"Angola? There's an Angola?"

Whew!  We just got home from Ayden's school fundraiser, I volunteered to bake and sell items before the whole fam came down with a nasty head cold.  But, I managed to pull myself together and ended up having a blast.  Adam and Zo were still a little under the weather so Ayden and I decided to make it a date!

I got some great ideas via Pinterest and after combining a few of them I came with these little ditties!

 This blog originally started as a way to document our BIG country challenge.  But it has started to evolved into somewhat of an online scrapbook/journal.  I can't help but think of how amazing it will be years from now to look at what my little family was up to each week.  That being said, I want to share a little of our Thanksgiving in Prescott.  I dropped the ball in the picture department but we did have the BEST turkey ever thanks to Grandma Debbie plus, my mom and I totally scored some good stuff during our 7 hours of black Friday shopping!  Thank you Deb and Family, we are thankful for you!

On to Angola....This was a tough one, Angola must not be known for their cuisine because it was hard to find recipes.  We ended up choosing Arroz De Coco E Papaia (papaia/coconut rice) & Grilled Pawns w/ Raw Sauce, I also roasted a chicken in case it didn't turn out.
We learned that Angola's official name is "Angolish Empire of Flying Snakes" which has nothing to do with snakes and everything to do with the founding fathers recreational use of LSD....Seriously, look it up.

 Next week: Iceland!

The Total Bummer Chilean Night.

My friend and client Sandy suggested that we do Chile since we had recently attended her niece's GORGEOUS Chilean wedding.  I actually styled the wedding party and was then lucky enough to attended the ceremony.  Jill, Wendy, Sandy, and Gene made me feel like part of the family and showed me such a good time!  Best part was that it was catered by D-Vine, who happened to cater my wedding rehearsal, if you haven't been there, Go.  Now.  You can thank me later.


Trying to be witty I figured we would have chili for Chilean night.  Chilean Chili that is.  Adam cooked while I was at work and did such a fantastic job.  Uncle Tyler came over to join us but just as our Chilean night took off Zoie had an accident.  I had left the smaller umbrella stroller out for her to play with and she had been loading and unloading her "babies" all day.  Looking back I should have seen this coming.....She climbed up backwards and face planted the kitchen floor.  HARD.  She instantly started screaming, then threw up, then bled from her nose or mouth or both.  It was bad.  I was panicked and poor Uncle Tyler was so worried about her.  We watched her for a few hours that night and she was back to her old self in no time, her forehead swelled a little but was gone by morning.  Even though my gut told me she was okay I couldn't stop myself from checking on her every couple of hours...all...night...long.  Needless to say the stroller is tucked away in the garage and I'm considering getting her a helmet, seriously.


Good News: Zoie and her head are just fine. 
Bad News: Chilean night totally sucked....sorry Sandy!

Great job on the Chili babe!  It was really good!

HOLY Mongolia! And Halloween too!

Adam picked Mongolia for one reason and one reason only.  YC's Mongolian Grill.  Allegedly my handsome hubs took me there years ago and I hated it, I guess he loves the place and still goes...just minus the nagging wife.  I vaguely remember this alleged incident and quite frankly, I really enjoyed it this time around.  There were lots of fresh veggies and funny looking frozen shaved meats that you piled and piled into your bowl, you combined different sauces to make your dish any array of flavors, then they throw it on a hot grill cook it up for you right before your eyes.  We all tried something a little different and sampled each others concoctions.  YUM!  Mom treated us all to dinner and we got to spend time with Uncle Tyler!  Thanks Guys!

   PRO's & CON's of taking our country challenge "on the road"

PRO's:  It's a great way to change it up and I don't have to do all the shopping, cooking...and cleaning!

CON's: All the snapping of pictures, reading of facts, and posing with food and decor makes every person in the restaurant look at you like you have lost you ever-loving mind.  So Worth It.

Totally changing the subject....Here are some pics of our Halloween!

See you next week!  Its my turn....Any suggestions?

South Africa makes 26??!!

Holy Cow, 26 countries down!  Can I allow myself to be super proud of my little family?  Okay, I totally am.  I spent the better part of last week helping my mom put together the amazing 1st annual Fall Festival at Jackpot Ranch.  It was lots of work, tons of fun, and turned out awesome!  I was lucky enough to have my wonderful Grandma-in-law to watch my kiddos while I was away.  We appreciate her so much and wanted to do something to show her, so I made her a Memory Jar.  I had made one years ago for my Grams and I thought that Barb would enjoy one too.  It's a great gift idea for somebody special and they are fun to make! 

Here's how: You write memories and things you love about your special someone and then fold and tie with ribbons or make into mini scrolls to fill your jar.  We had lots of fun remembering things we love about our G.G!

I don't consider my self to be a crafty gal, but I do like to do little things for Ayden's class on the holidays.  I usually put together little goodie bags with things like pencils, tattoos, and candy.  Here is a peek at this years spider themed baggies...

Adam and I made spider suckers by wrapping tootsie pops in black tissue paper and then added some pipe cleaner legs and googly eyes.  I even added a glittery red dot on the back!  We made a bed for our spiders out of candy corn and webs.  Here's the finished product:

I can't wait to drop them off!

Alright, I know, lets get to the point.  South Africa to be exact.  
Here is our Menu:

South African BBQ Chicken(amaze!), Cucumber-Zucchini Salad(so good!), Blue Cheese Biscuits

Everything was really good, who knew raw zucchini was so tastey?  Adam requested my biscuits which are just a package of Bisquick 3 cheese-garlic mix with a hand full of blue cheese added in.  They are a staple at our table and the perfect quick go to.  Delish!

Zoie liked it!

 We read our facts!

 

Did you know that the worlds largest diamond was found in South Africa?  It weighed 3,106.75 karats!  Now that's a rock!

On to number 27....Dad's pick - Mongolia!

Denmark & Dino's

Those of you who know me well, know that I love me some Oprah Winfrey.  I have watched her religiously and in my head we are BFF's.  One show in particular has stuck with me and I have talked and thought about it often.  The show was about happiness and the happiest places on earth.  #1- Copenhagen, Denmark.  Such a cool country.  Besides, what's there to complain about when the government pays for parents to have 52 weeks of maternity and paternity leave!

Here is a little clip I found on happiness and Denmark.

The down side?  They tax everyone at about 50%!

The best part about Denmark week was that we got to spend time with Auntie Alex and Papa Dana.  We spent most of Wednesday playing one looong game of the new electronic Monopoly (the kind where you have a debit card and you play with millions).  Then Dad and Alex hung out while my momma and I hit our favorite little theatre to see Spitfire Grill.

Alex stayed for a few days to watch the kids for me during fall break, she is the BEST auntie and sister, we all pretty much swoon for her.  She helped me make whoopie pies and dinner for country night.  It was kinda like having a sister-wife, which I am still convinced I need.  

We had Champagneskinke which is ham roasted in champagne (sounds way better then it was) and Caramelised potatoes that everybody enjoyed except moi.  I pretty much stuck to the salad that had feta, nuts, and dates...I was not much of a fan of Denmark's cuisine.  We read a few facts but we really wanted to show Alex our favorite (and nightly) dinnertime game, we use the cards from Apples to Apples, hold them to our forehead and try to guess what or who we are by asking questions like "can you buy me at  Walmart?"

Then I took the kids to the Museum of Natural History.  Ayden Fox loves history and all things space so I thought it would be a good way to spend our morning.  I had such a good time with my little chickens, I sure am one lucky girl.  Here are some pics.....

When Ayden and I got home from the Museum we got into our cozies, grabbed our laptops, went into his room, and blogged together.  He wrote his very own blog on the Museum, read it here.   

I'm Cuban B!

 

Pretty sure we were quoting this line all night.

Nana is at it again!  She chose to do Cuba this time and cheated a little with the help of Havana Cafe.  They specialize in Family style take out which is something Cubans are known for.  We had the paradise pulled pork meal with all the trimmings.  Including : white and black bean rice, Cuban cabbage salad, Maduros (sweet fried plantains), and chocolate cake!

After dinner and clean up we all practiced our animal sounds with little Zoie.  Nana had taken Ayden to the book fair earlier that afternoon and they both scored some great books!  Thanks again Nana!

Then we put the kids to bed and introduced Eliana to the Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virgina.  It's probably the most shockingly amazing thing my eyes have ever seen, and it never gets old.  If you haven't heard of it, have a completely warped sense of humor, and you love trashy reality shows as much as this girl then you have GOT to see it, its on Netflix.  Shocking doesn't even begin.  Here is what Eliana thought of it...

Thanks for doing another country Nana!  We love that you are getting into it with us but mostly we just love having you around.  Nana helped us learn that Baseball is very popular in Cuba and so are toiletries!  Toiletries are hard to come by in Cuba because supplies are so limited on the island, so locals totally appreciate gifts of toothpaste, make-up, etc.

My laptop is up and running again, which makes blogging so much easier so I will definitely see you next week!

G'day Mate!

The Ford's were a little under the weather this week.  Total bummer.  Never the less, through the sneezes and sniffles this "sheila" managed to get our Australian night checked off the map...with a little help from Outback Steakhouse....Points for creativity, Dad!

Outback can't help but reminds all of us of Grandma Debbie, it was one of our favorite places to meet up for dinner in Prescott...her ears must have been ringing :)  We haven't been there in forever but it was just as tasty as we remembered!  Ayden loved the bloomin' onion (who doesn't?) and Zoie ate daddy's lemon all while giving us some amazing sour faces.  We even tried to see which one of us could write their name the best using our left hand.

Dad went cursive...show off.

Australia has been on my bucket list for lots of reasons but mainly because it looked like so much fun when Oprah went.  Who's coming with me?  Keeping with tradition we brought along our facts to read.  Here's a little Aussie vocab for ya.  I love the way they speak, I might just start adopting it....that's normal right?

• Cotton candy - "fairy floss"  ( I mean honestly, does that get any cuter?)
• French fries are "chips" and potato chips are "crisps"
• Clothes - "clobbers"
• Candy - "lollie"  They call the game Candyland, "Lollieland".
• Girls are "sheilas" and boys are "blokes"
• If something is terrific it's a "ripper"

Cheers!  To our 23th country!  Holla! 

Madagascar Movie Night

I'm in computer HELL.  A few weeks ago our laptop stopped working.  We bought a new battery only to discover it was most likely the power cord.  No problem, I'll just use the desktop right?  Nope, apparently our desktop has taken a strong disliking to my camera and memory card and refuses to upload my pics.  Grrrr.  Finally, I decide I will just use Ayden's mini laptop.  Key word- mini.  You'd have to be a carnie to type on that thing, you know...small hands, smell like cabbage.  Due to intense frustration I will have to keep this one short and sweet.....  

Leave it to Ayden to pick Madagascar, I think he has watched that movie at least a hundred times.  I surfed and surfed the internet until I found a recipe that looked somewhat edible.  Appropriately named Madagascar Chicken, made with coconut milk and fresh ginger.  It would have been great served over rice, but we had corn on the cob instead.  It did earn a spot in my favorite recipe book, but I penciled in a few things, like adding some curry powder and more garlic.

Of course we couldn't do Madagascar without watching the movie!  We even rented the sequel in case we felt like a marathon. 

 Then we hopped into our jammies, popped some popcorn and cozied up on the couch.

Zoie had popcorn for the first time and LOVED it!

We learned that a vast majority of the 12,000 species found on the island of Madagascar cannot be seen anywhere else in the world!  It is also one of the friendliest places based on the notion of "fihavana" meaning Brotherhood, which basically entails always finding a way to get along and avoid hostility.  I think more countries should adopt the fihavana idea!!

Can't wait for next week!  Daddy picked Australia!!

Jamaica, Mom

 

The unofficial 5th member of the Ford family stopped by this week to do another country.  Nana took over our country night for the second time.  This time instead of cooking she brought us yummy takeout from one of her faves....Rumbi's!  She brought her Jamaican facts along and Ayden even let her put the pin in our map.  BIG honors! 

 Here's what we had:

• Jamaican Jerk Chicken Rice bowl 
• Voodoo Chicken Salad
• Calypso Spinach Salad
• Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich
• Key Lime Pie
• Jamaican Rum (Which we never ended up opening, but I have every confidence it will not go to waste)

Nana had some great facts too!  For example:

1. Many Jamaican believe in witchcraft or "obeah".  These beliefs include an evil spirit known as Rolling Calf that comes out to haunt people at night....creeeeepy!
2. In restaurants Jamaicans will ask if you are "having it" which is their way of asking if you are dining in.

Thanks for doing Jamaica Mom, we always have fun with you around and can't wait for your next country pick!  It has defiantly been nice having friends and family take over lately, but I am totally ready to get back in the game!  Ayden's pick is next, lets go ask him.  Madagascar?  Yup, wish me luck.

"Are they talking about China on T.V!?!?" - Tyler Allenbaugh

My little brother is home!  After 10 months in Oregon he just couldn't stand being away from his most favorite sister any longer so he packed up and moved home.  We all really missed him and just had to have him join us for one of our country nights.  The country of the week was China which is actually kinda funny because when Tyler was a little boy he used to think that lady parts were called "Chinas".  It's something our family still giggles about, and something he is probably not to happy about me broadcasting.  Good thing he doesn't read my blog.......psh.

When I was preggers with Mr. Ayden Fox, I had the worst cravings for those almond cookies that they have at Chinese restaurants.  I used to make Adam take me to this China Buffet in Prescott where I would fill my purse plate with as many as I could eat.  Adam thought it would be a good excuse to go again, but mostly I think the man just loves a buffet.  I have to say that it wasn't quite as good as I remember, they didn't have almond cookies, and Tyler was making me vom with the HUGE octopus he was eating, whole.

 

Tyler brough along his adorable girlfriend Eliana and some goodies for the kiddos.  What a good Uncle!  Eliana has actually been to China which is super cool and she even taught us a few words.  One of our facts was how fortune cookies were invented in a factory in San Fransisco, where my Grams and I have totally been to, toured, and tasted.  Delish.

Then we went bowling!!

 Which I completely suck at.  There isn't enough beer on this earth to make me a good bowler.  Tyler implemented some dancing rules that had us gettin' our groove on.  Had there been a score board for dance moves, I would have totally won.  Just sayin. 

World's worst bowler = me.

Ay, Columbia

Okay, okay.  I totally suck.  It's true, we missed a week.  In my defense, the past two weeks have been very busy for momma Ford.  So, in order to redeem myself and ease the shame I decided I would show you all some of my very valid excuses.

 First, I loaded up my adorable kids and took them to their G.G's house in Tucson where they got to play with their cousins for 3 whole days!

Then I worked a total of 37 hours in 3 days at the salon, oh man my dogs were barking!  Followed by a super fun sleepover/wedding vendors conference in Camp Verde.

 

There was tequila...in LARGE quantities.  Cute cowboy servers, amazing food from Red's in Sedona, beautiful decor, a much needed bloody mary brunch, and a connection that landed me a styling gig for Bridal Magazine!  More on that later...

Then...Kid Rock (and Sheryl Crow..HELLO!)

For those of you who don't know, my mother and husband are huge Kid Rock fans.  Like, HUGE.  My mother even has a Kid Rock tramp stamp that she proudly portraits.  We had such a great time and got to spend time with my other mother, Starla!

Okay, so that doesn't exactly make me sound that busy but I assure you, it totally felt that way. 

Finally, we got to Colombian night.

We had Pimentones Rellenos and Coffee Cake.  Basically, I bought a box of coffee cake mix and used Maxwell House Colombian coffee instead of water.  Points for creativity, right?  We learned that 95% of the worlds emeralds come from Columbia and that Columbia is the worlds third leading producer of women's lingerie.

Lastly,

Zoie has started making this hysterical face.  The first time she did it, Ayden and I were laughing so hard we could barely breathe.  I caught a couple of them on camera and just had to share....enjoy!

See you next week!  I promise!!!

Sweet, Sweet, Switzerland.

Switzerland ranks up there as one of the most fun countries we have visited and we owe it all to my mom.  She has been patiently awaiting her turn to do a country with us.  She pondered doing countries that begin with "D" since her name is Debbie, but D countries are very limited.  Ultimately, she decided to go with Switzerland and boy are we glad she did.  Because Switzerland is famous for Fondue and who doesn't love fondue???                                  

   Here is our journey to Switzerland.....

First we had to shop for our fondue ingredients AND a fondue pot.

Then we dipped and dipped to our hearts content.

Mini Zoie Photo shoot.....why not?

 We thought it would be fun to play a little prank on Adam.  So we poured these Jelly Beans into a bowl and asked him to guess the flavors.  It gave us a serious case of the giggles, the kind where tears run down your cheeks and your tummy hurts.  Ayden was bursting at the seams with the secret of the gross flavors.  Good thing Adam is such a good sport!

FUN FACTS:

1. The first known recipe for cheese fondue dates back to 1699.
2. Swiss Army knifes are red so they can be seen in the snow.
3. There are no mosquitoes in Switzerland.
4. It was once against the law to slam your car door.
5. Our personal favorite....It is against the law to mow your lawn dressed like Elvis.  What?!

My mom is one of those instantly likeable people.  Not only is she a fantastic Nana but she is my very best friend and there isn't a single person on this planet who I have more fun being around.  Mom, you did a great job and we had So. Much. Fun!  I definitely think you need to do it again!!  Love you more!

I see London...I see FRANCE!

Very FANCY French wine.

My Grams wanted to squeeze in one more country before she went all the way back to Alabama.  She had been to California the previous week and gone to a friends house that has started doing the country challenge with her family.  Which naturally, I think is awesome!  I have heard of a couple families that have taken our idea and ran with it, adding cute little twists and making it their own.  So cool.  This family had done France and Grams said it was really delish.   So we gave it a whirl.

 Its cooked with an entire bottle of wine, which doesn't suck.  Oh and crumbled bacon? Yep, pretty amazing.

 FRENCH vanilla ice cream sundaes!

I joke that my Grams is the wife I never had, she completely spoils me and won't let me lift a finger around the house.  She is the domestic goddess that I long to but will never be.  I hate that she lives so far away but I love the time we get to spend together on her visits.   Thank you for everything you do and for simply being YOU!

By the way, did you know it is illegal to water a grapevine in France?

 Nana has been patiently waiting to do a country......TONIGHT!

Hey, Mambo..Mambo Italiano

My first job was waiting tables at a place called Giovanni's in Prescott, Az.  After working there for a couple years I became a complete and total pasta snob.  I was spoiled by some awesome Italians with some incredible food.  Adam would come sit in the back room while I was working and order iced tea, after iced tea, after iced tea.  Even though he may have had an alternative motive for being there, he also loved the grub.  Giovanni's is still there but it's under new management and sooooo not the same.  Nothing but Giovannis will ever replace the stromboli sized hole in my heart, but I can say that we have found the next best thing.  It tastes like it, it looks like it, and I even think the logos are simailar.  Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce......  Floridinos (click here to try it...do it!).

Carb Heaven.

Now, those of you who have kids know that there is a window (ages 1-3ish) where dining out isn't exactly enjoyable.  Most of the meal was spent keeping knifes, large cups of liquid, and piping hot plates away from a very quick little girl.  We did read our facts and we did get to mark Italy off our map but I must say that I have definately had more relaxing meals in my day.  My Grams was here for another visit and of course she was just happy as can be, along for the ride, helpful, and not bothered one bit by the chaos.  Just another reason to love her!  Long story short, we basically ate and ran.  On the way home while Grams rode shotgun, Fox and I had a mini photo shoot....Who's a dirty kitty?

The next day we spent packing for our "staycation" to The Point Resort.  Ayden went down his first waterslide and Zoie girl rocked that bikini.  Sun, water, lazy rivers, and compfy beds were just what the doctor had ordered. But, there was one thing that trumped all the fun and sun...laying in bed between my mom and my Grams watching Pawn stars and reading Women's World, best part ever...hands down.

Next week....France!