopped)

1/4 cup butter, cubed

3 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 small can tomato paste

1 bunch fresh, chopped basil leaves

3 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

In large soup pot, saute the celery, onion and red pepper in butter 5 minutes until tender. Add canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 minutes. Stir in basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Either transfer half of soup mixture to blender and blend or use immersion blender in soup pot to process about half the soup until pureed. Add cream and heat through (but don't reboil). I like to make this on Saturday night and then reheat it with some grilled cheese sandwiches for an easy Sunday lunch. Recipe from Taste of Home June/July 2007

It's time to fire up the grill. The weather is warm and my kitchen is full of locally produced food (beef, honey, strawberries, cheese...) Here are some of our favorite DRESSED UP BURGERS

Teriyaki Burgers (recipe derived from Dorina)

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Burger patties (or chicken breasts)-- grilled
Sliced pineapple-- grilled
Toasted Buns
Tomato
Lettuce

Mix 1st 6 ingredients to make marinade/sauce. Can marinate pineapple and meat, or just use sauce to brush on burgers while grilling. Grill meat and pineapple. Assemble burgers with pineapple, lettuce and tomato (The grilled pineapple is what totally makes this recipe!)

Bacon/Pepperjack Burgers

Burger Patties-- grilled
Toasted Buns
Lettuce
Tomato
Onions-- grilled
Bacon Slices-- cooked
Pepperjack Cheese Slices
BBQ Sauce

Grill burgers with pepperjack cheese and brush with BBQ sauce. Assemble with onions, tomato and lettuce.
(The kick of the spicy cheese is fabulous with the sweet grilled onions and BBQ sauce)

Need a side for your fancy burgers? Try these SPICED SWEET POTATO FRIES

2 lbs (3 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into steak fries
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Shake fries in the oil and spices. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes on greased and foil-lined cookie sheet. Turn fries half way though bake time.

Another Dutch recipe for you. These ALMOND BARS are much easier to make than Banket, yet taste very similar. I have all these ingredients on hand too, so I can whip them up any time.

2 cups flour
6 Tbs. butter (melted)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
dash salt
3 tsp. almond extract (can be found in the Baking or Spice section of your store...by things like vanilla or peppermint flavoring)
chopped almonds

Mix together flour and butter. Beat eggs, sugar, salt and almond extract together and add to flour mixture. Spread in a greased 9x13. Sprinkle chopped almonds over top and bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool and cut into bars.

After fighting off illness for so long, nothing tasted better than a big pot of my favorite soup: DUTCH MEATBALL SOUP. We served Dad the leftovers for lunch and he liked it so much, he wanted the recipe...

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
3 stalks celery (chopped)
3 big carrots (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 boxes Honig Vermicelli Soep mix (a mix from the Netherlands that can be found in the ethnic foods aisle; buy the 6 Borden-- 6 cups--size)

Bring 12 cups of water to a boil. Add veggies and soup mixes. Cook on low for 1 hour. While simmering, make meatballs with first 5 ingredients. Shape them small-- should form about 50 meat balls. Add raw meatballs to soup and continue to simmer 30 more minutes. If a lot of grease/foam, skim off top. Add water when reheating leftovers.

Mrs. Lazo's CHICKEN CACCIATORE (from Dorina's Birthday Present Cookbook)

Meat:
3-4 chicken breasts, cut in pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 eggs, well beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbs. chopped parsley

Sauce:

2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 Tbs. flax seed (optional-- but this IS a good recipe to hide this super healthy secret ingredient in...)

Meat: Heat oil to medium heat in large skillet. Mix flour with next 4 ingredients in plastic bag and shake together. Comine eggs, milk and parsley in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in wet mixture, then shake in dry mixture. Brown all sides in pan, turning with tongs as necessary (about 20 minutes).

Sauce: While chicken is browning, saute onions in olive oil, then add garlic and peppers. Add all other sauce ingredients and cook on low. When chicken is browned, carefully add pieces to sauce mixture. Cover and cook on low 30-45 minutes, or until meat is fork tender. Add a small amount of water if sauce becomes too thick. We like to serve ours over bow tie pasta. (This is my favorite company dish.)

Jen's (Stolen from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook) HOMEMADE GRANOLA

2-3 cups regular rolled oats
1 cup coarsly chopped almonds
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seeds
1 cup honey
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup raisins

Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan; set aside. In bowl combine all dry ingredients except raisins. Pour in honey and oil and mix. Spead evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 3o minutes at 300 degrees, or until light brown, stirring after 20 minutes. Stir in dried fruit.

Spread on large piece of foil to cool. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week, or in freezer for up to 2 months.

My friend, Dorina, adds a cup of peanut butter to her granola. Just melt the PB, honey and a Tbs. of vanilla (and skip the olive oil) in a sauce pan and pour over the ingredients. This is tasty too!

*Personal note: I loved finding this recipe because it uses so many ingredients we have been given straight from people's orchards (like almonds and honey) and the rest I can easily buy at a bulk food store like WinCo.

LEMON ZUCCHINI BREAD

AWARD-WINNING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

A WHOLE DINNER! MANDARIN-ALMOND SALAD, ITALIAN CHICKEN AND 4 LAYER BROWNIE DESSERT

VM Family and Friends Summer Reading List (2008)

It Came From Within by Andy Stanley (Dave): Explores different heart ailments (greed, anger, etc.) and their cures. (Dave read about a million books this summer and this is the one he picked as his fave-- says a lot!)

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat and other Simms Taback books (Ella): Great illustrations, repetitive choruses...very fun to read!

Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (Kyle). A novel about the battle of Gettysburg in which the author does a remarkable job at re-creating what those three terrible days were like from the perspectives of the commanders and soldiers on both sides. It taught me so much about the battle and the stories of the people behind it. I highly recommend it to all.

Mistaken Identity by the Cerak and VanRyn Families (Jen): How God's hand guided the journey of two families who learn their daughters, one dead and one in a coma, were switched after a car accident. (Read with a box of kleenex!)

My Lucky Day and other Keiko Kasza books (Ella): You parents will get a kick out of the clever humor of these stories. Ella thinks this one and The Wolf's Chicken Stew are hilarious!

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt (Jen): Through one-on-one lessons with a super strict teacher, Holling learns about Shakespeare and himself. (Sounds dull, but is SO GOOD, and possibly the funniest thing I've ever read!)

Leap Pike Ridge (Kris): A boy runs away and floats down river on a refrigerator box. He discovers mysteries and the secrets of his family's past along the way.

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick (Kris): A jr. high drummer learns how to deal with his younger brother's battle with cancer.

Mary Modern by Camille Deangelis (Kris): A biochemist longs to have a child and knows she can through cloning her grandmother's DNA. Very interesting!

Jemima J. by Jane Green (Kris): An overweight Londoner finds a whole new world after going on a diet and moving to the states.

A Little Help From Our Friends

We all know how valuable our friends' ideas are when it comes to raising kids. Here's a new feature that will take a question about child-rearing I've encountered and answer it with your own advice.

Question: The next 3 months mark birthday season in our house. What are your best birthday present ideas for kids?

Suggestions:

(Some of these ideas originated with me, but most are recylced ideas from someone else, or a gift we got, loved and gave. Most of these ideas are tested and approved by our nephews!)

1. Personalized or monogrammed beach towel

2. Nina Laden books-- we like Peek-A-Who? Grow Up! and Ready, Set, Go!

3. Good Night Our World books

4. Zingo

5. Tag Tails

6. Ramp Racer

7. Amy's Handmade growth chart from a yard stick

8. Klutz craft books

Question: How do you ditch that pesky pacifier?

Suggestions (some from friends and some from Parents magazine):

1. Get rid of it early. If you pull the plug when your child is still an infant you may ditch it before they realize what it is and can protest too much. (This will probably be our strategy with Delia.)

2. Gift it to another baby. This is what we did with Ella. We talked about this for weeks and when she was ready, she picked out the gift bag, wrapped it up herself and walked it over to her friend's house to put in the crib of their waiting nursery.

3. Give it to Jesus. I've just heard about this and I think it's hilarious. Have a discussion about how hard it is giving things up that we love but don't need, pray, then send the pacifier to heaven tied on a helium balloon!

4. Have the Pacifier Fairy visit your house. Hide the pacifier under your pillow like a lost tooth and the Pacifer Fairy will come in the night to take it.

5. Pacifiers as payment. Head to the store and let your child pick out a goodie or two. When it's time to pay, have her turn in her pacifers as an exchange. (Give the cashier real money too, of course!)

Question: What do you do with all those arts and crafts projects?

Suggestions:

1. Turn them into laminated place mats

2. Take digital pictures of them (perhaps with the artist as well) and put the much smaller pictures into an album

3. Creatively display them-- as collages or on magnetic boards, clip lines, etc (I put my 4 current favorites on the cabinets in my laundry room)

4. Frame them as gifts

5. Have an art auction with small change for a cause of your child's choice

6. Make one memory box for each year and pick out the best to keep in the box

7. Store them in a folder and pull one out whenever anyone has a birthday, sickness, special event, etc. Personalize it and mail

8. Check out this link from Design Mom: http://www.designmom.com/labels/ask%20design%20mom.html Scroll down a bit to read, first, about great and age-appropriate craft ideas then about how to turn your kids' artwork into calendars, grocery lists, etc.

9. Whatever you do, don't let your child see you throw their masterpieces away! :)