"Am I just eating because I'm BORED?" -The Grinch

There is NO chocolate in this HOUSE! None. No where. I realize that normally when I sit down to journal, I usually have something intellectually stimulating and groundbreaking to share(please note the sarcasm), but tonight- it's just simply that our house is lacking even a morsel of chocolate. Under such conditions you can't expect me to come up with much. The kids have been asleep for about an hour now. The laundry is folded. Dishes are done. Our Christmas tree is up and looking all cozy and festive. Now is the perfect time to sit down with a book and a good hunk of Callebaut and read by the light of the tree.

Instead I've downed a plate of leftovers, had a slice of apple pie AND cleaned off some doritos, which are the grossest things ever!

Nope- it's not cutting it. How! How did this happen! I can't help but ask myself why we never added chocolate to our food storage. Did we not foresee that need?

I'm going to bed. I'll probably dream of this:

Chocolate Covered Popcorn Recipe

12 cup popped popcorn (air popped works great)
1/4 cup butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup corn syrup

Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Pop the popcorn and place it in the pan.

Combine butter, chocolate chips and corn syrup in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it boils.

Pour mixture over popcorn and stir through to coat. Bake at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes stirring frequently. Cool completely. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

For an added dimension, add a cup or two of your favorite nuts.


No Bake Chocolate Popcorn

6 cups popped popcorn
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoonn milk
Dash of salt

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the popped corn in it.

Melt margarine in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in corn syrup, cocoa, milk and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Pour mixture over popcorn and stir well to coat. Allow popcorn to cool before serving.

My sister in law brought this book over to me and insisted that I MUST read it. Absent in the spring by Mary Westmacott A.K.A Agatha Christie. It's a quick read only taking a couple of hours. It's a story of a woman named Joan,  who lives her entire life disgustingly unaware of what people around her are really feeling and what they are going through. Through a series of events she finds herself stranded and virtually alone for several days in the middle of the dessert. With nothing to do with herself but THINK she begins to see herself in truest light, only to realize that her life and she, herSELF are not as perfect as she'd always thought. The ending is utterly tragic in my opinion, but I think it is proof that you have to acknowledge your weaknesses if you ever want to change them.

Questions I've been asking myself since reading this book:

"If I had nothing else to think about for a few days-what would I find out about myself?" Would I even want to know? What are those weakness, that I'm not willing to change? (THIS IS A RHETORICAL QUESTION by the way. Please Please PLEASE don't answer that:)

Do I worry to much about things that don't matter and miss completely what is most important?

Do I give my husband and children freedom to be their own person separate from my own thoughts and opinions?  

Hmm. ....

no comment.

Death by Chocolate! ...sounds not too bad

This morning I attended an mini class and the topic was ....CHOCOLATE! Believe me when I say it was G-O-O- OOd. I came home with several ideas of what to dip, and how to dip, and how to decorate said dipped morsels. It will make for some fun and MESSY evenings over the next few days. Bring it on.


This was a Simple recipe (with a capital S). You take a good quality chocolate and melt it down slowly. Add it to a bowl of craisins, and any nuts of your choice. Once everything is coated sufficiently, simply drop spoonfuls into little liners and let set. Done.
I'm not divulging any more dipping suggestions as I plan on giving some of them to anybody within a 50 mile radius of me!

I also learned a bit about decorating cupcakes. Actually I learned a lot, but I have a feeling that I won't be able to duplicate these in the future. There is something about having the baking, decorations ready, icing made in advance by someone else that made this truly fun. Don't you ever watch cooking shows and think that if you had all your food already measured out in bowls before you that it'd be a snap too. This was a fun class-but I really don't see myself EVER making more then one color of icing at a time.
We'll see.

This clown was a lot of fun to do -and the easiest one of all!


Christmas Tree -Jessica had fun digging into this one when I got home.


The ROSE is perhaps the most difficult technique for me-I will need to practice up on this before John's birthday. I'm seeing a pink and white ROSIE creation.


This is Santa NOT a snowman like some people today thought



We'll be doing a lot of baking here - feel free to stop by!

Tagged

5 years ago...

• Abby was eight months old and an only child, so life was so simple.  Though I may not have thought that at the time.
• We were managing an apartment building in downtown Edmonton.  The Susan Manor.  We were probably busy phoning the police, or dealing with a mouse issue at this very moment five years ago...ahh the good ol' days.  
• Hired our first babysitter.  She burnt the pizza I'd set out for her and the fire department came.  We had to come home early to turn off the alarm
• We purchased our first car together.  A Toyota Corolla with only 7 km on it.  That was fun!
• John and I went on our first real trip together.  All the way to Salt Lake for two family Weddings.  

5 Things on my list for today

•  Go visiting Teaching, 
  
• Make Thai Peanut Stir-fry 
  
• Work on the photo book I've been meaning to send off
  
• Wash my windows using the new NORWEX cleaning clothes Crystal sent me.  Hello everyone!- it's chemical free cleaning.  Good for the environment and I hear it works great!  Check out her blog!
•  Find a Santa Claus for the kindergarten party (getting a bit desperate.  At this point now-anyone will do)  ....Anybody? ...Anyone?

5 snacks I enjoy

• Crackers dipped in cream cheese 
  
• chocolate 
  
• pistachios 
  
• big salads
  
• leftovers (there's nothing better then a plate of leftovers before bed)

5 places I've lived - 

• Claresholm 
  
• Edmonton 
  
• Calgary 
  
• Cardston 
  
• On a sailboat, on the ocean, just off of Mandarti Island.   Albeit for a week- but for that week...It was home ok!:)
  
  

5 jobs I have had

• nanny
•  Cashier at a Garden Market IGA
•  Sales Clerk at the Tall Girl Shop in West Edmonton Mall
  
•  Early Childhood Caregiver... and currently
  
•  Motherhood AKA Domestic Engineer...(MOM).  
  

5 things I would do if I was a millionaire

Make John take me on a cruise (all practical thought could be thrown out the window:)

 Start shopping and cooking %100 organically

 Adopt a baby from another country

 Buy an old style farmhouse on a little bit of land and own two horses and 1 dog. (A German Shepherd if you care to know)

 Donate some of it

 put some away for each of my kids for down the road 

eat out at my new favorite local restaurant oh ...i don't know every week

 travel to all the amazing places in the world that I never will go to

Hire in in house chef who would make breakfast every morning.  I'd handle the rest of the meals- just breakfast.

Buy a piano 

Attend any symphony or concert that we wanted to

Own a vehicle that ISN'T a DODGE!

Hire a personal family physician who would be on call 24/7 to handle any of my families medical needs

....What's that?  ...only 5?....oh right...sorry.

5 people I tag

*Luci, Crystal, Gina, Leslie (if you read this), & anybody else who wants to

I was a winner once!

This week I helped at the bookfair, hosted by the Elementary School.  It was a simple enough job.  All I needed to do was show up at 8:30 and work the cash box until 10:30.  It was a lot of fun.  I loved watching all the elementary students (with their fist fulls of quarters)  attempt to spend every last cent on anything.  It didn't matter what.    I myself, eh heh...I mean SANTA managed to get a few things for Christmas gifts, and all in all things went pretty well.  I finished my shift at 10:45, and sat and wondered what to do now?  Jewel had the other two kids for me, and Abby would be finished in a half hour.   So for that half hour I had to make myself useful you know.  It didn't seem worth it to me to go home just to have to turn around again to pick up Abs.    So, I stayed at the book fair for awhile longer, went to the Grade 1 wing to visit with my Aunt Karen who is a teacher and then I visited with another teacher for a bit.     Around 11:00 I'd grown tired of stalling.   I decided to  just go get Abby out of class a bit early and we'd go home.    

As soon as I got to Abby's room I realized I'd made a big mistake.  Abby's teacher was patiently eating her lunch at her desk, ALL the kids were gone, EXCEPT for my little neglected child.  There was Abby with her coat on, backpack strapped over her back sitting at the table watching a movie with her head in her hands.  IT WAS FRIDAY!!  SHORT DAY!!  Abby had been finished since 10:30!    The teacher had been trying to reach me at home,  but she would not have been able to as I'd been wandering aimlessly through the halls the entire time!  Seriously?  Sorry Teacher.     Sorry Abby.   Sorry World that I'm an idiot sometimes ok!!!

I hate apologizing to a 5 year old.  Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to do it, and I do it often, but Abby seems to enjoy my little blunders a little too much.  I've got a feeling, she won't let me forget this any time soon.  

On a better note, my sister in law came over this week with some great footage and photos they've accumulated of our family.  It was so much fun to see some video of Abby when she was little with her Grandma hardy and many of her cousins.  I will be posting some of those some time for sure!  This particular video though brought a smile to my face and relief to my heart this week ...given my mess up on Friday you might appreciate why.

I watch it often :))  

Today's To- Do list

I like To-Do lists. I have many. Actually, it's not that I like them, so much as I can't get anything done without one. I've been known to be shopping, with a grocery list, WHILE writing next weeks grocery list at the same time. John often laughs at my To-Do lists, and more then once I myself have wondered what a day would be like without one. Still, just for fun, today for me, looks something like this:



1. Take van in for new brakes. CHECK....and by the way..."ouch"
2. Make up some Rice Krispie Squares for John's Young men. Done. They are delicious chocolaty little morsels this time, if I do say so myself.
3. Find someone who can be Santa for the kindergarten kids next month ... for some reason, no ones returning my calls. Hmmmm?
4. Make lunch for the kids. (When I asked Abby what she wanted she said, "Oh, anything with vitamin A and vitamin W.") ....She seemed fine with my offer of Apples and Water:)
5. Finish editing Leslie's family photos and send the disc off to her. ..... Ta da- here are some of the Family Photos!!
6. Take the kids to the library ....Done
7. Clean up this before John gets home

Perhaps I'm just stalling right now.

Because we don't want to get struck by lightning...

The day after Halloween we noticed Christmas decorations on the front lawns of residents here in town.  Over the past week, the number of festive houses has increased and Abby has taken notice!  It has become a routine every morning as I drive her to school, to have her ask why we don't get to set up our decorations like everyone else.   I usually reasure her that ours will be up soon enough, we are just waiting for the snow to come.  (Really I'm waiting for a sudden burst of energy, that's all)  This routine conversation took a turn for the worse the other day when Abby confided that she really does not like the Christmas tree that we used last year.  It's too small.   She wants one that is at least taller than Daddy.  She actually has an idea of what she wants...in fact, she knows the very tree she wants.  We pass by it every morning and Abby dramatically but seriously sighs and says, "Oh mom, I REALLY want Daddy to cut that one for us!"  or "It'd be perfect."

I brought the camera along with me today so I could show you Abby's perfect tree. We had to spend some time explaining to her just WHY we couldn't use this particular one.




And Yes- that is the temple in the back ground!

Oddly Delicious

I told my sister in law, Rachel, that I would post the recipe for a dish I made tonight for my family. It's called Cheeseburger Casserole, and you know what? It really does taste just like a hamburger. I don't think I've ever made a casserole with pickles in it ...but it works.   So if you like that sort of thing then this is a fun recipe to try.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef (LEAN is a MUST)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded American cheese
1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet (I used the bread sticks)
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seed
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DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in pickles, water, ketchup, mustard and pepper.
Spoon beef mixture into 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Unroll dough; press into 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares; place on top of cheese. Brush with egg; sprinkle with sesame seed.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Lest we forget

I just finished reading this book called ROOTS, and although I turned the last page several days ago I can't stop thinking about it. It's a beautifully written compilation of several generations beginning with one African- Kuntay Kinte and finishing with the authors fond memories of his ancestors and his search to connect the dots. Enter...Alex Haley and this book. The timing of this book has been interesting for me. As much as I initially refused to get caught up in American Politics I have watched the election this past week with a lot of interest. You know it doesn't matter if you are Liberal, Conservative, or in between, there is one fact about this election that resounds and brings hope to my heart. This week, one of the toughest, strongest, and at times aggressive countries in the world just elected a black man to be their leader for the first time. After reading about the generations and generations of people who were treated as slaves, given no rights, and forced to do as the white people said, I find it monumental that we've come this far. Now it could probably be said that their is not a group of people who have not experienced racism or prejudice and certainly America is not guilty of distributing it all. I am not trying to knock the states (LUCI: I love the states) They have amazing gas stations, and we could learn a thing or two about patriotism from watching them. I'm not even saying that I would have voted for the democrats if I could have voted. I'm not voicing any political beliefs here, I am talking about one thing only. A few generations ago, in that very country the thought of a "Black man" being more then a slave working for his owner was unthinkable. That's all I'm talking about. Progress.

I also found another little thread throughout this book that has affected me so profoundly this week. Stories were told, from one generation to the next, so that over a hundred years later the youngest baby knew about their great great great great great grandfather. They were proud of their history. Do you know in Africa tribes have a griot. An old man who's job it is simply to remember. To remember stories, genealogy and history. They don't record data, they treasure it up in their minds, and then pass it on to the next griot.

It was a year ago today that John's mom died. It was a year and a half ago that my Dad died, and it has been almost 23 years since my mom died. After each one of their passings I remember thinking, "I will never forget who they were. My kids will know their grandparents even if they can't get to know them." I remember stubbornly planning on keeping their memory alive as if they were still here, yet I look back and wonder how I've let myself forget to do that. I want my kids to KNOW their grandparents. I don't want us to just wallow in our losses and pity ourselves. I want us to honor these people who always put their family first. I want my kids to know how rich their heritage is. I have stories about their GREAT grandparents that I've not sat down to tell.


I don't want Abigail forgetting how much her Grandma Hardy loved to sit with her and read books, or how she was always waiting at the kitchen window whenever we'd come to visit ready to feed our hungry tummies and be the grandma that she was so good at being. I want my kids to never forget that they knew someone who was perfectly kind to others,and it is possible to be that good. I want my kids to remember her pumpkin pie (that's really made with squash), the bags of cheetos, the classical music that filled her home, and her sweet disposition that always made everyone feel welcome. I see so much of her in John. He's good just like her. I see her in Jessica's dimples.


I want my kids remembering that they had a Grandpa who LOVED being their grandpa. I need to tell them about times growing up when that man had NO MONEY but could still pull a meal together when the fridge was bare. I want my kids to know how he owned one pair of shoes for a large part of our childhood, yet we always had what we needed and in some miraculous way, we even had what we wanted. My Dad was a biker, a police man, a private investigator and at times a bit of a rebel. He once grew his grey hair out long and wore it in a ponytail- and I think it was to just get a stir out of us. He was a joker, and he had the most giving heart and deepest laugh ever.



I want my kids to remember the stories of my Mom. Their Grandma Rausch who by all description seems more perfect then anyone I've ever known. I want my children to know that a day doesn't go by that I don't wish they knew her, had heard her laugh or seen her smile. I want my kids to know that every memory I have of her was a good one. For almost 5 years she fought a disease and our 5 year old minds hardly even knew it.

I want my kids to know that their GREAT grandparents were equally amazing. Some were immigrants from Germany, some were farmers and gardeners, a few were converts, some were noble latter day saint pioneers, some were like parents to me, a few fought in wars, all of them good people who contributed to how we live today.

I want my kids to know these people, to love them as much as we did. As much as we still do. I want my kids to desire to be like them, and to pass on their stories to their kids. Why am I not doing that for them? I love to go to my sister Jewel's house and look at the wall of photos she has of my Dad. I LOVE that!

Sometimes I feel hesitant to talk about great people who I love and miss, because I sense that talking about them would be wallowing or self pitying. It's almost as if we think that moving on will make us stronger then holding on. WHY? I don't think it is stronger, I think it is stupider:) If we don't wallow in the memories of those we need to remember we won't give them the time in our minds and hearts that they deserve. If we forget about the atrocities some groups of people have had to endure then we will never learn to treat people better. We can move on from our trials, our experiences and past hurt, but we can't, we absolutely can't forget.


So those of you who are still reading this long post, Thanks for sticking with me. Those who tuned out- you can wake up now and go on with your day. Rant is over. But I'll tell you one thing. With this Remembrance Day coming up I plan to do just that. Not only will it be a great chance to celebrate this amazing, free country we live in and express gratitude for those men and woman who made Canada what it is. In addition to that, I feel there is so much more to remember and pass on as well from my own heart and mind.

Happy Thought

Does this make anyone else happy? I never thought I'd see the price of Gas under a dollar again!

Picture This

Imagine a beautiful snowy day. The first snowfall of the year to be exact. Fresh, big white snowflakes. A little lodge in the mountains. A table for two- make that FOUR. Hot chocolate. Pasta. Deer just outside the window. Sound lovely? Well...it was:)

I woke up this morning knowing that it was going to snow, and that knowledge sent me into a frenzied hurry to get our neighbors lawn mowed and clear of leaves before the weather turned for the worse. I was finishing up barely as the first flakes began to fall. After that it was off to Sam's speech class, and then we had to get Abby from school. Then, out of the blue...a beautiful day happened.

I decided that we'd head out to Waterton, (yes big surprise), as it had been awhile since we'd gone out there. The drive was nice. Sam and Jess slept in the back while Abby filled me in on all of her kindergarten happenings of the day. When we got to Cameron falls Abby and I enjoyed some one on one time playing and taking photos. We drove around looking for wildlife, and taking pictures of the trees all dusted lightly with white.


We finished off by having lunch at the Kilmorey Lodge. The kids menu is so affordable and things had been going so well I figured - why not? So there we were- the four of us all coloring on our kids menus, eating spaghetti and meat sauce while watching huge fluffy snowflakes just outside the window cover the ground. It was heavenly. Mind you, I couldn't help but wish a time or two that it was John sitting across from me. ...sans children. Still, I was happy to have that afternoon with them. Just as I was marvelling at how perfect that experience was Sam began blowing bubbles into his drink, and Jessica threw two crayons that barely missed the waitress. I guess that all good things have to come to an end.

Back at home the kids bundled up and played in the snow a bit. All day they've been hugging me and wishing me a Merry Christmas. Yeah, that's not going to get old:)


This is Abby thrilled that the snow is actually lingering on the ground.


Here is Sam catching Pneumonia.

Jessica spent a lot of time watching the snow fall. This is obviously something she's going to have to get used to. But what do you expect from a girl who is still wearing her SWIMSUIT on top of her clothes! We're going on a month of this whole swimsuit fad.

Just a few pictures from our almost perfect day. The only thing missing... was John!

She's just that Brave

There is something about the fall that makes me want to tie up all loose ends. You know, finish off the To-Do list, clean the yard, pack away the summer toys, get the family in for physicals, and make sure everyone has seen the dentist. All that kind of stuff.

The past couple of weeks have been all about Teeth. Abby has been the hardest hit this year with several cavities. How many you ask? More then one - let's just leave it at that. It has been a lesson to John and I that when you ask your kid to brush their teeth and they say "I did!" ...don't believe em. :) That said Abby was one tough little cookie as the Dentist worked on her little mouth.
When he was all finished, and as we were getting into the van, I told Abby how proud of her I was. I even said that the Dr thought she was the Bravest patient EVER! To that Abby smiled and calmly replied,
'Yeah I was brave. I was braver then an ostrich...before...it gets shot!"



I couldn't disagree with that. ...I don't think?

chad's family

Yesturday, my brother let me take some photos of his family.


Some of my favorites are posted on my art blog. Thanks Chad- it's always great to see you guys!

Halloween

We were in a hurry to carve pumpkins one evening. After looking at these all completed I couldn't help but think some patience would have been wise. The poor things look absolutely hideous! Despite that, the kids enjoyed it, and they happen to be pumpkins that we grew ourselves this year!

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Now as for the costumes...








We really didn't go all out this year in planning, and to tell you the truth it came down to the wire wether or not Sam was going to wear his costume at all. He kept telling me, "Later." Later he'd wear it. I don't know what he was waiting for. Abby was a cowgirl as she'd wanted to be for some time now. I think that goes a long with her desire to have a real live pony one day. Just another subtle hint perhaps. Jess enjoyed being a half-dressed witch but we did manage to get her to wear some bunny ears and a cute cotton tail instead. What this picture doesn't show however is that as soon as we got to Aunt Jewel's house, the costume came off and she came upstairs wearing her cousins swimsuit instead. These days that is her outfit of choice:) John was a Rocker, complete with full arm tattoos. That made me laugh as it is so the opposite of his real life personality - but I guess that is what makes Halloween so great.

So we had a little bit of everything this year, most of all we had a GREAT time!

33 things about Mr. Right!

One cool thing about my husband, that a lot of people may not know, is that he was born on Halloween. I've heard lots of stories from him and his siblings about how they'd celebrate that BIG day. For example, John's mom always made a ghost cake, complete with fire burning eyes. Every year I try to replicate that cake for him, but I just can't get the eyes to burn as they should. I've resorted to plopping two tea lights on the cake and call it done. Sarah, John's sister, once told me how it used to make her mad that John seemed to get more candy on Halloween then everybody else. I have to admit I Love Halloween, and have ever since I was a kid. With children of our own now, that day has sadly become all about them, and not so much about JOHN! This year I want to make sure that we don't let another birthday go by without celebrating the fact that he is in our lives. With your help I hope to compile a list of 33 things about John that make him great!



So in all it's cheesy glory, my list of things I LOVE about this man:

1. John can sing
2. John can play the guitar.
3. John can play the piano/organ. Any time he visits a home with a piano he gravitates to it and starts to play. He's so gifted he can just hear a song and know how to play it. I am moved to tears every time he plays my Dad's old favorite, Bridge over Troubled Water.
4. John teaches physics. ...and that doesn't BORE him!
5. John was valedictorian of his graduating class.
6. John cuts his own hair, and he's good at it. Sometimes I like to just stare at him and admire how handsome he gets to be!
7. John is very meticulous. He thinks through every step of any process and always wants to do something right the first time.
8. John tells the BEST bed time stories to the kids. This usually results in absurd jokes and all kinds of silly phrases the next morning and all I can do is shake my head and ask, "Did daddy teach that to you?"
9. John gets the kids hyper right before bed, every night...without fail.
10. John ALWAYS thanks me every day for making his school lunch.
11. John is the son of an English Teacher, which perhaps is why he can pull out a "pun" in any conversation.
12. John loves to learn.
13. The perfect meals for John contain one of the following three things: Cheese, cream cheese, or CHEESE!
14. John has rarely gone a day without having a peanut butter sandwich. A family favorite of ours is the Monkey Sandwich: Peanut butter, honey & Banana! He makes them the best.
15. John is a farm boy at heart. Now he grew up within town limits, and I'm pretty sure he's never milked a cow before, but he served his mission in Texas, has a bullwhip and can say "Awright" like the best of em. He looks great in is cowboy boots, and loves being out in the country. Yup I'm pretty sure it is cowboy blood that is coursing through those veins of his.


16. John always gives people the benefit of the doubt. People just can't disappoint him very easily.

17. John likes to act, and although time doesn't allow for him to be in any local plays right now, his home is his stage, and he is always acting out some sort of character. The kids eat it up!
18. John likes to dance. Waltz, two step...that kind of dance. He's good at it.
19. He loves any movie with Sub titles.
20. John can build, fix or create anything. In fact he can DO Everything. I have never never never seen him fail. There are times when he will come in from the garage or wherever, puzzled about how we will fix or handle a certain dilemma. I just sit back knowing full well that in a couple of minutes he will have the most ingenious solution to whatever the problem is.
21. John may not be a romantic by some peoples standards. But every night we fall asleep with him holding my hand, and I can't think of anything sweeter than that!
22. John is consistently good in every way possible. He isn't just putting on a show to impress people. No sir- he's the real deal!
23. John is the one in my life who keeps me trying to be good, he calms me down when I need to calm down, and he makes me laugh always.
24. John gives without expecting anything in return.
25. John happens to live with 4 people who worship the ground he walks on!

Happy Halloween. Happy Birthday! We love you!



Now, I'm leaving it up to any of you readers who know and love John. Add your favorite thing about him in the comment section. Hopefully we can make it to 33 before he reads this tomorrow!

Recipe of the Week

Sam's scary (and I do mean SCARY) Halloween Sugar Cookies




What you do is you let your mom bake the sugar cookies as directed. Then when her back is turned go and grab some heaping spoons of white icing and drop randomly on the cookies. It helps if you use as much icing as possible, ...oh and spread some on the table and chairs for good measure. Another good decorating technique is to (again when your mom is not looking), find the tupperware container full of food coloring. Open as many lids as you can and just drop as many drips of as many colors as you can onto the cookie. You know you'll have used enough food coloring when the dye runs through the cookie onto the plate/table below.


Looks good and your mom will absolutely Freak OUT! ..Spooky!