My breakfast helper :)

Dad surprised me yesterday, he was suppose to have to work today but he took off so we can have a family day/date night.  I am so excited.  It may not be huge, just us two out to eat, but we don't get to do that very often so it means a lot! 

So I thought since we had nothing going on this morning I would get up and make cinnamon rolls.  I was surprised walking into the kitchen and seeing K standing there.  Well, not really surprised, he is my early riser!  He was so excited when I asked him if he wanted to help me make the rolls!  As you can see on his face!

We are currently waiting for them to be done baking so we can eat them up!  The house smells delicious!  Coffee and cinnamon rolls sounds like a perfect breakfast!

Pizza Sauce

I love to do almost any recipe as long as it is easyily done!  With four kids running around the house it will have a better chance of turning out if I stick to easy and most times quick.  I have gotten bread to turn our ok, even with the slamming doors and screaming!  So I found this premixed pack of spices to make Pizza Sauce and decided to try it.  Super easy!

 

 

You will need about 18 mid size tomatos, 1/4 cup white sugar, and this pack of seasoning.  I think it cost about $2 and made a huge pizza plus dipping sauce!

 

You will need to boil the tomatos for about 10 minutes in a heavy boil.  Then flash cool them, I had my sink already filled with ice cold water.  This make it so the skin just peels off!  Cut up in chunks and place in a pot.

Boil down so they are smooth(I blended mine a little in a food processor, you can also de-seed if you want by putting it through a strainer now).  Place back in pot and add sugar and seasoning, mix well and let sit on low for about 20 minutes (or more) to really get the seasoning.  Make sure you watch it and stir occasionaly because it WILL burn to your pan and it smells awful if that happens!  Don't ask me how I know this!

Spread out homemade crust(I will put this recipe up later) or put down store-bought crust.  Top with sauce and anything else you like on your pizza.  Enjoy!  This is a cookie sheet that my pizza crust makes, and it is so heavy!

Picture Day.

This is one of my favorite days of the school year.  I love the kids getting all dressed up and taking their picture.  I love the fact that my boys still want to wear ties(this is truly their choice not mine).  If you look at D his tie is a little of center, I think that makes it even more cute!  This is one of the few mornings that I do not have to fight them to get ready and look decent for school.  I can not stop looking at these pictures and realize how incredibly blessed I am!

Of course D had to get in on the picture.

Crock Pot Applesauce

This has to be the easiest recipe for applesauce there is!  It takes 4 hours in the crock pot on high.  The ingredients are as follows:

1 bag of apple(your choice)
1/2 cup sugar (no more)
Cinnamon to taste(or not at all if you like non cinnamon sauce)
1/2 cup water

Peel, core and chop apples into inch by inch chunks.  throw in pot, top with water sugar and cinnamon.  Let sit for 4 hours on high, stirring occasionally.  If you don't like chunkier sauce, place in a blender and smooth out.

That is it!  How easy is that!!

Homecoming Parade

We had our Homecoming Parade today!  I love these parades, it so much fun seeing all of the school spirit and the kids get so into it!  Only J and C are in the parade.  K is in PK, even though the parade is short it is a little far for those little legs.

This year it is cold and windy so unfortunately they couldn't really dress the way they wanted.  Last year it was so nice and warm.  Poor D was shaking by the end of the parade.
It is always so cute to see all of the little people in the parade, always so proud.

Happy Birthday Roxie!

Roxie will be one year old tomorrow!  It does not seem like we have had her that long!  With how much she has grown in this time it seems like she should be a lot older than what she is!  She is going to be a massive dog!

She defiantly gives me headaches, chasing leaves and bugs instead of going out to the bathroom.  And when it is raining or there is a sprinkler or water slide...well lets just say she gets to dry off for a while in her kennel!

In all of the bad, there is far more good!  She is one of the most loving and tolerant dogs we have ever had!  She lets the kids do just about anything to her, she almost expects it!  She has learned a new trick, which the kids love, "Roxie find the kids".  They hide over a hillside or behind a wall, and she will barrel them over, all while they are squealing with delight!  Water slides, like I mentioned above, she loves!!  She actually would go running down it with the kids sliding and end up sliding right with them!  I don't know who had more fun, her or the kids!

Dad and I were really not going to get another house animal.  We were set against it!  J kept begging us to get one, as almost all 8 year olds do!  So out of curiousity we looked!  We were refered to an amazing couple who did an awesome job raising her to 11 weeks old when we got her.  It is a perfect match and love at first site!  We thank you so much for blessing our family with such a perfect and wonderful dog!

We love you, you crazy dog!

Are my kids Pack Rats or...

Just plain messy!  This is a tiny sampling of what I found out of ONE couch cushion!!  I swear I can not even count how many single socks I have found in our couch!  Not to mention, some stuff I wish I would have never found.  I am honestly scared to put my hand down in the couch for fear of what I may grab.

I don't understand how I can have OCD when it comes to stuff like that, and not one of my kids have inherited that!

I finally got to it!

I finally found the time to sit down and organize the craft cabinet!  It needed it so badly, it got to the point where no one would open it because stuff would fall out every time the doors were open.  I tore everything out and threw away all trash, broken and not working stuff.  Next was the puzzles. We have so many, and the kids love doing them, but a lot had multiple pieces missing.  I ordered the little baskets from Oriental Trading catalog.  The other bins with lids I got at our local super center, and the Play dough container is just a giant can that used to have pizza sauce in it.  Binders, notebooks and coloring books are all on the side.  I do have some holders for those are ordered but not here yet.

So Happy!

Dad and D spent the day doing "Man" stuff!  This included going to the local farm and hardware store.  Needless to say they came home with a lot more than what I had expected.    D has an obsession with the color orange, so look what Dad bought him!  He has not taken it off for more than 20 minutes at a time!  He is so proud that he has to tell everyone to look at his new orange hat!

Meal Plan Monday

I used to be really good about writing down a menu and following it.  I have unfortunately let myself slack in that department and need to get back into it.  It helps so much to have it planned, now I am not rigid and HAVE to stick to it.  I just write down what we would like to eat that week and we may or may not end up having it on that exact day.  We will, however, have it sometime that week.

Monday: Fried Chicken legs, Sweet corn bread muffins, noodles and veggies
Tues: Hamburgers, steak fries, veggies
Wed: Pastie
Thurs: Spaghetti, meatballs, french garlic bread, peas
Fri: Leftovers
Sat: Steak, Mashed Sweet tatos, corn

Last night we had amazing and RICH Derby Pie!  So yummy!