Lake Rudolph rustic family escape {with a little luxury}

To kick off the summer season, we spent a weekend at the Lake Rudolph Campground and RV Park in Santa Claus, Indiana. When we first arrived, we were escorted through the picturesque woods to our adorable Christmas cabin. We spent two nights at Lake Rudolph and went home quite at peace and relaxed.

My daughter literally shrieked with joy as we opened the door to our cabin. I have to say, after looking into the cabin, I squealed with joy, albeit silently, as well. The Christmas cabins contain an amazing number of amenities. Nice sitting room, beds for 8, sink, oven, stove, microwave, refrigerator, large deck, gas grill, charcoal grill--check, check, check.......Just amazing!

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How to eat healthy on the road {it can be done!}

June, July and August--those words mean something important to us: vacation time! Many of us hit the road or the skies some time during the summer break. While vacation is a time to indulge, some of us do not want to totally derail our diets. (After all, you worked so hard all year--right?) In fact, sometimes indulging a little too much can make us ill while on vacation. (I have spent my share of vacation days holed up in the hotel room. Not fun!) Here are a few ideas that I have for keeping your diet more under control while indulging.

• Pack a cooler for a road trip: With your own cooler, you have more control over what you are eating if you pack it yourself. Make sure to include plenty of veggies and fruit. We usually pick heartier items like apples and carrots.
• Take advantage of hotel rooms with kitchenettes: If you have a kitchenette, use it! You do not have to use it for every meal. However, each meal that you can make on your own will undoubtedly save you some calories.

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Salads Perfect for your BBQ!

Greek Inspired Barley Salad

I am sure everyone has summer BBQs on the mind. I thought that I would do a little round up of the salads we have featured on the blog in one post for anyone needing inspiration. BBQs are certainly fun with a number of festive salads to sample! Hope everyone has some great BBQs this year!


Greek Inspired Barley Salad {with feta, of course}
Dijon Potato Salad {one of my faves}
White Bean Salad {naturally colorful}
Pineapple-Sage Relish {versatile--can be eaten with grilled meat or fish or even on its own}
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad {enjoying a superfood}
Chicken Avocado Salad {a new spin on some favorites}
Spontaneous Slaw {super easy}
Watermelon Cucumber Salad {having fun with watermelon}
 

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Scones {Munchie Monday}

This recipe is pretty basic and one of those recipes that you can easily add a little flair to by trying different combinations of additional fruit, nuts, baking chips, etc, My recipe is adapted from an old Better Homes and Gardens recipe. (In fact, it is from a cookbook that my grandmother gave me when I was just starting out.) My daughter and I made some this weekend, making half of a batch with chocolate chips and half with raspberries.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp chilled butter
1 lightly beaten egg (half of yolk removed)
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raspberries, mashed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Mix first four ingredients in large bowl. Next, cut in chilled butter. In another bowl, add the milk to the lightly beaten egg. Combine. Then, add mixture to the dry mixture. Mix until just moist. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, about 12 strokes. Split dough in half for two types of scones. Fold in chocolate chips in one half. Fold in raspberries in second half. You may need to knead in more flour to the raspberry dough.

To form your scones, roll out the dough to about 1/2 in. thick. Then, slice dough and form triangles according to preferred size. Place on ungreased baking sheet approximately 1 in apart. Bake for 12-16 min or until golden. Ours took about the full 16 minutes.

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Sneaking away to Seasons 52 {a lunch out}

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

During the school year, my husband and I sometimes have the ability to sneak in a lunch out while our daughter is in school. On one occasion, we visited Seasons 52 to try their flights and flatbreads deal. We had heard about it awhile ago and decided to indulge on my daughter's last day of school since it would be awhile before we could go out to lunch together sans mini me again.

The flights and flatbreads deal is actually pretty good. For $15, you receive your choice of flatbread, three tastes of wine and a glass of wine chosen from the three you tasted. The choice of flatbreads even includes their specialty flatbread for the season. The wines are chosen from a selection determined by the Master Sommelier.

I love flights because they allow you to sample a few wines. With this particular flight, you actually get to choose your favorite wine for a full glass. In a way, it is the best of both worlds--you get to try something new and stick with what you like at the same time.

The flatbreads at Seasons 52 are definitely substantial. However, since all menu items are 475 calories or less, you know you are not doing too much damage by enjoying one!

We had a pork flatbread that was special for the spring menu:

We also had the Ripe Plum Tomato Flatbread:

Not too bad for a little lunch out! The deal runs everyday until 6PM. So, you if you have a bit of time to sneak away with your significant other or even a friend, this is an affordable option!

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A few words from Monart Drawing Studio in Arlington Heights {and a free class!}

I am sure that a lot of your kids enjoy drawing. In Arlington Heights, we have a Monart Drawing Studio that has some neat classes for the kids. We have seen them at many events in Arlington Heights and my daughter has enjoyed their projects every time. I was asked to share some information with you about this creative place!

Here is some information and a deal for you: 

Surround yourself with the philosophy that there are no mistakes in art and "everyone can learn to draw." Monart Drawing Studio, located in Arlington Heights IL, supports a healthy, positive sense of self-esteem in students through a relaxed, nurturing and educational environment. Monart offers on-going classes for ages 5 through adult, summer and winter art camps and annual student art exhibits.

Monart is more than a method that teaches people how to draw. Leading educators recognize Monart as a way students can use several learning modalities by teaching them how to focus and concentrate, make decisions, solve problems, plan sequence and develop hand-eye coordination.

My readers can Get one free class when you register for a minimum of one month. 

**Disclosure: We will receive one free class for the purpose of a review. No other compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

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Scratch pads made from scrap paper {easy craft for little ones}

If you are like me, your family probably generates a substantial amount of scrap paper throughout the year. I used our recent pile of scrap paper to make a little project for my daughter that not only kept her busy but put that scrap paper to use one more time before recycling. We made some little scratch pads for her to use. Here is what we did:

Materials:

Scrap paper
scissors
hole punch
string or ribbon remnants
markers or crayons

















Directions:

I cut a couple of pieces of scrap paper down to a good size for a scratch pad. I let my daughter use them as templates to cut the rest of the paper herself. Of course, her pieces were a little more creatively shaped. But, the point was to work on a craft and reuse the paper. So, carpe diem!

After she cut the paper, I used the hole punch to put a hole in the top of each piece of paper. Next, we used our thread to tie the pieces together. My daughter decorated the cover of each scratch pad. An easy project using resources at hand! My daughter is pretty excited about using her scratch pads--another plus!

 

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Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil {BzzAgent}

White Bean Bruschetta

**Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for the purpose of conducting a review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

As a member of BzzAgent, I received a sample of Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil to try. We use quite a bit of olive oil in our house, substituting it for butter and other oils whenever a recipe allows. Honestly, I cannot think of the last time I have used a different oil in a recipe. Shows you how much we use olive oil!

We gave Filippo Berio a whirl in a couple of recipes this week, particularly our Watermelon Cucumber Salad and White Bean Bruschetta. We found the olive oil to be easy to use and both recipes came out great!

I did give the olive oil a little taste on its own. I found it smooth with a mild nutty flavor. However, I kept getting a bitterness on the end. The bitterness was too overwhelming. I do not think I would use this oil for bread dipping, even with some herbs added. I did not notice this bitterness in any of the dishes we made with the oil.

Overall, I felt that the oil was versatile and good for cooking or making salad dressings. If you are looking for an affordable EVOO, this may be an option for you!

Some information about Olive Oil: Olive Oil is one of the healthy fats. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is known for its ability to decrease inflammation and is associated with a decrease in heart disease. However, when consuming EVOO for health benefits, remember that it is calorie dense (120 calories per Tbsp.)

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Summer Fun at Orbit Skate Center in Palatine {and a Coupon}

**Disclosure: We will be receiving complimentary admission to Orbit Skate Center in order to conduct an accurate review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% our own.

My family visited Orbit Skate Center in Palatine a year and a half ago when my daughter first entered the first grade. She had been invited to a birthday party at Orbit. Being a new skater, she was quite unsteady on her skates. After the party, I brought her to one of the beginner skate lessons offered at Orbit. After the lesson, she was more confident and was off on her skates. Needless to say, we really love Orbit and are happy to share a deal for Orbit from Windy City Kids with you!

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Watermelon Cucumber Salad {Munchie Monday}

We had a surprisingly tasty watermelon salad during a recent date night. After devouring it, I knew that I had to try to replicate it. This evening, my husband and I came up with this easy and refreshing recipe. Perfect for picnics!

Ingredients:

1-1.5 cups watermelon, cubed with seeds removed
1/2 cup cucumber, cut into thin wedges
1 radish, sliced very thin
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp fresh dill

Directions:

Whisk together rice wine vinegar, olive oil, honey and dill. Place prepared watermelon, cucumber and radish in large bowl. Add dressing and toss. You are ready to serve! Very easy!

**Tip: Measure olive oil with tablespoon first. Then, use the same tablespoon to measure out the honey. It will not stick!

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Strolling around Lake Katherine

A couple of weekends ago, we made our first trip to Lake Katherine in Palos Heights, Illinois. In addition to a gorgeous lake, Lake Katherine has a picturesque waterfall along with various rapids and pools. While winding on the trails, we discovered different gardens including a butterfly garden and a children's garden as well as an arboretum. The preserve has a Nature Center. Unfortunately, the Nature Center is closed in Sundays, so we were unable to take a peek. Another time! We found Lake Katherine to be a serene place to walk. Here is a look at the scenery:

 

Look at one of our friends from our hike:

 

One of his buddies actually caused quite a ruckus with a swan. The swan waived his wings quite rapidly and flapped them in the water to scare off some geese on "his" island.

We found Lake Katherine to be a refreshing option for a hike. The scenery just sets you at peace. Plus, the waterfall adds a little something different from the other places we hike.

Canoes and kayaks can be rented during part of the year. You can check Lake Katherine's website for details. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leash. Be sure to pick up after your pooch! Picnics are actually prohibited at Lake Katherine. Please check the website for more on visitor policies. There also are family events at Lake Katherine, so be sure to check those out!

Lake Katherine is open for walking dawn through dusk. The Nature Center is open weekdays 9AM-5PM and 10AM-4PM on Saturdays, closed on Sundays. Admission is free! The preserve is located at 402 W. Lake Katherine Drive in Palos Heights. However, I must warn you that we had to "trick" our GPS to find it.

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$20 Visa Gift Card and Potato Recipe Prize Pack Winner!!!!

Thank you to everybody who entered our giveaway of a prize pack from US Potato Board including a $20 Visa Gift Card and Potato Recipes. Our winner is Birdie! I have already emailed Birdie about her prize and she has 48 hours to respond or the prize will be forfeited. Thank you for your support!

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Kids Adventure Hunt {Learning, Bonding, Loving Life}

Working hard on the challenges.

**Disclosure: We received complimentary admission to the Kids Adventure Hunt in order to facilitate this review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% our own.

Yesterday, we completed the Kids Adventure Hunt in Arlington Heights. Children love scavenger hunts so you can imagine our girls' joy at doing a large scale scavenger hunt! Through a maze of clues, we covered the downtown area of Arlington Heights learning the whole way. The challenge allowed us to look at Arlington Heights with a more investigative eye, exposing some new treasures. We had a great time beginning our summer journeys with this adventure. Plus, the girls got to stretch their brains--not necessarily an easy feat in the summer!

Here is our experience:

Kat's take:

My daughter and I enjoyed the adventure hunt in Arlington Heights, organized by Yapa Events. It was educational (we learned a lot about the town's history), fun and good exercise, to boot!  I particularly like how it required her to hunt around for the clues to complete the challenges - finding names, dates, train schedules - instead of handing them to her on a silver platter.  Now in this age of the Internet and Google, I think a lot of kids don't have as well-developed a sense of fact-finding as they did a generation ago.  Today's event tapped into skills I want my daughter to have.  I hope Yapa does more of these type of challenges in different towns; my daughter would eagerly participate in them!


Mel's take: 

My daughter and I are history buffs, so this challenge is totally up our alley. The hunt took us by and through many key spots in Arlington Heights like the train station, Dunton House, the Village Hall and Berry-Yo. (Ok, well, Berry-Yo is key for those with a sweet tooth!) Even though I have lived in Arlington Heights for 10 years, I learned a lot and even visited the William Dunton statue for the first time. The walk is not strenuous and since you are in the downtown area, you can even stop somewhere for a bite (which we did--don't those girls look like they eat a lot!). There is a drink stop on the tour, but having a water bottle may be handy. Joan Dubnicka of Yapa Events has designed an impressively thorough adventure through Arlington Heights which even includes bypasses if you are short on time. There are photo challenges involved, which provide you with cute souvenirs. At the end, the kids receive a sweet treat as a reward for their efforts.{I don't think you will have difficulty solving the mystery of the sweet treat at the end!} If you are looking for something fun yet educational with the kids, I recommend this little adventure!

Some more info:

Yapa's Kids Adventure will be uncovering Arlington Heights for more families Thursday, June 13, Saturday, June 15 and Wednesday, June 19. You can start your adventure anytime between 9:30AM and 2:00PM. It took us about 4 hours to complete the adventure including a stop for lunch and a treat at the end. You can register through Yapa Events. The event costs $9 per child.

A surprise from the adventure:

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White Bean Bruschetta {Munchie Monday}

After visiting the Farmer's Market this weekend, I found myself with a nice loaf of bread baked by some French nuns {always providing culinary temptation} and beautiful asparagus. My husband and I were inspired to use these finds to try to replicate a White Bean Bruschetta that we love at a local restaurant. Here is what we came up with:

Ingredients:

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin
2-3 tsp olive oil
4-5 slices of bread
handful of asparagus, washed
Parmesan cheese, shaved
balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut your slices into triangles. Then, brush each side lightly with olive oil. Place each piece onto a cookie sheet. Place in oven for 10 minutes or until you have achieved the desired crispness. Turn your slices over about half way through.

While the bread is crisping, blend the beans, garlic and cumin in a food processor until smooth. Cut asparagus to fit on bread.

When the bread is ready, remove it from the oven. Scoop a bit of the bean mixture onto each piece. Put a few pieces of asparagus on top and press in lightly. Put back in oven for 5 minutes.

Next, sprinkle each piece with a little Parmesan. Put back in oven until cheese melts. Now, plate your bruschetta and drizzle a little balsamic on each slice.

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Firecracker Flags for Flag Day and the Fourth {Kids Craft}

We have some patriotic holidays ahead! My daughter and I worked on a cute patriotic craft this weekend and managed to incorporate some learning into it. We crafted some adorable firecrackers with historical American flags popping out! We assembled an assortment of seven different flags to add to our display and learned a little about each flag.

Here is what you need to make this project:

7 toilet paper rolls
red, white and blue construction paper
glue
scissors
ribbon
wooden skewers
tape
computer, printer & paper


The fun:

We began by cutting our construction paper to fit around the toilet paper rolls. One toilet paper roll will be in the middle of the creation, so it can be any color. Otherwise, you should have two of each color. Glue the construction paper around the rolls.

While letting our "firecrackers" dry, we headed over to USHistory.org to learn about different American flags. USHistory.org is hosted by the Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia and has a comprehensive timeline of American flags. Excellent resource! We read about various flags and chose some special ones to add to our patriotic display. Of course, my daughter had to choose the Betsy Ross flag! We chose 6 unique flags in all. We used today's flag for the center of our display. We printed out our flags and cut them out. To assemble our flags, we cut some wooden skewers to size and taped the flags on. Very easy!

To finish, just tie your "firecrackers" together (6 tubes around one central tube). We used a castoff ribbon from a gift. (I save all of our random ribbons for use in projects.) Then, put your flags in. Adorable, festive and educational! Bang, bang and bang!

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Kriser's Pet Foods Glen Ellyn {Grand Opening}

Kriser's will be celebrating a Grand Opening at the Glen Ellyn, Illinois location this weekend and I received a little sneak peek of this brand new location. As I entered the store, I noticed this nice display of baked doggie goodies. Tempting! Truly tempting!

Just a glance through the store and you realize its spaciousness. This design is not only pleasing to the eye but also easy for families with four-legged members to navigate.

Kriser's mission is to prolong pets' lives and to educate customers. And learn I did! Terry Colley, Store Manager, highlighted many of Kriser's products including supplements, food, treats and toys. He took special care to discuss products that will help with ticks. This is already a bad tick year for dogs in our area! (If you have an especially adventurous dog, you should as about the Tick Key. The Tick Key makes removing the head easy.)

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Chicken Soup for the Soul - Parenthood

It’s always an uplifting experience to read a title from the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.  I just finished “Parenthood – 101 Heartwarming and Humorous Stories about the Joys of Raising   (disclosure: we received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review).
Children of All Ages,” by authors Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Amy Newmark.

The book follows the Chicken Soup formula: presenting short inspiring tales from different contributors; here, they relate the joys and tribulations of childrearing.  The book is equal parts heartstring-tugging and funny.  Tales range, for instance, from a newborn who needs emergency surgery, to a tired mom thwarted in her efforts to go to bed early, to a dad’s musings on his daughter growing up, to a mom’s effort to communicate to her son with autism.

While some might view these types of stories as schmaltzy, for me, they are a reminder that every family has its own particular situations to deal with.  People have problems, make mistakes and don’t have all the answers.  But somehow, the joys of having a child come through and (hopefully) outweigh the negatives.

There were a few stories that resonated with me.  “Priorities” details a father’s feeling bogged down by the minutiae of life (bills, household tasks, etc.) until he receives a wake-up call in the form of his toddler’s scream.  “Suddenly, nothing in the world was imperative except making sure that my girl was okay.”   Thankfully, she was and he was left with a readjusted view of life.

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Mushroom-Parmesan Potatoes {Munchie Monday}

My family does love its spuds! We usually have them a couple of times a week. While we love our standard recipes, we do like to experiment a little. We especially get creative at the end of the week when we have random remnants of veggies left over. This recipe was inspired on the fly by items we already had in the house. Potatoes are so easy to work with and you can easily use them in recipes with other veggies!

Ingredients:

4 medium red potatoes
4-5 medium white mushrooms
1 tsp fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1-2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Scrub and quarter potatoes. Boil potatoes. Boiling should take about 20 minutes. Test potatoes with fork for doneness. Drain potatoes. Preheat oven to 350.   Clean mushrooms. Cut mushrooms in half or smaller by preference. Toss potatoes, mushrooms, 1 tsp olive oil and spices. Place in a baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan onto mixture. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake until cheese had melted. Very easy and tasty!

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10 ideas to get yourself organized for {summer break}

When the bell rings on Wednesday, parents in my neighborhood will be greeted by a stampede of exuberant children. While the kids will be scurrying home, some of the parents will likely be walking back a little deflated. Summer can sometimes be a challenge when it comes to keeping the kids busy and even a little productive. However, if you do some research and planning beforehand, you can make sure that your kids have fun and are productive instead of staring at the TV or playing video games ad nauseaum. Here are some ideas to help keep your sanity intact:

1.) Designate specific cleaning days: You may want to pick a specific day of the week when you would like kids to clean their rooms. If you have a larger cleaning project, you may want to warn the kids ahead of time. My daughter seems to do better with cleaning if she is aware ahead of time. If I spring it on her, no dice!

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