Luck of the Irish to ya

I LOVE St Pattys Day. :)

In past years, before our neighbor moved to Texas, we would go over to his house and have the traditional Irish dinner. If I remember correctly, that was some kind of corned beef, and cooked cabbage.  I have no problem having that once a year, but to be honest that's one tradition that I will probably not keep every St Patty Day. 

This year, I thought it would be fun for the kids to have an all green dinner! (or at least so I thought). On the menu? a yummy green dyed chicken alfredo, 2 layered green jello with homemade whipping cream, green salad, and breadsticks I shaped into clovers! And to drink, Sprite in the mini bottles. :)  I took a picture cause I loved how the clover breadsticks turned out. lol.

The end result? sooo tasty! Well...at least for the adults. The kids barely at anything. Maybe they didn't like the color green in their dinner? thought it was another form of broccoli? i dunno. I ended up sitting with my oldest for 2 hours while she sat at the table playing with her food until it was bedtime. Maybe next year I'll have the luck of the Irish? and my kids will actually eat what I put in front of them. I'll start looking for 4 leaf clovers now. ;)

Giant Cookie Cake

For the last...I don't know how many years...maybe 5 years, I've made this giant chocolate chip cookie for my brothers birthday! :) Sooo easy to make and fun to decorate, so I'm sharing the recipe.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 TB white sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, spray a 12in round pan with non-stick cooking spray.

1. Cream the butter and the sugars together until smoothe.

2. Add the egg and vanilla.

3. Mix on low, then add the dry ingrediants.

4. Mix in the chocolate chips.

5. Press dough in the pan, but leave space on the sides, since it will cook out.

6. Bake 15-20 min. Let it cool in the pan on a cookie rack for 5 minutes, then flip it onto the cookie rack to cool completely before decorating!

Here is the picture of the dough in the pan after I pressed it down. My daughter loved helping me with this part. Oh and you can use any kind of chips! I used half chocolate and half white, and it tasted delicious.

Here is the cookie after is had cooled on the cookie rack. The cook itself is soft and tasty. I hope you try it!

This is the finished cookie after I decorated it. He asked for back and red, so I did a black birthday box with a red bow. lol. worked out huh. I love making this cookie. (by the way, I have not been successful in making black or red icing, luckily I had pre-made betty crocker squeezable icing in both black and red! wahoo!)

Giant Cupcake cakes

Last week, I helped my sister with a project. My sister was in charge of an enrichment activity, that was a big relief society birthday party (right Amelia?). She asked that I cook 3 giant cupcake cakes. Some other ladies in the area were making couple as well, and then they were using them as the centerpieces on the table. So the day before she wanted them at her house, I honestly spent the entire day making these cakes (only took 5 cake mixes, 15 eggs, 5 cups of milk, and lots of butter...voila!). Here is the picture of the 3 cakes put together at my sisters house. For the cakes, I used the funfetti, devils food, and a marble cake flavors. (marble is by far my favorite!) and then I mismatched the tops and bottoms to make the cakes more interesting.

Here is my sister Amy working on another project while I decorated the tops of the cakes. She had this clever idea to make a cupcake "liner" by taking colored paper, painting designs on the paper, then folding the paper like fan to give it that cupcake liner look. Here are some before and after pics of the cupcake cakes.

purple cupcake #1, attempted to pipe stars.

blue cupcake #2, piped zig zag lines red (turned kinda rose color) cupcake #3, piped roses/ribbons.

purple cupcake with the paper liner! cute huh!

blue cupcake with the paper liner. red cupcake with paper liner.

Since I was not at the activity, I only heard that it was a success and quite a few showed up!

Great job Aims!

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.