Flat Stanley

Gabby just finished reading Flat Stanley in school and her teacher gave the class a very fun project! She is to assemble a list of people who she thinks would like to show Flat Stanley a good time! These people are to take Flat Stanley all over their city and take pictures with him, buy postcards of places he's been or create diary entries to explain his adventures! Flat Stanley will stay with each person about a week and then he'll be sent off to another friend to have more adventures. Once he's made his rounds, he'll be sent back to CA where Gabby will have to assemble a scrap book of his adventures and share it with her class.

We have a few people we'd like to send Flat Stanley to, but need a few more volunteers. If you'd like to be a part of Gabby's school project, leave a comment and we'll get in contact with you! Thanks!

What's for dinner (and dessert)?

I've been obsessed with cooking the last 2 weeks. I've taken a break from work to truly be the stay at home mom rather than the stay at home mom that works part of the day from her home office. So, in trying to feed my kids healthier meals and stretch a buck, I've been cooking every meal (from scratch) and it's been really fun!

Tonight we ate crazy crust pizza.



and for dessert, we had Snickerdoodle cookies, recipe taken directly out of the Lancaster County Cookbook (if it's in there, it's gotta be good!)



Very fun dinner.

Having to go to bed early

I just told Zack that because he didn't take a nap today, he'd have to go to bed early. In response he says:

Zack: I not tired Mommy. Look at my eyes, they not tired
Mommy: Well your eyes might not be tired, but your body is.
Zack: Look at my bottom Mommy. It's not bleedin'. I not tired.

What? How did we get from my eyes aren't tired to my bottom isn't bleedin'? Only in a almost 3 year old mind can that happen.

Beef Pot Pie

Thanks to my girlfriend B and her post today about Mr. Smith's Turkey Pot Pie the idea for tonight's dinner was born. I didn't have any turkey or chicken for that matter. What I did have was left over Pot Roast from Sunday dinner. I adapted her recipe and made Beef Pot Pie instead. The picture above is before adding the cheesy biscuits to the top. But I will take a picture just after I take it from the oven tonight.

I can't wait till dinner!

Oh, the pyrex dish....that's B's! I keep forgetting to give it to her!

The finished product:

Macaroni and Milk

Tonight while talking to my mom who is literally walking down memory lane in PA, she told me about a meal she used to make my sister and I when we were little and living on a very tight budget. Macaroni and Milk. I decided to make it for my kids tonight and you thought Mac and Cheese from the blue box was gobbled up quickly? This disappeared from their plates in 5 minutes! Even Josh was "yumming" after each bite! So, here's the recipe. Try it...you'll like, no I mean, you'll love it!

1 1/2 cups of macaroni. Cooked and drained.
1 cup of milk
1 stick of butter
Salt and pepper to taste.

Once you've cooked the macaroni, immediately drain and then add butter and milk, salt and pepper. Simmer slowly, until creamy and not so soupy. Be sure to taste it before you serve. It needs to taste salty, buttery, creamy.

We're talking major comfort food!

If you're on a budget...this meal literally cost me $1! Carbs, protein....what more could you ask for?

Cooking

So a girlfriend of mine started a new blog, all about cooking. She's got a way with words that just makes me laugh out loud! She's inspired me to start cooking again. Now, I love cooking, it comes easy to me but it's hard to cook for just me and the kids. My hubby works late and is never home for dinner. Most nights, it's 5pm, the kids are screaming and I'm kicking myself for not planning ahead. I end up pulling out the hotdogs or the chicken nuggets because it's quick and easy...but unfortunately not very nutritious.
Thanks B for reminding me that cooking doesn't require a master's degree or a program on the Food Network. A little planning ahead and a homemade meal CAN be on the table at 5:30p. Tonight, it's homemade split pea soup from the crockpot!

Happy Anniversary!

I'm a bit early...but tomorrow, January 4, 1997 was my wedding day. What a day it was! Up early with Mel and off to the hairdresser (who had blue hair!) and then off to the mall at the makeup counter where a friend of mine was working and she gave me a free makeover. Then raced to the church to get dressed and ready for pictures. Dave and I decided to do our photographs before the wedding since we hated making all our guests wait during the reception but I still got my "first glance" moment. We decided to clear the church before we started pictures. Dave was waiting at the alter and I walked down the aisle, just like during the ceremony, except it was just the two of us! As I walked down the aisle, I felt like the most beautiful person in the whole world! After a little kiss, Dave said to me, "Hey, do you know who put $2000 in our checking account?". I said, "no, who would do that?". Dave said, "I talked to a bank teller and they said that the person wanted to remain nameless."

After a wonderful ceremony, we ate and talked with friends and quickly left for a weekend away (yes, it was ONLY a weekend!) in Santa Barbara. Dave had just started his new assignment and was given 2 days off for our honeymoon.

We got back home, only to find out that the money that had mysteriously found it's way into our checking account, was removed as quickly as it was put in. One of the tellers had keyed in the account number incorrectly. Bummer!

12 years later, 3 kids later, numerous movies, coffees and roses later, I'm still in love with the man who called my bluff and asked me on a date when he won the Hoffman Award at Biola. I love you, Dave!