The One Where She Went all "Pioneer Woman Cooks" on you (check sidebar)

So tonight I whipped up some of these little nuggets of joy no bake cookies and without even having to turn on the oven. (KJ, I thought of you, even though your oven is fixed!) We'll see if the little people like them as much as I did as a tot. Well I know that Ella Kate will, she eats everything. I really don't remember the first time I had these, and it's not even something that my mom made, actually I think my mom made cookies hmmmm... maybe once while I was growing up and those were break and bake, but shhhhh! Who knows where my love of cooking and baking came from...could it be from my love of EATING!



No Bake Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
2. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow cookies to cool for at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Now go and wax nostalgic about some childhood favorites!



And this is on the way down, as soon as I return the contents to my closet that I emptied the day before yesterday that is...

Ella Kate's New Find

She found this today and claimed it as her own. Of course you know I had to quietly go in her room and take a picture after she had fallen asleep so that I could blog about it.

The Meaning of Christmas, According to George...

The other night the kids were eating brownies for dinner dessert... I noticed that Grace had 2 and George had none. When I asked George if he gave his brownie to his sister, his response was: "Yes, because that's what Christmas is all about!"

What Happens When The Kids Have Spent Way Much Time Indoors

We are in the middle of our Christmas Break with a week left to go. All the presents have been opened, mostly, and played with and much to my surprise, even put away...for the most part. Even though we have more toys right now than should be allowed by anyone not in possession of a commercial tax id number or a daycare center or, well you get the picture, the little people are starting to get, gasp, BORED!?!? How can it be...following Christmas morning it looked like Geoffrey from Toys R'Us threw up in our living room. And the aftermath took days to clean up, the decorations haven't even been touched, I'm still recovering from the toy clean up. But then they do something so silly that you can't help but remember why you spoil them in the first place...

Sometimes I get a Wild Streak and Actually Scrap

I used to be an avid scrapper, trying to get back to it.

Elfin Fun

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Dabble in Design

We Need A Little Christmas Right This Very Minute!

Christmas break is off to a roaring start. I'm still working on addressing my cards and the kids are watching a muppet movie. The cookies are baked, the stockings hung and the tree is trimmed. And George has started coughing, it wouldn't be Christmas if someone wasn't sick. Some people have to have eggnog...or fruitcake...we have to have pneumonia...or bronchitis...or strep throat.

George and Grace had their Christmas program (they even sang, a little), we went to the Family Advent Mass at Jake's school (I served punch, my room mom duty) and we visited Santa and two of his reindeer last weekend (George even brought him some cookies!). Thanks to Clare, we went out and finished our shopping on Friday night. Well, mostly, I still have one gift card to go buy for my aunt.

And with that I'm off, Grace would like a peanut butter "swamich" with the "crusting" off!

Merry Christmas!

Snow Much Fun!!!

It's a snow day, quite early in the winter for our neck of the woods! Last night I went to the grocery store and it was raining, when I came out it was a blizzard, at least by our standards. The kids had the day off and ventured out this morning, you know before it all melts away. I went out just long enough to snap these pictures!

Those things they say that I want to remember, always!

Following Jake's birthday, we were home and opening presents. One came in a Spiderman gift bag. Upon seeing this, Ella Kate started singing: "The itty bitty pider went up the water pout..." -she can't put the s and p together yet, so cute!

Grace tells me on a daily basis: "You're the best mom ever!" You would think that it would lose some meaning after hearing it so often, but it's just as endearing every time!

Thanksgiving Recap...

Thanksgiving came and went in a blur. Tuesday Jake had a Thanksgiving play at school, followed by a feast. It really was totally adorable and if I had videotaped it, I would post it. Jake's big line was: "Don't forget those awful vegetables, carrots and parsnips!" He practiced for weeks. Clare took the trio to the library, lunch and grocery store, where they bought stuff to bake cookies.




Thanksgiving Eve, Clare came back and took the kids to see Bolt. What a sweet blessing Clare has been! I got to cook all day, uninterrupted with a little help from Ella Kate of course, she stayed behind. And she may have sampled some of the goods as she was trimming the beans with me, but shhhhh!

Birthday Bowling Bash

This past Saturday we had Jake's official bowling birthday party. He requested a Star Wars cake and this is what he got:



In case you couldn't tell, this is not from a professional bakery, ha. But I certainly had fun making it. I made extra cookies as the take home treat.



Jake's friends all turned out for an evening of bowling, food and fun. Most importantly, everyone had a great time, even though it was a bit crowded and crazy!


Even Clare came!

Happy Birthday Jake...

Wow where does the time go? About this time last year I was finishing up about 16 hours of labor and my first born came into the world, a little after midnight. Now he's a kindergartener and he's SIX years old.

Jake...
loves all things Star Wars, in particular Clone Wars
is fiercely protective of his brother and sisters
enjoys school immensely and has really taken off with reading/writing/math
still loves dinosaurs
plays dress up almost every day
draws pictures constantly, especially planes and police cars
loves his "schoolmates" as he calls them
just finished a great soccer season (and boy has he come a long way)
is getting ready to start another basketball season
sadly is starting to respond with "ewwww" when I go to kiss him
is a little type A (not sure where he got that one from, :))
is very cautious (I know where he got that from, not me)
is still learning to tie his shoes
is kind and funny and loving and all I could ever ask for...

He picked Cracker Barell for his birthday lunch, where he will order chocolate chip pancakes and white milk, I'm almost positive. And he gets to spend the entire day with me, no school...lucky duck!

Happy day to you little dude! Happy day this day and all days to come!

Belated Boo

Halloween has come and gone,

still those little snack size candy bars

are calling my name.

Made Halloween cookies

(with organic whole wheat flour)

and cheesecloth ghosts...with our fabulous friends.

Visited the pumpkin patch at the Delvin's annual CSA Fall Picnic...

Never did carve those pumpkins.



But did decorate a bit

here and there around the house

to get into the spirit.



The little ones had a parade at their preschool, made my heart melt...





And the grand finale,

trick or treating!



Ella Kate only made it to 3 houses,

she was rather out of sorts

trying to figure out what this night was all about...

In other October news,

the twins tried their hands

or I guess that would be feet

at roller skating.



And the planning has commenced

to celebrate this tiny life

that came into the world

almost 6 years ago. So hard to believe...

Why

Why is it that they always ask me to change the channel when Between The Lions comes on? and... Why is it that I always have late fees at the library, even though we drive by the library daily? But most of all, I want to know why is it that Grace has been waking nightly and screaming at the top of her lungs and if we don't respond quickly enough she will proceed to the top of the stairs screaming therefore waking up everyone else? Thank the good Lord for that morning cup of coffee!

It's The Great Pumpkin.....

Today I had the utmost pleasure of accompanying Jake's kindergarten class on a field trip. Destination, Delvin Farms (a certified, organic , commercial farm). I have actually known the Delvins myself since childhood. Amy and I went to grade school and later high school together, and her brothers were my brother's age. They have been on this "new" property for seven years now and I have had yet to visit. It was beautiful out and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. I even got to meet Bacon and Eggs, the resident pigs.







After a hayride tour of the farm and a little bee keeping 101, the children got to pick out a pumpkin. We wrapped up the day with lunch under the pavillion and the children took home a pumpkin seed in a little ziplock baggie greenhouse to water and watch take root. Jake even said in the car on the way back to school that he saw it growing already. Well that won't continue if I get my little black green thumb on it.


















The children were extremely well behaved, what struck me is how can fourty some odd children go on a public outing without incident yet I can't take out my four without tears or fighting or me having to threaten them within an inch of their lives little behinds. I wonder if the twins' field trip will go as smoothly?

Mindy, the farm dog, she followed us everywhere...


















Jake was looking for Eeyore in the 100 Acre Woods here (this is where they grow Shitake mushrooms) ...

Family Game Night

Remember this:

Oh the nostalgia of the game Operation...actually it used to scare the beejeezies out of me. I swear it kind of gave you a bit of an electric shock when you touched the side, maybe that was just my game cause it was old and woe is me my parents never bought me any toys... Or even better, my version was like that on purpose, kind of like a punishment.

Not anymore, oh no, the new and improved version even has "sound fx." You have to figure out from the sound what you need to remove from the patient. The kids were laughing -out- loud. But I have to say I kind of was expecting the bzzzzz to be at least a little frightening.

#3 Retiring His Jersey

For those eagerly anticipating the end result of today's soccer game. It is with some sadness but more relief, that I announce, David George Harris, Jr. has officially declared that he will not finish out this season. He thanks everyone for the support on and off the field! He will be missed by his team mates, oh wait I don't think they realized he was part of the team, but he can always be found on the sidelines right next to his #1 fan, Grace. He said he may be ready after he turns 5. Then again, maybe soccer just isn't his thing! Stay tuned...

Which Witch Are You?

Those who know me know that I don't know how to sew. After three trips to Jo-Ann's, look what I made for Gracie to wear for Halloween! She was so excited she had to try it on this morning when she saw it. You can google directions for a no sew tutu, there are plenty of sites with instructions out there. Jake wants to be a Star Wars Clone Trooper, George wants to be Jango Fett or a dinosaur or a Ninja Turtle or a...you get the picture. And Ella Kate will be a kitty cat in a kitty cat tutu of course.