MELT IN YOU MOUTH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING!

I tried a new Buttercream frosting for Kresta's birthday cake, and it was the most delicious frosting I have ever had! And I'm not being bias, because almost everyone who tasted it said the exact same thing. I sure wish I could take credit for creating this delectable light and creamy, melt in your mouth, fluffy, sugary goodness, BUT it's a Wilton recipe:

1/2 c butter

1/2 c vegetable shortening

1 tsp real vanilla

4 c powdered sugar

1/8 c milk

1 1/2 c white chocolate chips

1/8 c milk

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer until well blended. Add vanilla then one cup of sugar and a portion of 1/8 c milk until all sugar and milk has been added. Beat on high until light and fluffy. In a microwavable bowl add the white chocolate and 1/8 c milk. Microwave on high at 30 second intervals until smooth and creamy. Be very careful because chocolate burns easily, and it's basically useless if it does because it becomes clumpy and pasty. As you get to the point where it's mostly melted, microwave at 10 second intervals. Add the smooth white chocolate to the frosting and beat again until light and fluffy. You will NOT be disappointed. It's better than cotton candy...oh yes it is, I promise!

KRESTA'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!

 I couldn't decide between a butterfly or this cute little farm scene idea.  I showed Jason a pic of each of them, and his response, "Oh my goodness, look at those cute little chicks. You HAVE to go with this cake." So how could I resist! The barn was simple. I just used a jelly roll pan and one cake mix and cut it to shape the barn. The rest is easy to see. 

The pigs: pink frosting for the snout, m&m eyes and nose, fruit leather for the ears. 

The sheep: white frosting to cover, pink for nose area, m&m for nose and eyes, marshmallows cut in half with gumdrops for ears.

Chicks: White frosting, with tinted yellow coconut, m&ms, triangle shaped gum drop for beak.

Birthday girl getting ready.

Poking the poor little piggie.

 Tasting the frosting for the first time.

 Quickly deciding it's definitely worth the mess!

 

Her first present!

 Logan helping her out with the next one.

She's not really sure how she feels about Silas playing with her new toy.

Daddy giving the Birthday Girl kisses.

 Enjoying her new pony ride.

 Helping mom in the kitchen....

well making a mess is more like it.

What do we have here?

 Oh...another instrument to bang and make noise!

 But who could get made at those cute little chubby cheeks and triangle fingers!

 She can help me in the kitchen any time.

AN EDIBLE VALENTINE FROM MY VALENTINE

Jason was working over Valentine's this year. I'm not one for flowers, he knows that. Although I LOVE fresh flowers, they only last a few days. This year he surprised me with this.

 

It was delivered Valentine's morning. So thoughtful, and the boys and I really enjoyed it, especially the milk and dark chocolate covered pieces! I tried not to think about the fact that I could have purchased an entire months' worth of fruit for the price he paid, and just enjoy it. Ultimately though, it's heartwarming to know he thinks I'm worth it, and that makes me feel very, very loved indeed!

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS

Silas says to me one morning as I was combing his hair for school, "Ya know Mom, you don't haff to be hannsome to have goolofwend you dust haff to be yoself. Dat's somefing Logan told me."

I called Silas back into the kitchen one morning to finish his bowl of cheerios. He makes the saddest face and groans, "But it's all soaky momma!"

We were on out way to pick up Logan from school one afternoon and Silas asks from the backseat, "Mom, did Mary haff a baby too? She had a little lamb, I know that. But didn't she also haff a little baby?"

Gaige was over for a playdate with Silas. After lunch they went to the pantry to get a treat. Silas says, "Mom I want a kittykat (kitkat) do we have any?" Gaige looked at Silas with the most horrific look on his face, "YOU eat cats!"

SECRET MISSION

Silas came running down the stairs on a secret mission to sneak a treat from the pantry in the kitchen.  I was sitting at the kitchen table looking over the grocery ads when I hear him sliding his way down the hallway into the kitchen. I see him poke his head around the corner to see if I'm at the sink, then I hear him whisper to his pretend Seal team: "The Cloast is clear. Mom is NOT in the kitchen, I repeat, THE CLOAST IS CLEAR, she is NOT in the kitchen." He looks to the left, then the right, then waves a hand above his head making some type of gesture and points to the kitchen. As he tip toes away from the wall I get a glimpse of what he's wearing: that's when I start giggling and scare him half to death! 



BUSTED. He took a break from rescuing the world and ate a popsicle.

ALL THINGS CARAMEL!

I've had caramel on the brain. Probably because summer has arrived and I'm thinking of carnivals, and fairs and outside picnics...which brings me to think of caramel apples and popcorn balls and so forth. So, in honor of caramel, here's a couple of my of all-time favorite recipes.

Caramel Apple Dippers or Popcorn
Why go to the trouble of putting an apple on a stick and dipping it in the caramel to eat, when you can cut the apple into bite size pieces and dip each one in delicious caramel! Be warned, you might take a bite out of the spoon that's covered in this rich and dark caramel.

1/2 c butter
1 1/4 c dark brown sugar
1 1/4 c light brown sugar
1 c light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp salt
Over medium heat melt butter, sugars and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Add sweetened milk and salt and bring to a boil again. Cook 5 minutes take off stove and add vanilla.
1 tsp vanilla


Leatherby's Caramel Ice Cream Sauce
Ever been to Leatherby's? Mmm...your missing out! My favorite is Amy's Almond Joy....the name is perfect wouldn't you say, and let's face it, coconut ice cream covered in warm fudge, almonds and coconut is pretty much as close to heaven as you can get on a spoon in my book. Michelle, my roommate and dear friend from college, walk down memory lane once a year at Leatherby's and split the delicious coconut loving sugar rush with a side of their heavenly caramel sauce along with a big old fat order of artery clogging fries with fry sauce. This recipe is pretty darn close, you wont' be disappointed.

1 c white sugar
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c corn syrup
1 1/2 c evaporated milk
1/2 c butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
Add everything to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes over low-medium heat. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

WHAT'S COOKIN?

I cooked bacon in the oven for the first time a couple months ago, and now it's the ONLY way I do it. Sure wish I new about this little trick years ago!  Use a jelly role pan, line with aluminum foil, lay out the bacon and place in a cold oven then turn it on 400, set the time for 21 min and walk away! Voila....bacon. Place on paper towels immediately so it stops cooking. No grease spatters, no burns, fantastic. The best thing I like is that all the bacon is done at the same time, such a time saver.

 I've had several requests for my pesto chicken salad sandwich recipe. You know me! I don't have recipes, I don't measure, I just toss and go. I tried to recreate, but in general: chicken chunks, couple TB mayo, couple TB softened cream cheese, dried cherries (blueberries, cranberries, etc.) diced apple (or grapes as well), sliced almonds, sliced celery, little diced green onion, several TB of your favorite pesto (I love Gia Russa, found it al Wal-mart). Add however much you like of each to taste, depending upon your mood. I like mine crunchy, so lots of celery, apples and almonds.

LOLO AND PRINNY K

PICS FROM TASKA'S VISIT IN FEBRUARY

Hatch man playing dress up. He's a Pirate-Cowboy.

Zailee is a Kung-Fu Dinosuar

Logan is a Samurai

CLICK.......PAUSE........REWIND........STOP!

Ever seen the movie "Click" with Adam Sandler? Pretty cute movie, and totally GENIUS idea. I'm sure that every mother who saw that movie thought as I did, "Wow, I'd love to get my hands on one of those remotes." Today was most definitely a CLICK! kind of day. Since I don't have a handy dandy remote to pause a moment in life, or mute a screaming child, or let's be honest, REWIND a few things (a thrusting sword that knocked over and broke my favorite lamp and vase, as I said before, one of "those" kind of days), I have several hiding places instead. Yes, I admit that I occasionally hide from my children. There, I said it. Truthfully I can't hide very long. I've got 2-3 minutes tops before my 4 1/2 year old Evil Kanevil is on the loose, but this couple of minutes is just the right dose. There is a stool in my pantry I use to get things down from the top shelf. I also use it to rest my weary rump when I need a break. It's actually very quiet in there. I prefer the light off...otherwise I'm looking at the messy pile of tupper ware and dust in the corners. Another one is a chocolate break in my master bathroom. Yep, I sneak candy and tip-toe into my bathroom to eat it in silence on the comfy chair by the window. Totally weird I know, and totally worth your judgment. My husband gave me the strangest look when I brought that chair home from the D.I. and placed it in the bathroom a couple months after we moved in. But now he hides there once in a while as well. And last but certainly not least, my cold storage room. It's always freezing down there, and the cool air gives me a little oomph every now and again. It's always a work in progress, so when Kresta is down for a nap and Silas is at preschool, I take 15 minutes to clear my head by organizing and putting away my food storage items. Crazy I know, but it works for me. So there, who needs a little click remote. There's nothing that a few good minutes of piece and quiet, and a little chocolate can't fix!

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS

I was driving Silas to to preschool one morning when a tumbleweed blew across the road in front of us. Silas says, "Look Mom! Ets a tumbeball from a cowboy state!"

One morning as I'm dressing Kresta for the day Silas says, "Mom, can girls go to construction site worker school? Cuz I think Kresta will want to drive BIG trucks when she grows up!"

Gaige (Si's best buddy) was over for a play date.  Gaige wanted to say the prayer for lunch, so since he was the guest Silas obliged. When Gaige was done, Silas said, "WOW Gaige, dat was fast!" Gaige replied: "Yeah, Jesus had short prayers. He really did Si. My daddy said so."

Silas was walking a plate of apples, cheese and crackers to the table when a couple of the apple slices slid off his plate. "Ahhh, Snaps!" LOL

Jason and I were heading out for a date night, so I admit, I got a little carried away and dolled up, I even curled my hair. What can I say, I was excited about having adult conversation and getting to actually eat my dinner while it was still hot! As I came down the stairs Silas was playing with his cars, and he stopped, stared and dropped his jaw as he said, "Wow Mom, you look...fantastical!

BASKET RACE CAR DRIVING!

It's a given that almost every adult on the planet (who's mom does laundry, and let's face it, that's pretty much EVERY woman) has a picture of themselves as a baby cheering and cooing from inside a Laundry Basket Car. What is it about these pictures that just make you smile? Must be a reminder of our childhood. I have many, many memories of goofing around with laundry baskets, including racing my brother down the stairs of our house in Cokeville (I was 8). Luckily, no stitches were needed! I have pics of me at about one in a laundry basket, as well as one of Logan and Silas, and now Kresta.

"PO" BOY CUBBIES!

My mudroom has been a P.I.P since we moved in. Project in progress! I specifically have one counter that I loathe! All the bags that rule our life, and books, and church stuff, and work stuff, and misc., are piled, and piled and piled on the counter! I've been wanting to buy cubbies with baskets for over 2 1/2 years, but the money I continually budget to buy them is constantly getting robbed by Peter to pay Paul. I really want the IKEA cubbies, but they are about $150. I look for them second hand on ksl, but they sell within hours of being listed. Sorry that I don't have a before pic of the mess, but you can imagine what I'm talking about. I'd have to dig to China through the bags every day to find the one bag I needed. Yes, I have a lot of bags, I know! I have diaper bags for specific occasions and individual children. One for when all 3 kids are with me, one for when it's just the baby, one for when it's just the boys, several purses, and a specific church bag. This does make my life easier, I'm not always pulling stuff out and putting it back in, and leaving stuff behind, and letting it pile up. It's all contained. Anyway, back to my "bag"hole of Calcutta!(black hole if you missed the humor ;-)) I finally got tired of waiting for the coffers to open, so I improvised. Heavy duty apple boxes. Now I just want to say for the record that I'm only sharing this because a friend told me she thought it was a brilliant idea, so I thought I'd share.

Not pretty, but definitely industrious. Thank you Costco, where there is always a plethora of different sized boxes. These DIY cubbies have worked great so far. I've been using them for over a month now. I'm sure they could be dolled up with some spray paint, scrapbook paper, or wrap them in material. I'm not going to sink any money into it, since they are only temporary and I'm holding out for the real deal.

VALENTINE CARD BOX GUITAR!

Logan is very serious when it comes to making his Valentine's Box. It doesn't help that I let him run wild with his imagination and create whatever is on his mind. So far it's been easy. We did a Robot for Kindergarten and a Rocket for First grade. This year we had plans to make it the Sunday afternoon before Valentine's (dad would be home). Wouldn't you know he changed his mind as we were getting started to make Optimus Prime (next year I guess). He wanted to make a Guitar. OOOookay...not so easy! Wouldn't you know there is NOTHING on Pinterest about making a Valentine's Guitar box. I was shocked! I searched several search engines and nada. So, we winged it. Found a really cook picture of a guitar online and we recreated it with a little kiss-azz! Luckily we had everything we needed.
Written by Amy Williams, Featuring Logan Williams, Produced by Jason, Amy and Logan Williams. Introducing Cupid's Bow and Arrow Guitar!!

You will need :
Cardboard (preferably one piece long enough to make the entire guitar, we had to use two separate pieces because of the last minute change of plans and we only had a small box to use) spray paint, string, tissue box, your imagination, and paint, markers, strickers, or a printer to decorate it.Free hand the shape of the guitar over cardboard.
Cut them out.
Since we had to make the guitar in two pieces, we over lapped the base and the neck of the guitar for extra support, then glued them together with gorilla glue, and secured it with masking tape for extra measure.
Didn't have a used tissue box, so had to open a new one, darn it! Looks like these will go into my 72 hour kits. I used the tissue box pop-out tab as a template to draw the cut out on the front of the guitar to line up the box on the back to hold the cards.We cut out the hole in the front, flipped it over and glued the tissue box to the back, then taped the crazy right out of it.
We used red push-pins as the "thingys" that hold the guitar wire. I used red wrapping ribbon as the wire.
Because the push-pins were too long and poked through the cardboard to the other side, we measured and cut two pieces of cardboard the same size to fit all four push-pins, then taped it over the sharp ends.
We planned it so the "thingys" on the other end of the guitar would be right over the inside of the tissue box, so we didn't have to worry about the "pokeys."
Logan playing around before we got to the design phase.
We decided on a "love around the world" theme, and glued notes and the word love in 25 different languages across the guitar strings as if they were sheet music.
Start to finish: 2 hours, including potty breaks, spraying time...drying time, diaper changes, and snacks!
 
 He passed out these guitar suckers to his classmates. They said, "Happy Valentine's. You Rock!" We printed out the sucker templates from Pinterest.