Waffle Dog Grilling!

Behold! Our latest treasure from our newest hobby, estate sale hunting: The Waffle Dog Grill. Oh yes, this kitchen gadget hails from the 1960s and with camp-outs on the horizon we could not pass it up. Well, my mom couldn't pass it up, and then she left it here for us - which is kind of a love/hate thing for us. But, feeling a little nostalgic for Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, we had to fire it up while enjoying our 70 degree weather.

Note the original box and pristine condition, complete with original recipe guide. Note my commentary sounds a bit like Ben's latest passion: Antiques Road Show (hence our new family estate sale scrounging). Antiques Road Show is deathly boring, but I am happy it has replaced World Poker Tour on our TiVo, and because it has "slow moving camera angles" and does not have many "cut aways" and "flash", we can justify having it on while Elliot is in the room and might watch...this is her blog, right, I should at least mention her!

Heating the Waffle Grill (Chris, note the handles are not long enough to throw in the campfire. We'll have to remember to bring a remedy.)


The first batch! Lessons learned. And the box said they are supposed to be golden brown. These are clearly Bisquick colored. But if we had waited for them to brown, we couldn't have gotten Elliot to the park before bedtime (see I mentioned her again).


Noting the recommended condiments on the box, we decided to stick with the pros and use them all. Ben was not so sure about this, but he came around. We all preferred the syrup over the catsup (except Elliot, who wasn't eating either).


I'm a little bummed at the camera photo quality control on our end product, but we only took one shot, and someone didn't know the importance of food photography, and someone else wanted to eat more than take pictures. The beer is not part of the recommended sides.


And finally, here she is!! Banging on the screen to come help. And if you've read this far, you will be rewarded with the knowledge that ELLIOT TOOK HER FIRST STEPS TODAY! Yep. 3 in a row. Trying to grab my headband. Yay! She is so great. We're gonna keep her.

Memorial Day Memories

Grandma came to visit for the weekend. We had lots of low key fun.


Elliot loves playing with mommy's headbands and her shoes.


Elliot aces her first general contracting gig. She is armchair pointing at daddy.


Charlie was upside down...so Elliot wanted to try it too.


Auntie Kassi this one's for you. Good job passing your test and see how much Elliot loves her octopi...below she is eating it. Hasn't tried calamari yet, but soon enough I am sure.




Elliot & Charlie enjoy "prentzels" on the blanket.


A tooth, a tooth! Our little snaggletooth (bottom left)


Elliot's first Guster concert at the Hatch Shell. We like to call them Uncle Guster at our house.


Walking from the concert back to Beacon Hill.



We know how to show Grandma a good time! We took her to Home Depot...like she doesn't get dragged there enough. She showed Elliot a good time by steering Seanie's favorite #20 race car. Elliot LOVED "driving".


The gang hits the Franklin Park Zoo. Elliot slept the WHOLE time we were there. She only woke up right before getting back in the car. I am sure she wondered why she had to ride in the car all day


Elliot saddles up to Grandma in the petting zoo.


Ok, she is barely awake. We back tracked to the tiger, aka "kkkkeeeee" so Elliot could see one non-barn animal. Clinging to Daddy seemed a good idea.


That ostrich is not real...but we did not get many Ellie with the animal pictures due to narcoleptic child. There might be more fake animals at the zoo than real ones...

E eats Everything!

Everything that does not require teeth that is. Though, she just cut her first tooth. Its not totally in yet, but the little toothy stub is visible on bottom. She does not like showing it off for us or the camera. In Key West Elliot grew accustomed to eating out. As a result, most of our photos involve high chairs in various locations, which in retrospect, do not look all that different. Its just Elliot in another high chair. Here's a smattering.

Unsuspecting Elliot at Camille's in Key West. She ate Cuban toast! Sounds more interesting than it is.


Cafe Med in Key West. We were the only people there for dinner! Good thing we had our own private dining room. Elliot was a yeller that day. And she liked the mushroom tart, cucumber gazpacho, and lots and lots of white fish.


Here at My Blue Heaven in Key West, Elliot remembers one more thing she would like to do. Pet the kitties and chase the chickens after breakfast! They were roaming all around outside.


The waiter at 915 Duval St. Said that Elliot looked
"serious". Sure, she was serious about her fried polenta cakes!


And it had to be done, but Elliot is not even a year old and already she has been to Margaritaville. No margaritas or cheeseburgers in paradise for her, just lemon water and more fish. We keep giving her the lemons as a joke, but she jokes us by eating them!

Elliot About

Elliot likes playing in her room. She is very busy taking everything off the shelves.


Look what I found when we opened the dresser drawer! Sheffield has a very sibling-like relationship with Elliot. He likes to be around, but not too close and if she approaches, he scrams. But today, he could not resist sleeping in her dresser. But yesterday she could not resist petting/pulling his tail. He bolted away, she did not let go and was a bit stunned when she fell over.


Elliot is again practicing her drunken sailor moves while climbing around.


Thanks to "Lamby", Elliot is practicing kisses & hugs...thus far its a bit slobbery, but sweet.

Key West is Best

Yesss! Vacation is underway and Elliot is victorious and raising her mommy's beer to cheer.



Elliot aka The Donald sporting a 5 O'clock shadow of sweet potatoes.



Elliot chillin in the guest room with a view.



Cruise ships are big! Not that we were on one, but we saw a different one in port every day.



At the Secret Garden we learned that when Elliot eats soil, she is eating 5 billion microorganisms. Yum!



Ernest Hemingway has a lot of kitties roaming around his house. Elliot's 2nd word was Kitty. It sounds a lot like a hissing noise with a hard c. In the Hemingway house people can't touch a thing, but the kitties are allowed everywhere.




Turtle Kraals for dinner at the Harbor. FYI, if the turtle races at the bar start at 6PM. Don't show up at 6:04 like we did, or you will miss the whole thing and be forced to drink your key lime margarita without a turtle race to watch. Poor us.




Elliot has taken a liking to eating out everywhere and is a great sport about it. We could have a whole separate post of her in various high chairs throughout the Keys. Here she is at Kelly's Carribean (owned by Kelly McGillis, but seems like a front for other illegal activity). This girl ate more fish (mahi mahi and grouper) on this vacation than we should admit.



The butterfly conservatory was very cool.



At the Custom House Musuem downtown there was a special exhibit of impressionist art recreated in 3-D life size sculpture that we were encouraged to touch/climb on. Recognize any of these paintings? Look closely at the group dinner, Elliot is a guest!




Ahhh, the beach!



Chickens all over the island and especially in the Chicken Store. Elliot loved it. We were a little icked out.


The Beach again!


And finally, clowning around the pool with Dad.

Farmin Around

Last weekend it was supposed to rain cats and dogs. Instead, it turned out overcast and lovely! We ran into Mindy & Charlie at Stella Bella and promptly blew out to the Sheep Shearing Festival in Waltham.


Elliot has taken to storming the camera whenever it is out.


First stop at the festival, the photo op. I can't believe Ben allowed this with the soft serve ice cream truck so clearly in sight. Elliot is not so sure about her head in a daisy.



Ice Creams in hand, we hit the muddy slopes to watch the sheeps being herded by border collies that could dribble soccer balls. Very exciting. Elliot was pointing up a storm. We have no evidence of this. Trust us, the girl likes to point.


Sage old farmer sat the sheep down like a big teddy bear and snipped the wool away.


Alpacas!


Elliot loved all the animals.


Ben loved the baby tiny goat. It's hard to get perspective here, but its only about 6 inches tall!


After the festival, Elliot has a drink with Daddy.


The next day she is up and at 'em. Earlier and earlier all the time!