The Great Tree Hunt

As you may or may not know, we love us a real tree.

Since this is our first Christmas in New York, we had to find a new tree farm. As you can imagine, there is no shortage of those around here.

We choose to go to our favorite local market, which was rumored to have a "U-Cut" tree farm.  This little piece of Heaven, North Star Orchards, is not only close to our home, but it's the epitome of a country market. In the summer, it's strawberry and blueberry picking. In the fall it's apple picking, pumpkins, and fresh pies. It's local coffees, syrups, produce, dairy, meat, and a fresh bakery. And apparently, in December, it's Christmas Trees.

North Star had an array of pre-cut trees, but we're always looking for a good challenge, and on a freezing, rainy day, we could think of nothing better than venturing out to cut our own tree. After inquiring about the mysterious "U-Cut" tree farm, the owner pointed us to a dirt trail behind the market.

"Drive back up in there. You'll find a variety of trees. $30 no matter what size or type. You need a saw?"

As a matter of fact, yes. We do need a saw.

So, we followed the small, hand-written U-Cut signs until we found a perfectly suitable patch of trees. We parked and then hiked until we found the perfect tree (and by that I mean until we got cranky and cold).

For obvious reasons (we're crazy) we were the only ones out there. It was serene and quiet, and despite the freezing rain, I'd dare to say we had fun.

 

 

Spent Grain Doggy Biscuits

Home brewing is something of a family affair here at the Stubbs' house. And by that, I mean Jackson and I usually head out... you know, Target... Old Navy... you get the idea. But the dogs. The dogs are Tyler's brew buddies. Kahla is a pro, and besides mowing the lawn, there's no way she'd rather spend an afternoon. Now we have a little Rebel in training, and so far he seems to be up to the task.

After all that hard work, its only fair they benefit from the brewing process. We're all about giving them a sip of hard-earned homebrew, but let's be real. They want some instant gratification, and if it involves peanut butter, even better.

Brewing results in a whole lot of 'spent grains' or wet, sloppy left over grains. The horses behind our house usually benefit (we hate to waste perfectly delicious grains). Now, we've perfected a dog biscuit recipe worthy of our four-legged helpers.

Spent Grain Dog Biscuits

4 cups spent grains
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups flour

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and press down into a thick layer on a greased cookie sheet. Use a cookie cutter to score the biscuits into your preferred shape (but don't cut them out yet!).

Put them into the oven for 30 minutes to solidify the mixture. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and break the biscuits free. Put them back in the oven at 225 degrees for at least 3 hours or until all moisture is remove. Ain't nobody want a moldy dog treat.

Voila! put those bad boys in an airtight container and distribute at your digression. We kept all the leftovers after we cut the shapes out - who cares if those pieces aren't perfectly german shepherd-shaped? They taste equally amazing (or so Kahla seems to believe).

 

Mmm! Grains.

 

You know, I suppose I'll just have a sip...

 

Mix it up!

 

Press away.

 

Done-zo.

 

Do not ask why we have german shepherd cookie cutters. No, we did not buy it them for this particular occasion, but I suspect Tyler had something to do with this years ago. How convenient though, to have that sitting in the back of our utensil drawer...

 



All Aboard the Polar Express

Here in New York, the Adirondack Railroad offers several themed train rides throughout the year. Each year, as Christmas rolls around, one particular train transforms into the Polar Express - and heads to the North Pole.

Kids and adults alike get cozy in their pajamas and head to the train station, where dancing and singing elves greet them. Everyone boards the polar express, where the magic of the story book comes to life. Santa makes his way through the entire train, taking time to sit with each family, finding out what everyone wants for Christmas, and finally, offering each child a Christmas bell.

While Jackson was still a bit too young to understand, he enjoyed the train ride, and now has a new appreciation for "choo choos".

Until next year....

Thanksgiving

This year, we have so much to be thankful for. A roof over our heads, a sweet little boy who manages to capture our hearts day in and day out, friends who keep us sane, and family who has never waivered in their support, love, and sheer awesome-ness.

This year, my parents made the trek from Colorado to spend the holiday with us. We spent the week eating, playing in the snow, eating, shopping, eating, playing games, and eating.

This time of year, my heart can't help but burst with gratitude and joy.

 

 

Honoring Those Who Serve

Today we take time to thank those who sacrifice so much to defend our freedoms. Without the less than 1 percent who defend our nation, we wouldn't be the strong, safe, and privileged country we are.

To those who have sacrificed holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and so, so much more - we owe you everything.

As we raise a little gentleman of our own, we have made it a priority to celebrate this day in a very real way. For our family, Veteran's Day isn't just another day off - it's a day to remember that our freedoms aren't free. It's a single day in which we reflect on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice , those who have made it easy for us to take our safety for granted. For at least one day, we won't take it for granted.

Today, we made a stop at a B52 Bomber on display outside of the old Griffis Air Force Base, where Jackson declared "arpa!" (airplane) over and over. He is obsessed.

We made a stop at McDonalds (gasp!) for Jackson's first happy meal. While it's not the most appealing choice, I'm not sure it gets much more American than a McDonalds happy meal (good, bad, or indifferent). It's an American child's right of passage, so, we did it.

Finally, we grabbed Kahla and headed out for an evening walk. We soaked up the lingering 60-something temperatures and enjoyed a beautiful, quiet sunset.

This might be the first year - ever - that I got Veterans Day off with Tyler. We tried to make the most of a beautiful, and important day.

To both of my grandfathers, to my dad and my uncle, to my father-in-law, and to my husband - you are my heroes. You are loved. To our countless friends and extended family who serve and have served, you are so appreciated. And to all of those who we don't know, and may never know, you too are needed, appreciated, and thought of.

Painting A Pumpkin

When it comes to paint and toddlers - there is exactly one mindset that will get you through the experience. "The messier, the better."

I knew that more paint would end up on our floors and in Jackson's hair than on the pumpkin, so I took the appropriate precautions - washable paint, a tarp, and plenty of wipes. (The wipes were not to clean him up, but just to get enough paint off to get him up to the bathtub without dripping on the carpet).

And we rocked it. We got messy, dumped paint all over, smeared, walked through, and sat in it.

The messier, the better.

Creepy Close to Home

It's that time of year, when things that seem perfectly normal become totally creepy.

Ok, this is probably creepy year-round, but I never gave it a second thought until the leaves started falling off the trees and the days became shorter. The Oneida Correctional Facility, located just miles from our house (welcome to Rome, where prisons can be found, well, everywhere) is a beautiful old facility. It looks like it could be an old mansion, an entire campus of historic buildings. That is until you notice the medium-security electric fence and security cameras that encompass the place.

The campus is made up of 47 buildings on 85 acres of land, and opened in 1988 as a medium security correctional facility. The earliest buildings on the land date to 1886.

If you think that's a little weird, consider this. the campus has been shut down, leaving most of the buildings abandoned and the property unmaintained. Only a few buildings seem to remain in use, and in the morning and evenings you can see the lights in those few buildings, and only those, on.

I assure you, we are perfectly safe in our home. In fact, the old campus is currently for sale (see more pictures here) - but this place is practically begging to be the setting for a scary movie, so I thought it only appropriate to post about it tonight, on the eve of Halloween. Hey - maybe American Horror Story should consider it for their next season?

Happy hauntings!

(photo credit goes to nydailynews.com)