Been On A Blogging Break

Dear Reader:

I've been on a blogging break. I've been doing all sorts of this and that. But I've really been thinking a lot about the blog and me.

In the next few weeks, I can't wait to tell you about some new recipes:

Eclair Cake
Melanie's Spinach Dip
Becky's Peanut Butter Pie (If I can get her to share the recipe with me!)
Banoffie Pie
Strawberry Cream Pie

Wait....a second!!! These are all desserts!

I've also got some pictures to share with you from some cool stuff I've been to and been doing.

And last but not least, I have stories to tell on myself. So, keep checking back!

Erin's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, you are going to have to try this recipe!

Erin made these cookies for a PTA thing we did earlier in the school year. They were quite the hit! I promise I'll make them this weekend and post a picture. Thanks for sharing your recipe Erin!

Erin's Chocolate Chip Cookies
aka Personal favorite of the Elementary Teachers at our school!

Cream together:
2 cups shortening (if you like crispy cookies, use butter instead)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together:
4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Mix flour mixture into shortening mixture, then add 2 cups of chocolate chips and mix together. Bake at 325 for 11 minutes.

Some qutoes

I am just writing these down because, well, I loved them. I heard both of them this week.

"I really like blueberries, Kelly. Because they are very, very blue." --C.P. 3 years old

While holding a small infant...
"I think it was really kind of God to send us into this world as babies. So sweet, so gentle. What if He had sent us all in to the world as 15 year olds? Ugh. It's nice that He gave us time to be so small and loved as babies..." - Mrs. Mc

Eve Cake

Like the Eve Cake? My Husband made it. Love that guy!

And I made the cupcakes...not as cute, but what my daughter wanted.

Eve Cake cost my hubby some time, but was less than $5 to make. The cupcakes were a little more expensive...but the came out around $8 for 18. Most of the cost was the Wall-E themed cupcake wrappers and Wall-E shaped candies. It took a little time, but we managed to make plenty of cake for $13 vs. the $26 and change the grocery store wanted for the Wall-E cake.

Cleaning Shortcut

Awhile ago, my friend, Becky, told me about Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubbers. They come with a handle thingy and disposable sheets that velcro on to the handle thingy.

http://www.scrubbingbubbles.com/products.aspx?product=action-scrubber

Anyway, it works great! Here is what you should do. Give your shower a good scrub down like you would normally do. Then once a week or more often if you need too- just use this action scrubber thing and it makes keeping the shower clean a lot easier, faster and I am using a lot less paper towels and cleaner as a result.

I don't enjoy the fragrance of the scrubbers at all,but I love that you can use them on the handle or take the sheet thing off for cleaning too. It cleans under sliding glass shower doors really well!

Another hint: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser with Fabreeze scent--has made cleaning my baseboards/molding so much easier this spring.

I don't usually endorse cleaning products like this, but they've made my life so much easier! :-)

Key Lime Cheese Ball

Tastefully Simple's Key Lime Cheeseball is pretty good. Very easy to make. Took just a few minutes to put together. Longest part for me was the running back and forth to the grocery store b/c I picked up....REGULAR Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, instead of REGULAR plain cream cheese. I am such a dork. Anyway, it tasted really good with the green apples...would've never thought of that combo..but it was very yummy!

Pinata

Isn't it awesome? We had a great birthday party. Pink and Princess was the theme. We did some kite flying and then a pinata. Then we went inside for a light sandwich, fruit, cheese and chips. Then we had a princess cake from the local grocery store. Shaped like a castle and decorated with Disney princesses.

The pinata was really a fun part, the kids all loved it.

Waaaalllll-eeeeeeeeee

Wall-E cake from my now 4 year old's birthday party. I didn't do it! It's awesome though, isn't it? A $13 pan and hours of work! They loved my little one well. Thanks guys!

March So Far...

This is a place setting that my friend, June, set at her table. The bag is the goodie bag for the birthday girl. The theme was movies and she had a place for each of the children. The birthday girl got the celebrate plate, which is similar to The Red Plate I talked about recently. The Celebrate plate is sold by Pampered Chef.
June pulls out the plate for all of her celebrations. Cake is from Blue Moon Bakery. YUM. Chocolate, Chocolate. See the the movie themed art work?

Wasted.

"As it turns out, Americans waste an astounding amount of food — an estimated 27 percent of the food available for consumption, according to a government study — and it happens at the supermarket, in restaurants and cafeterias and in your very own kitchen. It works out to about a pound of food every day for every American."-- New York Times

Here is where you can find the article...(sorry link is still not working on my blog..you'll have to cut and paste into your browser)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/weekinreview/18martin.html

Gives me something to think about...

Soccer Goal Safety

I know, nothing to do with hospitality. Some of you are probably rolling your eyes at me, b/c this is the 3rd time you've heard this story!

But sometimes the only way to change things....is to get the word out.

So, my daughter was hit in the head last week by a falling soccer goal. The goal was not secured to the ground. It says on the post, "to prevent serious injury, goal must be secured to ground".

She was just playing soccer on her school playground and it was a blustery day. She and a friend were under the goal, her foot got stuck in the net, they bent down to fix it, the wind knocks over the goal...it hits my 9 year old in the head and the other 9 year old in the back. Now these goals according to the manufacturer weight btwn. 200-425 lbs each..depending on the model. So it hit both of those children hard, and thank God there were two of them, b/c if it had been just one of them, I assure you the results could've been far worse b/c the force of the goal falling would have been much harder.

I did an internet search and there have been serious injuries and around 30 deaths that have occurred b/c soccer goals were not secured to the ground.

My suggestion is, 1) always check to make sure the goal is secured and can't tip over 2) make sure kids don't hang on the goals 3) don't let them play soccer with the goal if it isn't secure.

Such a Control Freak!

Seriously. I am such a control freak! Recently I was at an event that I didn't plan, and things were going awry, and I kept suggesting that we do something else. My husband had to pull me aside and remind me, that this wasn't my thing...I needed to chill and let the hostess take the lead.

I totally didn't mean any harm. I was just trying to be sensitive to others, but I probably ended up being pretty offensive and not so sensitive to my hosts.

Just a reminder, when you are in someone else's house...no matter how things are going along, it's probably best to let your hosts take the lead. It's so hard to do some times, b/c some of us, have a really hard time hosting or sometimes we have a really hard time keeping our mouths shut and following someone else's lead.

As for me, I am just a control freak and I need to get over that!