Michael's Picture Perfect Contest

I have entered a picture of myself and my mom and daughter from last Mothers day. It was the first time my Mom had seem my daughter dance on stage....it was a great day I cherish everyday! Soooo if you could take some time out of every day for the net week, and vote for our picture and a chance for us to win....

Click here to VOTE!

Thanks so much!!!

Homemakers Challenge.....are you in???

I found this challenge last night on face book from a fellow scrapper....then a few other FB friends posted.  So I went and found out about an E-book by Sarah Mae called 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way

I got in on her offer to get the e-book free yesterday and I cannot wait to receive it...if not I think $4.99 is super reasonable anyway! So are you in with me?????  Come on it will be fun to support each other....leave me a comment if you are on board and a link to your blog so I can follow your journey too.  (And maybe just maybe I will get caught up and be able to start on all these great project I have lined up!)

Homemakers Challenge

The latest Homemakers Challenge can be found here.


What is the Homemaker’s Challenge?

Homemaker’s Challenge is a weekly link-up blog hop that puts emphasis on having fun and sharing ideas. It features a showcase of women who have stepped up for the challenge and embraced the art of making a home. The additional challenge is crafting it into a blog post.
Where did the idea for Homemaker’s Challenge come from?

The original idea was Amy Bayliss‘. She has since turned it over to me and given me full authority over it. My reason for taking it?

Because I need the motivation to do hard things and so often I find homemaking hard. This is my opportunity to invite a community of women together and just have fun doing life. Homemaking is a sacred calling, but it doesn’t have to be mundane.
How does it work?

Each Friday I will post a new challenge for you (us) to complete. It will be something to do with being a homemaker. If you choose to accept the challenge, you will have one week to complete it and create a blog post conveying your response to the challenge. The link-up will be on my response to the challenge the following Thursday. You have until that day to do the challenge, write your post, and link it to my post. I will be posting my response to the challenges each Thursday.

The boy is 7 tomorrow!

I can't believe the boy is 7 tomorrow...where has the time gone???? Seriously....We are almost finished grade one man time sure fly's (and I hope we are having fun).

Such a little man you have become.  I would so do anything for you and your birthdays.  (And I have)

 2005 (sad attempt at a cake!)

 2006 Paid for cake that got us $100 grocery credit!

 2006 replacement for sad 1st cake!

 2nd 2006 Cake for another party (long story behind this one)

 2007 Yep much better at making cakes!

 2008 - Cupcakes for school

 2008 Cupcakes joint party with his sister nothing exciting because we had a death in the family and were leaving town the next am!

 2009 Super long cake over 2' long (maybe longer can't remember!)

2010 - Cupcakes simple and easy! (Plus the boy does not eat cake only cupcakes - yes I know they are the same!)

Last year was the first year that I started making the kids invites too! I would show you the boys but apparently the computers/network ate his and the girls is found here.

The boys big party is tomorrow with all his friends.  The theme is LEGO.  Yah big surprise? NOT!!!  LOL.  Her is his invite...

The kit I used for Ty's was Imagination Creation that I won in a contest.  It can be bought here at ScrapMatters Store
The lego guys were made here.
I can't wait for tomorrow the boy has gotten me so excited....but 7 really...he can't be yet!

So Easter Help

Yes I am still alive and getting back into things....Lots has happened that has kept me from here.  We are just hitting kids birthdays so that it tying up the few spare minutes I had!

I am here to share a blog post from Kidzui a great site for kids.  I am one of 'those' parents that really do not but my kids junk.  Especially at holidays.  Easter is on of those holidays that I have such a hard time handling.  So here is some help for me and I am going to share with you.  Kidzui.com Healthier alternatives for easter baskets.

Let me know what you do for your kids for Easter.....

Buttermilk info

I found this on a blog I follow and well could not help but share this cause I know that I have run into this problem before.
You all know that I love to bake and cook and eat it too! I recently found this blog and the tips I have gotten are just great!
Check it out and let me know if you have any great tips like this....Lynns Kitchen Aventures Buttermilk Help and a later post Here

Been away.....

Well I have been away....away in Disneyland. Well Southern California to be exact. We had one heck of a trip...next one for sure will be to a sunny HOT beach some where. Any family friendly locations you want to share from your personal experience....please share.

So I am now currently in the search for Disney - theme park type scrapbooking kits......HELP anyone know of some good ones out there????

Now that is out of the way and I am now mostly coherent....so tired from the trip!! We got the fridge well stocked again and tonights menu was homemade pizza (been a long time since we have made it right from scratch!). The crust was devine. I hadn't made it in a super long time (I like to cheat quite a bit when I cook) I came a across this book a long time ago at our local library. 

After so research I found more of her books and bought this one

Pizza Dough Recipe

1 1/3 cup water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp bread machine or instant yeast

Combine all ingredients in pan according to manufacturers recommendations.  Select dough or pizza dough option on machine and press start.

Preheat oven to 450 or 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.  Recommends to use a baking stone I have only used a large cookie sheet.  Bake 15 - 20 mins.  I bake ours on convection for that extra crispiness!
If you are interested in books especially cookbooks like me then check out this site....Book Close Outs.  I just checked and they don't have any of her books but check back often as their stock changes frequently and you can get some sweet deals on damaged books like some pages may have a wrinkle or the front cover is damaged.  You can save quite a lot of money there on all types of books.

Then for dessert I whipped up some cinnamon buns...not my regular recipe ( you know the secret one that you have to be my bff for ever and ever to get! LMAO! and that you will never share with anyone or I will hunt you down and .....) I went with my most favorite regular bun recipe from food.com (my most favorite site)

Hot Dog/Hamburger Buns/Rolls/Cinnamon Buns Dough Cycle A.B.M

• 1 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil or 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/4-1/3 cup sugar (use 1/3 for cinnamon buns)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I have never found the need to use bread flour these rise beautifully)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
Directions:
Prep Time: 3 hrs
Total Time: 3 1/4 hrs
1. Place all ingredients in order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer.
2. Select dough cycle and start machine.
3. I preheat my oven to 100°F and turn off.
4. When dough cycle is complete remove from machine and proceed.
5. I roll into a long log and cut into 12 pieces for hot dog buns or 9 pieces for large hamburger buns.
6. How big you want them is up to you.
7. For Hot Dog Buns, I roll out till they look like long skinny wieners,.
8. Hamburger Buns, I flatten with my palm till about the thickness of a pancake. They rise beautifully and look as nicely shaped as store bought ones.
9. Put on parchment-lined baking sheet so sides are almost touching.
10. You can brush with melted butter if you wish but I never bother.
11. Cover with cloth and put in the warm oven for 45-60 minutes to rise.
12. When doubled remove from oven.
13. I bake mine on the top shelf in my oven.
14. Turn oven to 400°F and when you put the buns in the oven, reduce temperature immediately to 375° and bake hot dog buns 15 minutes and hamburger buns 17 minutes.
15. CINNAMON BUNS. Use 1/3 cup sugar in recipe. Made 10 large buns.
16. Roll out to about 12 x 15" and spread with butter or margarine. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over all and roll up tightly. Cut into as many buns as you want. I make 10.
17. Set oven to 400° and turn down to 375° when you put buns inches Bake 20 minutes.

This recipe makes a killer bun so why not a cinnamon bun.  I had a butt end before starting in on getting caught up on my TV shows

it was quite yummy.

So I need a favor from you all.......I am in the market for a new bread machine. Do you have one? What kind? what is your favorite feature?

Off to relax and upload some pictures and shop for some scrapbooking kits!

More Challenges

This is my little update on the challenges.....
The first one is from Vickie and you can read about the details here. This challenges theme was Song Title. I chose Wonderfull by Everclear.....not for the lyrics mind you but for what the word means to my layout....Camping is WONDERFUL!

The second one is the Project 52 week challenge at Gotta Pixel. The details can found here.....No real rules except the temple! Gotta love a good template to get you started! AND the templates have been amazing!!