The Night before Easter

Our kids love to carefully lay out the Easter baskets the night before the Easter Bunny comes. Apparently, like Santa, the Bunny prefers close proximity to the fireplace.


In addition, someone always voices the hopeful wish that he will leave a trail of candy from their rooms to the their baskets.

He always does!

This candy trail is always greeted with loud squeals from the oldest children, who eagerly leap over the trail, anxious to find their baskets brimming with treats. While they are content to peruse their baskets, the youngest child, this year it's Owen, always meanders slowly along the trail, careful to pick-up each piece of candy so as to digest every single one.

Mom's absolute favorite:

Yellow Peeps

Dad's most disgusting:

Yellow Peeps

Guess who else loves them too?


Dad is always "present" at the festivities.
Alert? No.
But present, yes.

Easter Prep!

The kids love to decorate Easter eggs, and we always scrounge up the white crayons to make designs on the eggs before we dip them! This year we only broke three eggs, which considering we have four kids, is a minor miracle!

Not Good!

Owen learned how to climb up the bunk bed ladder.

Good?

No!
This is very, very bad!

Unfortunately, he is also very, very pleased with himself.

Sigh.

Workin' up a Sweat!

Yup, it's already that time of year!

I know it's not very environmentally-friendly to say, but I love hearing the lawn mower engines roaring to life outside. To me it means...

Good weather...
People outside...
Working hard...
Making homes tidy...
Spring!

Roseville Library Art Show!

If you haven't heard, the Downtown Roseville Library is playing host to our elementary school's Art Docent Art Show. All pieces will hang through the month of April. Please come check it out and support your city libraries!

Downtown Roseville Library Art Show
Month of April
225 Taylor Street
Roseville CA 95678

And no, when you visit the show, the art is not just laying on the floor as seen above! These photos are taken at my home when I was working out how to best mat them!

O' the Luck o' the Irish!

Yes, this is reflective of the life of a busy mom blogging:

St. Patrick's Day Photos in April!

Don't bother looking for the Easter photos until at least May!

Where a Kid can be a Kid!

Is that the tag line for Chuckie Cheese?

Either way, Chuckie Cheese is where we went for a school fundraiser. The kids had a blast, I had nightmarish flashbacks of when I worked at Discovery Zone (does anyone remember that place?), and Sam and I both realized that no matter how little tokens you give your kids-
THEY LAST FOREVER!

My Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've had a few requests for my chocolate chip cookie recipe,
but I feel guilty because I can't really claim it as my own.
I basically stole the Nestle' Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe
and tweaked it to my liking!

Enjoy!

Olivia's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Give or take 4-dozen large cookies or
6-7 dozen small cookies

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. (2-sticks) un-salted butter, softened

1 c. (1-stick) Crisco Butter-flavored Shortening

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs

6 c. Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Morsels (or more!)
2 1/2 c. coarsely chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Using a medium bowl & a whisk:

Combine the flour, baking soda, & salt and set aside.

Stop:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Using a mixer and the paddle attachment (medium speed):

Cream the butter and shortening.

Add the granulated sugar, combine

Add the brown sugar, combine.

Add the vanilla and eggs, combine.

Scrape the bowl as needed.

At low speed:

Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture until incorporated.

Finally add the morsels & nuts.

Scoop golf-ball size mounds of cookie dough onto a large un-greased cookie sheet. Place cookie mounds 2-inches apart (I usually bake six cookies to one large baking sheet).

Bake one cookie sheet at a time at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Do not over bake! This is the secret for moist, chewy cookies. Remember, all ovens times vary, but look for cookies with only the slightest browning on top. They will not look done, but they are. Keep in mind that once out of the oven, they will continue to cook on the hot cookie sheet.

Let cookies rest for 3-minutes on the cookie sheet, allowing them to set. Then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack for 7-minutes. Handle the cookies gently, they will still be very soft.

Once firm, you can stack the cookies in an air-tight container and they will keep for 5-7 days-I think.

The reason I'm not sure is because they don't last that long at our house!

Notes:

If you're trying to keep things on the lighter side,
try my Chocolate Chip Cookies...Lightened Up!

You can cut this recipe in half, but I find that the cookies are not quite the same!

Also, if you prefer smaller cookies, just adjust the baking time to 5-6 minutes and keep a close eye on them.

A Legacy of Love

Our Homes Should Exemplify a Legacy of Love

“Do we exemplify [a] legacy of love?

Do our homes?

Bernadine Healy, in a commencement address, gave this counsel:

‘As a physician, who has been deeply privileged to share the most profound moments of people’s lives including their final moments, let me tell you a secret. People facing death don’t think about what degrees they have earned, what positions they have held, or how much wealth they have accumulated. At the end, what really matters is who you loved and who loved you. That circle of love is everything, and is a great measure of a past life. It is the gift of greatest worth’
(“On Light and Worth: Lessons from Medicine,” Commencement address, Vassar College, 29 May 1994, 10, Special Collections).”

Thomas S. Monson,
“Dedication Day,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 65

Easter Traditions: Sugar Cookies

Everyone knows I love making chocolate chip cookies. But the kids can't resist this holiday tradition, and so we lug out the sprinkles and frosting and go to town!