Believe in the Magic Traci Diary

Recipes, Travels, and Stories

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  • Beginning of the School Year Photos (7th and 9th grade)

    Every year, I love to take photos of the boys on or near the first day of school.  I took some before they headed out on their first day.  Then 2 days later, we took the official photos.  I love seeing how much they have grown in a year.   (more…)

  • Homemade Pecan Pumpkin Butter

    I’ve wanted to make my own nut butter for a while.  Once I finally made it, I was so happy that I did.  Homemade nut butter has a much fresher taste than store bought.  Plus you can control the ingredients.

    The key to making nut butter is to first roast the nuts.  Roasting them helps to release the oils.  Don’t add oil to the nut butter.  It is just gross tasting and nasty.  Don’t ask how I know.  Roasting the nuts is better.  Trust me.

    Since fall is quickly approaching, I decided to make a pecan pumpkin butter with pumpkin spice.  YUM!

    Ingredients needed for Homemade Pecan Pumpkin Nut Butter

    That’s it!

     

    Homemade Pecan Pumpkin Nut Butter

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Print

    Ingredients

    • 2 & 1/2 c. pecans
    • 1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
    • 2 Tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
    • pinch of salt


    Directions

    1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Place the pecans and pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet.  Make sure it is in a single layer.
    3. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes making sure the pumpkin seeds and pecans do not burn.
    4. Remove from oven an allow to cool for 10 minutes.
    5. Add to a blender.  I used my Ninja blender.  Blend for 10 to 12 minutes or until the nuts become a butter like consistency.  (As you are blending, you may need to stop the blender to scrape the sides down.  I know I had to a few times.)
    6. Remove to a clean Mason jar.  Add the salt and pumpkin pie spice.  Stir to combine.
    7. Enjoy!


    You need to keep in the fridge.  It should last about 3 weeks if you don’t eat it all soon after you make it.

    I really want to make some pumpkin butter.  I would have it on top of toast and this nut butter.  That sounds so good.

    You can use less pecans and more pumpkin seeds if you desire.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

     

  • The Mysterious Baby Sock

    Last night I was sorting through the laundry.  My stuff, the Imaginative One’s, the Wee One’s, and dish towels were placed in different piles.

    As I was sorting and calling the boys to come get their laundry, I found this mysterious baby sock.

    I don’t know where it came from.  I mentioned it to one of the boys this morning but he didn’t know where it came from.

    I recognized it from 13 years ago.  Where had it been for the last 13 years?  Why was it in our laundry?

    I know it hadn’t been in the dryer for the last 13 years because we had gotten a new dryer since the boys were little babies.

    It might fit on the big toe of the Imaginative One.

    The Wee One might make it a challenge to put it on his foot.

    Until then we don’t know where this mysterious sock came from.

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    Have you ever found something that you don’t know where it’s come from?

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Mom, What’s For Dinner? – Week of August 12, 2018

    This is the first week back with students so I want to have an easy menu.

    Menu Plan Monday - August 12.jpg

    I also meal prepped for my breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.  Here’s what I made for this week:

    Breakfasts – Pina Colada Overnight Oats

    Snacks – Pistachios, Honeycrisp apples with cashew butter, Mini Bell Peppers with hummus

    Lunches –  Salad in a jar with strawberry poppy seed dressing, homemade fruit on the bottom yogurt with granola

    Since I have all my breakfasts, lunches, and snacks prepped, it’s easy to grab and go in the mornings.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Mom’s Visit to Golden Lamb | Lebanon, Ohio | Part 2

    The Golden Lamb is known as the oldest continuous running inn in Ohio.  Operations began in 1803 and still continue today.  In fact, there was only 4 vacant rooms left on the day we visited the Golden Lamb.

    Here is the link to part 1 of our visit.

    I smelled orchids around around his room.

     

    Here are photos of the fire board my Great Uncle painted in 1971.

    Until next time, have a magical day,
    Traci

     

  • Mom, What’s For Dinner? – Week of July 29th, 2018

    This week is going to be a little different with my meal planning.  I won’t be around for 3 maybe 4 of the meals so the gentlemen in my family are in charge.

    Yesterday, I did shopping so they would have easy meals on 3 of those days.

    On Wednesday, I have to go out to work so I can move classrooms.  (I’m just moving across the hall so not hateful.)  Anyway, I’m taking the Wee One to help me with the moving.  I told him that I would get him McDonald’s for dinner.  Hubby and the Imaginative One are on their own on Wednesday as a result.

    I’ve got a class at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Tuesday.  On Friday, I have the second part of the class at the Wilds.  I’m going out to that area on Thursday morning/ afternoon and spending the night by myself.  For my dinner, I bought a frozen dinner that I can warm up in the microwave in the hotel room.

    I’ll get myself food on the way home on Tuesday and Friday.

    Here’s the menu for the week:

    Sunday – We had pizza with the family.

    Monday – Grilled Cheese with Chips and Cucumber Slices and Celery

    Saturday – Breakfast for Dinner

     

    Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday – The food they can choose from are:

    • chicken nuggets and French fries
    • sausage and mac and cheese
    • pulled pork sandwiches

    I wanted the meals to be quick and easy for them.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Menu Planning Help – Create a List of Favorite Meals

    For years, Hubby and I have had a great system for getting dinner on the table.  I would get home and cook dinner.  Or I would put food in the slow cooker before work.

    This year, my schedule has changed.  I begin work 20 minutes later and as a result I get off of work 20 minutes later.  I won’t be home until almost the time I would typically have to have dinner on the table so that Hubby could leave for work.  (He works evenings.)  He’s going to be in charge of getting the boys’ dinner which is going to be an interesting experience.

    (more…)

  • Mom’s Visit to Golden Lamb | Lebanon, Ohio | Part 1

    The Golden Lamb is known as the oldest continuous running inn in Ohio.  Operations began in 1803 and still continue today.  In fact, there was only 4 vacant rooms left on the day we visited the Golden Lamb.

    The Golden Lamb is also known for their ghosts.  One of the famous ghosts is Sarah.  Sarah’s family moved to the Golden Lamb when she was 5 years old.  She grew up at the Golden Lamb.  However, there is stories of a young girl haunting the inn.  Some say it’s Sarah.  (I did not take photos of Sarah’s room.)

    Our reason for stopping at the Golden Lamb was because my mom’s uncle had been commissioned to paint a fire board in 1971.  I had been to the Golden Lamb previously so I had seen it in person.  Mom had not seen it.

    I guess they have not had the fire board out so we lucked out it since it was on display when we visited.

    Enjoy the photos I took of the Golden Lamb.

    I smelled orchids around around his room.

     

     

    Since I have a lot of photos of the Golden Lamb, I’m going to share more of the photos in another blog post.  I’ll have photos of the fire board in the next blog post.

    Until next time, have a magical day,
    Traci

     

  • Saying Good-bye to Folly Beach and Hominy Grill – Day 10 Part 2

    After we said goodbye to the beach house, we returned the keys to the house.  While we were in downtown Folly, we hunted for a new Folly Beach shirt for me.  Even though I already had a Folly Beach shirt that had been bought in 1999 during my first trip to the beach, I desired an updated one.  We finally found one that had a sea turtle on it.

    I made one more stop in downtown Folly at the coffee shop before our long 20-minute drive to downtown Charleston.

    Earlier in the week, we decided that our last stop in Charleston was going to be at Hominy Grill, one of our favorite restaurants in Charleston.

    The Wee One decided he wanted to try the yogurt and granola which totally surprised me.  He ate most of the yogurt and granola.

    All the Imaginative One wanted was French fries.  He is so picky about what he eats.

    Hubby had eggs with chicken while I had a veggie omelet with potatoes.

    After we were finished with our brunch, it was time to hit the road for the first leg of our trip home.  On the next blog post, I’ll share our adventure on the way home.

    Have a magical day!
    Traci

  • Newport Aquarium Part 1 – Post #5

    We went to the Toledo Zoo on a Wednesday. That Friday, we traveled an hour or so south to Newport Aquarium. These next three blog posts will be about our visit to the Newport Aquarium.

    You pay for your tickets outside. When it is busy, they will give you a time to come back. There is a gift shop and other shopping or restaurants around the Newport Aquarium, so you won’t be bored while waiting.

    After you enter the aquarium, you will be on the plaza. There is either an escalator or an elevator taking you downstairs to the exhibits.

    Before you start walking through the exhibits, there is a photo op. We opted not to get our photo taken.

    This video takes you through the World Rivers exhibit, the Shark Ray Bay Theater, a small tunnel, and then finally the seahorse exhibit which was very cool.

    We stopped at the Shark Ray Bay Theater to see the penguin show. Luckily, we were able to sit in the front row close to the penguin. So amazing to be that close to a penguin. They are such fascinating creatures.

    Enjoy my video.

    Join me next time for the second part of our visit to the Newport Aquarium where we walk through the shark tunnels and see the sting rays..

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

    This blog series is a 9 part series – 4 posts from the Toledo Zoo, 3 from the Newport Aquarium, and 2 from the Boy Scout Camp.