Dance Class

Mackenzie is taking dance class again this summer and she loves it.  I was a little surprised because she didn't seem to really love it last year, but she wanted to go again, so maybe we'll have a little dancer on our hands!  Here are some short videos of her.

Sledding!

I'm trying to keep up with regular posting, so I've been digging into the archives of my phone for old videos.  They are only from this past spring so they aren't actually that old, but with this beautiful summer so far, winter seems like it was a long time ago!

Cake Mix Cookie Bars

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and knew I had to try it!  I found the recipe here:

http://parentpretty.com/cake-mix-cookie-bars-recipe/

They are delicious and super easy!  Start with a few ingredients.

Mix em up

Bake

Enjoy!

Cake Mix Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1 Box yellow cake mix
1 Small box instant vanilla pudding
1/4 Cup water
3/4 Cup vegetable oil
2 Eggs
1 Cup chocolate chips. (I used a mix of mini M&M's and mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix, pudding, water, vegetable oil, eggs in large bowl.  Mix well then fold in chocolate chips.

Pour the batter (it's going to be thick) into a greased 10x13 baking dish. 

Bake your bars for 20-30 minutes 

I took mine out at 24 minutes and next time I would keep them in a bit longer.  They weren't raw, but they were really really soft.  I like bars and cookies soft and chewy, but this was a bit too soft for me.  Another minute or two and they would have been perfect.  I will definitely make them again though - such a delicious bar and very easy to make.

The very first photo on this post isn't mine - I got that from the recipe link.  After I baked them I slapped on a lid and we headed for the lake.  Once there, I didn't even think about taking a photo - all I could think about was eating them!

Bowling

Have you heard of the Kids Bowl Free program? Kids can bowl 2 games free every day during the summer. Just check out the website www.kidsbowlfree.com to find a participating bowling alley near you and sign up to receive your email coupons every month. You still pay for shoe rental, but at our alley it's only $1 per person. We've only gone a few times this summer but it's been so much fun.

Last week Rylan and I both bowled our best games ever!  

Check that out - 175!!!!  It's got to be my new minty green nail polish and awesome coordinating purple ball! ;)

The second game didn't go quite as well for Rylan and I, but Mackenzie got 20 more pins down!

And for the record, yes the bumpers were up, but there were only two times that my ball even hit the bumpers so I still would have done well.

Here are a couple short videos of the kids' bowling methods.

Carrot Cupcakes

I have been watching episodes of Cupcake Wars on Amazon and since they always leave me craving cupcakes (it's a good thing we have no cupcake bakeries here) I finally decided to do something about it.  But I went searching for a recipe that sounded really good and wasn't too difficult.  I know I won't get amazing cupcakes from a cake mix, so I started here first: the Hello, Cupcake recipe/decorating book I have.

I picked this up a few years ago and have used it a few times for decorating inspiration, but I've never tried the recipes in the back.  Big mistake!  After flipping through a few pages, I knew I had my winner when I saw this recipe for Carrot Cupcakes!  I love carrot cake so this sounded perfect.  It did not disappoint either - it was probably one of the best carrot cakes I've ever had.  I could have eaten the batter alone by the spoonful - so good!  And there's 2 cups of carrots and raisins in them - damn near health food if you ask me!

Mix a few ingredients,

pour in a pan,

whip up some frosting,

 Delicious!

Carrot Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour (all I had was bread flour and that worked fine)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1/2  cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

1/2 cup dark raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I skipped these)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, oil, and milk until light and thick.

4. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating just until blended.  Stir in the vanilla, carrots, raisins, and walnuts until well blended.

5. Fill the liners two-thirds full.  Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes.  Remove the cupcakes from the baking pan, place on wire rack, and allow to cool completely.

The key is not to let them over-bake.  Watch them like a hawk at the end and take them out as soon as that toothpick comes out clean.  The other must-do is dump them out of the muffin pan as soon as you take them out of the oven.  My second batch was overdone because I let them sit in the muffin pan for a few more minutes and they continued to cook and they were definitely dryer than the first batch.  

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 stick (8 T) unsalted butter, softened

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2. Gradually add the powdered sugar and milk and beat until smooth.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

The next time I make these cupcakes however, I will only frost them right before serving.  Obviously you should refrigerate cream cheese frosting, but I didn't like how the cupcakes tasted cold, so I would refrigerate the frosting and keep the cakes and room temp before serving.  Or I guess just set them out an hour before so they can warm up a bit.

The Little Mommy

Mackenzie obviously loves her babies.  She has been carrying a new one around lately - Baby Emma.  If it's just her and I in the car, Mackenzie sits in Rylan's carseat so she can buckle Emma into her seat.  She is sure to cover her up with a blanket too.

Emma got her own carseat for Mackenzie's birthday, but sometimes she still likes to be buckled into M's seat.  Mackenzie also takes a packed diaper bag whenever we go out now as well.  

Here's what was packed in the diaper bag one day - pail and shovels, doggy cell phone, pacifier, sippy cup, extra diapers, wipes, sunscreen, 2 bottles, and some books.

At night, Emma sleeps in various spots, but is always tucked in.  Sometimes she's in her own crib, sometimes on the floor and sometimes in Mackenzie's bed with her.  She always has a blanket and other friends to keep her company.  

Little Bird

Yesterday I was in the kitchen when a bird flew right into the window. It scared the crap out of me but then I went to check it out because it hit pretty hard and I figured he was probably sitting in the grass recovering from a minor concussion. Sure enough there was a little baby bird sitting in the grass. It's mother was also there, pushing him from behind trying to get him moving again. I called the kids and we went outside to get a closer look.

He was very calm (either still stunned from the impact or scared to death of us) and just sat on our hands while we carefully pet his tiny little head. He was so cute and the kids thought it was just awesome to hold a bird. We passed him around a bit and then he flew off of Rylan's hand. He didn't go far before landing in the grass again, but then we let him be.