Friday, May 25, 2012

Pinterest Success!

Pinterest
Need I say more? I have found so many great ideas that I'm sure I'll never get around to, but that doesn't stop me from pinning by little heart out! Here are some of the pins that I actually have tried, the ones that turned out, anyway!

Key Lime Pie Sandwiches via Hungry-Girl
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. lime juice (key lime, if available)
2 sheets (8 crackers) low-fat cinnamon graham crackers, broken into 4 squares
Directions:
To make the filling, combine yogurt, sugar, and lime juice in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Cover and place in the freezer for 25 - 30 minutes, until it reaches a soft-serve-like consistency (very thick but soft enough to stir). Place two graham cracker squares on a plate with the cinnamon-covered sides down. Give filling a stir and evenly distribute between the two graham cracker squares, about 1/4 cup each. Gently place another graham cracker square over each filling-topped square, cinnamon-covered sides up. Place in the freezer until filling is firm, at least 1 hour. Enjoy!  

These were refreshing, delicious, and perfect for that afternoon pick-me-up or late night sweet tooth. Remi and Marshall both liked them, always a plus around here! I might suggest using a liquid sweetener because the suger stayed too gritty when mixed in.

M&M, Pretzel and Chocolate Chip Bars via Grin and Bake It
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini M&Ms
1 cup pretzels, crushed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Using a mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about one minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chip, mini M&Ms, and crushed pretzels. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, pressing down with a spatula. Sprinkle a few M&Ms on top, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow to cool completely.  

These were so tasty, but I couldn't find my 13x9 so I used something slightly smaller. It didn't worked out in my favor. The bars cooked on the outside, but were a little too gooey inside. Lesson learned. Use the right size pan.

  Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Cups via Delightful Bitefuls
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup smooth peanut butter
Turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw), optional
Chopped peanuts, optional
 Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the peanut butter and continue beating on low speed. Add the sifted dry ingredients and beat until just blended. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll balls in turbinado sugar (I used granulated sugar). Place each ball in a cup of a greased mini muffin tin. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are browned and crackled, the centers will not be completely set. Remove the cookies from the oven and use the end of a thick-handled wooden spoon make a small, deep well in the center of each cookie and fill with your Nutella. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of Nutella. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.
How I love Nutella and peanut butter combined! These are a bit labor intensive but so worth the effort!

 Halloween Quesadillas via Monster Mama
You can find more of my successes HERE. If you haven't had a chance to check out Pinterest, what are you waiting for? Be inspired!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

School Boy

Today was Remi's last day of preschool. His teachers had the kids sing all of the songs they had learned during the school year, and this kid totally owned it. I'm so proud of how far he's come and somehow we are already looking forward to next year. What a kid!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

A New Love?

Keith here. Just a little update on my goings on. With great reluctance, I gave up my 407 in Galveston, TX to upgrade aircraft. I am still with the same company, I didn't quit PHI. I just gave up the Galveston job. I am in training for a month at Flight Safety in Louisiana. So far, I am most impressed. I am training in the S76 C++ for all you aviation nerds. It is a pretty sexy, sleek twin engine, IFR bird with lots of bells and whistles. It can hold 12 passengers and 2 pilots.
The only hard part is learning what all the buttons do.
So far, the training has been great. The instructors at Flight Safety are top notch and the full motion simulator is fantastic. It allows us to do a lot of training that would be impossible in the real aircraft, especially with emergency procedures. I googled some pics of the simulator. Sim External
Internal

Happy Mothers Day

Keith here. Just want to take a minute to thank the Mothers in my life. Shelly, i.e. Sugar or Sug., I cant thank you enough for all the love and support. You have been a fantastic M.I.L. and a great friend as well. You have been a wonderful Mother to my darling wife and a phenomenal Gran... Oops, almost called you the G-word, a phenomenal Mama SheShe to my kiddos. I love ya.
Mom, it's been a wild year. I am so grateful for your recovery and health. When faced with such unthinkable events, it makes you realize, more than ever, how important people are in your life. I am so glad I was born to you. You have always been my advocate, my cheerleader, my friend and my role model. Thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do. I love you Mumsey!
Who am I forgetting.... OH YA... Candice, my beautiful bride. You have been all I could have hoped for and so much more. I am truly honored to have you at my side. You have been such a loving, fun Momma to our boys. I am forever in your debt. I love you for your strength, I love you for your love, I love you for your sense of humor, I love you for everything that you are and will become. Thank you for being my wife. I adore you.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Zoo Time

Hogle Zoo is starting to come alive this spring! They've started up their bird show, one of my favorite attractions. I find myself giggling at the bird's antics like a little kid. After the show, you can drop a dollar in the donation box, with the help of a smart cockatoo. Both boys bravely donated. I can't wait to get birds once we move to the country!