Paradise In Our Own Backyard

We have been waiting patiently (since the end of August) for our custom made iron furniture to arrive and today it did! It make our backyard even prettier than it already was, and I truly feel like we do have paradise right outside our very own door!

We knew we wanted to invest in quality outdoor furniture, but we knew that would come with a hefty price tag. We searched high and low for someone like Arizona Iron Furniture and we knew that they would be the company that we went with the second we walked into their showroom and they handed over 4 ice cold water bottles and could deal with a 2 and 5 year old wanting to climb on everything (and they did)!

I LOVE all of our new pieces, each for their own special reason.
Let me tell you...

THE CURVED COUCH
for snuggling up with the family in front of the fire

THE BAR CHAIRS
for a comfy spot to perch and watch the hubs cook a delicious meal and the kids play in the yard

THE CHAISE LOUNGERS
for soaking up the sun and relaxing with a good book after taking a dip in the water

THE LITTLE THINGS:
Towel Rack ~ Chad hates towels thrown over the fence, something I am notorious for, with the rack, problem solved!
Small Aloe Vera Cactus ~ I love these! I have the larger one and asked if they still had the small one available...sure did! The best part, a gift from them to us as a thank you for our order!
End Table ~ Saw something similar in their showroom, but without the umbrella hole, so I asked if that was something that could be added...no problem! They said they would figure it and and the table looks beautiful and the umbrella fits perfectly, so people/drinks can stay shaded if need be!

If you are in the market for new quality patio furniture, that is custom made down to the size, powder finish and the fabric colors, take a look at what Arizona Iron Furniture has to offer. They have phenomenal customer service (our sales person was named Ryan, who I later found out was the owner of the company!) and offer great prices to enhance the look of your backyard. I am already planning our next order for the covered patio (new dining table and chairs)!

Think I am off to relax on one of those loungers now!

Out of Africa

Our adventures started off today around 7:45! We were locked and loaded in daddy's car and headed to Out of Africa for an unforgettable day!

The drive took almost two hours and I don't know if Chad and I were more excited to get out of the car because of how noisy the ride was OR if Kyan and Lola were more excited to be finally be there!

The first thing we did was go on the African Bush Safari. I knew Kyan LOVED this part of the day, but was a little nervous as to how Lola would act. She LOVED it just as much as him and was all about feeding Kibo, the giraffe, that met us at the gate for his carrots! By the time Kyan was brave enough to feed Kibo, he wasn't hungry for carrots anymore, just our guides cookies in her bucket!

However, he did get a chance to feed the camel! Lola got my carrot and fed him too! Another neat experience while on the safari was the ostrich egg that we got to hold! The guide said it was the equivalent to two dozen regular eggs that we eat!

Waiting for the tram to take us to the top where the big cats were and all of the shows!

Chad spotted the secret feeding spot to two beautiful deer and the four of us got to spend time with them while no one else was around! It was nice for the kids to have all of their attention!

Just some of the animals that we got to get up close and personal with!

Waiting for the show to start. I love this picture of the two of them from the moment that I saw Lola perched on Chad's back like this.

The first show was the Creature Feature, where the kids met Chadrack and Thumper! This is one of the shows where they are allowed to go in and touch/feel the animals as they crawl around! Lola was very sad to leave the tortoise (what you don't see is the picture of her crying after she said goodbye)!

After lunch, we headed to the Tiger Splash show! It was AMAZING! If you get a chance, watch the video of the tigers and their trainers splashing and playing around!

And what Kyan had been waiting for since from the second that we shipped out this morning, The Giant Snake Show! It was the last show of the day (before the feedings), but was worth the wait for him!

He had no problems going right up to the front of the snake! It was like they were best friends that hadn't seen each other in over two and a half years, maybe three (that is how long it has been since we were there last)! I told him that we could print a big picture for him of the picture below and we would hang it in his room! When I got on the computer to blog tonight, he didn't let me forget it either and asked if I was getting his picture for him!

And finally, the last thing we did before we left was board that tram one last time and watch the trainers feed all of the animals at the park! This only happens three times a week (Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) and we were lucky enough to watch today! It was hard to see them all from the tram but were lucky enough to get close to the "meat man", as I like to call him and to watch a few of them snag the food that was thrown over to the animals. The coolest part was to hear the male lion ROAR before they fed him! Watch the video if you get a chance (it is funny, you hear Lola crying, as it scared her, and Chad saying something about him sounding like grandpa)!

The kids each got a souvenir stuffed animal before we left. Kyan chose Thumper, the tortoise and Lola chose Kibo, the giraffe. Both were the names of actually animals that they got to interact with this afternoon. It took them all of five minutes to fall asleep snuggling up to them, where they stayed asleep the entire way home!

If you have never been to Out of Africa, I highly recommend that you do. It is worth every penny that you will spend!

If you have been there, what was your favorite part(s)?

Mine were the endless smiles I saw plastered on the kiddos faces all day long!
We had an amazing day as a family!

Introducing.....PINK MOUSE!

I had to share this news with my blog followers & friends, in hopes of spreading the word! My friend (who happened to come up with the Rosie J. Photography name and logo) is nearing the launch of his website for the design company/brand, Pink Mouse. For now, please check out the Facebook page, and stay tuned for news/events, pre-orders, & website!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/PINK-MOUSE/130597803620750?v=wall

Which one is your favorite?

The Supper Club - Fall

Saturday night marked our first meal with The Supper Club!

Members include (from left to right and top to bottom): Chad and Jenni (that is me), Adam and Holly, Angela and Ryan, and Able and Kristen (who were the hosts for the fall season).

The Rules

1. No kids.

2. The host comes up with the menu and then divides out the recipes to each of the supper club members to prepare for the party.

3. The host always provides the main dish/side dish with a variety of beverage selections.

4. Remember that it is sometimes best to semi-prepare your dishes and do last minute baking, chilling, slicing, or arranging at the home of the host.

5. Menu items should be new and adventurous.

6. Portion sizes must be small so that you have room to taste every course of the evening, so feel free to reduce recipes in half where ever you see fit.


Kristen's mom started her own club (which she called The Gourmet Club) over 20 years ago and Kristen asked us if we wanted to be part of something similar?! I was a little skeptical, because if you know me, you know that I am the pickiest of the picky kind of eaters, but thought of the hubs this time (who loves all foods) and thought why not!? Each of us decided on a season (that will switch each year), giving Kristen the first season, fall, so that we could see just what we were up against, and she sure didn't disappoint with her menu!

The Menu
Cocktail:
Bob's Mexican Pumpkin Punch

Appetizer Course:
Pear-Cheddar Turnovers and Cranberry Meatballs

Soup:
Curried Sweet Potato-Apple Soup

Salad:
Cranberry Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola

Main Course:
Maple-Walnut Chicken Thighs and Cheddar Apple Rice

The Dessert:
Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Ok, now remember, picky of the pickiest eater and I will say that each and every food item was delicious, like to the point where the I wanted more - there just didn't happen to be any more room in my belly! I think my favorite item had to have been the Cranberry Meatballs! I am so excited to have new recipes to add to the cupboard!

It was so nice to be able to pay attention to each other and not running around chasing the kids! After dinner, before dessert we even played a nice friendly game of Corn Hole, boys vs. girls!

Apparently we weren't playing correctly so the boys with droids looked up the real rules!
There were many, many laughs had throughout the game and the GIRLS came away with the win, while the boys went out as pretty good losers!
So there you have it - first edition of The Supper Club!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

My first shot at making any kind of cake batter homemade!

They were delicious!

Want to try to make your own?

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

1 and 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 rome apples (about 1 pound) peeled and shredded
1 and 1/2 cups chewy caramel candies
1 tablespoon heavy cream


1. Arrange a rack in the upper thirde of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Line a cupcake pan (makes 12) with baking liners.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. In the same bowl, whisk in the oil and vanilla.
5. Slowly pour the contents of the medium bowl into the large bowl with the flour mixture.
6. Stir in the apples.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan until they are almost full.
8. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 25-30 minutes. Set on a rack to cool completely. Once the cupcakes are cooled, add topping.
9. In a small microwavable bowl, combine the caramels and the cream (I would added a little extra of both). Microwave for 1 minute at medium power, then stir; repeat in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Spread on cooled cupcakes immediately.

***This is not my homemade recipe, I was just given the recipe and wanted to share! If you would like to see where it came from, click here!