{Philly Love} Paint Nite

Okay, so....I know, I know...it's either feast or famine 'round these parts lately, huh? You have no idea how stressed I've been. This class I'm taking is killing me! Now, I'm doubling up classes so I can do my student teaching this fall so...just a heads up...it may get worse... That being said, I'm so excited to tell y'all about this great event that I went to with my mother in law and my sister in law. It's called Paint Nite! This group holds painting parties all around the Philadelphia area almost every night of the week. I saw their Groupon back when there was still snow on the ground...you know..two weeks ago...lol...only kidding. (So glad to have warm weather!) We got these tickets for about 40% off the regular price which is $45. Now all we had to do was pick a locale and a painting that we all agreed upon. We ended up in the Manayunk section of the city at Mad River Bar and Grill, the day after the river flooded. Other than the musty smell from flood, we had a great time! 

They had an artist and all of the supplies provided and set up for us. He went step by step how to create the painting but gave everyone the freedom to do whatever the heck you want. It was so much fun! I wasn't in love with the green on green dots, so I opted to add a little blue, just to change it a little more towards my tastes. Some other people went WAY off pattern and painted something completely different. We all walked away with a great experience AND a lovely painting to hang up. I can't wait to go again! I'm thinking a double date OR a mommy/daughter date. Either way, it'll make for another fun night! Interested? Just go to www.paintnite.com and register. 

Disclaimer: I was not asked by PaintNite to promote their business nor compensated in any way. All opinions are my own. 

Strawberry Patch and What to Do With All Those Strawberries

Well, I should just say that I'm a little bit behind...I've been taking a break from The Redheaded Princess because of the craziness of life. Between school, work, and my family I just don't have a lot of extra time lately so the RHP has been taking a much needed back seat. 

So real quick I thought I'd share my trip to the strawberry patch last month. We love to go up to ShadyBrook Farm in Yardley where they have a cute little market and a playground as well as a deli window where you could buy some lunch if you'd like. The girls got a little time on the playground this time but we decided not to eat there this time. My three princesses were great pickers!

Yeah, I don't usually get in pictures unless I do it myself...but here's my lovely little family with our box of strawberries.

So, my question is: What do you do with all your strawberries? Well, I made some freezer jam with mine, a strawberry gorgonzola grilled cheese, and some strawberry shortcake (recipes to come). Even after all that, I had a bunch of strawberries left over. So, I decided to hull the strawberries, cut them in half, rinse them and freeze them on a cookie sheet.

Once they were frozen, I put them in a gallon freezer bag and used them in some homemade smoothies. I wish I'd have taken a pic because they were lovely AND delicious! Oh well, next time...What do You make with your strawberries?

{Philly Love} Adventure Aquarium

Okay, so here's another edition of {Philly Love}. When we had our STAYcation in August we purchased the CityPass where we got to see six attractions in Philly for about half of the retail cost. Our last stop of the week happened to be Adventure Aquarium which is actually in Camden, New Jersey right across the river from Philly. We went on a Sunday with my mother-in-law's family and it was packed. However, the girls loved it! They have this really cool shark attraction where you go into a tunnel/hallway and sharks are swimming on three sides of you. Princess3 was scared and wouldn't let DH put her on his shoulders. It was my favorite part.

Our family

MomMom and her princesses measuring up.

Daddy and his princesses in the kids zone.

Princess5 is a turtle!

Surf's Up!

My little jelly fish.

I would definitely go to Adventure Aquarium again. The girls loved it!

See, I told you it was right across the river :) Just outside the aquarium.

{Philly Love} Philadelphia Zoo

So, another stop on our Staycation '12 via the CityPass was the Philadelphia Zoo. It was a gorgeous day. The last time we went to the zoo was with Princess8's school and it was miserable, wet, rainy and chilly. Not fun. This day we had a great time, especially since their Daddy was able to join us. We didn't pay for parking because we found a spot on the street so we were glad about that. Surprisingly the zoo family membership is pretty cheap so we may consider doing that in the future.

Tigers are such beautiful animals. I prefer to stay behind that glass though :)

We had to move out of the way so they could move the camels. I think they give out camel rides but we must've just missed it.

These girls make me take pics of them whenever there is one of these things.

In the petting zoo with the farm animals.

I love giraffes too. Right after this we saw Cecily Tynan (our Channel6 weather girl) walk by. She did the news from the zoo that day. I should have asked for her autograph, but chickened out. Oh well..

The feature at the zoo right now is The Lorax. It was pretty cheesey but the kids kinda liked it. I loved the movie The Lorax though! It was a great movie with a good message in it. May have to buy that one. 

Well, that's about it for the zoo. The Philly Zoo is pretty great. They have a ton of animals and are reasonably priced. I'd definitely recommend it for anyone visiting the area. We will be going back again. :)

{Philly Love} The BEST Cheesesteak in the City!

It has to be said. The best cheesesteak in Philly is NOT Pat's King of Steaks or Genos. Sorry all you South Philadelphians, but it's true. Their steaks are merely okay but they're nothin to write home about. While Pats and Genos are definitely two of the most famous Philly Cheesesteak joints and have been visited by the most celebrities with the pictures on their walls to prove it they just, like I said, are okay. I'm not much for cheese whiz or the high pressure ordering system either. Granted I will say it may just be an experience everyone should have on their first visit to the city, just don't make it your only cheesesteak stop while you're here. Or you may be disappointed.
So, where then should one venture to get THE best cheesesteak (in my opinion) in Philadelphia? Head on over to Henry Avenue in Roxborough to a small little place called Dalessandro's. They are quick, and don't put the steak together till you're there so if you order ahead, it won't ever be cold. Inside there is a small amount of seating (not ideal for small kids to eat IN) with a little counter with stools and small little tables. They have added outdoor seating as well in the last couple years. Oh, and the line is usually long but they are super fast. Oh yeah, and most importantly, Dalessandro's steaks are huge! Especially compared to those other two. The steak is chopped a lot more and not so thickly sliced as those other two either. Overall, Dalessandro's is THE best! I have had many different steaks in my 12 year tenure here and my husband who works all over the city and was born and raised in this area and has tried MANY different steaks..Dalessandro's is a family favorite. Try them! You won't be disappointed!

If you want to know how we order ours...DH just orders a cheesesteak with ketchup. I order a cheesesteak with mushrooms, fried onions and ketchup. I can't even eat half of mine they fill it so much. If you happen to go there, tell me about it. I'd love to hear from you :)

{Philly Love} Forbidden Drive

I'm back with another edition of Philly Love, aren't y'all excited?! On Saturday, out of the blue, hubby said he wanted to go to Wissahickon Valley Park (also known as Forbidden Drive). What?? For someone who isn't always the most spontaneous this was a surprise. Of course I agreed and we all hopped to. So, geared up with our 'sneaks' as our lovely Philadelphians call them (I always called them tennis shoes or tennishoes...it was pronounced as one word...lol) and were on our way. I had never been here before but had passed it many times and knew OF it because my sister in law likes to come here. It always struck me as a pretty cool place because it's actually IN the city limits. The trail is apparently 7 miles long along the Wissahickon Creek and ends near the Philadelphia art museum (you know where Rocky ran up the steps). There is also a little restaurant along the way called the Valley Green Inn.

The one trail, as you can see in the above picture is quite wide. Cyclists and walkers (and I believe people on horseback) have plenty of room for an easy stroll. (Warning: I saw lots of poison ivy, so watch out) We didn't walk a terribly long way, a little over a mile where we turned around and headed back. It's pretty tough for the littlest one. As her daddy constantly reminds me, "For every step I take it takes her two or three, so she technically is walking a lot more than we are." It's true, I know, but I still forget, poor thing. So after we turned around, we decided to try our hand at the other side of the river, the hiking trail. But first we had to cross the covered bridge. Apparently, according to this sign, it is the only covered bridge in any major U.S. city. Pretty cool. So we made our trek across the bridge and began hiking. Let me tell you, it wasn't that easy for a family with a 3 year old. Real smart, McFly, real smart. The girls did amazing though. We worked up a tiny sweat, well, scratch that, girls don't sweat, we glisten...ha ha. There was a LOT more poison ivy this way.  But the girls didn't touch any of it, since I was pointing it out constantly. We probably went a total of 2.5 miles altogether. Not bad for having a three year old with us, huh? She did really great too, I was so proud of all of them. Note my princess5 in the background? She, of course, has her pink tulle skirt on. We will definitely be going back. Next time we want to make it to the Valley Green In for lunch. One day, maybe DH and I will even bike the entire 7 miles. That'd be fun, and pretty amazing. Like I said, it's IN the city of Philadelphia. We have some pretty cool things to do in this city. The hiking reminded me of my days in Louisiana, (which were short-lived) when me and my sister used to explore the woods all day long. Kinda neat to have the great outdoors in a place like this.

For more info on this trail just CLICK HERE