Date Night Mad Lib

I couldn't decide whether to post this here on my family blog since it was a true story about hubby and I or put it on my writing blog since it was a story within a story. I compromised and decided to put it on my writing blog and then post a link to it here.

Date Night Mad Lib

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Coffee Crumb Cake

This is a scrumptious Betty Crocker coffee cake recipe, slightly modified (so that I can pretend it's better for me). I'm not a coffee drinker, but it tastes awesome with tea, too! I will include the original recipe as well, just in case anyone would rather make that version. Note that the modified version has double the topping (kind of defeats the purpose of trying to make it "healthy," Erin). Also, the modified version lowers the temperature and cooks it a little longer (helps prevent it from burning on the edges before the middle is cooked).


Cake Ingredients:
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp Fiber-sure, Benefiber or other clear-mixing/baking fiber (optional)

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup nuts (optional - I go without for picky hubby and son)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together topping ingredients and set aside. Combine beaten egg, oil and milk. Combine dry ingredients together and then add wet ingredients to the dry and mix. Pour into a greased 9x9x2 pan or pie plate. Sprinkle with topping. Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


ORIGINAL RECIPE:

Cake ingredients:
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together topping ingredients and set aside. Combine beaten egg, oil and milk. Combine dry ingredients together and then add wet ingredients to the dry and mix. Pour into a greased 9x9x2 pan or pie plate. Sprinkle with topping. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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"A simple meal with love is better than a feast where there is hatred." - Proverbs 15:17

Alone At Last

Guess what this Mama got to do this week? A visit to the OB/GYN ...

Again?

AND a root canal.

Waaa!

But with the bad, also came some good. Jake's parents took Parker Monday morning and didn't return him until Wednesday afternoon! Thank goodness for grandparents! Yes, I went to my appointments (neither of which was fun), and I did my usuals - Bible study, light cleaning and cooking, grocery shopping (Costco and Ralphs) - BUT I also got so much alone time I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I had so many things I COULD do, but I decided to actually relax, veg and just "be."

Call me lazy if you wish. I call it smart. I stocked up and restored energy and patience for my time with the little man. I caught up on reading and responding to people's blogs, caught up on writing some blogs (including this one), spent way too much time on Facebook, enjoyed some nature, prayed, and spent some quality time with the hubs. We debated doing something fun like going for a walk on the beach and getting ice cream, but decided we'd save money, time and the environment by not driving anywhere. Instead we took an evening walk around the neighborhood. We also trespassed on some private property, which made us feel like naughty teenagers. Tsk Tsk!

Haha - look at the shadow of my nose on hubby's shirt! Wowzers!
I've read your nose and ears never stop growing. Scary.

Trespasser!

Ooh... I'm gonna tell!

So fine me, I joined him. It was my idea in the first place.

View from one side of the "gazebo"

From Jake's phone's camera

View of houses from the other side

Talking on the phone?

My mouth is moving... do I ever shut up?

Chalk outline! AHHHHHHHHH!

Can you see the termite rot?

I can hear the violins playing now for this lonely, sad, dying plant
(OK, weed, as my friend Jelly, also a biologist, pointed out).

More dying plants... AKA fire hazards.

It's been a dry summer!

I found this lovely shed snake skin, noticed all the snake holes
around my feet, and we hightailed it out of there!

Did end up indulging in ice cream after all. I had bought a large bunch
of bananas for 99 cents at Costco -we had to use them up!
And I had a root canal, cut me some slack!

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Some verses that hit home for me this week:

"Accept correction, and you will find life; reject correction, and you will miss the road." - Proverbs 10:17

"You will say the wrong thing if you talk too much - so be sensible and watch what you say." - Proverbs 10:19 (I really need to memorize this one and recite it to myself daily... no hourly!)

"You should be happy to give the poor what they need" - Deuteronomy 15:10

"Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. But he replied, 'My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.' So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Pictures For My Mother

Facebook lovelies, I know these pics are already up, but my dear technologically challenged mother hates Facebook and I decided to put them on the family blog as well... just for her. Enjoy, mom! I do not have a real camera at the moment (just my phone) so I apologize for the quality (or lack thereof) of most of these.

Playing Dress-Up

Super Parker!

Look at him fly!

Sheriff Mama!

Together we're cleaning up this town!

And of course, Parker had to have a turn being Sheriff!

Auntie Leann's text/photo response to our pics
"Arrr, I'm the Pirate Mama!"

Another day...
P: "I'm wearing Uncle Drew's shoes!"
Me: "What? Uncle Drew wears high heels?"
P: "No... but he likes them!"

Coloring Fun




What happens when P asks me to color with him

And speaking of corn....

This is a bite P took of his corn on the cob... right through the cob!

"Green" Giveaway!

Beautiful 2 God has an awesome giveaway going on on her blog... reusable grocery bags. These are not just any reusable grocery bags either. I have the ugly brown Stater Bros. reusable bags that I get snide comments on every time I shop at Ralphs. Many of them have tears in them. Yes, I'm ready for new ones! But, really, I'd also love for another mom who doesn't already have her own reusable bags to win these beauties, so please visit Beautiful 2 God and enter her Envirosax giveaway!

Let's Talk About Dinner

Hubby was nice enough to make P dinner tonight. We had leftover homemade fried rice and P didn't like it the first time around (him spitting it out onto the floor was the first clue) so he got his own meal this round. Jake made him a big plate of macaroni and cheese, garden vegetables, and five (got that? 5!) chicken nuggets.

"Five chicken nuggets AND macaroni and cheese?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, there were only five left and it seemed silly to make three and leave two," Hubby replied.

"Why didn't you make two and leave three then?" I snidely remarked.

Guess how many chicken nuggets P ate? That's right. Two. Guess how many bites of vegetables he ate? Yeah, I don't even have to say it, do I?

Hubby says, "It's OK, whatever he doesn't eat you will."

And yes, I wanted to, but because of that comment, I didn't. I wasn't hungry, I just hate throwing away food. Something my mom shoved down my throat about starving kids in China.

Awwww

I just went to wake the little guy from a long nap. He was sleeping soundly and had one of his little palms turned up. I knelt down next to his bed and put my finger in his hand. His eyes fluttered open, he gave me the sweetest smile and then he immediately leaned forward to give me a huge hug. Made my day!

Everybody Dance Now

We have a lot of dance sessions in our house. I had so many clips piled up of Parker dancing/running/jamming that I decided to make a music video to his current favorite dance song by C + C Music Factory "Gonna Make You Sweat."

(Facebook users click View Original Post to see video)