All those little things

Upside Down Pineapple Cupcakes

2011-06-03T16:34:00.003-05:00

Oh, these were very good! I usually like the whole cake, but these were a nice little snack. Very easy to make. Just a regular Pineapple cake mix.

After mixing it, I just put a small amount of butter in my cupcake pans, along with brown sugar, chopped pineapples, and cherries. I put them into the oven for a bit to melt the butter before putting in the cake mix.

When they were done, I let them cool for a minute, then turned them out onto a cookie sheet. And they came out great. I think I should put a little more crushed pineapple next time.

Track and Field!

2011-06-03T16:30:00.003-05:00

Having fun at Track & Field!

Limbo Time

Long Jump

Joshua had a great time. Good thing this year we only had to be there for one kid. Next year, we will have Cordelia's to go to also!

Welcome Evaluna

2011-06-03T16:13:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the family!

Evaluna Rae - 5-5-11

Victoria, Kaelani & Evaluna

Mema & Evaluna

Popo & Evaluna

Welcome Baby!

Happy Easter!

2011-06-03T15:52:00.004-05:00

Easter this year was a lot of fun. The little girls are now big enough to do all the Egg hunts all on thier own. And the big kids are still willing to participate!

Happy Easter 2011

Egg Hunts!

2011-06-03T15:27:00.005-05:00

We must have actually gone to lots of Easter Egg hunts this year. The kids had a great time! Im sure by next year, my big kids will be past the Hunt Stage! Too bad.

Great sense of humor!
Following the big kids!

Ready for the next Hunt

Cordelia got lots of eggs

Bianca got the most eggs at our last hunt. She got 82 eggs! She even won a basket!

My Sisters Babyshower

2011-06-03T15:00:00.004-05:00

I had a lot of fun helping out with my sisters babyshower! I had always wanted to be able to make a diaper cake, and I have finally got the chance!!

Victoria & Baby Evaluna

The Diaper Cake

Its a Girl Cupcakes

She got lots of pretty gifts!

San Antonio Zoo

2011-03-22T15:31:00.006-05:00

This year, for Spring Break we decided to head over to San Antonio to take the kids to the Zoo. We had gone last time to the zoo in 2008. And the little girls were much smaller, so this time I think they enjoyed it a lot more.

Spring Break 2011

Larissa

Autumn

Joshua

Cordelia

Bianca

She was so excited to see the Elephants.. but when she got there, She said "They Stink!"

Elmo

2011-03-22T15:22:00.005-05:00

For Kaelani's 10th Birthday, She asked for Elmo Cakes.. So here is what I came up with!

Elmo Cake

Elmo Cupcakes

Happy Birthday Kaelani!!

2011-03-22T15:17:00.002-05:00

Happy 10th Birthday!!

Kaelani

I keep trying

2011-03-22T15:06:00.001-05:00

Well I keep trying to post something, but then I think about what I want to write, and it just seems like there is so much, so I dont write. but I think I need to just go from now, and not worry about playing catch up. So, Ill try that!

Happy Mothers Day to me!

2010-05-25T16:35:00.004-05:00

Spent a nice day with Johnny's family!! And my beautiful children!

Me and Cordelia just enjoying the day.

Happy Birthday Welita!

2010-05-25T16:26:00.004-05:00

In honor of my Welita's birthday and Mothers day.. we spent time at the park, together with the family! A great time was had by all. Cant wait to do it again!

Happy Birthday Welita!

Got all the grandkids and great grandkids to take a picture

A few of the older grandchildren

We even got her to hit her pinata!

Chuy's Hot to Trot

2010-05-25T16:19:00.003-05:00

We are loving this race thing.. And we are getting better at it. We arent finishing the race in less than 20 min.. but we are having fun! This one, we came in at 50 min exactly! By that time, the girls were asleep.

Enjoying the family time!

The one who started it all!
Its the Chuy's fish!

Track and Field!

2010-05-25T16:11:00.002-05:00

That time of year again.. Time for Track and Field.

Joshua enjoying the day!

Little nervous about the three legged race, since he is so tall!

Her last Elementry Field day!

She worked all week to be able to go the distance in jumping rope!

Happy Cinco De Mayo

2010-05-25T15:06:00.001-05:00

Check out my Cinco de Mayo cake.. I like the way the red pepper came out.

Bun Run!

2010-05-25T14:48:00.003-05:00

Well I managed to drag my husband and kids out for a little 5K fun!! But it was awesome having some extended family out to join us as well. This was his first race, and he really enjoyed it. He came in with the time of 53 min. and I was at 55 min.

Ready for the race!

She was excited, might not admit it, but she was!

He had a great time, He beat us all!!

They had a great time watching all the dogs!

Great having Family to join us!

Her first "Formal" Dance

2010-05-25T14:44:00.003-05:00

Awe, she is getting so big. Her first "Formal" Dance!

With her Friend Delinda

Laughing it up with Tara!

A day at the Lake

2010-05-25T14:36:00.003-05:00

Well not really the lake, but thats what they call it. Such a nice day out that day!! I couldnt help but to take pictures.

In the Bluebonnets

2010-05-25T14:16:00.003-05:00

yea, I used to think it was cheesy to have family pictures of the kids in the bluebonnets, but at some point.. I always end up taking these same pictures. Now insisting to have my kids sit there and take picture after picture. I see they really think these pictures are cheese. I dont worry, cause one day. They will cherish these pictures!

Cordelia

2010-05-25T14:15:00.000-05:00

Wow, so grown up!!

Texas Round-Up

2010-05-25T14:09:00.003-05:00

My next race was another 10K. I finished this one in 1 hour 44 min. This one was hard, mostly cause I didnt know what to expect. But I got thru it. Can't wait to do it again next year.

At the start of my second 10K

Finishing up under 2 hours!

Me and my cousin enjoying the race!

Bon Jovi!!

2010-04-29T16:30:00.003-05:00

We got tickets to Bon jovi.. We got tickets to Bon Jovi!! Thats what Johnny kept saying!! He was so excited!! Now, I love Bon Jovi also, but for him.. it was a bigger deal. And I was so happy to share that concert with him. He had gone to one of thier concerts, like 15 years ago. I had never been to one. Oh and it was awesome.. Yes, we had to drive like 4 hours.. and I had just done my first 10K earlier that morning.. But, I wouldnt trade it. We happened to get these tickets thru craigslist, and they were great seats. Oh and we got a parking pass along with them. And it was cool, we just parked and walked right across the street. A local band opened for Bon Jovi, they had a contest with a local radio station.. and the winner got to open up for them. How great would that be!! Bon Jovi was great!! Better than great! They sang all the old songs, and some of the new ones. Like, Livin on a Prayer, When we were beautiful, Wanna make a memory, Superman, Bed of Roses, Have a nice day, Its my life, You give love a bad name.. And they even closed out the show with Wanted dead or alive!

Waitin for the show to start!

So excited!!

Jon singing Bed of Roses!

The end!!

Capitol 10K

2010-04-29T16:17:00.003-05:00

In February I started a weightloss challenge. I was motivated and ready. But its always hard to stay on track. So, I decided I needed something extra to work towards. My cousin, who suggested the challenge, had been doing 10Ks and 5Ks for the past year. So when she told me about the Capitol 10K, I was very interested, but never thought Id be able to do it. So I started training for it. Not hard core or anything, but I went from not doing anything, to working on walking for 6.2 miles. At first I was scared, and started to think, I was going crazy. I had never been a runner and thats what these races represented to me. But I stuck with it, and with encouragement from my cousin and husband, I was ready!

Here I am, ready to start the race!

It was drizzling just a bit. But look at all the people!

Everyone walking. Lots and lots of people!

At the finish line.. My 1st 10K and I finished in just under 2 hours!!

the Luna Moth

2010-04-19T16:41:00.003-05:00

Early morning while rushing out of the house, the first two of us ran right out, and didnt see it. It wasnt till the third person yelled out.. Eww.. We are not bug people, and right away.. this was a huge bug. So I took out the camera while we all looked and dared each other to touch it. The little girls were grossed out, the big girl was daring the boy to touch it, and he was thinking of ways to smash it!! And me.. I took pictures of it. For a minute or two, we forgot we were running late for school. So I ordered them all into the car while me and Johnny took time to examine it.

How really beautiful it looks!

At first we thought it was two, sorta butterflies. Very Strange.

Well, after Looking it up, (thanks to Deborah).. Its a Luna Moth. Actually very rare. The Luna Moth has wingspan of up to four and a half inches. The luna moth emerge as adults and live for around 7 days. Thier only purpose is to mate and lay eggs. They are generally out around the March to July season.

Fun day at the Park

2010-04-19T15:49:00.003-05:00

I decided to take the kids out for a walk, and then play on the playground. Everyday since, they keep asking to go for a walk. Man, what door did I open? haha

The Carnival is in town!

2010-04-19T15:35:00.004-05:00

I was so happy to take the kids to the carnival this year. This is the first time that they little girls were able to ride the rides, and they loved it. I truly do like this age, where they are able to get around and do things on thier own. Yes, they are a little more defiant, but they are just trying to make thier place in this big world.

They didnt make it onto the Ferris Wheel, but they enjoyed everything else.

Even the big kids got in on the fun!

Being Manhandled by a Costume!

2010-04-19T15:04:00.002-05:00

This is what happens when Animals attack!

Walk for Lupus

2010-04-19T14:08:00.005-05:00

My Oldest cousin was diagnosed with Lupus just last year. And a friend of mine has a niece that has lupus, so when she invited me to walk with her team, I decided to talk with my cousin to see if she would be ok to have her own team. I think at first she was a bit unsure, but after a bit, she ok'ed the idea. Which I was glad, cause it at least helps my cousin to know that she is not a lone. Plus I figured it would be a great way to show her how much her family is there for her.

Tina's Sombreros

We had a great time. And I was so thankful for our family who pulled together to raise close to 200 dollars for Lupus Research. Im hoping that next year we can get more family and friends involved and raise even more money. We will just have to make more shirts!

My cousin Tina, and sister Lita.. She walked the whole way, Im so proud of her!

Cant wait to do it again, I had a blast with my cousins.

Valentines 2010

2010-04-19T12:50:00.003-05:00

Ohh.. Valentines day.. Yummy goodies.. All homemade.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Chocolate Marshmallows

And the Heart Cake I made for my Welita. With real flowers on top!

Easter 2010

2010-04-19T12:24:00.004-05:00

This years Easter was a little sad. Last year we celebrated at my house. My Welito and Welita came, along with Aunt and cousins. Well, this past January, my Welito passed away. It was a sad couple of months, and although our family didnt let the memories get us down, I know everyone kept him in our thoughts. This years Easter came with a lot of changes and not knowing where and when to go. Sometimes with a big family, its hard to set up times to visit with people, especially on such a big holiday. In most years, its a matter of going to 3 or 4 houses. So, this year, we decided to stay at our house for a bit, and then go to my cousins house. We went there to also celebrate my little cousins birthday.

Why cant I ever get them to look at the camera and stand still!!

Check out that Loot.. Can you see the Hidden Barbie??

My Aunt getting my Welita with a cascarone!

They Love to chase each other with those eggs!!

And Bianca watches while enjoying her boiled egg!

Can you believe it, I made two deserts and a pasta salad.. And no pictures. SO, that just means Ill have to make those again. Since they came out so yummy!!

Im back.. I promise!!

2010-04-14T16:24:00.004-05:00

Ok, Ok.. yes.. I have been so busy. I havent been baking either. But I feel the need to get back on the horse so to speak. But for Now.. here is some random cuteness.. From our newest member of the house!

Introducing, Chico!!

Oh My, where have I been?

2010-01-21T13:28:00.000-06:00

Ive been neglecting my blog... I must fix that soon!!

Happy Birthday to me!!

2009-10-07T13:35:00.002-05:00

I had a great time celebrating my 33rd Birthday! Thanks to everyone who joined me!!

YEAH! I got my new Camera!!

2009-10-07T13:28:00.002-05:00

Just a little Camera fun!!

Never Forget

2009-09-11T11:39:00.000-05:00

There are no words, just prayer.

So it was my turn for a dinner suprise!

2009-09-11T11:17:00.005-05:00

I had mentioned the Tator Tot Casserole before to hubby, but he didnt seem interested. So in our quest to change up dinner, I suggested it again. And again, he was not excited about it, but agreed to try it. AND he loved it. And so did the kids. My picky 11 year old decided that its a new favorite, and agrees, you cant go wrong with Tator Tots and Cheese!

So here is the tator tots!!

And here is the Cheese!!

I saw many recipes for this online, but Overall.. I just went for what we wanted to eat.. and topped it with Tator tots and cheese!! Again, how can you go wrong.

2 lbs Hamburger meat

2 cans Cream of Mushroom

1 bag Broccoli chucks

1 bag Tator tots (thawed)

And we didnt measure the cheese, we just poured it on!

Very easy, Very Yummy and its going on our menu!!

(Edited to add.. How to make it.. hahaha.. Well Brown meat, Drain, add soup, add veggies, put into pan, top with Tator tots and then cheese!! And cook for like 20 min on 350. Yes, I know I forgot to put the directions on!!)

Hubby Suprised me with Dinner!

2009-09-11T11:14:00.005-05:00

After a long day, there is nothing better than Not having to cook! Well Hubby decided to cook us dinner.. And boy was it great.

Oh man it was good. Brown Rice, Veggies and Bacon covered Shrimp!!

(Side note, I caught hubby taking pictures of his dinner. I think Im rubbing off on him!)

Getting so big!!

2009-09-11T11:11:00.001-05:00

My girls are getting so big!!

Say "Princess"!!

Boy Scouts

2009-09-11T11:04:00.005-05:00

We just put our son in Boy Scouts. He has asked and asked about joining, and going on 8 years old, we feel now is the best time for him to start. So, We enrolled him! One if the first things he is being asked to do is cook a meal by himself. Im very nervous about this.. Kids, in the kitchen, with heat.. UM.. Panic Mode!! But we chose something easy to make, and quick. He cooked up and served out Macaroni and Cheese with Fish Sticks. I know, nothing fancy. But he did a great job. And we can check that off our list.

Adding the Cheese to the Macaroni.

Serving the plates of food.

Counting out Fish Sticks for everyone.

Serving his sisters!

I think I could get used to having my kids do all the cooking. Now, I didnt let him wash the dishes. Water and soap everywhere.. I could just see it!

Zucchini Pancakes

2009-09-11T10:54:00.003-05:00

At the doctors office the other day.. I was going thru a magazine, and came accross this recipe. Sounds easy, and Yummy. So I snapped the picture!

Turns out.. It was easy! And Oh so yummy!!

First day of School 09

2009-09-11T10:49:00.001-05:00

On our Way to the First day of School!!

Larissa in 5th grade!

Joshua my 2nd grader!

Kaelani in 3rd grade!

Ants, Ants, Ants Everywhere!!

2009-09-11T10:36:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when you are eating a cookie, and set it down.

And this is what happens, when you go back after a couple of hours and try to eat the cookie you set down.

Yes, she went and picked up the cookie and started to eat it. It was in her room, and the lights were off in there. She went back in and only had the light of the TV in the room, so she didnt see that it was covered in Ants. By the time she came crying to me, the ants were crawling out of her mouth. It looked like a bad horror movie. Right away her lips swelled up and her cheeks turned pink. I called the doctor and they suggested I give her benadryl. It helped her and she was able to get to sleep. Poor baby!! Now everything is.. Does it have Ants. My poor child is scared for life of Ants!

Daycare Talent Show

2009-09-11T10:29:00.004-05:00

In school, I never had the guts to get up and do anything for a talent show. And Ive lived my life believing that I do not have any kind of talent. So, when my kids came to me and said they wanted to be in the talent show for thier daycare. I was pretty proud. Thinking back now, I will try to help them more to work at it. They did a great job, but maybe they needed a little bit more confidence. But so proud watching them up there.

My Oldest daughter sang with a friend of hers. They sang "You belong to me" by Taylor Swift.

Next up, My son. He Danced (yes, Danced) to Thriller. He did very good, especially for someone who has never shown much interest in dancing.

My niece even got in on the talent and sand "Take a Bow" by Rihanna.

Snickerdoodle Mess

2009-09-11T10:26:00.001-05:00

Ok, I tried to make my favorite cookie, and well. It did not come out as I expected. Im gonna blame the recipe I got off the internet. And soon, I will try them again!

What the...

2009-09-11T09:42:00.002-05:00

Nice to come in to work on a Monday morning.. to a man hanging out side your window, On the second floor!

Such a Big Girl!

2009-08-17T16:04:00.001-05:00

Bianca is such a big girl!! She is already practicing her writting skills!

Happy Birthday Johnny, Larissa, & Bianca!

2009-08-17T15:52:00.005-05:00

That first week of August will always be very hectic! I have 3 lions after all.. Bianca' Second birthday was on July 30, and then we celebrate Johnny's 32 and Larissa's 11th birthday on August 3rd. So we usually set one day and celebrate Johnny and Larissa, and since Bianca is still small, we roll hers into the day as well. We had a Pool party for the girls, and a get together at our house. Nothing too big. But we had a great time.

Larissa wanted a Skull cake. So I did my best at freehand! Not too bad.

And for Bianca we decided on Hello Kitty.

Larissa got some pretty nice gifts. Including these text messengers.

And Bianca got some cool Walkie Talkies to share with Cordelia!

Then we had some good food..

And some good friends over to the house!

Suffering Succotash!!

2009-08-17T15:29:00.004-05:00

From Urban Dictionary - suffering succotash
An exclamation of annoyance and surprise, made famous by the cartoon character Sylvester the cat. its a "euphemism" for the curse phrase "suffering saviour"
Suffering succotash!

From Wikipedia - Succotash is a food dish consisting primarily of corn and lima beans or other shell beans.

Recipe for Succotash from All Recipes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, divided
2 cups fresh lima beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons white sugar
4 ears fresh corn kernels, cut from the cob

DIRECTIONS
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lima beans and salt, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan heat tomatoes, sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter. Cook until tomatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir tomatoes into lima beans and add corn; cook 10 minutes more.

Just thought Id Share, cause will on my weekend in Houston, we stopped in a small town, and saw a very nice buffet, and imagine my surprise when I see this..

I was so amused, and scared at the same time.. I never even knew it was a dish. But after researching it, it doesnt sound half bad! So I just wanted to let you know.. If you ever see Succotash.. Try it!! Now you know what it is!

Our Weekend with the Tree.. Oh and NKOTB!!

2009-08-17T14:53:00.010-05:00

That Saturday started like any other Road Trip. We picked up the girls, and headed out to Houston Tx. We were on our way to the New Kids on the Block concert!

We got in right on time and went to rest and get ready at the hotel. We were going to be meeting a couple of girls for some drinks and food before the concert.

Then we were on our way. Making sure our directions were correct, we got to the place, and began looking for parking. Then we saw it.. a great spot, right near the venue, and we wouldnt have to pay for parking, which was like 12 bucks. So we pulled right in. Everyone got out, and we started to head to the resturant.. and thats when it happend!!

A Tree fell on the car, right as we got out. Not but 20 seconds after we walked away. And not just a branch, the whole tree fell on the car. Good thing it was one of those smaller trees, but it was so long, it crossed the sidewalk, the car, and one lane of traffic.

And smashed into the front windshield.

Needless to say, we were all so shaken. And being out of town, we had no idea what to do. We were only about 2 hours from the concert and a tree was stuck in the car. So, we decided to head over to the restraunt and have a few drinks anyways. We really couldnt do anything about it. Hope, stayed on the phone with the insurance to clear it up. But there wasnt much good news. We met up with the other ladies at the resturant, but by that time, we were not in the mood to eat. Just round up the Margaritas!

We finally made it to the concert, and despite the beginning of the evening, we really had a great time.
The Opening Act were the Jabbawokees. They were alright, but we only made it in to see the end of thier set.

Then on to The New Kids on the Block. Yes, sitting there, I realized, man.. Im old. But not as old as they are. And they are still bringing in the crowds.

When they came out, it got crazy loud. I can only imagine what it sounded like in the near by mall. Im sure if the wind hadnt knocked down that tree, the sound of so many women screaming all at once, would have done the job!

The show was awesome. They did all thier old hits, and some newer ones. I was so amazed by the large amount of fans. And there were older women, young women, kids, and even men there. It was such a diverse crowd.
When we got to the van, we walked up on people taking pictures next to it. It was quite disturbing, but then we decided to try it, and you know what... it was quite fun. And it cheered us up a bit, while we looked for a way back to the hotel and back Home!!

The next day, we were able to get a ride home!! It turned out to be a great trip, and one we all will never forget. I was very happy to have shared that with some great women!! Till next time ladies!!

4th of July

2009-08-17T14:24:00.007-05:00

This year, we decide to take the kids on a trip to Belton, Texas. Its where I have family from. And my mother was going to be going for thier annual 4th of July Parade. In years past, she has always tried to get us to go. And I haven't been since I was a little girl. So we went ahead and joined them. Besides, I had never taken the kids to a parade. They were due one.

We started the weekend off at Lake Belton. Very nice. I was a litte weirded about going into the lake. I am not a lake person. I like to see my feet. But had to take the kids in.

We made a picnic while out there and enjoyed the sunset.

Me and Johnny

Sunset at Lake Belton

The next morning we got up bright and early and went to get our space at the Parade. Friday night, I started to not feel too well, so that morning, I had a fever. I was so upset that I was feeling that sick, while out of town on a great little vacation with the family. But I got thru. And we had a great time at the Parade.

There were so many entries in the Parade. It lasted quite a while.

Joshua at the Parade

Larissa at the Parade

Bianca at the Parade
Even Cordelia had an ok time, but after a while she was bored.

After the Parade, we went to visit some family and got to eat and enjoy some very good food.

Johnny loved the awesome sausage wraps!!

And Bianca loved the watermelon!!

By the evening, I had completely gone from bad to worse.. I was so sick. I had fever, chills, sore throat and a terrible headache. So we made it to the fireworks, but I had forgotten the batteries to my camera. So unfortunately we didnt get any pictures of the fireworks and the kids. But they loved it. We drove out to Temple, TX to see the fireworks and they were beautiful. We are even considering going again, next year. Hopefully this time, I wont get sick. Which by the way, ended up being tonsillitis. So that was a lot of fun!!

Bianca's sleeping habits!

2009-08-17T14:15:00.004-05:00

Yes, we have a problem.. Bianca still sleeps with me. In my bed. Good thing she isnt a wild sleeper! Plus, we secretly love it. She has very cute sleeping habits to help her drift off. One, is tha she sucks her bottom lip. Always has. And she also like to play with your fingers while she is falling asleep. I guess she finds comfort in doing these things, and we arent in any hurry to change that.

Here she is playing with my fingers!!

Bianca Asleep

Or so I thought, untill she flashed me with her big smile.. Such a faker!

Bianca is Potty Training!

2009-08-17T14:11:00.002-05:00

Yes, my baby girl is starting to Potty Train. still very early, but compared to her pro sister Cordelia, she is actually behind. So she has lots to make up for. We are still working on it, but she is getting much better. Too bad now we cant keep her clothes on her. But she goes when she needs to.

Strawberry Cream Puffs

2009-08-17T13:55:00.004-05:00

OH when I saw this.. I knew!! I knew I had to have it. I knew I could make it, and I knew my family would love it! And guess what, they did! They loved the whipped cream the most. My oldest daughter decided to devour hers with no hands and came up with the cream all over her face. They loved them. I will definately make these again!

First off, the dough was very odd. And when I put them on the cookie sheet, I think I made them too big. It just seemed like too much dough.

But after baking them, they came out very golden. When I went to cut them open, it seemed like a lot of the insides where not cooked. So I was very unsure about taking out all the insides.
They came out great. I put them in the pan with the cream and strawberries, and they came out perfect.

Recipe from Imagine. Dream. Create

Cream Puffs

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Heat oven to 400.

Heat water and butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour, reduce heat. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at once, continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3" apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool. Cut off top 1/3 of each puff and pull out any filaments of soft dough. Fill puffs with whipped cream. Replace tops.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

2 cups whipping cream

6 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat until thick.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

3 oz semi-sweet chocolate

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 tbsp butter

Chop chocolate and place in metal bowl. Heat cream and butter until it comes to a boil. Pour over chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes, then beat until melted, smooth and thick. Refrigerate for awhile if it's too runny (and don't dump it all over the counter and floor like I did). Pour into icing bag with a small tip and drizzle over cream puffs.

Serve with fresh strawberries and dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Eclair Squares

2009-08-17T13:46:00.002-05:00

Recipe From Kraft

Prep Time: 15 min Total Time: 4 hr 15 min Makes: 16 servings

What You Need!

2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
64 NILLA Wafers
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Make It!

BEAT milk and pudding mixes with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP.
ARRANGE 16 wafers on bottom of 8-inch square dish; cover with 1/3 of pudding mixture. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining wafers. Refrigerate 4 hours.
MICROWAVE chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until melted when stirred. Drizzle over dessert.

Mac & Cheese Lasagna

2009-08-17T13:36:00.003-05:00

What You Need

1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It!

HEAT oven to 350°F.
PREPARE Dinner, using the Light Prep directions on package. Meanwhile, brown meat in skillet; drain.
SPOON half the Dinner into lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; top with layers of half each sauce, meat and shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

Here is what it will look like after you put the sauce on, before the cheese.

And with the melted Cheese!!

Everyone really liked it. Very different for me, but overall pretty good.

Lasagna Rolls

2009-08-17T13:20:00.002-05:00

Well the plan was to make Lasagna, but some how it turned into Lasagna Rolls. I did not have a recipe, so I just went ahead and did it from memory. But I went ahead and just did the regular recipe for a Lasagna. After it was done, I think I would need to make some modifications. But it came out really good. The Flavor was there. But they just turned into a big mess.

Rice Humor

2009-06-11T12:47:00.005-05:00

Ok, I once tried to make Spanish rice.. It did not come out very well! Since then, I have not tried to make it! I dont think I will ever get the nerve. But Today.. I saw my salvation.

Spanish Rice, In a bag! How awesome is that! Well for me anyways. Johnny laughed when he saw it. Of course, cause he can make it. In fact, he is the one who makes it at our house. He has tried to get me to try it, but I just wont. So, Ill buy me a big bag of this.. And There ya go!! Oh and You can even microwave it!! Even better.

Cheesy Mini-Burgers

2009-06-11T11:35:00.004-05:00

In the busy dinner routines.. its always hard to find what the kids might like, and what is cheap. And here is one of those things that the kids loved. They ate all of it. Some ate the rice by itself and the Burgers last, one ate the burgers first and the rice last, and Only one ate the burgers cut up and mixed with everything. But they ate it, No Fuss!!

Cheesy Mini Burgers

Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes: 4 servings

Mixing by hand is Gross! But sometimes the best way to mix things!

What You Need

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2-2/3 cups hot cooked instant white rice

I love when you can put foil down, and there is no messy clean up!!

Make It

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix meat, 2/3 cup of cheese, 1/4 cup of the ketchup and garlic powder. Shape into 12 balls. Place on foil-covered baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
FLATTEN each ball into patty, about 1/2-inch thick. Bake 15 min. or until cooked through; drain.
SPREAD remaining ketchup on each patty; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese melts. Serve over rice.

Capellini Caprese

2009-06-11T11:27:00.001-05:00

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes: 4 servings, 1-1/2 cups each

What You Need!

1/2 lb. capellini or spaghetti, uncooked
1/2 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup fresh basil, finely sliced

We added bacon to it, instead of onions.

Make It!

COOK pasta as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 min. Add tomatoes; cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
DRAIN pasta. Add to tomato mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

The Best kind of Swimming!

2009-06-11T11:09:00.004-05:00

Of course, its summer! And what do you do in the summer. Go Swimming!! Now, I usually dont care to just float around in the big pool, but since I have small girls I do it. And we went swimming the other day, and I just sat in the baby pool. So, a friend told me about this place.. so we decided to try it out. And We loved it!! We cant wait to go back! We had such a great time, half of us got sunburned!! Including me!! They had two big water slides, two kiddie slides, and a small river current. Oh and a couple of sprayers. For the most part. I had more fun there then going to Schlitterbaun. Paying all that money.. Riding the rides once, waiting in long lines till you dry off.. and then paying outrageous amounts for only half decent food. So, for us.. this is it..

They had a slide, straight down!

Joshua loved it! He must have rode them 50 times!

Kaelani too, she even made some friends while there!

Cordelia loved it, we couldnt get her off. She cried when we left!

Bianca even surprised me. She got the hang of it really quick!

We all can not wait to go back!!

Family Fitness Day

2009-06-11T10:56:00.004-05:00

We had a really fun day at the Family Fitness day, It was really hot, but it was free!! I didnt know what to expect or how to explain it to the kids.. so going in, they were not very amused with the idea. But once they got started.. they had a great time. But why is it that you never have enough time to do everything!!!

Larissa found it a little hard, but she did it!! Her nails kept getting in the way.

Autumn had no trouble at all.

I think this was Kaelani's first time, so it took her a little while.

Joshua never gave up, well at least for his whole turn!

There was some Football tossing.

An inflatable obstacle course, that Cordelia even got in on!

And even some jump rope! What is Family Fitness without Jump Rope!!

Sisterly Love

2009-06-11T10:53:00.003-05:00

When they are not hitting each other.. They play so well!!

One of the most beautiful things Ive ever seen!!

2009-06-11T10:39:00.003-05:00

While on our way back from picking up my step-daughter from Lubbock, We saw the most wonderful thing. While on our 6 hour drive, we were in 3 hours of driving and we started seeing the storm clouds. But while driving you take so many turns that one min you are headed into the storm, and then next min you are headed out of the storm. But once we got on a straight path, we got headed into the storm.

But while we were headed into the storm, we saw a rainbow. Just a small part of it. Then we saw it.. The whole thing, The whole Rainbow!! We even saw the begining and then end. It was so awesome to see. We kept driving and went right under it. I have always seen rainbows, but never have I seen one like this. And when we got closer, we even saw a mirror image of the rainbow, so it looked like two!!! I dont know if I would ever see anything like this again.. but to see it once was great!!

Here is us driving into the Rainbow.

On the left was the beginning

To the right was the end

And if you look close, you can see the refection of the Rainbow, so it looks like two.

UPDATE: Cinderella

2009-05-27T13:41:00.005-05:00

We did it, well Johnny did it. Cinderella is back and good as new! Who would have guessed that she would make a full recovery. It was hard, Johnny tried lots of times to save her. I had almost given up hope. I tried to make him trash her, but he just wouldnt give up!! Sure, she cant move her head side, to side. And she has minor scarring, but She has never felt better!

And here she is!! Cinderella, Head and All!!

Looking back, even she was surprised by the outcome!

But she was well enough to go out on the town looking for Prince Charming!

Basil Stuffed Tomato Appetizers

2009-05-27T13:36:00.003-05:00

Basil Stuffed Tomato Appetizers

Courtesy of My H-E-B Texas Life Magazine

Ingredients:

12 mini Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup H-E-B Chef Prepared Basil Pesto Sauce

1 cup H-E-B Shredded Italian Blend Cheese, regular or reduced fat

Directions:

1 Cut tops off tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out tomato pulp from bottom half of tomato using a small-pointed paring knife and a teaspoon. Chop pulp (discard seeds) and place in small bowl.2 Add pesto and cheese to pulp and toss to mix. 3 Cut small slice off bottom of each tomato so that tomato will sit flat. Stuff each tomato with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pesto-cheese mixture and set on serving dish. Replace top on each tomato and serve.

**Very Good, We only made two last night to go with Dinner, but They were so good, Im thinking of making more when I get home.

Who Buys These

2009-05-26T14:55:00.004-05:00

Ok, so, I was in the grocery store the other day. Looking for some chicken breast. And you know, sometimes I forget just where my food comes from, until Im reminded! I grabbed my chicken breast pack and began to walk away, when out of the corner of my eye.. I see them! I stopped, thought for a second.. and slowly backed up. And there they were! I thought, "Who Buys These!"
They are Chicken Paws!! Seriously!! Chicken Paws!! With Nails and all!!!

I can not even begin to know what to cook with these. I was so disgusted, but at the same time, oddly amused. SO, I whipped out my camera phone, and snapped this quick & embarrased Picture! And then I looked around.. And stared at them again.. before finally walking away!!

Poor Cinderella!

2009-05-26T14:46:00.004-05:00

Poor Cinderella..

She Lost her head!!

Wont somone fix her??

Easy Peach Cobbler

2009-05-26T14:32:00.003-05:00

Well, After the Bread Pudding, I decided to take on another peach recipe that Ive always wanted to make. So, Again, to About.com for a Easy Peach Cobbler recipe!!

Ingredients:

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, melted
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:Heat oven to 375°.

Pour melted butter into a 2-quart baking dish (11x7 or 8-inch square). In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to blend. Stir in the milk and vanilla until blended. Pour the batter over the melted butter. Toss the peaches with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Arrange the peach slices over the batter. (I used can Peaches for this recipe, and just sliced them in to bite sizes.)

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. The top will be browned and the cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Serve warm with a little heavy cream, whipped topping, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.Serves 6

Another great turn out. I loved the taste of the topping. I would make this again, but the next time, maybe try doubling the crust, it seemed like a lot of peaches for not too much crust.

Peach Bread Pudding

2009-05-26T14:23:00.003-05:00

Humm.. I can of sliced Peaches sits in the Fridge!! What to do...

I started by looking in my Betty Crocker cookbook, but that seemed way to hard for the moment. So, I went to the internet. And at About.com, I found this great easy recipe!!

Peach Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

4 cups torn French bread
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs
2 to 2 1/2 cups diced canned peaches, juice reserved
1/2 cup peach juice
1 1/4 cup hot water
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:Preheat oven to 325°. Butter an 11x7-inch baking dish.

Tear bread into a bowl.

In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and eggs; blend well. Add diced peaches, peach juice, hot water, melted butter, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in, moistening completely. Turn into prepared baking dish. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream, whipped topping, or dessert sauce. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.Serves 8.

Oh man, was it good!! Husband loved it! As you can see, I added rasins. The recipe doesnt call for them, but I knew they would come out great!

Cordelia turns 3!!

2009-05-26T11:59:00.004-05:00

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Cordelia"!!

She was singing that to herself for a few days leading up to her party. And on that day, its all she could talk about. Of course, she is only turning 3! She had a blast. We had her party at a park near our house. We invited kids from her school, along with family and friends, and we had a good turn out. She played most of the time on the playground, running after all the kids.

We had a Prize walk!

A Pinata! Cordelia loved hitting it!

Even Bianca had a chance to wack at it!

Next Presents!!

Cordelia's Prized Gift! Cinderella Polly from her God Parents!

And her Cake!! She is all about Princesses right now, so I decided to make a Castle Cake! It took me all week to decide how I wanted to do it, and it really came out great. I think I needed to get a little more creative with the extras, but I think it turned out good. And Cordelia was so excited, she kept telling everyone about her Princess Cake!

And her Excitement, when they were finally singing "Happy Birthday" to her!!

Family Fun Day!

2009-05-26T11:29:00.005-05:00

The daycare this year hosted a Family fun day. For the familes of the center to get together outside of the grab and run that we do everyday after work. It turned out to be a pretty neat idea. We had a pretty good time, and we got to spend some time where the kids play everyday. Only bad thing, it started to storm right close to the end, so it didnt get to get wrapped up the right way!! Instead, everyone was running to thier cars, hoping to not get hit with flying debris.

They had a Sponge Bob bean bag toss!!A Go Fish Booth!A very Messy Bubble center.A police car to sit in and run the lights!And even a Cupcake Walk!!

All the kids really enjoyed the great prizes!!

Mothers Day & A Birthday!

2009-05-26T11:21:00.004-05:00

Mothers day being on the 10th and my grandmothers 75th birthday being on the 11th... Why not celebrate the same day! So we spent the day all together in honor of the special days.

Here I am with my mother

And my wonderful grandmother

I hope everyone had a great Mothers Day!!

My Mother's Day gifts

2009-05-26T11:03:00.005-05:00

Im one of those people who would always prefer handmade gifts. Sure, Id like a fancy gift here and there, but for the most part, Ill take a handmade card any day! And being a mother of 4, I get lots of these. This year was the first year that the babies joined in on the gifts. This is thier first year in daycare, and I was a bit surprised to find out when I picked them up that day, that they had made me gifts also!

Larissa gave me a pretty potted flower.

And a cute Handmade card!

Joshua gave me a basket of flowers!

Cordelia gave me a very nice card with her handprint!

From Bianca, I got a Bean Plant! My First!!

And a very cute picture card!!

The kids did a great job. I love all of the gifts that I got! I will cherish them forever!

Tino & Louisa's Wedding

2009-05-26T10:52:00.003-05:00

We had such a great time. I will admit that I was a bit nervous trying to find someone to watch our kids, but being that we have so many (lol) it always becomes such a task. So we decided to take them with us. The wedding went great, a little late and a lot hot. But it was so sweet to see them up there. I always love weddings. And with my cousin marrying them, it was a added bonus.

Tino & Louisa

The girs were cute, they spent most of the time staring at the bridesmaids. They thought they were princesses. And liked to touch thier dresses. They kept saying how pretty they are!

They even got on the floor and danced!

Then it was time for the adults to dance!!

We really did have a fun night, the girls enjoyed the food, the music and the dancing. And on the car ride home, it took them all of 2 minutes to fall asleep!!

Track & Field 09

2009-05-20T16:35:00.003-05:00

Oh man, I got so sunburned that day!! But it was a very beautiful day. Johnny and I got the chance to hang out with the kids and enjoy the walking. Now, I remember being in elementry and having such anxiety over Track & Field. I have never been the most athletic child. So every year, Id participate in the games, and would end up doing alright. I remember having 3rd place ribbons. So now, the kids get to have that fun. But a little dissapointing, is they dont get ribbons anymore. I was looking forward to them getting some ribbons, I just knew that my kids would at least get 2nd in a few events. But, no, no ribbons! But they had a great time. So really, thats all that matters!

Joshua, sitting with all his classmates, waiting to do Jump Rope.

Joshua, Doing the Shuttle Run.

My niece Kaelani

In the lead at the Potato Sack Race

My big girl, Larissa

Doing the long jump!

Tino & Louisa's Pre-Wedding Party

2009-05-20T16:28:00.003-05:00

I was so happy to get the evening to go out and have a blast!!

The guys hanging out. Tino, James, Pete, Carlos, & Johnny

Sara, Ana, & Me

We all got a kick out of thier great gifts!

She is so much like..

2009-05-20T16:20:00.003-05:00

She acts so much like daddy, and looks like him too!!

Courtney's Wedding

2009-05-20T16:05:00.004-05:00

What a great day! We had lots of fun. One of my long time friends enjoyed a very special day. I was a little late for the wedding, but we really had a blast.

Deborah and I at the wedding.

The Beautiful Cake!

Hope, Deborah, Courtney and Me

We had so much fun, even Larissa got in on the line dancing!

A couple of great friends!!

And a Beautiful Bride!

Congratulations Courtney & John

Happy Easter!

2009-04-16T12:51:00.005-05:00

It was great to have my family over for Easter this year. Never had I been able to invite my grandparents to my house for a Holiday like this. It turned out great. At first we were worried about the rain, but it cleared up and dryed up just in time for the hunt.

Bianca Checking out her Basket!

Cordelia, Happy with her basket, not happy im taking pictures!

My handsome young man!

And my Big girl, who is suddenly too big to take pictures with her basket!

All the kids had such a great time searching for Eggs, and then Cracking Cascarones!!

Here are both girls getting Daddy with the Cascarones!

Here is Bianca looking very confused about all the Confetti!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!!

I did it, I did it, I did it!!

2009-04-16T12:08:00.005-05:00

I started baking a lot more in the past year. I told my husband its really all thanks to him, cause he makes sure the kids dont bother me in the kitchen too much while I get a chance to try out my cakes, and he also loves being a taste tester. Also, he really has made it possible for me to feel comfortable in my life to be able to think of doing anything extra. So thanks Hubby!

Now, I saw this cake a couple months back on Bakerella's Blog, and I fell in love. I really wanted to make it. It just looked amazing and at the same time, very Hard! So, Ive been putting it off. But for Easter, I really wanted to take a chance and finally make this cake. Bakerella made a 14 layer cake. And it came out fantastic. The pictures she took and the ease that she shared really made me feel like I could do it too. But still I was nervous, I had never committed myself to something that would take that amount of time to do. But I was determined!!

So, on Bakerella's blog, she gave some different recipe sites that she found, and I looked them over and decided to go with The Smith Family's 12-Layer Cake. The same one that Bakerella used, but I stayed with the 12 Layer Cake. Mostly for the pan issue. I went out and bought pans, and they came in sets of 3, so I grabbed 4 sets, and figured I would use the ones at home to make the other 2, but then I got worried that what if they werent the right size, so I went with the 12 foil pans that I had.

I followed Bakerella's advice and buttered the pans, used parchment paper and buttered again. Then I filled each pan with 3/4 cup cake batter and flattened them all out. I cooked 3 pans at a time, for 12 min each at 350 degrees. Each layer came out perfect! Once they cooled, I removed them all and removed all the papers. Then I set them up on the wire rack and began to frost the cakes, At first I thought I shouldnt use too much icing, and then I started adding more, and once it was done, I just kept pouring the icing on to cover up some of the spots. In the end, it still had a few spots, but no one really cared.

I had planned on adding an extra layer of frosting to give it a cleaner look, but Guests were arriving for Easter, so I finished off the cake by adding Pecans to the top.

In the end, everyone loved it, they went on and on about how moist it was, and was very beautiful. I even got requests to make it for a few family members birthdays, and for every special occasion. It really was a bit of work, but It turned out fantastic. I would be happy to make this cake again!!

Sausage Green Bean Alfredo

2009-04-09T14:56:00.004-05:00

Another one of my throw together meals. I was really craving the taste of all of these and I was really surprised that it came out so good. Ive already made it twice for the house, and everyone eats it. Even the kids. They do moan and groan about the green beans a bit, but in the end, they eat it. And they like it.

I used the Eckridge Sausage, cut into small pieces, then just browned it, in about a tablespoon of Olive oil.

I added 1 can of green beans, and let that cook for a while. Then I added 2 jars of the Ragu Alfredo sauce.
Once the Thin Spaghetti noodles were done, I drained them and added the Alfredo sauce to them. Very Yummy!!

Beef & Rice

2009-04-09T14:42:00.004-05:00

I love recipe sites.. I can sit all day and go from recipe to recipe.. I was looking for something quick, easy, and something the kids would eat. And to my surprise.. I found something. Although, now the kids are eating more and lots of different foods, I was a little concerned about the ingredients, but Larissa has been asking for white rice for days. So I thought Id look for something that had rice also.

Kraft's Quick-Fix Beef and Rice

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cups frozen peas
2/3 cup (1/2 of 10-3/4-oz. can) condensed cream of celery soup
1/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2-2/3 cups hot cooked instant white rice
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Brown meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in peas, soup, milk, garlic and thyme. Bring just to boil.
SPREAD meat mixture onto bottom of 8-inch square baking dish. Top with rice; sprinkle with cheese.
BAKE 10 min. or until cheese is melted.

I ended up doubling the recipe, We have 5 kids and 2 adults in the house, And I had an idea that everyone would eat it. And they did. I had enough left over to take to lunch the next day. So that worked out well.

Here is a close up of the inside. I also added carrots to it, but there isnt that many. But they were really good.

Butterfly Party

2009-04-09T14:02:00.005-05:00

My cousin threw this very cute butterfly party for her daughter. They asked me to make a chocolate chip butterfly cake. Kinda new for me. But it ended up being very easy, and very yummy.

My last butter fly cake came out kinda funny, and ended up melting on the way to the party. So these actually came out much better. Although, I think Ill have to make them one more time to get more practice.

What a cute Menu! Mini Carrots, Grapes, Chicken Nuggets, Mini Bananas, and Cheese Sticks.

A very cute Pinata!!

My Cute little butterflies!!

Proofs of School Pictures

2009-04-09T13:49:00.007-05:00

We got the proofs back from the girls first week of school. They are cute. We ordered a package of the girls together. The rest, Im glad that I at least got the proofs.

Too bad Bianca was so scared, and crying. She usually has such a great smile.

Cordelia did so much better. But so cute!

This is the one we ordered.

Funfetti Sandwhiches

2009-04-09T13:17:00.004-05:00

I saw this idea on Carly's Kitchen. So I had decided to make these. And I went out and bought the mix and icing, and when I went to make them, to my surprise, I saw a Funfetti Cookie recipe on the side of the box! How great. I thought about making the cookies, but then decided to go with the sandwhiches.

Ill admit, when I first saw the idea, I wondered how is it that the cake mix wont run. And after seeing the recipe on the side of the box, I thought.. OH thats how.

Recipe from Pillsbury

INGREDIENTS

1 (18.9-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury® Moist Supreme® Funfetti® Cake Mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 (15.6-oz.) can Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme® Funfetti® Vanilla Frosting

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs; stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass dipped in flour, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.

2. Bake at 375°F. for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

3. Spread frosting over warm cookies. Immediately sprinkle each with candy bits from frosting. Let frosting set before storing. Store in tightly covered container.

Once mixed, it was more like cookie dough.

They came out just like cookies!!

All that was left, was to make the sandwhiches. And they were yummy!!

Johnny Carino's at Home!

2009-04-08T14:37:00.006-05:00

Ok, so since we dont go out much, and we like to cook at home, we decided to give one of our favorite dishes a try. We were craving the food, and I knew I could make it at home!! So, he is my attempt at the Chicken Milano!

Here is the Johnny Carino's Version!

First we took 5 frozen chicken breasts, Placed them in a pan and sprinkled Season all on them. We had bought some canadian bacon to place on top. We put the oven on 350 and they baked for about 30 - 40 min.

Next we took some frozen spinach, and fresh mushrooms and cooked them with some Olive oil and I also added bacon bits for flavor.

We added that to some Ragu Alfredo Sauce, and poured that over Fettucine noodles.

And here is our version of the Chicken Milano. It was great! I loved the taste of bacon in mushrooms in the sauce. Oh and the chicken came out great.

And to top it off, we had a salad on the side.. Yes, we add grapes, and strawberries. Its our favorite salad combination.

Courtney's Bachelorette Party

2009-04-08T14:17:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness.. We had a great time. I was so nervous and excited to go out with the girls. Its been a while since Ive gone out, and gone out by myself. Since Cordelia was born, I havent gone out much. And when I did, we had to work to find a sitter. And when Bianca was born.. It only gotten harder. So, its been a while. And I was excited with the idea to be able to go out with the girls. I ended up having a great time.

All us girls, after a night of partying!

Me, Deborah, and Melissa

Me and Hope

Me and Deborah

Me and Courtney

Me after a very long night!

Courtney's Bridal Shower

2009-04-08T13:56:00.006-05:00

Courtney is one of my long time friends. In April she will be getting married, And in March we celebrated her bridal shower, oh and the bachelorette party (next post) But durning the day we had a great bridal shower. Although, it was very windy.

The kids had a great time. I had to have all of them with me that day, cause dad was going to be left with them at night. But it was nice for them to be there, we had some great pictures!

Here are my kids, with Tara, Daughter of my great friend Deborah. My son Joshua, my niece Kaelani and Tara were all born in the same year. I think they are separated my only a few months. So its nice to see them growing up together.

Here we all are, having a good time.

Happy Birthday Kaelani!

2009-04-08T13:49:00.005-05:00

For my niece, we had a sleepover at my house for her 8th Birthday. 7 little girls running around the house playing dress up and having thier hair done.. Yikes. My Step Daughter was in town also for spring break, so it was nice to have them all there.

Oh and the cool thing, I tried my hand a at cupcake cake. The pull apart kind. I had offered to make her a cake. And she wanted cupcakes, and then decided she wanted a cupcake cake. So I figured Id give it a shot. Not bad for my first try at it.

Can you tell what it is?? Its supposed to be a purse. I think if I had a bigger plate to put it on, I think I would have had the icing a little better. But again, it was my first try!

Daddy's little girl

2009-04-08T13:46:00.002-05:00

I love this age where they love to play and laugh! How cute are they!

Picture Day!!

2009-03-06T10:16:00.003-06:00

The girls just started Daycare and I was so excited that they were going to be having a Picture Day!! For the girls first picture day, I went and got them the same dress! I know, I know. I always said I would never dress my children the same, but since they are so close in age and size, I love to see them dressed the same. The bad thing, was that I got Cordy's dress too small. She must have grown overnight! So I had to add some shorts at the last minute. But it was ok. The teachers had a little trouble getting Bianca to calm down and take her pictures, so they told me that they put them together in a couple of shots. So Im hoping those would come out great. I hadnt even thought about asking to put them together in a picture, but they did it anyways. So it worked out!!

Very Cute together!!

Cordy, Somehow her ponytails were uneven. But I fixed it!

So Beautiful!!

Sometimes, I love my job!

2009-03-04T15:50:00.009-06:00

Ok, occasionally, I forget where I work. The joy and the beauty escapes me. I tell People, I work at the Capitol. And some are like, WOW. That must be exciting. and to tell you the truth. It really isnt. Ive been at my job for 10 years this year!! And while it has its moments. I really do Love my job. Especially days like today!! We got Lunch from the Salt lick, and a little entertainment! So in the great weather.. Im reminded why I love my job!

The view from my office!

The View from inside!

Yummy, lunch!!

Great entertainment!

And...

An Awesome Dessert!!

First Day of Daycare!

2009-03-04T15:24:00.007-06:00

Oh, we are so sad. Sad to have to put the girls in Daycare. But we sorta have to. Its time. Johnny has been a stay at home dad for a while now. And he has loved it. And working at night has worked out for us. But I know that it has been rough for all of us, cause I get home, and he goes to work. And we miss him at night. So, we are finally putting the girls in Daycare so Johnny can work during the days and we can all be together at night and on weekends. Yesterday was the first day of Daycare. The girls were very excited. We got all thier things together and I let Cordelia pick things out to take. And I made the girls some pillows to take. I would like to have had more time to make them with better fabric. But I went ahead and made them from some of our old pillow cases. They were actually very easy to make. So when I do get more fabric, I think Ill make them some cute ones. When we picked up the girls in the afternoon. They were so excited to see us. But taking them in this morning, they were sad. Bianca started to cry and Cordelia just looked confused. That is the worst part. Im hoping it wont take to long for them to get used to going there. I really think they will have a great time.

Ready with thier Pillows! Perfect kid sized!

Smiling and laughing getting ready for the day.

Cordelia with her Princess back pack all ready.

Bianca holding onto her pillow!

Family Night at Johnny Carinos!

2009-03-04T15:08:00.008-06:00

Oh, Yummy! Johnny Carino's has Family Night on Mondays. They have these family platters that serve 2 - 4 people. And on Mondays you get a family platter for the price of a single platter. So very awesome. Especially since there are 6 of us. We are always on the look out for good deals. We like to go out to restaurants but it makes it a little hard, price wise, cause our family is big. So we went to Family night.. and it was great. I would go every Monday if we had the money! We paid 33.00 for all of us to eat. We got 2 family platters and a mini appetizer. Although, we would have been good with just one family platter. But we wanted a more grown up taste, and the kids got spaghetti! So, next time you are looking to go some place cheap, for the whole family, Check out Family Night at Johnny Carinos!!

The kids got Spaghetti and Meatballs

We got the Chicken Milano. Chicken Breast covered with a slice of ham, provolone cheese, and basil leaves. Served with Fettichini Noodles. Very Yummy.

Cordelia ate all her plate, and then began to eat off mine!

Bianca Loved the meatballs!

All were very happy with the food selection. No problem getting them all to eat!

Lets Go Fly A Kite!

2009-03-04T14:34:00.007-06:00

This Sunday was the Zilker Kite Festival. We talked about going, and decided it would be a beautiful day and fun for the kids. So we went to eat breakfast and while sitting there we decided that, we would have to go to a parking garage, and catch the bus, to get down to the park. We still needed to get a few kites, and then walk from the bus stop to the park grounds. And wow, that just seemed like so much. So we decided to go to Dollar tree, get us some Kites and go to the park near our house. That way, we could park right there, let the kids play on the playground while we put together our kites and then Fly them around the parking lot. It turned out to be a really great kite day. Bianca slept thru most of it, but she joined us at the end and had a great time.

Larissa trying to get her Sponge Bob Kite up in the air.

Cordelia just couldnt figure out how to get hers to work. She got a Dora one, but Dad ended up flying that one, and we worked on getting Bianca's Strawberry Shortcake in the air!

Johnny and Joshua managed to get his Spider Man Kite up and going. Joshua also managed to get it caught in the tree. But I got it loose and it was back to flying!!

We did it! We got Strawberry Shortcake in the Air!!

Banana Pudding Cupcake

2009-03-04T14:15:00.002-06:00

I really liked this one. Not my favorite, but I really liked it. I used the Banana Surpreme Cake mix. I added in 2 bananas. Then for the Frosting, I used a basic Cream Cheese frosting. And I added in a package of Banana Pudding Mix to the frosting. And it came out great!!

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-02-25T16:42:00.000-06:00

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

These are wonderful. Im hoping to win one, but Ill have to look into making one. I would need two, maybe three of these!! My girls will love them! Go Check them out!

We Moved!!

2009-02-17T14:43:00.003-06:00

This past weekend, we moved into our new house. I must say. I like this house. I hope that for the time being, we are very happy here. Its a new experience, cause Ive never lived in a house this nice. And a two story! When we stayed with my mom, that was different. It wasnt our house. But this is great, we love the space and stairs!! We are working on making sure the girls know how to come up and down the stairs. Bianca is cute, she crawls up and crawls down in less than a minute. Very scary!!

We have a lot of work to do, but its cool, I like that sorta stuff!!

Happy Valentines Day!!

2009-02-17T14:30:00.005-06:00

We had a great Valentines.. well as good as it can be with 3 out of 6 of us sick from a cold. And in the middle of moving!! We went to breakfast, where Joshua ended up having a nose bleed, and then we went home to pack for the rest of the day. I did get a dozen pink wooden roses from hubby. He had asked if I wanted real ones, but I said no, they die, and to me thats a waste of money. Then we saw the wooden ones, and they were cheeper, So what a deal!

I also made cupcakes! I made Banana Split Cupcakes. They were so good. I really liked they way they came out. Hey, I have two left in the fridge.. I may just eat those today!

Now, I dont have an actual recipe. All I did was mix a white cake mix together and then added in 1 1/2 bananas, 1/2 can crushed pineapple, and about 7 strawberries (chopped). I also added in about 1/4 cup pecans. I also used a simple Cream Cheese frosting, and added in strawberry extract, and red food coloring. They were so yummy, and Ill be making those again soon!!

Neopolitan Cookies

2009-01-30T09:11:00.003-06:00

Here is another addition to our Christmas Cookie Party. These took a little more time to prepare, but they really came out Yummy. The Recipe Comes from "Mennonite girls can cook", And can I say, I really like this blog. I have seen some very great recipes, and so many of them are easy to make. They have all kinds of things to choose from. Check them out..

(Below, My Pictures, Their Recipe)

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup red maraschino or glazed cherries, chopped

1/4 cup green maraschino or glazed cherries. chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

red and green food colouring

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.Blend in flour mixture.Divide dough into 3 equal parts.Add red food colouring and the red cherries to one part, blending well.To the second part, add the green food colouring and green cherries.To the third part, blend in the chopped nuts.

Wrap each portion up in plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.Divide each colour dough into 2 parts.On waxed paper, form a 10-12 inch-long log of one portion of the red dough and then flatten to about 1/4-1/2 inch thickness.Repeat using the green and white doughs.

Stack the white dough on top of the red and then add the green layer (see picture below).Wrap with waxed paper, squaring up and smoothing each long side as you wrap it.Repeat with the remaining dough.Chill logs about 4 hours or overnight.

Unwrap log and cut into1/4 inch slices and place on cookies sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes - just until the edges begin to turn a light brown.Remove from cookie sheets to a rack or brown paper and let cool.These keep well in a tightly closed container stored in a cool place.