Thursday, February 4, 2010

Homemade Junk Food

So here's the deal....instead of using my day to do something productive, I made junk food!
Twinkies, actually.
I got this pan at a gift exchange during Christmas time & was hankering to give it a test run.

Once the cakes were baked, I tried making the cream filling. 
Oops...the stuff in the kitchen aide mixer never whipped up past the point it is in the photo~Yuck!
(besides I didn't like the ingredients so much)
...so scrap that batch
...and onto making a Vanilla~Buttermilk Pastry Cream instead~Yum!

So, after chilling it down in the ice bath, it was time to pump it into the little cakes. 
The finished one, on the yellow plate, posed for the photo & then went directly into my mouth.
A Great Lunch Today!

The ones on the long plate are for the kids & my dessert tonight,
...and the ones wrapped up in bags are for giving away to a few special friends.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Confirmation Day


What a joyous day we had, watching Jared (and 102 others)
receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The Mass felt especially personal since both our children took on extra duties in the service.
Jared was asked to be a Reader and Audra was selected to Altar Serve.

The Bishop presided, along with quite an entourage of Priests & Deacons, 
and The Knights of Columbus were present in their full regalia. 
It was quite a site, packing in a huge crowd, and leaving standing room only. 


We celebrated afterward, with our local family members, at a restaurant nearby
...Feeling So Very Blessed!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

My Hubby takes my kiddos skiing every chance they get...


...and they sure are getting BEAUTIFUL weather for their days on the slopes.
In the meanwhile, I use these days to stay home 
and work on all my photo & scrapbook projects.

That's Keeping Everyone Happy!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas goes on for a week around here...

















Christmas Eve at Mom's with my sisters & their families.

Christmas Morning at home in our robes & jammies & sleepy heads.

Christmas Day Brunch at my sister's house.

Day-After Christmas trip to the store to exchange a duplicate toy with lil' cousin Ike.

And lastly, a post holiday visit from my dad includes a trip to the Met.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A Sabering (but not Sobering) Success...

Elena & Michael came to stay with us this weekend, with the promise of a repeat performance on our 'saber episode' inflicted on a bottle of bubbles. Michael has done this quite a number of times in the past, we'd been told, and we were assured that the gifted bottle of nice champagne wouldn't go to waste... ...so in honor of Louis' 50th birthday last month, we were treated to another go round, & once again found ourselves playing on the porch with Jared's machete. This time, mission accomplished!...under Michael's a steamed tutelage. The kids even got in on the act, with a bottle of Italian soda. :o)

Winter Formal

I sure like it when my son wants help with his High School dances: helping him coordinate his attire, going with him to decide on the flowers, pinning on his boutonniere, and photographing him getting ready & meeting up with his date. Jared, you are such a Joy!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Dances, dances, dances

Audra had her Junior Ball on Monday Night. I just LOVE this photo of her and Claire giving each other a hug! They couldn't have been happier about having another Cotillion Event this Merry Holiday Season.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

My 'little' Girl

Audra is confident in her own style,
is happy to create her own 'up-do',
she's ready to dance,
So Cheers! and off she goes to another Cotillion Party.

Good Things:

Cookie Tasting~
Cookie Exchanging~
Gifts to Trade~
~and a room full of Girl Friends

After DAYS of decorating...

The Trees are naked, no more! With a real Noble Fir for the dining room...
A Teeny Tiny Kiddie Tree for the hall bathroom...
A Champagne colored, super skinny, Tinsel Tree for the living room...
Traditional Nutcrackers & Toys for the place where the Stockings are hung...
...and my Grandmother's Vintage Snow Houses take a place in our sun room. Aah, the feeling of Christmas!

Christmas Home Tour Time...Gorgeous Day!

spent touring & dining with special friends.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Ahh! The scent of a real Christmas Tree

We've had an artificial tree for about 5 years... and I have to confess... I didn't miss spending the $$$ each year for a real one, needing a truck to go get it, messing with the stand, stringing the lights, or having to water it every day or two. But, what I DID miss was the fabulous scent of pine you can only get from the real tree. (the candle just really wasn't doing the trick) Oh...Happy Day!

Spritz Cookies Changed up a bit...

My Crafter's Group Cookie exchange is coming up soon...
So I've been trying out some ideas, like adding a special ingredient not normally found in spritz cookies...
I'm supposed to be decorating my house... but somehow the kitchen keeps calling out to me. I wonder if it's distraction or procrastination?

Lemon Yogurt Cake

The cast of characters (aka: ingredients)
What came out of the oven (already looks good to me, but...)
Soaked with lemon-sugar syrup (it's looking better, still...)
Drizzled with Lemon-Sugar Icing (now we're talking) I just have to resist cutting into it (argh).... Do you think it's okay to eat it AS our dinner tonight?