Joey turns 11

Well as many times as we threatend him over the last year, he actually made it!! Joey turned 11. Here he is blowing out the candles of his cake. Jason was right there to cheer him on! This year I told all the kids that I was going to throw a pie in their face for their birthday. Nobody believed me!! So of course I had to do it! I snuck up behind Joey and got him good! It was so much fun. I wll totally have to keep doing this one! It was my favorite part of the birthday.

Joey opening his presents. He was pretty happy.

All in all a pretty fun day! And a pretty spoiled kid if you ask me. But he is worth it!

Love you Joey!

Your smile makes it worth anything!

St. Patricks day

Happy St. patricks day!

This is one of my favorite days of the year! The kids love it, and we all have so much fun!

This is a mountain dew cake I made for dessert last night, it turned out pretty yummy!This was our 'green'dinner last night. We had green bread, that me and Jason made yesterday. We were making bread, and those sneaky leprechans must have snuck in and turned our bread green! It was pretty silly, They also snuck in and turned our milk green, so we had green milk on our cereal. That was pretty crazy!

Here are all the cute kids in their lucky shirts! I don't know what the boys on the ends were doing but the faces they are pulling are something else!!! I guess with 5 kids, getting 3 of them to smile at a time is as good as it gets!

This is the kids showing off their loot after the leprechans snuck in and left a trail of shiny pennies that led to a pot of gold (lots of yummy candy)

Pretty fun day!!!

Go Irish!

Salt and Pepper

These cute little babies (well not so much babies anymore) have been so funny lately. Pepper got sick last week, she had a pretty bad cough, sore throat, little fever, you know all the nasty stuff running around, so I kept her home from preschool for a couple days, salt still went to school on wednesday, but thursday, he just couldn't do it anymore, he was feeling ok, but he just couldn't go with out his pepper!! he cried, and carried on about how he just wouldn't go, so yes, I actually gave in, and let him stay home, I know I couldn't believe it either, but it was just so cute. And besides daddy was home too, so I figured just this once!! Anyway it was so adorable! They are inseperable! Its hard to believe that kindergarten registration is next month! It makes me tear up just thinking about this one! (sniff sniff) This one will be hard! The babies of the family are growing up!

wow I have been craving Ice cream!!!

maybe its because I am channeling summer. Wouldn't that be nice. I am picturing a nice warm sunshine, flipflops, shorts, running through the sprinkles, jumping on the trampoline! ahhh I can't wait! So yes ice cream comes to mind.

So I have put together my favorite ice cream topping recipes!! this one pictured is butterscotch. YUM!!

BUTTERSCOTCH WITH SEA SALT

4 TBbutter

1C brown sugar

1TB corn syrup

3/4 c heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 tsp vanilla

in a med sauce pan melt butter over low-med heat. add brown sugar and corn syrup stir until well blended. stir frequently until the mixture turns from grainy to hot and bubbly. it will begin to look more like liquid, then you add the cream. , whisk until smooth. pour mixture into a glass bowl cool to room temp. when cool stir in vanilla and sea salt. keep refirgerated. you can reheat in microwave to serve over icecream.

APPLE CINNAMON SAUCE

2 apples

1/2c sugar

1 TB cinnamon

2 TB water

Mix all ingredients and boil for about 10 min. till apples are tender. pour over ice cream. (also good over pancakes) Watch carfully so they don't burn.

BALSAMIC STRAWBERRIES

In a large skillet over medium heat melt 1 TB butter add 2 cups hulled and halved strawberries, and 1/4 c. sugar, and 1 TB balsamic vinegar. cook until the strawberries are heated through and darkened to a ruby red. serve warm.

DULCE DE LECHE (MY FAV)

easy but takes time

1 can sweetened condensed milk

open the can of sweeten condensed milk and pour it into a tin pie pan, cover with foil place into a bigger pan of water. cook in the oven at 300 degrees for about 2 hours till the milk starts to darken. this makes a rich carmel YUM!!! enjoy!!

SO BREAK OUT THE ICE CREAM AND START EATING!!

Teddy Bear

This is what Brian looked like when he got home from work this last time. It must have been really cold!!! Now we really have a great big cuddly hairy teddy bear! but we love our teddy bear!

more cuppies

ok finally the last of the cupcake recipes!! Sorry life has been crazy (not like that is anything different) but here are the last of the cupcake recipes from the birthday party. I promise you they are not the last of the recipes because I have already tried and loved a couple more, that I will post later!!
SMORES CUPCAKES
This one is a little involved, but SO worth it!
first you need to get about 20 graham crackers squares and make crumbs. thats the fun part! I put mine in a ziplock baggie and smush with my rolling pin. Then mix with 1/3 c. melted butter, and 1/4 c. sugar.
Line 2 standard muffin tins with liners, and sprinkle 1 TB.graham cracker mixture in bottom of liners reserving remaining for the tops of the cupcakes. use the bottom of a small glass to pack the crumbs down.
Next you take like a symphone bar, or any kind of chocolate bar, about 10 oz. finely chopped. sprinkle about 2 tsp. on top of the graham crackers. Bake this for about 5 min. at 350. remove from oven. and fill each muffin cup three quarters full with the cake batter. Which is here.........

1. sift 2 cups plus 2 TB sugar, 1 3/4 c. flour, 3/4 c. cocoa 1 1/2 baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp.baking soda, and 1 tsp salt together.
2. in another bowl mix 2 large egg, 1 c. whole milk, 1/2 c. oil, and 2 tsp vanilla . mix together, then add to dry mix. mix for 2 min. Add 1 cup boiling water.
After you fill three quarters full top with remaining graham cracker crumbs and chocolate return to oven and bake at 350 for 18-20 min. or till a toothpick comes out clean.

Marshmellow frosting (also known as 7 min. frosting)
2 egg whites, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4c. sugar, 3/4 c. karo sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat together 2 egg whites and 1/4 tsp salt with a mixer until very frothy. Add 1/4 c. sugar VERY slowly. and beat until smooth and glossy. SLOWLY add 3/4 c. light karo syrup and beat until it holds stiff peaks. gently fold in 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla.
I know this recipe is a little confusing but feel free to call me or email me if this doesn't make sense! sometimes thinks make sense in my head and I write them down and they don't quite turn out right on paper (or computer in this case)


cream cheese or black bottom cupcakes
ok for this one, you make your regular cake mix, homemade or from a box, it really doesn't matter, the fun part on this one is the fun center:
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 egg
1/3c. sugar
1/8 tsp salt
6 oz chocolate chips
beat cream cheese, and sugar, add in salt, then egg. mix well. then add in the chocolate chips. prepare cake mix acording to directions, fill paper cupcake liners 1/3 full with cake batter. top with heaping teaspoon of cream cheese mixture. bake for 30-35 min. makes 24 cupcakes.
FROSTING
1 cube margarine
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
beat together
add 1 lb pwd sugar, 2 TB vanilla you may need to add 1-2 tb milk. mix well.

Wild and crazy few weekends. This was Alli and her adorable coach at her last basketball game. We have loved basketball this year! We are a little sad to see it go. We are not going to miss all the freezing cold runs to practice, but we have loved watching all the girls grow and have a lot of fun this year! AND to top it off they won their last game Way to go girls! This was the night that Zach got his first class in scouts. they dressed up as raisens kinda cute huh! My little raisen is the little one on the far right I got a kick out of them dancing around. And even though they would never admit it, they had a great time!

Ahhh if this were only true.... These little monkeys were pretending to sleep to try to fake me out. Good thing I am smarter than they are and I grabbed the camera, as soon as they saw the flash they all started giggling. what a bunch of goobers.

And here is part of the Lava Heat swim team. we had a way fun sledding party today. and after we had lunch and awards. Here are all the awards that Joey got from the first 2 swim meets that he raced at, I think thats a pretty good start!!!

And I think that he is pretty proud!!

So is that a ray of sunshine I see??? Well it could be! Almost 2 months after I took joey to the rheumatologist, he finally called me to say there may be an answer to Joeys joint pain. Glad I wasn't holding my breath! There were some dark spots that showed up on the x-rays around his knees, and hips. He is sending us in for more x-rays. Hopefully we can get that done, and hear back from him before summer.(sorry that must have been a little sarcasm slipping in) But all in all I am allowing myself to get slightly excited that there may be an answer. He said that if it is what the thinks it is ( being very vague) that it is not a huge deal, and it is something Joey will outgrow. It will be a painful process, and he won't even start outgrowing it till he is like 15 or 16, but he will outgrow it and be normal, whatever normal is. I am still a little hesitant, just because it doesn't answer all the other questions, but if there are spots on the x-rays that are making the dr.s question.... then at least we are on the right track right???? One baby step at a time. In the mean time, I have to say, he did great at his swim meet!!!! I will find out his official times on Friday and post them for you all! I am one proud mamma!!

Well, Joey is off at another swim meet this weekend. I was unable to go with him this time since I just can't figure out how to rip me in 5 different ways!!! But he was totally ok with that since I sent him with some friends, his D.S, and some cash. He is having so much fun. I have received a few scriptic text messages from him:

havin fun

doin gd

restrnt (yes they went to olive garden lucky kid)

2d butt (found out later this means 2nd place in butterfly)

4!sds free (41 seconds in freestyle)

so after figuring out all my text messages I am pretty proud of all the hard work my Joe man has put into his swimming! Way to go Joe!!!!!

But yes I miss him like crazy. one more day, he will be home tomorrow!

Ok these are the Vanilla cheesecake ones(recipe to come later) and the cookies and cream chocolate peanut butter and the colorful

Brownies with ganache

Raspberry over in the corner smores in the middle (also recipe coming later) and key lime pie.

root beer float

Holy recipes!!!

Ok many of you have been asking for the recipes I used for the cupcakes at my dads birthday party. So if you are interested here they are if not well we will blog together another day!~

First here is my basic frosting recipe which I used for the following cupcakes: multicolor, raspberry, key lime pie, and root beer float. I just added the different flavor extracts, for each cupcake.

1 cube of margarine

1lb. powdered sugar.

1 tb. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

mix well.

RECIPE #1

KEY LIME PIE CUPCAKES

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1 c. half and half

6 T. key lime juice

1 c. sweetened condensed milk

mix together cake mix, eggs, half and half and 3 tb. key lime juice. pour 1-2 TB batter into each paper liner. In seperate bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk and the rest of the lime juice. Evenly divide lime milk into batter filled cups. top with remaining batter and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 15-18 min. or till cake springs back when lightly touched.

(again frosting I used the go to frosting, and added a little lime juice)

RECIPE #2

RASPBERRY CUPCAKES

1stick butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4. tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 tsp raspberry extract

1/2 c milk

1 1/3 c. flour

mix. wet, then add dry, mix till just blended. bake at 350 15-18 min.

(also use the go-to frosting add raspberry extract, and a drop or two of pink food coloring)

RECIPE #3

COOKIES N CREAM

1box yellow cake mix,make according to directions. (I also like to add 1 c. sour cream and a box of vanilla pudding mix to the cake mix to boost the flavor)

about 15 crushed oreos

line cupcake liners with mini oreos fill liners 3/4's full bake at 350 for about 15 min.

Frosting for the cookies and cream:

1/2 cup shortning

1 stick butter or margarine

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 c milk

1/2 c. crushed oreos

Beat together the shortning and butter, add powdered sugar, add milk, and vanill, then cookie crumbs. then add another cookie to the top of each cupcake after you frost it YUM!!!

RECIPE #4

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER

1 devils food cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. canola oil

8 oz. cour cream

1 small package chocolate pudding mix (4 serving size)

Mix together pour into liners 2/3 full.

Mix in a bowl: 1 c. creamy peanut butter and 3/4 powdered sugar

Roll into 1/2 inch balls. and press into the center of each cupcake.

bake for 20-30 min. or until a toothpick comes clean from center. let cool completely.

FROSTING:

Beat 1 stick margarine or butter, and 1 cup peanut butter, and 1 1/2 c -2 c. powdered sugar.

and just for fun I like to get the mini reces peanut cups and cut them in half and stick them on top just for flair.

RECIPE #5

BROWNIES

2 c. sugar

2 c. flour

2 sticks butter or marg at room temp.

6 TB cocoa

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

cream sugar, butter till well blended. add the eggs, and vanilla and beat well. add dry ing. and mix just till blended. Place batter in ungreased in 9x13 pan. bake in 350 oven for 25-30 min. DONT overbake Cool on wire rack until cool. frost with yummy frosting.

for cupcakes bake for about 15 min. Don't overbake they will harden.

frosting for the 9x13-

1 stick butter or marg

4 1/2 c. powdered suger

1/2 c. cocoa

1/3 boiling water

1 tsp vanilla

mix and put on brownies

so yummy!!

ganache for cupcakes

1 c. heavy cream

8 oz. chocolate chips (your favorite kind)

1 TB corn syrup

dash salt

Heat cream to a full boil turn off heat add chocolate wisk then add the rest of ing. top brownies cupcakes and enjoy!

Ok so here are most of them. if you scroll further down you will find the rootbeer float recipe already posted on the blog. I have to run and get salt and pepper ready for preschool so I will post the last 3 recipes in the next couple days I don't want to overwhelm everyone all at once anyway!!! so for those of you who wanted to try the recipes good luck!! let me know how they go.

If you have any questions feel free to ask! Happy baking!

happy valentines day!!!!

Happy Valentines day mommy!

This is how Jason wished me happy valentines day! I tell you I wll take it any day! What a cute and precious valentine~ melt my heart!~ These are the YUMMY brownies I made for my church girls for valentines. they turned out pretty cute too!
And our Valentines day breakfast. I made the kids pink heart shaped pancakes! I think they liked them! I didn't quite catch Abby, Alli and Zach before they started eating so their hearts are bitten into but thats ok, that just means they liked them right??

Happy valentines day everybody!

One big wild crazy fun weekend!!!!!

WOW What a weekend!!

We had so much fun this weekend!

We went to Salt Lake to celebrate my dads 60th birthday. Well actually we surprised him with a huge open house party. We had so much fun! This is a little family snapshot in my mom and dads backyard the morning we headed home!
my adorable mom and dad!

The moment we surprised my cute daddy!

My cupcake helpers. I made 300 cupcakes for this little shindig, and my cute aunt, grandma, and cousins actually volunteered, (and my sister, but she didn't get in the picture!) Thanks so much guys, they turned out so cute! I had so much fun hanging out with you all, and baking up a storm! we will have to do it again!!!!

And here is the yummy food table. With all the fab food we had set up! We had a blast! And I think we pulled off quite a fun party. Thanks to all who helped. And dad happy 60th I love you more than anything in the world!!!!

Swim meet

Joey's first swim meet

Wow what a weekend!

We went to Joey's first swim meet this weekend, and we had a blast. He had 2 qualifing times the first in the backstroke, and the second in the freestyle. His best time was the freestyle which he swam 50 meters in 46.6 seconds. AWESOME!!! I was so proud of him. It was so crowded, and a little weird, It was an outdoor pool, but it had a dome, or an igloo thing over the pool, so it was like a sauna by the end of the day. And they packed us in there like sardines. But overall it was a great experience. And Joey really did great. This is a funny pic of his arm. This is a map to help him keep organized as to which event he is in next, and which heat, and which lane, and so on, it kind of confused me, but after you catch on, I can see how it helps, it made me laugh to see all the kids walking around with sharpie maps on their arms and legs.

And here is my little swimmer I am so proud of what an effort he put out this weekend. He got a little discouraged a few times, but never gave up. What a trooper.

Yet another recipe

Yet another recipe!

I found this recipe, I am always looking for something different for the kids for breakfast, and the kids loved this one. It is called mini maple chicolate chip pancake muffins. :) yum! Here is the batter
and of course a few extra chocolate chips for good measure.

and the final look. the kids were popping these in their mouths all day, even with out the syrup! they were so easy!

Here is the recipe.

1 c. flour

1. tsp. baking powder

1/2. tsp baking soda

1/4. tsp. salt

2 tb. sugar

2/3 c. buttermilk

1 egg

2 tb. maple syrup

2 tb melted butter

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350

combine flour baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in bowl.

in another bowl, stir buttermilk,egg, syrup, and butter, until just combined.

add wet ing. to dry ing. stir with a spoon till just combined.

stir in chocolate chips reserving some to sprinkle on top.

bake for 8-9min.

makes 24 mini muffins

let cool slightly you may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the muffins from the pan serve immediately with warmed butter or even just with maple syurp Or if you are like my kids, just grab them and pop them in your mouth while running around the house :)

If you are at all squeamish turn away from the blog right now, just turn away from the blog....

Ok you didn't turn away so here we go.... I was swimming the other day, and I had on my cute little flippers and I got a blister, but to my surprise it was in the shape of a heart, how cute is that! I actually think that my blister is kinda cute! So yes I took a pic of my heart shaped blister!

And then the story gets funnier. The only bandaid I can find in my house in nemo. So I put the nemo bandaid on, and this morning as I am getting ready for church I put my nylons on, and grab my shoes thinking no problem, my shoes will cover the bandaid... well no they didn't. and I was running late, (I know surprising) so there I was in my nylons, with my cute shoes with my nemo bandaid showing. no denying that I am a mom!

weekend of scouts and basketball

Well the pics are backwards from the posts, thats what happens when you post something, then go back and try to add the picture, I guess I am not smart enough to figure that one out. so this pic of zach goes with the bottom post, and my basketball star #33 is Alli!
Oh and a funny story, Alli couldn't find her basketball shorts, she asked me where her 'nikki' shorts were, I was like what are you talking about 'nikki' then I figured it out NIKE ! Yep, I get it now. kids are so cute!

Well this momma survived a crazy weekend. Alli had her first basketball game. We don't have to go into what the score was (1-30) BUT...... Her team really played an awesome game, and I have to say, My little allicat is quite the powerhouse. She may be an itty bitty but she was pushing around those bigger girls like I couldn't believe. And she has been working on her muscles. she claimes to have a little 'bump' on her arm this year that is allowing her to make a basket! Hopefully she can make one of them baskets during the game, and not just at practice. But I just want to say how proud I am of her.
Zach went on his first scout overnighter. It was the Klondike derby. He had a good time. He had to dig out a sleeping area for himself, and I am not quite sure, but I know that they did a lot of sledding activities, getting information out of a 12 year old is like pulling teeth, which brings me to my next point, he lost a tooth. I know what you are thinking.... scouts.... sleds.... lost tooth, but nope, he lost it eating sweedish fish. funny huh. The acident actually came later when he was laying in his snow fort thing, and somebody was backing a trailer in, and actually backed it over his snow fort with him in it knocking him into the next snow fort, the only injury he has is a small cut,and a black eye, of which he is quite proud. So, not sure how, but we have survived the first scout camp!! Lots of fun things coming up this week. I will keep you posted!

If all else fails BAKE!!!!!

When these long cold dreary January days start to make you think you are crazy, instead of thinking you are crazy, just start baking!! Now these are really fun. Even though they didn't turn out quite perfect I made them egg free so I could eat one, and I just kind of made up my own recipe instead of looking one up, and it fell flat, it tasted good, but it didn't raise, but they are just so darn cute I couldn't resist posting anyway! so here they are! Just take any old cake batter, divide it up, add food color.
spoon into your liners, and bake.

frost and totally enjoy!!!!

mmmmmm mmmmm make me happy!

the answer is around the corner

Generally speaking I am a very upbeat person, I can make lemonade out of all the dumb lemons that keep getting thrown at me. Well I believe I am out of sugar. I took Joey to Salt lake earlier this week to a Rheumotologist (sp. wrong I am sure). We were sure this was going to be the answer. We have been in and out of dr.'s for the last 6 years. Joey just wants to know why he is different from all the other kids, why he can't play basketball, and football, and baseball, and run, like the other boys. We put a lot of hope and faith in this dr. visit. He checked him out, did some blood work, and x rays. Yesterday we found out that every thing came back 'normal' So our family Dr. told us that at Joeys next 3 month check up (Feb) we would discuss the next step. My cynical question is- how many corners can you turn before you crash into that wall for the last time? Where do I draw the line? When do I say My son is just simply different and I will never know exactly know why? Or do I press forward tirelessly and never give up? That is what I am pondering at this time in my life. Along with is the earth truly round? and what should I make for dinner, and should I do the dishes, or the laundry, and should I take a shower or a bubble bath, hmmm this is my crazy life. And I am sure tomorrow will be better. :)

I know, I know just a couple of weeks ago I was hoping and praying for a white christmas, I was so worried we wouldn't have snow for christmas, well we had snow for christmas!! yea. now I am done, I am ready for the sun, and beach, and to be WARM! I feel like I am cold all the time, and I am just ready to be warm. We all know that in August, I will be whining that its too hot, and I am ready for a good snow storm, but for now I am ready for some sunshine:)

a day at the spa and a challenging game of chess

WOW model material! How cute is my sassafras. And yes for those of you who noticed, she begged and begged for months for a perm, well, it took two tries for a decent perm, and it finally turned out cute, now she wants me to straighten it every day! GIRLS! thats all I will say on that.
Now this was an intense chess match I am not sure who won, but it was really fun to watch. And Salt really looked like he knew what he was doing. It was fun! and the cheerleader on the side cheering on her brothers! good job pepper.

Sassy got a spa kit for christmas. This was the first thing she wanted to try. a Oatmeal honey facial scrub. Now we all know that you should use cucumbers on your eyes, but we were fresh out of cuces at my house so we used the next best thing.....ritz crackers. Her face was so smooth when she was done you could see it shine for miles! What a beauty!