Buying in Bulk

Shopping at Costco can be fun. You can shop and eat dinner at the same time which makes for a cheap date. ;)

However, buying in bulk is not always a good thing. I have no problem buying a case of toilet paper but if you are trying a product for the first time, it is probably not wise to buy a gigantic container.

While looking for granola bars we came across this jar of “green peanuts” that Scott insisted we needed. He told me that Joaquin has been eating them and they are so good for you – better than peanuts. Finally I gave in but told him he would finish the entire jar and not waste any.

When we got home he popped a handful in his mouth and then suddenly stopped chewing. “These are disgusting!” he informed me. I simply reminded him of his promise and told him if he eats one serving a day (1/4 cup) they will be gone in no time. I also reminded him how healthy they are.

He has tried to get the kids to help him but they want nothing to do with “green peanuts”. I actually think they taste pretty good – for soy beans.

Lesson learned: Not everything is better in bulk.

Young Women Challenge

I am having a hard time making the transition from Young Women to Primary. While searching Sugardoodle for ideas for a first quarter Primary activity I found this cute idea for Young Women. It is a poster that goes along with the challenge they were given at the beginning of this year to pray, read the Book of Mormon, and smile everyday. They use a dry erase marker to track their progress during the month and then wipe it off to start over the next month.

The website says to laminate them however, I found this cheap but pretty frame to use. Then I glued ribbon to the frame to attach the dry erase pen so it won’t be lost. (Not that Brittany’s room is a mess or anything where something might get lost.) I used ribbon I had so the whole project cost $2.33 (plus tax) and took all of five minutes to put together.

Brittany thought it was cute. So much of my time and efforts seem to focus on the younger children so I think she was surprised to know that I actually do think about her too.

Recipe for Empanadas

Some of you asked about the recipe for Cherry Empanadas. I don’t know if this counts as a recipe. It is more like throwing some stuff together and cooking it in a pan. But here you go:

Put some cherry pie filling (we like Great Value brand) on a flour tortilla and roll up. Place in pan, heated with a little oil in it, with the seam side down. Brown lightly on all sides and remove to plate. Immediately sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Allow to cool slightly ‘cause the filling gets HOT. You can serve them with a bit of whip cream or ice cream or enjoy as is.

If you don’t like cherries you could use other pie fillings. Pumpkin is my all time favorite but I have not tried them using store bought pumpkin pie filling. If you do, let me know how they turn out. (I had an insider get me the authentic Taco Time ® recipe and I swore to keep it secret.)

There you go – quick, easy dessert!

{cherry empanadas}

I have not made cherry empanadas for a very long time. Next to pumpkin, they are one of my favorite desserts. Morgan decided to give it a try and quickly figured out how to get the cherries out which she promptly gobbled up and was gone.

Zane carefully licked the cinnamon sugar from the outside and then delicately licked each cherry out of the tortilla. It was so funny watching him. I kept asking him if he needed help and he was quick to say no. He was probably concerned I would eat his cherries.

This girl makes me laugh!

Morgan has been in Speech for a year and a half and it has made such a difference in her speaking abilities. However, sometimes she says the funniest things. I think part of it is related to her capability to hear correctly.

She came home from school on inauguration day and said, “Mom, our new president is Broccoli Bomb-a! We learned about him today.”

She found a fake tattoo that had come with a movie or something. “Mom can you help me put on this rat-a-tooie?” she asked.

Dad asked her to ask me what was for dinner. I told her to tell him to heat up the left-over enchiladas. She told him, “Mom said go heat up a llama.” Not sure where the llama came from.

Monday was Groundhog Day and her class made some little groundhog puppets. She pulled hers out of her bag and said, “Look at my B-dog. No, that’s not right. What is this called?”

This girl always makes me laugh!

{Hair Cut}

It’s amazing what you can do with a Goofy movie, hair clippers, and the promise of a sucker. Zane sat still and let me cut his hair!

I am embarrassed to show the before picture. He looks like a little girl.

I think this is one of his best haircuts. With his weird neckline and the cow-lick right in front it is not easy to make the lines look straight.

My little boy looks handsome again.

We Are Alive

I have spent every free moment the past couple weeks trying to learn how to be a Primary President. With the year end accounting and being a mom as well I haven’t had time to do much else. But we are still alive.

I found these pictures of Zane, taken on Christmas Eve. They make me laugh because I put so much effort into trying to find the perfect Christmas present for my kids and they are happy playing with empty boxes and toilet paper (clean of course).

What would it be like if we went back to a simpler life? How did Moms survive before TV and DVDs. How did they keep their kids happy without fruit snacks and string cheese? How quiet would our home be without batteries in the toys? Just a thought.