How about a little White Trash?

Mmmmmmmmm. I love this recipe!  I make it a few times a year and almost always bring it to work or somewhere because I will eat every last morsel if I don't.  You can buy Holiday m&m's and make it for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter - I think you get the point!  I wanted to make it Patriotic for the 4th but couldn't find red white & blue m&m's so here goes:

4 cups of corn chex
2 cups of cheerio's
1 cup pretzels ( I like the sticks or the tiny pretzel shaped ones)
1 cup peanuts
Medium bag of m&m's candies (12.6 oz.)
1 lb. white chocolate
2 tbsp. oil (I use vegetable)

Melt chocolate in a double boiler if you're fancy or the microwave if you aren't (haha) just remember to use 50% power or it will burn.  Add oil and coat all the ingredients.  You can spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool and then break into small pieces and put in a bowl.  Enjoy!!

My Kids Favorite Toy

How lame am I that I am blogging about my children's favorite toy?  Pretty lame!   Mom confession: I kind of love this toy too.  I didn't buy it, it was given to Brady when he was 3 and I wish I could remember by whom.  Gift time got a little crazy and cards were confused that year.  But the reasons why I love it: it's educational and can be used for a few different purposes.  Right now Pierce is in L-O-V-E with this game and wants to play it at least 4 times a day.  It comes with a board and a "mystery box".  The board has all 26 letters of the alphabet on it and inside the magic box are 26 different items.  At first, they just learn all the objects, then they learn their letters and finally the sounds to all the letters.  Pierce loves to pull stuff out of the box and I just love hearing him say "egoo" for igloo.  I have seen this toy in a bunch of different toy magazines and even at TJMaxx.   It sells for somewhere between $25 - 39. 
http://www.lakeshorlearning.com/product/productImages.jsp?productItemID=845,524,441,783,752&imageAttribute=ATR_prd_cnt_image_large&ASSORTMENT<>ast_id=1408474395181113&bmUID=1403615239609&viewOnly=false

And here is a picture of the sweet little boy playing his favorite game!

Lately

Life has been so busy lately and we have been having a lot of fun. 

Brady is in t ball and plays every Saturday morning at 9:30am.  It's bananas trying to get everyone ready and out the door on time but we manage!  And on time means a stop at Tim Horton's for our signature beverages: large tea, double double for dad and an ice coffee with a shot of mocha for mom.  Brady hits the ball on the first try and is pretty fast!  He gets the biggest kick out of his "athletic supporter" and he has to have a Gatorade for the bench.  He's a hard-working athlete after all! 

 

Brady had his end-of-the-year celebration at school.  That's right, not graduation or moving up day as I wanted to call it.  There was no adorable little cap and gown because as his teacher put it: all our friends don't move up.  Complete BS if you ask me.  We have to cater to the kids that aren't ready?  Cater to the kids that didn't work hard enough? Cater to the parents that didn't turn in homework or do their part?  OK I'm going to end my rant but seriously??  He was coming down with a pretty bad bug that day but tried his best.  Here is a picture of his teacher Mrs. Kistner who had her hands full with this bunch this year but we made it!



We gave Mrs. Kistner a big personalized family beach towel wrapped with a magazine and a little card.  She loved it and used it that weekend.  We own the same one in chevron we got on sale at pbk.

And here is all of us on the big day.  And the boys were angels throughout the hour long performance.  Thank you Jesus!

This little boy is 9 months now! 

This little guy is 2!

A trip to the zoo...

I just noticed these babies are in the stroller a lot.  Have 3 kids and then we will talk!  That one on the right that doesn't like to wear shoes needs to be confined. He is a runner.  Haha!

Another year of Gymnastics completed for Brady.  He was invited to join the Level 1 Boys Team starting this Summer and we are so proud of his hard work. 

Brady and his instructor Mr. Luke.

And I am forgetting we had a birthday party somewhere in there too!  Brady and Pierce had a Pirate themed birthday this year. 

Steve and I have gotten out on the Harley twice already this Summer.  We went to Cheesecake factory both times and sat on the patio.  We joked that we have a special parking spot in the ramp. Its this little tiny space behind a big concrete pole that can only fit a bike so its perfect for us.  Steve got me a back rest for the motorcycle so I won't fall off.  And we managed to go to 2 weddings.  Perfect date nights for us, if you ask me. 

The wedding in Rochester had us staying over night away from the babies and we had a great time. 

We missed the boys but it made coming home that much more special.  We have also been having Hot Dog Sundays at George's.  The kids love the playgrounds and we love the chicken souvlaki salads!  So far this Summer has been great...

Mac-n-cheese

Steve and I are quite the suckers for a good mac-n-cheese.  Throw in some lobster and we are huge fans.  Fat Bob's probably has the best plain and Russell's for Lobster mac is the winner.  We went to Dinosaur bbq and were very disappointed in theirs.  I found a really good recipe and have been requested to share it.  I got this from a Taste of Home magazine a few years ago and the author was from the South.  They know how to do it down there!   Now this recipe calls for cottage cheese, which scares some people.  But trust me, cottage cheese when it melts is divine and you will never know it's in there!  This recipe isn't healthy so beware.  

Mac-N-Cheese

2 1/2 cups of cooked macaroni, or whatever you like
6 tbs. butter (2 tbsp. to prepare dish)
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups milk
8 oz. American cheese (cubed)
1 1/3 c. cottage cheese
2/3 c. sour cream
4 oz. shredded cheddar

Melt 4 tbsp. butter and stir in flour.  Whisk to get out the lumps and let cook for a minute.  Add salt and sugar.  Gradually stir in milk.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened.  Reduce heat and stir in American cheese until melted.  Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream.  Pour pasta into cheese mixture.  Pour into 2 1/2 quart  buttered baking dish.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.  Enjoy!