Have your Cake and Eat it too...

Me and my husband were invited to a barbecue by some friends, they called us up and told us it was a food network party! So, were assigned a chef and we had make one of their recipes. At first I was a little nervous, I never do this and I thought what if it doesn't turn out? Then my cute friend said "Well, everyone is doing it. So they will understand if it doesn't work out"

I was excited when I was assigned Paula Deen, She is actually the only chef I know. Just because I recently watched her on Oprah and loved her. I chose to make her Red Velvet Cake. I couldn't be happier with the way it looked...I haven't tasted it yet, so I will let you know! I am off to the barbecue. She has this website http://www.pauladeen.com/ with a lot of other fun recipes.

Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cocoa
2 ounce red food coloring
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter
2 1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs; add sugar. Mix cocoa and food coloring. Add butter and egg mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour into three 8-inch round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tests done.
Icing: 1 16-ounce box of confectioner's sugar 1 stick butter, softened 1 cup melted marshmallows 1 cup shredded coconut 1 cup chopped pecans 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
Blend cream cheese and butter. Add marshmallows and sugar and blend. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.
Yield: 16 to 20 servings Prep time: 15-20 minutes Cook time: 20-25 minutes Ease of Preparation: moderate
L&S SCCB, Pg. 126-127
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

I promise I will get to scrapbooking this week!!!

Back from the Beach

I am back from the beach. My scrapbook life has been on hold for a few weeks. I had great expectations to make 14 cute little travel bags for all the kids. I had the paper picked out and everything! Well, packing for four children and myself had me a little overwhelmed, so instead of the cute travel bag idea, I ended up giving the kids all a sucker! The most important part was I wasn't stressed out at all.

We had a great time playing on the beach! Everyone loved the sun and sand. I can't wait to get all my cute pictures scrapbooked up! I have been up to my knees in laundry for 4 days "I am almost caught up!" Then I will start scrapbooking!!!

"I've come to realise over the years,

that scrapbooks and laundry

are two things that will never be completely caught up!"

A Day At The Beach

Our family will be hitting the beaches of San Diego next week. This is the funnest vacation ever! We will be going with all my extended family. Eight adults and 14 kids. I am going to make little activity bags for all the kids to take on the airplane.

I will post them once they're finished!

This is a picture of my two boys playing at the beach a couple years ago!

There is nothing better that spending time with your family on the beach.

"A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in."

-Robert Orben

More Messes

Wow, I can't believe it has been one week already. Time goes by so fast. I have been really busy with summer activities, field trips, one broken arm (for my eight year old son), stitches (for my one year old), sports and cleaning up more messes. Hopefully things will slow down a little and I'll be able to post some scrapbooking ideas soon!

"Start by doing what is necessary,

then what's possible and

suddenly you are doing the impossible."

-Saint Fancis of Assis

"Wordy Wednesday"

Today, well lived,

makes every yesterday a memory

of happiness and every tomorrow

a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

-Ancient Sanskirt Proverb

The rule of a mess

I was reading Creating Keepsakes today and saw this cute quote about messes. I knew it wouldn't be long before I had a picture to go with it, considering my baby makes a mess every two seconds.

"If making the mess

keeps the kids happy

for longer

than it takes to clean up,

the mess is hereby

deemed acceptable."

You know what they say "don't get mad just take a picture!"

Make Some Memories

It has been so nice and warm outside lately, that I decided to take my kids to the farm.

They had a great time seeing all the animals and running around.

And I had an even better time taking pictures!

Take a break from all your daily duties as a mother and go someplace fun with your kids or grand kids! Be sure to bring your camera so you'll be able to have a lot of fun pictures to scrapbook!

I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.

-George Washington

Sneak Peak

These are a few of the pages from the NEW 8x8 book kit

"Road Trip".

It should be finished and at the store for sign ups in a few weeks.

National Scrapbook Day

 Top 10 Things to do on 

National Scrapbook Day!

1. Go to Mom and Me Scrapbooking for 25% off of your entire purchase
2. Check out the new Quickutz
3. Free Make and Take
4. Last Chance to get the Squeeze with die cuts for only $49.99
5. Stock up on card-stock
6. Replenish your adhesives
7. Stop by the ribbon rack
8. Bring in your photo card
9. Do a scrapbook page
10. Make some Memories!!!
    

Have a wonderful Day!

More Organizing...

I recently cleaned out my refrigerator...

It makes me so mad when I find rotten food in the back of my fridge. It seems that nobody will dig in the back of fridge for food (including me)

A couple months ago I was looking in the fridge and found a bunch of apples, I had bought the previous week. (Not one had been touched!) So I lined the shelves with apples... right when you opened the fridge there they were all staring right back at you. I went and switched the laundry, when I came back my husband and all my boys were eating apples.

I was thinking to myself there has to be a better way!!! I came up with idea, I bought sliding
drawers and I made labels for all my produce. Everything has its place and I'm hoping my fridge
will stay a lot cleaner. My kids are doing better at reaching for a healthy snack and I am too!

I used Velcro for attaching the labels so I can switch them up when I need to. I also made extra labels (watermelon, pineapple etc.) for when other fruit is in season. Make sure to laminate so your labels will last!!!

Quickutz are all 25% off this week, try spicing up your fridge today...