First Haircut

Aubrey's hair had become a bit unmanageable.

Tuesday evening, we headed to the salon for her first haircut.

Here she is getting settled in...

"Cheese!"

The before picture.

Though Mackenzie was working quickly, at one point Aubrey wanted down.

"Mommy, heeeeeelp!"

I was worried she wouldn't sit still, but she did a great job of looking down when she was asked and holding still.

When Mackenzie asked if she wanted a barrette or ponytail, she clenched her fists, shook and said, "No!" Mackenzie laughed and asked again, and this time she said yes. Silly.

The after. All trimmed up, curly and bouncy.

Don't turn around

Lesson of the day...don't turn around, or you'll find...

 Aubrey wearing your shoes proudly, "ta daaaa!"

Smooshing,

tasting,

and smearing an entire stick of butter

that you left out on the counter awaiting the Butter Bell.

And painting her neck,

 

arms, belly, and occasionally the paper.

And of course, she'll be happy for all of it! 

Happy Birthday, Sue!

Last night, Ted and Sue came over so we could celebrate Sue's birthday.

We had chicken tikka masala, naan, and apple pie. We even got to skype with Hollins, Rachel, Jillian and Reid. It was pretty low-key, but it's nice to be able to be together. Happy Birthday, Sue!

Something to Love

Tyler was asked to bring a picture to school of himself with something he loves. He would be asked to write about it.

When I asked him what he wanted to take a picture with, he picked Aubrey. I asked several times, and he always answered that he wanted to pick Aubrey.

Granted, getting a half-decent picture of them together was a little challenging, but we finally got this one.

This morning, I opened his backpack to find the finished product.

Quiche

Last week held full, stressful days at school, so on Thursday when I came home to supper already baking, it was a nice treat.

I was amused that Wayne had documented his progress.

But, I'm glad he did. It was delicious. We finished the entire thing!

Quiche



Unbaked pie crust  dough (1 cup flour, 1/2 cup Crisco, 1/4 cup cold water, 1/2 tsp salt). Mix and press into ungreased 9-inch pie plate.

8-oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons flour

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cups diced ham (instead, Wayne used a mixture of broccoli-sauteed until softened, ham and salami)

1/4 tsp salt

dash pepper

Toss cheese and flour in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350* for 1 hour, or until golden brown and set.

Fudge

A couple of years ago, a coworker brought some fudge to share. It was delicious. I couldn't stay out of it. I didn't forget about it, and finally got the recipe and made it myself. I just love this recipe!

The fudge is pictured in the center.

On the left are Black Bottom Brownies and on the right are Samoa's. For the Samoa's, I used this caramel recipe in place of the packaged caramels the original recipe calls for. Next time, I'll look for a more sturdy shortbread as this crumbled off very easily. Anyway, onto the fudge!
Fudge

-Carol Abrahams

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 can evaporated milk
4 1/2 cups sugar
18 large marshmallows
8 oz Hershey Chocolate (I used a combination of Special Dark and Milk
  Chocolate)

12 oz Chocolate Chips (I used Nestle semisweet chips)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups chopped nuts (I don't like fudge with nuts, so I didn't use this)

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk and sugar. Over low heat, bring to a low boil for 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, add sugar mixture to marshmallows.  Stir until dissolved. Add Hershey chocolate and chocolate chips  slowly, stirring well until the mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add nuts, if desired.

Pour into a pan lined with wax paper. (I used an 8"x11.5" casserole).

Cool until solid and turn out onto a cutting board. Remove wax paper and cut into pieces.

Hot Pepper Peach Spread

This is a yummy cracker dip that I made over the holidays and again for the Superbowl. It's creamy, sweet and spicy.

Hot Pepper Peach Spread

-Deanna Wells

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened

3-5 oz Rothschild Hot Pepper Peach Jelly (I used Rise & Roll's Peach Jalapeno Jam)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion

1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded

Mix all ingredients together except the Monterrey Jack cheese. Spread in a shallow dish and top with shredded cheese. Refrigerate at least one hour. Serve with crackers.

to sleep...or not to sleep

Well, Christmas break caused quite a disruption in little Miss Aubrey's sleep schedule. She appeared to be terrified of being left alone in the crib.

We thought it would pass when we got home from our Christmas traveling...The short of it is that she didn't. As of today, she is almost back to normal, but still wakes most nights at least once and needs reassurance... something she hasn't done in a year.

Another change - Aubrey gave up her pacifier on January 21st. That night, I couldn't find one, and she never asked for one. Whew. In fact, it took over a week before she cried for it, and has briefly cried for her paci just a few times. Hooray!

Aubrey gets adjusted

So, every time Aubrey sees Wayne crack my back, we have a little routine. I "crack" her back (and she hams it up with lots of grunts), and then she wants to crack my back. I oblige with grunts too. Today, we caught a little of it on video. This is for you, Dad. ;)

Chocolate Covered Turtles

Christmas is the time for candy making. I have a few recipes on my go-to list, but I have a lot more recipe testing to do. After making 3 different batches of Turtles before Christmas this year, I felt like I needed to wait to try this recipe. I'm glad I tried them. This is my new go-to Turtle recipe...I'm adding it to my list of candy-making musts for next Christmas. If I can hide them, they may last until Valentine's Day.

Chocolate Covered Turtles

-Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

4 tablespoons butter, cut up, plus more for pans

3/4 pound pecan halves (about 3 1/2 cups), toasted (Preheat oven to 350
   degrees. Spread pecans on a cookie sheet. Put in oven for 5-10 minutes,
   or until the pecans become aromatic. Be careful not to let them scorch).
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Directions

Generously butter 2 baking sheets.
On the baking sheets, arrange 2 pecan halves together, leaving 2 inches of space between each cluster.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk, the corn syrup, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk and the 4 tablespoons butter, and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches the soft ball stage, 240 degrees F. (Use a candy thermometer - you want to be precise). Remove from heat immediately, and stir in the vanilla.

Working quickly and carefully, use a tablespoon, (I used a cookie scoop), and spoon caramel on top of each nut cluster and let harden. (If the caramel becomes too stiff to pour, return to low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until it returns to the proper consistency).

To make the chocolate coating, heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Return for 15-30 seconds and stir, repeating until chocolate is melted, but is cool to the touch. Be careful not to overheat or scorch.

Drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon of tempered chocolate over each cluster. Chill to harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, with waxed paper separating the layers to prevent sticking. Or you may freeze the turtles if you will store them longer.


Makes approximately 70 turtles.