Kindergarten Photo Shoot

Lurlyn and I both have a child starting Kindergarten this year! Given the fact that they are both our first born kiddos, we are feeling a little emotional/strange about them going into "real" school! >weepy face<

As much as we are sad that we have to let them go and experience the real world, we are really excited for them and all they are going to learn! So, I decided to mark this momentous occasion by doing a Kindergarten photo shoot.

The mister below is my extremely adorable nephew (Lurlyn's first born)! He is my BF (boyfriend) and I love him to pieces. Since he started Kindergarten a week before my girl, I'm posting his photo shoot first.

I hope you enjoy my favorites and maybe it will inspire you to do the same with your kids. Maybe jot down a few of their favorite things with their picture to keep with you so you can always remember. Kids grow so fast and we forget the little things, so this will be a great reminder to look back on in the future.










































aaaaaand a behind the scenes look, just so you can get a taste (and a laugh) of what these photo shoots are like with 5 year olds... Classic!



Click HERE for the "girl" version! I hope these inspire!

Marionberry Pie

One of my favorite things about living in the PNW during the summer is berries. Sure, we don't have weeks of 100 degree weather, and our shoes don't melt on the sidewalk.... BUT, I do get to eat sweet, delicious, fresh, handpicked berries. Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, and in this case Marionberries. 

I am not an avid baker, and I do love the crunchy kind of pie topping like Nicole's Apple Crisp. So I set out to find a recipe that would satisfy all my needs. Easy and Delicious. Luckily, I came across this beaut. I have made it twice in the past few weeks, and I can't wait until the blackberries are ripe to have it again! 

The most interesting thing about this recipe was the use of Tapioca pudding. I was skeptical at first, it still makes my skin crawl thinking back to when my mom would serve it as dessert, WARM. It ranks up there with canned green beans. The recipe calls for quick cooking tapioca*, I used it the first time but the filling was too runny so I opted for the premade kind the second go around and it was perfect. It makes the filling very dense and deliciously glued together. Perfectly YUM. The almonds also add an awesomely unexpected twist of flavor. 

You are going to love it!

Ingredients:

Topping:

6 TBSP packed brown sugar

6 TBSP Almonds

6 TBSP (3/4 Stick) Butter. (The recipe calls for unsalted, I always use salted sweet cream butter)

4 1/2 TBSP old fashioned oats

4 1/2 TBSP all purpose flour

One pie crust. You can be Martha Stewart and make your own, our take my route and let Pillsbury give you a hand. 

Filling:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup quick cooking tapioca  (*I used premade tapioca)

2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

5 cups Marionberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For Topping:

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until moist clumps form.

For Filling:

Mix sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add berries and toss gently to combine. Let stand until the tapioca softens slightly, stirring occasionally. I let mine sit for roughly 2.5 hours. You may need to add a little cornstarch to your filling to make it thicken up. I made this on a hot day, so the heat affected mine for sure. Spoon filling into the crust. Crumble topping over berries.

Place a cookie sheet under your pie to catch drippings. 

Bake until crust and topping are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Roughly 45 minutes. 

Let cool for as long as your patience allows and enjoy.

Personally, I think it's even better the next day. 

I have had an insatiable sweet tooth lately, so come back tomorrow for my spin on cinnamon rolls.