All I need to know about love I learned when I was 2...

Sometimes just being together is enough...

Make sure there is plenty of communication. Women love to talk...

A great sense of humor is key...

and when you disagree,

make sure you kiss and make up.

Wordless Wednesday

I bought a value size box of Magic Erasers today...

at least it's crayon....

Sisters

So Adeline is a great big sister but not so great at the holding thing yet...

Wait, that's a little better...

aww...so sweet

I love my girls...

Supper Club and a Recipe...

Our church started a supper club as a way for families to get to know each other better. The plan...match up 6 adults and recommend they meet 3 times in 4 months, then switch groups. There are no other rules. You can include kids or get babysitters and enjoy a night with adults. You can take turns meeting in each other's homes, meet at a park, or meet at a restaurant. We were matched with the Gordon's and the Hollidge's, and Patrick and I hosted the first gathering. Oh.my.word....I laughed so hard I thought I would pee. I thought Brad Gordon was quiet....um, no.....life of the party and HILARIOUS!!!

In honor of the evening, I put on my diva cooking apron (after Easter bargain at Target for $5!!!) and cooked up one de-licious dinner (if I do say so myself). I tried some new recipes (I have a pretty good eye for what will be good) and also made some tried and true favorites.

I will post the whole menu, but for now, why not start with dessert!?! I have been asked by several people recently for this recipe (and okay, some of you asked for it MONTHS ago). It is one of my favorite desserts of all time, and for those of you who know how much I love dessert and how many desserts I make, you know that's sayin' something! The stained recipe in my mom's recipe box says, Lemon Ice Cream Pie. I know, you are looking at the picture below and thinking, that doesn't look much like a pie. Well, here's something else you should know about me. I don't share well...when it comes to food I love that is, so I double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan instead of a pie plate. No really, nothing says love like my husband giving up his rights to the last piece (because I most likely ate 3/4 of it anyway), and I am not below hiding it in some distant corner of the chest freezer so his "male refrigerator blindness" can not track it. mmm hmm....it's that good.


Here's the pie version...just double it for a 9x13 pan, and since I use extra large eggs, I only use 3 eggs and 5 egg yolks/whites when I double it. The pictures don't do it justice. The layers of yellow and white really are pretty. If you need a recipe for a graham crust, let me know.

Lemon Ice Cream Pie

1/3 cup butter

2 tsp lemon rind, grated

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 egg yolks (reserve the whites in another bowl)

Almost 2 qts vanilla ice cream

graham pie crust

3 egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar

Melt the butter in a saucepan on med heat, add rind, juice, salt, and 1 cup sugar. Beat the whole eggs and yolks together and stir into butter mixture (I'm all about cutting corners in recipes, but you do really have to mix this before adding it and make sure the butter mixture isn't too hot or you'll get little pieces of cooked egg in your mixture). Cook until thick and smooth. Cool.

Put 1/2 ice cream in the graham crust. Harden in the freezer. Add 1/2 lemon mixture, 1/2 ice cream, and 1/2 lemon mixture, freezing between layers.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff. Spread on pie, sealing to edge. Bake at 475 degrees for 4 min. Freeze overnight before serving.

Flashback Friday

Lynn age 2

Lynn, age 2 1/2

Tiny Talk Tuesday

A: I want a drink please.

Me: Would you like milk or water?

A: I want juice.

Me: You had juice this morning. Do you want milk or water?

A: Milk or juice.........juice!

Me: nice try...

___________________________

A: "Thank you Jesus for aspar-gas, and da park, and for MOMMY'S KISSES, and for church and songs at church, and thank you for all dees things. In Jesus name, Amen."

um, she could have asked me for a pony, and I probably would have gotten her one.

___________________________

I love when Adeline parents herself....

A: "Chew that bite first"

A: "Adeline, you're not obeying. Do you need discipline?"

A: "Don't make messes."

A: "Don't throw your books."

Head over to Mary's for more TTT...

It's stay in your head...trust me.

Ever since I saw this on Mari's blog, I can't get it out of my head. Amazing!

Mom, just click on the arrow in the middle of the picture and wait...it may take a minute to load. love you.

Senior Year meme

I was tagged on Facebook (ages ago) for this meme about my senior year of high school. I'm not much into tagging people these days, but if you want to play along, great! And, what would a high school post be without some humiliating pictures? I scanned these from my scrapbook for your entertainment. You can click on them to enlarge and get the full value of their humor. I graduated in 1995.....

1. Did you date someone from your school?
Yes

2. Did you marry someone from your high school?
No

3. Did you car pool to School?
Yep, various people, various years. I drove my senior year, and sometimes picked up a friend "in town" on my way.

4. What kind of car did you have?
A rather unattractive olive green Oldsmobile.

5. What kind of car do you have now?
2005 Honda Accord and a 2000 Nissan Pathfinder

6. Its Friday night...where are you in HS?
I grew up in a football town, so if there was a game, that was the only place to be. Other times of the year, I would have been hanging out with my friends. We usually congregated at my house or my friend, Corby's house.

7. It is Friday night...where are you now?
At NIGHT I'm at home because we've got two little girls who need to go to bed, but in the evening I may be out to dinner, enjoying time with friends, or having an at home date with my hubby.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school?
I worked at "Little People Daycare Center." I ran their after school program during the year and their camp program in the summer. It was nice because it was just for a few hours after school, but I didn't have to work nights or weekends. My social life was quite important....

9. What kind of job do you do now?
Full time mommy and part time occupational therapist.

10. Were you a party animal?
Depends how you define party animal....no drinking, no smoking, no drugs. However, we were out late a lot and had a lot of parties. There were at least 30 of us in my public high school that were all Christians and had good, clean fun. We were together A LOT.

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Concert band (played the flute). No desire to be in marching band.

13. Were you a nerd?
no. I took academic classes, but it wasn't nerdy to be smart in my school.

14. Did you get suspended or expelled?
No

15. Can you sing the fight song?
If someone can start me off...maybe.

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)?
Miss Hoover (Spanish), Mr Kensinger (Chemistry), and Mr Kreider (History)

17. Where did you sit during lunch?

Cafeteria...with my girlfriends.

18. What was your school's full name?
Manheim Central Senior High School

20. What was your school mascot?

a Baron

21. If you could go back and do it again, would you?

I'm happy with my life now, and I was happy with my life then. I am still close to many of my friends from high school and have many happy memories from those years.

22. Did you have fun at Prom?

A blast! And why not share a few pictures from that too...

I LOVED that dress. Especially the back. And my hair.....it's in a banana clip, and yes, I loved that too. And yes, Jen and Jen, I'm taking you down with me. ;o)

23. Do you talk to the person you went to Prom with?
no...we're facebook friends though and if I run into him, we are friendly.

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion?
Well, I planned the last one (with some friends). If one gets planned, I will go.

25. Do you still talk to people from school?
Yes....many.

Heidi's Chicken Yumminess

My friend, Heidi, sometimes asks me to post recipes. I don't think she intended for me to post HER recipes, but this one really is divine. It's the perfect meal when you need to take someone a meal....kid friendly, meat and veggies all in one nice little package, made with ingredients you have on hand. nice...

Chicken Pie

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped celery

6 TBSP flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 cups cooked, shredded or cubed chicken

2 cups cooked potatoes

1 cup cooked peas

1 cup cooked carrots

Saute onion and celery in butter until soft, add flour, seasoning, and broth. Cook until creamy and thick. Layer chicken in a 9x13" greased baking dish. Add veggies and potatoes. Pour sauce over and mix.

Crust

1 1/2 cups flour (add more if needed)

6 TBSP Crisco

4 TBSP softened butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold water (add more if needed)

Roll out dough and cut into strips to make a lattice pattern on top of casserole. Bake at 350 for 45 min or until crust is brown.

Lynn's shortcut tips...

-I cook the vegetables together (add the peas for the last 5 min), and I use whatever vegetables I have on hand. Potatoes, carrots, and peas are staples around here, but I usually throw in some edimame (soy beans) too since we like them.

-If I don't have Crisco for the crust, I just use more butter and change the amount of flour and/or water to get the consistency I want.

-I don't take the time to roll out the dough. Sometimes I just flatten parts of it in my hands and lay it over the top. Sometimes I grab balls of it and roll it in my hands to make a rope and then lay it on the top. I never take the time to weave the pieces together.

Four in the bed and the little one said...

Many mornings, this is how you'll find us....

Sunday Finest

Ladies' Day Out

Jen, Jen, Heidi and I made a pact several years ago. For your first baby, we will plan a shower. For all subsequent births, we plan a pamper the mom-to-be day. Sometimes we don't get it done before the little ones arrive, but we still follow through. A few weekends ago, the girls planned a very special day for me. They took me to a tea shop, and we had the most delightful lunch. Seriously, the scones were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I love girly things like this....they knew that. They also treated me to a gift card for Ann Taylor (one of my favorite stores) so I can get some clothes that fit my recently pregnant, stretched out middle. I felt loved and blessed to have such amazing friends.

Thanks ladies! I love you all...

Wordless Wednesday