It's springtime in the Rocky's

Yeah, right!

More snow....

And still more snow.....

I know it's springtime somewhere - just not here!

Bakerella Wanna Be

I was itching to try another one of Bakerella's creations for my very own, so last weekend, I made her "Better Bites", and it was so fun. So - in Bakerella fashion, I am going to show you all how they turned out.

Step 1 - Bake a cake, any flavor (I chose the Red Velvet), and cool completely.

Step 2. Crumble up "finely", and add 1 can of Cream Cheese frosting

This is what it looks like when completely mixed up.

Step 3. Roll into quarter size balls (messy, very messy), and place on waxed paper. Freeze for at least 30 minutes to make them firm.

Step 4. Oops - no picture (I'm still learning). Melt chocolate and mostly fill candy mold (I used a mini cupcake chocolate mold like you'd make Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in), and place cupcake ball in mold. Press down carefully until the force causes the chocolate to push up and fill in around the sides of the ball. I used a sqeeze bottle and filled in around the molds that hadn't been filled enough. Place filled mold tray in freezer for a few minutes to let the chocolate set. Remove and gently pull up on the cake ball to release it from the mold - you can see these on the cooling rack in back of the colored chocolate cups below.

Step 5. Melt several different colors of chocolate (such as above), and holding the bottom of the cupcake, dip the top in one of the colors of melted chocolate and decorate.

Step 6. Oops - missing another picture (see, I'm still learning) of the finished product, but maybe you can see some of them in the upper left corner of this picture.

Step 7. Find some willing "guinea kids" to try them out. I think they liked them. I took them down to FHE on Sunday night and they were gone in a flash (just ask little Sadie Mae!) with everyone asking for more information about them. So here you go - and thanks Bakerella! It was fun, they weren't hard.

For more professional instruction - please check out Bakerella's blog on my sidebar.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE ANNIE

Today is our little Annie's birthday, she is 4 years old and we want to wish her a very "HAPPY BIRTHDAY". In honor of her 4th Birthday - here are 4 things we love about her -

1. When we call her "Princess", she tells us "I am my mommy's Sunshine"

2. At this stage in her life she likes coming to our house and calles us "MY Papa and My Grandma"

3. She likes to play "Mom & Kid" ("Grandma, I'll be the mom and you be the kid")

4. She has the deepest chocolate brown eyes that you absolutely get LOST in!

Happy Birthday to our little Princess (and her mommy's Sunshine!)

What's your favorite?

Im' thinking of that song - you know the Christmas Carol I think, the one that goes something like this - "Oh, it's that time of year , when the world falls in love, every thing you hear seems to say...GIRL SCOUT COOKIES"... or well, something similar to that. So - do you have your girl scout cookies purchased yet?

If so, which cookie(s) did you spend your stimulus money on? Which ones are your favorite, gotta have, and can't go without? We are split in our family. Is there anyone who doesn't get at least one box of the "Thin Mints", just because they can? Curt's favorites used to be the "Trefoils" (shortbread), but we haven't purchased any of them for many years because once he tasted the tasty little "Samoas" - there was no turning back for him - he was smitten!


Mine, on the other hand, absolutely are the "Do-Si-Dos" (WHAT type of a name is that?) more commonly known as "peanut butter sandwiches". They are still THE best cookie for me!

This year we ventured out to also try the "Lemon Chalet Cremes", and they weren't too bad. So let's hear it - what kind can't you live without? Thin Mints, Samoas, Peanut Butter, Trefoils, Tagalongs?

Super Bling -

Have you ever seen such super bling shoes? Do you wish you could have a pair of shoes as beautiful as these?

Just give this little fashion gal a call and she'll let you know just where you can get your own pair of super bling shoes -

Our little Cate is crawling all around now - here's some pictures to share -

We're having "Hoe...whats?"

So you know - I am really lucky to have a husband who prepares dinner most nights and has it ready and waiting for me when I walk through the door after work. Also lucky to have husband who enjoys cooking, trying new recipes and exposing me to new and unsual foods from time to time. Well, except for last week when I came home and saw these "things" cooking in the frying pan and asked "are those potato cakes or something else?" He replied "they are hoe cakes". "Hoe - whats?" I ask looking closer. Anyone who knows Curt, knows he researches everything and proceeds to tell me about hoe cakes. So here's a picture -

Now you get the low down on hoe cakes - "originally, Native Americans cooked these on hot rocks in an open fire and they were commonly referred to as "ash cakes". Later on, settlers from Europe adopted the recipe, cooking the cakes on the blades of their hoes in the fireplace. This is where they get the name "hoe cakes". " Excellent - so I take a taste of the batter and instantly ask, "exactly what is in here?" "Well - water, cornmeal and salt". Yeah - that's what I thought (think TREK everyone).

"Where did you get the recipe?" I ask, "Well, I found it on the Hillbilly Housewife site, she says this recipe was the oldest, cheapest and tastiest of all." I'm thinking, "the Hillbilly Housewife? That doesn't even sound like a site I'd be interested in visiting, and NOW, not a site I'm going to visit." (side note - please DO visit the Pioneer Woman Cooks link on my page, it's FABULOUS - no hoe cakes there). Anyway - the hoe cakes were NOT good. When I used to read my Little House on the Prairie books with Laura Ingells telling about how delicious the food used to be after slaving away over their wood burning stoves - I believed her. I know they didn't have the wealth of spices and herbs we do today, but when I was little, I ate my Grandmothers food (from the wood stove) and it was delicious. Cornmeal, water, salt. NOT delicious - NOT the best experiment.

Out of curosity though, I did google hoe cakes and found a recipe from Paula Dean (adding buttermilk and bacon grease) that might be worth trying. It sounds alot better than the Hillbillies. Always an adventure!

Happy, Happy Anniversary

Eight years ago today Brandon and Jamie were married. It was one of the proudest days of our lives to witness the union of these two. As parents, we couldn't have been happier - as you know, these two are some of the very choicest people and we are in constant awe at all they have accomplished. They have been so much fun, and it has been such a pleasure to be associated with them.

It seems like only yesterday that Brandon broke his leg mid-way though his sophomore year and was home bound for several weeks. I soon became aware of a certain "visitor" that would come and go, bringing homework and entertaining. Brandon was always so happy and content when Jamie would come and he looked SO forward to the next time she would come back. Although very young at the time, I could tell that Jamie meant something more to Brandon than anyone else and she had secured a special place in his heart. He never seemed to tire of being with her - and always looked forward to the time they would be together again (and they were together ALOT). They are two-halves of a whole and we couldn't be happier for them. Here are a few of my favorite pictures -

This picture is the first "formal" picture taken of them (other than dance pictures), I think they were Jr's. It also has a special place in my heart because it is the picture they used to pull one of the best "April Fools" jokes on Kathy! I can't help but smile when I look at it -

Of course, a beautiful wedding picture -

Here they are today - a beautiful, happy family with two more of our most treasured possessions (our grandkiddies).
Happy Anniversary Brandon and Jamie, and thank you! We hope you have a most excellent day.

Weekend in SLC

Brandon flew in for a quick trip over the weekend. We were lucky enough to see him for a little bit - and squeeze in time to go for a family dinner at one of our favorite places (next to The Garden, of course), Market Street. Here is Annie eating one of her many shrimps (the kids meal at Market Street is outrageously affordable for what you get - I wish I could order from it).The family -

Annie whispering to Uncle B, "Where is Berlynn?"
Two handsome men and one pretty little lady!

It was so fun to see Brandon, if only for a tiny bit. We sure missed Jamie, Berlynn and Ezra - and hope to see them on a more regular basis really soon. Thanks for coming Brandon!