Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Sweet as Pie: Homemade Nutter Butters

Oh. My. Goodness! Heaven is not a good enough word to describe how delicious these are. The cookie part was very easy to make and easy to handle. My three-year-old and five-year-old helped me make the cookies. This made a huge number of cookies. You could even make the cookies slightly smaller to increase the number of cookies in the recipe, but the size that they recommend is just about perfect in my book. I made the frosting the next morning, which was relatively easy. 


 Check out these very cute helpers!!!

 I threw all three of the ingredients into the mixer and let it go. I put the filling in between the two cookies and only ate one in the process of making them… That is success in my book!

These cookies were good the first day, better the second day, and unbelievably divine by the third and fourth day. The longer they sit in an airtight container, the better they are. I will definitely be making these cookies again. This be a great thing to make for a party because it will impress people, it's relatively easy and it makes a huge quantity.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

#9. Take the Boys to a Gwinnett Braves Game and sit in the Outfield

This is potentially going to be a problem for us, just because my two youngest typically go to bed around 6 PM :-). We had gone to an Atlanta Braves game back when H a S was only six months old. It was at the end of July and was 102°. Not our smartest move as parents. So, we thought we would try this one in April. It was not 102°. However, by the end of the night, it was 45°. The best part was that the Gwinnett Braves won and we were there for Friday night fireworks.



#56. Go on a Bike Ride as a Family Once a Week for a Month

We love to write our bikes as a family and the two little boys are just getting to the point where they can keep up and enjoy this experience with us. We had a hysterical experience several years ago, when I was pregnant with LPS. I've attached the link to that experience for your reading pleasure. HAS is now able to ride his bike on his own, so that makes the experience even more enjoyable. LPS is still a little small, but does enjoy the bike trailer. One of these weekends, included a 34 mile bike ride down the Virginia creeper trail in Abingdon, Virginia. We did this with my extended family to celebrate my dad's retirement. LPS Rode in the trailer the entire time and loved it. HAS rode on a trail-a-bike behind me, and pedaled 32 of the 34 miles. I was so proud of him. For my boys, their favorite part of the Virginia creeper trail was probably the train the road right by the little house we rented. As we were checking this off the list, we were able to find a new trail, or new to me, that will be great to ride on in the future.







Monday, April 8, 2013

#8 Leave a 100% tip

I have wanted to do this for a long time, but I struggle to find service anymore that warrants such a tip.  In addition, we do not eat out frequently, so that was making this a challenging task.   However, I love the place where the two little boys get their hair cut.  David cuts JMS's hair.  They are so patient with the boys and always attentive to them.  My boys do not like to sit still and the movies that they have playing do not even slow the boys down at all.  Needless to say, I thought this was a great place to leave a 100% tip.  In addition, they have just closed the facility two days a week so I know in a hurting economy, it would benefit these sweet ladies.  The best part was letting LPS hand them the tip.  This made my heart smile. 

Sweet as Pie: Hot Fudge Pie

I love a hot fudge sundae. So, I was really looking forward to this recipe for Hot Fudge Pie. I made it for myself, my mom, my aunt (mom's twin sister), and my cousin When we had a girls weekend at the cabin. I think I must have done something wrong, because the recipe looked nothing like the pictures that I saw and the taste was not that great. I was highly disappointed, and didn't even have a second piece. I believe my mistake was that I used self rising flour instead of all-purpose flour. The chocolate and the other ingredients seem to separate while cooking. We did have one piece each, but through the rest away. I was disappointed, but might be willing to try this recipe again at home.




I made this the same night I made the Broccoli with Walnuts and it was all I could do to take any pictures.  Clearly the hot fudge pie suffered, not only in photo opportunities, but in creation as well. 

Sweet as Pie: Roasted Broccoli with Buttered Walnuts

This is also a recipe that I made during girls weekend, with mom, my aunt, and my cousin, when we were all up at the cabin. I opted not to make this recipe at home because none of my family eats broccoli, so I thought it would be a big waste on them :-) This recipe was ridiculously easy and unbelievably delicious. It was a great way to enjoy broccoli and everyone who ate it loved it, but the broccoli and the walnuts. I will definitely make this again, more likely to do so as the price of walnuts go down :-).








Delightful!!!  Hope if I continue to make this, then my family will get on board with eating it :)