CuteKittyPunk

Cinnamon Coffeecake Muffins with Crumb Topping

2026-05-04T10:00:00.001-06:00

I have been learning all about my dosha recently and it's been rather eye opening. My whole life I have snacked on cool celery sticks, baby carrots and chased it down with ice water. Because I thought that was a healthy alternative to cookies and chips. And while that is true.... it has done nothing but sit in my bowels for days and produce gas and constipation. You see, I have a slow metabolism and always have and eating like that just slows the gut down even more.

So, I have been chatting with my guru - which happens to be Google Gemini AI - and discovered that if I ate in a way that was more harmonious to my dosha (part of Ayurvedic lifestyle - it's like ancient wisdom) then I can stoke my gut's fire and burn food more efficiently.

For my dosha - which is called Kapha - I need to be consuming warm foods, like teas, breakfast porridge, and soups. Getting off ice cold water was easy. There are also lots of warming spices used like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom. Everything is so grounding and tasty too.

It's not just about what you eat, but also when you eat and engage in gentle exercise as well. It's not about counting calories - it's about stoking the belly's fire to effectively move digestion along.

So, I have been cooking a lot more with foods like quinoa, rice, steamed sweet potatoes, etc. I often make a batch of these items in advance and have them stored in the fridge for quick use.

It's fun asking my guru to help me create simple recipes using ingredients I have on hand. Here is one we came up with together - using my ingredient prompts of course, for moist muffins that use cooked quinoa!

Now, when I am finally ready to wake up my belly's fire each day (starting with a warm herbal - chai style drink) I can also enjoy a muffin. Because, let's face it- I have a constant hankering for sweets and this is a good way to balance the healthy parts with the sweet parts.

These will be a hit for after school snacks as well.

Cinnamon Coffeecake Muffins with Crumb Topping

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Optional - mix in a scoop of Vanilla protein powder or collagen powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Farhenheit.
In the bowl of a mixer, put in all the dry ingredients first. Give it a quick swirl until just incorporated. Then add in the wet ingredients and mix again about 15 - 30 seconds. But do not over mix as this can cause the batter to become gummy and dense.
Scoop into a silicone muffin pan - and top with crumb topping (optional but recommended).
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
This is the most important part: leave them in the silicone baking tray until totally cool.

Crumb Topping - makes enough for 18-24 muffins:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 tsp cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)

Directions:

Mix dry goods in a small bowl, and then cut in the butter - or you can do this in a food processor if you have one - it's so much easier to create the perfect crumble.
Sprinkle this pea sized mixture on top of the muffin batter before baking.

Troubleshooting:

pop it in the fridge to harden the crumble.
add in 1/4 cup rolled oats or chopped nuts for more crunch
squeeze the mixture in your hands for larger chunks.

Makes a wet batter.

Crumble the topping and bake

Great taste and texture, too - Yummy!

Cinnamon Crunch Cookies

2026-02-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a cookie that used up some Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and included cinna-chips which I recently bought to make a copy-cat Cinnaburst Bread from Great Harvest. I also wanted it to be a small batch - this is just for home use - I'm not baking for the whole neighborhood!

This is what I came up with. And I love it because it also allowed us to use up some leftover sugar cookie frosting and had our Cinnamon Crunch Cookies tasting like cinnamon rolls. Yum!

RECIPE
Cinnamon Crunch Cookies

Ingredients

1 stick (½ cup) sweet cream salted butter
¼ cup granulated white sugar
⅜ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 small egg
½ tsp Mexican vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cornstarch
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (crushed into small crumbs)
¼ cup cinna-chips

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl (about 2 minutes).
Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
Add flour, baking soda, cornstarch and cinnamon. Mix until just combined.
Fold in the crushed cereal and cinna-chips.
Scoop and bake: I use a cookie scoop. It made exactly 18 even sized cookies.

For soft cookies - bake 10-12 minutes.
For a firmer crispier cookie, bake about 14-16 minutes
Cool on a baking sheet.

OPTIONAL: frost for a cinnamon roll taste!

Kimchi, Sweet Potato, and Tofu Stew

2025-10-12T11:58:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure what the difference between soup and stew is - except that in my mind stew is thicker. So, I'm calling this recipe stew.

I had a few choice ingredients in my pantry and fridge that I wanted to use up and so, I typed in a few ingredients and asked Google search for a soup recipe. (This is the only AI that I use because I'm just not as tech savvy as others.)

The recipe I got back was a great starter. I added some of my own flair and creativity to the soup. Now, mine is not Vegan but you could make it Vegan by simply using vegetable broth. I always think with cooking, you got to use what you got.

So, here is the recipe I came up with and I think it's really yummy. Also, if it's too spicy for you - you can use a trick I learned - and that is add a bit more salt. It really works.

Ingredients and Instructions Below

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Avocado Oil (or whatever you got on hand)
5 oz. Great Value frozen chopped onion (about a half bag) or (1 med yellow onion, diced)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 cup Kimchi, roughly chopped, plus 1/4 cup Kimchi brine
4 cups beef stock (or vegetable or chicken stock)
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek paste (omit if too spicy).
1 (14 - 16 oz) package silken or medium firm tofu, diced
1 cup cooked rice

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat
Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and saute for 1 - 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Stir in the diced sweet potato, cook for another 1 - 2 minutes.
Add in the chopped kimchi and Sambal Oelek - allowing the flavors to blend.
Pour in the broth and kimchi brine and bring pot to a boil. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes so that the sweet potatoes are tender.
Add in the diced tofu and simmer a few minutes longer. Stir pot. Adjust spices, salt and pepper to taste. Then add in the cooked rice. Stir again and heat thoroughly before ladling into bowls.

Soup Time - invite all your friends and family in for a tasty party in their tummy!

Yummy! 👅

Cornbread Chili Casserole (Skillet)

2025-08-19T09:17:00.000-06:00

Make it do or do without... that was a part of a phrase I heard a lot from my Grandma growing up.

And it's so true, I have been able to transform and improve a lot of recipes doing just that.

Yesterday Crow wanted to go to the store to buy ingredients for a meal, and I was like, show me the recipe and let's see what we already have that we can use instead.

The Recipe comes from Sally - I'm assuming it's Sally's Baking Addiction because she uses that blog a lot.

Here are the original ingredients and in bold are the changes I made.

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey (I used 1.2 lbs ground beef)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper (I combined onion and the bell pepper ingredients by using pre-diced frozen onion and vegetable mix from Great Value - it contains onion, bell pepper, celery, parsley)
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and ribs removed (I used a 1 tbsp jalapeno jelly)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 tsp Great Value minced garlic in a jar)
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth (I combined leftover marinara, pizza, and pasta sauces in the fridge and poured them into the pot. And because I use a little extra water in the jars to shake and rinse out every last drop of leftover sauces, I skipped the broth)
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed (I used Bush's best Southwest Zest Pinto Beans, not rinsed)
1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed (I skipped this because I used jalapeno jelly above)
1 + 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 _ 1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper (I skipped the last 4 spice ingredients and used 1 hIneaping Tbsp of McCormick Chili seasoning mix)
1/4 tsp baking soda (I like to add it to tomato soup, chili, etc - it helps cut the acidity and make the meal easier on my tummy)

Cornbread Topping

1 cup fine cornmeal (I was all out, so I used 1 cup fine almond meal - I figure it's about the texture anyway)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (I skipped the last 4 ingredients and instead used 1 cup of buttermilk pancake mix)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (I only buy salted butter - yum)
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk, or whole milk (I only buy 2% milk, so that's what I used).
Optional: 1 cup corn kernels, 1 Tbsp jalepeno jelly

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large oven proof* skillet that holds 3/5-4 quarts, heal the oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the ground meat, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic. Saute until the meat has cooked through, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. Stir in the rest of the chili ingredients, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
Whisk all the cornbread ingredients together in a large bowl, including optional corn and jalapeno jelly. Remove chili from heat and spoon the cornbread batter on top.
Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until the cornbread is golden on top and cooked through (showing cracks in the corn bread)
Spoon into bowls or onto plates and serve warm with optional toppings. I used sour cream and avocado - yummy!
Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one week.

*If you don't have an oven proof skillet, that's okay. Just pour the chili into an oven proof casserole dish in step 3 and continue.

Surprisingly, the almond meal was a great substitute - I didn't even really miss the cornmeal. I thought the bread was really yummy. Maybe using pancake batter helped as well. I really like buying the Great Value pre-diced frozen onion and vegetables mix as well - it really saves time making dinner - it just cuts out all the prep time. This meal came together really fast. It is so yummy and the leftovers are even better. I'm loving it.

The Very Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (aka Sergeant York's Cookies)

2025-02-12T09:47:00.001-07:00

I decided to make some oatmeal cookies, and even though I had a copy of the best oatmeal chocolate chips cookies already, I tried a different recipe and they were so-so... just okay.

So, I searched my blog for my old standby Sergeant York cookies, which he (my brother) calls Vanishing Oatmeal *Chocolate Chip* Cookies and baked them first thing this morning.

And it really is The Very Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe on the web - in my humble opinion.

Here is a tip, put the butter out the night before so it's soft and ready to cream together with the sugar.

Next morning, heat the oven to 350 to get it warmed and ready to bake as soon as possible.

Then, cut a large parchment sheet of paper for your baking tray.

Okay, great - now we can blend everything up in the Kitchen Aid and bring it together quickly.

I may be a boredom baker - but I do things as quickly and efficiently as possible these days.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 + 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups of quick cooking oats
1 cup of milk chocolate chips (plus extra if desired)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350*F
Beat butter and sugars till creamy
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well
Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.
Stir in oats and lastly chocolate chips; and mix well.
Using a cookie scoop, evenly scoop out dough in rounded portions for your baking sheet (which has a parchment paper on it already). Set 2 inches apart.
Bake 12 minutes
Remove from the oven, and let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to the counter top to continue cooling.
Repeat steps 6-8 until the batter is used up.

Makes about 36 cookies. And this step is vital - while the last batch of cookies are baking, clean up!

I enjoy cookies so much more in a clean kitchen.

When the cookies are all done baking and cooling, put them away in a cookie jar or plastic bag so you can share them and enjoy them longer. Then, just crumple up that parchment paper and throw it away. Easiest clean up ever!

Evenly Sized - Just the way I like 'em!

Perfekte Pannekoeken

2023-09-16T11:23:00.001-06:00

I've been making Dutch style pancakes for years. Pretty much ever since I moved to Holland with my Dutch husband and then along came the kids and they would request them for dinner quite regularly.

I met this Dutch lady, Tonie Kuurstra and she taught me how she made them - and she used to operate a bed n breakfast so she made a lot of them. I went to her house one time and she had stacks and stacks of them. She made them with butter, too as I recall... and that's how I usually make them as well.

However, today, I experienced the most scrumptious griddle-like perfect pancakes and no butter was used.

So, here is what happened. Yesterday, the doctor's office called me with the results of my blood test... and it turns out that everything was good except in one place it said my fat or lipid was too high. I need to cut back on the fat intake. Which makes sense because I cook with a lot of butter. :D

So, even though I used the full fat milk in this recipe, the big difference was I used Parkay Squeeze which has 0 Trans fat, and 0 mg cholesterol. And it works great for pancakes... (and for gourmet-raclette grills - which is really the only other time I use it.) Maybe I will start using it more often though.

Now one more reason why I think these pancakes turned out awesome was that instead of making them for dinner, I made them for Saturday morning breakfast and there were other kids around in the kitchen so I just didn't feel like a slave to the family.

Crow and Siembra were making fresh squeezed lemonade. Then I was telling the kids about a favorite memory I have of coming down the stairs, smelling my Dad's pancakes, hearing top 40 on the radio and the sun shining through the windows... it was the perfect thing to wake up to - a delightful memory. So after the first pancake, I quickly went to my room to get my Bose speaker and to listen to a playlist that I created that reminded me of that Pancake Memory.

Now my dad didn't make Dutch pancakes. He made a thicker griddle pancake with lots of butter and he would add all sorts of flavors to the pancakes like banana flavoring as I recall. And then he would top them with more melted butter, some American pancake syrup and that's it. They were very sweet.

Sometimes these taste great with fresh sliced bananas and warm Nutella. Mark, being the Dutchman that he is, just eats them with a sprinkle of white sugar. I like to add fruit preserves so it feels a little healthier and if we have any, I like to add whipped cream.

Here is another tip: turn the oven to "keep warm" and after each pancake is cooked, put it on the plate in a stack in the oven to keep warm - otherwise, Mark and the kids come into the kitchen and take them to eat while I cook, and then when I'm finished, there is one or two left for me and everyone has eaten and left and I'm sitting alone eating my pancake. Which can be nice sometimes... but it can also be lonely.

PRINT VERSION

Give my playlist a listen: Pancake Memories

RECIPE
Perfekte Pannekoeken

Ready in 20 minutes

Serves 6-8 people

Tips

Add Pre-sliced apples to individual pancakes during step 3, if desired.

Serve with powdered sugar, appelstroop, buttered syrup, jam, Nutella, fresh-cut fruit and or/whip cream.

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
Parkay Squeeze (or similar 60% vegetable oil spread, 0g Trans Fat, 0mg Cholesterol)

Preparation

With use of a blender, mix milk and eggs, then add salt and baking powder, blend again. Then add flour, ½ cup at a time and blend with each addition till no visible lumps appear.
Heat a crepe or skillet- pan over medium heat. Squeeze about 1 tablespoon of Parkay into the pan and lifting the pan, tip it to the edges. It should be hot and bubbly.
With a soup ladle, scoop two spoonfuls of the batter onto the pan and again, tip the pan so the batter spreads out evenly and fills the pan.
After it looks ready, tip the pancake up to see that it’s golden and has those scrumptious griddle marks, and flip over to cook the other side.
Repeat until the batter is used up.
Place pancakes in a stack on an oven-proof plate in the oven set to “keep warm” until they are all finished - otherwise, you will be eating alone.

My stack is so small because the family came in and took them right from the oven.
I still ate alone.

Mild Peanut Free - Pad Thai Sauce

2023-09-13T10:41:00.003-06:00

Freepik

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce
5 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Tamarind Concentrate/Tamarind Paste
1-3 tsp Sriracha hot sauce or Sambal Oelek
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp chinese sesame paste or Tahini

Directions:

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl or in a shaker bottle. Add to prepared noodles, vegetables, and protein source.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies with Oreo Crumbles - Yum!

2023-04-30T12:39:00.002-06:00

This morning my son wanted to bake peanut butter chocolate chip cookies from the dough you buy at the store but I said, let's just look up a recipe in a cookbook and if we have all the ingredients then we can make it.

So, the cookbook I looked in first is called Chocolate Never Faileth. It's a book my mom got for me and it's probably from the Deseret Book store with a name like that. Very Mormon sounding. Anyway, we found a recipe and then tweeked it a bunch.

Then, after the first batch I got this awfully good idea to add Oreo cookie pieces to the batter and then I baked a batch of those and they were amazing!

So, I'm going to include it here so I can find it again and bake it again. Yum. 😋

Click here for Print Version.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies with Oreo Crumbles

By Melissa Daams

For the Dough

On speed 2, cream together

2 sticks butter, softened

¼ cup peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Move to Speed 1, Add

1 cup baking flour

1 ⅓ cup oatmeal

4 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Mix in the add-ins!

1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips or a combination thereof

½ bag of Butterfinger dessert topping crumbles

1 sleeve of Oreo cookies, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

For the Dough:

Follow instructions in the columns above.

Once it’s totally combined, use a cookie scoop to make about 30 scoops.

Bake on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper for 10-12 minutes.

Let cool before consuming: Yum 😋 and enjoy with an ice cold mug of milk!

More Kindness Rocks

2017-10-26T14:34:00.002-06:00

First rock I ever painted for the Kindness Rock Project #StGRocks on Facebook!

One Sunday, the whole family painted rocks, here is our loot!

My favorites here where the lips and the guitar!

Kindness Rocks Project

2017-10-25T14:24:00.000-06:00

Earlier this year I visited my sister in Idaho Falls for the Eclipse and that is when I learned about the Kindness Rocks Project.

It's also where I found my first rock, at the Rigby Reservoir.

First rocks found by myself and the kids.

This is how it all started to my knowledge, a woman in Cape Cod started it as a hobby. She would hide the rocks and slowly received positive feedback. So she stepped it up with social media and a website and asked others to join her.

In Idaho Falls it is so popular that the Idaho Falls Rocks group on Facebook has over 15,000 members. Our little city in St. George, Utah has only about 300 members in the St. George Rocks group. Actually there is also a St. George, Utah Rocks group. I am a member of both as well as 801 Rocks and Utah Rocks.

This has been something that is a lot of fun to do with my children and we love to go to our favorite places and hide rocks, too. It's sorta like an Easter egg hunt. The hiding part of it!

Our favorite places include: St George Library and Town Square, Red Hills Desert Garden, Tortoise Reserve... and my personal favorite places are the places that I frequent: the gym, the Music Store where my daughter has her guitar lessons and doctors offices or the dentist.

Here are a few rocks that I have also painted in honor of friends or businesses that have had excellent customer service!

For George street Fest and St George Marathon

Foot Solutions. Best shoe store experience ever. I had been having chronic heel pain and
found some good shoes here with their expert help. So this rock has their logo and slogan.

Music Works with old logo and new logo. The old logo is easier to paint though. My daughter got her first electric guitar with them and she does music lessons here as well. Nice friendly and helpful staff!

Two of the rocks have Bicycle Collective logos. A new Bicycle Collective is opening in St. George and
they will be a nice addition to St. George. Get out a ride a bike today!

This is the first rock I painted with my #Dixie Kitty added to it.
Painting rocks makes me happy so it's not a waste of time!

Hid in a friend's garden

Love a Little Louder - happy heart rock painted in honor of a friend having a tough day.

When I paint rocks with my kids they always squeeze out too much paint, and to avoid wasting paint, I paint the rocks with whatever color is left over and then just add some friendly, happy kawaii faces. Cheerful little things!

Hidden at St. George Town Square. I painted this in honor of my oldest best friend who loves kitties!

In-home Preschools

2017-06-22T13:53:00.000-06:00

A few weeks back I attended an introduction morning during one of the Free2Feed events that had several preschool teachers and employees come and talk to our group about local preschools in the area. I am only going to share the mom and pop preschools as in ran from home by individuals because those are a lot harder to find on your own. You can easily find information on the other stuff, and maybe I will share my notes about those another day.

My little guy in Preschool this year. This pose is funny.

It was very informational.

It also inspired me to turn my dream job into a reality.

You see, I have always wanted to run my own business. The business that I had been researching for most of the year was for an indoor playground and cafe here in St. George. But it just didn't seem possible.

I do, for the record, believe if done correctly by someone with deeper pockets than me, that it would be a very successful business venture. That's what my market research, business and financial research revealed.

The thing is, I didn't believe it was the right business for me as an individual or sole proprietor. And I really wanted to focus on something that I can do right now and not just dream about for years to come.

And, several people and close friends, have suggested and prodded me toward doing preschool in my home. But it didn't hit me square between the eyes, until it hit me square between the eyes, that hey, I could do this.

Sorting colors and shapes and counting at Little Patch of Heaven Montessori

So, I have saught out the how to and followed the red tape, crossed my t's and dotted my i's. The name of my preschool will be Kids at Play Preschool. I will start out with 4 students to keep it easy and more one on one attention, very personal while figuring out this first year of curriculum. We will be cooking and crafting every week though, and I can guarantee fun!

Without further ado, I will now provide a list of competition. But seeing as how some are located out in other areas were other people live, I don't really consider it competition as much as a choice!
Also, some of these preschools did not present at the Free2Feed event, they are just other ones that I know about.

Sorting and counting the animals

In no particular order:

Little Patch of Heaven Montessori. This school is run by Miss JaNae Huntington. She does not have a social media page or website. She is strictly word of mouth and fills ups quickly! Nevertheless, she might have a spot for you if you tell her Melissa Daams recommended it. She usually runs a summer camp but chose not to this summer 2017 for personal reasons. But, I will provide you a phone number you may text if you really want to try and get in. She is located in Santa Clara, UT and has a farm style environment chickens, garden and rural area. My son went to her last year and loved it. He was in a class with 9 other kids and one helper in addition to the owner/teacher. I will say that Montessori style is not for everyone, but my little guy enjoyed it and even thrived in the environment. For the younger group 3-4 years, it's two days a week Tuesday and Friday. For the older group it's three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The cost is $115 for the two day program and $175 for the three day program. Also I believe there is a music element in the three day program. Text 4 3 5 6 3 2 9 3 7 2
Little Lions Preschool. This school is ran in the home of Brittany, a mother of two and former elementary school teacher in this district. She has been teaching preschool for four years. Her programs runs twice a week: Monday and Wednesday for 2.5 hours and costs $85 per month. Her school is located in Washington City, Utah north of the I-15 in the Green Springs area. Her website is www.lil-lions.com She presented at the Free2Feed event and if I recall correctly, she had 8 students in her group. And here was an interested tidbit, they were all boys this last year. I bet she is hoping to get some more girls next semester! At the time of the event, she still had open space available for the 2017/2018 school year.
Mulberry Street Preschool. This school is ran by Rachael Smith, a certified educator and mother of two young boys. She runs two programs. Early Learning 3-4 years old Monday and Wednesdays from 9:00-11:00, the tuition is $65 per month. And Kindergarten Readiness ages 4-5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-11:30 and the tuition is $80. She has a small student to teacher ration but I am not sure what that number is. She plans on doing monthly field trips with the students. She can be found at mulberrystreetplayschool.weebly.com I do remember that she said the name comes from a Dr. Suess story. She was really personable. I liked her. Her school is located in Washington City, UT in Washington Fields just south of the river but north of the new Lin's grocery store. If I weren't teaching preschool myself, I would have tried to get my son in with her :)
ABC Academy. This school is ran by Sarah Kerr. I heard about it through word of mouth. She originally started out doing preschool in her home and upgraded to using a dance facility. Actually, a little girl I babysat last school year went here so I often dropped or picked her up. And I was impressed by how close it was to my house 😁 and just the professionalism but still friendliness. The registration for the 2017/2018 school year is as far as I know full. But it was so popular that she added a second class in the afternoon and that's how I got in. I was crossing my fingers and so thankful! It's a full three hour block! I feel like I can actually get something done before pick up which is so valuable to me as a part time crafter/painter 😊 The days are two days a week Tuesday and Thursdays or three days a week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It was usually just mornings but now it's also afternoons. It's possible you could still get placement in that afternoon class! Here is the website: www.abcacademysg.com So, you can see from the website that the afternoon class isn't listed but I am telling you there is one. So call Sarah and see if you can get in for the 2017-2018 school year. Good luck!

Last day of preschool, outside water fun.

The Tilted Kiln, St George, Utah... pottery and ceramics!

2017-03-29T19:31:00.000-06:00

The Tilted Kiln
215 W St. George Blvd
435-275-6603
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 12:00-8:00; Saturday 10:00-6:00
www.thetiltedkiln.com
https://www.facebook.com/thetiltedkiln/

Today the children and I got to play with clay at The Tilted Kiln in St. George. I had driven past this pottery studio many times not realizing all the fun things it has to offer.

It's not just a pottery shop, though there is a section that some great local artists have pottery for sale. It has a section of ceramics that you can buy and paint yourself and they will cook it again after that.

That was fun to see. So many great ideas, from painting a large platter with the family name or something like "Dad's Burgers"to piggy banks and garden gnomes. They also had quite a few Christmas related ceramic crafts to paint.

My kids and I had so much fun browsing the ideas and we surely will find ourselves back in the shop come summer vacation! :)

You can come back for parties or other group activities and they have classes!

For a regular adult class to learn the potters wheel - it's only about $120. That's a four week class that includes everything!

There are also youth classes. Wheel $40, or hand build $30. Again that great price includes everything!

I started making little clay creatures just a few weeks ago with polymer clay. Polymer clay only needs to cook in the oven at about 275 degrees farenheit. But the kilns at The Tilted Kiln fire up to 2100 degrees farenheit! Wow - hot!

I was so excited to see a little demonstration of working with clay on the wheel. It looks so easy and fun. I mean, I'm sure it's a little difficult when you are first starting out, but with a little practice it could be so much fun.

The excitement in the children's eyes was great. I could see this being a nice thing for us to go back and do again and again.

I didn't take any photos myself today because my hands were playing with clay and it makes quite a mess of the hands. But I will add some photos from Free2Feed members when they become available.

Photo above courtesy Joia. Photos below courtesy Aditi

That's me in the blue shirt with the yellow stripe!

One of the rooms where you can host parties for quite a large group or smaller groups if you choose.

This is the back of the store where the pottery wheel class is. We are watching the instructor demonstrate how to use the wheel. I really wanna come back and do a class. ...Lots of parking located at the rear of the store, too.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of students and artists using this space, just look at all those shelves full of pottery!

That is the pottery teacher/owner on the right demonstrating how we can make a pinch pot.

This space shows some examples of what you can make, plates for example... also, do you see all that finished pottery in the background? That's stuff you can come in and purchase then paint and they will fire it for you.

Example of a pinch pot!

Feminism and The March for Women's Liberty

2017-02-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Just about a month ago, my family and I participated in The March for Women's Liberty here in St. George. It was a great event for the whole family. We waved our American flag and huddled close together as it was a crispy and windy day. It was a happy and peaceful day as all who gathered - did so in friendliness and peace.

Me and my girls

I remember when I first heard the word feminism. I thought it was a bad word because I was raised to want to be a stay-at-home mom and home maker. And I thought that feminism meant that you couldn't do that or that you wouldn't want to or that it was looked down on.

In 2014, I began to be a little better informed about what feminism really means and that is equality. I am a big fan of equality.

My Ella

The thing is, even though I appreciate the right to choose what my life will be like, whether I would or should go to college, have a career, etc. I always really wanted what my society wanted from me.

So, it really wasn't something I had to fight for. I really love being a stay at home mom and I like being a home maker in my own way.

In front of City Hall

Now, if someone were to come into my home and say the way I am doing it isn't correct. Like, if they would to say, my home is too messy. I would show them the door and ask them to leave.

Cleaning is not my hobby. I am an arts and crafts girl at heart. And I dabble a little in entrepreneurship as well (etsy shops and babysitting, that sort of thing).

Huddled up

The thing I am grateful for is that St. George, although mostly a conservative community with some old fashioned values, is a very progressive little city full of women in business, medicine, law, finance and education. I don't know about government though, probably a lot of civil servants are women and the lady I voted for didn't get elected, she was democrat, maybe a bit too liberal for some folks around here. Anyway, there are plenty of stay at home mommies like me, but lots of women that work full time and some that work part-time and some that run a small business from home and I love and appreciate all these women.

My babe

I am very grateful to go to a woman gynecologist, though I am sure a man doctor would be just fine, I just appreciate having a choice!

The march had a pretty good turn out of not just women, but men and children, too. Like I said, it was a family affair. I am proud of the little city of St. George. It's a city I am proud to call my home.

My Girls

The St. George News had an article and photos here.

Making Friends and Free2feed, St. George, Utah

2016-10-23T14:58:00.000-06:00

Making Friends 101

After moving back to the U.S. - there was definitely a readjustment period for me. So, I put time into starting a blog. And then getting myself out there, making friends and getting involved and going places and doing things with the children.

Then when I did that, and I did it successfully, there really was no time to blog about how great St. George is. I have come across a few other mommy bloggers that have attempted to explain just how great this area is, but after a time, everyone kinda stops and it's because we are enjoying the sunshine and the nature and all that this area has to offer that we stop blogging or just don't do it as often.

Recently a good friend, Michelle, that I met shortly after moving here, asked if I would write some blog posts for her on her blog Green Kale and Yams about my recent change has a Vitamix owner. I said, yes.

Now it's time to get the word out, that I have switched over from using a cheap model smoothie maker to an American made beast of a machine.

So you can read about my recipes and experiences further at this link: Green Kale and Yams: Diary of a Vitamix Greenie.

Free2feed St. George
244 South Valley View Drive
St. George, Ut
435-231-2111
free2feedstg@gmail.com
www.free2feed.org

Parenting support group that educated, encourages and supports the Mom. Weekly meetings are held Monday mornings 10:00-12:00 at Luther Hall, 244 S Valley View Dr.

Also, I just want to say that this really is a great community and there are so many resources and ways to make friends. I have been here for about 16 months now and I am still meeting new friends every week.

The worst way to do that is to stay home by yourself. If you are a homebody, it probably isn't going to happen for you very easily. This area calls to you, though. I don't know how anyone can not go out and hit the trails.

I have been going to a mom and toddler hike every Wednesday morning and I love it. It's a great way for me to get some exercise, and surprisingly, my toddler is often the leader and keeps the pace going. There are new people every week to get to know. I met one girl who went to college in the same town as me. Most locals attended a school in Utah, but we both went to Baltimore for college.

Image belongs to Free2feed St. George

One organization that I have found new friends and lots of things for Moms to do is through Free2Feed. This non-profit organization helps give support to new moms and old moms, like, me, too!

They have a variety of regularly scheduled things to do like the hikes I mentioned above. As well as Mom's night out (usually meeting up at a restaurant). And regular playground get-together's, Indoor toddler play dates, and workshops galore on just about anything Mommy related. I just recently attended a workshop or presentation, rather, on period panties. What are they? Are they comfortable? Do they work? How much do they cost? Etc, all of these questions and more were answered.

They have had presentations on placenta encapsulation, wrapping the belly after birth, and even a Mom and Baby clothing exchange. Tomorrow a representative from The Learning Center will come and do free child developmental screenings.

For more information see www.free2feed.org or for more up to date information via facebook search for free2feed St George.

I actually heard about this organization through Michelle. See, friends are a real benefit when moving to a new community. They tell you about Vitamix and about Free2feed. I am so glad to have learned about this powerful resource!

Zion's National Park, River walk

2016-07-19T14:14:00.000-06:00

Went on the River walk in Zion's National Park back in April. Still not very green in the trees, but it was more quiet in the park than in Summer - and we could drive up and park in the parking spaces right at the start of each trail, so it pays to go in the off season. Kids really enjoyed it. Me, too.

Even Stevens Sandwich Shop, St George, Utah

2015-12-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

Even Stevens Sandwiches
471 St. George Blvd.
St. George, Utah

This is me, on my birthday eating a great sandwich

'tis the season of giving...

I drove passed Even Stevens on St. George Blvd at lunch time, the parking lot was packed. I am so grateful that we live in a community where people love to eat & help each other.

This is the sandwich shop with a mission. Eat to Give!

For every sandwich you buy, they will donate one sandwich (a voucher of sorts) to one of the three shelters and food bank in St. George.

Is that awesome or what?

I love it.

Not only that, but I have been privileged to try one of their very tasty sandwiches. It was a Pot Roast Dip. It was actually turkey and it had this sweet pepper jelly on it. The bread was nice and toasty but not like a dry toast, it was definitely fried and it came with au jus and a pickle spear. It was delicious!

I am eager to try out more of their selections. Really good food - with a cause! I love it. Love it. LOVE!

When I did my visiting teaching this month, I didn't come prepared with a spiritual thought, just a review... this restaurant - go there. it's that good. And you get to help someone in need. It's a win-win.

Why not check out their menu here. I was just reading over their about section. Gosh, they started in Salt Lake only last year and within 6 months gave out 30,000 sandwiches.

It warms my heart! People are good. They want to help. I am pretty eager to try out all the different restaurants in town, because, you know, having lived outside the country for 10+ years, all the food is new to me.... but now that this joint opened up, I think, should I go to that other place, when I could go here and help someone in need. You know... it's a tough choice now.

Here are some food photos from their website to get your mouth watering:

image found here.

image found here

Christmas Lights worth seeing in St. George and beyond!

2015-12-08T20:42:00.002-07:00

According to Hedgehog Electric, this is the must see list for Christmas lights in Southwestern Utah.

See map here for route! Thanks to my sister for finding me these links!

I drove by this house the other day but the lights were not on yet...
crazy how into the Christmas lights this house has a lot going on...
image found here: video

There is one newer spot to browse Christmas lights and that is at the new Desert Garden up on Red Hills Parkway next to Pioneer Park aka Dixie Rock!

Okay, that's about all I have to say about that.

One more thing, The Christmas lights display at Town Square at Main and Tabernacle are awesome... much better than at the Temple. I was a little disappointed with how few lights they had up at the temple... but I guess the temple makes up for it by having a nativity presentation and all those cool things you can do inside the visitor center....

image found here.

which brings up a childhood memory.

When I was a kid, I lived on the corner of 400 S 700 E right across from East Elementary school and Dixie College. My siblings and I used to ride our bikes down to the visitor center. (of course back then the visitor center was on the north east corner of the temple and it was much smaller. Anyway, we would go in there and request to watch Johnny Lingo (the original short film). Luckily, the sister missionaries didn't mind and they lets us watch it all the time as often as we liked.

We also used to play on the temple steps... and I dreamed that one day I would go inside the temple and marry my prince there... that didn't happen... I did marry but I was sealed in Manti Temple which is an equally beautiful temple I am sure... to be honest, since I have been living back in St. George I have yet to visit or go inside the St. George Temple... I need to do that soon.

Zeppes Ice, Frozen Custard and Italian Ice, St. George, Utah

2015-11-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

Zeppe's Ice
1812 W. Sunset Blvd #2
St. George, Utah
435-773-7140
www.zeppesice.com

When I was a kid, my Mom used to have this laminated ice cream cone (flat paper) on the closet door in the kitchen. Each cone had our name on it. And every time we read a Friend magazine article we would earn a paper laminated scoop of ice cream for our cone. And at the end of the month she would take us out for ice cream. But actually, we usually went for Frozen Yogurt which has always been the in-thing here in St. George as long as I can remember.

The trendy hot spot back then was Dixie Frozen Yogurt. It was in the old shopping center on Bluff where K-mart is still located. It was always a welcome treat. I loved getting gummy bears on my frozen yogurt.

Now all the frozen yogurt places are self serve and you always spend too much money!

Okay, there are several yummy frozen yogurt and ice cream places around here now, and I will review each of them another day, but today, I want to tell ya'll about Zeppe's Ice. It's different from Frozen yogurt because it's fruity ice!

The other day we went in for a little Monday family night treat and ordered the Gelatta. Which is a combination of frozen yogurt/custard and Italian ice. It's not like snow cone ice though, its like a fine fruity ice.

Zeppe's website describes it as a frozen fruit puree the consistency of ice cream. Well, anyway, it's worth trying and it's delicious.

Photo via Zeppe's ice Facebook page

I tried coconut flavor which was divine... oh goodness, need some right now! And I had pink and blue... which were some other fruit punch Hawaiian flavors that the kids enjoyed.

By the way, this joint is hot on Monday nights, might want to go in when it's less crowded like during the day. They have a variety of seating inside and out.
And if you are coming with a minivan full of kids, call ahead and they will bring it out to you in your car! Very family friendly business.

~~~

Oh goodness, another great thing about being back in a southern warm climate area of the United States is eating frozen desserts again. I seriously gave up ice cream after a while when I lived in a cold climate, but now we are back to enjoying it regularly.

A great thing about Southern Utah, really, all of Utah is that there are plenty of dessert places to go. Not a lot of bars in Utah (with the exception of Salt Lake City), because the general Mormon population doesn't drink alcohol, but we eat lots of sweet stuff, yes we do!

Doctors' Volunteer Clinic, St. George, Utah

2015-11-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

Doctor's Volunteer Clinic
1036 E. Riverside Dr.
St. George, Utah
435-656-0022
www.doctorsvolunteerclinic.org

I feel like my life has been put on hold. I had a bout with eczema. It is truly one of the worst things to have to deal with especially when it's on the palms of your hands and on the fingers.

I have had to rely on my husband to be my hands. Tie my shoes, help me with my bra, make lunches, etc. etc.

I guess I am lucky because I have never had any thing like this before. The worst skin problem I ever had before this was acne as a teenager. It was pretty extreme at times. I ended up going on Accutane to cure me of it... so grateful for those medical things.

Well, after many google searches, I found that eczema is common in winter in dry climates. So, that is one of the down sides to living in dry climates in winter. I guess you can't have it all. :(

Since relocating back to the U.S. - money is tight with us, we don't have any health insurance and do not qualify for Medicaid.

But no fear, there is a free clinic in St. George! They do ask for a $10 donation, but if you don't have it, no worries.

Maybe one good thing came from this experience, I was able to help out a fellow earth traveller. So, I was in the Dollar Tree Tuesday when I noticed this cashier with eczema all over her hands and elbows and it was far more scaly and worse than what I was dealing with. My heart reached out to her and I blurted out, you have eczema! And she said, yes. Sadly, I get it every winter. It was all over her legs and knees too, she said.

And, I asked if she was taking anything for it. She said not really. And I said, has your doctor not prescribed something for it?

And she said, I just move to St. George and I don't have health insurance and I don't qualify for Medicaid.

And I said, me, too. And there is a free clinic in St. George on Riverside Drive and I gave her the phone number and I hope she is able to get some relief!

So, maybe when you are going through something sucky, it's to prepare you to help someone else. That is my take away from this experience at least. And so I thought, it's worth blogging about - Hey St. George has this going for it!

This from the website:

Tony Young
of the National Free Clinic Association

"It is a rare community who demonstrates responsibility for the improvement of their community's health in such a manner as The Doctors' Volunteer Clinic of St. George, without seeking government funding," says Tony Young of the National Free Clinic Association. "Free Clinics across the nation continue to have a significant impact on the improved
health of communities and greatly benefit the communities they serve."

Amen Tony Young, I second that.

Photo via google maps - the front of the building faces Riverside Drive, the parking lot is to the west of the building.

Near the intersection of River Road and Riverside Drive

Suzy's Closet Dress Rentals, Hurricane, Utah

2015-11-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Suzy's Closet Dress Rentals
692 N 150 W
Hurricane, Utah
435-680-2858
By appointment only.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit with Dena Humphries of Hurricane. She runs Suzy's Closet. It's a non profit Dress Rental in Hurricane. The goal of this non-profit is to provide modest affordable dresses for young women. But, anyone can "rent" a dress - you don't have to be young.

Dena said she had someone going to a Marine ball in Southern California that was older that was borrowing a dress.

The cost to rent dresses is $35 per dress. This covers the cost of dry cleaning therefore, Dena doesn't make anything extra, hence non-profit.

Dena runs this business out of her house, namely out of her living and family rooms.

Why doesn't she call it Dena's Closet? She said because she thought it didn't sound good. She chose the name Suzy because it was cute and similar to her middle name Sue.

How did she get into the business or charity rather?

She got into it because she has four daughters. They are grown now, but they used to participate in a lot of pageants. And people around town would always ask to borrow the dresses for dances. So, Dena thought, maybe I can start something so that other girls can borrow the dresses for an affordable price. But mainly she wanted young women to be able to have modest options.

Dena's husband suggested she go to a dress auction in Salt Lake City. Which, she did. She bought several dresses at auction to add to the collection. Many of the dresses didn't meet the modest standard so she has a hobby, in modifying those dresses so that they will not be backless or sleeveless, but can also be modest.

Most of the dresses that I saw where pageant worthy. Lots of bright colored dresses with beading on the bodice and full skirts below. My sister was there again to try on a dress for a black tie event to attend with her husband. So, not all of the dresses were so youthful. My sister was able to find an elegant grown up dress. This was one of her concerns. She didn't want to look like a teenager.

Comparing this dress rental option to the one I reviewed last week: Ooh La La Dress Rentals, this shop is much more affordable and has more modest options. But personally, I really like the sheer variety of dresses from Ooh La La better. Ooh La La has about 700 dresses in her collection. Suzy's Closet has about 170 dresses. So there was a difference.

Suzy's Closet also does alterations, so if you find a dress else where that you love, she can alter it for you... And she had a handful of wedding dresses for sale as well. Also, Dena will make minor alterations on dresses in her own collection to fit the wearer, like taking it in, so that it can be undone again.

You can see more about Suzy's Closet on her Facebook page here. And I am sure her photos capture her collection better than mine - I only saw them hanging on displays in the living room.

Oh, one last thing that I really liked at Suzy's Closet. She had a binder with a picture of every dress in her collection. That was a nice way to thumb through the collection quickly and find a dress you like.

Some dresses my sister tried on.

Totally, forgot to mention this in my review, but we could bring children to the appointment.
The kids could play in the yard which was fully fenced in.
Also: see the adorable weiner dog - these dresses are not from a pet free home...
but they are in protective plastic covers.

Binder with all the photos of every dress in her collection.

Dresses right in the living room. Dena's daughters on display above the piano (old photos - they are grown up now)
Dena was really sweet, didn't mind our kids at all playing the piano.
This was just one rack of clothes. There were more in another room.
See that yellow one right there: it is so pretty, I should have taken a close up of it...

Ooh La La Dress Rentals, St. George, Utah

2015-11-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Ooh La La Dress Rentals
Brittney Callister
435-215-5229
St. George, Utah
www.oohlaladressrentals.com
www.facebook.com/OohLaLaDressRentals

My sister gets to attend a black tie affair in Salt Lake City. Last year she also went to the Marine Ball, and rented a dress from Ooh La La Dress Rental, so she returned to the same place for something special. I feel lucky that she invited me to a dress shop of sorts to preview some formal attire.

I walked down the stairs into a basement, and was instantly wowed. I was like a little girl in a candy store... but like candy for women: dresses - pretty, sparkly gorgeous dresses.

This particular showroom is owned by St. George mom Brittney Callister. She started the business because as she put it, my then 16 year old step daughter had not many choices for prom dresses. She searched around for a dress rental and there were none in St. George. Brittney had been looking for some kind of side business to run from home, and here presented itself the perfect business idea.

After some investment, Ooh La La Dress Rentals was born. She now has around 700 dresses in the collection! They are arranged by color and come in sizes 0-20. She keeps up with the latest fashion trends and has what's hot now.

Short dresses rent for starting at $25. Long Dresses rent for $60. Accessories like jewelry, "sleeves" and bolero's cost only $5. The rental period is 4 days, check them out Thursday, return on Monday. Call for appointment.

Okay, so she has these pieces of fabric she called "sleeves" and to me it was more like a thin shoulder capelet. Like something to make a dress more "modest". She had several colors and it just attaches to the front and back part of the dress - and it's a very easy way, without alteration for the dress to get that school approved look. I will post a photo example below.

But anyway, I think there can be no shortage of reasons to rent a beautiful dress. Most customers are teenage girls looking for prom or gala dresses, but I think a great excuse to wear a beautiful dress can be for a wedding, the Opera, even the Ballet is a great excuse.

Ooh La La Dress Rentals is a business I like. Dixie Kitty approves!

my feet reflecting in the showroom mirrors :)

"sleeve" shoulder strap capelet

I love these kind of iridescent fabrics, great dress.

This was probably my most favorite dress. Looks like a ballerina dress.

All the shades of blue... I like that turquoise and black polka dot dress.

costume jewelry

bolero's and capelets

customer appreciation board

I wish I had a better camera to capture all the pretty colors in there.
Or that I had brought my personal photographer... sigh.

This was a fun row!

Story Time at St. George Library, Utah

2015-11-04T21:04:00.001-07:00

First snow this Fall, Jarvis Peak west of St. George, about 10 miles.
Nice photo eh?!
Photo courtesy Mark

Today it was cold outside, burrrr... very cold. We had planned on having a mommy meet up at Firehouse Park but it was much too cold for that. We went inside to the Story Time hour over at St. George Library.

Every week the St. George Library has several offerings for Story Time participation. I have only ever attended the Wednesday Story Time with Mrs. Mann. It is held at 10:00, 11:00 and 2:00 for ages 3-5, but I am usually there with my 2 year old and there are a lot of little ones with older siblings as well. Mrs. Mann plays fun music, reads longer stories for those ready to listen, there is usually a theme craft or coloring sheet at the end. It's fun. Mrs. Mann is awesome. She has a special gift interacting with the youngsters. She's a pro!

There is also a Monday Story Time with Grandpa Steve 10:00-11:00 for ages 12 and younger.

Again, Wednesday Evening Story Time with Mrs. Mann 5:00pm for ages 12 and younger.

Open Story Time with Miss Jill, Monday's at 1:00 (kids all ages welcome)

Toddler Time, Thursday 10:00, 11:00, and 1:00; Friday 11:00. Toddler Time is a story time geared toward children ages 2-4 and their parent. It is a beginning Story Time centered around a theme each week. Toddler Time has books, finger plays and songs to help younger children learn about the world around them. Basic concepts like the ABC's, colors, and numbers are also reviewed. Toddler Time ends with a coloring/craft period where children can interact with each other and practice their fine motor skills.

See, I haven't been to Toddler Time, but it sounds like Story Time with Mrs. Mann does the same thing. I will have to go to one and compare.

Here are some other activities offered at St. George Library that I have been to with my kiddos.

Science Club 6:30-7:30 every 1st and 3rd Tuesday for ages 7-11. Do experiments and learn about the world using life and physical science. It says in this brochure that to participate you need to register at the Children's Desk at the St. George Library, but I have been and never registered. I just showed up and there is always room. They also want you to spread the word about the cool things they got going on... so probably okay if you just show up. I think if you are planning on coming with a youth group or something, then you should definitely register.

Art Club 6;30-7:30 every 2nd and 4th Tuesday for ages 7-11. Learn art techniques and history through hands-on projects. Again, it says to register, but I never do. I just show up and there is usually always space.

Even though the ages for Science Club and Art Club is 7-11, I will say that I have taken all three of my girls ages 5, 6, 9 and it's never been a problem that two are younger. Pretty much, they are just happy that kids show up.

I am always surprised how little some of these events are attended because they are great! But, I guess as the kids get busy with school, it can be exhausting to attend these events all the time. Last two weeks I didn't go to the Library Tuesday evenings, but if my kids have earned it, I will take them... they enjoy it. And now that it is darker earlier, and cooler too, there will not be any trips to playgrounds before bedtimes... this is a good alternative activity to just watching tv before bedtime.

Paws for Tales 4:00-5:00 every 1st Monday of the month. Children choose a book, meet their "Paws Pal" and read to the dog under supervision of a professional dog handler. (Never been, but it sounds cool).

For more up to date information here is the contact info:
St. George Library, 88 W 100 S (Town Square)
Children's Librarians: Mrs Mann and Mrs. Burton
Customer Service 435-634-5737
www.library.washco.utah.gov

Story Time Wednesday, Oct 28, 2015 (singing with the pumpkin)

My little guy doesn't quite know what to do yet

Themed craft following the Story Time

Here is an example of a craft we made with Mrs. Burton, it was a mummy for Halloween -
using bendable laundry wire and strips of white fabric.
I was really glad I went this night because I needed a craft idea
for my daughters Halloween school party, and we did this!

Siembra (above) and Dakoda in a fire hat.
This is from when the Firefighters came to St. George Library and explained fire safety to all the youngsters.
Then we came outside and got to see the Fire Engine. Very cool...
plus all the kids got this cool Fire fighter plastic hat to take home.

Town Square Splash Pad in St George, Utah

2015-10-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

The City of St George is awesome when it comes to trails, parks, playgrounds and outdoor recreation. In fact, they just received an award for it, a gold medal to be precise!

This is one reason why St George is a great place to live and raise a family.

I also like St George because it feels like a small town community even though the population is growing and Washington county is one of the fasting growing counties in the USA. It still has that small town feel to it. Maybe it's because there are several small communities in each little valley between the hills and mountains here.

There are several places to take the little ones and little bit older ones to escape from the heat. But probably the best place is in downtown St George next to the Tabernacle. There are no playground toys, but they are not missed at this popular spot.

This city block Town Square is home to the famous Mormon Tabernacle, Children's Museum as well as the St George Library and the Splash Pad. Best part about this splash pad is that it runs year round (to my knowledge).

It doesn't just have a water fountain type splash pad, it also has a little rock river and it's tons of fun.

It is a huge improvement over when I was a kid. My siblings and I used to play in the gutters after the rain for fun... we also lived close to Dixie College (University) and would play in one water fountain on the weekends. And sometimes we would splash around in the Virgin River (which is still safe in some areas when it's not down pour raining).

Anyway, I have found that in the Summer, this splash pad is by far the busiest one. There were days that we went out to Gubler Park in Santa Clara and had the splash pad to ourselves! If you want to go to the Town Square splash pad when it's not too busy, I would suggest mornings or evenings after most people have left for dinner.

The only con about this splash pad is that for small tykes, they really can just disappear if you are not keeping an eagle eye on them. I lost my little guy there once, he had jetted off into the parking lot when I looked away for a second.

So, beware of that, maybe bring an extra pair of eyes with you when you are there with a carload of kids.

Okay, here are some pictures of this great splash pad...

this picture is hilarious

This was on a Saturday evening after school already started again... it was pretty quiet that night!

Best Streets to Trick or Treat in Dixie, Southern Utah

2015-10-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

This is going to have to be an ongoing post... what I mean, is I might have to update it again next year.

This is going to be a very big deal this year. My kids have never experienced real American Trick or Treating. I have talked about it, and they have seen it on tv shows over the years and they are very excited. As am I!

This is why I wanted to pick a neighborhood that would be awesome for their first experience. Originally, I had planned to spend the weekend with my brother and his family in Spanish Fork, Utah. They live in a neighborhood with about a million kids so it was going to be perfect... but since the flu has affected everyone lately, and since my whole family was sick to death of road trips since we moved back here, we decided to stay in St. George.

This posed a problem for me. I didn't know where the best street was. After a quick google search, I found nothing! No one has blogged about this, at least, not in the first three or four pages of a google search.

I did find plenty of alternatives to Trick or Treating... but I am not looking for another trunk or treat or some other random city sponsored Halloween party... I am looking for the real thing.

When in doubt, ask around! Talk to everyone. Even Facebook groups like St. George Online Yard Sale (it's a private group, I recommend joining some of these when relocating - you will find out so much stuff from these local allies).

My neighbors directly across the street are all decorated for Halloween, but I know for a fact that I live on a very empty street when it comes to Trick or Treating. Lots of empty lots and retirees.

This street is great if you want a view, views all around up on this street, but when it comes to kid friendly: it aint!

Why did I pick this house then you ask? Because! It was about the only rental that allowed pets and ticked all our boxes (almost all our boxes).

Probably the best person to ask about trick or treating is a postal worker. They know every neighborhood! Luckily, my brother in law is a former delivery person... so he gave me the low down on Santa Clara, at least.

I had already heard about two very good neighborhoods in Santa Clara but people didn't know exactly where they were... just word of mouth...

So, now I know.

Neighborhood one: South of Sunset off Lava Flow Drive, Santa Clara, Utah.
Streets in the area around Arrowhead Elementary School are very nice, well lit with street lights and good sidewalks. I am told this neighborhood has lots of children... something I will be investigating more in the future. I did drive by and the homes here are very nice! Only down side is that they are huge, so it's a lot of walking from house to house, and some homes sit back away from the street and it could be a lot of walking for little kids, but it's okay for older kids.

Here is what I heard, one neighbor puts up a large projector screen and shows a movie in the front yard. Another neighbor has an ATV and pulls a train of sorts for the children. I will check it out this weekend!

Some photos to wet our appetite as of Monday, Oct 26 (2015):

250 Le Grande Circle, Santa Clara

Neighborhood two: Red Mountain off 400 E Street, Ivins, Utah
This neighborhood and the others near it are quaint. The neighborhood has lots of trees and the homes are modest and close together. I drove through the area today and almost everyone's home was decorated, which is a good sign. I think a neighborhood like this is good for little kids because they won't have to walk as far and all the homes were at street level, no steep porches or stairs to climb.

Neighborhood three: Northeast Santa Clara near Jacob Drive, Santa Clara, Utah
Newer homes and street lights are in this area. There was one house in particular that caught my attention. They have been decorating it for weeks, and it was very nicely done. I heard from several people from my side of town that they trick or treat in this area.

This house is awesome:

Neighborhood four: Northeast corner, Cross streets: W 1300 S and Angel Heights Drive of Hurricane, Utah.
Last year my sister and her kids went to this neighborhood with our cousins from Virgin. Virgin is a really small town so you can imagine that anyone with kids drives into Hurricane for Trick or Treating. My sister described this neighborhood as Leave it to Beaver with white picket fences and all. They plan on going there again.

I found these photos via Google Street View:

White picket fences

Tree lined streets

And that is the list for now... I will continue to update it as more info flows in, but I am told that a lot of areas in Bloomington and some parts of Santa Clara are less popular because there are no street lights so it feels less safe, even though it's probably okay.

Yummy Cinnamon Sundae

2015-10-26T10:30:00.000-06:00

Awww, this time of year, I love all things cinnamon. For the last couple of years I would look foward to apple cinnamon vla (a type of dairy pudding desert that was sold in Holland). I would serve it with chunks of ginger bread called ontbijtkoek aka breakfast cake, literally.

Even though I grew up in the USA, it still seems somewhat foreign to me. After all, I was an expat in Holland for 10 plus years, and at one time I had every intention of staying there forever.

But it was not to be. The excessive rains put a damper on those plans. Now, here we are in sunny St George, and it sometimes doesnt even feel like Fall. For the first two weeks of October we still had highs in the 90 degrees F.

Its now beginning to be "cold" at least for a couple hours in the morning, and I saw tiny leaves on the front porch, so some plant out there is shedding for Fall.

This is exciting, because with cooler weather we can enjoy the hikes much more, and I can enjoy some Fallish cinnamon desserts.

Its funny because at some point I stopped eating ice cream altogether in Holland because it was just too cold for it... It is now King of my favorite desserts once again.

Here is my favorite flavor combo at the moment

Cinnamon Horchata Ice cream drizzled with Torani Pumpkin Pie Caramel topping and optional Kroger pumpkin whipped topping. I found the Torani Pumpkin Pie topping at Walmart, The whipped topping I found at Smith's. I am not sure which store carries the Tillamook brand because my Dad bought it, but I Think he got it at Lin's.

It is perfect for fall especially if you love cinnamon spice as much as I.