September Holiday Recap (part 2)

And now, as promised, is the exciting conclusion of our September holiday recap. (If you missed part 1, you can catch up here.)


September 18th: National Cheeseburger Day
This one fell at a great time, because I had an incredibly busy day and didn't really have the time or the energy required for cooking a real dinner. So thank you, National Cheeseburger Day, for giving me an easy out. (And thank you, my awesome husband, for agreeing to pick up burgers for everyone!)

September 21st: Oktoberfest
The start of Oktoberfest gave me a good chance to introduce my kids to something new. As usual, it was nothing fancy. But it was new and different, which made it fun. I served up some brats with sauerkraut and German potato salad. (Plus some pickled okra, because it was right next to the sauerkraut in the store and sounded really good.)

My daughter wasn't too sure about the unusual meal.

My son was mostly excited about the pickled okra. (Turns out he and I are the only ones who like it. So... more for us.)

And then my daughter discovered that she really loves bratwurst.

And these smiles completely explain why I do it.

September 26th: Love Note Day
I'm not sure where she got the idea, but my daughter had been asking me for a while if she could send a note in her brother's lunch. And finally (thanks to a little nudge from this adorable holiday) we remembered to actually do it.

Now if that doesn't just melt your heart, I don't know what will.


September 30th: National Hot Mulled Cider Day
Ok, so by this time of the year it is supposed to feel like Autumn. Temperatures are supposed to be dropping, and we're supposed to be thinking about things like falling leaves, sweaters, and hot cider. But unfortunately we don't really get that sort of weather here in Arizona, so we just kind of have to pretend.

I almost forgot this one, but fortunately the people at the grocery store know how to pretend that it's Autumn here too, and the display of apple cider reminded me to pick some up. I had never made hot mulled cider before, and the kids had never had it before, so this was another great opportunity for all of us to try something new.

Turns out it's really simple to make. I just poured a bottle of cider in with a sliced orange, some cloves, a couple of cinnamon sticks, and a little bit of brown sugar. (Have I ever mentioned that I'm not big on measuring? Most of my recipes include "some" and "a little bit of" stuff. It all works out, though.) I let it simmer on the stove while we had dinner, and besides tasting yummy, it also made the house smell fantastic.

Like I said - not really "hot drink weather" here yet. But for this deliciousness we could make an exception. And seriously, the smell alone was worth it.

Yep. Total parenting win. :)