We had these for desert at Thanksgiving to go along with our traditional apple and pumpkin pies.
This recipe made a three tier cake dish full of Cake Balls and believe me, they went like wildfire!
Since we had a birthday boy who loves Red Velvet Cake, I substituted it for the lemon flavor cake which I really like. They went faster than the pies did. Each one is about two bites worth of cake, and you can pick them up in your fingers because the almond bark coating sets up hard. No sticky fingers.
Cake Balls Recipe
1 jar cream cheese frosting
3 cake mixes any flavor ( my faves are lemon, carrot, pumpkin)
almond bark about 3 pkgs
make up each cake mix as directed on the box.
After cooling, Set out 3 bowls, one for each flavor.Crumble each in a bowl and mix 1/3 jar of the frosting in each bowl..
Form each cake ball into a ball ( I use my Table spoon measuring spoon) but you can use a cookie scoop.
once you get them all formed, melt the almond bark (make sure you add shorting to thin it)
cover each cake ball, and set on wax paper till set.
These are mouthwatering good! These would make fantastic Christmas gifts.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Puke Buckets and Mop Pails!
As I write this we are going on day four of A.L. being sick! I hate having her so sick and not knowing what it is that is causing her to have a high fever and throwing up. Needless to say the puke pail has been in constant use along with the mop bucket for missed attempts at hitting the bucket, but that is to be expected with a little 3 yr old, the aim isn’t always so good.
I am beginning to wonder if this is the stomach bug that J.T. and T.A. cycled through that they brought home from school, although I am thinking that with the time lapse between them being sick and now A.L. that they are not connected to one another. With J.T. and T.A. they were sick for around 48 hrs and then they were fit as a fiddle!
Of course one of the main worries with little ones puking and with a high fever is the concern about getting dehydrated. For the first couple of days, she didn’t want to eat or drink anything. I think it was more the fear of it coming right back up again that caused her not to want anything. Luckily that has been overcome and she is getting plenty of liquids now.
We’ve been to the doctor and started running all the usual tests. Tonsillitis and strep throat have been ruled out and the doctor thinks it is a viral infection. If she isn’t showing improvement, the doctor wants to see her again on Monday.
So of course we have a huge get-together planned for Thanksgiving here at our house! Hopefully this will be gone over the weekend and we can go ahead and look forward to a fun holiday together with all of our family.
I am beginning to wonder if this is the stomach bug that J.T. and T.A. cycled through that they brought home from school, although I am thinking that with the time lapse between them being sick and now A.L. that they are not connected to one another. With J.T. and T.A. they were sick for around 48 hrs and then they were fit as a fiddle!
Of course one of the main worries with little ones puking and with a high fever is the concern about getting dehydrated. For the first couple of days, she didn’t want to eat or drink anything. I think it was more the fear of it coming right back up again that caused her not to want anything. Luckily that has been overcome and she is getting plenty of liquids now.
We’ve been to the doctor and started running all the usual tests. Tonsillitis and strep throat have been ruled out and the doctor thinks it is a viral infection. If she isn’t showing improvement, the doctor wants to see her again on Monday.
So of course we have a huge get-together planned for Thanksgiving here at our house! Hopefully this will be gone over the weekend and we can go ahead and look forward to a fun holiday together with all of our family.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Happy Birthday
This time a year ago, we were welcoming you into this big old world! We were mighty worried about you there for awhile. The doctor ended up putting me on “house arrest”, well lets say it felt like that anyways. I was told I needed to go home and stay in bed when I was 21 weeks along. NO lifting of anything larger than a glass of water. No vacuuming, doing laundry, making beds…. Nothing …. NADA! I was allowed to get up, move to the sofa and lie down or sit propped up with my legs up. I wasn’t even allowed to stand to cook lunch or dinner!
Thanks to God, a wonderful husband, who stepped up to the plate, family, and friends, they all kept me down and resting so that you would stay put and survive. Every time I would go into the doctor, she was thankful and then when you actually waited until your due date to be born , she was amazed! Prayer is truly wonderful and I feel so blessed!
And here you are today, a perfect healthy little girl!
Happy Birthday darling!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Summertime in the Park
I just had to share this with you all. It is a picture of A.L and her cousin L. playing in the park when her uncle and his family came to visit from Arizona. Alyssa took this picture and then entered it into a photo fair contest and she won first prize in her age group! I absolutely love the concentration of the two of them as they were playing along the hopscotch that was made on the sidewalk.Looks like a drawing that Norman Rockwell would do doesn't it?
Saturday, October 23, 2010
What's Inside Your Lunch Box?
Do you have problems coming up with ideas for sandwiches to put in school lunches? I now know why my mom fixed so many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for us when we were growing up! Of course back then we didn’t have insulated lunch bags either, just the good old customary brown bag that you threw in the trash when you were done. We would get a sandwich, some potato chips, cookies (if we were lucky) or an apple (which I seldom had time to eat) and then milk money to get a carton of milk in the cafeteria. Needless to say our lunches were pretty boring and we looked forward to cafeteria food!
As I got older, in my teen years, I would tease my mom because she would make out a grocery list and invariably leave it on the kitchen counter. We would get half-way to the store and she would realize she left it at home. One day I said to her, “Just use the one in your purse from last time, you always buy the same things anyway!” You can imagine how well that went over!
At least with my children we use the insulated lunch totes and little thermos bottles that can be filled with either milk or soup and small containers that can be used for hot or cold items.
I do find that making sandwiches is a bit tricky to keep a variety going for both of my older children since they are both allergic to peanut butter, I will make them cheese sandwiches without mayonnaise or put in lunch meat, cheese, lettuce and pickles into the keep cold containers and bread in a lunch bag. That way they can create their sandwiches when they are ready to eat and they are not soggy. You notice I didn’t include tomatoes, trying to get those down them uncooked is impossible!
Both of them like to take macaroni and cheese, beef stew, chili, or spaghetti in one of the insulated containers. Other favorites are cottage cheese, fruit cocktail, peaches or pears. This winter, I am going to include soups and hot chocolate and see how they like that.
As I got older, in my teen years, I would tease my mom because she would make out a grocery list and invariably leave it on the kitchen counter. We would get half-way to the store and she would realize she left it at home. One day I said to her, “Just use the one in your purse from last time, you always buy the same things anyway!” You can imagine how well that went over!
At least with my children we use the insulated lunch totes and little thermos bottles that can be filled with either milk or soup and small containers that can be used for hot or cold items.
I do find that making sandwiches is a bit tricky to keep a variety going for both of my older children since they are both allergic to peanut butter, I will make them cheese sandwiches without mayonnaise or put in lunch meat, cheese, lettuce and pickles into the keep cold containers and bread in a lunch bag. That way they can create their sandwiches when they are ready to eat and they are not soggy. You notice I didn’t include tomatoes, trying to get those down them uncooked is impossible!
Both of them like to take macaroni and cheese, beef stew, chili, or spaghetti in one of the insulated containers. Other favorites are cottage cheese, fruit cocktail, peaches or pears. This winter, I am going to include soups and hot chocolate and see how they like that.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Making The Switch To Cloth Diapers
A. L. is almost two now and having two little ones in disposable diapers is extremely expensive! Although she is doing very well on the potty training during the day and wears big girl panties, I will switch her over to diapers when we leave the house to avoid any “accidents.” I still have not figured out what the fascination is with little girls and wanting to use public restrooms! It never fails, go to a restaurant, shopping in a store, or church and I hear this little voice saying “mama I gotta go potty!”
Several months ago, in an effort to cut costs on disposable diapers, I decided to try the new style cloth diapers with the waterproof covers. I started pricing them in the store and they were extremely expensive. I also found websites on the Internet where you can purchase them, both new and used. As luck would have it, we were able to get some off E-bay really reasonably priced. I was hesitant at first because they were used diapers but figured a good washing with some bleach and the sanitizer cycle on my washing machine, they would be fine.
The brands that we purchased are called Haute Pocket diapers.
These are the new style where the diaper pad slips inside a pocket in the waterproof cover. I have a total of four and wish I had more! If you are considering making the switchover to cloth diapers, I would suggest having at least a dozen covers and inserts to work with. One thing you do need to remember is not to dry the cover part in your dryer.
You can use liners that go over the pocket, between the diaper and baby’s bottom to make it easier to clean up “poopy” messes. It will also help keep the actual diaper pad part from staining so badly. These are sold at various stores like Wal-Mart, Target and even Toys-R-Us or at various sites over the internet.
One thing that I have not tried yet is taking a regular pre-fold cloth diaper and inserting it into the pocket for overnight wear. I need to see if that would be sufficient for handling overnight wetting.
I have not noticed any difference in problems like diaper rash because I use Parent’s Choice disposable diapers. With my first two, I tried several of the well-known brands, but with my children’s allergies and skin sensitivities, I had to keep changing brands until I found one that would not irritate their skin.
I do still use the disposable diapers overnight for both A. L and A. G. Hopefully A.L. will be able to go without diapers at all here shortly. We are in the process of potty training but overnight are still a problem.
During the day, A.G. is cruising in her Haute’s!
Several months ago, in an effort to cut costs on disposable diapers, I decided to try the new style cloth diapers with the waterproof covers. I started pricing them in the store and they were extremely expensive. I also found websites on the Internet where you can purchase them, both new and used. As luck would have it, we were able to get some off E-bay really reasonably priced. I was hesitant at first because they were used diapers but figured a good washing with some bleach and the sanitizer cycle on my washing machine, they would be fine.
The brands that we purchased are called Haute Pocket diapers.
These are the new style where the diaper pad slips inside a pocket in the waterproof cover. I have a total of four and wish I had more! If you are considering making the switchover to cloth diapers, I would suggest having at least a dozen covers and inserts to work with. One thing you do need to remember is not to dry the cover part in your dryer.
You can use liners that go over the pocket, between the diaper and baby’s bottom to make it easier to clean up “poopy” messes. It will also help keep the actual diaper pad part from staining so badly. These are sold at various stores like Wal-Mart, Target and even Toys-R-Us or at various sites over the internet.
One thing that I have not tried yet is taking a regular pre-fold cloth diaper and inserting it into the pocket for overnight wear. I need to see if that would be sufficient for handling overnight wetting.
I have not noticed any difference in problems like diaper rash because I use Parent’s Choice disposable diapers. With my first two, I tried several of the well-known brands, but with my children’s allergies and skin sensitivities, I had to keep changing brands until I found one that would not irritate their skin.
I do still use the disposable diapers overnight for both A. L and A. G. Hopefully A.L. will be able to go without diapers at all here shortly. We are in the process of potty training but overnight are still a problem.
During the day, A.G. is cruising in her Haute’s!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Kids Critters and Coyotes
Time has flown by so quickly and in some ways I am thankful and then in others I’m not. JT and TA were getting “antsy” as summer wore on; the excitement of being out of school dwindled as days went by and there wasn’t much to do except hang out with the kids next door and do basically the same thing every day. I guess playing baseball and hitting golf balls out in the back yard or riding bikes in the neighborhood gets boring as days turn into weeks. Of course JT had regular baseball team during the summer, which meant practice sessions and games for him that did help with his boredom some. They seem much happier now that school is back in session.
This leaves the two little girls at home with me and they are getting to where they play together quite well. I still have to do a bit of monitoring but not like I used to. Now that AG is up and walking pretty steadily on her own two feet, not needing to hang onto furniture like she was, the tumbles are a lot less frequent, tears and bruises less frequent, and she is able to keep up with AL as she flits from room to room. Talk about a “busy” child! AL is constantly on the go! I sometimes think someone wound her springs up too tight! About the only time she will sit still is for a favorite cartoon and then half way through it she is off and running again. I so look forward to nap time every day! Just wish I could get them both down at the very same time so that I could rest too.
Our critters, Ranger and Sophie have been encountering coyotes out back for the past few days. Ranger, being the protector that he is, of house, home and all that reside therein, runs out into the back forty barking and chasing after them. At first the coyotes would turn and run, especially if there were just one or two of them, but lately they seem to be getting braver. The other day I heard the worse ruckus outside, all kinds of barking. Ranger was out there running off the coyotes. I called for him and Sophie to come inside, Ranger came up to the backdoor and sat on the porch but wouldn’t come in. I called again for Sophie and didn’t see her. I went around to the front door, to check out front and there she was, wedged in between the glass storm door and the front door. Now mind you, Sophie is a little Jack Russell Terrier mix, and would be easily carried off by a coyote! I guess she ran there for safety and Ranger really was keeping the coyotes away from her. It is evident that I really am going to have to bring her in at night. She is TA’s pup and usually wants up on the bed with her and right in her face, which of course TA doesn’t like. So we have begun crate training her to sleep inside. I’ll have to keep you posted on how well that works out. Ranger is a big dog and lets everyone know that he owns his territory so I don’t worry about him as much. It would take an entire pack of coyotes to bring him down I am sure. He loves being outside and “patrolling” his kingdom, but if we start getting a lot more coyotes around I will insist that he comes inside at night also.
This leaves the two little girls at home with me and they are getting to where they play together quite well. I still have to do a bit of monitoring but not like I used to. Now that AG is up and walking pretty steadily on her own two feet, not needing to hang onto furniture like she was, the tumbles are a lot less frequent, tears and bruises less frequent, and she is able to keep up with AL as she flits from room to room. Talk about a “busy” child! AL is constantly on the go! I sometimes think someone wound her springs up too tight! About the only time she will sit still is for a favorite cartoon and then half way through it she is off and running again. I so look forward to nap time every day! Just wish I could get them both down at the very same time so that I could rest too.
Our critters, Ranger and Sophie have been encountering coyotes out back for the past few days. Ranger, being the protector that he is, of house, home and all that reside therein, runs out into the back forty barking and chasing after them. At first the coyotes would turn and run, especially if there were just one or two of them, but lately they seem to be getting braver. The other day I heard the worse ruckus outside, all kinds of barking. Ranger was out there running off the coyotes. I called for him and Sophie to come inside, Ranger came up to the backdoor and sat on the porch but wouldn’t come in. I called again for Sophie and didn’t see her. I went around to the front door, to check out front and there she was, wedged in between the glass storm door and the front door. Now mind you, Sophie is a little Jack Russell Terrier mix, and would be easily carried off by a coyote! I guess she ran there for safety and Ranger really was keeping the coyotes away from her. It is evident that I really am going to have to bring her in at night. She is TA’s pup and usually wants up on the bed with her and right in her face, which of course TA doesn’t like. So we have begun crate training her to sleep inside. I’ll have to keep you posted on how well that works out. Ranger is a big dog and lets everyone know that he owns his territory so I don’t worry about him as much. It would take an entire pack of coyotes to bring him down I am sure. He loves being outside and “patrolling” his kingdom, but if we start getting a lot more coyotes around I will insist that he comes inside at night also.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Time to Breath and Time to Grow
After a few really difficult months, of bed rest to make sure I carried my 4th child to a viable term in the pregnancy and months following filled with the needs of 3 additional children, I finally feel like I have some time to breath now!
As you can see from my prior post, the Doctor told me I HAD to go on bed rest! There were no ifs, ands or buts about it because if I didn’t, I was taking a big risk of losing this adorable little girl that I am now holding in my arms. I was actually able to make it to full term and now have a healthy baby girl who will be a year old in November.
I learned some great lessons during this time, as to what ones priorities in life are. I had to learn to put my full trust and faith in God, that He was in control and it would be His will that would be done. I also learned that husbands can and will do many things around the house to help you out with kids, cooking and cleaning and you don’t even have to ask! As for mother’s, well they do what mother’s always do, come running when their children need their help, even when it does mean rearranging their schedules and getting up in the early morning to get over to give you a hand. Sisters can be called upon at a moment’s notice to help with babysitting the older children so that you can make an hurried up, unscheduled but necessary doctor’s appointment. Our loving church family was there for months. The women would take turns helping out, fixing us complete meals, as well as anything else that we might need.
Thanks to a wonderful support group, my loving husband and mom as well as a sister nearby and our church group, they all worked together to keep me down, which was extremely hard to do since I am one of those people who is constantly on the go and am one who used to be a fastidious house cleaner and keeper upper! It used to bug me when laundry doesn’t get done, clothes folded and put away on a regular basis or the dishes are stacked up in the sink unwashed and not even stuck into the dishwasher but not any more. Life is too short to worry about such things all the time. I’ve learned to relax and enjoy my family.
As you can see from my prior post, the Doctor told me I HAD to go on bed rest! There were no ifs, ands or buts about it because if I didn’t, I was taking a big risk of losing this adorable little girl that I am now holding in my arms. I was actually able to make it to full term and now have a healthy baby girl who will be a year old in November.
I learned some great lessons during this time, as to what ones priorities in life are. I had to learn to put my full trust and faith in God, that He was in control and it would be His will that would be done. I also learned that husbands can and will do many things around the house to help you out with kids, cooking and cleaning and you don’t even have to ask! As for mother’s, well they do what mother’s always do, come running when their children need their help, even when it does mean rearranging their schedules and getting up in the early morning to get over to give you a hand. Sisters can be called upon at a moment’s notice to help with babysitting the older children so that you can make an hurried up, unscheduled but necessary doctor’s appointment. Our loving church family was there for months. The women would take turns helping out, fixing us complete meals, as well as anything else that we might need.
Thanks to a wonderful support group, my loving husband and mom as well as a sister nearby and our church group, they all worked together to keep me down, which was extremely hard to do since I am one of those people who is constantly on the go and am one who used to be a fastidious house cleaner and keeper upper! It used to bug me when laundry doesn’t get done, clothes folded and put away on a regular basis or the dishes are stacked up in the sink unwashed and not even stuck into the dishwasher but not any more. Life is too short to worry about such things all the time. I’ve learned to relax and enjoy my family.
Pregnancy Ups and Downs
Some background information about what we have been going through since I was told that I needed to go on bed rest in order for our baby daughter to survive. All is well now, and I will add a post about everything since this date.
This past month has been a roller coaster of emotions and I now feel comfortable sharing with you some of those hills and valleys.
At 22 weeks, I was told that I had no choice but to go on "home bed rest" because there were complications developing and I might not be able to carry this baby long enough for her to survive. I had started with pre-term labor and was in need of medication to stop it and ordered to stay off my feet. I could lay down in bed or on the sofa, sit on the sofa or sit in a chair. I was not to do any housework whatsoever, not even stand to cook meals, do any walking except to a place to sit, lay down, or the restroom!
Now to say the least this was heart wrenching news but something that I knew had to be followed to the letter. Luckily I have a very loving husband who immediately stepped up to the plate and has been handling most of the running of the household, caring for our three children as well as running our business by himself. We have had wonderful church family who have set up a "dinner brigade" for us where someone from church is preparing and delivering dinner to us so that John doesn't have to cook or stop at a fast food drive in or one of the pizza carryout places.
Of all the chores that John doesn't like to do it is fold laundry! My mom has helped by coming out to the house and handling that chore for him unless she is tied up with projects that she can't get away from. She has also helped with entertaining the children until school started and helped keep the house picked up and tidy.
John now has a routine down where he seems to have everything under control quite well. Now if he could solve my "cabin fever" we would be in good shape!
I am not one who likes to sit still and just watch tv, play on the computer all day long, stay in bed all day or take long afternoon naps. This staying down and off my feet has been driving me crazy. You know how it is when you see a smudged window or the kids have left dishes all over the table as they dash out the door for school? You want to get out the cleaning stuff and clean that window, along with a few more! You want to pick up the dishes and throw them in the dishwasher, wipe down the table and the chairs. For me to have to ignore all of that or the toothpaste spit in the sink or the unmade beds is very hard on this Type A personality!
We are now at 28 weeks and I continue on my medication at the prescribed intervals without having to take any extra as I did earlier on. I continue to take one day at a time, knowing that each day keeps our little girl safer inside where she now belongs. As each day passes, her survival chances improve along with the chances that she will be born without any physical or mental complications.
I place my trust in God and pray daily.
This past month has been a roller coaster of emotions and I now feel comfortable sharing with you some of those hills and valleys.
At 22 weeks, I was told that I had no choice but to go on "home bed rest" because there were complications developing and I might not be able to carry this baby long enough for her to survive. I had started with pre-term labor and was in need of medication to stop it and ordered to stay off my feet. I could lay down in bed or on the sofa, sit on the sofa or sit in a chair. I was not to do any housework whatsoever, not even stand to cook meals, do any walking except to a place to sit, lay down, or the restroom!
Now to say the least this was heart wrenching news but something that I knew had to be followed to the letter. Luckily I have a very loving husband who immediately stepped up to the plate and has been handling most of the running of the household, caring for our three children as well as running our business by himself. We have had wonderful church family who have set up a "dinner brigade" for us where someone from church is preparing and delivering dinner to us so that John doesn't have to cook or stop at a fast food drive in or one of the pizza carryout places.
Of all the chores that John doesn't like to do it is fold laundry! My mom has helped by coming out to the house and handling that chore for him unless she is tied up with projects that she can't get away from. She has also helped with entertaining the children until school started and helped keep the house picked up and tidy.
John now has a routine down where he seems to have everything under control quite well. Now if he could solve my "cabin fever" we would be in good shape!
I am not one who likes to sit still and just watch tv, play on the computer all day long, stay in bed all day or take long afternoon naps. This staying down and off my feet has been driving me crazy. You know how it is when you see a smudged window or the kids have left dishes all over the table as they dash out the door for school? You want to get out the cleaning stuff and clean that window, along with a few more! You want to pick up the dishes and throw them in the dishwasher, wipe down the table and the chairs. For me to have to ignore all of that or the toothpaste spit in the sink or the unmade beds is very hard on this Type A personality!
We are now at 28 weeks and I continue on my medication at the prescribed intervals without having to take any extra as I did earlier on. I continue to take one day at a time, knowing that each day keeps our little girl safer inside where she now belongs. As each day passes, her survival chances improve along with the chances that she will be born without any physical or mental complications.
I place my trust in God and pray daily.
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