My baking streak continues.

When one of these strikes watch out!

The boys have been asking for cinnamon buns for a few weeks now and I was in the mood today to make them.

I found the one recipe that I have but it takes about two hours before you can even think of putting them in the oven to bake.

Yeah, I wanted to bake but not have it take up my whole day.

So… off I went in search of a good cinnamon bun recipe to try on Recipezaar.

I shared four with the boys and they decided on the one we tried today.

Now, my helpers bailed out one me.

You see they found a show about the best roller coasters that they just had to watch.

*sigh*

Anyway, the recipe from Recipezaar states salt in the fourth ingredient but there is no salt listed. I figured that it should be the baking soda that is added at this stage and so that is what I did.

I did not use the icing recipe that was provided but one that I had on hand from my mom.

The recipe was quite easy to make and the end results were outstanding!

Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls original recipe from Recipezaar.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe By :Cullinaryjudge
Serving Size : 12
Preparation Time :1:30
Categories : Breakfast

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 package active dry yeast(package)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons butter -- melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Mix sugar and water together.
2. Sprinkle with yeast.
3. Let stand 10-15 minutes or until dissolved.
4. Add flour, baking soda, sour cream, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons sugar.
5. Mix into a soft dough.
6. Roll out on floured surface, to within 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.
7. Brush dough with melted butter.
8. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over top the dough.
9. Roll up, jelly roll fashion, cut into 12 slices.
10. Place in greased 9x13 pan.
11. Let rise until doubled.
12. Bake 350 degrees until lightly browned
13. Ice while still hot.

Description: "A yummy breakfast treat!"
Source: "Recipezaar"
Yield: "12 "
Start to Finish Time: "2:00 hrs"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 212 Calories; 6g Fat (26.7% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 14mg Cholesterol; 60mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : A nice cold glass of milk!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cinnamon Bun Icing

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 15 Preparation Time :0:05
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 tablespoons whipping cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Pour over top the freshly made Grandma's Cinnamon Buns.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 73 Calories; 1g Fat (13.5% calories from fat); trace Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES :
** Can add a bit more cream to the mix if need to thin it out.

** Half & Half can be substituted for the whipping cream.

I had CocoaPink bookmarked for quite sometime, I think about a year. *blush*

I decided to take the plunge and purchase some products last month and I am one happy camper that I did!

The products are absolutely outstanding!!

I could smell some wonderful scents from my box when it arrived.

The packaging that my products were in totally blew me away.

The brown box was sealed with a ribbon sealed with a pink CP rubber sticker went way beyond what I had expected and made me feel special. (It really was that lovely.) The items were individually wrapped in pink tissue paper and placed in pink filler.

So what did I get?

It was not easy to decide on what to try but I did limit myself… to mostly trial sizes.

Fishy Poo Shampoo – 1 oz - Mermaid Dreams

Princess Poo (shampoo) – 4oz – Seaside Garden

Macho Poo (men’s shampoo) – 1oz – Snakepeel

I’m 29 – facial lotion – 1oz sampler

Meow Cleanser – 1 oz sampler – Soft Island Pear

Free Sample of Mystery Item-which was a sugar scrub

The shampoo is some of the best I have ever tired, really

it is that good. My stylist asked what I had been using because my color had not faded and my highlights were still brilliant. This was even with me swimming in chlorine just about daily! I would mix up my use of the shampoos depending on the situation.
I use very little shampoo product with some water and wow! instant bubbles. My hair has never felt so soft and healthy. The boys have enjoyed their sample of Macho Poo.

The I’m 29 facial lotion is so light, and totally worth the money. My face looks healthy,
clear, and radiant. I have had a problem of lotions breaking my skin out and this did not do that. *claps hands and jumps up and down* I have finally discovered a lotion that I can use. Plus, I only have to use a tiny drop! Can you say big bottle on the next order!

The meow cleanser is quite gentle and makes a wonderful skin cleanser.

I was so impressed with my order that I placed another. My order did not arrive in that lovely brown box *rats* but each product was wrapped in pink tissue paper. This time it was a reorder of the meow, a trial of the Never Ask A Lady, large bottle of Fishy Poo and another Princess Poo.

I have tried the Never Ask A Lady and again, I am impressed. Sinks right into my skin, no breakouts and my skin just feels so nice. Another big hit with me!!

Princess Poo was in Voodo Berry – kinda a raspberry fragrance and just as great as my first bottle. I now have two to select from depending on my mood. :)

Shipping does take a tiny bit of time with this company but do not let that deter you from ordering. The products well make up for that wait. This is coming from someone who has an issue with waiting for orders to arrive.

I will be placing a third order and it will include a large size bottle of I’m 29. I am out and must have more, trust me this product is really worth it! I have not tried her soaps so perhaps that will find a way into my cart and I would really like to try her Monoi de Tahiti Body Lotion. Monoi oil is absolutely wonderful and your skin will enjoy the treat.

CocoaPink is now one of my favorite sites and I think you will really like them too!

**Heads Up - Update to this Post**

I did break out my trial mystery sugar scrub and I am not disappointed.
It is a foaming emulsified scrub that left my skin so smooth and soft.
The fragrance was a great lime that was quite refreshing.
(I looked up my number that was on my trial size to find out what it was.)

I stumbled across the Aero Milk Chocolate bar in a specialty store and um, I have a new favorite chocolate bar.

These bars have a light chocolate bubble center that is not very sweet but oh so fun to eat. The bubble middle is covered by just the right amount of milk chocolate. The chocolate is not super sweet (which I like) and that bubble inside is just so, um, well.. light and fun.

When I went back for another bar I was heartbroken to find they were all sold out. *sniffle*

What I did find was an Aero Mint bar.

Mint & I = a love hate combination.

I enjoyed the mint M&M’s earlier this year but overall I avoid mint at all cost.

However, I did purchase the mint Aero bar but it took me about two weeks before I even tried it.

When I finally did eat it, I was really quite pleased.

Perhaps mint and I do have a chance together. *shrugs shoulders*

The mint was not overpowering in the bar, really it was just the right amount.

I really enjoyed the mint candy bar.

I still prefer the milk chocolate version but in a pinch I would eat the mint bar again.

You can find Aero bars at Whole Foods Market, World Market or any European specialty shop if you have one in your area.

If you get the chance to try one, please let me know what you think.

I love muffins of any shape and size.

I decided to take out my recipe box and see what I could find to whip up tonight.

These were the lucky winners.

They are not a muffin that has an overwhelming lemon flavor.

I opted to use the new Smart Balance Blend stick to cut back on the fat and calories.

The end result for *my taste* was a bit drier compared to using butter. I think I will stick to the butter tyvm. *smile*

The calories listed below are with butter.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Serving Size: 12

Categories: Breakfast

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1/2 cup butter -- melted

1 cup milk, skim

1 large egg

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. Mix the first four ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Then stir in the remaining four ingredients.
3. Grease muffin tins.
4. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes
5. Brush when done with a mixture of 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Yield: "12 muffins"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- **Calories do not include the icing. **

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 183 Calories; 9g Fat (42.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 39mg Cholesterol; 217mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : ** Can use lemon extract for the lemon peel. I added in 2 tablespoons.

Wow…

We finally went to see Iron Man today.

It was such a great movie!

Robert Downey Jr is one of my favorite actors and his performance was outstanding.

Gwyneth Paltrow was great as the assistant – “Pepper”.

Never once during the movie did I look at my watch to check the time nor did I squirm in my chair because I was a bit bored.

Nope, my full attention was on the movie and I actually did not want it to end.

I was happy to have found out that there will be two more Iran Man movies made!!

So why did we wait so long…

We have a great local movie theater where the seats are $2.00, yeah you read that correctly only $2.00.

They also offer a combo pack – 2 tickets, 2 large drinks and 1 large popcorn for $11.50!

So for the family to see a movie it is $23 and change. (That's if we all want the popcorn.)

Granted we have to wait about three weeks to see the blockbuster movies but it is a very small trade off.

If you have been with me for some time you will know that I love to make soap.

I have stated that I wish I had a way for you to be able to smell the fragrances and use the soap.

I have way too many bars here that are beginning to take over my laundry room.

Which means some bars need to have a new home.

What does that mean to you my lovely blog reader?

You can have a few bars for your very own!!

Uh-huh, you read that right.

You will be able to try out some wonderful handmade soap. (there is nothing better)

So what is the catch?!

You need to post a comment on my blog.

Really, it is that simple. (Just please make sure it is relevant to the post.)

How Long?

The posting date starts today (June 27^th) and will end midnight on July 11^th.

I will write your name down and you will be placed into my soap pot.

How will I select a winner?

One of the boys will pull the winning name out of the pot on July 12th.

I will announce the winner with a picture.

(The boys need something to do this summer!)

Oh, right, shipping.. don’t worry about it.

I will cover the cost of shipping to you!

Yup, totally free shipping!

What you will receive:

Ginger Lime – includes melt and pour cubes

Sea Mist – has jojoba spheres, great kitchen bar soap

Coffee– made with real coffee

Lady Apple – very soft fragrance

All the soaps contain wonderful shea butter and cocoa butter.

The soaps will arrive to you wrapped and will contain an ingredient list.

Good Luck!!

As a child my family always went camping down to the Indian River Camp Ground in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. (At that time we lived outside of Syracuse, NY.)

One special treat we pick up the day before we left was Salt Water Taffy. *yummy*

I remember my brother and I would sit in back of the station wagon and eat only the pieces we liked. (sounds familiar, right?)

As we got older, my dad became a bit wiser and allowed us to pick out our flavors instead of buying a premade box. *thumbs up*

My mother always seemed to do some damage with her teeth when she ate the taffy.
*puzzled*

Last Friday after our long walk, we treated ourselves to some ice cream. (This is what also inspired us to buy our own ice cream maker.)

While waiting for our ice cream, I noticed a cardboard boat filled with bags of wonderful salt water taffy.

Heartfelt memories filled my head of summer fun, the beach and that wonderful candy.

Spencer saw me looking at the taffy, asked what it was and stated he had never had any.

Gasp!

How could I have not shared this summer fun with the boys after all these years?

That was going to change.

Dh purchased two bags and on our way home we broke into the candy.

First up, peach and it was just as good as I remembered.

Then I had to try the juicy pear..mmmm..

The boys both stated how it was a bit sticky but GOOD!

It is a hit with both kiddos. (I mean really, how could it not be?)

Dh ate one piece then asked for a licorice flavored one.

As he was chewing, he looks at me as said, “Ut-Oh!”

*gulp*

Yup, he broke his tooth.

Looks like all my memories were renewed with salt water taffy. lol..

Yep, that is what I sort of did all day today.

I did still do five loads of laundry, made all meals, cleaned our bathroom, put the dishes away and exercised. (I know.. I am still on my exercise kick..go figure.)

There is this list of stuff that needs to get done but honestly, today I had no ambition to get anything done.

What did I do?

Um… ah…well… surf the net.

I have to say it was a nice deserved change of pace.

If you don’t mind, I am going to get a few more minutes in before I call it a day.

It has only taken me three months to fix my favorite silver initial bracelet. *rolls eyes*

I kept looking at it on my dresser just never really had the umph to get the job done.

I finally decided to tackle that job today, with what little (and I mean little) umph I had.

I pulled down my jewelry tools and grabbed the bracelet.

Once I had all the items in place and ready to go, it took me all of six minutes to put it all together.

I added a silver hope tag & Aquamarine and am quite pleased with how it looks now. *grin*

It is back on my wrist and I am a happy camper.

Yesterday was all about ice cream here on my blog.

mmm…ice cream.

Well, I stumbled upon this fun little quiz about various frozen treats.

Think about all those various fun ice cream treats from your childhood.

( If you are like me, you might even still eat them.)

I will give you a few minutes to think.

I thought I knew my stuff but apparently I was wrong and this quiz left me chilled.

My score was 14/20. *hangs head low*

>>ICE CREAM TREAT QUIZ<<

I thought I would post an update on my soy strawberry candle.

It is one fantastic candle!

The candle burns perfectly across, no soot and has a wonderful realistic scent.

The fragrance fills our whole kitchen and slowly enters into our family room.

Run over to Front Porch Candle Co. and give them a try.

Really, you will not be disappointed in their soy candles!

*If you are interested this is my first review of this Front Porch Candle Co. and their soy tarts.

It took me a little bit of time to get going today but eventually I did get stuff done.

I decided to use the chocolate ice cream recipe that came with the ice cream maker.

I had to cook a portion of it then let it chill until it was good and cold.

So, I whipped it up and then chilled it.

While chilling, it was the perfect day to take the boys to the pool.

No second thoughts, we were off for some water fun! *woo-hoo*

Two hours later and the mix good and chilled, it was time to make some chocolate ice cream. *oh yeah!*

I poured the mix in, watched it spin, and spin, and spin.

I know.. the old saying popped in my head – A watched pot never boils.

Sigh, with my head dropped, I left the kitchen and left the little machine to do its thing.

First check in was at 10 minutes, nope nothing.

Second check was at 15 minutes, *rats* still nothing.

Third check was at 25 minutes, whoa! we have nice thick ice cream.

Turn off machine, take off lid, pull out paddle, insert spoon (I just need a tiny taste), and instantly fall in love with the new creation.

Mmm.. so creamy, full of chocolate flavor, not sweet, and absolutely out of this world.

The ice cream maker is my new friend. *swoon*

This piece of almond biscotti was just calling to be dunked into the ice cream.

mmm..itwasawonderfulcombination... you did not see it here though.

After our L-O-N-G and interesting walk last Friday we decided to treat ourselves.

I have been looking into an ice cream maker for some time, and I thought it was a great day to treat ourselves.

We used our coupon from Bed, Bath & Beyond for 20% off any purchase, so it was a bit easier on the budget. *wink*

The hard decision was what flavor to make first.

Trust me we have on who eats only vanilla and one who will only eat chocolate but will try vanilla from time to time. *rolls eyes*

Finally, I made the ultimate decision and it was going to be vanilla.

Dh made the first batch, he could not wait to get started.

I just sat back, well stood really, and snapped the pictures.

You can say that it was a big hit with the kiddos.

Today, we are whipping up some chocolate ice cream.

Can’t have one left out now can we?

mmmm… peach cobbler in the summer.

Oh, it does not get much better than that!

Peaches are slowly coming into season here, what a treat!

I simply had to make this one killer cobbler this past weekend.

Now, dh is a huge cobbler fan and I could never seem to create one that just fit the bill for him.

Until I found Paula Dean’s Peach Cobbler recipe last year, now I can make a cobbler.

This one is soooo ohmygoshgood; you will not be disappointed one tiny bit.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler

Recipe By : Paula Deen

Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:15

Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

4 cups peach -- peeled and sliced

2 cups sugar -- divided

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 cups milk, skim

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. 
   
4. Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.
5. Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes

Time (cook time):
30 – 45 mintues

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 430 Calories; 12g Fat (24.2% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 79g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 32mg Cholesterol; 439mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat; 3 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

** Food Network - Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler

Trying to save money and would like two free tacos?

Jack in the Box will come to your rescue this week.

This Thursday, present a valid recent gas receipt at any Jack in the Box and you will receive two tacos free.

Yes, it is really that simple.

So, I know what you will be eating for lunch on Thursday. *smile*

The Fine Print:

• Limit of one order of tacos per guest.
• No purchase necessary.
• Duplicates or copies will not be accepted

Read more about Jack in the Box freebie.

I started this blog to write about what happens in my life be it good or bad.

Today is a bit of a serious post in way.

Life…

When you think things are going well, feeling good

You get thrown a curve ball.

One that makes you realize you are not as young as you think and face facts that you have thought about but not all too deeply.

Until now…

You have no choice to but to face them, deal with them and the outcomes.

*sigh*

Yup, today was one of those days for me.

Facing facts, coming to a decision, and knowing it is for the best in the long run.

Still hurts but ….

looks like surgery is on the horizon for me….

Right, so Friday I wanted to get out and look at some waterfalls.

The weather was quite lovely. Not too hot, sun was shining and there was a slight breeze.

What could be better?

I printed out information on four waterfalls that seemed to be close to each other or within a short drive.

We made some sandwiches, tossed in a few chips, veggies and watermelon.

Time to hit the road!

We took the back roads to the one major state road, where we could hook up with the next road to take us to the waterfalls.

We drove about forty minutes and we were wondering where our next road would be come up.

Hmm…. I kept looking at the print outs (notice, I did not say map-did not think of that) with the directions.

Well, we see one road that will take us to two different ones that we were going try to hit later in the day. Ok, no big deal, we will just go a different way.

We drive through the town and head up the mountain.

We pass the Issaqueena Falls, we were thinking about stopping there for lunch but there was no way that was going to happen.

A picture I snapped two years ago of the Issaqueena Falls.

Thank you, Mr. DHL truck for tailgating us. *Not!*

As it turns out, there is a ranger station about 3 minutes above the Issaqueena Falls, so we pulled in there to find out exactly where we were going.

It turned out that we zipped past the road we were to turn down w-a-y back there for the first set of falls we could not find.

The next set we were going to try to get to, well, they were another good twenty minutes away. With everyone getting really hungry, that was not going to happen.

Checking out the map, we found that there was another set of falls across the road from the Issaquena. Sweet!

We never knew and it stated easy walk. We have a new plan!

Pile back into the car, head back down the road, turn into Yellow Park and turn off the car. Find cooler, remove lunch and eat it buy the side of a cute stream.

Ahh… now this is more like it.

Check out the size of this dragon fly!

Lunch was over about fifteen minutes later, we put all the stuff away and walk up to the sign to check out what is ahead of us.

Ok.. so we notice that the walk states 1.5 miles, easy walk.. hum.. it is not too hot (yet) but it is sunny.

Heck, we can do it.

Notice on the right side that it points out we might see some various wild like, not a big deal.

Well, all except for the mentioning of black snakes. *shudder*

Snakes rank up there with spiders for me. Eeek!

We have our water bottles, cameras and we are off!

Not so bad as we head into the woods, we walk along a lovely stream and have to cross over a few cute little stone paths.

As we head deeper in, we begin walking over fallen trees, under fallen trees, watching out for roots, avoiding the poison ivy that is all over and making sure we follow the right path.

Crossed the first bridge and walked on. We noticed some really funny looking mushrooms that were growing all over. Spencer kept saying that they looked like snowmen. Nate was the trailblazer (going full speed ahead) until he ran into a few too many spider webs. Then it was up to me to take over and lead the way.

So, we crossed the next bridge, walked up a slight incline, shimmed (Nate’s words) around the edge of a steep drop off which also included stepping over a huge stump – remember this is an easy trial.

Honestly, I don’t think I want to know what a difficult trail looks like.

Then we hear this sound.

It sounds like a deep growl; I can say it scared me to pieces.

Spencer yelled, “ bear!”

Nate, “uh, what was that?”

Me, “Ok, I’m ready to head back.”

Dh, “Ah, that is just some construction work.”

Wha?!

Then we hear it again, that is it, we are high tailing it back towards the car.

We had gone so far, almost there in fact but nope 3 vs. 1, we are so out of there.

Nate and I are practically speed walking, while Spencer and dh were pulling up the rear.

The weather is now hot and humid, and we are all sweating like fools.

*phew*

We hear the sound one more time while walking back. Eep!

When we reach the last bridge, Nate stops dead in his tracks.

I could not figure out what was up.

Remember in the beginning about the fact we might see a black snake on the trail.

Um, right, Nate had spotted one heading into the stream.

*shiver* a snake, a big long black snake…

I stop long enough to snap the picture then we both really pick up the pace because we know we are almost out of the woods. >insert silent cheer<

Then, we see the sign where we started a short time ago.
The boys race to the sign where they pass a young couple heading in.

Best of luck to them, we are so outta there.

Reach the car; turn it on with the AC on full blast, relief!

We are drenched, and then I notice that the thermostat in my car states 91 degrees.

What in the world was I thinking?!

**I did do a search for the falls later that night and this is what I found:

"A moderately difficult out-and-back trail leads you to the base of a spectacular 50-foot vertical cascade. After a short hike on the Yellow Branch Nature Trail, you will come to the junction with the Yellow Branch Falls Trail. You will pass through groves of dignified hardwoods and cross meandering creek bottoms before turning to circumnavigate the steep terrain."

Taken from here.

So much for easy.

I will be creating a new flickr badge with more pictures from the day .

I am working on the post about our long hike, I have not forgotten but I did take some pictures of some of the lakes here.

One thing that is really making news here is how bad our drought is.

We snapped a few pictures of the lakes yesterday; you can really see how low they are.

The meteorologists were calling for rain all day today, and everyone was holding out hope for some.

The sky would darken up, look really threatening and then blow over us.

*sigh*

Nope, another day with no rain and I wonder if we will ever any here.

There was rain south and east of us but nothing here.

Maybe we might have stray thunderstorm this coming week.

We can only hope!

I am giving you a quiz on tea to keep you busy until tomorrow.

Today, we ended up on a LONG walk in 90 degree heat in search of a waterfall.

Not what was planned but well, that is what happened.

We never found the waterfall and now I have a migraine. *ugh*

Be good, no cheating and I will share all tomorrow.

Off to grab an Imitrex and get some sleep.

My score: 13/15

Night…

Really, I was hoping that today would be quite.

HA!

DH was working from home and he finished up early, so we were able to head to the pool in the afternoon not at night.

We all loaded up into his car, headed out the drive way, up our road; so far all is going well.

Then dh leans over and said, “There is a wasp on the trunk window.”

Oh please, don’t let him see it or have overheard the news.

Too late.

From the back of the car we hear, “What did you say? A wasp? Where?”

>insert scream and total panic from totally freaked out child<

Rolled my eyes and told dh to please pull over to the side of the road.

Total meltdown now almost 100%.

Nate was telling him to chill and just relax.

Nope, not working.

We pop the trunk; dh goes and lifts the trunk up, looks around and asks, “Do you guys see it? I don’t see it.”
Oh boy…

Then Nate spoke the best words we had heard all day.

They were: “Wee, there it goes. We are all clear, let’s go to the pool!”

Crisis averted.

Child returns to normal,

Family heads to pool and has a good time.

I don’t think I want to know what will happen next.

Anyone have an aspirin?

Today, Spencer and I went to town to do some errands.

All was fine; we laughed, shopped and simply had a good time.

We were just about home and uh-huh, you guessed it he yelled at me.

This time the words were, “Oh my, Mom, there is this huge bug crawling above your head!!”

Ack!!

My mind begins to race as to what it could be.

A spider?

Oh, I really hate spiders.

A bee, some sort of odd bug?!

Ick, what is it?

My heart begins to race because I do not know what it is and he looks totally panicked.

He backed his body up to the window, so I knew he was not fooling around.

I began to look all around me and swerving a bit from side to side.

Then I finally saw what he noticed.

A Japanese Beetle.

We really do not have too many beetles here. This was the fist one I have seen in a long, long time.

I looked over at him, smiled and said, “It is beetle, a Japanese Beetle and can you please quit scaring me to pieces while driving.”

He smiled, looked at me and said, “ I think we should just stay home for the rest of the day, I'm worn out.”

I don’t think I had heard a better idea all day.

Spencer (my back seat driver) screamed those words to me while I was driving earlier today.

Talk about being scared out of your mind.

His word were, “Oh Mom, watch out for the turtle.”

As soon as he said," turtle", I had noticed the little creature slowly creeping out from the side of the road.

I swerved quickly to the left and then back to the right.

Now, I should not have been going a wee bit over the speed limit (you did not really read that part) because the poor van felt like I was putting it through a slalom test at high speed.

I felt bad for the oncoming traffic; they had no clue as to what was going on. Lol…

They just saw this woman, zig, zagging all over the place.

The boys were chuckling and my heart was pounding. Ugh!

What a scare, great way to make sure your heart is working.

The turtle was saved and the person behind me also swerved.

Upon our return home, I made sure to look and the turtle was nowhere in sight.

** The turtle above was one that made a home in our ivy a few years ago.

Just in…

If you like root beer floats, then today is your lucky day!

A&W Restaurants will be giving away free floats from 2 pm – 8 pm.

Grab your friends, take your family and go enjoy a cool summer treat.

I would like you to stop reading right now and look at your desk.

Did you take a really good look at it?

I sure hope that you did.

So what did you see?

Crumbs perhaps from cookies, cupcakes, chips, bread, maybe even a stain from a drink?

Or perhaps you have a can/mug/cup/glass sitting there right now that needs to be taken away.

We all have to do it from time to time… that is, clean your desk.

Kinda sounds like parents, “Remember to clean up that room of yours.”

I can hear your grumbles and mine… yeah, right, sure, I’ll get it done.

Now, this little retro vacuum (too cool) can give you a helping hand.

Simply plug it in a USB port, start to vacuum and you will have a clean desk in no time. *wink*

You can now have a sparkling clean desk whenever you would like.

Not sure how many calories it will burn but *I* feel it should count for something right?

If you are interested in one, simply click here.

I hope you are able to enjoy the day as you would like.


BTW- That cute little picture is Fudgie the Whale; it is a cake from Carvel Ice Cream.
Growing up in New Jersey (as a young child & later as a teen), I clearly recall founder Tom Carvel selling his ice cream cakes on TV.
One memorable cake is Fudgie the Whale and the slogan, “For a Whale of a Dad.”
I was able to find one of the commercials for you to watch.




Now how can you not remember that?!

Happy Father's Day!!

I think this must be a skill, some are able to master it and others have quite some difficulty.

Why in the world and I writing about twirling pasta?

Thank you very much for asking.

We opted to take dh to the Olive Garden for lunch as an early part of his Father’s Day gift.

Spencer had pizza (not a surprise), dh and I had a salad and Nate went for the Tour of Italy plate.

Now, he (Nate) is only 11 but trust me he can put away some mass quantity of food.
*We are in some serious trouble when he enters the teen years.*
Nate started off his meal with a soup (he ate nice portion of it - the child that does not normally eat soup), two bread sticks, and then his meal arrived.
He had upon his plate was a serving of Alfredo noodles, Chicken Parmigiana and Lasagna.

Holy Cow!

Now, he ate ¾ of his chicken, all of his pasta and a few bites of the lasagna.
Pasta, Nate adores pasta; he is currently on a big kick of Chinese noodles.

So, he is sitting across from just me eating away.
I have a flash back to when he was three and I tried to teach him how to twirl is pasta.
It was simply a disaster.
Flash forward to today and there he was slurping up the noodles.
Not twirling them, not even attempting to twirl.
Dh showed him how to twirl properly, but for some reason he just could not get the hang of it.
(At home he ends up cutting them *gasp* to eat.)
Noodles were flopping off his fork, too much on his fork, and a simply frustrated child.

When we came home, I spent some time just surfing the net as my down time.

That was when I stumbled upon the automatic spaghetti twirling fork and a light bulb went off for me.

Why not write about twirling pasta?

So, if you know of someone who would benefit from the automatic spaghetti twirling fork, you can purchase one here.

Currently, I am on a mission to find some new healthy fun snacks to eat.

Last weekend, we stopped at Whole Foods to find a specific muffin mix, when I stumbled upon these goodies.

I had a choice to make either Original or Caesar flavored, I opted for the plain. (I will say that it took me a few minutes to make up my mind.)

The bag was opened half way home, I was a bit hungry and honestly, curious about them.

The first thing I noticed is that the crisps are shaped like a real pea.

How cute is that?

Popped one in my mouth, I’m not sure what I was expecting but I was pleasantly pleased.

They are crunchy, with the right amount of salt and good flavor.

These little gems are made from peas, and baked. You will notice a bit of grease on them but they are not greasy. (Does that make any sense?!)

Serving size is 22 pieces but um.. honestly, it is more like two. You will find yourself reaching for one and then another and another. It is really hard to stop munching on them.

Want to read more about Snapea Crisps.

22 pieces/150 calories/8 total fat/ 2 fiber/ 5 protein/ 14 g carbs

What a fun coffee cup!

It resembles those that you receive when you purchase coffee from those
coffee houses that shall not be named. *wink*

The “I Am Not A Paper Cup” cup is perfect for those who take their coffee daily from home.
The cup is dishwasher safe, double walled porcelain, silicone top, and microwave safe.
This is a great way to save your money and be eco-friendly at the same time.

Purchase I Am Not a Paper Cup .

We have, I am sure, all played with some Lego at some point during our lifetime.

Not to mention perhaps stepping on a few pieces and said (or thought) a few choice words because they really do hurt. Then again, I could be wrong.

Now, I was never too creative when working with those blocks.

I could make a decent house with a roof but that was as far as my creativity went.

Mike Stimpson is a very clever man who has taken the use of Legos one step further.

His work is currently making quite a bit of chatter out here in cyberspace.

He uses the Lego pieces to recreate various famous photographs and they quite good!

You can check out more of his work here on Flickr or here at redbubble.

At redbubble, you will find more of his work than just the recreations of famous photographs.

Even though it is so hot here, I wanted to make something different with some blueberries we had. I was not sure what I was looking for but found this great recipe on Allrecipes.com and decided to give it a try.

I made this scrumptious dessert last night but was way too stuffed to even try a crumb.
It sat all night on the stove top looking up at me wondering how I could have passed it up.
Trust me it was not easy.

Yet, first thing this morning, that is what I had for breakfast.
Oh my, it was fantastic.
The buckle was moist, not overly sweet and tasted so good.
I will say that I did limit myself to one hunk err, I mean slice. Perhaps I will have a bit more with dinner tonight.

I am finally learning how to use my MasterCook software that I have had for um, two years. lol
Better late than never, right?
So, now when I post recipes you will have the nutrient breakdown. (Unless you do substitutions then as you know it will change.)

Changes that I made: used ¼ cup of butter not shortening and reduced the flour that is called for on the recipe from All Recipes.com.

You might like to serve this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I am sure that it will become a hit in your house.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Buckle

* Exported from MasterCook *

Serving Size: 10
Categories: Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon -- softened
1/4 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 8x8 inch pan.

2. Cream together 3/4 cup sugar, shortening, and egg.

3. In a separate bowl mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan.

4. To make topping: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake at 375 degree F (190 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes.

Source:"Allrecipes"
Copyright:"2008"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 293 Calories; 10g Fat (31.5% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 467mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : You can add some vanilla (1-2 tsp.)

Can be cooked @ 350 instead of 375 for about 40 minutes

Nutr. Assoc. : 1440 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

I had signed up for newsletters from this company a short time ago and around Memorial Day they were having a special on shipping, so how could I resist?

Now, I know you some of you are wondering why don’t I just make my own candles since I make tarts.

You see some oils simply do not work in soy wax. You can measure everything out correctly, make them, go burn them and notice that there is nothing.
Nada, zip, zilch… which is a bit heartbreaking because you did all the work and it did not work. *pout*
Then there is the fact that some fragrance oils work in the soy but are not soap safe and vice versa.

So, I try to purchase those oils that I like, are soap and candle safe and have good results in soy. Our house is only so big to keep my stash of hobby materials.
I would need wicks, molds, and more oils and I think know we would be bursting at the seams.
I leave it up to those who create candles to help me with my other fragrance addictions. *wink*

With summer here, I wanted some fruity scents to fill the house.

They have a great selection of fragrances and well, it is kinda hard to narrow down your choices. (I have that *cough* teensy *cough*tiny problem of having trouble making decisions, but you know this about me already.)

I knew I wanted something strawberry so in my basket went a Strawberry Preserves ( ah…strawberries) candle, then I thought I would toss in two tarts to try – Lemonberry Crumble and Wildberry Jubilee were the lucky winners.

Shipping was within the time frame that was stated on the website.
*slowly, raises hand*
I am guilty of being impatient waiting for my box of goodies to arrive.
The day the box did arrive, my mailbox never smelt better.

The first to be used was the lemonberry crumble tarts.
mmm… they smelled soo good and were really, really strong.
One little cube was able to fill our family room without a problem.
I was burning them in our computer room and bedroom, the house was simply filled with this wonderful fragrance.

Next up, wildberry jubilee again a winner!
I have yet to burn the strawberry candle; I need to finish burning another candle first.
That candle smells just like fresh ripe strawberries, I know I am in for a treat with that one.

I am really impressed with the products from Front Porch Candle Co.
They offer container candles, tarts, grubby candles, votives and some really cute kitchen tarts.
When you check out their site notice that you even have the ability to go back and rate the fragrance(s) that you tired.
Now to me, that is a really great feature.

When you are looking for some awesome soy candles or tarts, do give Front Porch Candle Co. a try.