Straight No Chaser

A little over a year ago I had my first taste of the group "Straight No Chaser. With acapella takes on everything from The Twelve Days of Christmas to Gangnam Style, This group of 10 college friends puts the fun back into old school Acapella. As a Christmas Present to ourselves, the hubby and I decided to partake in their concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. Less than a week after the Newtown, CT Elementary School school, the group made an outstanding tribute to the lost and put on an excellent show to boost the spirits of those in attendance. With an audience ranging from kindergartners to the Golden Oldies, SNC was entertainment for all and we loved the show!

Our Family Portrait

As a combined family, I have looked forward to our first family portrait since day 1. Thanks to Portrait Simple in the Warwick Mall and a fantastic photographer named Lindsey, we were finally able to capture the joy we have to be such a fun and large family! As unique as our family is, you can be sure our portraits would reflect the same. See for yourself below:

MS Seminar for the Newly Diagnosed

This First was beyond scary. I wasn't jumping out of a plane or auditioning for the Voice but I was going out of my comfort zone. \

I'm blessed to belong to the Rhode Island Chapter of the National MS Society, an organization built on the thought of providing resources for patients of and caregivers to people with Multiple Sclerosis. Recently, I received an invitation for a seminar given by the chapter for people who have been diagnosed within the last four years. Having been diagnosed this past February put me well within that range so armed with my trusty notebook for note taking, my biggest Confident smile, and my loving husband, I walked in ready to walk right back out.  It's not that I didn't want to help or to hear more about this (for lack of a better word) crappy disease, I just wasn't sure I could handle meeting others with more progressive forms of MS. Little did I know, I'd find the one person who has made the biggest difference in our world this year within the first ten minutes of being there. She introduced me to someone else who had a ton of viable information for me and so it began. The first night of acceptance and facing my fear of MS. *Jasmine

PeaPod

With four rambunctious kids, we go through most groceries in just a few days, causing me to do multiple Stop & Shop runs throughout the week. As you can imagine, this gets hectic! Most of the time, I'm on my own for these trips with the four little ones so I'm wrangling them down the dairy aisle, shielding their eyes from the candy and soda aisle and pushing them towards the fruits and veggies...And then...I discovered PeaPod! Well actually, Rich did- but that's besides the point!

After the first few minutes of trying to picture all of the products on my list in an online catalog, I got the hang of the moderately simple website and have used it twice in the last two weeks.  For budget consiouce families, this is so wallet friendly it's fantastic!  No more surprise "must haves" at the register or impulse magazine buys!

From my fingertips and computer to my door, PeaPod has been a lifesaver and I plan to keep to it! And with 60 days of free delivery- It's even better! *Jasmine
www.peapod.com

A Hole

At a recent "High School Friends Reunion Party" I hosted for my husband, I was ushered into my dinig room for an impromptu game of gards. Having heard the stories of their previous "parties" I wasn't sure what to expect, but sat down at the head of the table and proceeded to play "Asshole." With rules such as "The president makes up any rule they want, " you never skip the president," and one must drink whenever someone tells you to," this seemed more like Anything Goes meets musical chairs meets Frat party! I still couldn't tell you how to play the game and I'm pretty sure I lost ALOT... but we had a blast! Just don't look for pictures on this post- You may hae to check out Facebook for that! *Jasmine

The Rules of the game according to www.52pickup.net:

A drinking and card game, Asshole sounds a bit complicated at first, but is actually quite simple. The goal is to get rid of all cards in a hand as quick as possible. With each round that is won, a player’s rank can increase.

How to Play Asshole

To begin playing, the players must all create a hierarchy. Usually something along the lines of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, etc. with the lowest being labeled the Asshole.

Next the ranking of cards is decided upon, and in a game of Asshole the Aces are usually the high card, with the two cards being viewed as the “power” card.

Each player receives six cards and the group chooses the first player to go. They lead with their opening hand, which is placed in the middle of the table, and play continues in the direction decided upon by the group.

The players must follow the lead or pass. To follow requires placing a card higher than the opening player’s. This can mean that players are obliged to beat the first player’s single card, or even a set of cards that they have used. For example, the opening player might lay down a pair of fives, which means that the next player must have a pair of sixes or higher. If they don’t, then they must pass and passing is allowed even if the play is beatable.

The game continues until someone makes a play that everyone passes. All of the cards on the table are turned face down and the player who played last starts again with a new card or set of cards.

When a player is out of cards, the game continues until there is only one player with cards remaining.

The first without cards becomes the President (or whatever ranking title was selected) and the last player with cards becomes the Asshole.

Points are awarded to the top two ranking players, with two points to the President and one point to the player beneath them.
Now, all players must move to their ranking seats to continue with the game. This means the President selects their chair, and the remaining players sit in rank from the President’s left.

The Asshole is the dealer from this point forward, and the first card is dealt to the President and so on. Once the deal is complete, the Asshole is obliged to give their highest valued card to the President, who in turn can give them any card he/she doesn’t want.The President then leads the play.

This round continues in the same way as the previous game, and seating is always adjusted according to the winners and losers of each round.

Before the game begins, the players will agree upon a target score and as soon as someone reaches this point the game is over.
Many people play this game as a drinking game as well, with the President being able to order anyone of lower rank to consume an alcoholic beverage when they lose. The next in command is also given this power, but cannot ask the President to drink. Usually this means that the ranking players can keep themselves more clear-headed as the game progresses.

Curried Chicken Pizza Pockets

Food Network Magazine has been my Go To for new and easy recipes for our family. Last month’s issue had pizza pockets of all types featured. Growing up on “Hot Pockets” I thought it would be fun to try something new so I gave Curry Chicken Pizza Pockets a try. While the Curry Chicken Came out great, the whole pizza pocket thing didn’t come out too great. Definitely NOT a hit with myself or the kids!  Next time I may try a different type of bread dough, or just skip the break entirely and eat the Curry Chicken on its own! *Jasmine

Curried Chicken Pizza Pockets

*adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• Flour for dusting
• 11 oz. tube refrigerated French bread
• 1 egg

Preparation:

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, curry powder, ginger and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about one to two minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken.

Stir in the cilantro, peas, yogurt, lime juice to the chicken and let the mixture cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and brush a baking sheet lightly with oil. On a floured surface, roll out the bread dough to a 6×8 inch rectangle. Divide in fourths. Put one quarter of the filling inside the center of each rectangle. Fold over the two shorter sides, then the longer sides to enclose the filling. Pinch the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Place the packets seam side down on the baking sheet. Brush the bread with the beaten egg and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the pockets are golden brown.

Chicken and Corn Chili

Our family has tried transitioning from beef to more chicken and turkey products recently. Being the chili lover that I am, however, I needed to come up with a recipe that still gave me the great flavor that regular chili does, without the Red Meat.  And so the idea of Chicken Chili was born! I found this great recipe and it was a big hit throughout the family.  In fact, It will be making an appearance on out table tonight!

 

Chicken and Corn Chili

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         2 cups chopped onion

·         4 large garlic cloves, minced

·         1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins, washed and cubed

·         1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped

·         1 teaspoon ground coriander

·         2 teaspoons ground cumin

·         2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice

·         2 cans Great Northern beans (16 oz) drained and rinsed well

·         juice of 1 lime

·         2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, or fresh

·         salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

·         1/2 cup sour cream

·         1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

·         2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot, add onion and garlic; saute until onion begins to brown, Add cubed chicken and brown on all sides; add chopped jalapeno, coriander, cumin, crushed tomatoes and beans. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes; add juice of one lime and stir in the corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook chicken chili, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer; serve with sour cream, chopped red onion and chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!*Jasmine

Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway

Our view from the tram- and we weren't even at the top yet!

Let me begin by saying I have a terrible fear of heights, but in the essence of trying new things, The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway seemed like just the right NEW thing for the day. I pushed my fear aside, hopped on the tram car with about 30 other people and made the trek up the 4200 foot summit of Cannon Mountain. Aside from slight rocking, it was a smooth ride and the guides did a great job of keeping our minds filled with fun facts other than the idea of this large car carting us up a mountain by a wire. Omce at the top, we walked about a half a mile to the observation deck where we were able to see 3 Canadian states, Connecticut, Maine, and perhaps even Rhode Island although I'm not quite sure about that one. I'm nt sure I'd recommend the walk from the tram stop to the observation deck for someone with a mobility disability as it was super difficult on the steepest parts, but the tram itself is certainly worth it! *Jasmine



You'll see the observation deck just above my head if you squint your eyes and look very closely! I did it!

At the top of the oservation deck

The Flume Gorge

It's common knowledge that I have MS and sometime I find it difficult to walk on flat ground, let alone hike up stairs and mountains for two miles. After seeing and hearing all about this amazing area of the White Mountains, though, NOT doing it was NOT an option. According to the NH State Parks website, "The Flume was discovered in 1808 by 93-year-old “Aunt” Jess Guernsey when she accidently came upon it while fishing. She had trouble convincing her family of the marvelous discovery, but eventually persuaded others to come and see for themselves. At that time, a huge egg-shaped boulder hung suspended between the walls. The rock was 10 feet (3m) high and 12 feet (3.6m) long. A heavy rainstorm in June of 1883 started a landslide that swept the boulder from its place. It has never been found. The same storm deepened the gorge and formed Avalanche Falls."

This truly was a masterpiece of nature and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to experience it! *Jasmine

Dipping my achey feet in the natural stream after the 2 miles trek up and down the Gorge

Clarks Trading Post

Coming from the land of Disney and all things super intense attraction wise, I wasn't sure what to expect from a seemingly small town attraction such as Clark's Trading Post. I was pleasantly surprised. Orginally developed in the early 20's by the Clark family, this small amusement park is still run primarlity by direct family members of the original Clarks.  Known for their trained bears, the family lovingly trains and cares for the 9 bears tehy have on property, feeding them ice cream and cuddles throughout the show.

With silly shows such as Tuttle's Rustic House or the Wolfman Train Ride, there is something for everyone to enjoy at a reasonable low price. The only con- take a picnic basket, as there are limited food options especially for children with allergies or picky eaters. *Jasmine

Camping in the White Mountains

Best time ever!

To celebrate the end of the summer, we took the four kids, packed up the mini van, and drove to the WHite Mountains of New Hampshire for an extended weekend campout. Met by our good friends, Mike and Lindsay, and tehir son Gavin, we we super excited to experience something new.  As this was only my second time camping, I was a bit nervous about what to expect. Our first camping experience was a resort by all means, pools, hot running water, bathrooms, steps away, and family activities for all. This- well, it was the complete opposite. Our picnic table even hadBear warnings taped to it. I alf expected to see Yogi and Boo Boo trying to steal our picnic basket in the middle of dinner. :)

On our way!

And this is why the battery died!

Aside from setting up during a torrential downpour in the dead of night,raining camp fires every night, dead car batteries upon departure, odd noises in the middle of the night, and a ridiculous amount of Daddy Long Legs, we had an incredible time at the Campton Campground. Next time, however, I will be sure to find hot water at the campsite before anything else! *Jasmine

Pineapple Coconut Smoothie

I've toyed with the idea of a Juice Detox recently and while I'm still not 100% sold on doing it myself, some of the recipes I've found looked delicious and definitely seemed worth trying out.

This week, I tried taking a few recipes and modifying them using ingredients that were already in my kitchen. On the menu- Pineapple Coconut Smoothie!

Ingredients:
1 Cup freshly cut pineapple
1 Cup Coconut Gelato
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
1 Strawberry for garnish of course!

Blend it all together and you have lots of tropical deliciousness in your glass! Yum! *Jasmine

Leatherface Potpie

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie is the ultimate comfort food. Recently I found a recipe in the "Ultimate Halloween" edition of Taste of Home magazine. At first it seemed more difficult than I wanted to tackle, but after a quick trip to Stop & Shop and about an hour and a half  of boiling, rolling, and baking- Leatherface was born! And he was Super delicious!

Happy Eaating! *Jasmine

The Paint Bar

I am not the artist in this friendship...that has always been C! But that didn't stop me from trying my hand at breaking out the Acrylic Paints and Canvas at the Paint Bar just outside of Boston. Along with my amazing friends Laura and artist in the making my daughter Isabella, we spent a recent Saturday afternoon making "Midnight Owls."

The Paint Bar is a family owned business that offers multiple classes a day and wine and beer to loosen up those nerves! Our instructor for the day was Mia- daughter of the owner, and she did a fantastic job bringing out the creativity in all of us. 

We will definitely be back! *Jasmine

Baby Blake

I love kids...I should- I have four of my own. But there is seriously nothing better than a neice or nephew of your own.  My nephew Ethan is two now and has been a joy in my life since day one. But my neice Blake, born on my big Brother's birthday was a gift to us all. Another little girl to spoil, a baby cousin for my girls to dress up, and a little sister for my nephew and step neices and nephew to share. While being a "Titi" is not new to me, having Blake in my life is...and that is an amazing thing!

Yogurt Drops

C (Christina) and I have apparently switched bodies over the last few weeks as her firsts have been more up my alley and vice-versa. She's the sports fanatic and I'm more Betty Crocker meets 20's something. So today- I decided to don my apron again and break out the kitchen utensils.

On the menu- Yogurt Drops! With four kids ages 7 and under, I'm always looking for new and healthy treats. While browsing Pinterest, I found the idea of homemade yogurt drops. Surprisingly easy and quick to make, the kids happily devoured them within minutes. I'll definitely make these again!

Steps:
Take your favorite yogurt and put into a ziploc baggie (I used a Gogurt and skipped the ziploc step)
Cut a small hole in the corner of baggie.
Squeeze dime size amounts into circles on a baking sheet
(Add sprinkles on top for fun)
Freeze for one hour.

*My variations are in red.

Enjoy! *Jasmine

Stargazing

I've always been fortunate enough to live in places with lots going on. Living five minutes away from the "Most Magical Place on Earth" for 12 years, I could look into the sky at 9:00 pm on any given night and see fireworks. Beautiful, sure, but it gets old. What I've always really wanted, was to look up into the night sky and see the stars. I mean- Really see the stars.

My house in Rhode Island turned out to be the perfect stargazing spot. Our friend Jay came over recently and as we sat in the yard with our citronella candles and Off bug spray at twilight, we discussed how the night before was supposed to be the perfect night to see Meteor Showers according to multiple news sites. As we were chatting, we saw a Satellite moving slowly across the sky and our excitement began. After a few mis-sightings (we do live near an airport so we determined satellites don't flash, as airplanes do), we eventually spotted 9 Satellites and 4 shooting stars!

Such a simple night turned out to be one of the most exciting of my life. I made my four wishes (one for each child) and eventually tore myself away around midnight for bed. I can't wait to do it again. If you have the opportunity to just sit outside, look up. You may just be surprised at how beautiful it might be. *Jasmine

Mardi Gras the Rhody Way

There are some places in this world that are completely random. Mardi Gras is definitely one of them.

I've been told this is one of those places people don't often go more than once, but I never really understood why. With 4 different "Clubs" within one larger building, It seems like there could be something for everyone. From a stage in Bourbon Street Rock House where live bands play every night, Johnny Bahamas with Sharks hanging from the ceiling, the Monkey Bar, and the Diamond Rodeo where one can get Line Dancing lessons every Thursday night, it certainly seems like they thought of everything. A good friend of mine's aquaintance just happened to be playing his first ever gig with his band there this week, so we tagged along for moral support. In the spirit, of trying new things, I was hesitant at first but thought at worst it would be something to say I've experienced.

With 3 story tall neon palm trees surrounding the building, it seemed as though it would fit in more on the Vegas Strip rather than across from the Warwick mall. Interesting to say the least. Entering the building was another experience. I thought with the way the mirrored ceilings reflected the crazy color scheme of each "club" actually fit in more with a Twisted room of mirrors one would find in a carnival.

The music on the other hand was actually pretty good. The band was fantastic with tons of energy for their first time and played fun twists on all of the 90's music we all grew up with. They even took the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" theme and turned it into a rock song reminiscent of Green Day. We were definitely impressed.  The rest of the rooms had so-so music but nothing we couldn't enjoy. From 112 in Johnny Bahamas and Save a Horse Ride a cowboy in the Diamond Rodeo, people were singing and dancing to whatever floated their boat.

The experience was random at best but I'd go again- If only just to get one of those Line Dancing Lessons! Hmmm...I sense another item coming up on my To Do list. Join me! *Jasmine

Grouting = Success!

I consider myself pretty handy around the house. In fact, I'd much rather assemble a piece of furniture than mop the floor. My husband loves that I know what an allen wrench is and that a Phillips Head isn't actually the Head of a man named Phillip. It's one of the things I pride myself on- being self sufficient enough to just get it done! My most treasured "handywoman" memory- Drywall!  I waited 2 months for someone to do it- got frustrated one day, went to Home Depot, and without any directions figured out how to patch a 2x2 foot hole in the wall.

So when gutting and renovating our master bathroom became the project of the summer, I couldn't wait to Rip down the hideous flowered wall paper and remove the 40 year old yellow linoleum. My biggest excitement, however, lied in grouting the newly laid tile! For some reason- I was obsessed with learning how to do this minor job in the whole scheme of things. I literally stood around as my husband cut and laid the tile itself asking if I could grout yet. Looking back, I probably sounded like our children on a long road trip. "Can I grout yet? Can I grout yet?"

As soon as the tile glue was dry, I was ready with the plastic grout speader and a bucket of premixed Sandstone grout. After a few hiccups, my 48 square foot bathroom was officially grouted! The experience was like playing with clay. I actually kind of liked it and by the end was looking for more things I could grout.  I think I may just work on the kitchen floors next! Although I may need to keep the tips below in mind for next time.

Before you grout:

• Do Not wear your wedding ring while grouting- the people at Kay will look at you funny when they have to clean in...trust me!
• Don't prep the floor or grout while the spackle is drying, you are in for way more work
• Don't wear your good clothes

Happy Grouting!
*Jasmine

Red Sox Nation is alive and well

Let me begin by proudly saying, I am a Yankees fan by birth. Born and raised on Long Island, before moving to Orlando in my teens, I was brought up cheering on the team in "Pinstripes." This will never go away!

Another home run for the home team

That being said- I've recently become obsessed with the idea of attending a home game at Fenway. I'm not sure if it's the insane amount of Boston related movies I've recently been "encouraged" to watch or if it's just the rich history behind this New England Landmark; it just seemed like one of things one must experience when living so close to Beantown.

Thanks to my Hubby's job, we secured tickets to last nights Red Sox game against the Texas Rangers. With great seats between Third Base and Home, we were in the middle of the action, even getting to see an argument between the Umpire and the Ranger coach. Being so close, even I couldn't help but catch a case of Red Sox fever.  Who wouldn't- surrounded by close to 37,000 fans decked out in their red and blue (and green too apparently). And when the home team wins, the fans are the most intense I've seen yet.  With a final score of 9-2 (Red Sox), the T ride home was an extension of the excitement. (I'd hate to think of what happens if they lose- as one man said "put thousands of angry people in an enclosed space with alcohol and see what happens"- I shiver at the thought...)

I will definitely catch another game, only next time will be when my Bronx Bombers are there as well! Either way I win and those are the kinds of odds I like!

Fun Fenway Facts:
The best place to get of the T for Fenway park isn't the Fenway stop! Get off at Kenmore instead.
Left Field is the shortest in the MLB- According to my hubby (I may have to check my facts on that one! :))
The park recieved it's name after the surrounding neighborhood, not the other way around.

And I thought they only fought in Hockey!

Awesome Seats!