Sunday Gourmet

Well I am not sure if you can call it gourmet but it sure was good. On Sunday, we came home after Hayze's hockey game ( they were defeated 6-4) and had brunch. I made a triple stack of pancakes made from my new pancake molds I got a Williams and Sonoma.

These molds make a hollow centre when stacked so that you are able to

fill them with whatever topping of filling that you desire. I put warmed up apple pie filling in ours and let it over flow on top. I then put grated old cheddar cheese on top, I loved the sharp taste with the sweet.. Kids didn't have the same feelings about the cheese.
A couple of things to consider when doing something like this. I think metal cookie cutters would work to make shapes. You would just need tongs to remove them prior to flipping.
Key tricks, batter has to be quite runny, molds have to be hot prior to pouring batter in to them and they need to be greased well in between each pancake. Pam works great.

I used one pan just to keep the molds hot in between.. I wish I had a large griddle so I could cook all three at once rather than one at a time. These ended up being a long process and my kitchen actually looked like a bomb went off before I was done.
It all ended well and they were excellent. We all loved them and they are on our list to try again.

We serve sausage with them.. got me thinking you could just put the sausage in the middle and pour your syrup right on top. Kind of gives new meaning to "pigs in a blanket"

My helper.. like I mentioned the kitchen took a beating this morning.. I was prepping for this

potato soup, and making brunch at the same time. Destiny was a great help at keeping us on top of the dishes because when we finished the soup, we started making her cupcakes for her birthday.. Which is tomorrow. I hope to send cupcakes to school for her and then bake a separate cake for her party on Friday. Please, please try the recipe for potato soup on Amy's blog. It is so good.. I called it "potato skin soup".. It tastes just like them and it is so nummy..

Destiny trying to beat the winter weather. I think we have all had enough of this cold.

She looks so cute in her Hawaiian outfit..

To bad we are going to Honduras for our vacation..!!..

I am sure they will let her were it if she wants to..

I realized today that I never shared with you the "Santa Hats" that I made for Destiny's Christmas ringette party. They turned out adorable and I wanted to show them off..

I got the idea from here

We had so much fun making them. I did however have the dilemma of how to make them stand up. We didn't have any styro foam and Jim couldn't find any in town so after the kids hands were full of sticks I got the bright idea to use a 2x4. Hayze drilled the holes for me and we were lucky enough to get the perfect size drill bit and they stood up nicely.. The girls loved them and ate every last one.

Holiday Projects

I know! Two posts in one day. That is amazing, but I wanted to show you a couple other projects I have been working on.

Desk Calendars

This is the front and back view of the desk calendar I have been working on for a month or so.

This is a inside view of the month of March and a side view so that you can see how I folded it.This is how pretty it will sit on my family's desk / table.

This project was inspired by Scrapgirls On there website you can purchase templates for 4x6 calendar templates. I then worked with all the current digital paper that I have and added pictures to every month. Personalizing it with the cute little faces of my children. When I got all 12 months completed ( this took me sometime because I worked on it a few minutes here and there) I uploaded the 13 files (cover included) to Costco and requested 12 of each printed on 4x6 photo paper in matte. I was able to pick them all up the next day at the location I chose, this is such a great service. When I got them home the kids and I separated them into a 1 year calender. I then took sheets of 12" x 12" scrapbook paper and and cut it into 4" stripes. I was able to get to easels from each piece of paper, one strip I cut in half to add to the back of the other two once I got them folded so that they would sit in a triangle. If you would like the exact measurements just email me and I can walk you through it. When the stand was complete I then punched holes and attached the ring binding. (thanks to Lisa for the use of your binding machine) WOLA!. The cutes little desk calender this season. My original thought before binding them was to get those cute little picture holders that you just slip the pictures in make of wire. I think that idea would work too and wouldn't be to expensive because I am sure that you can buy then at the dollar store.

Digital Scrapbook Page

[click to see larger]

I just finished this this morning. I was on 2 peas in a bucket web page this morning just browsing around and noticed this weeks digital challenge. " create a background paper using only brushes" So I was inspired to do a layout. This is what I came up with. I got my snow flake brushes for deviantart by a member named MELDIR. This site have proven useful a couple of time for brushes to use in Photoshop. So as you can see,outside of using snowflakes my layout is quite simple. The ripped edges I got from Scrap Girls they add a nice layer to this layout.

well you have it, all my projects.

Christmas Journal

Well remember this post were I said I was going to be so ambitious and do a Christmas journal and document everyday on our way to Christmas 2008. Ya well that failed!. I ran out of time prior to surgery and I haven't had the ability in the last couple of weeks. But with all that said I have realized that we as a family have done some great things on our way to Christmas and I have documented with pictures and get to "journal" about them on my blog. So this.. has become my 2008 December journal.

We have done some great things together so I am going to hi light a couple for you

Poppy Cock

[december 7, 2008]

Caramel Popcorn with Nuts (Poppy Cock)

Ingredients
4 qt Fresh popped corn.

1/2 ts Salt.

2 c Peanuts; dry-roasted, (or any other nut you would like, I used cashews)
1/2 ts Baking soda
1 c Packed brown sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla extract
1/2 c Unsalted butter
lg 5 quart roasting pan.
1/2 c Corn syrup

Instructions for Caramel Popcorn with Nuts (Poppy Cock)Place popcorn in large roasting pan. Mix in nuts. Set aside. Preheat oven to 200F. In heavy sauce pan, mix sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Over medium heat, stir until boiling. Continue to boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, then baking soda (it will foam up). Pour over popped corn and nuts; mix well to coat. Place in oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes while baking. Cool, break apart and store in a tightly sealed container.

This recipe turned out great. Jim loved it. It makes two large zip lock bags full and is crunchy rather than gooey. We loved it.

Saturday Sunshine

Only one ice time on Saturday and after the game Hayze went to the Rycrofts to play and Destiny and her Dad went for a ride. It was a perfect December day for a ride.

[december 6,2008]

Sunday Snow Storm

This turned out to be a great day for the kids to get out and play in the snow. Ringette was cancelled so we stayed home and all three of my kids played out in the snow. [the third being Jim of course]

[december 7,2008]

Our little Lilly, she is so photogenic.


The Scenery in our yard was amazing. I took a ton of pictures but really none of them did the "winter wonder land" any justis.

In anticipation for the falling snow.

The back window of my Avalanche.

I thought it looked so cool with the falling snow and white trim of snow all around it.

Hope you enjoyed some of our December journal , check back for more entries.

2 batch

Well, as I said in my last post, Stacey brought projects on both days. This is what the second day project looked like.

[click on photo to see bigger, if you want the recipe]

I have to ask some of you bakers out there, have you ever added "parowax" to any of you recipes and if you have why.? I must admit I was a little nervous adding wax to a pot of perfectly good choc. My roll in this great tasting, great looking treat was unwrapping the camels (which were the soft Werthers) The camels were so nice and easy to open compared to the original style. I highly recommend this brand when making these.

I didn't give you the recipes for the cookies that we made in the last post but if you are wanting them just let me know and I will get them from Stacey.

I have received some really nice gifts in the last couple of weeks, a very large platter that looks great in my office on my round table, some fun cowboy boot shaped patio lites, Lasagna, chili, wine and wine glass, slippers, magazines and books, coffee and a sparkly room diffuser and flowers. How great is that. Funny how a gift can always make you feel better. Thanks everyone for the pick me ups.

[This is the coffee and room diffuser I received.]

[how cute is that?]

Letter to Santa

The children did their letters to Santa on Wednesday night. Destiny colored and decorated and erased and started again for about a hour. Hayze, wanted to use the computer, he typed a 3 line letter, ending in I think I have been good! Jim mailed them today.. I guess we will see what the old boy thinks.

Have a great Friday.