Brown Sugar Cookies

We've been in the alternate universe which is created when Nana and Bobo come to visit! So, I thought I'd ease myself back in nice and easy with a recipe. This recipe is yet another find from Allrecipes.com. The thing that's really great about it is that this is a recipe that you can vary a million different ways and every one is delicious. It also allows you to have a few fresh baked cookies in 15 minutes flat. And who doesn't LOVE fresh out of the oven cookies?!?

Brown Sugar Cookies II

2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1. Mix shortening, butter or margarine, sugars, eggs and vanilla thoroughly. Stir in all purpose or unbleached flour, baking soda and salt.
2. Turn dough onto lightly floured board. Shape dough into ball with lightly floured hands, pressing to make dough compact. Cut dough in half.
3. Shape each half into a roll 2 inches in diameter and about 8 inches long by gently rolling dough back and forth on floured board. Roll dough onto plastic wrap: wrap and twist ends tightly. Dough can be refrigerated up to 1 month or frozen up to 3 months.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Cut roll into 1/4-inch slices. (It is not necessary to thaw frozen dough before slicing.) Place slices about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Immediately remove cookies from baking sheet onto wire rack.

Variations:

• CHOCOLATE CHIP: Add 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped nuts with the flour.
• OATMEAL-COCONUT: Reduce flour to 2 3/4 cups. Add 1 cup flaked coconut and 1 cup quick-cooking oats with the flour.
• PEANUT BUTTER: Add 1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter with the shortening.
• CHOCOLATE-NUT: Add 1 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup cocoa with the flour.
• FRUIT SLICES: Add 1 cup whole candied cherries, 1/2 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup cut-up mixed candied fruit with the flour.

Use these variations as a guide for your measurements, but use your imagination for the ingredients! We've even added sprinkles and they turn out yummy every time!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Cornbread Casserole

Everybody needs a good zucchini recipe this time of year--here's a great one!

Zucchini Cornbread Casserole

4 cups shredded zucchini
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn muffin mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. In a large bowl mix together the zucchini, onion, eggs, muffin mix, salt and pepper. Stir in 4 ounces of the cheese. Spread this mixture into a greased 2 quart casserole dish; top with remaining 4 ounces of cheese.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes.

This and That

I thought I'd just give a quick update on each of us to let you know what's going on these days...

Jared returned home late Saturday night from his interview in Maryland. While they were very enthusiastic about Jared and will almost certainly offer him the position, he's decided that it just isn't the right move for his career. The company is just starting out (they literally only have three people right now) and Jared isn't confident that the idea they have will be successful or feasible in the long run. Also, he would be spending most of his time giving presentations to get financial backing, at least in the beginning, which he isn't too crazy about. So, it looks like he's back to the job boards for a while. He'll still be under contract at Organix until the end of January, but we don't want to wait until the last minute to find the next thing. Jared's been advised that for every 10K you are asking for in salary you should expect at least one month of job hunting...

We had a really nice anniversary yesterday. We were all so happy to have Jared home and enjoyed going to church together in the morning and then headed out to Nahant Beach for the afternoon. We all had a good time (even Max!) and were sad to go home (especially Ruby!). Jared surprised me with the news that Kay will be coming out either this weekend or next to keep the kids while we go on an overnight somewhere. We've come up with enough ideas of things we'd like to do to fill a month I think! But, we'll enjoy 24 hours too!

I have received my information packets for both Community Bible Study and MOPS now, both of which will be starting in September. My mission for this week is to find a swimming or tumbling class for Ruby to join this fall as well. We'll also be starting story time at the library soon and I think we might be able to do the Barnes and Noble story time too. We'll see. I sense that things will be a little bit less wild around here once the kids have a bit more structure. While we've stayed busy this summer, we've also had a lot of free play time which has translated into lots of arguing and fighting. Ruby will be happy to have more time to play with kids her age and Mommy will be happy to have her a bit more content with life!

Max has been learning so quickly these days and loves reading his books and playing with cars. He also loves playing tea party and restaurant with his sister. Biting has, unfortunately, gotten worse if anything. He has stopped biting me as much, but is now biting Ruby very hard. We've been really consistent with discipline, but so far nothing seems to be working. I'm considering getting a spray bottle and training him like a naughty kitten/puppy!

That's about it for now. Check back tomorrow for Tasty Tuesday!

Interview and Anniversaries

I'm writing this post in advance as Jared has the computer with him today for a job interview in Rockville, Maryland. Please keep my hubby in your prayers as he checks out the job and the area to see if this might be a good move for his career and our family.

Jared will be home in time for our 6th wedding anniversary on Sunday. We don't have anything special planned, but hope we might be able to convince Nana and Bobo to come out for a visit soon so that we can take our first weekend away since Ruby was born! Time sure does fly and we sure could use the getaway. No pressure Nana and Bobo...

Speaking of Bob and Kay, I want to wish them a happy 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday, August 17th! I pray that Jared and I will be as happy in 34 years as you two are. We love you!

I hope you all have a great weekend and HAVE FUN!

Miss Ru

Life is not dull with a three year old in the house. The only quiet moments we have are when Ruby is sleeping or if she's zoned out with the boob tube. At all other times, we hear Ruby's commentary on the world. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

A few mornings ago she woke up and came into our room before I had made the bed and put away dirty clothes, etc. She looked around the room in horror and said, "Oh no! Mommy, this place is a pig sty!"

Ruby is always very concerned about bugs and for the most part refers to them as her "friends". At the dinner table the other night we were having watermelon. As we cleaned up, I asked Jared to put the rinds in a bag since we'd been having some fruit flies in the house. This is the approximate conversation that followed:

R: "Daddy, it's okay. They can eat the watermelon"
J: "Well, I don't want them eating mine, that's gross."
R: "They won't eat much! They need that watermelon to live!"

We just chuckled and bagged up the watermelon rinds. Thankfully the fruit flies soon took the hint that we weren't all as concerned about their welfare as Ruby and flew the coop. Now I guess she'll have to go outside to find some bugs to worry about!

Sandblast!

Last Saturday we had a break in the rain and decided to head out to Crane's Beach in Ipswich for their annual sand sculpture competition. Although it was a bit tricky finding the beach, we were so happy that we took the time to come out. To learn more about this beautiful estate click here!

I hope you'll enjoy a few pictures from our day!

This was our first view of the beach as we climbed up over the dunes. I had hoped to get another picture, but unfortunately I was low on camera battery from the very start of the day.

Ruby with the other bathing beauties on the way to the beach.

Max, as you may remember, doesn't like to touch the sand or water, so he enjoyed wearing Ruby's shades and just relaxing in his camp chair. He kept spotting kites or other kids running by and would point and say, "Oh, wow!". It was pretty cute.

Ruby and Daddy had a great time swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand. Max would get upset if he couldn't see "Bah-bee" (Ruby) or Daddy. He thought it was pretty fun to see them having a good time even if he wasn't interested in joining in!

We were camped out next to the Masters category and got to see them working on this car for the last few hours of the competition. The theme of the competition seemed to be environmental conservation, recycling, etc. The unpublished theme seemed to be Batman though!

Here's a sculpture that I think was supposed to be an electric car. One of the few that wasn't Batman or super hero related.

We have discovered that there are so many beautiful spots in New England. We're looking forward to the autumn for all the beautiful colors, but for now we'll just be thankful for a day at the beach!

Arti-Cheesy Chicken

Don't think about the calories or the consequences. Just make this recipe. It is restuarant quality, absolutely delicious, cannot be missed GOOD! Serve over pasta with a green salad for a to die for meal!

Arti-Cheesy Chicken

1/2 pound sliced bacon
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and cubed
1 (6.5 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 pint heavy cream
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 (6 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled

1. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove from skillet, leaving 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the skillet. Set bacon aside.
2. Add mushrooms to skillet and saute for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and add the chicken, artichoke hearts, soup, cream, olives, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
3. When this mixture begins to simmer, slowly stir in feta cheese. Crumble the bacon into the skillet and let all simmer, stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes.

To print your own copy of the recipe, head on over to Allrecipes.com!

Walking in Daddy's Shoes

One of the kiddos favorite things to do is to play in our closet. There are endless games of peek-a-boo, along with some more violent games of locking brother/sister in. Ruby and Max love to bring toys in there like it's a fort and close the doors tight. There are so many interesting things in there: a bag full of paperbacks for Mommy to read on a "rainy day", a humidifier packed away for the muggy summer months, clothes, and most interesting of all--Daddy's slippers. For some reason, sliding their tiny feet into Daddy's size 15 "Homies" is about as much fun as a kid's allowed to have. Here are a few pictures that I caught of Max taking a walk in Daddy's shoes this last week.

I was amazed that he was actually able to take a few steps before wiping out! Although, as you can see in this picture Max had the most success when he wore the slippers backwards!

With all the rain we've been having there will probably be even more of these silly shots throughout the week. Do stay tuned though for a recap of our visit to Crane's Beach in Ipswich for the Sandblast! sandcastle competition.

Now I'm off to clean, clean, clean. I have some pretty good motivation today though--a trip to The Cheesecake Factory tonight for Ladies Night Out with my MOPS group-- YEAH!!

The "Nubble" Light

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it or not, but we got a much needed new to us car almost 2 weeks ago. It's a 2004 Subaru Outback and so far has treated us really well. To inaugerate our new vehicle, we decided that we really ought to take a short road trip, so we headed on up to York, Maine for a visit to one of Maine's most photographed lighthouses, the Cape Neddick "Nubble" Light.

The lighthouse, which is now automated, has a rich history of interesting keepers. One of the keepers decided to earn a little extra money by rowing tourists over for tours. He soon "resigned" when his superiors heard what he was up to. The lighthouse has witnessed at least one marriage and another birth. To read more check out this website.


The highlight of the trip was visiting with some of our dear friends that we know from our time in DK. They are now living in Maine, so it's been great to be able to get together with them a few times. As you can see, Ruby was happy to be with Miss Isabelle! Ruby also had a great time rock climbing with Daddy, while Max preferred playing in the puddles!

For our potluck lunch, I ended up bring a baked bean dish that was a big hit. Here's the recipe with my slight modification from the original below:




Old Settlers Baked Beans

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 (16 ounce) can pork and beans, undrained
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounce) can Cannelini beans, rinsed and drained

In a large skillet, cook bacon, remove from pan. Brown beef and onion until meat is done and onion is tender. Drain any fat. Combine all remaining ingredients except beans. Add to meat mixture; mix well. Stir in beans. Place in a greased 2-1/2-qt. casserole. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until heated through.

Enjoy!

Log Roll Bonanza!

Here's a short collection of videos I took of Jared teaching the kids to log roll last weekend! Enjoy!

Odds & Ends - MI Part 4

Here are just a last few pictures I wanted to put up from our trip...

Although this picture doesn't exactly show it, Max had a great time on the carousel at the Cherry Festival. He did get a bit nervous when I let go of his to take this picture. You can just see the top of Kay's head behind him. Ruby decided that rather than riding a horse, she'd just ride around on the bench. She can really be a wimp about some things!

Elk Rapids has a town get together every week during the summer called Evening on River Street. Along with lots of food vendors, there are booths for the kids with balloon animals, fishing, and face painting. Ruby announced that she wanted her KNEE painted instead! And what did she choose to put on it? A bumblebee. Isn't that just the 'bee's knees'?

I don't know why I look pregnant in this photo. I'll assure you I'm not! Max had a ball feeding me watermelon out on the dock. Funny boy!

One more bite!

Ruby and Max had fun watching cartoons on Nana and Bobo's bed.

Who can resist this smile?!?

I'll close on this funny sight we caught in the bank parking lot. Apparently they're distributing driver's licenses to dogs in Michigan now!

Check back tomorrow for an update from the here and now!

Easy Slow Cooker French Dip

WOW! I have always loved French dip sandwiches and I've always been sure they must be too much bother to make. Boy, was I wrong. This recipe was effortless and SO delicious. To print your copy of the recipe, head on over to allrecipes.com.

Easy Slow Cooker French Dip

4 pounds rump roast
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
6 French rolls
2 tablespoons butter

1. Trim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.
4. Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.

Kid's Museum and Audrey - MI Part 3

Here's the third installment from our MI trip. We really stayed busy and had a great time. One of the cloudier days we went over to the Great Lakes Children's Museum. I was really impressed at how much they managed to pack into a small space. The kids both had a great time exploring the exhibits and just playing.

They strapped on their life jackets for a quick fishing trip. Looks like they caught some big ones!

The water table is always a big hit. This one was especially neat with the ability to form channels and dams then send a rubber ducky for a wild ride.

Max is pretty sure he can do anything Ruby can... and for the most part he's right!

Up the stairs, through a tunnel, and then down the slide! Needless to say, they went around this track quite a few times before it got old!

Here they are playing in the kitchen. Looks like they've got their roles down just right--Max is making a mess while Ruby washes up. (Just kidding, guys!)

We were so excited to get a chance to meet baby Audrey, Mat and Leah's little girl. She was so sweet we were all taken with her. Ruby just wanted to take care of her and insisted on emptying the bedrooms of toys and blankets to heap on her.

Ruby asked straight away if she could hold Audrey and she did a great job. She gazed at that baby girl like she was her own baby. It was SO sweet.

I couldn't believe how big my "baby" was compared to Audrey! Max liked to pat Audrey, but soon lost interest when he realized she wasn't going to be much of a playmate.

Just one more batch of pictures from MI left and then I'll try to catch up to the present a little bit. Now I'm off to enjoy this beautiful day!

Wet n Wild - MI Part 2

We had a nice mix of cooler and warmer days while we visited which left plenty of time to visit the beach, play in the sprinkler, and test out the jet skis. Here are a few more pictures from our trip...

Ruby was very industriously toting water to "fill up" a hold she had dug out of the sand. Sadly, by the time she returned with another bucket it was always empty!

Nana found this cool sprinkler with balls on one of her bargain shopping trips. The kids had a great time putting the balls in so they'd get shot up on the stream of water... but, BOY was that water cold! Max enjoyed playing in it the most with clothes on so that it took a while for that shockingly cold well water to reach his tender skin!

Here's Max and I coming back after our attempted jet ski trip. Mr. Sensitive was NOT impressed with the waves or the icy spray of water in his face. He did love puttering down the canal though, calling out "Hi!" with a big smile and wave to all of the neighbors.

Ruby never seems to mind that icy spray and just squealed with delight as she ran through.

At the end of one our sprinkle sessions Max decided to reach in for the balls. Predictably, his chubby little arm got stuck inside. Nana and Mommy saved him after a few good yanks and before long he was trying again. Sometimes I wonder about this kid.

Enjoy your weekend everyone. We're heading up to Maine for the day tomorrow to picnic by a lighthouse with some good friends from Denmark. Hope you all will enjoy some rest too!