Blogging Hiatus

I've been in a blogging bog.  I have not been able to motivate myself to turn on the computer, down load the photos, think of something to say, type the words and create a post.  Much more interesting and easy, I might add, to read all of yours.  Still, I claim when I need to justify my piece of cyber-world that this blog is my family journal.  I've been known to even spout in self-righteous overtones that it counts as my journal and I can cross that to-do off my list.  Still my life isn't as shiny or photographed as beautifully as other blogs--and gosh darn it those lives are attractive, interesting and distracting.  Sometimes it is just more fun to read about what YOU do or what YOU made or what tantrum YOUR kid threw.  Nevertheless, my alter-ego, Mrs. Guilt-o-maniac has intervened in my unconscious or at least unintentional blogging strike and I am ready to begin anew.  Or at least start and stop several times and be wholly inconsistent...

We had some crazy hair days.  Or a sneak peek at how my children may look in 3-10 years during a rebellious phase.

We had some crazy food for April 1st.  This is a cake or rather  Bisquick, pepperoni & sausage, red-sauce-filling with mozzarella cheese on top.

I'm afraid this is more acting than true consternation but still a good part of the fun.

Green cookies for dessert--the trick was they were actually good!

These were my own April Fool's joke.  They were suppose to be hot dog cookies.  I ask you, do they look like hot dogs to you?  Yeah, I had to improvise with the green cookies.  Kind of disappointing.  

Jello juice.  Max was the only one kind of tricked.  He couldn't figure out why his "juice" wouldn't come up the straw and he was thirsty.  And it wasn't a laughing matter.

Next year Kate, that expression is going to be real!   It's on!

Reynolds Family and the Harry Potter Extravaganza

My kids are scared to death of The Little Mermaid. Yes, the Disney cartoon version. So you can imagine the difficulty I had in getting them excited about the Harry Potter series. We started by reading the first book and as soon as we finished it was decided that we were going to watch the first movie and have a party. At our house a party is all about the eats. So we had chocolate covered frogs, edible magic wands, dragon dung, Bertie Botts all flavored beans, and of course different mix-your-own potions to drink. I printed out the house crests and the kids assigned us each to a house and made a badge/necklace for us to wear. In case you care: Kate-Gryffindor, Ella-Gryffindor, Jackson--Gryffindor, Max-Hufflepuff, Robert--Ravenclaw, Me-Ravenclaw. I was relieve to see the kids hadn't assigned me to Slytherin. I made them wait all day for the "movie party" so I know they were tempted. We had a great time and were only the slightest bit sick afterwards. :)

Marathon Blog--Part 6--Ha, I tricked you!

As you can tell, I don't really do so well with the camera but I did make a pretty darn good healthy cookie.  

Here's the recipe:

Erica's fabulous low-fat, verbose, flax-seed filled, healthy chocolate, anti-oxidant chip cookie 

1 stick of "I can't believe it's not butter"

4oz Low fat or fat free cream cheese

1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 c brown sugar (unless all you have are brown lumps like me.  Then substitute some white sugar.)

2 eggs

2 1/2 t vanilla extract

1 c wheat flour

1 1/2 c  all purpose flour

2 T ground flax seed

3/4 t salt

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

Semi- sweet chocolate chips

Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.  NOT 10 minutes--9 minutes.  (I'm kidding, I'm sure an extra minute won't ruin your cookies.)  

So, while I was throwing healthy things into these cookies, I was picturing a future conversation with Max.

Max (33 years old, 6 kids, independently wealthy, G.A.--you get the idea): Mom, I feel I must tell you that as a teenager I snuck out of the house and toilet papered our neighbors' rose bushes.  I promise that is the worse thing I have ever done and the guilt has eaten me alive all these years.  I'm so so sorry, Mom.  You raised me better than that. (Tears glistening in his eyes at this point.)

Me (undisclosed age):  Sweetheart, don't worry.  I already knew that!  But there is something that you don't know, I put flax seed in the chocolate chip cookies I made for you all during your growing up years.  (Chuckling )  I guess I fooled you!

Max: Oh, Mom, you are so clever!  I owe my fantastic success and happiness to you and your fabulous flax seed.  How would you and Dad like to take a cruise-- on me, of course!?

I'm telling you--these are good!  (Okay, so they do taste a little healthy but the kids didn't notice at all!)

So much to post and so little time before the ham is done.

While in Utah, I had a chance to get together with my college roomies.  They aren't as wild and crazy as they used to be...there wasn't any dancing on beds to Soft Cell but then again, we all have four kids now.  Maybe we have learned dignity or maybe it was just a public place.  Oh, and thanks Jodi for reminding me to take off my glasses for the picture.  I will be eternally grateful.  I look hideous in my glasses.   Case in point, scroll down to the Easter pic.  

Yes, Kate is beautiful.  I am not biased at all. 

J is actually happier than he looks.  He's in to pulling weird faces for pictures now.  I hope it is a phase.  

Hi, I'm Max.  I don't wear shirts because I get them soaking wet.  My mom says three shirts a day is my limit.   I also have no interest in Easter, eggs or candy.  I prefer to pull a chair over to the counter while my mother is not looking and steal her cell phone.  I like to text "pfdjskl" 23 times to all her friends.  I also like to call her friends.  She wishes I would get some of my own friends, but it is hard to make friends when you don't like to share.  

Sadly, this was the best shot.   I get to wear my glasses for the next 10 days because my eyes decided they don't like silicone contact lenses and I have--to quote the doctor, "road rash" on my eyes.  Besides hurting my pride to appear in these horrible spectacles, it hurts like----.

While in Utah, we visited the Children's museum. 

It was a tough news day.

He may look cute but don't, I repeat, DON'T try and separate him from his cop car.  He will fight back.  

We also visited the Zoo.  It was a zoo.  

We visited the G.G.'s.  Sorry, Kendra you got sacrificed in the search for a half-way decent picture.

Hayes cousins' plus one mom.  

And my favorite reason to watch baseball.  Actually, my only reason. 

The ham is done and I forgot to cook the asparagus.   I also forgot how to spell it.  That's what happens when you stay up late at night and eat your kids easter candy.  One for the egg, one for me.  You get the idea.  Look forward to angry diet-induced posts.  

April Fool's day

Okay, so I'm not the best food photographer, but you get the idea.  I had fun with the kids tonight at dinner in honor of April 1st.  The cupcakes are really meatloaf and colored mashed potatoes.  Ella was so excited that I was serving cupcakes for dinner.  She said, " You are the best Mom ever." Even Robert asked if the cupcakes had the kind of frosting he liked.  Ella was so mad when she realized I tricked her.  It took a little while for her to get over the idea that we weren't have "real" cupcakes for dinner.  Kate kind of knew something was up and J thought it was great!    I told the kids we were having a backwards dinner and so for dessert we were having sliders or mini-hamburgers.  Kate kind of got upset when she thought there was mustard on her slider.  As soon as she realized it was just frosting, she gobbled it up.  I got a good laugh and we had a really fun dinner.  Happy April Fool's Day!

*I'm not clever enough to think of these things on my own. I got the food ideas at familyfun.com.  A great website.  Check it out.  I think I might try the sushi next year. 

Beans, beans the magical fruit...

Yes, I did really use that as my title.  

A couple of months ago, I was in a desperate situation.  I needed chocolate. BAD.  I had just started this sugar-free diet competition and was feeling in a very creative mood (read=crazy).  I was scouring the internet for healthy alternatives to the regular good stuff.  I found a recipe for Bean Brownies.  It sounded like a good idea.  I even read a glowing review of these things--just like regular brownies, thick and fudgy, perfect for a chocolate craving.   I could feel a little tickle of excitement in my taste-buds and I felt sure I had found the thing that would help me win this little competition.  Yes, my secret weapon. I could eat bean brownies until the cows came home while all my friends struggled with no sugar.  Soon, I would be the champion.  I would have a fancy crown and a sash that proclaimed my greatness.  Yes, (insert evil laughter and some hand rubbing here) this would be just the thing.  And so I faithfully blended up my black beans and made my brownies.  

While my fabulous fudgy creation cooked, I danced around the house in anticipation.  I even used them to bribe my kids into cleaning up messes.  AND IT WORKED!  These really must be the miracle of all miracle brownies, I thought. 

Fast forward thirty minutes of baking and cooling time.  I  quickly cut myself a piece and pop it in my mouth, before the kids notice they are out of the oven.  GAG.  GROSS.  Thick and Fudgy, they are not! Tasty, they are not!  Remotely like brownies, they are not!     Now I know why those Utah people say: "Oh, my Fudge" instead of swearing.  They must have been seduced by the bean brownie recipe, too.  

My kids are still traumatized by the Bean Brownie incident: If you are a reader of this blog, then you know that my sweet, trusting Ella requested brownies to celebrate her cast coming off. I made them for her and this is what happened:

Me:  Ella, why are you cutting your brownie up into such small pieces?

Ella:  I'm looking for beans.