Brennan's classroom party was today, and he wanted me to make cookie cake for the treat. First of all, I'm finding out that several schools won't even allow homemade goodies, so I'm glad we can still do that! For some reason, he is obsessed with cookie cake, and that's what he wants for every treat now! That's fine because it's easy. I found these cute pans last week and decided to do the pumpkin thing. One cake wouldn't have been enough so I did two (please excuse the leaf in the bottom of the picture. The boys insisted I take a picture of it before we headed out the door so I have the pan sitting on the floor of the entry way. You can also see the toothpicks in the cookie (6 in each one). They keep the saran from smearing the frosting. Brennan was so excited about bringing these today, and that made me feel good. That's exactly why I do it. I remember back about 10 years ago when I was teaching. We were getting ready for a class holiday party, and one student made a remark that made me literally get tears in my eyes. I have never forgotten it since. When we were deciding who wanted to bring food for the party, he said very sullenly, "My mom won't want to bake any treats. She's too busy." Now I am not judging anyone, and I know baking isn't for everyone, but his sad little face still haunts me. That experience reminded me that I never want my kids to feel like I am too busy for them. So, even when it is a chaotic day, I will be up decorating the treats til 2 AM if I have to be (because I'm not a morning person and won't get up at 5 AM to do it!)Thursday, October 29, 2009
Halloween party
Brennan's classroom party was today, and he wanted me to make cookie cake for the treat. First of all, I'm finding out that several schools won't even allow homemade goodies, so I'm glad we can still do that! For some reason, he is obsessed with cookie cake, and that's what he wants for every treat now! That's fine because it's easy. I found these cute pans last week and decided to do the pumpkin thing. One cake wouldn't have been enough so I did two (please excuse the leaf in the bottom of the picture. The boys insisted I take a picture of it before we headed out the door so I have the pan sitting on the floor of the entry way. You can also see the toothpicks in the cookie (6 in each one). They keep the saran from smearing the frosting. Brennan was so excited about bringing these today, and that made me feel good. That's exactly why I do it. I remember back about 10 years ago when I was teaching. We were getting ready for a class holiday party, and one student made a remark that made me literally get tears in my eyes. I have never forgotten it since. When we were deciding who wanted to bring food for the party, he said very sullenly, "My mom won't want to bake any treats. She's too busy." Now I am not judging anyone, and I know baking isn't for everyone, but his sad little face still haunts me. That experience reminded me that I never want my kids to feel like I am too busy for them. So, even when it is a chaotic day, I will be up decorating the treats til 2 AM if I have to be (because I'm not a morning person and won't get up at 5 AM to do it!)Monday, October 26, 2009
happy birthday to my big brother Dave...
* who has an amazing ear for the piano and can pick songs up by just hearing them* who makes me laugh at his jokes
* who has many clever sound effects (my favorite is the dinosaur roar)
* who is a night owl just like myself
* who is extremely intellectual and very mathematically inclined
* who has a tendency to be a bit of a pessimist : (
* who often calls me Katie Sue
* who I don't get to see often enough
Hope your day is special! I know Tracy will be making her famous chocolate cake as she does for everyone's birthdays in their family!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday
Back from a great weekend
* 48 hours with my best friend who I only see a couple of times a year
*great food- Steak and Shake (tried the carmel apple malt- it was AWESOME!) and Dynasty China buffet (our husbands aren't fond of Chinese so it's a must during our weekends
* a superb nap after said Steak and Shake meal
*scrapbooking
*numerous episodes of King of Queens watched on the laptop and much laughing/line quoting (it's our favorite show)
*2 great nights of sleep
*awesome memories
I came home to an empty dirty laundry bin, clean bathrooms, and vacuumed carpets. My husband took care of everything, and I so appreciate the time away. I think my guys missed me, however Bradley did say he liked Dad's meals better (hot dogs, pizza) because mine usually involve something healthy : )
Busy week ahead- Bradley had a football game tonight almost an hour away, and then I had to race back to tutor. Although we got killed, Bradley scored a touchdown and the extra point. He had a good game, and I got some pictures that hopefully will get posted soon. Tomorrow he goes to the ear/nose/throat dr. He still has a tube in his ear (placed when he was 4 years old) and now it has scar tissue growing over it so it needs to be removed. Bradley has another game on Thursday (his last one), Race for the Cure on Saturday, and an open house Sunday afternoon. In between all of that, lots of tutoring is going on. I started coming down with a cold on Saturday, and raced out quickly to get some zinc. I've been pumping that for the last two days and hoping it will ward it off. Feeling a little droopy today, but I'm going to try to get to bed at a good time each night. I am pumping vitamins down all of us to try to avoid this nasty flu bug that's going around. So many people are sick right now. Brennan told me that about 7 kids were out in his class today.
I have one more pumpkin recipe I'd like to share, but I want to make it first! If it's good, I'll post.
* 48 hours with my best friend who I only see a couple of times a year
*great food- Steak and Shake (tried the carmel apple malt- it was AWESOME!) and Dynasty China buffet (our husbands aren't fond of Chinese so it's a must during our weekends
* a superb nap after said Steak and Shake meal
*scrapbooking
*numerous episodes of King of Queens watched on the laptop and much laughing/line quoting (it's our favorite show)
*2 great nights of sleep
*awesome memories
I came home to an empty dirty laundry bin, clean bathrooms, and vacuumed carpets. My husband took care of everything, and I so appreciate the time away. I think my guys missed me, however Bradley did say he liked Dad's meals better (hot dogs, pizza) because mine usually involve something healthy : )
Busy week ahead- Bradley had a football game tonight almost an hour away, and then I had to race back to tutor. Although we got killed, Bradley scored a touchdown and the extra point. He had a good game, and I got some pictures that hopefully will get posted soon. Tomorrow he goes to the ear/nose/throat dr. He still has a tube in his ear (placed when he was 4 years old) and now it has scar tissue growing over it so it needs to be removed. Bradley has another game on Thursday (his last one), Race for the Cure on Saturday, and an open house Sunday afternoon. In between all of that, lots of tutoring is going on. I started coming down with a cold on Saturday, and raced out quickly to get some zinc. I've been pumping that for the last two days and hoping it will ward it off. Feeling a little droopy today, but I'm going to try to get to bed at a good time each night. I am pumping vitamins down all of us to try to avoid this nasty flu bug that's going around. So many people are sick right now. Brennan told me that about 7 kids were out in his class today.
I have one more pumpkin recipe I'd like to share, but I want to make it first! If it's good, I'll post.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
pumpkin pancakes
Pumpkin Pancakes
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin, and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupsful onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown.
This recipe came from Quick Cooking magazine a couple of years ago. The first time I tried it, I wondered how the boys would respond (they're not exactly willing guinea pigs for new recipes), but both boys loved them! We had them several times that first winter I discovered the recipe. I've yet to make them this fall yet, but it's coming soon. This recipe comes with a hot cider syrup. I have not tried that as we are not cider fans (maple syrup works great for us!), but I'll post that as well in case anyone wants to give that a try.
Hot Cider Syrup
3/4 cup apple cider or juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
In a saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin, and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupsful onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown.
This recipe came from Quick Cooking magazine a couple of years ago. The first time I tried it, I wondered how the boys would respond (they're not exactly willing guinea pigs for new recipes), but both boys loved them! We had them several times that first winter I discovered the recipe. I've yet to make them this fall yet, but it's coming soon. This recipe comes with a hot cider syrup. I have not tried that as we are not cider fans (maple syrup works great for us!), but I'll post that as well in case anyone wants to give that a try.
Hot Cider Syrup
3/4 cup apple cider or juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
In a saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Pumpkin Dessert
Today's recipe is one I enjoyed all throughout my childhood. I'm not sure where it came from, but my mom made it every fall as I was growing up, and I loved it. I think it's definitely best with lots of whipped creme- but I think a lot of desserts taste best with lots of whipped creme!
Pumpkin Dessert
Take one yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup). Add one egg and one stick of melted margarine. Pat into 9x13 pan.
Mix together:
one large can of pumpkin pie mix
2/3 cup of evaporated milk
2 eggs
Pour over first layer.
Sprinkle on top:
1 cup dry mix, 1/2 stick margarine, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serve with whipped creme. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Dessert
Take one yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup). Add one egg and one stick of melted margarine. Pat into 9x13 pan.
Mix together:
one large can of pumpkin pie mix
2/3 cup of evaporated milk
2 eggs
Pour over first layer.
Sprinkle on top:
1 cup dry mix, 1/2 stick margarine, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serve with whipped creme. Enjoy!
Monday, October 12, 2009
pumpkin week
Although I do not enjoy the coming of fall (because I hate winter with a passion) I do like a few of the elements of fall. One of those is pumpkins! I love to decorate with them, and I love to make pumpkin recipes. So I have decided that this week is going to be pumpkin week on my blog. Each day (hopefully!!) I will feature a favorite pumpkin recipe. Today's is our family's top pick. I believe I got this pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe from my sister. These are easy to make, very moist, and everywhere I take them, someone wants the recipe. They make a big batch, but when I make them at home, they are gone within a couple of days. If you try them, let me know what you think!Pumpkin Muffins
4 eggs
2 C sugar
1 1/2 C oil
15 oz. can pumpkin
3 C flour
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 C chocolate chips
Mix ingredients in the order given. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 16-20 minutes.
As I was googling my pumpkin picture I found some others that I thought I'd share. Love this one!
Big Mac Pumpkin
USA Pumpkin
and Puking Pumpkin
Thursday, October 8, 2009
experimenting
I have Picassa on my new laptop and I love that I can upload straight from it to Blogger. I decided to try out the collage option to see how it'd work. I think I'm gonna love it! I've wondered how people get these neat collages on their blogs. I probably should have done a little more editing with the pictures, but this is my first attempt. I'm sure you'll see more of these to come.
my fur babies
I'm procrastinating right now. I should be working on church stuff, but my eyes are tired, and I don't feel like it. I don't have any tutoring students on Friday, so after I finish with my last one on Thursday night, I feel like the weekend has arrived. Most of the time I sub on Friday, but tomorrow my sister is coming down from St. Ansgar and I get to spend the day with her. I can't wait! I don't get to see her nearly enough!
Love, love, love my kitties! I would easily have several more if my husband would allow it. I talk to them as much as I talk to my children. I call them my kids, and I pick them up and pet them whenever I pass by them. They don't always appreciate it, especially Oreo. Last weekend, Brennan and I went to a cat show at the Fairgrounds, and we loved seeing all of the different breeds and getting to pet several of them. I discovered that I need a Somali cat. I read a brochure about them, and they are loving, affectionate, and want to be in their human's business. They adore attention, and don't like to be left alone. That is exactly the kind of cat for me! Although Maizy does follow me around quite a bit, she's moody and has her moments. Oreo's motto is "how can you help me today?" He's pretty much about himself. But I love em anyway!
Boxes- we love boxes! None are too small- in fact, the tighter the quarters, the better!
I don't think Oreo was enjoying this bonding time with Brennan in the laundry basket!
Although Oreo pretty much tolerates the rest of us, he does love his Bradley- and a nice soft white fuzzy blanket!
We often call Maizy "the supervisor" as she must inspect things and know what's going on with the family at all times!
Nothing like a hard-as-a-rock-uncomfortable stereo to lull one to sleep! Nighty night!
Love, love, love my kitties! I would easily have several more if my husband would allow it. I talk to them as much as I talk to my children. I call them my kids, and I pick them up and pet them whenever I pass by them. They don't always appreciate it, especially Oreo. Last weekend, Brennan and I went to a cat show at the Fairgrounds, and we loved seeing all of the different breeds and getting to pet several of them. I discovered that I need a Somali cat. I read a brochure about them, and they are loving, affectionate, and want to be in their human's business. They adore attention, and don't like to be left alone. That is exactly the kind of cat for me! Although Maizy does follow me around quite a bit, she's moody and has her moments. Oreo's motto is "how can you help me today?" He's pretty much about himself. But I love em anyway!
Boxes- we love boxes! None are too small- in fact, the tighter the quarters, the better!
I don't think Oreo was enjoying this bonding time with Brennan in the laundry basket!
Although Oreo pretty much tolerates the rest of us, he does love his Bradley- and a nice soft white fuzzy blanket!
We often call Maizy "the supervisor" as she must inspect things and know what's going on with the family at all times!
Nothing like a hard-as-a-rock-uncomfortable stereo to lull one to sleep! Nighty night!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
the Hydorn family
Two posts in 24 hours!! This has to be some sort of miracle! I'd really like to say it will continue, but I don't want to lie. However having a laptop is so awesome! I'm not used to being able to sit on the couch reclining with my favorite fuzzy white blanket while watching TV and catching up on my blogs and websites. Who knows? Maybe my posts will become more frequent.
This is a Hydorn family picture taken back in August. We were in Corydon for the annual Old Settlers celebration. I believe we had just gotten home from church. As I look at this picture, I'm realizing how much Brennan is growing!
GAnd here is Gary with his mom and brother
Well I best be heading to bed. It's been a busy week so far. I've had lots of tutoring, subbed one day, and had two homeschool visits this week. Tomorrow I am taking Bradley to the Dr. in the AM. He's been coughing all week, and I'm wanting to get that checked out. Several in his class have been sick. Last year he battled sinus infections all winter, and I don't want a repeat of that! Then I'm running errands all day and going to the Christian bookstore to look at curriculum. I'm looking forward to a fairly free weekend! Brennan does have an 8:00 game on Saturday, but other than that, no plans!!! I love it! I want to get some pumpkins and hay bales for the front porch, and I saw in the paper that there is a cat show at the fairgrounds this weekend. My parents took me to one when I was little and it fascinated me. I thought Brennan might enjoy it since he's my fellow cat lover. I'd love to get a little bit of scrapbooking done too. Haven't done anything in forever. I lose my ambition in the evenings when I say I'm going to go down and do a page. I want to scrap our Ft. Lauterdale and Pittsburgh pics.
This is a Hydorn family picture taken back in August. We were in Corydon for the annual Old Settlers celebration. I believe we had just gotten home from church. As I look at this picture, I'm realizing how much Brennan is growing!
GAnd here is Gary with his mom and brother
Well I best be heading to bed. It's been a busy week so far. I've had lots of tutoring, subbed one day, and had two homeschool visits this week. Tomorrow I am taking Bradley to the Dr. in the AM. He's been coughing all week, and I'm wanting to get that checked out. Several in his class have been sick. Last year he battled sinus infections all winter, and I don't want a repeat of that! Then I'm running errands all day and going to the Christian bookstore to look at curriculum. I'm looking forward to a fairly free weekend! Brennan does have an 8:00 game on Saturday, but other than that, no plans!!! I love it! I want to get some pumpkins and hay bales for the front porch, and I saw in the paper that there is a cat show at the fairgrounds this weekend. My parents took me to one when I was little and it fascinated me. I thought Brennan might enjoy it since he's my fellow cat lover. I'd love to get a little bit of scrapbooking done too. Haven't done anything in forever. I lose my ambition in the evenings when I say I'm going to go down and do a page. I want to scrap our Ft. Lauterdale and Pittsburgh pics.
Alrighty, I'm off like a dirty shirt!
Toodles!
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