Puppy Power!

This is my little puppy.  His name is Scout and I am in love.  My family makes fun of me that he gets the royal treatment.  They say they wish they could be my pet because it's a posh life.  I say if you're going to have a pet, you've got to do it right.   Plus, he's so cute...  of course I'm going to spoil him.

Well, thanks to the internet, I've found people crazier than me.  Check THIS out.  Apparently dog dying is all the rage in China.  Wow!

Here's the clip.  It's just crazy!

Stupid Ride!

The other day we took the kids to Great America.  I've made a big effort not to carry a bag around the park all season long.  It's annoying and there is no place for it to go while you are on certain rides.

This time I decided I didn't want to carry around the obscenely big season cups (which are a total rip off and I'm determined to get my money out of).  So I brought a small back pack and carried them inside until we needed them.  That's all I put in the bag so it wouldn't be big and heavy.

We approach a ride and the lady at the front tells me that I can't bring my bag any further.  She tells me that there are lockers right behind me that I can stow my bag in for a dollar.  I look at her and fling my bag up above the lockers.  She seems slightly annoyed and informs me that Great America is not liable for any lost or stolen items if I choose to put it there.  I smile and say, "I'm fine with that just as long as you don't take it to try and teach me a lesson."  (I thought I was so cleaver and funny.)

I come off the ride about 10 minutes later and see that my bag has been taken.  I ask the lady if she took it to be funny and she says no.  She tells me that her supervisor has taken the bag to lost and found and that I can go and get it just around the corner there.

OK.  I'm slightly miffed but I figure it was my own fault anyway.

I head the 3 million miles down to the lost and found and stand in line for about 35 mins.  Finally when it's my turn the lady tells me that no one has turned in my back pack.

Ugh.

I head back 3 million miles to the ride and tell this to the lady.  I ask her if she could call her supervisor so I can go and get my bag.  She monkeys around for another 15 minutes until she informs me that it was at the ride the whole time.  Oopies. 

Yeah right!

So 6 million miles and 45 minutes later I am reunited with my stupid back pack and my expensive drink cups.  As I go to leave she stops me.  Apparently she felt the need to remind me that it's never a good idea to leave your bag unattended.  (a little too smugly if you ask me)

Stupid ride helper.

I'm pretty sure I was her entertainment for the day.

Stupid ride.  Stupid bag.  Stupid cups.

I'm done with you.

Lesson learned.  (Maybe)

Next time I just have to make sure she doesn't see me first.

My Pride

The mister and I are driving along in the car the other night and we see a huge billboard for a Fat Boy. 

He says, "That looks so good."

I really like ice cream sandwiches and I tell him that there is no way I'd ever eat one of those.

Duh.  It's all in the name people.

I will not eat something with FAT in the title.  It's like asking yourself to gain weight.  Silly, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

Blimpies-- never in a million years would I eat a sandwich from there.  They might as well call it Larry's House of Lard or something.  No thank you.

How about Chuck-O-Rama?  Do you really want to eat at someplace with chuck in the title.  I didn't think so.

I have my pride.


Do you have any weirdo food quirks or am I all alone here?

Buffet Basics

I totally HATE buffets. 

Don't judge.  I have a seriously good reason.

When we were little my parents would take an elderly relative out to dinner about once a week or so.  The said relative always picked Ponderosa (the 80's equivalent of Sizzler).  We kids thought it was awesome.  It was all you could eat food, drinks and ice cream bar.  We tried lots of secret concoctions while my parents were entertaining the relative.  All was well in buffet land until one day, while we were making our usual rounds, my little sister had the sneezies.  Her nose was just the right height to barely clear the buffet.  She sneezed the hugest boogery sneeze all over the entire spread.  We all froze and stared at my sister in muted horror.  We figured this couldn't have been the first time something like that had happened in this joint and it probably wouldn't be the last. 

Total and complete NASTY-NESS!

Never again.  Never again.

So my children have grown up without the buffet right of passage.  I steer them far far away from the buffet line.  So you can imagine my disgust when my kids started begging me to take them to the Pizza Hut lunch BUFFET. 

I tried to make excuses but they wouldn't take no for an answer.  They tricked me with the "kids eat free" angle.  They know I can't resist a good deal.  Dang it!  It's my one true weakness.  The kids were in heaven.  They piled their plates up high with bread sticks, pizza and cinnamon sticks.  They thought it was the perfect way to spend the lunch hour.  Whatever you want and as much as you want.  Pure bliss in kid land.

I have to admit seeing the unadulterated delight on their little sauce smeared faces pulled at my heart strings just a little.  But so did the bill.  $11.98.  Yes, you read that right $11.98.  That's it!  We couldn't eat at the golden arches for that price.

So maybe I can fudge a little on my buffet morals every here and there.  But just a little. 


I know you're still thinking about that sneeze.  Just nasty...

Carmel Corn Heaven

I have the world's best caramel corn recipe acquired from my Aunt a few years back.  I have a serious caramel addiction and this stuff is like caramel crack to me.  I'm not kiddin'.  It's that good.

Here's the recipe.

Caramel Corn

8 oz. corn puffs (no kernels)
2 sticks butter
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda

In a large sauce pan bring butter, brown sugar and syrup to a boil over medium heat.  Keep stirring and boil for 2 minutes.  Add baking soda (will foam) and keep stirring until dissolved.  Pour mixture over puffs and mix together until puffs are coated.  Put on cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove puffs from the oven.  Separate puffs on wax paper immediately before it cools.

Lets do it together-- shall we?

This right here is the secret ingredient.  You HAVE to have the corn puffs.  It insures that you won't be picking seeds out of your teeth for the next week.

Butter, brown sugar and syrup.... in you go.

melty melty (keep stirring)

boiling for 2 minutes (keep stirring)

add the baking soda and it will fluff up nice and big (like me after four kids)

I put the puffs on a cookie sheet, poured the mixture over the puffs and mixed it in nice and good.  (sorry no pictures for that step-- the phone rang and I couldn't do that many things at once)

These are our puffs after the first 15 minutes.  You need to flip them all.

Here we are after the full 45 minutes.  (three flips later)  Nice and golden crispy-- yum!  I poured them out on wax paper so we won't have a big gooey ball.

Separate them quickly before they cool.  I mean right away OK?  I once tried to press my luck with this step and I ended up with the world's largest popcorn ball.  So stick to the plan and you'll be a happy camper.

Then after they are all separated start sorting through and take out a few of these extra gooey beauties.  (Now this is the most important step so listen up.)  Eat 'um-- quick, before someone starts sniffing out your stash.

There you have it!  Caramel Crack!  Thanks for coming to cook with me today.  That was fun!  Enjoy your new favorite treat!

For Your Entertainment

I found this site that highlights stuff that kids have ruined.  (and by ruined I mean destroyed, annihilated, pummeled and tortured)  If you have kids then you know what I'm talking about.  Being a parent is expensive-- sometimes very expensive.  You'll get a kick out of all the stuff other people have gone through that is not so different than the stuff you've had to clean up over time.  It's a hoot.  You can check it out HERE.  (please forgive the slightly inappropriate title of this site)

Here's a quick sample of a few highlights...

**mental note** dispose of all sharpies immediately!

If you enjoy horrible family pictures-- you're gonna love this.  This site is dedicated to awkward family picture time.  It makes your last photo shoot look amazingly professional.  Check it out HERE.

Here is a quick sample of the awkwardness...

Some things just should never be in print.

Living on the Edge

I hate getting gas in my car.

I just don't want to do it.

I don't like spending the money to keep my car running. 
I don't like stopping what I'm doing to get gas. 
I don't like having that faint hint of gas smell on my hands. 
I don't like the awkward moments of trying to figure out what to do while your gas is pumping.

The empty tank light doesn't phase me.  I'll get around to it when I'm good and ready.

I've been known to push the envelope on this many times and I have yet to actually run out of gas.  It's become an unhealthy game for me.

So last night when my sister noticed that my light was on-- I didn't really care.

She is a tank-is-half-empty-hurry-to-the-pump kind of person.  So I decided to push it a little with her. 

She didn't disappoint.  In fact I realized I ruffled a few feathers when she started flailing her arms and yelling, "oh my gosh oh my gosh TURN AROUND!!!" as we passed a gas station on the way to our destination.

It was just what I needed.  I'm living on the edge people!  That's how I get my rush these days.

Mother of four risks all and laughs in the face of danger!

(Then I drove straight to the gas station after dropping off said sister.  Shhhhh-- don't tell.  I have a reputation to uphold here people.)

 

HP and HB

I know I've been away for a while but I was having some computer troubles.  My computer crashed and my hard drive was in a delicate state.  All is well now-- so I'm back.

I've been dreaming of THIS since my computer betrayed me. 

It's the HP 600 Touchsmart.  It's so sweet.  It's a desk top all in one (without a tower) a 23" screen, smokin' apps, wireless keyboard and mouse and it's all touch activated!  She is beautiful.

The rest of my week was all about my baby.

He went from this...

...to this in a matter of seconds. 

I was forced to acknowledge the fact that he is growing up.  He is officially 6! SIX YEARS OLD!  And that is a pinch too old in my book. 

He got his birthday letter in the mail from his Grandma G this week.  He was so excited he ripped it open.  He was sure she sent him money and he couldn't wait to get his little paws all over it.  As he opened the letter a check fluttered to the floor.  He was crushed. 

Em:  She didn't even give me money.  All I got was this stupid piece of paper!

Z:  No-- that's money Em!  You got a check!

Life was beginning to look up for the little man.

Z:  Holy Cow!  She gave you $35,000 dollars!  You're rich!

Em:  No way!  Awesome!

I grabbed the check and took a look.  It said $35.00.

Me:  Hey guys, that's 35 dollars not 35,000 dollars.

Z:  No way mom, look at all those zeros.  Em, it's just like on Wipeout (TV show they have become obsessed with.).  You won!  What are you going to buy?

Em:  I'm going to buy a remote control helicopter and one of those big Lego sets that Mom will never buy us because they are so expensive.  Then I'm going to buy...

Z:  How about a trip to Disney.  You could pay for all of us to get in.

Em:  I'll think about it.  Maybe I'll buy a yellow car too...

Me:  Guys, seriously it isn't that much money.  You have enough to get a cool toy at the store and that's about it.

Em:  No Mom, look at this check!

After a few rounds, I gave up.  I let them keep dreaming all the way to the bank.  I cashed the check and handed them the envelope of cash.  They ripped it open to count up their new fortune only to find out that I was right.  (That was one time I wished I was wrong-- a couple a zeros wrong.)

Z:  Mom, it's thirty five dollars.

Me:  I know.

The shrinking of the zeros didn't squash their excitement much.  They started reconfiguring their plans according to the new amount all the way to the store.  Ah, the joys of sweet sweet birthday moolah.  Thanks Grandma G.  You made their day. 

O.R.E.O.

I have been thinking about these a lot lately.

Here is why you need to eat them.  They aren't a full Oreo.  It's only the bottom and the middle and then it is dunked in minty chocolate.  The combination is nothing short of Oreo perfection.

I pulled up to the couch with a few of these and an icy cold glass of milk-- oh baby!  Pure bliss!

Give 'um a try.  You won't be sorry.

PW Winner!

Thanks to Random.org the winner of the Pioneer Woman Cook book is....

#24 Juli Henrie


Congratulations!  Here's to many many great recipes coming your way.

If you'd like to get your hands on a copy of this book you can click the link on the side and Amazon will hook you up.  Enjoy!

When it Rains-- it Pours

This is what my freezer looked like last night.

It wasn't pretty.

NOT. PRETTY. AT. ALL.

We have a side by side refrigerator in the garage that I keep tons of extra stuff in.  It was all puddles. 

So I spent the day tracking down the best price from the best store with all of the kids.  We made a game of it.  Who could find the biggest cubic feet with the smallest price.  They were totally into it.

We found it two stores later and they delivered it today.  THE SAME DAY!  It was awesome.

So now I've restocked the fridge and things are looking a lot less melty.

I have a new found appreciation for my pretty pretty appliances.  They keep my milk cold, my popsicles frozen and my sanity intact.  I really love them.  I'm glad they are all back.  VERY. GLAD.

My Em

This morning as I was helping Emerson get ready he was full of questions.

Em:  Mom, if you die who will be my mommy?

Me:  I'm not going to die.

Em:  But what if you're like 10 hundred years old?

Me:  Then you will be old enough to take care of yourself.

Em:  But I still need a mommy.  What if you die?

Me:  Well, who would you like to be your mommy?

Em:  You.

Me:  But I'm dead!  You can't pick me!  (yes, I got a little too invested in the scenario)

Em:  Ummm... OK.  Then I'd pick Jodi.  (my sister)

Me:  That sounds like a good idea.

Em:  But don't die OK mom?

Me:  I'll try not to.

Then we moved onto more important things like boogers and toothbrushes.

That guy sure keeps things interesting around here.



**Oh and don't forget to enter to win the PW cookbook.  It's soooo worth your time.**

The Pioneer Woman is my Hero!

I just got this in the mail yesterday!

It was the best day second only to the day I got Stella.

Apparently I've been living under a rock because I was unaware that The Pioneer Woman had a cook book out.  I knew she was working on one but I didn't think it was available yet.  WRONG.

I am in heaven.  I've been flipping through it and basically marking every recipe to try.  It has the same flare as her blog with lots of new recipes to try too.  I. am. so. excited.

I like it so much, I thought that you guys might like to try it out.

So I'm giving away a copy of it to one lucky winner!!!

It is a must have.  MUST.  HAVE.

Here's all you need to do to enter...

1.  Leave a Comment
2.  Become a Follower
3.  Blog/FB/Tweet about this giveaway with a link back
4. Post my button on your blog


*Please leave a comment for each entry*



**Please make sure that your name is linked to an email address so I can contact the winner.**


Lets get to it already!  You have until Wednesday at midnight. 

Ready.

Set.

Go!

Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles

This is how I feel about baths.

To me, there is nothing better than a nice hot bubble bath.  It melts away my stress and does wonders for my skin.  When we built our house my only stipulation was that I would get a big soaking tub.  We had been living in apartments previous to this and trying to squeeze myself into the tiny little tubs we had was a sight to see.  I was pregnant and desperate for a little tub time.  It wasn't pretty.

Now that I have my beloved tub I am in heaven.  My kids feel the same way.  They always beg to take a bath in my room.  I usually cave and let them because I know how great it is.

I needed to give Rugs a haircut and he bargained with me.  If I got to cut his hair, than he got to take a bubble bath in my room.  (extra emphasis on bubble as you can see)  He had loads of fun. 

There is nothing like a bubble bath.

What The?

I go to my sister's house pretty regularly.  On the drive there I have to stop at a stop sign and as I look straight ahead I see this.

What the heck is it?  Last year these people started growing it.  At first I thought it was a huge weed until I realized that they had it staked off and protected.  What?!?  Then the ugliness kept getting bigger. 

It's like the hugest weed I have ever seen!  Who would want that in their yard?  Does anyone know what it actually is?  Did I mention that it is huge and ugly.  I mean really-- what the?

Help me out here people.

I am a horrible Mother

I've been busted.

We got a babysitter the other night.  On the drive taking her back home I learned some new things about my children.

1.  They told her that I never cook and I always make them cook for themselves.

2.  I never let them eat enough and they go to bed hungry.

3.  I never grocery shop so they never have food to eat.


Really.

So to test my children on these newly found facts, I began to cook.

I made lemon pasta for lunch.  FOR LUNCH.  Everyone knows that lunch is about hot dogs and sandwiches not full on dishes.  That'll show 'um.

Kids:  Awww, Mom.  You ALWAYS make spaghetti.  Couldn't we have something else?

Hmmmm.... that seems to conflict with new fact #1

After lunch I packed them into the car and announced that we were going to the grocery store.

Kids:  Awwww Mom... you ALWAYS make us go to the grocery store.  Didn't we just go there like yesterday?

Hmmmm.... that seems to conflict with new fact #3

Then I made a nice big dinner including vegetables.

Kids:  Awwww Mom, I'm full.  Do I HAVE to eat my corn?

Hmmm....  that seems to conflict with new fact #2


Bottom line.  My kids will tell whoever whatever gets them the most attention at the time.  Of course that makes me a little nervous to see what they'll say the next time we have a babysitter.

Let's just say, I think I won this round.  HA!