A FAMILY THAT PLAYS TOGETHER.....STAYS TOGETHER!!!!!

I'VE heard this saying but never thought it would become the family THEME...... The "PLAY" part definitely takes precedence. We love ALLEN!!!!!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Recipes to Try.....Coconut Crusted French Toast

I was looking on pinterest and saw this picture and wanted to find the recipe.   It's very simple, but here it is.
 
Coconut Crusted French Toast with Bananas and Strawberries

Ingredients
Sweet Hawaiian Bread
milk
eggs
Vanilla
coconut
berries
bananas
coconut syrup

Make french toast as your normally would using Kings Hawaiian sliced bread. Before cooking on pan, put coconut on both sides of french toast. Cook as normal.

Add berries and bananas and coconut syrup and enjoy!
Coconut Syrup

I just heat up a can of cocoa Lopez and poor it over the french toast, but you can make your own if you'd like. 
  • 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch in a saucepan until the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour in the corn syrup, sugar, and coconut; bring to a boil, stirring continually. As soon as the mixture comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat. Allow to cool completely before serving.

PicTurE reCap Of tHe lAst YeaR

Look how much Addison has changed!!! 

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Five movies I'll drop everything to watch

Today I was reading a post on the Pioneer Woman, which I love by the way, and I decided to answer the question my self.  "What five movies would I drop everything to watch?"

1.  The Man from Snowy River
















"I'll be back for them and whatever else is mine......" She's not for you lad, He's not a lad brother, he's a man!!!!  The man from snowy river!!!!!
This is my all time favorite movie.  I have a lot of all time favorites, but This one leads the pack in that category!!!!


2.  Secretariat


















"I've run my race, now it's your turn to run yours!!"  I know this movie isn't an old one, but every time I get sucked into this goody, I get so emotional.  My one dream would be to have a horse farm and be apart of this life (here's for living through something, right!)


3.  Ann of Green Gables & Ann of Avenly



















I have the best memories of siting in the the back room with grandma, both of us on the same chair, (an old green rocker that spun) and watching movies...especially this one.


4.  State Farm (the 1945 version) & Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

I posted these together on #4 because I always think of these two movies together.  I don't know why, maybe it's because I always watched them close to each other.  You know afternoons with grandma will do that to ya!!!!





































 5. Gone with the Wind






















 I love this movie, and I always will even though sometimes it makes me so mad!!!  I just want to change the ending (and everything that let up to it) , then it would be perfect....but I know, I know, that's the lesson we must all learn sometimes!!

Recipes to Try.....Red Velvet Sheet Cake

 Red Velvet Sheet Cake--from the Pioneer Woman
 
    










  • 1 cup Shortening
  • 1-3/4 cup Sugar
  • 2-1/2 cups Cake Flour
  • 1-1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 whole Eggs
  • 1 cup Buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Vinegar
  • 1-1/2 ounce, fluid Red Food Coloring
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly spray a large (18 x 12) sheet cake pan (or you can use a slightly smaller jelly roll pan) with nonstick baking spray. Be sure to get in all the corners of the pan.
Sift together cake flour and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Add vinegar and stir. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, mix together cocoa and red food coloring. Set aside.
Cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk/egg mixture until all combined. Pour the red mixture in and beat until combined.
Pour batter into prepared sheet cake pan. Use a large offset spatula or knife to even out the surface. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Place a large cutting board on top of the cake pan, then invert the cake, allowing it to turn out onto the cutting board. Allow cake to cool completely before icing.


Milk Roux Frosting  (This one's mine!)

  • 4 Tablespoons Flour
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.  It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don't want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven't beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combine. 

This is the only frosting for my Red Velvet cakes, so it's only right to use it with this sheet cake version.

Frost the sheet cake and garnish it with whatever you'd like!!!!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Addie is ONE year old!!!!!

Okay, I'm a slacker.  July thus far has been really busy for us.  I'm just now getting back into the swing of things.

We made it.....ONE YEAR OLD!!!!!!
Addison turned 1year old on July 14, 2011.  Wow where did that year go.  She's a pretty big girl these days...so she thinks!!!






















































                                                                                                                                                                                                          
We went to the doctor July 12, 2011 she's still a tinny girl!!!  

Weight:    16.5 pounds
Height:    27.5 inches
Head:      17   

 She is growing, changing and becoming more of a wiggle worm every day.  Church is wearing mommy and daddy out!!!!  She crawls everywhere and it seems wherever Maggie is (the puppy), she is right behind.  She loves the dog food and I've tried to hide it three times, but she keeps finding it!  She's standing up on everything and walks along it.  She's pretty wobbly still and she has such little legs.  We love this little girl and can't wait for this next year to see how she grows and develops!!!!!!!

*She wrinkles her noise just like her mommy

*She Loves her blankie.  She asks for it by sniffing fast (kinda like what you would do when making a bunny rabbit sound)...it is the cutest thing!!! I wish she would have chosen a more sturdy blanket that was going to last because she has it everywhere.  I wait till she's asleep to take it and wash it.  I feel a lot of fixing and mending coming on!! 

*Going outside is her favorite thing to do.  After she eats dinner and we're waiting for daddy to get home, we play out in the front yard.  She knows when that time is because if we don't go, she points to the door!!

*She still loves food, but lately she know what she wants a bite of. She was eating carrots, pork chops and rice, and apple sauce the other night and I was helping her because the rice and applesauce aren't easy to eat with hands.  I tried to give her a bite of applesauce and she wouldn't take it because she wanted carrots but then the next bite she would take it.  She is really starting to show her personality....she really know what she want's and is starting to let us know!!!

*She loves to wave.  When she see's one of us on the other side of the room, she starts waving and gets this cute little grin on her face.

*She loves reading.  Her favorite book right now is perfect pets (you can feel the pets).  We just got a few new books from Nanny that pop out at her.  She is a tad leery when they first pop out, but then she laughs and wants me to do it again!
*We sing songs a lot during the day and Wheels on the Bus is her favorite right now.  

*Whenever you ask Addison for a kiss, she sure gives you one, mouth wide open and wet...it's so cute!  Daddy doesn't like them so much.

*I always know where Addison has been, she leaves a trail (mess!!) behind her.  

*When Daddy gets home from work Addison wont let him put her down or give her to Mommy...She just want's him!!!!!







Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Top Teeth are In

Well from a week and a half ago to this week, we are doing a lot better.  Addie's top two teeth are in and the two side teeth to those are now trying to come in.  They're just not as fast as the front tops.  I asked Addison to show me her teeth and this is what we got.  She is quite a funny little girl!!!!  She wrinkles her nose just like her momma!!

Life's little pleasures

Yesterday was quite an eventful day.  I love to curl up Addison's hair but we are still dealing with her baby fine hair which doesn't hold the curl very well.   Gel and hairspray help a ton but after her morning nap it's pretty wild and the curl pulls out.  It' sure is cute though.


























I was pulling weeds in the front yard and Addison was playing with rocks, dirt and then trying to eat the dirt. She couldn't quite fit the rocks in her mouth; thank goodness they were too big.   She was having a blast!!! 
























Addie always wants mommy's phone and sometimes I let her play with it because it makes her so happy, but I have to be careful cause she sucks on it and it can't take much more of that!!!  (look at those big tears because she thinks I'm not going to give it to her, and then that huge smile...how can I not)




Solar Cooking

Well I'm giving a demonstration on solar cooking tomorrow.  I built this solar funnel cooker a month ago and have been trying different things.  I've boiled water in an hour, made carrots and potatoes in 2hrs, made rice in 1.5 hrs, and today I tried biscuits. They have been cooking for an hour now and are not quite done, so here I am just waiting for them.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

4th of July Weekend

A year ago at this very time I was ready to pop with Addison.  I had her 10 days after the 4th.  I can't believe it.  I looked back on last year and....how time flies!!!

We had a great 4th!!!  We attended the twins (Cody and Kylie) Baptism, two full days of boating; which grandma stayed home on Monday and watched Addie while she took a nap.  Two days of boating for her would have been too much!  Fire works again from the reservation, and fun down time with the family and a fun four wheeler ride for Allen and I. 

















































Look at this Hot Stuff.......Allen says, "he's out of shape."  He  could barley pull himself back in the boat after 3 runs.  His runs are record long.  He can hold on for ever, but this time they were just normal....he was a little depressed.  Lets just say he started lifting weights last night and ran on the treadmill. HA HA HA