For our Big Tex Jim ...

Dearest Jim,

You've missed a lot these last two weeks. We thought you might like to see what we've been up to since you've been gone...

We've eaten our eggs...



And a heathy dinner of mud-pie hotdogs...



We went to Sand Gnats Day Camp ...



Where we got very hot and sweaty...



Thank goodness Mommy knows how to make icy cold drinks ...



And something tasty to eat...



We started 2nd Grade with a BANG...



And we got excited about our first day of 4 Year Old Preschool...



And Mommy had to hold back the tears, because we were just too excited...



We completed our first preschool assignment - "Decorate Your House..."





And we've been BIG HELPERS to Mom...



We got our football gear and now we're ready...



All in all, I think we've been pretty brave...



And we've tried to walk the line - just like you do...



But sometimes we've needed some help along the way...



Other times we were just worn out ...



And played guitar to ease the pain of missing you...



So now we sit patiently and wait...



And we stare longingly out the window, waiting for you to come home...



We miss you Dad! Come home soon!
Love, Candace, Owen & Miles

Skinny Frozen Hot Chocolate...

As I look around my kitchen, countertops covered in array of ingredients for the second time today, I've decided that perhaps I do like to cook/bake/mix/make more than the average Jane.

Here is the Friday afternoon treat of the week:



Skinny Frozen Hot Chocolate

1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups ice cubes
Toppings: Reduced Fat Reddi Whip, dark chocolate shavings, cinnamon shaker, etc.

1. Combine chocolate syrup, evaporated milk, vanilla and ice in a blender until smooth.

2. Pour into cups, top with Reddi Whip and sprinkle with cinnamon or chocolate curls.

Options: For mexican flare, add in 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to the mixture before blending. For mint version, substitute mint flavoring in lieu of vanilla.

Blue Bell Moo-llenium Crunch Ice Cream vs. Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk

The Challenger ...


The Favorite...


Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk is my all-time favorite. In the days before the boys were born, Jim and I would pile on the couch with two teeny spoons and proceed to try to share the pint. I gave Jim all of the white chocolate chunks - ick - and he gave me extra bites of dark chocolate chunks. The boys were born and all of that cutesie "share some Ben & Jerry's" was over. (Monsters like mine would inhale that perfect pint in 30 seconds!) Flash forward to now - I just discovered Blue Bell's Moo-llenium Crunch Ice Cream! It is a half-gallon - so plenty to share with your orangutan and your kids too! Win win!

Turns out that Moo-llenium Crunch will save you a bucketload of calories and fat too! This just gets better and better!

Here is how they stack up:

Moo-llenium Crunch - 1/2 cup serving size
Calories: 190
Fat: 11g
Carbs: 19g
Protein: 4g

New York Super Fudge Chunk - 1/2 cup serving size
Calories: 300
Fat: 20g
Carbs: 29g
Protein: 4g

On the menu board for Friday...

Banana Crunch Muffins - my mom's favorite!



This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe. The Barefoot Contessa is Ina Garten - I have ALL of her cookbooks. You can watch her on Food Network everyday at 1:30pm EST. She reminds me of Marsha-Marsha-Marsha (my aunt) - they favor. Unlike Ina, Marsha does not have cute (mostly gay) men coming in and out of her kitchen like a revolving door on 5th Avenue.

This is Ina.



These are the Banana Crunch Muffins I will bake tomorrow.




This is Ina's friend "T.R." (So now you want to watch the show, right?)



All of the above are very GOOD THINGS. Enjoy!

One more year!

We are Packer fans... mostly. Our "G" is not for Georgia (UGA, Dawgs, blah blah)

Ours is for the PACK, as in Green Bay, as in FROZEN TUNDRA...



Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaambeau Field!



We do, however, watch Brett Favre ...



No matter what jersey he is wearing...



Around this time of year, he wears a crown with his jersey (some of you might call him a drama queen...) Nevertheless, he will play - and we will be watching.

Some of you girls might be standing around the kitchen, but I will be on the edge of my seat ... and sometimes next to the tv screen - fists balled, holding my breath, hoping and praying that he will not throw an interception. There is only one Brett Favre - only one #4. All hail THE QUEEN!



P.S. This is Aaron Rodgers - our current quarterback - and he is awesome... he's just not Brett.

Potato Croquettes...

The eyes of 5 Yukon Gold potatoes were staring at me in the kitchen yesterday. With my mom and Aunt Marsha-Marsha-Marsha sitting in the kitchen, I decided to make a little afternoon snack (which turned into dinner because it took a bit longer that I expected because someeone had to make the mashed potatoes homemade ... hmmm, wonder who that was?)





In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups mashed potatoes and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, season with salt & pepper, mix in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and several tablespoons bacon crumbles.



In shallow bowl, place 1 cup all-purpose flour. In another shallow bowl, whisk 2 large eggs with 2 tablespoons water. In third shallow bowl, place 1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs.



Form potato mixture into 3/4 inch by 2 inch logs.

Roll in flour, shaking off excess.



Dip in egg wash.

(There really isn't a way to make egg wash look pretty.)

Roll in bread crumbs to coat.



In a heavy dutch oven or chicken fryer, heat 1 1/2 inches canola oil over medium high until hot. In batches, fry croquettes until golden on all sides, about 2 minutes total per batch, turning as needed.



Drain on paper towels.

Makes lots - you will be at the stove for awhile - prepare to get HOT!

1st Day of Second Grade...

I noticed he was getting taller the other day and he was definitely heavier. He knows more about baseball and football than I do now. Sometimes he is bothered that he has to give me a kiss before he gets out of the car. He is all boy and he has started 2nd grade.



God bless the mamas who have given their whole heart to a child. May we not notice the gradual pulling away as they grow up under our noses.

Owen's 2nd Grade Meet-the-Teacher Night

Thanks to sweet friend Jennifer who took this pic of us!

Hunter Original Fuschia! Wellingtons - DC Cupcakes' Style

On DC Cupcakes, along with the cute fuschia aprons and black shirts/pants, Katherine and Sophie sport fuschia wellie boots. Last week I spent a great deal of time trying to find the boots on the internet - googling in 1000 different ways "pink boots worn on DC Cupcakes" - you get the idea. Nothing! I got nothing! (And what does that "Feeling Lucky" button do anyway?!) I should have trusted my instincts... of course they are HUNTER WELLINGTON BOOTS! I should have known! I have been pining over some since I saw Brian Murphy's wife, Michelle, sporting some in their Christmas 2009 family photocard. Hers were the original hunter green. So, here they are - Hunter Wellington Boots - DC Cupcakes' Style!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book is next on my list. Mrs. Lynn says this book is the can't put it down kind - which makes it a must-read. Will report back soon! By the way, you can find it at Sam's Club, which I coincidentally have to go to today!

FOUND! ... "Write Start" Colored Pencils by Crayola

On our list of must-haves for 2nd grade - Crayola "Write Start" Colored Pencils - Pack of 8. Places where you will not find them - Target at The Savannah Mall, Target in Bluffton, Walmart on Hwy. 17, Walmart in Rincon, Walmart in Pooler. In fact, the only place we have found them is at Teach Right in Rincon (thanks to Jennifer B - you saved the day!) They are $4.49, but at this point, who cares?!!!

Salt Dough - Memories of Jenny Bryant

My parents worked full time. In the afternoons during the school year and in the summers, I would stay with my mom's highschool friend, Jenny Bryant, and her family - Owen, Stacey, and husband John (their youngest son, Spencer came later.) Many, many wonderful memories came from the time I spent at her house. To me, theirs was a wholesome, happy and traditional family - the way family is supposed to be. The wife stayed home and raised her children, doing crafts and making grilled cheese sandwiches and lemonade. The husband came home after work and built things and helped play with the children. I was so lucky to have been a part of that.

When Jim and I started our own family and I was pregnant, I decided that if I had a boy, I would name him Owen. The name Owen reminded me of the happiness I felt when I was with the Bryant family and I wanted that so much for my own little family. I can remember many afternoons walking to their house from school on Touissant Drive with the "original Owen." We spent many summers playing and laughing and a little bickering here and there. We walked to the park to make crafts at the "Art in the Park" program. We jumped on the trampoline, played in the sandbox, and watched The Wizard of Oz (after Mr. Rogers was over) so many times we probably knew the words by heart. We all would squeeze onto the swing and she would sing a song to us that I sing now to my children "Swing, swing to and fro. Up and down and high and low. Babies east and babies west. Mama's baby is the best." We had lots of snacks like peanut butter/Ritz cracker sandwiches, Kool-aid popsicles, peanut butter balls and Pudding Pops that hold happy memories. One of my favorite crafts was a homemade play dough that Jenny made that we formed into creations (I remember making a peach once!) It was made from flour, salt and water - and then we painted them. This Salt Dough recipe is similar to the one we used to make:

Here is what you need:

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups hot water
Cookie Cutters
Decorations:Paint/Glitter/Beads, etc.

Knead dough (this is how Miles kneads dough) - use your own favorite method!



Roll it out to cut out shapes with cookie cutters.




You can also mold it into figurines or shapes instead of cutting with cookie cutters.



Place on microwaveable plate and microwave for 2 minutes on high.



Sometimes you have to microwave for longer until the middle isn't wet and gooey.



Paint and decorate.