Wild Animal Kingdom

I feel like we live in the middle of the woods. Just a couple minutes ago while we were eating breakfast, Brooks noticed something on the deck. I turned around and saw 2 raccoons on the deck! The possum sitings are a near daily experience. We've determined there are at least 2 possums. This is really strange.

I don't like Ft Wayne

Our drive to Cleveland took a lot longer than planned. Like twice as long. It was a bad bad bad drive. We left around 7am Friday morning and didn't get there until 6pm. Ryan hit a patch of ice around Roanoke IN and he ditched his car. It was the better option and I'm so thankful that he was driving and using his skills. He was trying not to hit other cars on the side of the road and decided to ditch it. It was really scary sitting in the ditch praying that other cars coming would not hit us. He was able to drive out of the ditch and the car only has a minor issue with the front bumper. We are so thankful. God was definitely watching over us. I don't think the boys even knew what was going on, there were in the back just reading their books.

We drove a little bit more into Ft Wayne and decided to wait it out awhile. Mind you, the forecast for Friday was supposed to be a high of 50. Yeah right. It did not happen in Ft Wayne. We killed some time at Kroger, Target, a bike shop, and ChickFilA. It was not getting warmer and we decided to try to move on. We kept calling Jess for temperature updates and it was warmer towards her. The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful, but we were freaked out the whole day. We were so thankful that the boys were so well behaved. Not a disagreement between the two of them the whole day. There were such good little travelers.

We were so happy to finally make it to Cleveland. We checked into our hotel and then headed to Jess & Dan's for pizza. The boys were happy to see everyone and enjoyed opening their gifts. The John Deere tractors were (there are still playing with them al the time) a big hit.

Saturday morning Jess and I got manicure's at the Aveda beauty school. It was so relaxing. Her baby shower was in the afternoon and it was fun. My Aunt Marion, and cousins Kim and Kris were able to make it up from Columbus OH. It was good to see them. Baby Beck got a lot of nice stuff at the shower!

Ryan had the boys all day and they did some exploring around Cleveland. He took them to a cool park on the lake. They had a great time running around. The temps got up to 70 in Cleveland on Saturday! They also went to a couple bike shops and ate Mexican food for lunch. They took a super long nap and they we all went swimming at the hotel. Well, it was more like Ryan and Brooks went swimming. The water was a little cold and Hudson didn't want anything to do with it. I took him into the hot tub and he didn't really like that either.

We drove back on Sunday without any issues and we're all happy to be back home!

Sorry I don't have any pictures, I did bring my camera but didn't take any.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We enjoyed a nice day at home as a family. The boys enjoyed just hanging out at home. We made a birthday cake for Jesus and even sang Happy Birthday to him.

Yesterday we went to visit Grandma and PopPop. We had a nice meal together before we hurried home to avoid the roads freezing. The trip home was actually better than the trip out there.

Tomorrow we are headed to Cleveland to see Auntie Jess, Uncle Dan, Memaw and Papaw. They boys are excited because the hotel has an indoor pool!

The boys watched "Elf" as a special treat.

Crockpot Craziness

I've been on a crockpot kick lately. And I haven't been making the usual run of the mill stuff in it. Yesterday I made yogurt! In the crockpot! And it was easy and it tastes really good, better than the stuff you buy in the store and it's cheaper! Yeah, so I'm pretty excited about the yogurt, so is Ryan since he eats a lot of it.

I made the Holiday Punch for the cookie exchange. It was so easy and we all loved it. It was perfect for warming up from the -20 wind chill outside.

We eat a lot of beans and I usually buy canned. Dried beans are cheaper and it was so easy to cook up a pound this way so I don't have any excuses to not make dried beans now.

Crockpot Yogurt

Ingredients
8 cups milk (half-gallon)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 pkg unflavored gelatin (for a thicker yogurt)

Directions
1. Pour the milk into the crockpot, cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.
2. Unplug the crockpot and let it sit for 3 hours.
3. After the 3 hours, take out 2 cups of the milk and whisk in the 1/2 cup of plain yogurt.
4. Dump the yogurt/milk mixture back into the crockpot and whisk in the packet of gelatin.
5. Put the lid back on the crockpot, wrap the crockpot with a heavy bath towel for insulation and let it sit for 8 hours.
6. After the 8 hours you're all done! Store it in plastic containers in the fridge. You can blend in your favorite fruit or jam when you're ready to eat.

Holiday Punch

Ingredients
4 cups cranberry juice
4 cups pineapple juice
2 cinnamon sticks

Directions
1. Place the juices and cinnamon sticks in the crockpot, cover, and cook on high for 2 hours.

Beans

Ingredients
1 lb dried beans

Directions
1. Sort the beans and place in the crock. Rinse and then cover with water. Soak overnight.
2. In the morning, dump the water and rinse the beans again.
3. Cover the beans with water, 2 inches over the top of the beans.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
5. Drain the beans and place in bags. 1 2/3 cup beans equals one can of beans. They can be frozen for 6 months.

Christmas Cookie Recipes

Here are some cookie recipes from our cookie exchange! *I don't know why blogger is posting this all weird. Sorry!*

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
8 oz semi-sweet baking bars
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups chopped nuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place the chocolate in a large glass bowl. Microwave on medium heat for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Remove and stir. If too lumpy heat another 30 seconds until most lumps are gone.
4. Stir in sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
5. Stir flour with baking powder; add to chocolate mixture, mixing well.
6. Fold in chips and nuts.
7. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake 10-14 minutes. Cool 1 minute and remove to cooling rack.

Almond Paste Cookies

Ingredients
8 oz almond paste
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg whites
food coloring (optional)
whole blanched or silvered almonds (optional)

Directions
1. Crumble almond paste into mixer bowl. Add sugars and egg white and blend until smooth. Add food coloring if desired.
2. Use a pastry bag or teaspooons to make 1 to 2 inch cookies on parchment papered cookie sheets.
3. Place a almond on top of each cookie.
4. Allow cookies to stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes or until slightly golden.
6. Remove from the oven and cool 3 minutes before removing them from cookie sheet.
7. Makes about 40 cookies that freeze well.

Irish Cream Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 (21 1/2 ounce) box brownie mix (I like Duncan Hines)
• 1/2 cup irish cream
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup irish cream

Glaze

• 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1 ounce square chocolate with 1 tsp butter)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F; grease the bottom of a 13x9-inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine brownie ingredients. Beat 50 strokes with a spoon, spread in greased pan, and bake for 20 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool completely.
3. For Frosting:.
4. In a small bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients; add more Irish Cream if too thick. Spread over cooled brownies.
5. For Glaze:.
6. In a small saucepan over low heat, or in microwave, melt chocolate chips (or chocolate with 1 tsp butter). Stir occasionally.
7. Drizzle glaze over frosted brownies.

Christmas fun

Ryan had an ice day on Friday, he was excited to begin his Christmas break a day early. We took the boys to see the Purdue Christmas Tree. Sarah, Maggie and Abby came along too. They all had a fun time running around and making the stressed out Purdue students smile.

Saturday morning Ryan took the boys to Linden (a really really small town south of us) to a train museum. They had a special display for Christmas. Ryan said it wasn't as good as the San Diego Model Railroad Museum (go figure) but the boys had a good time anyways. They even got to go in the caboose that was outside.

This afternoon I hosted a cookie exchange with the moms from my MOPS table. We had quite a variety of cookies and had a nice couple hours just relaxing.

The Possum

Guess who paid us a visit during dinner tonight....the possum. Brooks and Hudson were so excited to see it this time. That thing is so ugly. Maybe it heard about the Possum Pie I made for our friends Josh and Susan last weekend. I have no idea why this pie is called Possum Pie, but I had to make it for them since they were in the car when I ran over that possum years ago.

Possum Pie

Ingredients

• 2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1/4 cup vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 3/4 cups cold milk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
• 12-16 pecan halves

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Spread onto bottom of crust.
3. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
4. In another mixing bowl; combine pudding mixes.
5. Add milk and vanilla; beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
6. Spoon over the pecans.
7. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
8. Top with whipped cream and pecan halves.

Wordless Wednesday

Bird Invasion

Brooks just came tearing out of his room going on and on about "lots of birdies". 5 minutes earlier Hudson and I were looking out the back window at 6 cardinals. So I thought, oh there must be some cardinals out front too. But no, this is what we saw...

Preschool party

Brooks finished up his semester of preschool last Thursday. They follow the Purdue schedule, so he has a month off before they start up again in January. I attended his party last Monday and it was fun seeing him with his preschool friends. They have these bikes that are connected in a circle and he loves to ride on there. His teacher said he would ride all day if they let him! It is one of the big toys they rotate into the room, so it's not there all the time.

Brooks likes to know what the weather is going to do. I was reading him the forecast the other morning and he asked me, "Is that was Jesus says?" and I said no, it's what the weatherman said.

Hudson is stringing together sentences all the time. He likes to ask "Mommy doing?". When I picked him up from church the other morning he came running out of the classroom singing Jingle Bells. He also has a cute rendition of Jesus Loves Me.

Recipes of the Week

Here's some recipes from Hudson's birthday party...

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2/3 cup oil
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (6 ounce) package chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, 2 C sugar, cocoa, teaspoon of salt and baking soda together.
3. Add oil, water, vinegar and vanilla.
4. Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full with mixture.
5. Mix together until fluffy the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 C sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
6. Add chocolate chips to cream cheese mixture.
7. Drop 1 heaping teaspoon on the top of each cupcake.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.
9. Frost when cool.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 ounces (half an 8-ounce package) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 to 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.

2. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the peppermint extract and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and blend on low until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.

Feel free to fold in up to 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy for a crunchy and creamy frosting!

Cranberry Punch

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 3 cups cranberry juice
• 2 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 42 fluid ounces 7-Up soda
• ice cubes

Directions

1. Chill fruit juices and 7-Up.
2. Simmer water, sugar and cinnamon sticks together for 10 minutes.
3. Set aside for several hours to allow the mixture to develop the cinnamon spiced flavor.
4. Prior to serving time, remove the cinnamon sticks from the sugar syrup.
5. In a large punch bowl, combine the sugar syrup, cranberry juice, orange juice, and lemon juice.
6. Slowly pour in the 7-Up.
7. Add ice-cubes and garnish with lime slices if desired.

Crockpot Christmas Potpourri

Orange peels, from 2 oranges
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp ground cloves
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
water

I put this all in my mini crockpot and covered it with water. It made the house smell wonderful!

Advent Conspiracy

Check out this video, it's pretty eye-opening.

Look what was on our deck...

Saturday afternoon as I was getting the final touches ready for Hudson's birthday, Ryan frantically called me out from the kitchen. I just figured it was the cat or something. But this is what I saw....

Ok, so how weird is that?! Sorry about the picture, it's not blurry, it just all the smudges the boys leave on the door!

Maybe this possum is coming for revenge? Many years ago I ran over a possum on the way home from Cedar Point. The whole way home we were making possum jokes with our friends. This is the closest I've been to a possum and they are ugly!

Hudson's Birthday Bash

We had a birthday party for Hudson yesterday. We all had a great time with our friends from our small group and Grandma and Pop pop. Hudson loved the cupcakes!

Checking out the cool book that Asa got him.

Umm, is he saying "Mom your cupcakes are #1"?

Wordless Wednesday

Happy 2nd Birthday Hudson!

Wow, I can hardly believe you are 2 today! You have grown up into such a happy easy-going little boy. You love to have fun with your brother. Some of your favorite things are helicopters, balloons, basketball, going to the park, reading books, taking baths and playing outside. Your favorite foods are spaghetti, carnitas tacos, beans, bananas, edamame, muffins, and smoothies. We are all so blessed to have you in our lives. Happy Birthday Hudson!