Salty Caramels

Starbucks has influenced my new obsession with a salty caramel flavor from their salty caramel signature hot chocolate. I wanted to take the salty sweet flavor combination and make something different. I tried two types of baked goods and some caramels.

First I made a chocolate cookie crust and melted some caramels on top then sprinkled it with sea salt. The flavor was good but the chocolate layer was not chocolatey enough and did not work well with the chewy caramel layer (this is the last picture). To improve, I made a homemade brownie like layer then made homemade caramel sauce (using heavy cream obviously) and poured that on top. Finally I topped it with sea salt. These bars were much better however the caramel sauce was a little too liquidy. I'm still working on the bars. Finally, I put some of the homemade caramel into ice cube trays then dipped them in melted chocolate and sprinkled sea salt on them. These caramels were delicious.
Last night was also a success in that I got to the remote before Erik and thus was able to watch the Sound of Music rather than football. Yea! Erik ended up painting the bathroom rather than watching the Sound of Music.

I got 62 on Quiddler today even though I made the word "routing". That was a pretty awesome word!

There once was a blog...

A Limerick I wrote about Sarah:
There once was a young bumblebee
Who constantly slobbers on my knee
She trashed her cake
All toys she must break
But to my heart she holds the key

A Limerick I wrote about Jenna:
There once was a gentle lady bug
Who dances and sings on the rug
A princess who twirls
In dresses and pearls
And I love when she gives me a hug

Christmas was fantastic and put me in the Limerick mood. Check out all these pictures. The cake next to the "1" is a bumblebee since that's the nickname we've given Sarah. Merry Christmas!
52 on Quiddler and Erik got 62!

Sarah is 1!!!

Happy Birthday Sarah! I can't believe one year ago today Sarah Noelle was born. While Jenna and Sarah do have some similar features, you can see that they do look quite different (Jenna left, Sarah right). I dressed Sarah in the same dress Jenna wore for her first year picture.

To celebrate Sarah's birthday we went to Bob Evans for lunch. Sarah's nickname "Destroyer of Worlds" given to her by Daddy was absolutely true at Bob Evans. We have started to leave 30-40% tips due to the huge mess left at our table after dining out.

Erik has now started singing to Sarah songs like "you are my Sarah angel, you do not tap when attacking, 4/4 and flying, you are my Sarah Angel". As a previous Magic the Gathering player, this was cause to roll my eyes.

In other news:

1. I decided to take back the silk long underwear. I hope that was the right decision.
2. Erik and I played racquetball last night and I scored 3 points against him!!! Prior to last night I had only been able to score 1 point against him. I'm ready for the pros!
3. I got 92 on Quiddler today and got to make the word "nth". Fun stuff.
4. Can't wait for Christmas! For unto us a Child is born Isaiah 9:6
   
   
   

Gift Dilemma

Christmas is a time of giving and I've learned after 11 years of marriage that my husband likes giving, especially expensive gifts. So I'm wondering, do you tell your significant other if he/she bought you something that cost a lot of money that you don't really want? Do you take it back knowing that your significant other loves to give expensive gifts?

Many birthdays and Christmases Erik will buy the best item, when I ask for something. For example, I asked for a jewelry box last year and he bought a $170 Amish made jewelry box. It was awesome but I would have been perfectly happy with a $30 jewelry box from Meijer. My bread machine cost $200 but the $40 bread machine was fine with me. So this year I asked for long underwear assuming he would go to Meijer and buy the $13 pair of long underwear I saw. Not at all. Erik bought silk long underwear for $100.
Now I'm stuck. Do I tell him that I don't want $100 long underwear and risk hurting his feelings or do I graciously accept the gift from him. It is really nice. Erik likes to give nice gifts to me. I can ask this question because he doesn't read the blog *smile*.

In other news, for our church's Christmas party I made a trifle (Jenna is holding it). I colored whip cream red and green and thought it looked pretty. The layers are brownie, pudding, and whip cream. Yum.

Another picture I've uploaded is Sarah in the bathroom. This is the reason I need lasik. I went upstairs to put my contacts in and was probably gone for 90 seconds. When I got back down the bathroom looked like this. Sarah discovered that toilet paper is fun to play with and the books should be strewn all about. If I would have had lasik this never would have happened :).

I got 44 on Quiddler today and lost the Q and J. That was terrible!

Do you hear what I hear?

I posted my favorite list of Christmas songs then I heard this song "Do you hear what I hear?" and really like this song now. I've heard it before but forgot it when I made the original list. Of course, I don't know where it would fall in my original list but I think it is top 10 worthy.

Now I have a good segue (I think that's spelled right). Onto a topic in which no one hears the victims. My heart has been breaking lately. Over the past two months there have been many times where I'll just weep uncontrollably thinking about unborn babies who are being murdered. In fact tonight I have been crying for the past two hours. This song by Kenny Chesney and this video made me cry (although I cry at some commercials so that's not really saying much).

Sanctity of Life Sunday is Jan. 18 and Erik and I are buying this book "Why Pro-Life" for the entire congregation. It is very short and took me less than 2 hours to read yet it lays a good foundation for the pro-life viewpoint. I recommend this book to anyone although I'll probably have several extra copies so if you want one :) you can have one. Maybe it will be everyone's birthday, Christmas, anniversary, etc gift!

61 points on Quiddler today!

10 Songs of Christmas

In the spirit of Christmas, I've decided to make a list of my top 10 favorite Christmas songs. I probably should have made a top 12 list but the 12 days of Christmas didn't even make the cut so I didn't bother. My favorite Christmas Songs:

10. O Little Town of Bethlehem
9. Jingle Bells Don't be disturbed that the snowman loses his head in the beginning
8. Mary Did You Know?
7. Silent Night
6. The First Noel This video is pretty neat!
5. O Come All Ye Faithful I'm pumped we are seeing Transiberian Orchestra on Saturday!!
4. Joy to the World
3. O Holy Night Sorry about the Celine Dion thing
2. Hark the Harold Angels Sing

and my number one favorite Christmas song (that for some reason has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus - the real reason for Christmas!):
1. Let it Snow

In other news:

• Starting December 22 I will not be wearing my contacts until January 22 when I'm scheduled to get Lasik! Yea! I can't wait. It will be $3800 for a doctor to shine a laser bean into my eye and cut it all up but then I'll be able to see. All the time.
• Jenna and I made a gingerbread house again. We had a great time and I've included the picture. She always wants to eat the house while we're making it.
• Today I went to the Banana Leaf vegetarian Indian Restaurant with my friend Susan. It was pretty good but they didn't have naan. They also didn't have chicken curry, the only thing Erik actually likes at Indian restaurants. Even so, they provided bottomless cups of mango lassi - yum!
• 53 points on Quiddler today. I made the word "drove" but was stuck with "dqut". The only thing I could do was make the word "ut". Bummer.
  

Children and cats roasting by an open fire

On Friday, Jenna participated in her preschool Christmas play. I labeled her in the picture. It was several 3-4 year olds standing on the stage "singing" a Christmas song to the tune of the Wheels on the Bus. It was very cute. Jenna did well and we think she's ready for Broadway now.

Since we put the Christmas tree up the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we've been sitting in front of the fireplace drinking hot chocolate (or chocolate milk - Jenna, or juice - Sarah). It is somewhat peaceful sitting in front of the fire wrestling Sarah and Scruffles to keep them far enough away from the fire while Jenna jumps on top of us. Serenity.



Yesterday I made white chocolate cranberry cookies. These were the best recipe of white chocolate cranberry cookies I've made. I actually couldn't eat the dough because it smelled so strongly of alcohol. In the double batch I made there was a eighth of a cup of brandy. I didn't get drunk off the cookies but the flavor was great.

Jenna and Sarah are somewhat starting to play with each other. Possibly. It remains to be seen whether they will play as friends any time soon.

I've been playing Scramble on Facebook in the past week. It's digital boggle. What I don't understand is how Joel can get 218 points in 3 minutes. I've been playing for the past couple of days and my highest score is 112. He has doubled that. I have played Boggle against Joel and he has proven his great abilities but he won't divulge his secrets. Even thought I've asked (pestered) him repeatedly.

I only got 50 points on Quiddler today. For some reason it didn't think grep was a word. Hello - unix???

Baking for Christmas

Baking for Christmas is so much fun. Today I made mocha nut balls and cocoa mint crinkles (see picture). Usually I make 7 different treats for Christmas. This year I'm thinking of:

1. Mocha Nut Balls
2. Cocoa mint crinkles
3. M&M cookies
4. White chocolate cranberry cookies
5. Cut outs

After that I'm not sure what to make. I could always fall back on the usual chocolates - and those are easy and fun to make with Jenna.

Both girls are sick now. I've taken them to the doctor 3 times. This last time I finally got antibiotics for Jenna only. Erik and I both went to the doctor and got antibiotics right away. There must be some stigma about giving antibiotics to kids. Antibiotics = kills bad germs. I'm not understanding what the problem is. Erik found a site from the American Academy of Pediatrics mentioning when antibiotics should be given and it's basically never. Bummer. I understand all the risks, superbugs, blah, blah, blah. I want drugs for my girls to make them better!

I just finished the third Mistborn book: The Hero of Ages. It had a great ending that finished up the story nicely. Since Brandon Sanderson will be finishing the Wheel of Time series, it was nice to read this book which tied up all the loose ends of the Mistborn trilogy really well.

I'm also reading "the Lost Colony" which is the 5th Artemis Fowl book. I've enjoyed all the Artemis Fowl books as they are on par with Harry Potter - fun, easy reads. This book I'm listening to on audiobook and the reader is excellent! I listen on my mp3 player when I work out but if Erik is there he makes me talk to him so I can't listen to my book. Maybe I should get him his own mp3 player for Christmas....

86 on Quiddler today and got to make the word "woo" but "wooy" and "woa" are not words. I thought those were things you said to horses?