Her Highness Turns 3

I tried something new this year for Mary Hannah's birthday. I made a cake. Not just an ordinary cake. It was a complicated little sucker. But it turned out pretty well!

MH and I toured the aisles of the craft store where I became well acquainted with every cake and icing item Wilton sells! MH chose the Princess Castle cake.

5 hours later I had greased, floured, baked, leveled, made icing, tinted icing (and my fingers), and tried out every icing decorating tip I had. Most of all, I had conquered something I never dreamed of doing.

MH loved the cake. We all did! It tasted soooooo good!

Here's a little video of the cake's big moment:

Cast Iron Skillet

Although I am from the technical South, I am not Southern. That is, I do not own a cast iron skillet. Until today.

It has been rainy here, which would negate firing up the ol' BBQ grill. But I had a hankerin' for steak. (Afterall, that IS the way to my husband's heart.) That is when I had a fabulous idea: cook like Paula Deen: cast iron and butter all the way!  On my way home from work I picked up a cast iron skillet. Its actually a cast iron grill pan, with the fancy grill lines and all.  Chris would always tell me about his grandmother's skillet and how she'd use it for everything from bacon to cornbread. I thought I'd give him some stories to tell about his wife and her skillet. So tonight I made steaks and shrimp, and boy was it good!

Simple and Sweet Mother's Day

Its Sunday, a busy one in our house. Chris took our car to church, not to return until late this afternoon. The kids and I stayed home. (We are a one car family this week). Its a special day for me because I got to share breakfast with my children, a rare delight for a working mom. Its also Mother's Day, which makes today even more special. I wanted to celebrate this rare occasion by making something yummy. So I made a delicious breakfast for the kids and me to share: Apple Walnut Stuffed French Toast. It was a hit! I made up the recipe, based on a breakfast we had while visiting friends in PA. See the original recipe below. (I am proud of myself for this one!)

Before we ate, Avery prayed. In his own sweet words he said "Dear Jesus, Thank you for our food. Thank you that Mommy gets to stay home with us today. Amen." My heart absolutely melted! It was such an innocent prayer. He really just wanted to thank God that I could be with them. I was thankful, too. Ugh, seriously, I was total puddle! Only 4 more weeks until I am able to stay home with he and MH for good! 4 weeks and counting...

And as for my very busy husband, we are looking forward to celebrating Mother's Day together tomorrow. He has something up his sleeve and won't tell me. I love it when he does that! (Ok, well, I love it when he plans things, but I can't stand the secrets!!!)

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APPLE WALNUT STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
*make ahead recipe, must refrigerate overnight*
Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread (I used Brown Sugar Cinnamon)
• 1 block Cream Cheese or Neufchatel Cheese (I used Neufchatel, its 1/3 less fat, and tastes the same to me)
• 2 C. walnuts, chopped
• 2 apples, peeled and diced
• 1/4 C. brown sugar
• 2 T vanilla extract
• 8 eggs
• 2 C. milk (I used Skim, but any kind would do... I bet my great grandma would've used canned evaporated milk, and that would taste even better!)
  
• Cinnamon (just a dash)
  
• Butter
• Non stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Spray 9x13 pan with non stick cooking spray.
2. Line bottom of pan with slices of bread until covered.
3. Spread cream cheese over bread, making a thick layer. Use the entire block of cheese.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the diced apples, walnuts, and brown sugar until apples are coated. Spread evenly on top of cream cheese.
5. Butter the remaining bread slices on both sides. Place them on top of apples.
6. Get your hands dirty: press down the bread, squishing together the layers.
7. In seperate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, and a dash of cinnamon.
8. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, enough to completely cover the tops and sides of the casserole. *You may not use all of the egg mixture. You be the judge.
9. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

BAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Remove the plastic wrap and cover with foil.
3. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered another 30 minutes.
4. Call Emily to tell her how much you LOVE this recipe. It is ok to go on and on describing how all of your guests loved it, too.

Pumpkin French Toast

(fairy) Godmother requested the recipe for my pumpkin french toast. Let me tell you that it should really be considered a dessert, not a breakfast. It is sugary and delicious. Because I made it up, I didn't really measure anything. So I will list the ingredients and let you play with it. Please try it and let me know what you came up with!

Ingredients:

2 slices bread - Pepridge Farm Cinnamon swirl - cut with a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling - a delicious mixture to spread between the layers:
8 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 1/2 C. brown sugar (granulated sugar is okay, too)
1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)( add more if you'd like)
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (add as much or as little according to your taste)

French Toast Dip- after cutting the bread and spreading a generous layer of pumpkin cream cheese filling, dip the sandwich in this mixture before baking on the griddle.
2 eggs
1/2 C. cream or milk
1/2 T. vanilla extract
pinch pumpkin pie spice

butter for frying (real butter!)

Directions:
Make the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling by mixing all ingredients until well blended. Mixture should be creamy and fluffy. Set aside. Make the French Toast Dip and set aside. Preheat griddle. Cut the two slices of bread with a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter. (Not necessary, but absolutely novel). Spread a generous amount of pumpkin cream cheese filling on both pieces of bread. Put together to make a sandwich. Dip sandwich in French Toast Dip, making sure to coat thoroughly. Place in preheated buttered skillet, turning once. After it has cooked on both sides, top with real maple syrup and sprinkle with powdered sugar, or get fancy with some heated caramel topping.

Let me know how you like it! I'd love to see some pics!

Update: Fo Da Mamas

Some people wondered what I loved about these blogs. Ok, I'll tell you. I loved the same things that my friend, Rachel shared with me. Not only will I try them at home, but I might just give 'em a go in my classroom, too.

From "No Time for Flashcards" the Thankful Hands Wreath

From "The Entertaining Kitchen" the Pilgrim Hat Cookies

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Original post:
I have recently been introduced to two great blogs. They are especially "fo da mamas!"



I love this blog for my kids at home and in school! Check it out!

The second blog is called the Entertaining Kitchen. Check it out in the sidebar ---->

Do you like them, too?

Thanks to my great friend Rachel for sending them to me!

Sunday Times

(I love pictures like these. They're pretty much my favorite.)

Sunday is a very busy day in our house. Chris is up and out quite early to get to church. He leads worship for all 3 morning services at Oasis. The kids and I spend some quality time together before we head off to church, too. This morning we had a special breakfast, Pumpkin French Toast. I made up this new recipe (although I am sure it is out there somewhere already... because its not that complicated.) The kids loved to help. They cut the bread with our pumpkin cookie cutter. And then gobbled it up and headed off to play.

Because Sundays are also tiring, I like start preparing lunch/dinner in the morning. So, after cleaning up breakfast, I put something in the crock pot.

Church was awesome. I always love the music. Today I kept the kids with me for some of the music instead of taking them directly to their classes. MH always loves seeing Daddy up on stage. She always yells a huge "There's Daddy! Hi Daddy!" and waves. Luckily, the music is loud and the crowd is not disturbed! Avery and MH love the music, too, and they love hearing their daddy sing. Avery was experimenting with trying to clap to the beat today. He doesn't have it yet, but he's trying. I was glad to see that he was getting into it. It was pretty cute.

We are going to get ready for our small group tonight. That means the house is going to be extra clean! A benefit of a small house is that there are not many hiding places for "stuff." That can also be a bad thing when we are feeling lazy. However, we'll accept that blessing in disguise and clean, clean, clean! Those of you who know me well know that I can have somewhat of a cleaning problem. I always want to clean, and I want it to stay that way. This is an unrealistic expectation. Our preschool and toddler tornadoes are great at undoing everything we have just done. Sigh. I work hard at accepting this new normal. But this afternoon, its a family effort. We will all be cleaning. I will probably cry tears of joy at that beautiful sight.

GROCERIES + MEALS = SAVING MONEY ?????

I have recently been introduced to two websites that have helped TREMENDOUSLY in my grocery budget and meal making. True story: I went to the grocery store to buy the items on my list. I paid $30.00 and I saved $40.00. That means I actually saved more than I spent!!!! On another visit I paid $100 and I saved $70. Yes, it was awesome. Because I have had such repeated success, I wanted to pass on these resources on to you.

The first site, The Grocery Game, is actually not a game. Ha ha. But, you will feel like you have won something... as evidenced by my grocery receipt that I flaunt like a trophy. (I have circled the "SAVINGS = $40" portion and display it proudly).

It is a stockpiling plan. By stockpiling items you need, you won't overpay (translation: paying full price). Click here to read more about "stockpiling" versus "need" shopping. This is how they describe it:

When you play, you'll get a weekly list of the lowest-priced
products at your supermarket matched with manufacturers' coupons and weekly specials -- advertised and unadvertised. The Grocery Game does all the hard work and research, and presents it to you in a straightforward format.

Its color coded for the cheapest products. All you do is follow the list and shop to stock your pantry. What do you need to "play"? Coupons from Sunday's paper and the list from thegrocerygame.com.

Investment? The subscription is only $1.25 per week. I have saved sooooo much by using this service. It is more than worth it! You can give it a whirl for only $1 for 4 weeks. Its a special trial run... YOU WILL LOVE IT!

If you decide to sign up, remember to put me as your reference!mailto:reference!emilyg.hughes@gmail.com

E-Mealz is a service that provides a weekly meal plan for your family, according to the grocery store you shop in, their current sales, and YOUR BUDGET! When you subscribe for $1.25 a week, you receive a grocery list for meals for a week, AND the recipes to make these simple meals. I have not yet tried this, so I don't have a testimony to share. BUT, I have heard this is a great tool.... I am intrigued!