Day 4: The kids bedrooms are CLEAN!

Today started out pretty badly.  Alex decided he was going to wake up at 5:15am.  I opened one eye and said to myself, "maybe he is just temporarily awake and will go back to sleep."  Good one Carolina... that's really funny.  After about 10 minutes or so I got myself out of bed, made his milk and fruit, went into his bedroom and he is sitting in his bed looking out the window.  I have to admit even in my zombie like stuper he was pretty dern cute.

I made more coffee this morning but since we were almost out of coffee I went ahead and just poured the rest into the coffee filter.  BOY am I zinged up on coffee!  That was some STRONG stuff.  This morning, before the kids even went down for naps I had deep cleaned both of their bedrooms.  Hello!  After they went down(late might I add at 9:45am)  I was still going so I cleaned the kitchen, showered, put on MAKE UP( I know you guys are shocked.  But you know what sucks?  I forget it's on and I rub my eyes.  eugh!  all down my face.  I'll clean it up in a minute), Cleaned the bedroom and now I am anxiously waiting for the kids to arise from their naps where I can vaccum.  Vaccuming is funny in our house because Alex thinks that since the vaccum is loud he can YELL loud.  I'm surprised his voice is not gone by the time I'm done.  haha!  He's a mess.

In other news, I've decided to start training for a 5k.  Maybe I can motivate my hubs to run with me.  Although I doubt it.  Afterall how often do we have time to run together without the kids.  YEA that never happens.  If and when I really get into it I think I'm going to get a double jogging stroller.  That way I can take the chillins with me.  I still have about 6 lbs of baby weight left to lose so maybe it will come off this way.  I haven't exactly been dieting but it seems to be falling off.  Lucky me eh?

Occasionally while I'm writing I'll look up at the television and there's an AWESOME line up of sitcoms coming on this fall.  The one I'm looking foreward to most is definately "up all night" with Christina Applegate. I can SOOOO relate to that show.  It's not even funny.

Well I better hurry up and post my recipes from last night before my sweet children awaken from their slumber.  I'm actually surprised Hannah is not up already.  Hold out for 5 more minutes Hanni!!!

Last night I made a homemade pizza for dinner.  I'm not going to give you a recipe for it because it's pretty self explanatory.  But I will show you pictures!!!!

First, I cut up all the toppings.  Jon loves pepperoni but it makes me gag so it's only on one half of the pizza.  I prefer more of a veggie type but I have learned that any other pepper besides green has a LOT of water in it, so baking it into the pizza is a bad idea.  You end up with mush.  No joke.  Here are our toppings!!

After the oven was preheated I rolled out the pizza crust (if you can't tell it's COMPLETELY homemade :-P  by pillsbury)

Here is our delicious pizza TOPPED UP!

After baking for 15 minutes our pizza turned out AWESOME.  End result?

Surprisingly low calorie if you use skim mozzarella instead "mozzarella Melt topping."  Yuck.  This pizza got Jon's stamp of approval!  YUMMY!

For dessert we had German chocolate cake cookie sandwiches.  OMG.  SOOO GOOD!!!  Who knew that you can take any cake mix, simply add 2/3 cup of shortening and voila! You have cookie dough??!  Probably most people knew that but I didn't until now.  I liked this recipe so much that I plan on doing it with lemon cake mix, cherry cake mix, and vanilla cake mix.  The cookies are so delicious.  they aren't very sweet and they have this crispy outer and this moist chewy inside.  mmmmmmmmmm.  here's the recipe:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1 (16 ounce) container prepared coconut pecan frosting

• So This is just so easy!  First you mix the cake mix, the 2 eggs and the shortening together to create the dough.  I suggest a mixer for this because it's difficult to stir.  VERY difficult.  But I did it and i'm a weakling so I have faith in all of you! :-P  Here's what it looks like mid mix:

Here's the end result of the dough:  

Next you roll the dough into walnut size balls.  I'm a little OCD about spacing so my spacing is IMMACULATE!  if I do say so myself: 

Next they go in the oven for 13 minutes.  the actual recipe says 8-11 but they were still mushy at that point.  End result?

They need to cool about 3 hours before adding the filling.  

The "filling" is the coconut pecan icing that accompanies the german chocolate cake typically the can is skimpily filled if you ask me.  *rolls eyes* 

Next you start to put the icing on one cookie and sandwich it with another like THIS:

End result?

These are amazing!!  So worth making and so so easy!!!

That's all for blogging today all!!  We're having lunch with daddy today and I hear miss Priss cooing in her crib!  So long!

Day 3: I LOVE COFFEE!

Today has flown by!  The past few days I've been preparing coffee in the morning because Jon has been on call and has stayed up at least a few extra hours every night answering calls.  I feel so bad for him!  We all wake up at 6:30am to start our day and it's been really hard getting out of bed for him.  So I've been putting a few extra scoops of coffee in the coffee maker to make the coffee stronger and oh my word!  After one cup I am zinged out ALL day.  Amazing what a few extra scoops will do huh?  

On another note Alex has been EXTRA hungry lately... like he will eat his breakfast, half of mine and THEN want cheerios after breakfast.  *sigh*  I guess he's going through a growth spurt. Speaking of news, Jon and I have officially picked out Alex's preschool that he will start in the Fall!  He will be attending Advent Preysbeterian twice a week from 9:30am-2:30p.  I'm excited for him to start "school" but also a little sad.  I will miss my angel boy twice a week!  But on the up side it will give Hannah and I some one on one time which I feel like she needs more of.

I think the people at Kroger are getting rather tired of seeing me everyday.  I have to go to the store almost every day during the week.  I didn't need to go Monday but yesterday the run was for diapers and formula and today it will be for the yummy dinner I'm making tonight!

Don't you think that was a great transition to recipe time?  I thought so.  Tonight will be pretty easy the menu is homemade pizza and german chocolate  cake cookies!!!  YUMMMY!!!  Of course I will have recipes and pictures for you tonight.  I know you are just on the edge of your seat!  After I prepare dinner I think I'm going to start teaching Alex to do dishes where I can eliminate that chore from the list.  Hey I know it's a stretch but a girl can dream right?

see you bloggers tonight!

Day 2: Hanni + Shots = nooo good.

Needless to say, judging by my title today was a long day and it isn't over until Hannah falls asleep.  which still hasn't happened.  *sigh*  I hurt for her.  I mean I know it's only vaccines that she has to have but it still makes her feel crappy and besides tylenol there isn't a thing I can do about it.  I can't even hold or rock her.  She is completely inconsolable. 

The Doctors visit was very interesting as well as exhausting.  Hannah is not gaining like she's supposed to which concerned me but she said it wasn't too much of a concern for HER so I guess I shouldn't worry about it.  She did say however that my daughter is way ahead development wise than most children her age.  Hannah loves to be the center of attention so you can bet she was showing off her new found ability to sit up without any help. 

Alex always picks the time when the Doctor comes in to start becoming clingy and whiney.  I wonder if it's A) he thinks she's going to poke, prod and shoot him up with drugs or B) he doesn't like that Hannah is being paid attention to and he isn't.  Either way his attitude completely changes.

At any rate, Hannah was looked at marveled at by the dr for her new "tricks" and then they shot her up with drugs.  She was completely ok until I guess the pain hit around 5:00p tonight.  And then it started.  I sure hope she feels better in the morning. 

On to last night's dinner.  Which I have pictures of YAAAAYYY!!

First at about 3:00p I started on the white chocolate magic bars which are HEAVENLY by the way:

Here is the recipe:
      *    1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) white chocolate chips
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts – macadamia, slivered almonds or walnuts work best

Heat your oven to 350°F (325 for glass pans).
Put the stick of butter into the pan, and put it in the oven while the oven is pre-heating.

Keep an eye on the butter, though mine is usually melted right about the time the oven reaches the desired temperature.   Remove from oven and have a spot where you can put the hot pan to work with.   Take extra care to not burn yourself.

Lightly smooth / press the graham cracker crumbs into the butter.  The back of a spoon works well for this.   Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over the graham cracker crumbs.  This can be hard to spread if you plop it all into the center, so I slowly pour it out trying to cover the entire area so that I don’t have to spread it.


Now you will sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts onto the sweetened condensed milk

I tend to save about 1/4 of each to put on after the coconut.    All that’s left is to add the coconut layer, and than sprinkle on the remainder of the chocolate chips and nuts.   You will than want to gently press the entire mixture down a bit, just a little pat, no need to smoosh it.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

And the result?   

So delicious trust me!!  Jon approved. 



After dessert I made dinner.  I know usually the reverse happens but I like to make sure things like the bars above are cooled enough where they aren't a gloopy mess when I try to cut them.  I'm sure you all understand. 

Here is the recipe for my spinach bleu cheese meatloaf "muffins"

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large muffin pan with cooking spray.  

Combine ground beef, blue cheese, onion, bread crumbs, spinach, eggs, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl until well blended. Divide meat mixture evenly into the prepared muffin pan. 

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees. 

The result?     

 The spread?

I know they don't LOOK too impressive but oh BOY were they good.  Jon didn't like them because he's not a big fan of bleu cheese but I loved them and they got Alex's overwhelming stamp of approval!    clean plate!!!

Alex however didn't like the cookie bars so he had pudding for dessert instead.  I thought i'd just throw this picture in for fun!


Love you guys!!!  Tomorrow night I will make another awesome new dish!  I'll write tomorrow morning with my plans!! hopefully.  Love to all!!!!  As my mother in law says. :)

Day 1: Alex.. your legos are your friend!

So I've decided to start this blog.  Mainly because I feel that I have many things to say but the paragraphs and or phrases are way too long for facebook status updates and forget tweeter!!

 Alex woke up in a very different mood this morning.  We had eggs bacon and toast for breakfast which the dogs ate about half of.  I realize this sentence isn't grammatically correct... but it's my blog right??!  I think Molly and Bella would never have to be fed again if they sat under Alex's highchair for every meal.  I don't understand why he would rather feed them than himself but what can I do?  He had a fun filled morning playing with his legos.  every single one.  The pick up job isn't as bad as I make it out to be but it's still a little irritating.  I get a small twitch in my eye every time he dumps that huge bag of legos onto the living room floor.  Why doesn't he like playing in his room???  You spend 9 months investing time and money into making this gorgeous nursery and for what?  For your toddler to drag all his toys into the living room.  :-P

Hannah of course has gotten into her squealing, rolling over, laughing, drooling phase so the best thing is to usually just let her play on the floor.  It does get tiresome however because every five minutes I have to move her  back onto her blanket because she's rolled across the room.  My little girl is such an over achiever!

In the world of trying new recipes, Monday was interesting to say the least.  I made tuna noodle casserole and cake balls for dessert.  The casserole was ok but the cake balls were a disaster!  My recipe was lacking in the instruction department.  Don't you just hate that????

Tonight's dinner:  Meatloaf, Potatoes and white chocolate magic cookie bars.  MMMM MMMM.  blog post coming tonight with pictures!  for now my Hanni Banani is crying. back to mommy land!