ProgressOh!

Tonight was one of those nights! I got out of work late and had to rush home get dinner ready, and head over to school for Bingo Night at the Book Fair. And as luck would have it, I totally forgot to put something in the crock pot. As I was driving home, my mind was racing trying to figure out what I could have for dinner. I am trying to be a littler healthier, still in the "New Year's Resolution mode," and I remembered a little Progresso gift pack I received last week, which included both Light Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese soup, as well as Light Chicken Pot Pie Style soup. With the whipping wind and cold temperatures we've been having in Upstate NY, it was a perfect soup and sandwich kind of night. Throwing together a healthy dinner of Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese soup and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches was even quicker than running through the drive-thru and at only 100 calories or less a serving (for the soup), I can feel good about serving my family! Mama's satisfied, Little Man is full and we are out the door in less than 30 minutes, dinner success! Thanks Progresso! You can learn more about Progresso and get a $1 coupon for these great soups by visiting http://www.progresso.com/coupons-and-promotions. Leave a comment below and I will pick a winner on Sunday, February 3 to win a ProgressOh! Gift Pack. Your ProgressOh! Gift pack will contain: • 2 cans of Progresso® soup ◊ Light Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese ◊ Light Chicken Pot Pie Style • Cosmetic Bag • Compact Mirror and Brush "Disclosure: The information, products and ProgressOh! gift packs were provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark."

Let's Try This Again

It's been well over a year, since I've tried my hand at the blogging world. The main reason I put this adventure on hold was I possessed a dying laptop that would take hours to publish posts. Well that and I started this little hobby at the beginning of summer, when there was way to much fun to be had outdoors! Fast forward to now and I am still a busy mama, working in the world of corporate marketing, pining for an outlet for a bit more creativity, a spot to journal and throw my voice out onto the interwebs. So with a shiny new laptop in hand, a year and a half of blog reading and lurking, I have a more solid idea of what I want this space to become, I'm trying for a second time and hoping this habit sticks! Welcome Back! I'll be back tomorrow with my first blog giveaway!

Friendship Bread

If you were looking closely at my previous post on books, you may notice one of my summer picks at the library was a book called Friendship Bread by Darien Gee.  A while back, I was given a starter for Amish Friendship Bread, I was supposed to tend to the bag of bread for 10 days, adding new ingredients on Day 6 and 10.  I failed, I never made it.   After reading this quirky story of how a trio of women merge a friendship over the bread, combined with the importance of small communities, I found myself wanting to bake along with these women.  Luckily the book included recipes; 10 days from now, I will have 3 starter bags, holler if you are interested in creating your own Friendship Bread, if not, I may just leave it on your doorstep.

Wedded Perfection- Opening Today

If you haven't heard there is a new exhibit opening at Munson Williams Proctor, Wedded Perfection, Two Centuries of Wedding Gowns.  While it may not be something my Little Man will enjoy, I am quite excited to see the evolution of fashion, and am thrilled about all the events coordinating with this exhibit, that are perfect for attending with moms, sisters or girlfriends!

Ellen Curtis, Wedding Dress: Bodice and Skirt, 1879 
Gift of Anita Keller Dodd in memory of her grandmother, Ellen Curtis Scott, 
1986.943a,b. Collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Weekend Picks

If the rain holds off there are a variety of outdoor family fun events today.  The Deerfield Fireman's Field Days continue tonight featuring a Fireman's Parade at 7pm, Hawkins Amusement rides, and music by The Fulton Chain Gang, tomorrow the festivities begin at 12noon with motorized firematics and Stage Road at 7pm. 

At Hanna Park in Utica, Taste of Utica, kicks off the weekend party.  This event features $1 samples from many local restaurants, and local bands including:

5:00-6:15:  Crazy Fools

6:25-7:40:  Square Pegs

7:50-9:20:  Showtime

9:30-11:00:  Gridley Paige

To make this a truly family fun event, McDonald's is sponsoring a Family Zone including a Friday night dance party, Inflatable Fun Houses, Watkins Glen Show Cars, Car Simulators, Lawn Games, and Face painting. The fun continues tomorrow beginning at 3pm, headline band Skid Row takes the stage at 9pm.

Lastly, Cooperstown is hosting a Classic Father's Day weekend with Heroes, Legends and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A host of activities are scheduled for the weekend including a youth skills clinic, a seven-inning legends exhibition game featuring several Hall of Fame members and a score of other retired major league players, and a Main Street Parade to celebrate the love of baseball for fathers and families of all ages. To further entice you, Price Chopper is offering free admission with an AdvantEdge card to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday.

So if you are a food lover, a music lover, a baseball lover, there is something out there fun and free to do with your family this weekend!  Take advantage of all that the Mohawk Valley has to offer!

Mommy Field Trip

Have I mentioned how much I am in love with farmer's markets?  When living in Washington D.C., I lived in walking distance of Eastern Market.  It is one of the oldest public markets in the country and still has an incredibly eclectic group of fresh food & produce and arts & crafts vendors.  The lunch counter inside is one of my favorite places to eat in the city, (crabcake sandwiches and blueberry buckwheat pancakes YUMMO!), all incredibly fresh and cheap.  


I heard yesterday on the radio that EmMi beads in Clinton is closing this weekend, so I thought I would visit today to see if I could score any deals, I coupled this with my first trip to the Clinton Farmer's market, being on a Thursday, I have never been able to attend as a "working mommy."  I am in awe of all that this market had to offer, there was a range of organically grown produce, meats that are raised humanely, handmade cheeses, eggs and poultry from free-range fowl, as well as heirloom produce and local specialties.  In addition, there were plenty of stands selling homemade goods from candles to cards, from jewelry to art. 

Since, I am a CSA subscriber I currently have a large haul of veggies I need to consume, this was mainly a scouting trip for future summer visits, but I did buy a few fabulous things.  

A basil plant from The Farm, Lemon Thyme Goat Cheese from Jones Family Farm, some olive bread rolls, and a can of Citrus Sweet Leaf Tea, which I enjoyed during my browsing.  


I can't wait to go back!!!  Tonight is date night with the Little Man.  I think we are heading to The Deerfield Field Days to enjoy the rides and Dashboard Nixon, we'll see how much he can do with just one arm.

Enjoying the Outdoors

Although I love planning fun outings, part of the fun of living in the country is just enjoying sun shiney days!  Today was the first day the little man returned to school after breaking his wrist and the first day I had time to return to spinning class after the accident.  After a quick trip to the library to pick up some new reads....

What are you reading this summer?

I returned home to throw together a healthy dinner for the family.  I used many of the fresh veggies included in my CSA to make this delectable feast.  We enjoyed quiche with mushrooms, zucchini and green garlic and fresh oregoano (both from the CSA) and a salad with strawberries and grilled chicken (both from local farms).  Since it was a gorgeous evening, we ate outside.

I promise to take better photos, but everyone was so hungry to dive in!!!  I then spent the evening trying to trim up and clean out our rose bush.  It has some great flowers and buds, but still looks pretty wild!

Suggestions anyone?