Hope is ??? years Old

My husband informed me this week that we flunked out of homeschooling. Because Hope does not know how old she is or how old she will be on her birthday. She is seven by the way. She could not wait to decorate her own cake. I made a double batch of purple butter cream icing and she used the entire bowl on her cake. We could not wait to give her the birthday gift we got her. Everyday she makes books, she copies books and decorates them and draws and writes for hours. So for her birthday we bought her a hard cover sketch book and her OWN colored pencils. She has spent all day writting and sketching in her book.

The Pumpkin Patch

We had not gone to the pumpkkin patch since moving to Alabama. I had heard heard how wonderful tate's farm was. The kids had a great time. Although I think being in the corn crib irritated Grace's asthma. Hope did not want to leave the animals, I love watching her with animals. I loved watching them pick out there pumpkins, now I just need to figure out how to cook a pumpkin. we may be freezing some pumpkin pies.
I love our homeschool group and love that they always have wonderful field trips.

Chicken and biscuits

This evening I used my wonderful Deep covered baker AGAIN. I Put 4 chicken breast in the pan. Rubbed the chicken breast with olive oil and southwest seasoning. cooked it in the microwave for 12 minutes. WOW, so juicy and yummy.
The biscuits were a new recipe I got from my friend Melly. They are called Amish biscuits. They were really easy to make
2 c. flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 c. milk
1 tsp. sugar

Directions:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add remaining ingredients. Mix until smooth and drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
To look at Melly's recipe look here: http://www.proverbs31homemaking.com

a look into my day, HELP HELP HELP

Today is a crazy day and so I thought I would update you to my day in case someone else needs a laugh
here is my list for today
UGGGGGGGG SOMEONE DEFROSTED FREEZER AND FRIDGE OVER NIGHT
7am WAKE UP, well i have been awake for awhile but i mean i have to get going
okay here is my list
SHOWER
cleean kitchen
run to the store to pick up eggs and milk and snacks since someone defrosted it over night (i so do not have time for this)
get kids going on school and chores
make bundt cake
make round cake for hope's birthday
make lunch
noon
pick up baby
oops, make sure they have awana stuff ready
drive 30-45 minutes to pumpkin patch (can't forget hand sanitzer and stroller and cameras)
enjoy pumpkin patch and take a ton of pictures
drop baby off at her house, take a look at her house, they just got done building it
come home (maybe) for dinner, left overs or depending on time we will just eat out
take kids to awana
come home and begin icing cakes
pick up kids
come home and ice cake

CAKE:
so my husband had a idea, my thought was to make a sheet cake for co op and write happy birthday to my daughter and to one of her teachers.
then i made a bundt cake for that night for the house.

okay here is what husband decided
i am making 2 more bundt cakes this morning because we are
icing the sheet cake with chocolate,
putting brown sugar and oreos on the top to look like dirt
we are icing 2 bundt cakes to look like a pumpkin (so now i am making chocolate and orange frosting, i also need to make some green icing)
then he will set the pumpkin (2 bundt cakes) on top of the cake and he bought a BIG bag of candy corn pumpkins to lay around the rest of the cake so it looks like a pumpkin patch.
I think it will be cute but i have to say i am feeling very overwhelmed at all that needs done. it will be like a date to stay up and work with him.
i also need to make his 2 birthday cakes, a computer looking cake to take to his work with balloons on friday and then one for the night as a family. i also need to make a birthday cake for the girls birthday party on saturday morning
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
okay, i hope everyone else has a great day

What is missing in your house?

What goes missing in your house, I swear someone comes in after I am sleeping and sprinkles cereal on the clean carpet or leave out the milk. Someone takes the toothbrushes and they take toilet paper holders. does anyone else loose toilet paper holders. I should buy them in bulk. One day we are going to move something and there are going to be 25 toilet paper holders. Currently our kitchen scissors and our can opener are missing. I mean REALLY where do these things go. I could understand when candy goes missing or my special scissors. But where is the butter, okay I found it in the girls room. Can someone find my can opener. If you have ever had a pampered chef can operner you know you can not go back.
What about the cleaner for the floor, where did it go. We searched in the cleaning cabinet, we checked again and again because Rob knew he left it on the counter. So WHERE IS IT? oooh I know, my son put it above the stove with the flour. He said that way it would be out of grace's reach.
What about the baby wipes, we have several containers of them, so again I ask WHERE ARE THEY?
If you know where any of these things are can you help me. We are also missing several of my favorite shirts for Grace. HELP

hot cocoa

my friend becky gave me his recipe.
we have always bought store bought hot cocoa. last week i tried the recipe off of the hershey's cocoa and it was good but no where as good as this recipe. we made double the batch this afternoon. honestly, after my boys stood out in the cold for 3 hours selling popcorn they needed it.
so easy


hot cocoa
4 cups dry powdered milk (wow this stuff is more expensive than i realized)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup hershey cocoa
pinch of salt
put all ingredients in blender (food processor for me) to make it more of a powder.
to drink:
add 1/3 cup cocoa MIX to 1 cup water.
WOW it is so good

Not me monday

I wish I would have kept my list going this week. Because What a list it would be. Let me start by saying thanks for reading our blog. It is so much fun working on it.
So this week, I did not stay in the same shirt for 2 days. I know gross but it was so comfortable and every time I went to get in the shower something would happen. My daughter, my precious 3 year old (OOOPS, still refusing to admitt she is 4) did not get upset with me because I was not wearing a bra.
Because I am so organized and on top of things there is no way I still have 3 pampered chef orders setting next to my door that have been setting there for a week.
my husband and I did not make the world's yummiest pumpkin cake for my husbands work and then decide to keep it at home for us because it was soo good.
Because I am such a good mom I would never let my girls take longer than needed to clean there room just so I could take more and more toys from them.
I did not encourage my son and husband and son to stay out in the cold to collect money for boyscouts, not because I am dedicating to the cause but because the house was so quiet and I was enjoying that, I would never do this.
Since my husband knows how much I want more kids he did not in front of my kids say "if you get rid of one kid you can replace them" we then did not enjoy hearing them try to decide who should go
I was not truelly debating taping my daughters mouth shut this week when she could not stop singing near school, i would never have these thoughts because for one I enjoy hearing it and 2 that is illegal.
For my chilren,
We did not hear the craziest things from our childrens mouths this week. I would never hear these words in my mouth
Prove it, Stop singing, your singing sounds like a dying cat (i am wondering how they know what a dying cat sounds like)
Dad, michael just put toothpaste in Faith's nose
When I grow up, I want to have 2 bra's and a mixer just like you (surely there a better things I do to make her want to be like me)
Last night my daughter did not admitt with a smile on her face that she had a bowel movement in the bath tub. surely she would not, especially after we praised her for going a whole day in panties.
after being a pin cushion for years, Grace's goal is to be a nurse so she can give shots

Okay, I want to hear what flew out of your mouth this week, what your child said, I need to feel normal so PLEASE, PLEASE leave me a message so I know I have not lost it.

pancake breakfast

Last night the girls and I helped with a pancake breakfast for american heritage girls. I am so proud of the girls. They not only had to sell tickets but they had to show up to help. The parents cooked, the older girls cleaned, faith's age wiped tables and help guest. the little ones greeted and showed people how to get food. I was really impressed with how from the beginning to the end the girls really worked hard. I really think this is due to the wonderful leadership in this group

chocolate lava cake

OOPS, forgot to take a picture
Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix, prepared according to the box directions (add eggs, oil, water)
1 can prepared chocolate/fudge icing (best with Classic Chocolate Frosting)

Follow directions for the cake mix and pour batter into Deep Covered Baker. Using the medium scoop (or a spoon), drop scoops of icing on top of cake batter. Use all the icing... and it'll almost completely cover the batter, but don’t mix with the batter—just drop on top.

This actually works covered or uncovered. Cook 10 minutes in rotating microwave on HIGH or until done. The icing melts to the bottom and the cake cooks on top. Serve directly from Baker with a Bamboo Spoon or the spoon to the Beaded Serving Set with Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream.
WARNING: addicting!
this was so yummy, all the frosting melts to the bottom and is so wonderful.

i recieved this recipe from my pampered chef consult

update on Grace

Grace went to the doctor 3 times this week. First we went to see Dr. Mahesh which is her favorite in the whole world. The girls love this office because they can play in the waiting room. He said she was doing great and will see us in three months. Then we saw Dr. Latif for her growth. He said she has gained 5 pounds and grown 2 inches in the last year. so as of today she weighs 32 pounds and is 39 inches. The last appointment was a waste. It was just for referals.

pumpkin cake

OOOH this was yummy.
1 box white cake mix
1 large can of pumpkin
mix together (do not add anything to the cake like eggs or water)
pour in deep covered baker and bake 12-18 minutes, it took 16 in mine. serve with cool whip. this is a great breakfast treat or desert.

home made dishwasher soap

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
4 packs unsweetened lemonade
a dash of salt if you have hard water

I use 2 Tablespoons per load, i also use vinegar in my rinse department

I have to seay we LOVE this. we get gack (as michael calls it)in our cups and after 2 weeks of using homemade we no longer have gac. I also do not rinse my dishes as I should and very often have the kids load the dishwasher
Pamela