C is for Crayon...Craft.....and Chocolate!

Edible crayons!! Yep thats right! I thought this was a fun idea since Emma is learning her letters and what sounds they make. What better way to learn the letter "C" than do do it with a fun Craft, Crayons, an Chocolate! They are simple to make and really yummy! Here is what you do.



Go to your favorite craft store or Walmart and pick up some candy melts. Choose whatever colors you want. This would be a good time to pick up some paper in coordinating colors. I used the brightest paper I could find.



Next melt the cholocate according to the directions on the package. The microwave works great!



Cut your pretzle sticks in half. It helps if you score them a bit first for a cleaner break. Dip just the ends in the chocolate and let them dry completely on wax paper or tinfoil.

Emma liked helping with this!

Print and cut out Labels. Print them out from the Gourmet Moms on the Go's blog http://www.gourmetmomonthego.com/2008/12/crayon-wrappers-galore.html

This kids like to do the part too!

Tape the wrappers into place and there you go! These make a great gift for a teacher or a snack for school or a fun after school snack for the kids!



So Verry Kerry: Magnificent McCall

So Verry Kerry: Magnificent McCall: I have to say that both summer and fall are my favorite seasons so I am happy for half of the year! Summer is full of sunshine and fun ...

Magnificent McCall

I have to say that both summer and fall are my favorite seasons so I am happy for half of the year! Summer is full of sunshine and fun with an occasional family vacation. Then we "fall" into fall with mixed emotions because the fun in the sun is over. Then, we remember why we love fall so much when we see visions of the leaves changing on the trees and there is a sudden crispness in the air. Our world becomes full of wonderful warm colors, carving pumpkins, caramel apples, pumpkin pie, and witches and goblins. I can't think of a more fitting way to end the fall season than to spend the day with family and friends feasting over the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. As fall time was approaching and Darin was getting ready to go back to school, I realized that we had not taken a fun family trip in over a year. So, to kick off the fall season, I decided to throw the kids in the car for a quick road trip to McCall , Idaho. The lake was beautiful and it was still warm enough outside to enjoy the beach. We arrived early in the day and spent some time looking around the city and enjoying the scenery and the fresh mountain air. That night we went to a small town rodeo. Emma was in heaven while watching the horses and Darin had a good time with some friends that were also attending the rodeo from Middleton. I was thrilled to see both of the kids having fun and making memories.  We woke up the next morning ready to spend time on the lake. The scene couldn't have been more beautiful. The air was warm and the lake was a calm blue color surrounded by the mountains which were full of green pine trees which lined the lake. It was so fun to see the kids playing on the beach building  castles and burying each other in the sand.  We rented a couple of jet skis and the kids and I had so much fun riding around enjoying the water. Emma wasn't so sure about riding but soon warmed up to the idea and kept telling me to go faster! Darin spent his time exploring the lake. The day ended with sunburns and good food. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall.

FROZEN FROSTY FRUITY PALETAS, QUE RICO!

Summertime is finally here. The thermometer is pushing 95 and not a cloud in the sky. Sitting out on the patio eating a frozen frosty fruity paleta is sounding like heaven right now. When we lived in Mexico, we used to buy them off the street.They are full of fresh fruit and veggies (yes I did say veggies) and it is hard to find them here is the states that even come close. So, Emma and I decided to make our own.  Here are a few of the ones that we are trying out tonight.

NILLA-NANNA (vanilla bannana)

1 cup milk

3/4 cup mashed ripe banannas

1 t. mexican vanilla (or vanilla bean)

1/4 cup sugar

Blend all together in the blender until sugar disolves and pour into molds.

CUMCUMBER CHILI

3 cup cubed cucumbers (peeled and seeded)

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 seeded jalapino

Whirl in the blender until smooth. Pour into molds.

I put a few strawberries into this or you could put watermelon too. Yummo!!

PINA COLADA

1 cup milk

1/2 cup chunked pinapple

1/3 cup sugar

1 t. mexican vanilla

1/2 t. coconut extract

1/4 cup shredded coconut

Whirl and pour and add more fresh fruit chunks if you like them chunky.

SOUR ORANGE

1 1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

Whirl and pour!

More recipies to come as we test them out!!



Simply Beautiul.....

There is nothing more beautiful than Gods creations. I love watching the sky "move" and the changing of the colors in this video. We are truly blessed!

Bottomless Banana Bread Day

I woke up this morning with plans in mind for the perfect day which consisted of sleeping in, a clean house, laundry done, a lunch date with a friend, and the day off work. I had a little extra time to kill along with some over ripe bananas and we all know what that leads to, right? BANANA BREAD!!  I got out my Grandpa Wassmers recipe and Emma and I began to mix. We got the bread into the oven and soon the house was filled with that ever so  familiar smell that always brings back memories. Then the moment came......the buzzer went off and we took the bread out of the oven. It was the perfect loaf, just like my perfect day. It was a beautiful golden brown and just the right height in the pan.With Emma looking on begging for a peice,  I carefully slid the knife around the sides to loosen it up, flipped it upsidown and suddenly.....PLOP.  The bottom of the bread was stuck to the pan while the rest of the bread flipped out onto the cooling rack. I let out a huge "NOOOO" !!!  How in the world could this happen? Just then the phone rang with some bad news. A few other not so great things began to happen. There my bottomless bread sat on the counter becoming a bad omen for things to come. I decided that I would throw the bread into the garbage but first needed to deal with some of the drama that had suddenly come my way. As I was tackling a few of the problems, my eye caught a glimps of the bread. I realized that it looked really moist and decided to cut into  it despite its imperfection. I sliced off a peice for Emma and one for myself and we found ourselves sitting side by side on the couch enjoying one of the moistest, tastiest peices of banana bread EVER!!! It was heaven. What a shame it would have been had I thrown the bottomless bread away never to be enjoyed for its imperfect perfection. It was then that I realized that this imperfect - perfect loaf of bottomless bread is much like my day. I made a choice to give the bread a chance...to look past the drama and enjoy what lies underneath. I let out a big sigh and looked over at my imperfect - perfect daughter and my imperfect - perfect self and my imperfect - perfect day and  realized that some times, when things get tough, there is always a peice of  bottomless bread waiting to make things a little brighter.  You just have to cut that first slice and enjoy.  Happy Bottomless Banana Bread Day!!!

Wake up those feet.....Its Springtime!!!

Its that time of year again when we put away the socks and break out the flip flops and sandals.  Spring pedicures are a must!!  This year I thought I would try my own version of the pedi and began searching for the perfect soak "recipe".  I found this one in Woman's Health Magazine and thought it sounded good so I gave it a try....LOVED IT!!!  I had to run to the store for a few of the items needed to make the soak but it was well worth it. My feet are ready for sunshine and sand. Here is what you need....

Don't cheat yourself out of the foot soak just because you're doing your pedi at home. This step does more than clean your feet and make you feel amazing. It also softens dead skin cells in preparation for exfoliation.
As you let a tub fill with warm water, remove all traces of old polish. Add to the water a teaspoon of tea tree oil (to banish stinky bacteria), a capful of witch hazel (to cleanse and tone), a half cup of Epsom salts (to rejuvenate), and three drops of peppermint or rosemary oil (to heal and freshen). Soak your feet for five to 10 minutes. I put about three bags of marbles into the bottom of the soak too. Rub your feet over the marbles or small rocks for a nice little massage. After about ten minutes, take your feet out and file away the dead skin.

Also, a brown sugar rub is a great alternative to the expensive scrubs at the salon.
Take some brown sugar, add enough olive oil to make a paste. You can also break open a few vitamin E capsules and add it to the paste. Add about 20 drops of your favorite essential oil.  Place a small amount of the sugar in the palm of your hand and rub into your feet. Rinse off in the shower.  And here is the best part ladies ( and maybe a few men too, who knows!!) top off your pedi by rubbing a good quality foot lotion on after for super softness.  You might even have someone else (you choose) do this part for you for the ultimate foot rub.
Add your favorite polish and slip into those sandal!

Fried Pickles....Are You Serious?

I recently went to the Texas Road House and was reminded again at how tasty fried pickles are. Gross, you say? Not so....just wait till you try one, or two ,or three, ok ten! Our family first learned about fried pickles while living in Texas where pickles are a religion. Not only will you find fried pickles but also pickle pops, pickle snow cones, pickle ice cream, and just plain old cold crispy giant sized pickes on a stick. Any of these are perfect on a hot summer Texas day. So, Darin and I decided to channel our inner Texan and whip up some good yummy fried pickles.  Here is what you do. Use about 2 cups of pickle chips. Make a flour mixture of 2 cups flour, 1tsp salt, 1tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp black pepper. Mix that all together. Take your pickle and dip it in buttermilk. Then dip it in the flour, then back in the buttermilk then back in the flour. Drop into oil that has been heated to about 350 degrees. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the pickles start to float. Remove and dip them in your favorite dressing. We use chipotle mayo. Its so delish!!

You Can't Take it With You!

Darin got talked into auditioning for the High School play by his friend Shawn Ferris. He auditioned and got the part of the dreaded IRS agent! He also got the understudy for one of the main parts!  I was so proud of him for trying something new. He really enjoyed being in the play and made some great new friends along the way. My dad and his wife Margie came all the way from Salt Lake City to support him along with his Aunt Kim and Uncle Darin and their kids. His dad also came to see him as well as Emma and I. Emma had a hard time sitting still, of course because the play lasted two hours. We had to leave a little early!  I got a babysitter for the folowing night so that I could actually enjoy it! The play was so great and the kids did a really good job. Way to go Darin. Here are some pictures.

Change..it's a Good Thing!!

I was looking through some old files and came across this article that my cousin sent me.  Happy reading!!

THE YEAR 1905
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1905.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1905:
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.
With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
a dentist $2,500 per year,
a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and
a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education.
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
Back then pharmacist said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." (Shocking!)
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
Now I forwarded this from someone else without typing it myself, and sent it to you in a matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
It staggers the mind.

From terrible 2s to tiring 3s

OH YES!!!....the terrible 2s are finally over and we somehow survived by the skin of out teeth. There were days when I needed a truckload of Calgon (do they still make that stuff?) to "take me away". We celebrated Emmas birthday on March 5th which is the day she was born into the arms of a loving mother and father and a 14 year old brother. To say that Emma loves Mickey Mouse would be an undertatement....so I set out to make her a Mickey themed birthday cake that put a huge smile on her face. I have posted a few pictures of Emma being spoiled rotten! I love the age of 3 because they learn and grow so much and are finally able to communicate without me haivng to interpret the language that only mom can understand. I am looking forward to seeing her little personality shine!  Off we go!

                     Help...Emma is driving!

                                                                   Mickey...of course

                                          Baseball glove...who was more excited, Emma or Darin?

                                                                 Look out world

New Beginnings! WOW!!

Well, I've done it....I have dove into the world of blogging despite my inability to properly operate a computer!  "Computer Geek" is never a name that will be uttered when speaking of me, in fact, I had to have my sister Kim set up my blog for me because I miserably failed at the first attempt! So, where do I start when it comes to writing something interesting about my life?  Let me start by saying that the title of this entry really does describe where I am at right now. New Beginnings with a big capital WOW!! This past year, has been filled with laughter, tears, trials, fears, failures, wins, hope, faith, soul searching, and coming to the realization of how important God, family and friends are to ones survival.  In the past, when I would look at myself in the mirror  I would only see the surface of who I am which mostly consisted of a somewhat cute face and a bent out of shape body!!  But the events of the past year have forced me to look a little deeper and suddenly the mirror is reflecting back a changed person. My mirror now shows a face which reflects strength, a nose that smells the beauty of simple things, eyes that can see better into the soul of another and understand those who are struggling, ears that can hear the voices of my children a little clearer, a chin that is a bit firmer after being broken, lips that have spoken many prayers, and eyebrows that are lifted a little higher in the wonder of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and its healing power. I am sad to say the the bent out of shape body is still ever present, but that is a whole other entry! This is truly a year of New Beginnings that has given me a chance to make changes for the better and to take chances and risks that I never knew were possible. I am looking forward to my future and am waiting with anticipation at who I will see in the mirror at the end of this year.