Friday Funnies

Here are a couple of the things that made me giggle this week ~

The other night  I made a new recipe for dinner.  It was some mexican casserole dish I found on Pinterest.  We said "grace" and began to eat.  This little girl:

Looked at me quite seriously and replied, "It's ok Mom, but it's kind of insipid."

Ummmmm WHAT?!  Little 6th grade smarty pants :)

Second giggle of the week.

Yesterday at preschool, each student was individually asked what they were thankful for.  Many children replied with the names of siblings or simply Mom, Dad or brothers, etc.  My lovely 4 year old daughter

Said she was thankful for "dress up"

Nice.

What made you laugh this week?

Spicy, Sweet, Moist, Yummy Carrot Cake

Our 13th wedding anniversary was a couple of weeks ago.  It happened to fall on a Tuesday night.  A Tuesday night that was also booked with basketball practice for Action and Volleyball games for Sassy.  That meant a quick dinner at home before the activities began.  Being the um... the wonderful wife I am, I made a few of hubby's favorites for dinner.  The main course was penne with prosciutto an easy pasta dish that the both of us like.  But dessert, dessert was something I haven't made in a very long time.  Something I know the hubs likes.  A dessert I made for him while we were dating.  Carrot Cake.

This is a recipe I got from my mom.  Where she got it I have no idea, but I do know, the resulting cake in this recipe is delicious.  You absolutely should try it.  I mean it has carrots in it people, so it has to be healthy.  Right?

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

First, the cake

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch of salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 Cups vegetable oil

3 Cups grated carrots

Directions:

1.  Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

2.  Make a well in the middle and pour in oil and un-beaten eggs.

3.  Beat 

4.  Add grated carrots and mix well.

5.  Pour into a 9x13 cake pan (I always spray mine with non-stick cooking spray)

6.  Bake at 350° for 40-60 minutes

And now, the icing on the cake.... Actually, cream cheese frosting

(don't frost the cake until it has cooled completely)

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup margarine, room temperature

3 oz cream cheese, room temperature, (not fat free/low fat)

2 1/4 Cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chopped ~ as finely as you so desire ~ Nuts (I use walnuts)

Directions:

Cream together the margarine and cream cheese.  Once smooth, add in powdered sugar and vanilla.  

Frost cooled cake, then sprinkle with chopped nuts

There you have it an easy, yummy, dessert!

And I totally got sidetracked eating a piece of this delicious cake and forgot to take a picture of it!  I guess you'll have to make it yourself to see the yummy carrotty inside! 

Me... embracing

Embrace the camera (definition) stepping out from behind the camera and getting in front of it so your family will remember you and all of the time you spent together.

In Emily's words :

"One day, we won't be around.

Do we really just want to be a distant memory?  Or do we want pictures to remind our loved ones of what we once were.

Regardless of how we look or feel, I promise that they will treasure those photos one day.

They will not think "man, my mom was ---(insert horrible adjective that you use to describe yourself)."

They will love the photos.

I promise."

I've not been very good lately at posting this pictures.  It's not that I haven't been living in the moment with my kids and embracing those moments we have together when we are not running here or there.  I have.  So here I am embracing.....

Hot tubbing with my girls at Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Pheasant hunting ~ don't we look fabulous in blaze orange?

(click here to see more hunting pictures and get a yummy recipe)

And election day.  Me after casting my vote.

Have you been embracing the camera?

Caramel, Rice Krispies and Hunting?

A couple of weeks ago we went on a little road trip for an annual family get together.  Every year in October we get together with lots of family and enjoy a weekend of pheasant hunting.  When I started dating hubby, this was a tradition I was introduced to.  I had never been on a pheasant hunt before.  It is fun, I go for the exercise of walking in the fields trying to scare up the birds.  I don't carry a gun.  Our kids have grown up doing the same thing.  However as Sassy gets older the idea of carrying a gun becomes more and more appealing to her, as it does with Action, but he has a bit more time to wait.

Anyway, like I said, this is a weekend when lots of family comes to town.  And that means lots of food and of course, treats are needed ☺.  The last couple of years I have been asked to bring these:

Caramel Krispie Bars

Warning, they are rich and full of ooey, gooey, yumminess.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Butter or Margarine
1 bag (about 14 oz) caramels (unwrapped)
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
16 oz bag mini marshmallows
9 cups Rice Krispies

Directions:

1.  Using a microwave, heat 1/2 cup butter, the caramels and sweetened condensed milk on low until melted. Stirring every few minutes.

2.  In a large sauce pan on the stove, heat the remaining 1/2 cup butter and marshmallows until melted (do not over cook!) stir frequently.  Once melted, remove from heat, stir in cereal and mix well.

3.  Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick spray.  Pat 1/2 of cereal/marshmallow mixture in bottom of pan.  Pour the caramel mixture on top and spread evenly.  Then place the rest of the cereal/marshmallow mixture on top.  Spread out and smooth evenly.

4.  Chill until cool.

ENJOY!

Today's Creative Blog

The Trading Continues.....

Halloween was 5 days ago, but the debating, bartering and trading continues in our house......

I remember doing this with my brother.  Do your kids get their trade on?

Happy Halloween

Halloween, the night when people become someone or something else.  When candy is handed out among neighbors and children are on the loose grinning with excitement and maybe a little sugar high. And neighborhoods are illuminated with the glow of jack o'lanterns.

For our jack o'lanterns, we begin at the pumpkin patch.  However, choosing the perfect pumpkins is last on the list of things to do.  There are so many activities to be had that the kids typically start in the corn pit.  Thats right, a big pit full of corn.  Who knew corn could be so fun!

Next stop, the corn maze.  There are always clues you need to find along the way.
This year we were on a mission to find a total of 9.

They also jumped on a huge inflatable "pillow", rode a train ride, climbed on a rope spider web, raced pedal cars and did some potato flinging. Then, they picked out the perfect pumpkins, which, in all the excitement I failed to take pictures of.

The next day, it was gutting and carving time.  The kids mostly gut their own pumpkins.  There was a little assistance needed with Action and Smiley.  And, I must note, this is the first year Action did not gag while gutting :)  Then, the kids draw out their desired designs on paper, transfer it to their pumpkin and hubby and I do the actual carving (Sassy did do some of her own this year).  For Smiley's pumpkin, she knew she wanted it to be a princess.  We first drew a tiara, then I drew out different options for eyes, nose and mouth and let her pick which ones she wanted.  Lucky for me she chose the easiest ones to cut out!

~ Voila ~

Masterpieces Completed

Happy Halloween!

13 + 5

We dated 5 years before we got married.  And today have been married for 13 years.  

Nope, 18 years together hasn't always been easy or happy.  

(Halloween 2011)

We've had our share of ups and downs, but together we always make it work.  

We support each other, we laugh, and we love....lots. 

These first 13 years of marriage have flown by and have been filled with amazing memories.  

I know the next 13 will be just as extraordinary!

(via Poppies at Play)