Barbie Mania

I went to visit my mom the other day and she brought out a box full of Barbie stuff from my childhood.  I keep trying to explain to Bella that I had one Barbie and that she was a hand-me-down Barbie (she belonged to one of my cousins).  I didn't have a lot of Barbie clothes.  And a lot of the clothes were handmade (by my grandmothers).  You can tell the year I grew up in by some of the clothes.  I think they are kind of cool and retro.

Barbie Explosion

There's my barbie to the left and the original Ken.  They once belonged to my cousin.  The Ken with the dark hair was a gift.  He's the Ken from the '70s.  For some reason he is missing a leg.  RT said that he can be the Ken that came back from the war.  Bella likes him better than the original Ken (me too).  She said the original Ken is scary.  (I'll have to agree with her on that one)  The doll to the right, I'm not sure about that one.  She is SUPER tall and you can switch her hair from blond to brunette by moving her hairline.  The brunette side doesn't stay down very well, so she is better off being a blond.  Bella commented on the doll's bathing suit.  She asked if the doll had any other clothes.  I said that's all she came with, just her bathing suit.  Bella said that the bathing suit is a little small on her (it's low cut).  Hopefully Bella will think that way for a LONG time.  :)

I'm lovin' the orange bell bottoms and the fringe top (it's velour, too!)  Far out!

Nice brown and orange dress, too! (It has a brown matching purse)

Barbie's long gold gown (one of my favorites when I was little)

And that's supposed to be a white leather coat

Barbie is so fashionable!

And some of the hand made clothing that I had that my grandmother's made (I think)

(there are a lot more pieces, I just thought I would show some of them)

That pink and white dress to the bottom right is a tube dress.  Hey, it was the '70's! 

The yellow on the lower right is pajamas.  They are REAL short, but, I think most of Barbie's clothes are short these days.  The red jacket is corduroy.

My kitchen (that brown thing is the stove/oven)

Boy does Barbie's kitchen need a makeover.  Maybe she can be on one of those home shows?

(yes, that's just a piece of card board)

Barbie and Ken sitting at the kitchen table

Your digging Barbie's bell bottoms, I just know it!  And Ken's corduroys, too.

The table and chairs are just tubes and look at those cushions!

The red material in the background are napkins (they match the seat custions)

Here is my card board furniture.  The two long pieces are couch cushions.  I don't have the rest of the couch.  And I love the tea cart.  They are made to look like wicker.  Very Fashionable!

And what is a cool home with out a radio and turn table?  (again, this is all card board)

Bella said she knew what they were.  I'm not totally convinced.  I should make some albums to go with the set.

For gettin' around town.  An ATV? 

Love the big flowers on it!  And that orange color!

And my most prized posession.  My Farrah doll.  Bella already knows that this one she can't play with, but, can look at.  Look at that hair? 

The gold around her neck and wrists are bracelets that I made from rings that are put on the boubonnetas at weddings.  I realize that's a Greek word and I'm not sure how to spell it.  I am sure you don't know how to pronounce it.  Here it is phonetically:  Boo-bon-yet-uhs .  Let's all say it together now, shall we?  Boo-bon-yet-uhs.  Great!

That's all for now.  Bella and I were playing Barbies for quite awhile.  The clothes all need to be handwashed.  They are REALLY dusty.  They have been sitting in a cardboard box in my parent's basement for quite a few years.  We'll take the time to freshen things up and maybe check in later.  Maybe my mom will find more treasures! 

Willowbrook Wildlife Center

The Daisy troop decided they wanted to use some of their cookie money to see animals.  We chose the Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn.  Willowbrook is run by the Forest Preserve and help sick or injured animals.  They have quite a few resident animals that live there (animals that would not make it in the wild).   Some of these animals are blind, are missing a leg or a wing.

We brought along a few things to donate to the center.  We were told the really need food and dish soap. 

 

each girl carried in one item

We had a guided tour.  Ranger Kevin was our guide and he was full of interesting stories on all of the residents at Willowbrook. 

The girls were able to pet Nora, the pet rat

And Rocky, the dove

We walked around the back to see the animals that are living outside.  We even got to see some of them get their dinner (interesting).  Some animals were hiding, but, when dinner was served, they were right there, ready to eat.  I took a couple of pictures for Bella. 

She thought the foxes looked so cute and cuddly

Interesting item:  There was a strong odor by the foxes.  I thought maybe a skunk was nearby, but was informed by Ranger Kevin that Fox give off a strong scent.  (And, boy was it strong!)

Maybe Bella will make another scrapbook of animals using these pictures?

We had a great time seeing the animals.  Very informative.  I think us mom's got more out of the tour than the girls.  Definitely will be going back.  I really want to explore the back half of their property. 

Bedtime

Me:  Nick, you need to empty the dishwasher before you go to bed.

Nick: (silence)

Me:  Bella, it's time for bed.

Bella: (silence)

Nick:  What?

Me:  Nick, you need to empty the dishwasher before you go to bed and Bella, it's time for bed.

Bella:  What?

Witnessed, AGAIN!

So, the doorbell rings.  The kids are at school and I'm working.  I'm thinking it's one of the neighbors stopping by.  I run to answer it and it's "Aunt Bea" again!  AAHHHH!!  And, to think, we have a security camera !  I should have looked at the monitor to see who it was before rushing off to the door.  Lesson learned.

Oh, and "Aunt Bea" starts telling me that she has great conversations with my husband.  (The one who was hiding out in the basement this time, who has the monitor for the security camera right next to him)  Yea, him.

Ramblings

Just some of my ramblings on what's been happening.

Decided to clean the kid's bathroom yesterday.  It's always about the kids bathroom.  Besides needing some shampoo and conditioner (Nick claim's that there was still a drop of shampoo left inside the bottle), the tub wasn't draining properly.  Thanks to my day with Uncle Bud, I unclogged the tub.  (Thanks, Uncle Bud!)   It isn't totally perfect, but, it drains well.  I can add that to my resume now.

Went to the store with Bella.  When we were in the car, ready to leave, she says, "Look at their security cameras."  I must have the only child that is aware of security cameras in any given location.  If you want to learn more about security cameras, you can just ask Bella, or, you can visit here and learn more.  Security Cameras are everywhere. 

Got fed up with the dog hair that seems to be popping up around the house.  This is an ongoing happening.  Newton sheds all year long.  I don't know why.  Most dogs shed once or twice a year.  Not our dog.  He sheds every day so he can drive me crazy.  Lucky for him, it's an easy thing to do.

And, lucky for him, he's cute and a real good dog

He wasn't too fond of the brushing.  I think he was afraid I was going to polish his nails again.

And, I can finish this post with a pot of Jambalaya that I made for dinner.  A Paula Dean recipe that I came across.  I substituted the sausage with Tofurkey.   Mmm...Spicy!  I might have put a tad too much cayenne pepper. 

Very easy to make and tastes good, too! 

Morton Arboretum Pictures

I am sure I will have a lot more pictures from the arboretum.  These are some of my favorites. 
These were taken on Easter Sunday on the East side.  It was a beautiful day with the flowers blooming.  So Pretty!

having a hard time with the wind and taking this picture

Alex took this next picture

I tried to get a picture of these pretty flowers

I decided to just take a picture of Mr. Artsy Photographer taking a picture of the pretty flowers

I love looking down the paths, can you tell?

RT taking a picture, Bella drawing the picture in her sketchbook

more paths

That's all

Spanakotiropita

So, for Greek Easter I made a Spanakotiropita and it was delicious!  I am a little bummed that I don't have a picture of the spanakotiropita that I made for Easter.  I made a second one (there are no leftovers of this pie from easter) and did take some pictures at the end.  I had to hold RT back from devouring it before I got my pictures.

Let's get started!

Chop up your onion and saute in olive oil

Next, slice your green onions

and saute with the onions

onions with the onions

Add your spinach and stir

In a separate bowl, mix together your eggs, Feta cheese and ricotta cheese

Sure wish I had some fresh eggs from Patti to use! (hint, hint!)

The feta was not crumbled, so....

I had to crumble it myself

it's a good arm workout

(I should let Alex know about that one)

Add the ricotta cheese and the eggs

and mix well

mmm, delicious!

I don't think I would taste it at this point, wait until it is cooked

Now the fun begins

Separating the phyllo dough can be quite challenging.  I used a different brand of phyllo dough and was not impressed.  My suggestion would be the Athenos brand if you can find it.  On your greased pan place your first sheet down.  Be careful, it is quite fragile.  Like I said, with this brand I had a difficult time separating the sheets.  The end result was worth it, though.  It would have made a very entertaining video watching me struggle with the phyllo dough.  Maybe next time.

In a separate bowl, melt your butter and add a little olive oil

Using a pastry brush, paint on some of your butter/oil mixture onto the phyllo sheet

Repeat this process (phyllo sheet, butter/oil mixture)

you will put down about 7 sheets of phyllo dough

make sure you don't soak the sheets with the butter mixture, just a light brushing

Next add half of your spinach mixture and half of the egg/cheese mixture and spread out on pan

Again, start with the phyllo sheets and butter mixture (about 3 sheets)

Add the rest of the spinach and cheese mixture

end with phyllo sheets and butter mixture (about 7 or 8 sheets of phyllo)

Score your pita pie

Place in oven for about 40-45 minutes

Phyllo sheets on top will turn a golden brown

Here's the final picture

Delicious!

Here's a slice for you

Enjoy!

Kali Orexi!

 

Spinach Pie

Spanakopitta

3 lbs. fresh spinach, or 4 10z pkgs frozen spinach (thawed)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 bunches of scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup dill, chopped
4 eggs
1/2 lb Feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb ricottta cheese
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
16 sheets of phyllo dough

If you are using fresh spinach, remove the stems (and discard) and wash the leaves.  Cut up spinach and place in a colander so water can drip out (you want spinach to be dry).  If you are using frozen spinach, place in a colander to drain.

Heat oil in a frying pan and saute the onions until soft (not brown!).  Add spinach, parsley and dill and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Beat eggs, add cheeses and mix well.

Combine olive oil with melted butter.  Grease a 9 x 13" baking dish.  Take one phyllo sheet and put on baking dish and brush with the oil/butter mixture.  Continue this process for 7 sheets of dough.  Pour in half of spinach mixture and spread to around to ends of pan.  Put half of the cheese mixture on top and spread evenly over spinach mixture.  Fold the overhanging sides of phyllo to inside and brush with butter/oil mixture. 

Top with 3 more sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each one with your butter/oil mixture.  Pour the rest of the spinach mixture and spread evenly.  Pour the rest of the cheese mixture and spread evenly in pan.

Top with the rest of your phyllo dough (about 7 sheets), remembering to brush each layer with the butter/oil mixture.  Use a knife to score the pie.  Bake in a preheated oven, 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.