Friday Pictures - Better late than never...

I have off every other Friday. I normally spend those Fridays doing schoolwork (or maybe a little scrapbooking...) or doing the classroom observations I am required to do for my Master's Degree. It actually works out quite well; I don't have to take time off work, and I get school work done.

This Friday, though, we decided to make it a family day and keep the kids home and Ray stayed home from work. Which is kind of funny to say since he works from home sometimes, but you get what I mean. It was nice, especially since the girls have been fighting off a cold all week and at least this way they could get some rest. Or we thought they would. They are still getting up BEFORE 6:00am no matter what time they go to bed at night.

As for pictures, sorry these are kind of old. My laptop has reached max capacity and we are in search of an external drive to put all my pictures on. It stresses me out to no end to have some pictures saved on Ray's laptop...I have them very organized on my laptop, and he isn't following my pattern. We are hoping to get a good deal on one on Black Friday.

So pictures...this first one is finally one from Halloween...

And these next few pictures are from the Dan Zanes concert we saw in MGM our last day at Disney. As I said before, great concert, great music, just great all around. I hope they do this again next year.

This is Audrey not dancing with all the kids...she was all about getting up with them, but once she did, she just stood there, like in a trance looking at all that was going on.

This guy came out and tap danced and was amazing.

I promise to maybe have some more relevant photos next week...

God Bless America....

These videos were taken on Sunday while we were eating lunch at an abnormally early time due to the two of them being up since 4:30am and 6:00am...and what I love about the first video? That Ashley's school sees it important that the kids know their Pledge of Allegiance...(just ignore the mess in the background and yes, Ashley really really likes to play dress up)


Untitled from Amy W on Vimeo.

And well, this video? Audrey is T-I-R-E-D...


Audrey Laughing from Amy W on Vimeo.

Winter Bazaar - Handprint Pumpkin Pie

I promise next week this won't be a food blog as I know this is the third recipe posted this week. But as some of you may not know, I love to cook. And recently, I am getting into baking.

And more recently, I like pumpkin pie. I have never eaten pumpkin before this year, and I had some pumpkin bars a couple of weeks ago at the dinner prep place I go to every once in a while, and now I am hooked.

I also like recipes that I can involve the kids. Ashley is always asking to help in the kitchen. I think it's great to get her involved. That's less work I have to do...
Handprint Pumpkin Pie
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 15-oz. pkg. refrigerated piecrust
1 16-oz. can packed pumpkin
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. apple pie spice (or pumpkin pie spice works well too)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)(so not optional in my house, everything must have chocolate in it)

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees, then begin making the turkey handprint for the pie. Trace your child's handprint on a piece of lightweight cardboard, then cut it out to create a stencil. Place the stencil over one of the circles of pie dough and cut around it, adding turkey feet to the bottom of the hand.

2. Place the cutout on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush with water and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

3. Next, place the remaining circle of pie dough in a 9-inch glass pie pan. Press the crust firmly against the sides and bottom of the pan. Crimp the edges.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and apple pie spice. Mix until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, if desired.

5. Pour the mixture into the piecrust and bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean (except for melted chocolate).

6. Place the baked turkey cutout in the center of the pie and allow the pie to cool before serving. Makes one 9-inch pie.

Go check out the other great ideas....

This isn't the post I intended for today....

Ever since vacation, Audrey has been having a rough time. Bedtime isn't going as smoothly as it was before, and Ray said the dropoffs at school have been going bad as well.

And that continued for me this week. With Ray gone, I have been obviously doing the dropoffs, and this morning, I pretty much had to drag Audrey to her room. She normally goes into her old room to say hi to her old teacher, but that teacher wasn't there this morning. So I take her crying into her room. Luckily, her teachers are great and take her from me and by the time I leave and wait about 30 seconds, she has stopped crying. But still. I feel like mother of the year. That and there were two other mothers in Audrey's room sitting on the floor with their kids, while Audrey's teacher came and took Audrey. I felt like I should have stayed, but honestly, that just would have made it worse. And maybe those mothers staying is the routine they have every morning, I don't know.

And prior to that, I had to drag Ashley out of the van. She wanted to get out on Audrey's side, but that would have required her to step over some stuff, and I had already shut Audrey's door. She didn't want to get out on her side as the parking space next to us was empty and a car could pull in any second. The mind of a four year old....

So after dropping the girls off, I get on the road. My tire is making a weird ticking noise (you see where this is going, don't you...), but I checked it, and it seemed fine. I stop and get Starbucks (I am already late for work, why not be more late) and then get on the highway. As soon as I get up to 65 mph, my tire makes a funny noise and bam, it's flat. On the beltline with three lanes of traffic. I make it over to the left side of the highway and pull off.

And then I become a wuss - I cry. Pathetic, I know. But I had no idea what to do. Ray is miles away, and everyone else is at work. We don't have AAA or anything like that. I call Ray who is still in Phoenix. He tells me to call *47 for Highway Patrol. I call them and tell them my location (I had no idea if I was going east or west, I think the guy thought I was a complete idiot) and as soon as I get off the phone, a state trooper pulls over with me. He makes sure I am okay and tells me an IMAPP truck (motor assistance) was on the way and to stay in my car.

And the truck showed up 5 minutes later. I love living here. People are so nice. The guy helps me out (although he didn't believe me at first on where my spare was...) and I was on my way. I am driving on a donut, but at least Ray is coming home hopefully tonight (he is flying standby today, otherwise he is taking the red eye tonight and will get home in the morning as planned).

Fun Monday, Winners, and well, my back hurts...

I have joined the ranks of Fun Monday (check out the participants here...) as it was holiday themed this time and I LOVE the holidays. I even love the going crazy shopping/baking/stressing/cleaning of the holidays. I am crazy, I know.

Normally on Christmas Day I make just a bunch of appetizer stuff, and we just snack all day. I heart appetizers. Dips, things baked in crescent rolls, little sandwiches, quiches, you name it. But I always make this as well as it is a favorite, and the recipe has been passed around my family. And sorry for the recipes two days in a row...guess I am just hungry.

All Day Macaroni and Cheese, courtesy of Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces elbow macaroni
4 cups shredded sharp
Cheddar cheese
1 (12 fluid ounce) can
evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot, cook the macaroni in boiling water 10 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cooked macaroni, 3 cups of the sharp Cheddar cheese, evaporated milk, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a slow cooker that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese.
3. Cover, and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours, or until the mixture is firm and golden around the edges. Do not remove the cover or stir the mixture until the mixture has finished cooking. Serve warm.

And now for the winners of my contests:
The BOB Giveaway - Frannie
The Circle of Friends Giveaway - Live and In Color

Congrats Girls...I will email both of you.

And my back? No idea, just hurts. I think having duty of me being the sole lifter of the children all weekend since Ray is out of town, I just hurt it. And thinking back, I lifted both of them a lot at the birthday party on Saturday at the gymnastics place...and now I have to sit at a desk all day. What fun.

Sunday's Best

With the holidays coming, I thought everyone could use a cookie recipe. That and I am just really craving baked goods....that time of month.

Baker's Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 squares Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks, GOOD GOD) butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Additional sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on high 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until the chocolate is melted (the chocolate won't be melted when you take the bowl out of the microwave, but as soon as you stir it, it melts).
3. Stir 1 cup suger into chocolate mixture until well blended. Mix in egg and vanilla until blended. Stir this into flour mixture until well blended. Refrigerate dough about 15 minutes or until easy to handle.
4. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in additional sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. If you want flatter cookies, flatten with bottom of a glass before baking.

Recipe courtesy of my Best Loved Cookies cookbook...

Time Change

This is your public service announcement...change your clocks tonight!

Which I hate. Seriously. I have kids that get up between 6:00am and 7:00am....so what does the fall time change mean? Means they get up at 5:00am. It takes about a week to adjust.

And this morning? Ashley got up at 5:00am. I let her climb in bed with me and she maybe went back to sleep for 20 minutes.

And of course Ray is in Phoenix until Wednesday. And I know I promised Halloween pics, but they are on Ray's laptop...in Phoenix (Ray, email me a few!).

But it's 8:20am right now, and Audrey has yet to get up. She's the sleeper in the family. Of course, I really need her up as we have a birthday party for Ashley to go to that is about a 45 minute drive away (an hour if I include the Starbucks stop I intend to make) and the party starts at 10:00am.

I foresee no shower for me this morning.

Friday Pictures - Disney World

Here are pictures from Disney (finally!). These are in no particular order, these are just the ones that caught my eye this morning as I was scanning the 500+ pictures we took that week.

Breakfast at Cinderella's Castle...Audrey was not thrilled, hence why I ended up in the picture too.
The coolest Mickey we encountered the whole time...he pretty much wouldn't let us go.
Audrey rode the carousel with Chip...or is it Dale?
Some love for Tigger.
I think I need to install one of these in my backyard....Audrey is done.

We always have dinner at Chef Mickey's the first night we are there. Ashley was feeling the love (and not eating her dinner, but somehow she had room for dessert...)
Donald and Audrey playing Peek-a-boo. And for all of those people who say they don't want to take their kids "until they can remember it", the characters paid so much attention to Audrey the whole time. Who cares if she doesn't remember it, she loved it when it was happening.
Our first night in Magic Kingdom, like the hats? I have no clue where they are now of course.
Audrey's first Disney ride.
The greatest place on earth...

Ya think they are tired??
Yes, this is a beach. We stay at the Beach Club. We were attempting to take pictures for a Christmas card...and then they heard the fireworks at EPCOT.
More beach time.
Hey, it's me! On the fateful day the Hokies lost in the final 2 minutes to BC...Ashley actually took this picture. Audrey loves giving hugs...

Halloween pictures tomorrow, I promise....