Bakerchick

I'm Moving!

2010-06-17T09:14:00.002-04:00

Hello! I'm so excited to announce that I'm moving! Not to a new house, but to a new blog. As you know, I've recently taken up paper crafting, and I'm really loving it. I've decided to take this hobby to the next level, and open an Etsy store to sell my products. I've also decided to become a Stampin Up! demonstrator. I will sign up this week, and be ready to sell next week!

My new blog is called Krafty Christy. I will be posting about all the new projects I'm making, and I may even throw in a recipe or two. I would greatly appreciate if you would hop over and check it out, and please leave a comment. This will be my last post on Bakerchick. Thanks so much for taking the time to read Bakerchick! I sincerely hope you enjoy Krafty Christy just as much!

Christy

www.kraftychristy.blogspot.com

End of the Year Teacher Gifts

2010-06-11T16:46:00.004-04:00

I decided to make some up little teacher gifts for the end of the year. I've seen this idea for hand stamped note cards on several different blogs and I've been wanting to try it myself. So this is my take on it.

This is the set I made for my son's teacher. It's stamped using the Medallion stamp and Basic Black ink from Stampin up. You'll see lots of projects on here using this particular stamp. I love it! It's so pretty and versatile.

This is the note card holder. I got this idea from Angie at Chic' n Scratch. She is very talented! If you would like to see instructions for this please click here. Scroll down and she has a video posted.

These are the matching note cards.They are approximately 4"x4". I really loved doing these and I'm going to do lots more and add them to my Etsy Shop when we come back from out vacation. Thanks for looking!

Phone Book Page Flower

2010-06-05T17:07:00.005-04:00

Today's card is one I made using a Phone Book page flower. I have several phone books lying around, and stumbled across this technique on Jessica Witty's Blog, witticisms. She gives instructions on how to do this and it's pretty easy.

I had a little trouble deciding what to do with this card. But then I got some goodies in the mail that I bought on ebay, and the pretty brown paper worked perfectly with it!

So here is the finished card. I like it!

I think I may actually add some brads or a little something else to it before I put it in my Esty Shop. If I do, I'll post the finished product.

Til next time!

It's Been A While....Again

2010-06-04T08:13:00.005-04:00

So I've decided that I totally suck at this whole blogging thing. I love, love, love, to read blogs. Blogs about cooking. Blogs about life. And my latest obsession, blogs about paper crafts. I was introduced to stamping by my good friend Rebekah. She's a Stampin' Up Demonstrator. And now I am completely in love with it. But I digress. As far as actual blogging? Well, I seem to have a little trouble staying on track. I blogged about baking at first. Don't get me wrong, I looooovvvvee to bake. But trying to bake or cook something several times a week is a challenge for me. Cuz I gotta eat it, ya know? And if my butt gets any wider, well, there's going to be some problems. And then I blogged a little about life in general. But honestly, we're a boring family. We don't do much. And I take crappy pictures. Hmmm, anyway......

So now, I shall try my hand at blogging about my cards and other projects. We'll see how it goes. I truly enjoy doing this. It's fun, it's relaxing for the most part. I'm a little bit of a perfectionist, so sometimes I get a little, uh, witchy about it. And when I look at other blogs, I know I have a long way to go.

But right now, I'm just having fun with it, and having fun learning about it. So without further ado(I've always wanted to say that), here is a little sample of some of the things I've made. Hope you enjoy!

This is a candle I stamped on. I bought the candle at Walmart then stamped the image on tissue paper and transferred it to the candle. It was really simple and so pretty! The stamp is The Medallion Stamp from Stampin' Up. Hands down my favorite stamp that I own. It is really versatile and I just love it!

And this is a card I made using the same stamp. Very pretty!

Thanks for looking!

Just a short break?

2010-01-22T18:51:00.003-05:00

Ummmm.....seriously I didn't realize it had been 3 1/2 months since my last post. I guess time flies here in the real world.

The biggest and most exciting change in my life is that we finally bought a house! Yay!! It is very beautiful, even though I might be a little biased.

Nah. I'm not biased. It is beautiful! And it will be even more beautiful when I get rid of the straggly bushes and plant some flowering trees and some flowers.

Other than moving into a new house, and the kids starting new schools, things are pretty much the same old, same old 'round here.

I am going to try to start posting again a little more consistently. I'm not going to promise, cause every time I do, it seems like I don't post for a month. So anyway, til next time. Whenever that is!

Taking a Break

2009-10-01T06:16:00.002-04:00

Hello all! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm taking a break. We're getting ready to move (again), and I just don't have time to devote to blogging right now. Hopefully I'll be back in a few weeks!

Christy

Going to the County Fair

2009-09-17T16:23:00.007-04:00

I realize it's been almost 3 weeks since my last post, and I sincerely apologize. I've come to the realization that I totally suck at blogging. To be honest, I really don't have that much to blog about. We don't do a whole lot. We really don't. I started 2 different posts on politics, but you know what? I hate politics. I hate what's going on in our government right now. And I'm going to leave it at that.

So on to my post. We went to the Fair last week. I luuuuuurrrvvvveeee the fair. The exhibits. The animals. The rides. The food. I love it. I mostly love it because that means Fall is here. But unfortunately for me, I now live in the Deep South(as opposed to the mountains, where I lived before). And that means even in September, the temperature is pushing 90. That really sucks. I might possibly get to wear a sweater at the end of October. I'm not holding my breath though.

So on to the Fair pictures.

It's not the fair unless you take a picture of your kiddos standing in front of a John Deere Tractor.

And of your girl milking a cow. This was actually the second time she did this. She loved it.

I tried to get my oldest to do it, but he said it was gross, and that he didn't think he'd be able to drink milk again. Sheesh. City Boy.

I'm so getting my hair cut like this the next time I go to the salon.

Hmmmm....Devil Rooster?

Awwwww....ain't it sweet?

And this! It was so precious!

And this little guy was just to cute.

And of course, no trip to the fair is complete without getting all nasty and slobbered on by goats at the petting zoo!

O.M.G. Is that my feet? I so need a pedicure.

So that's our trip to the fair. We didn't ride any rides, because it was, get this, 20.00 per person to do so. It's less than that to go to our local amusement park, that has way more rides and a water park. So we're headed there next weekend. I shall blog. Maybe.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

2009-08-29T10:42:00.004-04:00

I have this guilty little secret. It's pretty bad. Sometimes....how can I say this.....I use......Cake mix. Okay?! Cake mix! Because seriously, when I'm baking, my kids couldn't care less if it was made from scratch or from a mix. They just need to know it's sweet and it's there in a hurry. But to my credit, I refuse to use canned icing. That stuff is naaaaaassssttttyyyy! Homemade buttercream might take a little longer, but it's so worth it. So what is this leading up to? Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars, my dears. The base is cake mix. And they are good. Very good. And easy. Very easy. And these have the added pleasure of pecans and coconuts. A little unorthodox, but a totally delicious combination.

I adapted this recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. (You can click HERE to go to that site.) I like this cookbook. I really do. It has some great recipes. But you know what? Cake mix cakes, no matter what you add to them, still taste like cake mix. I've added several different things to cake mix, and I can't really tell a difference, it still tastes like a cake mix. Does that make me a cake snob? Probably. Oh well. I like what I like.

I do recommend this book if you like to bake, because it has some really great bar cookie recipes in it. But for cakes, I think I'll stick to scratch made.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars adapted from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrne

1 package plain yellow cake mix

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 stick butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 12 oz. package chocolate chips

1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp butter

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tsp vanilla

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Set aside an ungreased 13x9 pan.

Place the cake mix, peanut butter, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for one minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture will be thick. Reserve 1 1/4 cups for the topping. Using your fingers, press the crust evenly over the bottom of of the pan so that it reaches all sides. Set aside.

For the filling, place the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbsp butter into a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high power in 1 minute intervals, stirring each time. This should take about 3 minutes. When melted, stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over crust and spread with a spatula so that it reaches the side of the pan. Sprinkle over reserved topping.

Bake until light brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Makes 24 bars.

These will keep on the counter for 3 days, or up to a week in the refrigerator.

Bakerella's Lemon Bars

2009-08-22T15:52:00.004-04:00

Have you ever been to Bakerella's web site? If not, leave here, and go directly to there! You just don't know what your missing! She makes the most wonderful cake pops, and decorates them in the cutest ways you've ever seen. She also make gorgeous cupcakes. And the pictures! I just love it! I'm also a tad bit jealous of her, because she got to go visit The Pioneer Woman and stay at the Lodge. Yeah.

She also has lots of recipes on her site. She posted one for lemon bars quite a while ago, and I've been wanting to try them ever since. I must say up front that lemons aren't one of my favorite foods. I love, love, love lemonade. But lemon flavored things not so much. I do like the taste of lemon in savory dishes, just not lemon desserts.

With that being said, I really liked these Lemon Bars! They were pretty easy to make, and they tasted so darn good! It was like really good lemonade in bar form. The only thing I did differently was not sprinkle any powdered sugar on them. I tried it on the first one I did, and it was a bit too sweet. I know, me, thinking something is too sweet. Will wonders never cease? So if you like lemon, or even if you only like it just a little bit, try these out. You'll be glad you did. :)

Lemon Bars adapted from Bakerella

Crust:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
Topping:
1 1/2 cup plain sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest from 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan.

To make crust:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and confectioner's sugar
Cut in butter until combined and crumbly.
Press mixture into bottom of pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make topping:
While crust is baking, prepare topping.
In a larger bowl, add sugar, flour, and baking powder.
Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.
Mix well and pour on top of warm baked crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar and refrigerate.
Cut into bars and enjoy them cold!

(After I wrote this post, I realized I deleted the pictures I had taken of my bars. Sorry! You can go HERE and see Bakerella's. They're prettier than mine anyway. :) )

Back To School!!!

2009-08-17T18:40:00.003-04:00

Admit it. If you're a mommy or a daddy this is how you feel when school starts.

6 Years Old...Where Does the Time Go?

2009-08-11T19:49:00.010-04:00

My little girl is 6 today. I can't believe I'm even typing that. Was it really 6 years ago, that I stayed in the hospital for two days, only to have an emergency C-Section?

6 years ago today, after all the pain and tears, I brought this creature into the world?

Where does the time go?

How does this...........

get to this.............

so fast?

Happy Birthday, my sweet angel!

Fresh Corncakes

2009-08-06T13:10:00.002-04:00

I love me some fresh corn. There's just nothing better than corn on the cob straight of the grill with some butter and salt. And don't even bet me started on that impostor in the freezer case at the grocery store. That stuff is just plain disgusting. Blech. So I want to say that I awoke on a beautiful sunny morning, and dressed in sweet little going-to-the-farmers-market-outfit, with my hair in braids and a straw hat on. But I didn't. I think I had on shorts with worn out flip flops. And as for my hair....Well, you've seen my profile pic. Yeah. And I went to Food Lion. Yeah.

I decided instead of corn on the cob, I would make some corncakes. Oh my. Are they ever good! And so easy. But......how do I put this......they are....ugly. Just plain ugly. I tried to take a decent picture of them. Really I did. But it just came out...pardon the expression.....butt ugly. And now I've went to download the butt ugly picture and I can't even find it on my computer. It must have like regurgitated it or something cause it was so ugly. Oh well.

If you've never had a corncake, it's kind of like a pancake with corn kernels in it. And dadgum, they're good! The hardest part is cutting the corn off the cob, then scraping off all the corn milk. This takes For-Eva. But the end result is so worth it! The recipe calls for beating the eggs with a mixer until thick and pale, but I did this with a whisk and they still turned out great, and you don't have to lug out the mixer.

I'm very sorry I don't have a pic to show y'all but maybe its better if you didn't see one. Cause it would probably deter you from making these. Cause they're butt ugly. Okay, last time I say that, I promise!

Fresh Corncakes adapted from Southern Living Homestyle Cooking

5 ears fresh corn 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons all purpose flour Melted butter, margarine, or oil for frying
2 tablespoons sugar (See Note)

Slice kernels of corn from cobs; scrape cobs with a vegetable peeler or knife to remove milk and pulp.

Beat eggs in a bowl with a whisk until thick and pale (May take a minute or two);add flour and the next 3 ingredients, beating until blended. Stir in corn.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a hot butter griddle.(Note: I used butter for this, and it just got too hot on the griddle. Butter has a much lower smoke point that cooking oil, so next time I'll just use the oil.) Cook over medium heat until golden, then turn and cook other side.

Yield: About 2 dozen

Almost Mid Life Crisis?

2009-08-04T10:34:00.004-04:00

I turned 32 years old last month. I realized I'm only *big sigh* 8 years away from 40. On one hand, it seems like 20 years away from 40 wasn't that long ago. On the other it was..well..a long time ago. I'm probably going to open a big can of worms with this, but I'm going to be completely honest. If you don't know, I'm a stay at home mom. And I feel like life is completely passing me by. I read blogs everyday about moms who just....bloom....by being able to stay at home. They schedule fun activities with their kids. They go on outings with them. They want to *gulp* homeschool. And they love it. Me? I cant wait until school starts in the fall. Then only 3 more years and my youngest will be in school. It makes me feel totally guilty. I've talked to moms who would give anything to be able to stay at home with their kids. They tell me how blessed I am to be able to be there all day everyday for my children. And I know I am, it's just that .......there's got to be more to life than just dirty laundry and dishes, right? At the age of 20, if someone had told me then where I'd be right now at 32, I would have fallen over laughing! I had big plans. And they didn't involve staying in my pajamas for most of the day. Is this just a season in my life, or is this it? Am I going to be an overweight, uneducated stay at home mom until the day I die? There's just got to be more to life than this.........

*I've read back over this post and realize how whiny I sound, but I don't have anyone else to whine to, so please indulge me this?:)*

Back To Square One

2009-07-29T10:25:00.003-04:00

I finally started packing on Monday. I had the living room almost done, except for the furniture. I was getting all excited because finally we were moving into our own home! Renting was done! You do notice how I'm using the past tense in this, right? Then our realtor called. And my happy little bubble burst. The house that we're going to buy appraised $16,000 lower than what we offered the sellers. And that was only $4,000 below the listing price. That'll snap you right back into reality, won't it? As of yesterday, our realtor was filing the paperwork to terminate the contract. We haven't heard back yet. But unless they drastically reduce the price of the house, it ain't happening.

I was really upset on Monday. I was thinking "Why us?". I'm okay with it now, though. There's tons of other houses out there for sell. And you know what? They only have 1 house they need to sell, we have hundreds that we could actually buy. Their loss. I kind of hate it for the sellers though. If they sell it for the price that it appraised for, then they'll only be making about $7,000 in profit. At the price they had it listed, they were going to make around $27,000 profit, so I think they might have gotten the worst end of this.

My biggest worry is about the kids starting school. School starts here on August 25Th. We wanted to be in our house by then, so they could begin a new school year at their new schools. But now, we may have to pull them out a few weeks after school begins, to start at their new schools. My head hurts just typing this. Did it make any sense at all?

So anyway, we are back to square 1, and we are going house shopping again tomorrow. All you praying people, please pray for us. Especially me, this is starting to stress me out. Lots of love to all you , and hopefully some better news next time. :)

Oh, and by the way, thank you to all the bloggers who stopped by from Blog Hop'09. I was thrilled with all the comments left. It's great to meet other women and mommies out there who are just like me; trying to make it just one day at at time. I'll be visiting your blogs soon!

Blog Hopping!!

2009-07-23T22:44:00.005-04:00

Oooh I'm so excited about Blog Hop! I know there's lots of hopping to be had, so here we go!!

My name is Christy, aka Bakerchick. I'm married to a firefighter and I'm a SAHM to 3 wonderful kiddos. I started my blog in May of '08, but due to many things, I stopped then began again in May of '09. I'm so glad to be back! On my blog you will find lot of recipes, and a few funny stories of everyday life with kids. I love to read, and Twilight & Harry Potter are two of my favorites. I love funny movies and fantasies, and most of all I love to bake and cook! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and checking out my little corner of the blogosphere! I hope you find something that you truly enjoy!

Lots of love,

Christy

My kiddos.

Me and my little man.

My Firefighter. Isn't he handsome?

What I had for Supper

2009-07-22T17:44:00.004-04:00

I'm always on the lookout for new supper recipes. I scour the Internet and usually find some pretty good ones. Plus, I have a huge collection of cookbooks. Actually, I've banned myself from buying cookbooks, because I hardly ever open them anymore. I just go online. And don't even ask about magazines, cause Lord, Have Mercy!! I have hundreds of them! You would think with all these recipes at my fingertips, that I would cook something new and interesting every night of the week. Not so. I used to be pretty good about it, but I've been kind of in a rut here lately with the whole cooking of the supper. I start looking for a new recipe and then I get overwhelmed and then I make hot dogs. Can I get a amen? Plus, it get expensive sometimes. And I'm the worst for driving 30 miles out of the way for one ingredient and then using it one time. Yeah, that would be me. :)

Some of my favorite cooking websites are Allrecipes, Recipezaar,& Food Network. These are the main sites I go to when I;m looking for a certain recipe. The Pioneer Woman recently launched a new cooking site called The Tasty Kitchen. There are several recipes I've tried on there already, because they've been on her website. Every recipe I've ever tried from her site has been outstanding. So I was browsing P-Dub recently and she'd made a recipe from the site called Hot and Sweet Drumsticks. They looked really good and she was raving about them. The ingredient list didn't look so great though. Apricot preserves, soy sauce, and Ketchup? Sounds like a bad Chinese recipe. So, anyway, and I rarely do this, unless something just look exceptional, I sent hubs to the store with the ingredient list and made this for supper last night. Oh. My. It was so good!! You just warm up the ingredients in a saucepan first to kind of "melt" the preserves, then pour it over drumsticks, and bake it in the oven. It's that easy! You do need to baste with the sauce occasionally, but there's really nothing to it! I was so pleased with this recipe and my kids devoured it. My only complaint was how messy it was. But that was overshadowed by the pure goodness of it! I highly recommend this for supper (or dinner if you live up north ;), just try it one time and I promise you'll be hooked! For the recipe click here.

We're Moving!

2009-07-17T08:07:00.004-04:00

I'm having creativity block today. I was going to blog about muffins, but I just cant seem to find anything witty to say. Don't get me wrong, they were great muffins. Moist, sweet, buttery. I just don't have it in me to write about muffins today. So, if you'll bear with me, I shall ramble. If you don't want to bear with me, I understand.

We bought a house. Yes! In this economy, we bought a house. My husband is a firefighter so he has pretty good job security. Emergency services are usually last to go in budget cuts. My mother has already informed me that if we go into foreclosure that it will be okay, it's not the first time it's happened to someone. Gee, mom, thanks for the burst of confidence.

Would you like to see a picture of our house? Okay here tis....

Not bad, huh? It's not huge or grand. But it's mine. At least it will be in 33 years. I'm really excited about this house, because we've rented for almost 3 years. The house we owned before that was a whopping 788 square feet. It had a pretty good sized kitchen and living room, but the bedrooms and the bathroom were tiny. This house has 3 big bedrooms, a master bath in my bedroom(yay!) and another guest bathroom. I also have a dish washer. Those of you who have dish washers, please don't make fun of me. It's been 2 years since I've had a dishwasher, and I'm probably more excited about this than anything else in the entire house. Besides the garden tub. And the huge backyard. And my own walk in closet. But I digress. As someone who cooks and bakes a lot, a dishwasher is almost a must have. I say almost, because I've been doing it for the last 2 years without one, and I have lived. Not entirely unscathed mind you, because my hands look like they belong to a *ahem* much older woman than me. ( I was going to say an age, but I don't want to offend.)

We will close on the house on August 14Th. Since we haven't owned anything in 3 years we are considered first time home buyers, so we qualify for the 8,000 dollar tax credit. I have conflicting feelings about this. On one hand, we can pay off all our debt. Except for the house, obviously. On the other hand, where's all this money coming from? I see company after company being bailed out by the government. I know that some money has to be spent, I understand that. But this is starting to take on scary proportions. But again, I digress.

So, I guess today's post is about moving. And I'm very excited that we have a new house. I feel like I've been waiting forever for this moment to come.Thanks for reading my ramblings. It makes me feel so much better. Ta-Ta for now! (Name that character.)

Paula Deen's Hoecakes

2009-07-09T20:16:00.006-04:00

I don't like pancakes. There, I said it. As a matter of fact, I loathe them. Well, let me clarify that. I don't like pancakes and syrup. I like pancakes. I like syrup. I don't like them together. It just grosses me out. My hubs and the kids could eat them 3 times a day, every day, and they'd never get tired of them. Me? I like them okay with some strawberries and whipped cream, but normally I just don't like them. And give me maple syrup with sausage any day!

Until now. I was making pancakes for supper,(yeah, I know) the other evening, when I remembered that Paula Deen has a recipe for hoecakes in her very first cookbook, The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook. I've had it marked in the book for a while(i.e. the last 5 years), and just decided to take the plunge.

Now, if you aren't from the south, you probably don't have a clue what a hoecake is. They are basically just pancakes with about half the flour replaced with corn meal. You fry them on a griddle just like a pancake. And they are good. Really good. Paula suggested maple syrup with hers, but I used butter and honey on mine. Oh man. I put a whole stack of those things away without even trying! Hubs didn't like them, but he has an aversion to anything that remotely resembles cornbread. And these don't. He just automatically thinks cornmeal=cornbread. So if you've got a hankerin' for something a little different, try these. Then fall on your knees and thank Paula Deen, the Queen of the South!

Hoecakes adapted from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup self rising cornmeal

2 eggs

1 tbs sugar

3/4 buttermilk(I used 2% milk soured with a little vinegar)]

1/3 cup water plus 1 tbs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

oil for frying

Mix all ingredients well except oil for frying. Heat oil in a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto hot skillet. Use approximately 2 tablespoons per batter per cake. Brown until crisp, then flip onto the other side. Drain on towels. Leftover batter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Yields app. 17 hoecakes

What a Weekend......

2009-07-06T16:17:00.002-04:00

We decided at the last minute on Friday to spend July 4Th in the mountains. A friend had called at the beginning of the week and wanted us to stay with her. I had decided not to, but then she called again and begged us to come, so I relented. Had a pretty good Fourth, except for the raging sunburn I got on Saturday. It was looking like rain so I skipped the sunblock. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have very fair skin, so by the end of the day, I had a really bad burn. Lesson learned. Hope I'm not going to pay for it in a few years.

The real adventure began when we started home. Traveling down the highway about 2 hours from home,and my van just stops. It doesn't sputter, it doesn't jerk, It doesn't give any warning at all. It just quits at 55 mph. I'm 2 hours from home with 3 kids. Thankfully I have roadside assistance through my Insurance company. The sent a tow truck out to tow it in for me. The guy actually offered to tow it all the way to my house, but it was going to be almost 400 bucks. Yeah. Not happening. So instead they towed it to the local dealer. They wanted 90 bucks just to tell us what was wrong with it. Whatevah! So how did we get home? My youngest sister came and got us and took us to my mom and dad's house. We stayed with them and then my other sister and my mom took us home. A friend of my hub's towed the van back to our house for us, and he didn't charge us anything, which was awfully sweet of him.

This morning, my hub's called around to a few places and told them what had happened. General consensus is that it's the timing belt. And it's going to cost anywhere from 600-700 bucks to fix it. Did I mention we just put an offer in on a house? Yeah.....We had to give the real estate agent 1,000 dollars earnest money. Even as I write this, I'm just so......annoyed.

But you know what? I didn't have a wreck. No one was hurt. We got home safely. We have food in our cabinets, clothes in our closets and everyone is healthy. We're moving into a fabulous house.
I am Blessed! Thank you, Lord!

Free Family Film Festival (Say that three times fast!)

2009-07-02T15:16:00.003-04:00

This summer, Regal Cinemas is having the Free Family Film Festival all summer long. Tuesdays through Thursdays, June through August, they show kid friendly films for free! We went to see The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything and we had such a great time. And best of all it was completely free. Concessions are available, but we opted to go to McDonald's afterwards. It's much cheaper. It was Little Man's first time in a movie theater, and he did very well. I figured since it was free, we wouldn't be out anything if we had to leave. But for the most part, he watched the movie after moving around a little bit. So if your up for a little family entertainment that doesn't cost very much, check this out! Thanks to Homemaker Barbi for first posting this on her website! If you haven't been over there, be sure to stop by and check it out. She has lots of great tips for saving money, lists of freebies and loads of other stuff. Hope you enjoy!

June Cookie Carnival~ Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

2009-06-28T21:02:00.003-04:00

I joined Cookie Carnival many, many moons ago, and to my utter shame this is my first post. My first cookie recipe is Strawberry Shortcake Cookies. This is a Martha Stewart recipe, and even though my cookies were extremely ugly, they were delicious! I halved the recipe, because I really wasn't sure if we would like them or not. Now I'm glad I halved it because there would've been 3 dozen of these little buttery gems with nuggets of fresh strawberries laying around and I would've eaten all of them! I followed the recipe to the letter, and my only complaint is that they didn't spread well. I think you can see from my photos they turned out quite small. I used a tablespoon sized cookie scoop, so I'm not sure what happened. Also, I didn't have any sanding sugar, so I just sprinkled on plain old granulated *after* they baked. I didn't want the sugar to burn. These tasted like sweet little biscuits. They weren't like any cookie I've ever had. I was expecting a shortbread type cookie but they weren't like that at all.

After all was said and done, these were really good! I would've never made them if not for Cookie Carnival, and I'm so glad I tried them, because I definitely want to make them again, but maybe with some peaches this time. So until next time....happy baking!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Ingredients
Makes about 3 dozen
12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.
Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

If You Would Just Obey Your Mother, Life Would Be So Much Easier

2009-06-26T22:16:00.004-04:00

Today I let Middle Child dress herself. I was in the shower and figured she could handle the putting on of the clothes. I then proceeded to tell her to brush her teeth and comb her hair. All of the sudden, I heard "Mama, this comb is stuck in my hair." "What were you doing?" "I was trying to twirl it around." Hmmmm.....okay. So begins the lesson on what happens when we disobey. And it was a doozy.

So here is our problem.

I pulled and tugged for almost 10 minutes trying to get this untangled out of her hair. She's really got it in there. Finally, I gave up. I told her we were going to a Hair Salon and get it cut out. And she totally freaked. She wants long, flowy, princess hair. This was not conducive to long, flowy, princess hair.

Then something hits her like a ton of bricks. She had to go out in public. Like this. With a red comb stuck in her hair. She was not a happy camper.

Isn't this picture priceless?

Did I mention we had VBS tonight? She was NOT going to VBS with her hair like this!

So anyway, I was in the bathroom getting myself ready and wonder of wonders! She got it out herself! I was really surprised. She must've been really worried about that haircut! I then proceeded to tell her, "When I tell you to do something just do it". Don't twirl it around, don't play around. Just do what your told. I'm sure that sunk in.

So crisis averted. Until the next one. I'm sure you'll be hearing about another one shortly!

Gone Fishin'

2009-06-24T22:33:00.011-04:00

Today we decided to venture out into the heat and take the kiddos fishing. There's a great park about a half hour from our house that has a fishing pond, so we decided to go there. It also has a Carousel, a small train,a petting zoo, a snake exhibit (yuck) and a small zoo. There are several playgrounds and mini golf, too. And best of it all it's super cheap. Each different ride or exhibit only costs around 5o cents up to 1.50, and the playgrounds and snake exhibit are free. You can't beat that!

When we first got there we saw this little guy hanging around with his mommy. What is it about baby ducks that just makes a girl melt? Well, really baby anything for that matter.

Oh, sweet little baby duck......I wanted to pet his sweet little feathers, but that little sucker was fast!

The we went on our fishing adventure. Daddy baited our hooks.

And then we waited.......

And waited..........

And waited some more.......

Finally, the wait was over! Sweet fishy Victory!

Ewwwwwww........yuck........

This little guy kept flitting around everywhere. This is the only picture I got of him. Every time I tried to get another one he'd take off.

Then we were joined by none other than...........

Mr. Squirrel! Or possibly Miss... I didn't get that close.

Little man and I also saw what I think was a rattlesnake. We didn't hang around to get pictures of him. Couple of turtles too, but I was afraid I'd drop my camera in the water. And then blogging would over! Because this man......

would probably NOT buy me another camera!

So, other than the stifling heat, a great time was had by all! Hopefully, they'll be more adventures to come!

Coupon Monday!

2009-06-22T14:53:00.005-04:00

I've never been much of a coupon shopper. I always though it was time consuming for very little payoff. Then my friend Amory told me about The Grocery Game. I decided to try it and see how I would make out. They have a trial period that only cost 1.00, so I thought why not? Let's see if we can save some money!

The way this works is every Sunday you get a list that is made up of the sales of the stores you have signed up for. I have 3 stores on my list, Harris-Teeter, Food Lion, and CVS. Harris-Teeter doubles coupons everyday, and CVS does Extra Care Bucks. I do Food Lion just because it's the closest to my house and I shop there more often. The list tells you what's on sale, and which coupon you should use. It tells you what date the coupon ran in the Sunday newspaper, too.

My first stop was Harris Teeter. This is what I got.

Nestle Drumstick Minis
Sara Lee Chocolate Pie
6 Bottles of Pert Shampoo
Colgate Total Toothpaste
Aquafresh Ultimate Whitening Toothpaste
3 cans of Beanee Weanees
AirWick Warmer
AirWick Oil Refill

The Retail for this was 48.00 and some change. I paid 19.27. Not too bad. Now I didn't really need 6 bottles of shampoo, but it was less than 1.00 per bottle. Might as well get it while it's cheap, and stock up right? We will always need shampoo.

My next stop was CVS pharmacy.

Lysol Spray
True North Nut Clusters
Barilla Elbow Macaroni and Spaghetti Noodles
2 cans of Bush's Baked Beans
Lady Mitchum Deodorant
Perfect 10 Hair color
Kraft BBQ Sauce (I also bought 3 packs of M&M's, but that was just an impulse. What?! They were peanut butter and strawberry! Yeah!)

So retail for all of this was 39.98. I paid 15.86. Not bad!

My last stop was Food Lion.

2 containers Easy Mac

2 packages of Ball Park Franks

2 packs Orville Redenbacher popcorn

Weber Mango Lime Seasoning

McCain Frozen Potatos

Toilet Paper

2 Boxes of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios

*edited to add* One and 1/2 pounds of ground beef

The Retail for this was 36.00 and some change. I paid 12.97! Pretty Good!

Now, I do want you to know that I would never pay full retail for this stuff. If it's not on sale, I don't buy it. Not unless it's a necessity, and that usually isn't the case. And also, some of this is stuff I wouldn't normally buy. The True North Snacks, Nestle Drumsticks and Sara Lee pie are not usually on my shopping list. I only bought them because I got them so cheap. I usually don't buy name brands either. There a few store brand things I won't buy (like Peanut Butter), but for the most part, I like them just as well as the national brands.

To sum it all up, I got all the aforementioned groceries for around 50.00. I think this was worth the time and effort I put into clipping the coupons and putting my lists together. Of course most of the work is already done for you with the Grocery Game. If you like to save money, just check it out!

German Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake Style

2009-06-21T17:29:00.005-04:00

I just love me some Paula Deen. I think she is the quintessential Steel Magnolia. She really surpassed some hardships to get where she is today, and she got very little help doing it. I have 2 of her cookbooks and love to watch her on Food Network. She cooks stuff that I grew up on and actually want to eat. Don't get me wrong, I love to try new foods,and I will try almost anything once. Almost. But there's just something about Fried Chicken and homemade biscuits. They get me every time.

This particular recipe I got from Paula's Website.It has tons of recipes and I happened on this one and decided to make it for the guys at the fire station. I tried a piece and and to be completely honest, I wasn't that impressed with it. I could tell it was a boxed mix, (I'm a cake snob. Sue me.;) and the cheesecake layer wasn't assertive enough for my liking. (I love me some cheesecake, too!) Also, and this was my mistake, but the icing recipe looked like it would make a huge amount, so I cut it in half. Don't do that. It was just barely enough, so If I do make this again, I will put the whole recipe on the cake.

Hubs had told the guys at the station I was bringing cake and they were waiting on me. I just love a guy who melts at home cooking, aren't' they the best?(My hubs does not melt at home cooking. He's happy with a microwaved hot dog. I guess I shouldn't complain.) But anyway, they loved it! They raved over and then one guy said how pretty it was! He obviously doesn't read food blogs.

So here it is: German Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake Style. And I know the picture is extremely pathetic, but I was in a hurry. Sorry. ;)

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) German Chocolate cake mix
Cream Cheese Filling:
2 Tsp Vanilla
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Frosting:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed (not margarine)
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups flaked coconut
1-1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Prepare cake batter according to package directions; set aside. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over batter. Gently spoon remaining batter over top; spread to edge of pan. Bake at 325° for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. For frosting, in a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks Cook and stir over medium-low heat until thickened and a thermometer reads 160° or is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla; fold in coconut and pecans. Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled cake. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 servings

2009-06-18T10:31:00.002-04:00

Creepy Crawly Things.

Road trips to BBQ joints that just aren't that great.

Cupcake icing on sweet faces.

Petting zoos and show offs.

Pony Rides.

What does summertime mean to you?

I'm Ba-ack!!

2009-06-15T14:39:00.006-04:00

I went on mini vacation this past week. I call it a mini vacation, because I had all the kids, Hubs stayed at home (work), and I still had to do all the things I do at home (cooking, cleaning, laundry) just in a different part of the state. I love being with my family and I really miss them, especially now that the kids are out of school. My mom is my best friend and I spent more time with her than anyone, and It's a little strange now that I can't just drive to her house anytime I want.
Anyway, I hung out with my sisters, and we went swimming and went to a wedding and just had an all around good time. For those of you who don't live anywhere near the mountains, I've got a few pictures for you.......

This is the view from my sister's deck. Awesome, huh?

These were taken outside of the pool we went to. It was an awesome pool, except that there was about 75 middle schoolers there. And they kept splashing me in the face. And I really hate that. But they didn't really mean to. So I kept my cool.

This is my mom trying to take a picture of herself. She would strangle me if she knew I put it on the Internet. Love you, Mama! That's my niece in the background. That kid's a piece of work, let me tell ya!

This is my other niece. She, too, is a piece of work. Hmmm.. Lots more to come later!

Dorie's Creme Brulee....Oh Baby.

2009-06-07T18:15:00.005-04:00

I've had Creme Brulee on my mind for several weeks now. It was always one of those recipes that everyone else makes, but not me. I was always a little intimidated by it. So I just made up my mind that I was gonna do it. But first.....I need ramekins, and a chef's torch. Now I know you can do it under the broiler of an oven, but where's the fun in that? This gave me the perfect excuse for buying one! So I checked out Ebay, and Williams Sonoma(geez, ex-pen-sive!) and finally on a whim, I went to our local TJ Maxx and whadya know! I found a torch and 4 ramekins for a little over 10 bucks! Yay me! (Name that show.)

(ooooooohhhhhhh...open flame....)

So then I set out to find the perfect Creme Brulee recipe. I looked at several, from Alton to Ina, and found they're pretty much the same everywhere. At least the basics are. Eggs, cream and vanilla extract, and some used vanilla beans. Pretty simple stuff. I finally found one that looked really good on Ezra Poundcake. If you've never been to her site, you must, MUST I tell you, check it out. Her photos are absolutely beautiful, and her recipes are pretty darn good, too. Just check this one out, and I swear to you, you will never look at Salmon the same way again. Seriously.

But, I digress. Rebecca made Creme Brulee from the book Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. As I happen to have that very same book, I decided to give it a go.

Oh. My. What have I been missing?! This was just so.....wonderful. It was smooth, creamy and vanilley(is that even a word?) and simply divine. And it was so easy! A little time consuming, but well worth it. My hubs on the other hand didn't really care for it that much. He said it tasted like vanilla pudding (men) and didn't like the caramelized sugar on top. He's a firefighter. You would think he would like anything that has to do with an open flame, but whatevah. All in all this was a great recipe and I will definitely make it again. Cause If I don't what else am I going to use that nifty little chef's torch for?

Crème Brûlée
Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
The most efficient way to caramelize the sugar topping is to use a blowtorch (see page 475 of Baking: From My Home to Yours). If you don’t have a torch, you can chill the custards very, very well, then set them in an ice-cube-filled roasting pan and run them under the broiler. You won’t get as even a coating with the broiler as you would with the torch, but you’ll still get the flavor and the pleasure of a crackly sugar crust over cream custard.
Note: The best baking dishes for crème brûlée are shallow, ideally just an inch (2,5 cm) high, about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter and holding about ¾ cup of liquid. Porcelain, pottery or glass gratin or baking dishes are perfect, but if you don’t have them, you can use ramekins or even disposable aluminum foil pans, an unglamorous but effective solution.
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk (Note: I didn't have any whole milk in the house, so I used all heavy cream. It turned out perfectly.)
3 large egg yolks
1 / 3 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
About 6 tablespoons sugar or sifted light brown sugar, for topping
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 200ºF/ 93ºC.(Another note from me: This wasn't nearly long enough to bake the custards. I checked them after 50 minutes and they weren't anywhere near done. I cranked the oven up to 250 degrees and baked them for about 20 more minutes and that worked perfectly.) Put the six baking dishes (see Note above) on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Bring the cream and milk just to a boil.
In a 1 or 2-quart glass measuring cup or in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together until well blended but not airy. Still whisking, drizzle in about one quarter of the hot liquid---this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won’t curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the cream and milk. Give the bowl a good rap against the counter to de-bubble the custard, then strain it into the baking dishes.
Bake the custards for 50 to 60 minutes, (see my note above) or until the centers are set---tap the sides of the dishes, and the custards should hold firm. Lift the dishes onto a cooling rack and let the custards cool until they reach room temperature.
Cover each custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably longer. (The custards can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) For the sugar to be successfully caramelized, the custards need to be thoroughly chilled.
Makes 6 servings.
Serving:
Serve the crème brûlée when the crème is really cold and the brûlée is still warm. You can serve the whole dessert chilled, but the sugar topping won’t have its characteristic crackle. And while I think crème brûlée should be served with nothing more then a spoon, you could offer berries and cookies as accompaniments.
Storing:
The custard for crème brûlée must be made ahead so it has plenty of time to chill, but once you’ve caramelized the sugar on top, your storage time is over if your want the sugar to have crunch.

Where I Wish I Was........

2009-06-02T10:04:00.003-04:00

The mountains will always be home to me. I miss them.

Ina Garten's Chocolate Cupcakes with the best PB icing EVER, and Lost Blogging Opportunity.

2009-05-25T14:52:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we went to the Children's museum that's about an hour from our house. I was so excited, because I was going to take lots of pictures and blog about it.....until I went to find my camera. Where's my camera? Can't blog without my camera! It's nowhere to be found so I called hubby. "Do you know where the camera is?" "Yea, I've got it with me to take pictures of the race." Okay. What-ev-a. So, blogging opportunity lost. Oh well.

Instead we'll talk cupcakes. I'm always on the look out for cupcake (and cake) recipes that are tried and true and come out great every time. Eventually, I want to open my own bakery/cake shop and sell my baked goods. I also would like to go back to school and become a pastry chef, but with 3 kids at home, and one firefighter, that's just not gonna happen anytime soon.

So on to the cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing to die for. This is seriously good stuff. I have made these several times, and they always turn out great. This time though, I was in a hurry, so they didn't turn out as good as they usually do. I've found that if you let everything come to room temperature, it really makes a difference. I've always skipped this step before, but take the time and do it, the results are just so much better!

I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten. I've made several recipes of hers, and everthing has turned out great. The peanut butter icing really makes these. It calls for heavy cream, but I forgot to buy some, and only had 2% milk. It still tasted wonderful. Like lick the bowl wonderful. But you'll never catch me licking a bowl. I may do that from time to time, but you'll never catch me! These cupcakes turn out moist and fudgy and just darn good. One little inconsistency in the recipe is the yield. It says it makes 14-15 cupcakes but I got 20 out of it,and had some batter left over. She does note in the recipe that she uses a regular ice cream scoop. This just looks like way to much batter to put in a cupcake pan, so I use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop it out. So keep that in mind when you make these. You may want to double the icing recipe also, as there's just barely enough to cover the cupcakes and if you're like me, I like a lot of frosting on top. Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing (makes about 20 cupcakes)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature

2 tablespoons brewed coffee

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup un-sweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Peanut Butter Icing (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and two sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.

Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended.

Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended. Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (one rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with peanut butter icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Peanut Butter Icing

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Baklava

2009-05-22T21:00:00.005-04:00

I've never had real Baklava, only the stuff from the grocery store bakery, and that was years ago. So when my friend Angie wanted to bake some, I thought why not? I was under the impression that it was really hard to prepare, but I was surprised at how easy it was. Granted, it is a little time consuming, but there's nothing really hard about it. You layer sheets of phyllo dough, found at most grocery stores in the frozen desserts section, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle on a heavenly concoction of nuts, cinnamon and sugar. Bake in the oven for a couple of hours (yes, hours!) and then pour on a honey simple syrup. Really good!
I brought my camera with me to document the whole process, and then well, I forgot. Sorry about that. Story of my life. I did get a couple of shots of the finished product, and they're not too bad. I don't have a fancy-smancy camera like P-Dub, just a point and click. So my pictures aren't great, but they're not altogether terrible either. So anyway, if you've got a hankerin' for baklava, don't buy the grocery store impostor, just make your own! It's well worth it!

Baklava
4 cups of walnuts or almonds, or a mixture of both, finely chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
3 sticks butter
1 pack phyllo dough
__________________
Syrup:
2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
3/4 cup honey

To prepare the Baklava:
Thaw out phyllo dough. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt butter. Take an 9X13 pan and begin by placing one sheet of phyllo on the bottom of the pan. Brush with melted butter. Place another sheet of phyllo on top of that and brush with melted butter. Repeat this process until you have 8 sheets of phyllo, each brushed with melted butter.

Combine nuts, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. On top of the eighth sheet of phyllo, sprinkle about 1/3 cup of nut mixture. On top of that layer 2 sheets of phyllo dough each brushed with the butter.

Repeat layering with phyllo and nut mixture until you have used up all the nut mixture. The very top sheet just brush with butter. Cut into small squares or diamonds with a sharp knife. Place in a 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Prepare Syrup:
Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Then add honey and simmer for 5 more minutes. Cool slightly, then pour over hot baklava when it comes out of the oven. Let cool slightly then serve and enjoy!

My Mess Maker

2009-05-19T19:29:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, while I was diligently working (hanging out on Facebook), I noticed that it had gotten awful quiet in my house. Usually this means something bad is happening. And I was right. I went into the bathroom and found a pair of freshly washed shorts and one of my bras (that I had been searching for everywhere!) stuffed down in the toilet. Oh my! How did that happen you ask? It wouldn't have anything to do with this yard ape, would it?

Well, maybe.

Then I turned my back for 2.7 seconds. And when I turned around this is what I found.

Maybe I should've already put it away, but that's beside the point. Maybe when he goes to PreK or Kindergarten I can finally have a clean house. But I doubt it!

Fun at the Race!

2009-05-17T14:50:00.006-04:00

This is my hubby, JJ the Fireman.

This is his firetruck.

This is the race that he went to, and got paid for it.

Did I mention he was on the bottom row, right next to the track in the 4th turn?

I stayed home with this yard ape.

And this one.

And this one, too!

Hmmm...was this a fair trade?

Let's Try This Again

2009-05-16T15:03:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I got bitten by the blogging bug about a year ago. I had my own blog for a while, but I joined a lot of cooking blogs and I got just overwhelmed. So I just stopped. I was baking every week, and cooking supper almost every night, and taking care of the kids, and my hubby, and it stopped being fun and became a burden. So this time, I'm going to take it a day at a time and see how it goes. My life is so pathetically boring, I don't really know who want to read about me anyway, but here goes nothing!