When frustration turns to fun, magic happens and JOY wins!

For our last full day of our big vacation, we spent a day in San Francisco. The plan was to get up, have breakfast, go to Muir Woods, return to the City for an early dinner, and go to the Giants game. Simple enough, right?

Waking up.
The kids needed to sleep in some, so I gave them time to do so. Still, they weren't quite ready to really get moving. So Miss Hollywood and I had a moment about her bath. I threatened to call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. We moved on cheerfully to breakfast after bathing and dressing.

Breakfast.
We sat down together pleasantly after being welcomed by one of our favorite waitresses. CD was disappointed that we were too late for the buffet while I was thankful we made it in time for breakfast at all. And then...huge disappointment happened. Huge. Miss Hollywood had to use the restroom. So, off we went. CD wanted to stick with us, so he informed the waitress. I reiterated what he said. When we returned, our plates were gone. Our beverages were still there. CD immediately flipped. I was about there myself in fact. The waitress rushed over very apologetically. She explained what happened. I tried to understand. CD walked away. Miss Hollywood followed him. Here's the thing, no amount of compensation could help with what I needed to do as a mom. That moment set the tone for the start of our day. I was the one who had to help him navigate through the disappointment so we could move on. It took some doing, but we got through it. Finally that evening, he enjoyed his hot cocoa which was essentially complimentary. And then, and only then, some 10 hours later was he able to appreciate the way they tried to compensate for the breakfast mishap.

Muir Woods?
We finally set off on our planned adventure. I tried repeatedly saying, "even if we only get to do this drive, isn't it wonderful?!" The kids loved the drive. It was wonderful. And then...there was no parking. None. Roadside parking was jammed. Parking lots were super full with multiple cars waiting for single spots. By the time we found an area that may have worked, it was going to be almost a two mile hike back to the area we had set out to visit. I called it. Said it was time to go find something else. I was bummed out but positive and upbeat. Miss Hollywood was incredibly disappointed and shouted from the backseat, "this is the worst trip ever! You planned the worst trip, mommy!" I remained quiet. Almost silent as tears filled my eyes. Told myself to just hold on. I knew this was going to be ok, but I had to get to ok. And then...a sign. Muir Beach. I told the kids to hang tight. Reminded them it was all ok. And then it was. As I looked for parking, Miss Hollywood still didn't know where we were or what we were doing but she retracted her harsh words with an apology.
We had a blast! Plan B was a success. JOY was the word of the afternoon. As we left later, both kids declared it the best day ever. Seriously, from worst to best in about an hour.
A lovely San Francisco drive later, and...

We ate dinner at a restaurant with a bowling alley but couldn't bowl. A revolving door adventure helped. Then CD gave his leftover dinner to a couple of homeless men on our way across the street. It was a good amount of food and these two guys were incredibly appreciative.

We got to our seats at the game just in time for the first pitch, but cotton candy was a few rows away. Devastating for a moment. But all ended well.

A trip down the slide, some cotton candy, a couple of runs, singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame together, two small souvenirs, and a Giants win...perfect ending to a long but worthwhile day. Topped off with beignets and hot cocoa/coffee upon returning to the hotel. As we talked about the best parts of our day, CD said his was giving food to the homeless guys. That in itself tells me we're doing it right.

This day could have been a total disaster at any one point. It was a matter of managing reactions, moving on, moving forward, teaming up, and trying really hard to find the best each step of the way. Some moments were easier than others, but at the end of the day, it really was the best day ever. And now, we're ready to make more memories and create the next best day ever!

The adventure hat

I have this hat. It's a fairly simple hat that I paid about  $10 for three years ago. It has become my adventure hat. Now, I'm not typically a hat wearer, but this is a special hat.

There are some of our smaller adventures that require something else, but our special summer adventures require this hat.

I originally bought it for my 35th birthday. That was a huge year for me. I threw myself a fun birthday party after running a half marathon. My first (and so far only) half marathon. It was an exciting time and new adventures were just beginning. Since then, the hat has traveled lots of places with me. Often, Miss Hollywood takes a turn with it too. She loves the hat almost as much as I do.

My St. Christopher chain broke, so I keep it in my wallet now so it still travels with me wherever I go. It is my must-have travel item. But the hat is a pretty good indicator that it's adventure time.

This year alone, the hat has been hiking and camping locally, to a Garth Brooks concert, to Lassen, to Tahoe, and is getting ready to set out on our biggest summer adventure yet.

What's your must-have travel item? Do you have an adventure item?

Share in the comments below or on social media with #wheresmsrnow #adventure

Having just returned from one adventure, it is now time to finish preparing for the next. Three big, fun adventures in 10 days makes for lots of hat wearing!

Farmer's Market finds

One of my favorite parts of summer is getting to the farmer's market. There are a few around and I do try to get to more than one. CD and I headed to our most local of farmer's markets and set out to get just a few items. I am thankful that my kids appreciate fruits and vegetables. CD especially! He's usually willing to try new things too. Knowing he makes good decisions, I knew he was the perfect assistant shopper to have along and, in fact, I let him make most of the selections.

We returned home with a great selection. CD chose two bell peppers, one green and one purple. We also had a zucchini, two eggplants, four tomatoes, a bunch of purple carrots, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

The purple carrots accompanied our Bacon-wrapped chicken on our Lassen trip, we enjoyed the berries as dessert and breakfast, I cut up the zucchini and baked it with olive oil and seasonings then we served it with a roast my dad did on his outside rotisserie. But the best was yet to come.

We had the four heirloom tomatoes that needed to be eaten or we were going to lose them. A brainstorm turned into a fabulous idea.

I cut up the four tomatoes and two peppers. I challenged myself to keep onion out of this one and succeeded. I cooked the peppers in a little olive oil then added the tomatoes. Simmered them, took off the lid and cooked off some of the water, then added some of the leftover roast that I had cut into nice pieces. My final step was my "secret" ingredient. I grated some pepper jack cheese into the sauce. It made the sauce a little creamy and added just the right flavor. I think other cheeses would work well, too, but this was perfect.

I served it over penne pasta with parmesan on top. It was a huge hit! "I could eat this for, like, two days," said CD. Then he proceeded to clear his plate. Best compliment there is.

Wine pairing: Malbec
For the kids: Milk

Summer love: Summer eats kick off

Fall is my most favorite time of year, but summer is my favorite time to try new recipes and cooking adventures. While I love baking in the winter  (and exploring new soup ideas), there is just something about summer that brings out my inner chef. Having more time is certainly a large part of it. However, perhaps my devotion to adventure in general that is explored more fully in the summer manifests in the kitchen as well. I am more relaxed, to be sure, so that, too, aids in my kitchen exploration.

If you can cook it inside, surely you can cook it outside. I've done squash on the grill, and broccoli. This week, I did carrots...with a KISS. Keep it simple silly.

I took fresh (organic) carrots. The chickens thoroughly enjoyed the tops while I continued to cut up the carrots themselves. I placed the cut up carrots in foil. Then I cut up some small (also organic) sweet peppers and a portion of a red onion. Added them to the carrots. Ground a couple of shakes of sea salt and sprinkled some dry herbs over the top, sprayed with olive oil and sealed the foil. 15-20 minutes on the grill and...voila! Vegetable medley success! It was a hit all around the table.

For the Fourth of July, things were again about preparing with KISS. First up was breakfast. I had seen a Nutella posting and we considered waffles to recreate it, but we're short on time. So, I made a slice of toast for each person, then after spreading Nutella, added berries to look like the American flag. Miss Hollywood skipped the berries but breakfast was a huge hit and took just a few minutes to prepare. For dinner, I teamed up with my dad to do ribs with a KC barbecue rub, corn on the cob, and salad. For the salad, I took a bag of 50/50 mix, added crumbled Bleu cheese, a little bacon, and some broken up walnuts. Served with Newman's Own dressing, my mom's favorite. I will include this salad in a menu later this summer. We paired one of our favorite Santa Maria wines with the meal. We finished off with a patriotic cookie.

I'm now already menu planning for later this summer. It's a significant birthday year for my mom. On her birthday, I am doing a small dinner party. We will do planked salmon, couscous or quinoa, and a vegetable. For the party I am doing a few days later, I will have hors d'oeuvres, quiches, salads, and a grilled roast. More details to come as I am really excited about both events, but I even have a cool theme for the party. We will pair great wines, too. The party will be especially interesting as I will have at least two experienced chefs present so I look forward to their input, despite the added pressure. Talk about pressure cooking! Ha!

Summer is a great time to go exploring in the kitchen. When is your favorite time to do kitchen adventures? What are some of your favorite recipes?