Paper fun!

It's been so long since I've scrapped a LO. So I was really happy when a group of mine put on a crop and I actually got to play! Not a whole lot but enough for me to really want to keep going even after it's over. I even got a digi LO done for one of the challenges!

Flavorful Friday

In honor of my super-duper cruise I decided today's Flavorful Friday would be something I ate almost every night aboard the Elation! The waiters at our table knew exactly what to bring DH every night for dessert... this, with 3 vanilla ice creams! On the last night he ordered double his usual. Once we got home he had me scouring the internet to find his beloved dessert. Well I finally found it at cruisecritic.com on their boards. Last night I made this heavenly treat and it was just like I remembered! I bought the 7 oz. ramekins at Walmart, a set of two for $5. This recipe fills 6 ramekins. I personally like my center very runny, like hershey's syrup, and last night I baked it for 13 minutes. The center was more like hot fudge. Next time, and there Will be a next time, I'll bake for a minute or two less. I have yet to finish the whole thing... it is sooo rich, but sooo worth it!

Warm Melting Chocolate Cake

8 oz. dark chocolate (you can use 1 1/3 C. semi-sweet choc. chips)

8 oz. butter

5 eggs (room temperature)

5/8 C. sugar

2/3 C. flour

Directions

Melt chocolate & butter over low heat. In mixing bowl, mix eggs and sugar, then add flour. Slowly whisk into the melted chocolate mixture. Pour into greased (i used Baker's Joy) ramekins. (i tried 4 oz. & 7 oz. -- 7 oz. is just too big!) Bake at 400 F for 12-14 minutes. Yield: 36 oz. unbaked batter; 8 servings if you use a 4 oz. ramekin.Adjust times according to the size ramekin you use, and the texture you prefer. In a 4 oz. ramekin for 13 min., the texture on the inside of the cake was a little heavier than pudding, kind of like a loose fudge. I also did some in my convection oven at 350F. 13 minutes in a 4 oz. ramekin yielded a smooth, hot fudge sauce-like center. In the 7 oz. size, 16 min. at 350F in the convection oven produced a pudding-like texture in the middle. Regular oven, 7 oz. size, at 400F, smooth, heavy sauce-like texture resulted after 14 min.

Playing Catch-up

This month has been crazy busy for me. With three birthdays, a cruise, sick kids and surgery for DH I feel like I've not had a moments peace. So to catch you up on things here's what's been happening.

Jesse turned six before we left on our cruise. It was just a small family party. We all had a lot of fun watching him blow out all those candles after singing to him! Since Christmas Jess has been obsessed with Legos. Not so much the building of them (dad helps with that) but just playing with them. So he and dad put the legos together with super glue so they won't come apart in his 6 year-old hands. I bet you can't even guess what he got? No ideas??

LEGOS!!

Indiana Jones and Star Wars Legos. Along with a nerf gun so he can have wars now with his brother. I like that they keep him busy and he lets his sisters in on the action most of the time. There's only one thing I don't like about them... they end up everywhere!!

Just a few days later DH and I headed off to the airport to catch a plane to San Diego. It was so nice once we got off the plane because you could tell you were somewhere that didn't have snow! It was 60 and sunshiney in beautiful San Diego. It took just a few minutes to get from the airport to where the cruise ships dock and getting through check-in was a breeze.

I was so proud of myself for getting used to the motion of the boat quickly and not once getting sick! We had an inside cabin which we loved! You can sleep anytime you want and not worry about the sun waking you. The food was so good and the activities kept you busy while going port to port.

On Sunday I got to enjoy a wonderful hour at their Spa and got the Exotic Lime & Ginger Salt Glow & Half Body Massage. Oh, it was HEAVEN!! And just in time for Formal Night that night. Dinner was Lobster Tails and Steak along with anything else off the menu. After dinner and before the dancing (no, I didn't get DH to dance) they had photographers everywhere taking pics of everyone in their formal wear. This is the only professional pic I got for the entire cruise since they were like $20 a sheet!

Monday we arrived in Cabo San Lucas. It was so warm (80 degrees!!) and pretty there. I wore my shorts and my swimsuit off the boat because I wanted some sun and I was not getting back on the boat without swimming in the ocean. I used to, every Summer at least once, when I was a child. Since we lived about 30 - 40 minutes from Santa Cruz, CA it was a cheap way for my mom to entertain us. We checked out the local flea markets but didn't buy much. Most of our spending was in Ensenada two days later.

See that big yacht? When we got off there were all kinds of rumors flying around that it was Tiger Woods'(Cabo's got a great golf course). Once we got to the beach we saw that it had a British Flag flying so knew that wasn't his, but whomever it does belong to was WELL OFF! You can't see it in the pic but on the back of the yacht there was a helicopter!

I didn't get any pictures in Ensenada... although we did have a great time. One of the couples we were cruising with took us to a little hole-in-the-wall Empanada stand. Oh My Gosh!! They were sooo good! Next time we go I will be going back with an empty stomache! After that we walked down the Main tourist-y street and got many things. Jewelry for Em and I at the sterling silver shop, a leather purse that feels like buttah for me and lots of other things for the kids. We even stopped to watch a guy do some spray paint art. It was amazing!

I can't wait to go again. Next time we will be taking all the kids and making it a family vacation.

5 Things I Like About Today... so far.

My BFF Katie tagged me over at her blog, so I figure I might as well post. It's just a short little thing. Thanks Katie for thinking of me!

1. I'm finally home after many errands that had to be done.
2. I don't have to think about dinner tonight.
3. I got to shower this morning... I'm sure everybody I ran into appreciated that.
4. My kids aren't fighting with each other.
5. My cute high-heeled boots are off my feet!

Now to tag others. Hmmm.... I tag:

Kasi

Shelley

Emma

Valerie

Shauna

Flavorful Friday

So sorry everyone for not having a picture of this. I really wanted to make it this week but with sick kids, two birthdays, and trying to get my home in order so that I can leave in peace tomorrow... I just haven't had the time. I hope you enjoy and I'll see ya when I get back!

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars



2/3 C. butter or margarine, softened

1 C. packed brown sugar

1/3 C. corn syrup

1 t. vanilla

4 C. quick cooking oats

1 pkg. (11 1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips

2/3 C. chunky peanut butter

4 Heath candy bars (1.2 ounces), crushed



Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add corn syrup and vanilla; beat well. Stir in oats; press into a greased 13 x 9-in baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter; stir until blended. Spread over cooled bars. Sprinkle with crushed candy bars. Refrigerate until set before cutting.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Because it might just happen!

I've been wanting some snow now for a couple of weeks. The kids were home and I thought the Christmas break would be a great time to go sledding. Well Old Man Winter wasn't cooperating with me. I only wanted a few inches of fluffy white stuff for the kids to play in while they were here. Well I finally got what I wanted! It's been snowing since yesterday afternoon and as grateful as I am for it, I'm ready to be done with it all! I think there's at least a foot out there. I've had to use the snow blower four times in the last 24 hours. I've gotten stuck almost twice! Plus I have a hard time shopping for all those little things I have to pack before Saturday.

I can't wait for 80 degrees in Cabo San Lucas!

Happy Birthday to me!

I love my hubby! He knows me so well!!

It's just what I wanted... something I could carry around in my purse and perfect for our cruise!

Flavorful Friday

Sorry for missing last weeks flavorful friday. With the holidays and all I was just way busy. I hope you all forgive me. I also don't have a picture to go with this weeks recipe. The last time I made it I didn't even think to take a picture. I hope you enjoy!

Preview Chicken

4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 Can each of cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup
1 Cup sour cream
1 pkg. Herbed croutons, crushed
1/2 a stick of margarine or butter, melted
1 Cup Chicken broth or stock

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together in a medium bowl the two soups and the sour cream. Set aside. Layer, in a 13 x 9 inch pan, in this order chicken, soup mix, and crushed croutons. Drizzle margarine over the croutons. Then add the chicken broth evenly over the top making sure the croutons are well soaked. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve over hot buttered egg noodles.