Another theme night!  My Mom, the chef, has really gotten into these lately.  This time we did a theme dessert and made ourselves some s’mores.

For budgetary reasons we decided to go with s’mores with similar ingredients.  We went with the classic graham cracker/marshmallow base, but switched it up for the third ingredients.  Of course, we had to have the traditional Hershey bar.  It wouldn’t be S’mores Night without it.  But for the other two varieties we went with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (my bro’s fave) and York Pepperment Patties (my Dad’s fave).  Oh em gee.

I ate mine in ascending order of flavor intensity, starting with the Hershey bar and ending with the peppermint patty.  They were so, so good.  The only thing that would have made them better would have been eating them while watching The Sandlot.

I think you know what to do….

Assignment

Your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to live like a celebrity.  I know what you’re thinking.  I don’t drive a BMW because it’s my Wednesday car, I don’t own a yacht, I don’t have a vacation home on Lake Cuomo.  That doesn’t matter!

Choose the celebrity you would most like to be (living or deceased) and try on their life for a day.  Would you like to be Elvis?  Pick up a guitar and learn a few hip shakers, whip up a PB and banana sandwich for lunch, wear those fun sideburn glasses.  Marilyn Monroe?  Throw on a drop-dead dress, do your make-up, and see how many men will hold open the door for you.

Have fun!

Post below who you decided to be.

Every once in a while we like to have a theme night.  This time we chose peanut butter as our theme all thanks to this:

Heck yah!  We chose two recipes from the book – one was an African Beef Stew and the other was a frozen dessert.  Let me just say that both recipes were so good that we forgot to take pictures!

So instead of a photo, how about a recipe?

Frozen Peanutty Pops (serves 6)

1/2 c. Skippy peanut butter (we actually used almond butter)

2 cups milk (we used rice milk… we sound like a health food store)

1 package chocolate instant pudding (you can also use vanilla)

Whisk together ingredients in medium sized bowl.  Spoon into wax paper cups or popsicle molds (don’t forget the sticks!)

4 hours later you have the most delcious popsicle you have ever tasted in your whole entire life.

Have you seen the YouTube video of the guys in labcoats making Mentos/Diet Coke rockets?  If you have, that was awesome, right?  If you haven’t, it’s awesome!  Oh, and they’re also in Weezer’s “Pork and Beans” video.

So anyway, when I mentioned to my mom that you could make a Mentos/Diet Coke rocket she said, and I quote, “Oooh I wanna try that!”  I mean how can you say no to that.  My Mom is cool.

Erik, as part of the RBA research and development team, hopped on the internet to figure out how to do this experiment.  It was like an episode of Mythbusters except no one was wearing a safari hat.

We collected our tools: Diet Coke, Mentos.  We chose our location: grassy area behind parents’ house.  We followed the instructions: drop in Mentos, shake, POW!

Okay, so it was really more like a tiny pow, but we were all laughing so hysterically (and probably making the nieghbors wonder about us) that it didn’t really matter that our Diet Coke didn’t shoot straight to the moon.

Assignment

In the ultimate test of your ability to “let go”, this week let someone else choose an adventure for you.  It will be just like a Choose Your Own Adventure Book… except your wife, your boyfriend, your mom, or your kids get to do the choosing.  I highly recommend letting a child do this – they are, as we know, the experts in this field.

If you feel more comfortable, you can set up a few guidelines (nothing over $50 or nothing that involves falling from a great height).  Or you can say “What the heck!” and let them pick whatever adventure they see fit.  You can even do tha adventure together, because there is nothing like sharing a wonderful new experience with someone you love.

Leave a comment below telling us who you are going to let be your adventure guide.

=)

If being more adventurous is about adding a little somethin-somethin to your everyday life, then ordinary, everyday things should receive celebratory recognition too!

Assignment

Your assignment for this week is to celebrate a random holiday.  For example, today is Sibling Appreciation Day.  Go appreciate a sibling!  I know, I know, they used to stick gum in your hair and try to karate chop (or scissor kick you… Erik), but you love them.  Last year I gave my little brother a card.  I really should be giving him a card every week for everything he does for me, but it was an official holiday =)

Other random holidays in May include: National Scrapbook Day, Museum Lover’s Day, National Tourism Day, No Sock Day (and Lost Sock Memorial Day), National Garage Sale Day, Peter Pan Day, Jigsaw Puzzle Day, Star Wars Day, National Chocolate Chip Day, Circus Day, the Birthday of Blue Jeans, Scavenger Hunt Day, Blueberry Cheesecake Day, National Macaroon Day, and Pink Flamingo Day of 1956.

So what are you waiting for?!  Go celebrate life!

www.holidaysforeveryday.net

Assignment

This week, start and Adventure Fund.  I won’t tell you where I keep my Adventure Money, but it’s cute and Disney themed =)

First choose a home for your Adventure Fund.  It could be your savings account.  It could be a piggy bank.  It could be an envelope or a box, a jar or a drawer.  Wherever you choose to put it, make sure that you don’t dip into it when you need change or need to go buy a loaf of bread.  This is a designated fund specifically for enjoying life and having experiences.  No cheating.

Once you know where your new account is going to be kept, decide how much to add to it and how often.  It doesn’t have to be a lot.  It could $20 out of each paycheck or $10 a week or the coins you have left in your pocket at the end of the day.  One of my writing jobs goes straight into my fund so I don’t even have to think about it.

You can also decide if you want your Adventure Fund to be for spontaneous adventures (say an art exhibit comes through town or you get the urge to go horseback riding because it’s a nice day and you own a cowboy hat) or for a planned adventure that you’ve always wanted to do (camping, skydiving, trip to Napa).

Start now!  Post below with your own tips on saving and what you’re going to save for.

Let’s Go

Solo Mission

I bought a kite shaped like an owl and I flew it.

One time Henry and I took his niece to fly a kite at the park and the whole time she sng “Lets’ go fly a kite!” over and over.

Usually when I picture a kite I think of a blue diamond shape with a tail of red bows trailing behind it.

I can’t remember the last time I myself flew a kite.  Flying a kite is very relaxing.  Unless it’s too windy.  Or not windy enough.  I love activities that focus on a single, simple task.

My owl kite is very colorful and looks great against a blue sky.  I flew it at the park while Justin was fishing.  It flew great for a while and then it started doing tricks.  Well, trick, singular.  It started spinning around and around at a furious pace, plummeting toward earth as it did.  It was kind of funny the first few times.   After the last spiral I reeled him in and he sat and watched me read This Side of Paradise.

             Day 155 – My owl kite before it plummeted