Aurelia and Her Independence

Aurelia likes to decide exactly what she wears nowadays.... here are a few photos....

I had to share this....She's SO CUTE.

Aurelia's B-day Dressup Dance

As many of you know, Arie turned TWO this past week!  I had to work all day and then go to class so I wasn't able to spend much time with her on her actual birthday but on Friday we had a lot of mommy and me time.  We went to the Barnes and Noble Storytime and then she got a fun Disney Princess Dressup Trunk for her birthday.  Here is a video of her dancing in her pink princess dress up clothes:

Burmese Masala- My grandmother's recipe

There are a million kinds of masala out there... here is a simple recipe for meatballs, and seasoning your ground meat! 

Ingredients:

1. Mustard Seeds
2. Fennel Seeds
3. Cumin Seeds

Dry roast equal parts of all of the seeds on medium heat.  Once you smell the aroma of the spices come out and the mustard seeds start to gray, you know they're ready. 

Grind the roasted mixture. 

POOF!  You've made masala!

My New Project!

I started a new project this year with  my mom....

She makes the best Burmese food, and growing up I ate rice and some sort of curry or other Burmese dish every single day but I never bothered to learn how to cook it.  It was SO NOT COOL when I was a teenager, and oh how I regret not taking the time to spend with my mom to learn about Burmese food.. which was essentially the centerpiece of our family's life and culture.

When I was in college, I asked my mom to send me the recipes for some of the dishes she made... but being the amazing Burmese chef that she is.. she couldn't send a recipe because she didn't measure or really time anything she made.  She just knew by eye-balling all of the ingredients and she knew when a dish was done, it was done.....no timer needed.

This year, every couple of months, I asked my mom to come over so I could document the Burmese dishes she made- I could take the photos, write down directions, and measure all of the ingredients, and even try to time who long it takes to cook the dishes.  This way, Aurelia will also have the recipes for her own cooking adventures when she grows up!

Check back in every few months for new recipes.  I will warn you now though...these are not quick dishes to whip up.. you'll need a good amount of time to spend on them.....:)

I don't want to go home...

Maui was a total dream come true...so many things to do and see... we were lucky we saw most of the island. 

The best part of the trip was getting to know Jon's Aunt Clair.  On one of the first nights, she said to me... "You're not just on vacation in Maui....you're visiting Haycraft family memories and history."   It was really fun to see all of the places Jon used to visit as a child and the memories he had...he was so happy to be back.

I am not looking forward to the cold MN winter....Maui weather was absolutely perfect.  It only rained at night and it was sunny and about 80 the whole time we were there.  How lucky...

On Friday, we went to Upcountry- where the farming and green pastures are.  There were cute little towns and so much local art!  We went to flower gardens and shopped in the little boutiques... but by far the best in upcountry we saw was the Ali'i Lavender Farm.  You could smell the lavender the moment you stepped out of the car... it was so cool... AND it was FREE!  They also did everything in a sustainable manner....when they started working on the farm, they worked with local merchants and artisans to outfit their gift store instead of taking business away from the locals... how cool is that?

Saturday, we went on the Road to Hana...and drove home on the road NOT meant for tourists.... and there's a reason for that... it's super scary... we should have known better!  We made it home safe though--thank GOD!  We swam in the Pools of Oheo, saw a black sand beach, and many many waterfalls and drove through a bamboo forest!  AMAZING!

I wish I could stay forever.. it's too beautiful....

Here are more photos from our trip....

Amazing Maui

We've had a few very busy days- but still feeling very relaxed!  I don't want to leave- EVER. (ha!)

This vacation has been such a dream- the people are so nice here and Jon, Arie, and I are having a blast!  Here is a list of things we've been up to the last few days:

-Kapalua Bay Beach
-Snorkeling, whale watching, turtle watching, trip to Molokini Crater
-Shopping and sight seeing in Wailea (Ritzy area of Maui)
-Iao Valley Park
-Luau
-Checking Lahaina out....awesome arts scene! AND the Banyan tree is crazy huge!

Aurelia even came snorkeling with us!  They had a little board especially for babies and folks who weren't comfortable with the snorkel gear.  The crater was fun- although the variety of fish wasn't there, it was still a great experience.  We saw a few whales--a calf and a momma whale too!  The sea turtles are so magical....when they went back in the water, Arie said, "Where'd they go???"  It was adorable. 

The beaches here are amazing!  The clarity of the water is unbelievable.  At Kapalua Bay, there were people snorkeling right off the beach. 

We went to the Iao Needle and hiked around the park there.  It was amazing to me to see such lush forest after a 5 min drive from the ocean. 

Last night, we went to the Old Lahaina Luau.  Aurelia was just having a ball!  She loved the dancers and even tried to do the hula as she watched.  She met a little boy named Charlie at the next table and flirted with him a bit.. it was his 2nd birthday. 

I could write so much more, but I should really get back to Arie and Jon :)

Here are a few photos:

Today we're not sure what we're going to do.... maybe baby beach so Arie won't be too scared....the Maui Ocean Center?