The Halloween Costume

Perhaps you remember, about this time last week, I mentioned that my youngest child had been hounding me about making him a Halloween costume.
Wait, let me back up
LAST YEAR, yeah that far back, my then 5 year old, announced that for Halloween THIS YEAR, he wanted to be Billy the Exterminator.  (see pic below if you don't know who Billy is)


which would be OK, except that leather and spikes are not (a) easy to find for a 6 year old and (b) when you do find them they ain't cheap.  So, E actually changed his plan a couple of weeks ago and decided he wanted to be a wizard (approximately 4 days after I passed up a wizard costume on the facebook boutique because I thought he would never be interested---ain't that just the way?!?)  Now, I do not claim to be a great seamstress, but I can sew a straight line, and don't forget the AMAZING Davy Crockett hat that I created sans pattern during the great Snowpocolypse.  So, I figured that I could come up with a wizard-ish looking cape and hat.  But, last week I was swamped.  It was a crazy week and then I had the baby shower here at the house last Sunday , there was just no getting to the fabric store much less sewing.  I promised the kid that if he would just cut me some slack through the weekend, I would get the costume made. 
Well, guess what, on Tuesday I had a meeting at work to plan our Christmas program so I didn't run to the fabric store.  But no problem, I still had the rest of the week.  Wednesday  my mother in law had surgery.  I spent the morning at the hospital, then hit the grocery store, picked up the kids and then made supper to send over to the in laws.  Still no fabric store, but I still had the rest of the week.  Hahhahah,, can you guess where this is going?  1:00 a.m. Wednesday nite, the wizard to be woke up with 102 fever.  So I stayed home with him all day yesterday.  I spent the day washing sheets, blankets and towels, making soup, and holding him.  No costume making.  Today, he was worse.  So, we hit the dr bright and early at 8:00 to find out he had a double ear infection and possible strep.  By the time we finished at the doc and the pharmacy it was 11:00.  And it just didn't seem right to take the sobbing, sick child to the fabric store.  Besides, even if I got the fabric, he wasn't letting me out of his sight for more then about 5 minutes so I wouldn't be able to make the costume. 
It is now Friday night and we have trunk or treat Sunday evening and my question is...do I make the costume?  What if I don't make it and then he has no wizard wardrobe for trunk or treat?  Or...what if I make it and he is too sick to go to trunk or treat?  if I could just convince him to wear his Mario costume, I'd be covered either way.  He already has the costume so if he is well he is good to go and if he isn't it's no loss. 
But you know how that works, because I WANT him to wear it he doesn't want to, but if I was opposed to him wearing it then that would be the only thing he would want to put on his body.  But reverse psychology won't work because I already suggested the Mario costume to him. 
Good gravy, when did Halloween get soo blinkin' hard?    What happened to putting on a bunch of makeup, some bracelets and a full skirt and calling it a gypsy costume---or a sheet for a ghost? 
Halloween just ain't what it used to be folks!  Because when I was a kid it was all about the candy baby!!! And the good candy---like the mini snickers and peanut butter cups not those stupid sixlets and smarties.  Heck, I'd buy the kid the 3lb Hershey mixed bag if it'd get me off the hook at this point.  But, noooo, he wants me to costume him up.  Check in tomorrow--updates to come

under the weather

This dude, he's the one...he woke up at 1:30 a.m. with a fever of  102.  He says his head and throat hurt too.  Advil tamps down the fever and he feels a little better.  However, when the Advil wears off he feels lousy.  So, projects and blog entries are on hold.  I'll get back to you soon.  :)

Ya'll are just too kind

Awww, ya'll make a girl blush!!  Thanks so much for all the kind comments on the family pics.  Erin did a wonderful job and I am very happy with them.  In fact, I just ordered our Christmas cards.  :)
Now, I have to figure out which ones I want to print and frame.  Still working on that part. 

It's gonna be cold here the next few days!!! We're talkin' highs in the 50's!! So you know what that means----SOUP! I already have all my veggies cut up and ready to go for tomorrow's veggie soup.  And the chicken is already thawing for Friday's chicken noodle!!  (is it sad that I am so very excited about that?)  This was just such a loooong, dry, hideously hot summer, and the cool weather is so welcome! 
I might make bread too.  Just sayin'---I'm pretty excited about cold weather, and cold weather food.

Blessings friends!

Family Pics

We had pictures taken last week.  The photographer was a friend of mine.  Her darling children go to the school I work at and her husband is an awesome guy. 
Erin did a brilliant job of working with the guys and she got some wonderful shots that completely show their personalities.  I love the pictures.  I told her she even got some of me that I like---LOL--which is hard to do considering that I almost NEVER like any picture I am in.  Wanna see?
Here's a few to look at....


This would be me and the mister

This one really tells you alot about these guys

  And look at my babies!  Aren't they purty?

 I'm kinda in love with these brown eyes

 Oh my---he looks so grown up!


As you can see, we felt at ease.

Thank you Erin!!! Now the hard part, deciding which ones to frame!

It's baby shower day!!!

My lovely friend, Kendra, is expecting her 3rd baby in about 6 weeks!!! Little Masen Brock will be joining the family soon so we had to have a party for him!  Check out the table.  Everything was so cute.  Our theme was "She's about to pop!" So we had two lollipop bouquets, cake pops, rice krispie pops, marshmallow pops, lime popsicle punch, ice cream pop punch, white chocolate popcorn, fruit pops with white chocolate fondue, chicken salad sandwiches and that too cute cake!

Seriously, look at that cake!  It is soooo perfect for a baby shower!

Look at his pennant bunting with his name.  Kendra took it home to hang above his crib.  :)

We (the hostesses) decided on a blue/white/green color scheme and it was perfect!  I got the idea for the upside down balloon bouquet from pinterest.

We hung a bunch above the bar too.

This was a super cute idea that one of the hostesses had seen at another shower...We had a gift bag with each of the letters of the baby's name.  Each bag was filled with a baby related item that started with the letter on the bag.  Then each guest had to write down their guesses of what they thought was in each bag.  There were some cute and clever things in the bags--some toys, a book, ointment, maxi pads :).  I think my favorite was a kit for Kendra to take to the hospital that had deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.  How great is that?!  She just has to toss it in her hospital bag--perfect.

gift table

ha!  did you notice anything missing?  how about a picture of the guest of honor?!  Yep, I got these taken right after we finished setting up and then never picked up the camera again.  I'm gonna have to snatch a pic of Kendra from one of the other ladies and put it up on here.  Cuz she is just too stinkin' cute!

Oh, and I have a recipe for you...

Ice Cream Pop Punch

1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream

1/2 gallon of chocolate ice cream

1 gallon of whole milk

2 cups of brewed coffee

1 cup of sugar

Brew your coffee (I actually brewed a full pot and then poured the 2 cups I needed into a measuring cup to cool).  Once your coffee is brewed, pour it into a LARGE measuring cup.  Mix the 1c of sugar into the hot coffee and stir it to disolve.  Then leave coffee to cool.   Take ice creams out of freezer 30 to 45 minutes before serving.  In a punch bowl, place both 1/2 gallons of ice cream, the 2c of breweed coffee, and then fill with milk.  Now, the recipe called for an entire gallon of milk but I didn't use the whole gallon---I think I used a little more then half, maybe 2/3 of the gallon. 

This was sooooooo good.  Everybody loved it.  It tastes like the yummiest, tastiest Starbucks.  Even people who didn't like coffee, liked this.  Yummilicious, I promise!

just too much

I mentioned earlier this week that I am having a baby shower at my house tomorrow afternoon.  To prep for the party I have been busy!  Thursday evening Mr. G and I mowed and cleaned up the yard--it was a mess! Yesterday I ran by Lowes to get some mums to prett up the porch.  Then in the evening I made a couple of deocrations for the party (can't tell or show until tomorrow evening because the guest of honor reads this---Hi Kendra!!!)  Then I spent all of today cleaning and doing laundry.  And I am still working on it.  I have one load of clothes left to go in the washer---ugh I hate laundry! And I still need to vacuum the kids' rooms and clean their bathrooms.  I cleaned til 3:00 and then stopped because I promised the kids that I would take them to their school fall festival. 
The fall fest was really cute and there was a lot going on but (a) it was packed!!! We even went early because I thought more people would go later.  Apparently, all the other parents thought the same thing. (b) it was sooooo stinkin' hot.  Finally, after about an hour and a half,  lil' E felt like he had done all he wanted to do and he was ready to go.  We stopped on the way home to pick up something for supper.  And now, here I sit, thinking that I really ought to get up and finish that last bathroom but I just soooooo don't want to do it. 
I still have several things to get done before the shower tomorrow, but I'm thinking that it is all just going to have to wait until tomorrow.  Cuz I am just tooooo tired right now. 
Pics up tomorrow evening!  Can't wait to show ya'll what we've planned. 
Blessings!

What do you think is awesome?

Before you answer, I need to explain what I mean by awesome.  I don't mean "That is like totally awesome, fer sure."  I mean full of awe or inspiring awe. 
Several years ago, Mr. G and I went on a cruise.  One of the excursions that we took was to a sand bar where we got to feed sting rays by hand , pet them, have them swim around our legs, etc.  This was an awesome experience for me.  It was just completely amazing and awe inspiring to me to be able to experience these animals in such an up close way. 
I mentioned the other day how awesome I think jelly fish are and how they also are fascinating and amazing to me.  When I see animals like this I am filled with awe.
(Are you thinking yet "umm, where is she going with this topic?" , I'm getting to it right now)
This morning I was listening to the radio and they were giving away a mission trip to Africa.  And when I heard that I thought "that would not be a prize I would want to win."  And, it may not be for the reason you think.  I know several people who make annual mission trips.  A couple of friends travel to Haiti, another to Brazil, a few to Guatemala, and one goes all over the world multipled times a year. And I think that is awesome!  I am in awe of these people who are able to put their "regular" lives on hold to go across the world and help others.  I love to hear about their trips.  I love to be able to contribute money or supplies, or just prayers to aid them in their mission.  I admire what they are doing.  But I don't want to go.  And it is not because I don't believe in the cause, or I don't want to go without my daily creature comforts, or get a passport, or vaccinations.  I don't feel called to do that.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I have certainly had my Abraham moments, meaning I felt like God told me to pack up and start walking (even though I really need a well thought out plan complete with rest stops and final destination) and I did it despite my reservations.  But I don't feel that God has ever asked me to "go to Ninaveh".  And I know, that for my friends anyway, that they have a very distinct feeling that they are called/meant to go into the mission field.  And I don't .  And I am completely OK with that.  I think, I hope that I am fulfilling my purpose right here in my little place.  I think I am right where I am meant to be, doing what I am meant to do. and I gotta say--I feel pretty good about it. 
I hope you are in a good place, a meant to be place, too.  :)
Blessings!

She's GOTTA be older than me!

I'm at the elementary school picking up the E-man, and I see this other mom (I've seen her many times before) and I think "she sure looks old to have a kid in first grade." 

(No, I am not politically correct during my inner voice conversations.)

And then, I think "Do people think that I look old to have a first grader?" 

Which leads to "Do I look like I am over 40?" 

Which immediately is answered by "Nah, I look younger then I really am--I look GOOD for my age!.....Don't I?" 

So then, as I stand in front of the elementary school waiting for my kid to come out, I start looking at the other people waiting for their kids to come out.

"Hmm, he looks like a grandpa.  Those two are moms---obviously younger than me.  That one is a mom---younger and hotter and thinner than me.  That one is a mom.  That's a younger mom, but I look better.  Hmm, that one could be mom but could be grandma. If she's a mom she really needs to rethink those shoes. " 

(I told you, my inner voice has no filter)

And now I am a bit preoccupied with the whole thing.  I will say that never once has anyone said to me "NO WAY you CAN'T be 41!!!"  Of course, people don't often ask how old I am either.  Which makes me want to go around and ask people "How old do you think I am?" but then do you really get an accurate picture of how old you look.  I mean, won't most people say that you look younger then they really think you look.  Of course, if everyone tells me I look about 45 then I know I look a whole lot worse then I think I do. 

Now, that I've thought all that out, maybe I should just leave well enough alone and continue to dwell in my happy world where I look younger then I really am and I look better then at least a couple of the moms in the pick up line.  And, I have cuter shoes.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna stick with that----way less depressing then reality.

Dear misguided person,

Today when I was out an about I had some encounters that I felt needed addressing...

Dear Mall Management,
Your parking spaces are way too narrow.  The only cars that can possibly park reasonably in these spots are smart cars or mini coopers.  And, since this is Texas, and the vast majority of drivers are in trucks and/or SUVs the spaces are essentially unusable.  Therefore, until you rectify the problem and widen the spaces, I will be taking up two spaces in the parking lot. 

Dear Scary Unbathed Woman in Michaels,
Most people in stores walk up and down the aisles.  If someone stands at the end of an aisle and does not move, others are unable to enter or exit the aisle.  When someone says, "excuse me" she is politely indicating that you are in the way and you need to move.  Moving our of the way is considered a societal norm.  Thank you for complying

Dear makers of Cricut and/or Michael's Craft Store,
Cricut stuff is rather expensive.  And despite the cost, many, many people buy and use these products daily.  Therefore, it is not unreasonable and would even be customer friendly, if you would allow the 40% off coupons to be used on Cricut products.   While, I understand that the cutting machine itself likely would not be considered eligible for a discount, I think the numerous other products should be included. 

Dear child I love,
yes, I know that Halloween is little more than a week away.  Yes, I know I promised to make you a Halloween costume.  I will make you a costume.  Just let me get through this weekend and then I will focus on your costuming needs.  OK?  And quit bugging me about the costume. 


OK, that's it for today.  I hope that this has helped you (mall, Michael's, cricut, scary lady, and my kid) to see the error in your ways.  :)

Blessings,

Coming soon to a theater near you

We went and saw Dolphin Tale this past weekend.  It was great.  All four of us liked it very much.  The boys got into a discussion about whether they liked Soul Surfer or Dolphin Tale better.  It was a tough call and they never did come to a clear decision.  We also talked about all the great movies that are coming out in the next couple of months.  The remainder of 2011 looks to be a great time for families to go to the movies. 
Here is what is coming up...
Elevate on 10/21  this is a movie about young men from Africa who come here on scholarship to play basketball.  It looks really interesting as it follows one young man in particular and the adjustments he makes as he moves from Africa to the US.

Puss in Boots 10/28  we are big fans of Puss in Boots from the Shrek movies so we are looking forward to this one.  The boys actually loved him in the last one when he was fat because they say that is what our cat Oreo looks like. 

I'm not sure I see what they mean..

Happy Feet 2 11/18---the penguins are back!  Only this time the penguin star can't dance

The Muppet Movie 11/23  The boys really want to see this one but I think Mr. G and I are just as excited to take them since there is the nostalgia factor for us.  This is a visit to the muppets years after they hit the big time.  They are trying to "take the show back on the road"

Arthur Christmas  11/23  Arthur is Santa's son but he has a problem keeping the Santa secret. 

Alvin and the Chipmunks 12/16---this time the chipmunks and chipettes are on a cruise and get lost at sea then stranded on a deserted island

(And also on the same date, 12/16, not kid friendly, but very mommy friendly, Sherlock Holmes:  A Game of Shadows starring Robert Downey Jr.  Yes, I am very, very excited about this one.  My friend Rebecca and I already have a date to go and see it.)

And finally, Big Miracle 1/13 is a movie about 3 whales trapped under the ice in the Arctic Circle and the campaign to save them and help them return to the open ocean.

So that's it.  Start planning your holiday movie viewing.  And, for Spring Break, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is supposed to be out in March.  :)  I love the movies, and I especially love being able to go see a movie with my kids that we all enjoy.  

boys in the sea

I LOVE aquariums.  Whether it is a small tank in my doctor's office or the enormous, full on buildings full of fish.  I love them.  I find them fascinating.  One of the best places I've ever gone is to the aquarium in New Orleans.  It was amazing.  They have a whole room filled with nothing but tanks of jellyfish---from itty bitty tiny ones about the size of your pinkie finger to huge ones as big as dinner plates.  My kids share my interest.  One of their favorite shows right now is "Tanked" about the company in Vegas that builds these amazing tanks.  And, now that they are older, when we go to an aquarium or zoo, they don't zoom through and give a passing glance to everything.  They are now more willing to linger with me and check out everything there is to see. 

It's possible I am a little fascinated by these bright red/crimson shrimp

And I am more than a little fascinated by jelly fish.  I love them.  I think they are so amazing and gorgeous.  did you know that there are over 2000 varieties of jellyfish and only 70 are are poisonous to humans?  I would love to touch one. 

Nature just amazes me.  It certainly confirms the existence of God for me when I see the briliant, amazing creatures in the sea

Friday the 14th, my baby is 12!

Friday was Christopher's 12th birthday.  And I made the mistake of asking the boy what kind of cake he wanted.  This was his response:  Well, I would like a french vanilla cake.  In the middle of the cake I would like it to have raspberry filling, if it is not too much trouble.  And then, vanilla frosting. 

Yes, I think he is watching too much food network.  Anyway, he doesn't ask for much, so I went in search of raspberry filling.  Which, BTW, is not as easy to find as you might think.  So I settled on the one above.  I didn't want jelly.  I wanted fruit preserves.  This looked just like raspberries you had cooked down and thickened.  No jelly.  As the cake baked,

I hung up the Halloween countdown calendar I made for the kids last year and filled the pockets with 2 mini candy bars for each day.  They get started on the countdown tomorrow.

Then I did some gardening.  I had picked up this little basil at Lowe's for $1!! and had big plans to put it in one of my glass storage jars, because I thought that was going to look so cool in the kitchen.  However, the plant was too tall for the jar.  Plan B was this little green pot that I had out in the garage.  I think it looks pretty good even if it wasn't my first choice. 

Then, my brother in law had given me this little money tree back at the beginning of the summer.  When he gave it to me it was tiny and in this little bitty pot.  Well, the tree had outgrown the pot months ago, and I kept thinking  "I really need to replant that little tree" so I finally got it done. 

here's the end result of the cake.  it is possible that I didn't make quite enough frosting so I chose to make it look more intentional by putting it all on the top and letting it slide down the sides. 

He thought the cake was "awesome"  I thought it was good but I wasn't over the moon about the raspberry filling, but I am not wild about raspberries to begin with and it wasn't my birthday. 

Mr. G used his "frequent guest" points and got us two nights at a hotel for the birthday celebration.  I don't know about your kids, but a stay at a hotel, any hotel is exciting for my kids.  However, the youngest cannot seem to grasp the idea that he is sharing space with other people and cannot run around and yell.  We took C's birthday presents with us and made him wait to open them.  I had been telling him for weeks that I was buying him a pack of underwear and his dad was getting him a pack of socks for his birthday.  He didn't believe me.  So, of course, I wrapped everything in one box and purposely placed some shirts I had gotten him on top so they would be the first thing he saw..

opening the box...oh, what could it be?!?!

Oh, it's shirts.  Wow, thanks. They are great shirts. (cricket, cricket, cricket)

Oh, thank goodness!! There is other stuff in here!!

It turned out that he was a little happy with his gifts.  He got some shirts, a game for his DS, a book, and a pack of Redaki cards.  (Please don't ask me what those cards are...they are some game/cartoon that cost a ridiculous amount of money but are THE thing right now if you are a boy)

He said this was one of his best birthdays ever.  The best one for me was actually 12 years ago, when the baby that I had been told would never be, and that was supposed to be a girl! was born.  He is a joy.  He is a sweet, smart, caring, kind, talented boy who is growing up way too fast for his mama. 

Happy birthday C!  I love you!

3 reasons why I have not been keeping up with this blog

This is random but I am suddenly channeling an old Jimmy Cagney movie "I've got a tooth ache, see, and so I ain't been bloggin' ya' see"  I think I may be exposing my inner 40's gangster here.  Not to be confused with my inner gangsta which is a totally different speech pattern and vocabulary choice. 
Any who, I do have a tooth ache.  I finally got fed up with it so I went to the dentist yesterday whence (I don't know if that is a real word but it sounds cool) whence, I was told that my upper right molars all appear to be perfectly healthy and there is no visible reason for my teeth to hurt.  Except that I'm  nuts.  No, he really didn't say that.  My dentist is awesome and we all have seen him since C was 3.  He did say that (a) I have a "huge" sinus cavity right above said molars and if I have a sinus infection that could be causing my tooth pain.  I don't feel like I have a sinus infection.  (b) I could have a nerve that is going bad and could be developing an infection/abcess but it is not present right now.  (c) I am grinding my teeth and/or clenching my jaw at night and thereby causing hyper-sensitivity.  A night gaurd should help this.  So, since there is no visible anything to treat, I got impressions taken for a night gaurd today and go back next week to have it fitted.  Doesn't that sound exciting?  I'm going for a "fitting", only it isn't for anything cool or fun like a special dress.  So, reason one for no new bloggy entries is ---toothache
Then we have my children, and my husband.  The husband has been traveling alot which has left me as a single parent.  Which means I am the go to for everything.  And, if you ever doubt or question what your husband does to contribute around the house, send him away for a while and you will have a new appreciation for him.  Especially when both of them need help with homework or when oneo f them is in an awful mood and you are about one breath away from strangling said child.  last night, the youngest, hereafter known as, Mr. "do you want me to smack your lips? Then quit talking to me like that!" had homework he needed help with and then C was working on integers but couldn't understand what I was telling him and needed one on one assistance.  At least C doesn't argue with me when I try to help him, unlike Mr. Do you want me to smack your lips?  If I drank, that child would have me swimming in margaritas.  So, reason two for no new bloggy entries is--my children and their demands.  Oh! and their stupid homework that is killing me!!!
And finally, I am planning two events.  Tomorrow is Christopher's 12th birthday and we are planning a surprise for him.  (I'll tell you about it after the fact) and then a week from Sunday some friends and I are having a baby shower for our lovely friend Kendra.  We are having it at my house, which means that I am trolling pinterest daily for ideas of what I want to do to decorate the house for the big day.  Kendra was E's teacher when he was in 3 year old preschool and she was amazing with my baby---so I love her extra for that!  I'll tell you more about that one after the fact too.  So, reason three for no bloggy entry----event planning. 
those are pretty good reasons, right?  Sure they are.  I have not forgotten you friends.  Expect a mondo--birthday blow out entry on Sunday.
Til then "Here's lookin' at you kid"  (Yeah, I know that one was Bogart and not Cagney

ummm, about that no-sugar thing

It is possible that I have fallen off the no sugar wagon.  Or maybe my legs are dragging in the dirt while the upper half of me clings desperately to the wagon planks. (Don't you just have this Little House on the Prarie image now of the Ingall's wagon dragging my sugar laden body down a dirt road? ) Sorry, I digress. ...

Note:  both of these recipes came from Pinterest.  If you want to see the original blogs they came from you can check out the links here  http://pinterest.com/pinkpowerranger/


So I made this

 Dulce de leche banana cake with cream cheese frosting and let me just say UMMM!!! First, whoever invented cream cheese frosting is brilliant!! I mean really, sugar and cream cheese, could it taste any better.  I think I could eat it with a spoon.  Of course, that is not just falling off the wagon, that would be getting run over by the wagon.  This is a dense, moist cake.  It is good the day you make it, but the day after, chilled, holy cow!!! you'd better have a tight grip on your self control because it will be hard to stop at one slice.  It makes a large layer.  I baked mine in a 10" layer pan and the cake is easily 2" tall.  If you have smaller pans, you will have enough batter for two layers.  You could give the 2nd one away----or just keep it and eat it.  Trust me, you'll want it.  :)

Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter cake pan and then lightly dust with flour. Place parchment round on bottom of pan.

• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed bananas (about 1 ½ large bananas)
• ¾ cup dulce de leche

Instructions:

1. Place sour cream in a bowl and add baking soda; set aside.
2. Mix butter and sugar until light and creamy.
3. Add eggs in one at time and beat until combined. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
4. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Mix bananas, dulce de leche and sour cream mixture. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with banana mixture. Mix after each addition until just combined.
5. Pour mixture into prepared cake pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake for 5 minutes in cake pan. Remove cake and continue to cool cake completely on a wire rack

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8oz cream cheese, cold
• 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions:

1. Mix cream cheese and butter until combined. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
2. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar and mix until fully combined.

Assembly

1. Frost cooled Dulce de Leche Banana Cake to preference.

And I also made these....
 Apple crumb shortbread also a home run.  Again, good the day you make it, awesome the day after.  I don't know what it is about some foods that makes them so much better the second day after they get a chance to sit and "marinate".  The boys here LOVED these.  This recipe calls for an 8x8 pan and I couldn't find mine so I used a deep dish pie plate and pushed some of my crust crumbs up onto the sides and had a tart thing going on.  Did I mention---yum!?!?!?

Apple Crumble BarsIngredients:For the base:1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour2 tbsp. sugar1 tsp. salt1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the filling:4 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored and coarsely diced5 tbsp. sugar¼ tsp. cinnamon2 tsp. cornstarch2 tbsp. lemon juice¼ cup fruit jam (I used peach)

For the topping:½ cup all-purpose flour3 tbsp. sugar4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Directions:To prepare the filling, in a large skillet combine the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until apples are tender but still firm. In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and lemon juice. Add to the apple mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8×8” baking dish with foil, leaving overhang on both sides for easy removal later. Grease foil.

To make the base, in a medium bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Mix well. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, two forks or your hands, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven. Spread the fruit jam evenly on the base while it is still hot. Top with the cooked apple mixture.

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients for the topping. Mix well until combined and crumbly. Sprinkle over the apple layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Using the foil, lift out of pan. Cut into squares and serve. (If desired, refrigerate before cutting to firm up a bit for easier slicing.)

another day, another incomplete project

I did not get the fall decorations put out yet.  Mr. G.  Got everything down from the attic for me this morning.  But, by the time he got the stuff down, I was in the process of cleaning and doing laundry.  Then, we had plans to have lunch with Mr. G's parents which I had to leave early from to go to a staff meeting at work.  So, the current plan is to get some stuff out of the boxes tomorrow afternoon and start "falling" the house up then.  Easier to do anyway when the house is clean and the kiddos are at school.
 
On a separate note, Mr. G and his dad have poured the concrete outline of the greenhouse and got the posts put up.  They are planning ot start framing it out this week.  I think it will go really fast once they get started.  And, I am finally getting a screen door on the back door!  I am very excited about this.  Once the days start staying below 80, I love having the windows open.  But, I have been wanting to open the back door too but didn't want to have every bug in Texas in my house.  :) 

And it is October!!! Yay!! time for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, cool weather, comfort food.  All of these are really good things. 

It is day 5, or is it 6, of no sugar.  It is definitely getting easier.  However, I was really, really wanting some chocolate earlier.  But, since I didn't have any in the house, it was easy to not eat any.  LoL.  However, I am planning on making this....



Dulce de Leche Banana Cake

I have some bananas I have to get used and the ladies at work have been asking for some baked goodies.  Plus, for some reason this is just really calling to me.
I'll let you know how it goes.