Surprise visit to Grandma

Erin and I flew to Oregon to surprise Grandma Laurie for her birthday this past weekend.  The two of us flew into Portland on Friday night (3/13), spent the night in Portland, and then drove down to Grants Pass (four hours south of Portland) on Saturday (3/14) morning (Grandma's birthday).  When we arrived Grandma was talking to Sean on Skype, and her back was to us.  She had no idea we were even in the room (Grandpa Larry knew we were coming). After a few seconds of watching her talk to Sean on Skype I said, "Would you like some doughnuts for breakfast?", and when she turned around and saw me and Erin standing there she nearly fell out of her chair.  The tears were flowing (from her and Grandpa Larry), and she was definitely surprised.  

Erin and Grandma painting magnets (both still in pj's)

Grandma, Grandpa, and Erin (not great of Erin, but a cute picture anyway)

Grandpa and Erin "play fighting"

Erin and I were there until Tuesday morning.  We left early that morning (5:30am), flew out of Portland at noon, and got back home to Tampa just after midnight on Tuesday (Wednesday morning).  Erin is such a great traveler/flyer, and we had a great trip together.  We loved visiting Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma, and we can't wait to see them again soon!

Lemon Blossoms

Oh, yummy.  These little gems are absolutely delicious.  I saw Paula Dean making them on her show, and I knew that I had to try them.  They are now on my list of favorites-I love lemon!

For the recipe just go here.  You won't be disappointed!

A busy day

We started the day at the ball field.  The Red Sox won 10-0.  Bren hit a great single, and contributed to an awesome double play in the third inning.

After the game we headed down to the Chasco Fiesta.  It's a local indian festival, honoring all tribes.  There's a huge wooden playground there, too, so Erin had a great time with that.

At dinner time we headed down to Clearwater Beach for sunset.  It is, and will likely always be, my favorite place to be at sunset.  We had pizza on the beach (at a place owned by our next door neighbor), watched the sun set, walked down the pier to check out the vendors, and then watched a few of the street performers until after dark.  I love living in paradise.

Reading marathon

She's on a kick with her Junie B. Jones series.  She's flying through them at a pace of a book every day or two. Yesterday she started #5 on the couch like this:

And later in the evening, after she had her jammies on she was laying back on the couch (with Anah as her pillow) reading it some more.  She finished that one last night, and started #6 today.  The girl just can't stop.

Buddies

Anah Belle loves the "babies" (guinea pigs).  She cleans them, and runs to them when they cry (talk).  She thinks that they are her babies.  This is a picture that I took of her with Flower today.  They are laying together in Anah's dog bed, and Anah is smiling.

Game #4

Another great game, and Brendan earned two RBI's in the second inning!  He has a tournament this weekend.  He plays Friday evening, twice on Saturday, and then again on Sunday if they win on Saturday.  It's a big baseball weekend ahead.

The hit that landed him two RBI's.

My cute boy (as the sun was setting)

On the mend

I'm getting better, thanks to Methylpred, Azithromycin, and Ventolin HFA (albuterol sulfate inhaler).  My O2 levels were down to 92%.  I can't remember the last time I slept through an entire weekend like I did this past weekend.  My kids rock this world taking care of their momma.  Now it's my turn since my baby and oldest have it!

Oatmeal Cake

Oh, man.  This was delicious as soon as it came out of the oven.  No need to wait for it to cool for even a minute.  

Oatmeal Cake

1 cup oatmeal, quick or reg

1.5 cups hot water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp soda
pinch of salt

Mix oats and water; let stand for 20 minutes.
Mix sugars, eggs, shortening, and vanilla.
Add oats.
Sift together, flour, salt, soda and cinnamon.
Add to rest of ingredients; beat well.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a greased 9x13 pan.

*Topping

3 tbsp butter, room temp.
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 can coconut

Mix all ingred. and crumble over cake.
Place hot cake under broiler for a few minutes until brown.

*I didn't have the evaporated milk or can coconut so for our topping I mixed 3 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and 1/2 cup raisins.  Then I sprinkled this all over the top of the cake, broiled until it was warm and bubbly, and served.  It was wonderful!  A glaze of 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoons of milk drizzled over the warm cake would be good, too.  We are going to try that next time.  

**By the way, this is another goodie from Grandma B!

Blah

I have bronchitis.  It sucks.  That is all.

Peek a boo

I see you

Fresh Apple Cake

Another hit from Grandma B that we made tonight.  It was warm and gooey, and so delicious with the caramel-like topping.

Fresh Apple Cake

1.5 cups vegetable oil 

2 cups sugar

3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups apples (chopped; peeled)

Blend together oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Sift together flour, salt & soda.
Mix with sugar mixture.
Fold in pecans and apples.

Pour into well greased & floured bundt pan (I lined the pan with parchment paper as well).
Bake 1 hour in preheated 350 degree oven.

Topping

1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Boil ingredients together for 2 minutes.
Pour over hot cake.
Let stand 1 hour before removing from pan.

Game #2

Another great game, but we froze our butts off.  It was in the mid-50's, and every person out there was bundled to the max.  Brendan had an awesome double from this at bat, and got himself two RBI's as a result.  That was two of the three runs in the game!

He's expected to pitch in the game this weekend, and he's beyond thrilled.  Even better is that it is supposed to be WARM again!!!!

Nike N7 Air Native

I'm excited about my new shoes.  They look like a regular pair of Nike's, right?  Maybe, but they aren't.  These Nike's were made specifically for Native American's, and can only be obtained through tribal affiliation.  Brendan and I received ours the day before yesterday (Brendan's are solid black), and they are, without a doubt, the most comfortable tennis shoes either of us have ever worn.  

Sunrise to sunset to sunrise on the heel and laces (gradual color changes from yellow to dark purple and back to yellow, representing the color changes in the sky throughout the day)

The circle of life, and N7 (representing the current generation, the wisdom of the last three generations, and the legacy of the next three generations)

To read more about the meaning behind the design of the shoes (feathers, circle of life, colors, etc.) see here.

Dr. Seuss

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday today, one of our local McDonald's held a day of celebration and reading.  Several teachers from local elementary schools were there to read Dr. Seuss books, there were prizes, face painting, and each child received a new book.  Erin had her "Cat in the Hat" whiskers painted, and then posed for a picture with Mrs. Cribbs, the media specialist at her school (and one of her favorite people).  

Animals, animals everywhere

I just have a few more pictures of Skye and Flower that I took this morning.  They are SO cute, and they have adjusted to us quickly.  They have been raised around small children (they are still babies), so I knew it wouldn't take long.  Now they actually come to us, and if they are with us they do not try to get away.  Today we had the two guinea pigs and Anah on the couch, and Anah really wanted to play.  She gets nose to nose with them, and just whines because we won't let her play.  We are going to take it slow with them.  

Erin has wanted a guinea pig for a LONG time-she's so happy!

Skye loves to sit on Sean's shoulder-doesn't go anywhere!

Flower has such pretty eyes.  Seriously.

And Greyson?  Well, this is what he thinks about the whole thing...

And the mouth wide open isn't because he's ready to eat them.  He couldn't care less.  He's been over to the crate, sniffed a few times, seen them, and doesn't care anything at all about them.  The picture is of him yawning!

Blueberry Pound Cake

One of our favorites from Grandma B, and it has also become a favorite of nearly everyone in my extended family. They ask me to make it all throughout the year when we go over to Orlando for any holiday.  Luckily we have access to ripe blueberries all year.  We made this one last night with the "giant" blueberries.

Blueberry Pound Cake

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter or butter-flavored shortening

4 eggs

1/2 tsp almond extract

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp lemon extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2.5 cups whole blueberries, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 325º.

Cream sugar and butter or shortening until light and fluffy (about five minutes).  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  Add flavorings to buttermilk and set aside.

Sift flour with salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Add to batter, alternating with buttermilk, until evenly distributed.

Fold in berries.

Pour into a greased bundt pan (I also line it with parchment paper) and bake 1 hour 10 minutes.

Allow cake to cook 15 minutes, and remove from pan.

Glaze, if desired.

The glaze that I use is 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tbsp milk or lemon juice.  Drizzle over the cake.

Flower and Skye

The newest additions to our family.  They are so sweet, love to be held, and just cuddle up against you when you hold them.  They are sisters, and were the last two siblings of the litter (they were purchased from a family, not a pet store).

Skye (short hair) belongs to Sean

Flower (long hair) belongs to Erin.  Look at those puppy eyes!

Opening ceremonies and first game

We had to be at the field at 9:00am (yuck) for team pictures, and then opening ceremonies for the entire league were at 10:00am (nice).  Immediately following the opening ceremonies was the first game of the Red Sox against the Astros (11:00-1:00), and even though it was not a win for us it was still a good game.  

Just after we arrived-caught as he was yawning (it was EARLY)

No personal cameras allowed.  Yeah, ok.  

At bat in the first inning (the blur is the fence)

Making his way home for his first run of the game

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

This may be dangerous, I know.  Why?  Because now you will be able to have chocolate cake in five minutes without buying it at the store.  It won't be the best chocolate cake you've ever eaten, but if you need a chocolate fix, give this a try.  Sean and I made one this afternoon, and it was good.  It will definitely satisfy a sweet tooth in a hurry.  I actually got this recipe in an email that was forwarded to me today, and I had to come home and see if it actually worked.  It did.   Another perk...it's all mixed and cooked in the mug so clean-up is minimal.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa 

1 egg

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp oil

3 tbsp chocolate chips (this is the best part of the whole thing-use whatever kind of chips you like, and roll them in flour to coat before you add them to keep them from settling to the bottom)

A small splash of vanilla extract

In a large microwave safe coffee mug add the dry ingredients, and mix well.

Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil, and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips and vanilla, and mix again.
Put the mug in the microwave, and cook for 3 minutes on high.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but do not be alarmed.

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, run a knife around the cup to release from the mug, and then invert onto a plate.  

Enjoy!