Leaves, carving and a bomb diggity dinner!

Xander had his speech class today, Jason told me on their walk to take Xan to class a high school aged girl was walking towards them. When they met up and were about to pass each other Xander looks right at the girl and loudly says "women are beautiful!" Then he adds "right Dad?" LMAO. The girl was flattered and said thank you. My little ladies man, 5 years old and already the cheddar LOL.

After class we headed to a little park to play and have lunch.
To Hayden's delight the park was covered in leaves.

Lots of fun tossing the leaves around.

Lily for some reason insisted on wearing a shirt and sweater she outgrew 18 months ago LOL. I hate when they find old stuff that I haven't weeded out yet, because it always becomes their most prized possession ugh.

It was a beautiful day, when the wind would stop...the kiddos played for over an hour.
They started building a big pile for jumping.

Jericho couldn't wait for it to get very big before he started off the jumping frenzy.

Then the leaves started flying.

Hayden had a little surprise for her Dad :)

A quick lunch...then time to head home, we were all starting to get a tad chilly.

Xan walked over to sit on the slide and eat his cookie. Then Lily decided to join him. Before I knew it I had a cute little photo op on my hands :)

It is still hard to get everyone looking and smiling at the same time.

My 4 cutie pies!

When we got home the kiddos (minus Xander who was spending a rare moment with some Angry Birds,) helped Jason and I finish up the final pumpkin carvings. Jason who usually does the pumpkin scooping out...eww, had some help from the kids this time, thankfully...since Jason's hand had a hard time fighting in those tiny pumpkins. Our OCD child Hayden flat out refused to use her hand, we finally got her a spoon and she got to work. Jericho and Lily loved doing it with their hands more than using the spoons LOL.

The tiny things are so hard to carve. Next year big pumpkins for sure. It didn't help that Jericho broke his Micky Mouse one...so now it is just a cut out instead of looking of all cool. Oh well...they will be decomposed in a week anyway LOL.

Tonight's dinner...OMG. I would have loved to have seconds. Another "Skinny Taste" recipe, but this one rivaled fast food...seriously.

Grilled Hawaiian teriyaki burgers.
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs 93%  lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce (or more if you like it spicy)
• 8 slices fresh pineapple (we used canned)
• 8 whole wheat 100 calorie buns
• 8 lettuce leaves

For the pineapple teriyaki sauce:

• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, very fine
• 1 small garlic clove, minced

Directions:

For the burgers: Gently combine the ground beef with grated carrots, scallions, ginger, soy sauce and sriracha sauce. Form into 8 equal sized patties, try not to overwork the meat so it doesn't get tough.

For the teriyaki sauce:  Combine the cornstarch in cold water and dissolve. Set aside.

Mix soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, grated ginger and garlic in small saucepan over medium-low heat; bring to a boil and simmer until sauce reduces, about 15 to 18 minutes. Add cornstarch water mixture and simmer until thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Heat the grill. When hot clean the grates and spray with oil. Place the patties on the grill and cook on high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until burgers are cooked to your liking. While the burgers are cooking, grill the pineapple slices for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

To serve, place a piece of lettuce on the bottom of each burger bun. Top with the cooked burger and 1 tbsp of teriyaki sauce, then top with grilled pineapple.
330 calories and 10 grams of fat for 1 burger.

Served with...

Twice baked super stuffed cheesy potatoes.
Ingredients:
(18 oz) 4 medium russet potatoes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1 tbsp minced chives (optional)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork. Place in the microwave and use your baked potato setting until the potatoes are cooked through, turning half way. (Or you can bake 1 hour in your oven at 425° F)
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine cauliflower and broccoli with a little salted water and cook, covered for about 3 minutes.
Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside, continue cooking the cauliflower until soft, about 5 more minutes.
Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
Preheat the oven to 400°F

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop the flesh out into the large bowl with the cauliflower, leaving a ¼" shell. Place the potato shells on a baking sheet.
Mash the flesh with a potato masher or puree with a hand blender along with the cauliflower. Add the buttermilk and salt, mash until smooth. Fold in half of the shredded cheddar (and chives if desired).
Spoon the potato/cauliflower mixture back into the shells. Top with the cooked broccoli (I just inserted them in) and remaining cheese on top. Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted. (you can also microwave it for a few minutes if you prefer not to use the oven)
146.5 calories and 3 1/2 grams of fat for a stuffed potato half.

It was FABULOUS...even the kids wolfed it down. This will be made again soon! Try it, you will thank me later, Jason and I both thought the burger...even without any mayo and all that crap was just as good as any fast food burger. I wish it was tomorrow so I could have one of the left overs already LOL.