Yum-O-Delish

Instead of taking up lots of space on here posting recipes, I have decided to just make a blog that is only for recipes. 

Yum-O-Delish

I will be updating it with recipes you may have already seen on here, and also new recipes you have not!  If you enjoy easy cooking, check it out!

Clay, Trains, and Automobiles....and Peach Cobbler

An update on our ride.  We were able to get a diagnostic check done at Fast Auto last Wed afternoon.  There are several issues the truck is having.  Just to get it running was the battery, so we were able to get that replaced at WM.  The next biggest issues are the belts need replacing and the water pump needs replacing.  After that it is quite a few other things that I cannot remember, so I am glad they gave us a written sheet.  Our plan is just to fix things as we have the money, with the most obviously big issues first.  I am so incredibly thankful that God is escorting us out of our financial dark tunnel.  If this was even just a couple weeks ago, we would have had no idea how we were going to pay for it to even be looked at.  God literally always provides exactly when we need it!

Modeling Clay!...This last week I received the books I ordered from amazon.com and half.com.  SOOOOO excited!  One of them was Gymboree's Toddler Play.  It has great ideas on fun little activities I can do with the kiddos.  And also in it was a recipe to make my own "playdoh" or molding clay
how to make it...
Mix 1 c. flour, 1c. salt, 1tblsp cream of tartar, 1 c. water, and 1 tblsp vegetable oil.  Simmer in a pot until clay begins to pull away from the pot's sides.  When cool, add 5 drops of food coloring, and knead until smooth.

This was mine b4 I added the color.  I cooked mine a bit too long, so I had to add a touch more water so it wasn't dry.
kids playing with the clay!...

Playing with clay is proven to help with development, as is finger painting, sand and mud sculpting.  SO have fun!  I too like a clean house, but a little mess for the sake of my children's developing brains is alright with me!  It helps develop not only tactile (sense of touch and touch perception) but also the creative aspect of the mind.  Fun!

Trains!!!  
My extremely sorry attempt at putting a train set together.  Train Set-Directions+woman(me) who has never put one together in my life=a little frustration and a railroad that will prob fall apart. 

Some friends of ours gave this to us to sell in our garage sales last year.  They told us if we didn't sell it we could keep it for our kids.  It didn't sell in any of the 3 garage sales we have had since, so we decided to give it a go.  Well, I did today during nap time.  Let's just say I am no pro.  It's all good though, they will have fun with it I'm sure.  Chris may give me a lesson when he get's home today as I really need one!!!

A super yummy and of course easy Peach Cobbler recipe!

What you will need...
6 tbsp.butter, melted, 3/4 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 2/3 c. milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 c. sliced peaches, lots of cinnamon....to taste really
-Pour melted butter into an 8in square pan.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.  Add to melted butter (DO NOT STIR).  Place peaches evenly over batter; sprinkle with a bit of extra sugar and cinnamon.
Bake at 350 deg for 1 hour or until golden brown.  Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whip cream!

****optional addition**** you can soak fresh sliced peaches in a mixture of melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon for added sweet flavor!!!  after they soak for about 30 min, just drain the extra juice and add as recipe calls for them above. I like to do this
*also, if peaches are not in season, just use a large can of peaches and drain the juice b4 any use.

 the dark spots are all the cinnamon.  yum-o!  It is pretty delish

And it's only Tuesday

Woke up yesterday morning and went to the living room, sat in my chair with my Bible and book.  About 5 min into it Chris was ready for work.  He kissed me good-bye then went to start the truck.  He tried starting it several times, then it just died.  dead Burby.  very sad.  He hitched a ride to work with a neighbor.  I got it to work that afternoon to pick him up, but it almost didn't start.  And it gave us trouble on the way home.  UGH.  Thankfully our friends let us borrow one of there vehicle's for today while the husband was out of town.  But we have been praying that it will start up again and keep working till we are able to get it looked at...and that it will be a very inexpensive fix.  I have to say that it is kinda scary when you only have one vehicle, which may or may not decide to work and we are toting our three 2 year old children around in 105 deg weather.  Not fun.  But God will totally provide and keep us safe, as He always does. 

Then my phone fell into the bath water for the kiddos as it was starting.  After drying out most of the day it finally decided to work :P  

Then we got up this morning and Gabriel decided to up-chuck it twice...in our bedroom....it smells lovely.  I've cleaned it several times already.  twice born milk and all of it's chunky glory.

And it's only Tuesday....

Which means our week will only go UP-hill from here on out!  I proclaim it to be so.  In Jesus name.

And on the bright side, look at our beautiful little green bell pepper.  Lil'Bell is so cute!  So excited!  We now have 3 coming in with many more buds sprouting.  I see lots of bell peppers in our future!

Hooked on Phonics

I have heard that the "Your Baby Can Read" is really a joke because the kids only learn the whole word style which means they don't really comprehend, just memorize. 

This one though has got great reviews and is from a pretty trusted company, Hooked on Phonics, but just curious if anyone has actually used it before....

Would love some feedback.  It is on sale for $19.99 on the Hooked on Phonics site (reg price is $59) and thinking about incorporating this into our "School Time" for fall. 

Farmers Market!!!! YUM-OOOOOO

What I scored!...starting in the back left to right and moving up left to right...

Tomatoes, Garlic, Spinach, Asian Eggplant, Asian Squash, Stick Onions, Asian stick beans (like our green beens, but you can also eat the raw), Red Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Yellow Onions, and not shown is the Hot Peppers and a dozen eggs.

froggie

Yum.....
Been making some different summer fresh fruity drinks lately.  SO good.  This one shown here is
5 strawberries, 1 peach - skinned (make sure it's nice and ripe or it will be sour), and 1 banana.  I then add a little sugar (to taste), then fill with water about 3/4 of the way up the cup.  Then blend a 'la magic bullet!  and viola, a perfect yummy treat!  and since I am not using yogurt or milk or ice cream, it is also much less fat/calories than a regular smoothie!  Who doesn't love that?!

I can't believe how tall our babies are getting.  They can now reach the deadbolt...

Chris has been locked out like 5 times already.  Hilarious! He goes out to water the veggie plants and Gabriel shuts and locks the door.  :P 

Our pet frog....

OK, so maybe he's not really our pet...we found him on our back porch yesterday morning while outside playing.  The kids really loved him.  Although at first Gabriel shouted "beeeeeeee!" and tried to step on him.  Luckily I saved the frog and explained to Gabriel that we don't kill frogs.  I got it into one of our buckets, showed the kids that they could touch him.  Asher wanted to pick him up.....and he found out real quick that frogs jump!  HA!  It was pretty funny. After he got over it he continued his squeals of excitement. 

Our kids like nature.....especially Asher "bug".  :)

And then we let him go by our gate.  Pretty sure our kiddos would have loved if we could have kept him. 

Yesterday I cleaned and organized our pantry again.  It really drives me insane when it is in complete disarray and I cannot see everything and when I know there is stuff that must be thrown out.  Something about a clean, organized pantry makes me smile ahhhhh. 

And while in there I saw that we had pudding that was still good, so I decided to make all our pudding we had in there.  One box each of chocolate, butterscotch, and banana cream.  YUM!

And Asher REALLY enjoyed his :)

I have to say the fave was prob chocolate for Gabriel, butterscotch for Asher, and Trinity liked 'em all!

Gabriel "big boy" swinging...

A new favorite spot...coloring away

I brought these hats home from work during "Adventure Week".  Trinity will only wear it wrong side out.

Word.  All she needs is to be throwin' up a gang sign.  baha

mama's lil'homegirl
...and Trinity "hep bruder wing"  aka....helping brother swing :)

She is so sweet.  Always helping out.  They all help out, but she just has that nurturing about her that I love. 
Yesterday when I was handing out snack, I gave her her bowl of cereal first.  What did she do?  Yeah, she gave her snack over to Asher, then just waited for the next bowl.  Sweetness.  Pure sweetness. 

God has really blessed us.  And we know it.  Our children are such little jewels.  Truly gifts.  They make God's love known to us even more each and every day. 

bee's, bears, & beds

Lots to talk about.  Long post.  But I guess that's what happens when I go over a week without a post...

Not quite sure where to start, so I will start with bee's.....YES bee's...

This past week Chris spent some time each night working on our yard in some way.  Just little things, mowing, watering, spraying turf builder, and knocking down 6...yes, SIX nests.....i think he said we had 3 red wasp nests, 2 yellow jacket, and one reg wasp nest...and these all in our beautiful new fence.  It's a good thing he's a 3rd degree Black Belt, 'cus he had to use some of it on an angry red wasp.  He won.  No stings.  No E.R. visits.  :)  After he sprayed the nests, faught a couple off with a broom (aka bow staff) and he knew there were no more around, he knocked down their homes and through them out.

That's MY man, ladies.  Bee hunter, backyard protector.

On Wed I had our WIC re-certify visit which is always loads of fun for everyone.  I have to say though this time it went rather smooth.  Neither Gabriel nor Trinity cried when they got their fingers pricked.....although they didn't like the scale or the height measurement...go figure.  Asher of course had to show a little drama with the finger poke, but he liked his "sticker"  aka bandaid :)  The elderly nurse lady who did all of our tests was pretty funny.  and a bit grumpy.  She did everything with them fully clothed, shoes and all,  for height and weight....except Asher's shoes fell off, so he shows as being like a half inch shorter. lol she totally didn't care.  she cracked me up.  We were her first appt. and she was apparently in a hurry. But I didn't want to stay any longer than we had to so not complaining.  We got in and out of there and loaded in the truck in an hour.  record time!  And I have to say we are SO thankful for WIC.  I honestly think it is awesome.  We've had it since the kiddos were about 5 months old.

After our appt., I had a bill to drop off and Chris suggested I use my time that I had the truck to get out of the house for more than just an appt....so we went to the Promenade!  It was nice and there was close to no one there because nothing was open yet.  Well, nothing except the Choc Factory and Antie Anne's!!!  So, I grabbed a lemonade, 'cus they have the best lemonade around here and it was already getting crazy hot out.  Then I looked over at the chocolate side and saw they had these little chocolate bears on sticks!  And they were affordable, so I got each of the kiddos one...YUM-O

They never get treats like this so they were giddy :)  to say the least.  It was great, except for the heat which was starting to melt them.  And quick is just not something Asher does with food.  Then he ended up dropping his on the concrete.  Luckily he ate about half b4 that happened, but still did not make for happy time :(  But he eventually got over it, the other two finished their bears and we went on.

I had forgot how nice it is to have a vehicle throughout the day.  Something I totally used to take for granted.  But I sure did enjoy every minute of freedom on Wednesday!

As much as it still feels like only yesterday we were at the hospital, our kiddos are growing up so fast right before our eyes.  And again I am so incredibly thankful to be a stay at home mama so I can enjoy every minute of it.

And as you may have read in one of our previous posts, Gabriel had been climbing out of his crib.  SO, Friday evening Chris converted Gabriel's bed to a toddler bed.  As much as I want to cry at the fact that my babies are growing up, they are so stinkin sweet, and I love every stage....this just seems to make the toddlerdom (i make up words...i like it) final....

sweetness.  such a big boy.  And he is doing crazy well.  After hearing other parents horor stories of toddler beds...kids never going to sleep, constantly getting up, continuing the play b/c they can just get out of bed on their own, etc....I was literally amazed.  Not once has Gabriel done any of that....yet :)  It's like he feels this new sense of responsibility and big boy-ness.  Especially since the other two don't have theirs converted yet.  Unfortunately their side rails are both broken.  Our fault for not unwrapping and checking when we first got them.  SO, we have to wait till we can order two more b4 Trinity and Asher will be "big kids" :)  officially.

vocabulary
It is seriously amazing me how much more our children are talking just withing the past like 2 or 3 weeks.  It's just crazy.  Especially Trinity.  She can repeat almost anything.  Although some words still come out a bit...um.....like the words shirt, skirt, sock, shorts, fork.....she can say her s' and sh's and r's....but when you put them together in the same word something usually gets left out.  :)  She can also say lots of other words and prases now too.  some examples:
sorry "shaury"
bless you "besh oooo" or "shoo shooo"
banana "bana" or bananana"
balloon "balooo" or ballooloo" or "noonnooon" - not quite sure what started the last one?
please "peeeeeez"
thanks you "ink yoooo"
love you "wuv yooooo"
where you going? "whereyoooogoing"
stop "stop"
cow "tow"
foot
toe
no ma'am "nomaaaam"
....and many more...pretty much anything we ask them to say they at least try.
It's seriously crazy

Everything must come out!  Apparently a phase.  they all have to grab every stuffed animal, lovey, and blanket out of their beds b4 getting out.  cracks me up.  I literally have to wait on Trinity to grab, drop, grab again, drop, then finally just grab everything in a hug then look up like "ok, get me out" :) 

Gabriel's bed stash :)

Asher caries light :)

Art in the clubhouse

and a couple other random pics

 

Trinity "heping" brother up the slide :)

Oh yes, and we have been exposed to "24".  How on earth do people watch this show on cable waiting a week for the next hour, literally, in the show.  It would drive me insane.  I was thinking that you watched a 24 hour period each episode not each season! AGH  needless to say we were up till midnight or later watching Season 1 episodes 1-5.  mad that we had to stop so we could sleep.  ha!  just one more reason to not have cable, then watch things years later.  I can't stand waiting.  Thank you netflix.