Chocolate Pudding Cake.. in a crockpot!!

Have you tried chocolate pudding cake in a crockpot? I know I haven't, but the first I heard of it I had to try it for myself! My friend Ashlee made it last weekend, and then posted it to her new cooking blog, The Culinary Queen.

She has just started her cooking blog, and she LOVES to cook. I can not wait to try some of her other recipes. Did I mention she likes butter?? ;) Oh where was I, oh yeah chocolate pudding cake!!

This was such an easy recipe and I LOVE chocolate pudding cake. One of my favorites from when I was kid. After trying it tonight, the recipe was very easy and tasty! Thanks Ashlee for sharing the recipe!

Here is the recipe from her blog post, click here or see recipe below.

Easy Crock Pot Chocolate Pudding Cake

1 package (6 serving size) instant Chocolate pudding and pie filling

3 cups of Milk

1 package (181/2 ounces) chocolate fudge cake mix plus ingredients to prepare mix

Whipped Topping or Ice Cream (optional)

Crushed peppermint Candies

1.Spray 4 quart Crock pot slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place pudding mix in Crock Pot slow cooker. Whisk in Milk.

2. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Carefully pour cake mix into Crock Pot slow cooker. DO NOT STIR!!

3.Cover, cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours or until set. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping and crushed peppermint candies, if desired. Makes 16 servings.

(just my own little tip. when the time was up, I was worried that it wasn't done cause it looked like the was still uncooked, but don't let that fool you! that's just the pudding. mix it up and it's verrrry good. hope you try it!)

Twilights Eclipse Trailer

First one I've seen so far. My first reaction??? ehhhh. Maybe I will wait until a Matinee. We'll see. :)

But for those that are curious, here it is.

Week 1 Training for 5k

Monday, March 1st. This is the beginning of a few goals that I have set for myself. Funny huh? Since I haven't been keeping up with my New years goals, I'm making some for the month of March.

For example, this month (just a month goal to start), I will not have a carbonated drink which includes my favorite coke slurpee, or any other sugary drink. Just a month, I can do that. Oh and watching more of what I eat. Healthier snacks....and lots of water.

Next I started my 5k training! I woke up Monday morning to an alarm clock at 6:20, and I was out walking/jogging by 6:30. Crazy huh. That's not me, but I'm determined to be more in shape for this 5k run, maybe even jog the whole thing? who knows. My friend sent me this link that is PERFECT if you're trying to get ready for a 5k. The Couch Potato to 5k. It gives you a 9 week calendar to follow 3 times a week for maybe 20-30 minutes tops. You start out small, and work towards an entire 5k. I plan on getting up early MWF and walking/jogging outside, then TTH mornings on the elliptical while the girls are watching cartoons. Then in between in the afternoons walk the girls to the park so they can use some of that stored energy! For those nearby, you're welcome to join me. ;)

I'm sharing this with you 'cause I'm hope it'll help motivate me to follow this through and post progress as I go. Hope that's ok. :) I'll keep you posted!

Making of the Old Spice Commercial

Now I didn't have a chance to watch the superbowl, but I did catch up on the commercials online the next day. I laughed sooo hard when I saw the "your man could smell like me" Old Spice commercial. "I'm on a horse." hahaha. My friend, dunnthat, posted about this on her blog, and I loved it so much I had to share the making of that commercial with my friends. Did you know it's not CGI? it's one continuous shot! Except for the diamonds part.

Here's the commercial for those who need to be reminded.

Here is the making of this commercial. I thought it was very interesting. :) If you're interested, the clip lasts about 20 minutes.

First Attempt at Cinnamon Rolls

On Sunday, I was craving something sweet. I really wanted something with chocolate, but I didn't have what I needed to make a chocolate pudding cake, so my husband suggested making homemade cinnamon rolls. I figured, why not? never made them before, should be fun. So I found a recipe on foodnetwork.com and got started on this new recipe. I made the sweet dough from scratch. I've made bread before..but in a break maker. :) And the thoughts running through my head during this time?? Cookie dough is soo much easier, not so sticky, and it tastes sooo yummy before you bake the dough. Luckily my husband has made this dough before and made sure I wasn't messing it up....cause I probably would have. :) I let the dough rise, kneaded until it wasn't sticky, then rolled it out in this long rectangle. Then, as promised, I didn't skimp on the butter. (I know butter makes everything taste better, but it goes straight to my behind) Anyway, I poured on 1/2 cup of butter on the dough. The shine on the dough was crazy, I could almost see my own reflection in the melted butter.

After the layer of fat, I mean butter, I added the brown sugar (holy crap 1 1/4 cups of brown sugar!), then the regular sugar, and yuummy cinnamon. So far this adventure of mine was good, nothing bad to report. until...This next picture, where I'm rolling up the dough into a log, is where I threw my little child-like tantrum. no joke. I was soo frustrated with the dough I almost threw it away. The dough itself did not want to be rolled up, it was sticky and fighting me every step of the way. When it was rolled up, it was time to cut it into the rolls that taste ohhh soo good. I was asked to try dental floss to cut the dough. HA! may work for your dough, but this dough was not playing along. Then I tried a knife to cut the dough. sigh. Let's just say I made it work. After each cut, I had re-roll that 1.5 inch of dough into the spiral roll.

FINALLY they have been cut, raised, and are ready to cook. At this point I didn't care how they turned out or tasted. The most important thing to remember is that I didn't throw away the dough, which I almost did more than once.

Voila! the final product covered in homemade icing. I guess they tasted ok. My kids have already finished them all and couldn't stop eating them. Then the other response I got from it was, "They are good for your first attempt." HA! like I'm going to make these again. I'd rather get the Rhodes rolls next time. :) I'm a cookie and cakes kind of girl.

ABC's of me

My sister Amelia had this on her blog and I thought I'd play along. It's all about me and not my kids, so why not? maybe it's TMI? lol. wahoo! 2 posts in a day.

ABC's of Me

Age: currently 28

Bed size: Queen.

Chore I hate: Bathrooms. Period.

Dog's name: Say-dee, a little Shitzu. more like a cat than a dog. :)

Essential to start my day: Shower! Makes me feel so good!

Favorite color: Purple

Gold or silver: both. why be picky?

Height: 5 feet 3 inches. maybe.

I am: hoping to run a 5k in June.

Job: the Mom, Wife, Maid, Cook, etc.

Kids: Yup....2 adorable little girls.

Living arrangements: a comfy house perfect for my family

Mom's name: Kay. what kind of q's is this? :P

Nickname: terrytwin2 (can't lose that one), hey you. :)

Overnight hospital stay: just after labor with my kiddies. luckily.

Pet peeve: Drivers texting while driving. ;) pay attention!

Quote from a movie: "How do you say "No way I'm doing this" in crazy?" Mittens in Bolt.

Right or left handed: Righty Tighty

Siblings: Lisa (big sister), Amelia (twin sister), Leah (half sister), Lydia (half sister) and Spencer (half brother)

Time I wake up: the kids have been getting me up at 7:30am

Unique thing about my car: umm...? slugdub green!

Vegetable I hate: Cauliflower

Ways I run late: oh crap! I forgot something..

X-rays I've had: do teeth at the dentist count?

Yummy food I make: Ginger Cookies, Rum Cake, desserts....yum.

Zoo favorite: Red Panda. Very cute little animal that is always up in the trees.

if you want to play along ...TAG YOU ARE IT!

time for an update..long overdue

A lot of little things have happened since the last post, just haven't written it down on my blog. For me, that's ok :) If I can get ONE post a month, I'm happy. I'm amazed at my friends that write more than once a week! Go you...you're a lot more dedicated than I am. seriously. Sorry if this is long, I guess I could split it up? nahhh.... I'll try to highlight it.

Anna and Dave: I've waited almost a month to post this, so I hope this is ok. If the bride to be wants it deleted, just let me know!! My most wonderful cousin, who has been like a sister to me my whole life is GETTING MARRIED!! yay!!! I've met her fiance a couple times and I absolutely love Dave (in a brotherly kind of way). I couldn't be more happy for them. SO if you want to read more about this wonderful couple go here and here. (2 of my favorite blogs)

Sick at Home: As an update, the last month (no joke) my family has been sick. My daugther brought some kind of germ home from school that didn't leave for almost 4 weeks. fun huh. Luckily the girls were only really sick for about a week, but me and my husband... it. would. not. go. away. I ended up going to the instacare, and left with Mucinex-D extra strength for the congestion and pressure, 800mg (the good stuff) ibuprofen, and an antibiotic for a sinus infection or ear infection...he really didn't know. Sooo glad it is finally over! No more germs. please. I do not want to be sick anymore. :)

Sookie Stackhouse Books: While I've been sick, I've been catching up on all sorts of books. I really should start a list on my blog somewhere with what I've read this year. But if you have goodreads.com online, or visual bookshelf on facebook, I keep those updated when I remember. I love looking at what my friends read, that's where I usually get ideas for the next book! Right now I'm in the middle of many books. Have you heard of True Blood on HBO? Since we do not have anything but local channels, I've only heard from my friends. The tv show is based on the Sookie Stackhouse book series by Charlaine Harris. I've been borrowing the books from the library, and so far I just finished book 3, and I have book 4 on hold waiting for it to arrive! I love the library and putting books on hold. Anyway, the series is good, not GREAT, mostly 'cause I prefer the vampires from twilight. :) But I can't put these books down, and I'm looking forward to the next book. I'm a sucker for a good book.

Valentines Weekend: That reminds me. Over Valentines weekend, my husband and I were lucky to go on a double date with some new friends! Ok..the Frisbeys are new friends for me :) I've kinda known Mark through my husbands work, and when (notice past tense) we played world of warcraft online, but I had never really met his wife until recently. Our kids are about the same age, and play really well together! hooray! So we've had a couple playdates. but Valentines weekend we decided that we needed a night without kids. Who doesn't?! Dinner at Red Lobster (3 out of 4 wanted seafood...lol), I found some yummy chicken. Don't forget those yummy biscuits and butter soaked crab. (icky, but tasty to everyone else on the table). We had a really good time at dinner, and I'm glad my husband got his seafood craving filled.

After dinner we saw the movie Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I LOVE the book series. (please don't let the movie's interpretation sway you from reading the books!) The movie is great for 12 yr olds, but for adults?? it's really not that great. At the end my husband said "what? is it over? did Harry beat Voldermort?!" funny huh. Well, a group of young teens said they LOVED it and were going to see if 5 more times. :) ignore the movie...READ the books!

My goal for June: Have you heard of the 5k at Thanksgiving Point? called Running with Angels? my friend Heather told me about it, and I've always wanted to try a 5k. I WILL DO THIS! I'm determined. I'm sooo out of shape, but I have something to work towards. Besides, a 5K is just over 3 miles..I can do that. Maybe walk part of the way, but if I start training, who knows? :) Now to get motivated to workout every day...lol.

MUSE: Have you heard of the band Muse?? Matt (guitar, piano, vocals) Chris (bass) Dom (drums). They are one of my favorites, and my current band obsession. Honestly, I listen to them all the time. They are coming to concert April 5th, and I found a friend to come with me! hooray!! sooooo excited. You are probably familiar with them. If you've read Twilight, or listened to the soundtracks. Muse is the band that Stephenie Meyer always thanks over and over in her books, and you will always find one if not more Muse songs on the soundtracks. I heard they are composing another song for the Eclipse sountrack! If you asked me which was my favorite song? I have too many, and depends on the album. Here is a link on hulu if you're curious on music videos.

That's about it. Lastly I would like to add that my sister Amelia has created a non-private blog (link here) to let everyone know WHEN she does update her private blog. hooray! you may say that's silly, but honestly it helps. I have NO idea when people update their private blogs. AND if you have a private blog, will you send me an invite? I love seeing what my friends are up to! or if you actually read my blog, leave a comment to say hi? and leave a blog addy if I don't have it listed. I write this blog for me and family, but it's true, knowing that people actually take the time to read about your life, that they actually care what you're doing, puts a big smile on my face. :) thanks for taking the time!! I'd give you a big hug if I could.

Movies in 2010...interesting.

If you know me, then you know I love movies. I may not see them too often in the theatre, usually I have to wait until they come out on redbox. BUT I decided to write a post on some upcoming movies that are coming out this year. Some that I'm really looking forward to and others...are redbox worthy. ;) Lets get started. (I was originally going to post the trailers, but instead I'll post a link to those that I can find for the movies.)

mOvieS i rEaLly WaNt tO sEe...

Percy Jackson and the Olympians,

The Lightning Thief

Coming out February 12th.Have you heard of this movie?? I LOVE the book series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Not sure how I'll like the movie, but they have a great cast, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Rosario Dawson, Sean Bean, and many others. The basis of the book/movie is this kid, Percy, finds out that he is a half god. Percy is thrown into a world of ancient Gods that he didn't think existed. To make matters worse, Zeus's lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is the prime suspect. You may not be interested in the movie, but if you have any free time, pick up the first book. (Link to the trailer)

Iron Man 2

Coming out May 7th.Iron Man 2! I really enjoyed the the 1st Iron Man, so of course I'm looking forward to the 2nd installment. When I was looking it up on IMDB.com, I noticed Scarlett Johanssen and Mickey Rourke were in the cast. Should be interesting since now the world knows that he lives a dual life, one as the billionaire inventor, and of the armored ironman. (link to this trailer)

Eclipse

Coming out June 30th. Ahh...the 3rd book in the Twilight Series. :) Now I was not the biggest fan of either the Twilight or New Moon movies (I liked them, didn't love them), but I just can't help myself, I love the books so I'm naturally curious. Not only is their a physical battle at the end against Victoria, but a fight for Bella's heart between Edward and Jacob. Honestly, after watching New Moon I'm secretly hoping Bella chooses the werewolf in this movie. ;) No trailer yet, but once it's out it will be posted.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1

Coming out November 19th.Even though the movies are usually very different from the Harry Potter books, I still enjoy them. This will be Part One of the last book...such a large book I'm glad they are splitting it up. I am a firm believer in waiting to re-read a book until after you've seen the movie or many many months before the movie comes out. Otherwise, you'll hate the movie coming out. I just started to re-read this book last night. I would hope many of you have read this series. Another favorite series. :) This is the last book where Harry, Ron and Hermione have left their last year at Hogwarts to finish what Dumbeldore had started. They are in search of the Horcruxes, and destroy them in order to defeat Voldemort. No trailer yet.

mOvIeS tHat SpArk aN iNteRest tO sEe...

Alice in Wonderland

Coming out March 5th. Alice in Wonderland! I was a little wierded out when I first saw the trailer a few months ago, but then I saw a different trailer and I want to see it. If you didn't know, Alice is now 19 and has returned to wonderland. From what I can tell she's their to help end the Red Queen's power over wonderland. One scene I saw looked like a huge chessboard, the red pieces against the white, which queen will be left standing?? In the cast, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lee, and Alan Rickman. (link to trailer)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Coming Out May 28th.This one looks interesting to me, but that could be because I've seen the video game it is based on. Honestly, I'm a little surprised by who they have cast as the prince, Jake Gyllenhall, but then again I'm hoping he does a good job. I've tried to think of a good way to describe what the movie is about, but it's complicated, so here is the link the trailer.

Letters to Juliet

Coming Out May 14th.Even though I love the action, suspense movies, I'm still a girl and a sucker for the chick flicks. When I saw the trailer for this one, I thought it looked sweet. Anyone want to see it with me when it comes out? :) Here's the link to the trailer if you haven't seen it.

Valentines Day

Coming Out Feb 12th.This movie I'm more curious then anything else because of the cast. I'm assuming it will be similar to the movie Love Actually, where all the characters are connected somehow, but this one is centered around Valentines Day. Here's the link to the trailer.

diD yOu kNow aBoUt tHeSe MoVies...

Robin Hood

Coming Out May 14th. I seriously had a no idea this movie was coming out until I saw the preview recently. How many remakes of Robin Hood are they going to make?! I like Russell Crowe, but not sure about this one. :) But in case you are interested here's the link the movie.

Sex in the City 2

Coming Out May 28th.All I have to say is what?! Not only does this poster look like Carrie's possessed, (gold sunglasses?? really?) but a 2nd movie?? sorry about all the question marks, but I'm just confused. I actually liked the series, and the 1st movie. I'm just not sure what it is going to be about, and this may be a redbox rental. But in case you are curious, here's a link the trailer.

Karate Kid

Coming Out June 11th.They are remaking Karate Kid!! This is Will Smith's son, Jaden Smith, playing the main role and Jackie Chan as the master. This time it's about a boy whos mom's career takes them to Hong Kong. There he is faced with bullies and the quiet handyman is a who he turns to for help. Definitely one I'm curious out. :) I liked the original Karate Kids. With Jackie Chan paired up with Jaden, should be fun. (link to trailer)

Pirates of the Carribean, on Stranger Tides

Coming Out May 2011..could change? I just heard about this one and it's really not coming out until...maybe 2011. But still, I thought the 3rd was the last one? No trailer yet, just thought I'd mention it. From what I've been able to find it will be with Johnny Depp as the Jack Sparrow again, but that's all I know.

Toy Story 3

Coming Out June 18th. I'm sure if you have kids you've seen this trailer. My girls are really looking forward to the 3rd story. Looks like Andy is all grown up and going to college and the toys are donated to a school. Should be fun. (link to the trailer)

Disney's Rapunzel

Possibly Coming out November 2010.I really don't have a lot to say about this one, just saw what Disney has planned for later this year. From the sketches they have online, it looks beautiful.

Something quick about my girls

First, if you haven't noticed, I try not to use my girls first names or my last name in my blog. I guess that's my way of trying to keep something private. If you know me, you most likely know their names. Also, I have no problem if someone wants to site my blog on their blog as long as it doesn't include my last name. Just a personal preference. :)

Ok. back to today! Both my girls were amazing today. My youngest(2yrs old) is in a tumbling class. She was meant to be there. Her nickname at home is Monkey. At this age it's mostly just play time, but they are learning basics for tricks, how to take turns, patience, and socializing. At the end of class, she lets the kids jump in the foam pit! My daughter was realllly shy when I first started her in this class, but now 3 months later, she's made a lot of progress. My favorite part of class today? She jumped in the foam pit and then started digging and hiding under these huge foam squares. I asked her coach, and she said the faom pit was 6 ft deep, with a trampoline at the bottom to make it bouncy. How fun would it be to find the bottom of the foam pit? :)

Then when I went to pick up my oldest daughter from preschool, her teacher told me that she passed off all her alphabet letters and the teacher was going to start sending home beginning books for homework to get passed off. hooray! :) I'm so proud of her. She is just so smart and loves going to school.

Love my girls. :) They amaze me everyday (and try my patience just as much). ;)

Where did the year go??

I don't know about you guys, but 2009 went by with a blink of the eye for me. I'm not entirely ready for 2010, but what other choice do I have?! Bring IT!

With my hubby back to work and my daughter in school, schedules are going back to normal, today is my 1st day of the new year. Break is over. The break was nice, but honestly I'm ready for things to get back to normal. The Holidays were nice and laid back. Let me see if I can summarize our holiday break. We went to my husbands parents farm for Christmas. Drive down was fine, but we got our car stuck in the snow about 5 feet away from where we were supposed to park the car on the property. Forgot my camera to take pictures of kids and christmas. Drive home our car decided that it didn't want the heater to work, so between our body heat inside and the average 16 degrees outside, the drive home was fantastic! :P Read a couple books over the break. Attempted fondue for the kids on New Years eve. Gained 10 pounds in the last 2 months, not sure where the weight went until I put on my pants. And I thought I was being good this season. Goals for the next year need to be written down. That's it in a nutshell.

SO! 2010. Here is what I want to do, but I feel like I always have these goals, so they may change throughout the year. :)

I picked up a writing journal to start writing down something everyday. Anything worth mentioned, something the girls did, memories I don't want to forget. Yeah I write on a blog, but it doesn't have everything written down that I want to remember down the road. and I am NOT good at writing in journals, my sister Amy is definitely better. BUT that's a goal for me, one that I hope to make a habit.

Going to use that eliptical in the office. We have set up calendars near the eliptical and the scale in the bathroom. I'm glad I have a team player on this, or I don't know how long this would last. ;) BUT we are going to mark on the calendar when and how long we lasted (yup lasted, cause I'm soo out of shape that machine kills me) and our weight everyday to see progress. I'm looking forward to warmer weather to when I can take girls on long walks to parks all over the city. Oh and maybe even a 5k to start! and if I can do that, maybe a mini triathlon? (hopefully, but that could be pushing it).

Organize healthier meals! Now I have started this one, I have a list of about 12 recipes so far that look hopeful that I have found online at kraftfoods.com (love love that site). Just need to get a grocery list, and stock up and hopefully stick to it. My weakness is bread. I admit it. Breads, Rice, Potatoes. OH! and that sugary slurpee. I know I can not say never have one again, cause that would be lieing, but definitely cutting back A LOT.

As far as a blog goal? This year I'm going to try and share more of me every now and then. I'll keep up the usual family updates and random posts, but maybe something to help you get to know who I really am (or think I am) :) We'll see. I haven't been wanting to update a lot, but I'll set a realistic goal for at least 1 post a month. haha. On a computer related goal, LESS TIME ON FACEBOOK. seriously.

I remember another goal!! To finish my part of the sisters cookbook. We've been working and gathering recipes forever. literally. Amy emailed me what we have so far put together last August and I don't think I've touched it. whoops. So yeah..need to work on that. How about a deadline. Ams I will do my best to get you my updated part by the end of February. (crossing fingers!!) Then we can send it off to Lisa in hopes that in her busy work schedule can put her recipes together..(or Lisa bring them down with you and we'll do it).

Ok, that's a start and more to come. Today has already been crazy. Hubby went to work, took my oldest to preschool, then went and registered her for Kindergarten at a different school outside our school boundary. Personal choice, nothing more. Most of the kids she knows from her current class are going to this other school. So I HOPE they will let her in, I've done the paperwork and now we just wait to find out. Other than that I've been working on getting recipes together and oh crap...need to start laundry. That's been piling up. All these things to get caught up on after the break. working on it, just need to make a list...