Nightmare Express...Happy Birthday!

Wednesday was Mark's 35th birthday! I fixed his favorite soup (I'll put the recipe at the end of this post) and of course pumpkin cake...we had dinner with his family, opened presents, then headed over to the halloween train in Lindon...the Nightmare Express! I don't really have pictures of the train (we were too busy enjoying it!) but it's a little train that runs all around the neighborhood, and they make these awesome spook alley scenes in all the tunnels...it's so fun! All the "helpers" are in costume, and while you wait your turn you get to watch Nightmare Before Christmas on the big screen in this huge garage. It's just scary enough to put you on edge, but not so scary to make the little ones cry...So fun! Here are some of us while we were waiting in line...

Kristen & ChrisGrandma "Cruella DeVille" and Grandpa her puppy
My little monkey Ammon

Steph the devil, Holly the indian, Ella the mermaid

By the way what is it with kids and dressing up as so many different things in one year? Today for Halloween I think they are on their third or fourth costume. Good thing we have a lot of dress-ups around the house! this morning before school I was scrambling to find things since Josh decided to be a pirate and Holly decided to be bat girl. For the ward party the girls were dinosaurs & Josh was an army dude. Then we had an indian & mermaid at the train, princesses another time, Tinkerbell for dance class...I'm just waiting to see what they'll be for tonight!? When I was a kid we did one costume per year...is that too much to ask?

Albondigas Soup with Cilantro Pesto

(Albondigas means "meatball" in Spanish I think. I've heard this is the national soup in Mexico. BUT I think it's way faster & easier to skip actually making the meatballs and just doing it as follows and it still tastes the same...yummo!)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 white onions, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove, minced

6 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups water

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 cup white rice

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp salt

In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onion in oil until soft. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and water, stir well and bring to a boil. Add the ground beef, rice, and seasonings. Simmer uncovered until meat & rice are fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile make the cilantro pesto:

Cilantro Pesto

1/2 cup coarsly chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

2 Tbsp. water

1 fresh mint sprig, stemmed and chopped (optional)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

Blend all together.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of cilantro pesto; serve at once.