When In Doubt...GO GREEN!

I am proud to consider myself a planner. There I said it...it's out there...and it's true (most of the time). Today, however, was the exception. St. Patrick's Day completely snuck up on me. I was the un-fun momma who didn't hide gold coins around the house from the leprechauns for the girls to find, no green milk for breakfast. Nope, nothing, zero, nada! Until around 2pm, when I decided that the girls and I were making cupcakes...and of course they had to be green and festive. Hmmm, what to do. I've got it! Thin Mint Cupcakes! Minty flavor and more importantly green frosting. One problem...Girl Scout Cookie season is over! Arggh. Oh, but wait, if memory serves me (and it sometimes does), my mom had a brand new pack of Thin Mints in her pantry. So off to grab A from preschool and then off to mom's to BEG FOR COOKIES. I had to promise to share some of our delicious wares, but she obliged.
Of course the whole point of this activity was so the girls could help...which they did happily.
A got to help whisk...



as did Had...and here is a picture of the 'boys' helping to clean up what Had flung everywhere.

(The boys love it when the girls help cook....guaranteed goodies)
I think the girls enjoy the baking time the most.

In the 20 minutes that the cupcakes took to bake...
Had danced on the table, enoyed an ice cream sandwich, and snuck some of the yummy green, minty deliciousness...I mean frosting.



A, meanwhile, took it upon herself to clean our beaters. She is always available for this most important job. Lucky me! And don't worry, I wash them again once she's done.
And TA-DA!! Here is our finished product.
They were as tasty and they looked. Even Jas, who informed me that Thin Mints are his least favorite Girl Scout Cookie, managed to choke one down. Now the big question is...how many will be left in the morning once he's left for work.
P.S. The Chocolate Cupcake Recipe came from The Farm Chicks Blog....and ssshhh, don't tell anyone, but the frosting came from a can. I just added some green tint and peppermint extract. But, again, don't tell...I have a reputation to keep up...(and I still had to get dinner ready).

Here We Grow...

Alright....A and I decided to take full advantage of the gorgeous sunshine we are having on this Pajama Monday. So while Had was napping, we decided to get our vry first crop planted. OK, by definition it's probably not exactly a crop but we did plant two rows of peas.

As we dug and raked over the dirt, we were greeted by a whole bunch of wormy friends (they weren't nearly as excited to see the sun as we were). But they'll do our garden good.

We then dug our trench and proceeded to gently place our 'pea sprouts' into their new home. A was ever so gentle doing this(if only I could convince her to treat her sister the same way).

And then once we decided that we had planted enough of them. We carefully covered them up, and now we are eagerly awaiting them to show thier little green faces . I can hardly wait....it seems as though there are a lot of recipes that are catching my eye that call for fresh spring peas.
And if fresh means from the garden...all the better.

Here is a picture of Carlos doing a little 'quality control,' although, since he is not convinced that he is in fact a cat and NOT A DOG, he may dig them up when we're not looking. Crazy Cat!

...and in case you're counting,

Spring will be here officially in ONE WEEK!

You've Gotta Try These...

So now that I have re-entered the blogging world, I find myself peering through my friends Inspiration Pages and finding fun new blogs to follow (and I am automatically drawn to those posts that mention food in the title). OH, HOW I LOVE FOOD!!!

So here is where I give thanks to my dear friend and neighbor, Bri, for having a link to the blog:

A Hint of Honey. Oh the hours I have logged on this Blog perusing through a variety of different recipes trying to find, "THE ONE!" And then...it happened! I found it!

CARROT CAKE COOKIES (with frosting)!!!

And it gave me a reason to drag out my dear friend, Hazel.

She's my mixer, a gift from one of the dearest women I have ever met, Jason's Grandma Emily. Oh how I miss her. But she would love these cookies.

I decided that if I was going to bake something, that I would choose something that was on the healthy side. Hey! There was carrots (vegetable), whole wheat flour, raisins (fruit?)...just disregard the 2 sticks of butter and the 2 cups of sugar (not counting the frosting).

SEE...CARROTS!!! A whole 1 1/2 cups...totally healthy!!

They are incredible! I would strongly recommend you to try these...and by try these, I mean, make them...because ours are officially gone. I am getting ready to deliver a few to Bri and Phil. I figure since I would not have found this site without her, I at least owe her a few. I certainly hope they enjoy them as much as we have.

I think that I will make them again for Easter...the perfect not-to-heavy dessert following a great Easter Brunch.

PS...This is not my picture, its from A Hint of Honey...

We ate ours before I got a chance to get a picture. They were that good!

Oops! Forgot One!

Apparently, when I blogged about my hobbies and things that keep my creative side buzzin'; I forgot to mention creating beautiful jewelry. Although, I guess in all fairness, I had not made any jewelry at the time. But OH, that has all changed. After seeing a beautiful (but pricey) necklace online, I HAD to make my own. Lucky for me, my dear friend, Margee, is a veteran jewelry maker, and had all of the tools that I needed. So a quick trip to the bead store and a few hours at the table while Had was napping and A was at school, I, with the help of Margee, created this beauty of my own.

I even made the little bird's nest.

I really like how it is such a great combination of classic (pearls) and junky (metal). And it was a stretch for me, but I also really like how it's not symetrical...a stretch for me...but I am a work in progress.
And OH HOW I ADORE IT!!
I am hoping that this will be the first of many more unique pieces to come.

If One is Good...More is Better?!?

Since I am no longer teaching, I needed to find a new hobby to put my creative eneregies into. Instead of one hobby, I have found many that seem to grab my interest. These include:

Building Randoms - check out my adorable salvaged shed. Jas and I saved (tore down) an old garage in a neighboring town and then decided that it should be resurrected as a potting shed. Complete with recycled windows, doors and paver floor. Oh how I love this shed and I'll be blogging more about it.

Gardening - These are a few of my new lovelies that are just starting to reimerge from a long, soggy winter. Oh how I have missed my little friends and the joy that they bring me and my girls.

A is ALWAYS on the look out for new blooms any time we step outside. (She even pointed out to a friend the other day, "Look at our hellebores blooming!"). She is so obviously my girl (and for those who dont know, these are hellebores)!



Sewing - A hobby which I think my mom is secretly thrilled about. I started with A's starfish costume from scratch and it's grown from there. I have even tried making a few things with patterns (a novel idea). Here are a few of the aprons that I have delighted in making!! I love using bright and cheerful fabrics and what girl doesnt love wearing something fun while 'slaving' away in the kitchen.

Crafty Frames - A friend of mine taught me how to make these and I LOVE THEM! I can quickly change the look and feel of a room at the drop of a hat. I can change them per season and they make GREAT GIFTS!

Cooking and Baking - I began with a love of baking...however, I had to stop or I had to start saving more for new jeans, as mine were getting tight. Oh, but how I still love making beautiful and delicious cupcakes...if you ever need, I have quite the library of cupcake cookbooks. I have redirected my energies into cooking. Having two growing girls to feed, I do my best (although, I'm not perfect) to feed them mostly healthy foods. So far this is paying off, as both of my girls eat things that some adults won't touch. A and Had both LOVE TOMATOES. Truly! I can't wait for to get some into my garden. And with a 'Hunter Hubby,' I'm always on the lookout for new 'big game' recipes.

As I am passionate about each of my hobbies, I'm sure to be posting more about them all soon.


Here's to another great week!
God Bless You All.
Please pray for Luke and Caroline, as they are grieving the loss of a loved one and could use some.