How rich are you?

Ever feel like you are poor? Click on this link, the Global Rich List, to gain a fresh perspective.

Now... what does one do with all that wealth? To quote Spiderman:

"Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: 'With great power comes great responsibility.' This is my gift, my curse."

Just some food for thought for the day!

Ditching Post-Pregnancy Pounds

How did you lose that unwanted weight after giving birth to your sweet lil' bambino? What's the key been to your success? Is it possible to ever get rid of that lovely "baby bump" on your lower belly? I've heard it only gets more difficult to lose the weight with each child...eeck!!

Now that Baby "I" is almost 1 year old (which is completely out of control!) JK and I are starting to discuss the thought of having #2. I'd like to be at my body's very best before I attempt pregnancy again...so share your thoughts and experiences.

Chocolate Marshmallow Rice Krispie Dessert

1 cup butter/margarine

2 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 tbsp cocoa
1 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 7 oz marshmallow cream
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups chocolate chips
4 cups Rice Krispies



Cream butter and sugar, and add eggs. Stir in cocoa, flour, vanilla, and salt. Spread into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min, or until done. Cool. Spread marshmallow cream on top. In sauce pan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips. Stir in cereal, and spread on top of marshmallow layer.

Wednesday Weekly

What was your favorite book growing up?

Chompers

I ran across some interesting information about pediatric dentistry and thought I'd share.

"According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 1 in 4 children in the United States have cavities by the time they are 4 years old, some as early as 2 years old. But getting those toddlers to brush isn’t always easy. As soon as she is able, or as soon as she can write her own name, let her brush her own teeth. For the fussy toddler, or for the child who has oral sensitivity, there are child-friendly products that can make the experience more fun. For instance, the Oral-B Kids Battery-Powered Toothbrush, or the AdvancePower™ 900 series provide ergonomic smooth handles and gentle vibration to make brushing fun. Cartoon character toothbrushes and flavored fluoride toothpastes also make the job more pleasant.

Your child should see her pediatric dentist 6 months after the first tooth appears, or when she turns 1. In addition to the general exam and cleaning, this gives you the opportunity to ask important questions about your child’s oral health. Some of these questions might pertain to tooth development, teething issues, biting, soft tissue concerns of the gums and cheeks, thumb-sucking, the use of pacifiers and other soothing objects, cavity risk factors, the use of fluoride and how to prevent oral trauma.For the best dental outcome for your child:

• Feed your child nutritious foods of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains and dairy products

• Provide healthy snacks two or three times daily and vary them from day to day

• Include snacks that will strengthen their teeth, such as biting into a whole apple when they are old enough, rather than small cut-up pieces or apple sauce for a younger child

• Brush their teeth with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day

• Brush their tongue

• Help them learn to floss when they are old enough

• Avoid leaving sugary substances on baby’s teeth for long periods of time. Rinse their mouth by offering plain water. Even breast milk can cause tooth decay if it stays on her teeth for a long period of time

• Make sure she gets regular dental check-ups starting 6 months after the first tooth comes in or when she turns 1."

Go Mommies

Look at me, I'm blogging! This is my very first blog so I hope it will be as much fun as it looks. I got invited to this blog because like you all, I have a wonderful, beautiful child. Sometimes it's weird to think I'm a mommy but I love (almost) every second of it. It's snowing today so I thought I would put in a 'dressed up for snow' picture. Ok i guess I should tell you about myself...

My name is Hollie and almost 4 years ago I grudgingly went on a blind date with this cute guy named Brian and well long story short or should I say short story shorter, 3 months later we were engaged and 3 months after that married. We loved being married and had lots of fun together but finally decided it wasn't enough and that it was time to start our family. Well we were ready and thought we had our entire lives planned out perfectly but a higher power wanted to teach us something like patience and that He was in charge. It took us about a year to get pregnant which compared to a lot of people is farely short but it didn't make it any easier or make any less tears fall as we watched that dang pregnancy test keep coming up negative. But finally we were blessed with our beautiful little girl Briley.

She is now 7 months old and is the joy of our lives with her big blue eyes and radiant smile. My husband is a new real estate agent trying to get on his feet, but until that happens I am a full-time working mommy which honestly sucks. I just want to be home with her and not miss any part of her constantly changing and growing life. But until then I just have to suck it up and keep on keeping on.

Well I guess that's enough about me. I'm pretty excited to read all of your posts and talk 'mommy talk' which is what we do best!

My Baby, Size XXL

So when we went in for my son's three-month visit a week or so ago, we found him to be (brace yourselves) 26 1/4 inches and whopping 18 pounds even. The doctor showed me the charts and he's clear up in outerspace in both height and weight. "Don't worry," she said, "it's just more places to kiss!" And worried I'm not, but it did make me curious to know just how much bigger he is than other babies his age.

So, for those of you to whom this applies, my question is this: How big is/are (or was/were) your baby(ies) at three months of age? I would love to know!

GTKY-Aubrey & Bauer

I know it's taken me forever to do this so I figured I better just sit down and do it or it'll never get done!
My name's Aubrey and I have the sweetest, most energetic 17-month old son. I love being able to stay at home with him and watch him grow into his own little person. It's amazing to me to see the things that he learns even when I don't think he's listening to me at all!

My husband, Matt, and I have been married for just over four years. Right now he is working full-time and is in school studying Computer Graphics and Web design. We live in Michigan and love it (even though I don't know why sometimes with the crazy weather!) and we plan on being here for a while. I didn't figure out what I wanted to go to school for until after we had Bauer, so I hope to go back at some point. I would like to study music. I play the flute and the bassoon and I'm slowly learning the piano. Music is one of my biggest passions and now I can't wait to study it! (I know, I'm a big nerd!)

We got married a few months after Linz and her hubby did and we ended up moving in right next door to them in a townhouse complex. I kind of knew them from the singles ward we went to but after we moved in we started hanging out all the time and it was so much fun! They're some of the greatest people that we've ever met and Texas is really lucky to have them.

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell and I'm really excited get to know more of you and get some words of wisdom from other moms!

Adventures in Potty Training

My three year old is potty training now, and although we're still in process, I thought I'd share a couple helpful hints I've picked up.

1. Potty training usually takes about three months (although after the first month, I thought it had been at least a year already).

2. There's a great DVD, Potty Power, that she absolutely LOVES! Her friend from school let us borrow it, and she can't get enough. It's pretty hokey, but she sings all the songs and asks me to skip to the fairy tale part of the movie often.

3. We usually get Pampers pull-ups, but Target didn't have the big box of them last time I went, so I got Huggies instead (thinking that she would love the Disney Princess prints even more than the Dora on Pampers). Although she LOVED the princesses, after wearing the first pair, she cried and begged for a diaper because the Huggies "hurt." The velcro sides irritated her skin, although I had thought they were a great idea as opposed to the finality of tear-away sides on the Pampers.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass these thoughts on, since potty training is pretty much all I think about right now! :)

Chocolate Caramel Surprise Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
48 rolo candies, unwrapped :)
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (i prefer pecans), divided into 1/2 cups
1/2 cup sugar

Beat together sugars and butter until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and eggs and beat well. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix in with wet mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Cover and chill. While cooling, unwrap Rolo candies. Mix 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup sugar. Roll a spoonful of dough around each candy. Press balls of dough on one side into pecan mixture. Bake sugar side up at 375 for 7-10 minutes until cookies crack on top. *I also like to melt some white chocolate chips and drizzle them with a pastry bag on top. It adds color, flavor and keeps the nuts and sugar in place!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

2 1/3 c. flour
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. margarine
1 egg, beaten slightly
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or milk - whatever you want)
1 c. coarsely chopped nuts ( I actually never put the nuts in)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 c. (8 oz. package) Heath Bits O' Brickle Almond Toffee Bits

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan. Combine flour and brown sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg, mix well with pastry blender ( I don't own a pastry blender, but a fork works great too). Stir in 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips and nuts; set aside 1 1/2c. of this crumb mixture for later.

Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over hot crust; set aside 1/4 c. of toffee bits. Sprinkle remaining toffee bits over sweetend condensed milk. Sprinkle remaining reserved crumb mixture and 1/2 c. chips over top.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overcook. Top with reserved toffee bits. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Baby Must-haves

Katie's post on unique shower gifts got me thinking...what are the baby items you couldn't live without, or just absolutely love? For instance, I absolutely love our baby monitor. It's the Angelcare Movement sensor. It was kind of pricey, but it's a motion sensor, along with noise. It goes underneath the matteress, and if it doesn't detect movement (including breathing) for 20 seconds, the alarm goes off. I might be a bit on the paranoid side, since I am accustomed to seing babies turn blue and stop breathing at work on a regular basis....but it brought me sooo much peace of mind when Skyler was little. I could fall asleep easily, without worrying that she wasn't breathing in her cradle! As far as smaller items, I got some little slippers from a friend that I also loved, because they velcro on, and don't fall off like all socks seem to! They say "Thank Heaven for Little Girls (or Boys), and can be found at Wal- mart. Anyway, I thought it would be cool to hear what kinds of things you guys couldn't live without, for shower gifts, or for my own sake. I am especially interested to hear about items for older babies!

Scotcharoo's

This one is always a hit!

1 c. sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1 cup chocolate morsels
1 c. white syrup
6 c. Rice Krispies
1 cup butterscotch morsels

Combine sugar and syrup in saucepan. Bring to boil while stirring. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Stir well. Add to Rice Krispies in large bowl. Mix well. Spread mix evenly in a buttered 4 x 9 inch pan. Melt morsels together on low heat, stirring constantly, or in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Spread evenly on top of Scotcharoo's. When cool, cut into 2 x 2 inch squares.

Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Cake

(not exactly the right season right now, but soooo good!)

(For another dessert recipe, see Five Flavor Cake)

Ingredients:
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. oil (or applesauce)
2 c. flour
2 c. pumpkin
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Icing (on cold cake):
1 3oz. package softened cream cheese
1/2 stick softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 box powdered sugar
milk


Directions:
Mix the first 8 ingredients until well blended. Pour into well greased and floured tube pan. (I don't know what a tube pan is but I use an angel food cake pan...is that a tube pan?) Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (it was a done a little sooner than that in my oven).

For icing, blend cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla, sugar, and enough milk to mix (usually only takes a few spoonfuls, depends on how runny you like your icing). If you like a lot of icing, double the recipe.

Delectable Desserts

Okay ladies, I'm counting on each one of you to share your most favorite dessert recipes. I know we're not really following the correct courses of a proper meal, but I LOVE desserts... so that's the yummy category we'll share next.

The sky is the limit: cookies, cakes, pies, cheesecake, fudge, brownies or even ice cream shakes! I'm so excited to get all these delectable dessert ideas!

Trying to Get Back to the Land of the Living!

Hi Everyone! My name is Katie Roll, and after a 4 week absence I'm going to try to get on this blog. I never did a "Getting To Know You" post, so I'll do it here. The reasons for my absence are pictured here - Mason and Hayden Roll were born on January 29th! They are identical twins, and life with them has been crazy and wonderful. I am so in love with them, and although it has been quite an adjustment and sleep is very rare these days, they are worth it!

Lindsay and I were roommates at MSU; actually I've lived with several blog contributors: Stephanie, Kristi, Bethany, Linz, and Katie Brooks pretty much, although we didn't technically live together:) I married my sweetheart Adam in May of 2005, and we live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I have been in college for 8 long years now, and I am finally going to get my doctorate in physical therapy in August after I finish my last clinical rotation this summer. I hope to only have to work part-time after I graduate so that I can spend as much time as possible raising my boys.

I am excited about this blog, but I'm afraid I might not have much to contribute as far as being a domestic diva. I'm an awful cook and very new at the mom thing, so I'm hoping to learn a lot from all of you. I do love anything related to exercise and fitness, so if there are any posts on these subjects, I may be able to throw some knowledge in. Besides the fact that these are the focus of my career as a physical therapist, I'm currently trying to lose the extra 20 pounds of baby weight I'm carrying around, so I'm pretty much obsessed with anything related to working out:)

Uncommon Gifts

After I posted the question about baby shower gifts, I decided I wanted to start getting more original in all of the gifts I give. Especially to my nieces and nephews. While I was flipping through a Child magazine I came across this nifty website, http://www.uncommongoods.com. Some of the toys have won awards, so I thought I would check it out. There are some really fun looking toys, although some of them are a little bit pricey. You can search for unique gifts by age, occasion, and price range. Gotta love the online shopping!

Tortilla Pinwheels

I made these for a baby shower and they were all gone by the party's end! The only thing is you might want to have some gum on hand--the garlic, olives, and chili peppers are a quite a putrid combination. ;) But they're oh so good!

8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. diced green chilis, well drained
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. chopped green onion
4 oz. chopped black olives, well drained
Garlic powder, to taste
Seasoned salt, to taste
5 (10 inch) flour tortillas

Mix all ingredients, except tortillas, together thoroughly. Divide the filling and spread evenly over tortillas; roll up tortillas. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, twisting ends. Refrigerate for several hours. Unwrap and cut in slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Yield is about 50 pinwheels. Serve with salsa.

GTKY--Tagteamo3

Hello, newfound cyber friends across the country! My name is Lisa, and I am the newest contributor of this fantastic blog. I learned about Sugar and Spice through Laura, my friend and cyber penpal (we met through our husbands, who were mission comps). Here are some interesting facts about me:

1. I grew up in Colorado but I can't ski to save my life.
2. I can't ice skate, either.
3. Or rollerblade.
4. And I have a bike phobia.
5. In fact, I stink at anything that has to do with balance.
   
6. But I can horseback ride and swim like a fish. So I do have some fun once in a while.
   
7. I met my tall, dark and handsome husband, Jeff, at BYU Provo. Even though he's really good at skiing, ice skating, rollerblading and bike riding, he's also good at swimming and horseback riding so it worked out.
   
8. Now we live in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (good for swimmers) while the tall, dark, handsome one goes to dental school. He's in his second of four years.
9. In November our tag team became three with the arrival of Collin, who is small, balding and handsome. He's not very good at anything in facts 1-6 yet but he is really good at eating, sucking on his fingers and filling up diapers. He also has a fantastically cute smile:
   

I am excited to be a part of this blog and I hope to become a domestic diva like all the other ladies here!

P.S. If you want to learn more about us (or see more pictures of Collin--I know that's all anyone really wants anyway!), check out our family blog by clicking here!

solid foods

How did you go about solid foods?

I have only fed little V rice cereal up to this point, and I've actually done it twice a day this past week. This weekend I want to add a vegetable in. I was going to do one rice cereal meal and one vegetable meal. A pediatrician told me to do one single ingredient food for a whole week. That way the child gets used to the taste and you can monitor their body's reaction to it. The other day I went and bought peas to start this weekend. My thinking was that if I started with something sweet that she wouldn't like something like peas later, but is there any validity to that thought? How do I do this??

Recipe Reminder

There are just a few days left in appetizer week. If you have one to add, we'd love to see it! On Monday, Stacibee will be posting the next category. Thanks for your participation!

Speaking of Amazon.com.....

Linz mentioned something in the previous post about Amazon, and I just had to put in an additional plug for it. In the last week I have ordered several things from Amazon, and I just can't get over how convenient it is, and how much money you can save! My daughter is starting to wear 6-9 mos. clothing, but unfortunately most of the clothes people bought her in that size is for summer. So I spent over an hour online looking for long sleeved tops and stuff at all the individual store websites, with absolutely NO luck. Everyone already has their spring/summer stuff out. I finally went to Amazon, and had an order within 5 minutes. You can put in the size, color, and other specifications of what you want, and even narrow it down to what store you want the clothing to come from. It's so great! You can also get brand new items, for cheaper. For instance, I just ordered those Mary Jane socks Lindsay told us about awhile ago, and they were $2.50 cheaper on Amazon. Anyway, I'm sure you all figured this out ages ago, but I was excited and wanted to share. On-line shopping can be WAY too addicting!

Gifts

I really enjoy giving unique gifts, but I feel like my creativity has run out. I need some ideas, specifically for baby showers. I have made blankets and burp cloths, and everyone really enjoys those shoe socks that Linz told us about. But I don't want to give everyone the same gifts, I like them to know that I put thought into their gifts. I have a few showers coming up soon, and if anyone has any creative/unique/fun ideas for gifts that I can make or buy, please share!!

Boring Mom

I have a very active 17-month old son and I run out of ideas of things to do with him all day. He's too young for coloring and if I take him out anywhere he just wants to run so I think any kind of museum would be a waste of time. I need some tips on things to keep him happy and busy. Please help!

I love carbs.

What do you do to curb your cravings? What strategies do you have to maintain self-control in the eating department?

I need your honest opinions...

Okay to all you mothers out there. It seems like many of us are either pregnant, new moms or mothers of young ones. I am curious about and want to know how you honestly feel about motherhood. When you became a new mother for the first time how did you feel overall? Did you feel like you just picked it up and loved every moment of it? Did you feel like you bonded right to your baby? How would you rate your satisfaction of being a mother? Do you feel fulfilled, is it what you thought it would be like? If it is a struggle, how do you get through?
The reason I ask--I have a 3.5 month old--and it seems all the sudden it just got really hard. It seems the new-ness of being a mother has worn off and I am constantly struggling with enjoying being a mom. I feel like all the women around me feel like motherhood is the best thing that ever happend to them, and I feel like it may be one of the hardest. I just have to think I am not the only one in the world that has ever felt this way, so what are your thoughts and opinions?

Wednesday Weekly

What one person or thing best represents the 1980's?

Girls' Night Nacho Cheese Dip

I've mentioned before...I'm no chef. But this has become our must have at Girls' Nights!

Nacho Cheese Dip

1 lb ground beef
1 large regular Velveeta cheese (I forget how many lb that is)
1 small Mexican Velveeta cheese
1 jar salsa (can be mild, medium, or hot depending on your preference)
1-2 tomatoes, finely chopped


Cut all cheese into small chunks, and toss in crockpot. Brown ground beef, and add along with remainder of other ingredients when cheese has begun to melt. Serve when dip is hot and cheese is completely melted.

Easiest Shimp Dip Ever

1 package of cream cheese
About half a bottle (roughly 6 oz.) of cocktail sauce
1 can of tiny shrimp

Spread cream cheese evenly on a plate, cover with cocktail sauce and sprinkle with shrimp. Voila! Serve with your favorite crackers.

Sugar & Spice Cookbook

Hi Ladies,

While reading all of these deliciously yummy recipes, I got so excited I thought that it would be a grand idea to compile them all into our very own Sugar & Spice Cookbook! I've starting combining them all already, so that you don't have to print each recipe out as you get them. (Unless of course you want it right this minute and just can't wait!) Once we've got all the recipes posted, I'll send it to your email address as a word document and then you can print it out all at once. I've formatted the recipes on half pages to conserve paper. I think what I'll do with mine is hole punch the top twice and then insert 2 silver rings and hold them together that way. That's my plan anyway.

So...PLEASE keep sending your recipes in! That way we'll each have a mondo book to use as a cooking/entertaining/deliciously yummy resource.

The Dirt is Eating Me Alive!

I'll be the first to admit it: I am not a very good cleaner. I take too long and get too little accomplished. I am wondering if you could share your cleaning tips with me. I have a few specific questions:

1. Say you only had a one-hour naptime (your kids' nap, of course--not yours) to get all your cleaning done. (a) How much of the house would you probably get done, and (b) What part of the house is your first priority?

2. What is the best way to clean a shower tub? I mean really clean it, not just squirt a little bit of scrubbing bubbles over the top. I'm talking hardcore, pull-out-the-rubber-gloves, break-a-sweat-till-your-arm-aches cleaning. What do you use? The same question applies for mopping the floor.

3. What motivates and/or inspires you to keep up with your cleaning week after week?

Chain Letters

Okay, so I need a consensus. We all get them: The infamous Chain Letter. Send X item to the first person on the list, put your name at the bottom, send to six friends, you will receive 36 articles of said item.

So what are your opinion of these letters? I've had them for recipes, dish towels, kid's books, kid's stickers, flip-flops and socks. I've always been a pretty willing participant. Who doesn't want 36 pairs of flip-flops or a plethora of new recipes? Of course, I always get shafted and receive, usually, nothing in return. So if nobody ever really participates, how do these things keep being perpetuated?

Do you participate?

Are you just annoyed?

Would you participate if you felt like you would actually get what was promised?

Discuss.

Appetizer Recipes

Baked Cheese

1 8 oz. philadelphia cream cheese
1 4 oz. pillsbury crescent dinner rolls
1 egg yolk - beaten
dill weed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On ungreased cookie sheet roll out 2 crescent rolls (connected and flat into rectangular shape). Place brick of cream cheese on top of rectangle and then sprinkle generously on top of cream cheese with dill weed. Place the other rectangle of crescent rolls on top of cheese brick and fold down around cheese. Brush on all sides (except bottom) with beaten egg yolk.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until outside is golden brown.

Serve with favorite crackers.

Baked Brie with Cranberry-Pecan Marmalade

½ C. dried cranberries
3 T. dark brown sugar
2 T. dried currants**
½ tsp. minced fresh ginger
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. cloves
2 oz. pecans, chopped
1 whole round Brie cheese, about a pound
3-4 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced
Assorted crackers

In pot over medium heat combine 6 T. water and cranberries, brown sugar, currants, ginger, allspice, mustard and cloves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring, until cranberries are plump and liquid thickens to consistency of jam, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pecans. Transfer to bowl; cool completely in refrigerator***. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, then top with Brie. Spread cranberry mixture over top of Brie. Bake in 350 degree oven until Brie is heated through and swells slightly, about 25-30 minutes. Carefully transfer to serving platter. Serve with kiwi and crackers.

*I usually double the ingredients for the topping.
**Raisins can be used instead of currents in a pinch.
*** I was in a rush and didn’t cool the topping before putting it on the brie and it was fine.

Toffee Dip With Apples

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 Oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 Cup toffee bits (about 4 oz.)
1 Cup pineapple juice
6 Red Delicious apples, each cored and cut into wedges
6 Granny Smith apples, each cored and cut into wedges (can subsitute other crisp apples)

Combine first four ingredients in a bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add toffee bits, mix well. Cover and chill.

Combine juice and apples in a bowl, toss well. Drain apples. Place apples in an airtight container and seal and chill. Serve dip with apples.

Yield 32 appetizers.

Can be made up to 12 hours ahead.

Mexican Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1 can black beans
3/4 cup mexican blend cheese, divided
3/4 cup salsa, divided
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 pressed garlic cloves
2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper, divided
1/2 cup whole kernel corn

Directions:
Mix beans, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/4 cup salsa, lime juice, pressed garlic and taco seasoning mix. Spread mix in bottom of dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup bell pepper and the corn over bean mixture. Spoon remaining salsa over corn mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes and top with remaining cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. ENJOY!

The Diaper Dilemma

I'm sure all of you with babies have gone through the big dilemma of which diapers your baby won't leak out of. Well, I am delighted to report that we tried the Wal-mart brand, and so far they work great! They even made it through a major code brown this morning. I know diapers fit all babies different, so maybe they wouldn't work for you. I have a girl, and she's chunky! So those two factors might make a difference. But anyway, I thought I'd pass along the tip in case any of you are like me and haven't tried the cheaper brands. I was guilty of stereotyping and assuming that the cheaper the diaper...the more it would leak! The Wal-mart brand is almost half the price of Huggies or Pampers, so I am thrilled!

Artichoke Dip

Once again, my Mom's recipe (she rocks!). Easy and always a crowd-pleaser:

Artichoke Dip

2 cups parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
16 oz. can artichoke hearts, finely chopped and drained

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Sunday Poll

A very curious and sometimes Sunday frustrated mom (me) wants to know, what's the average amount of time that you spend sitting down, listening and learning from your Sunday meetings now that you've got a small child in your family?

A) 100% of the time. My child is a perfect angel and seems to be enjoying the lesson almost as much as I am.

B) 75% of the time. He/she is sometimes a little fussy, but a quick rocking/bouncing around or feeding will solve that problem.

C) 50% of the time. My husband and I usually trade off half-way through the meetings. That we each get a small portion of our Sunday spirituality in for the week.

D) 25% of the time. I heard the prelude music, bowed my head for the prayer and partook of the sacrament...then spent the rest of the 3-hour block roaming the halls of the church.

I'm just so curious. Ever since adding this sweet bundle of joy to the Koudelka Clan, I just don't feel like I've been able to participate and get everything out of my church meetings that I used to. Even if I time everything just right, I still feel like I'm spending lots of time out of the chapel or classroom. Any tips?

Appetizer

Veggie Pizza

2 8oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup mayo
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
3/4 cup finely chopped veggies (ie. colored peppers, broccoli, carrots, whatever you want) you can use more than 3/4 cup too if you want
2 packages of crescent rolls unrolled, baked and cooled (Spread one out and close all the gaps then on a separate sheet spread the other one out and close its gaps)

Mix cream cheese, mayo and dry ranch mix in a bowl. Spread mixture onto baked and cooled unrolled crescent rolls. Sprinkle veggies on top and voila!!!!!

This is seriously awesome, I love it.
You can use reduced fat everything and it is still great.

ps. If you want, you can use Bobli (sp?) bread instead of the crescent rolls. Just be sure to bake and cool the bread first.

Appetizers from Liz&Meg

Here are some appetizer recipes from Liz:

Stuffed Mushrooms

2 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and de-stemmed
1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot sausage (light works fine), browned
1 8 oz. package cream cheese (light works fine)
1 Tblsp. worcestershire sauce

Clean mushrooms, brown sausage and drain. Mix sausage with softened cream cheese and worcestershire sauce. Spoon into mushroom caps and bake for 10 minutes at 350. Then broil for five minutes. Easy, yummy and everyone's always impressed at how simple they are to make!

Rumaki (Roo-ma-key)
2 cans whole water chesnuts, drained
1/2-1 lb. bacon, cut in halfs or thirds
6 Tbsp. chili sauce
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Wrap chestnuts with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Broil 5-6 minutes. Mix together chili sauce, brown sugar and mustard (I almost always have to make 1 1/2 batches of sauce). Dip wrapped chestnuts in sauce and return to oven to bake at350 for 20 minutes.

Avocado Bean Dip
1 can small black beans and juice
1 can white corn, drained (yellow corn works fine too)
1/2 sweet onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
fresh lime juice from 2 limes
1-2 avocados, not too mushy, diced

Mix together first five ingredients. Add the avocado. It's yummy with those lime tostitos!

Sorry if I went overboard! I love appetizers!!!!! Can't wait to hear everyone else's ideas!

The recipe extravaganza begins!

What better way to start things off than with APPETIZERS! (Side dishes would be great too!) Post your faves all this week!

baby sunscreen

I know nothing about baby sunscreen (i.e. what to avoid, what brands to look for, etc.). Any guidance?

Profiteroles (aka mini cream puffs)

Per Linzerdoodle's request...sorry this has taken so long, Linz! This is straight out of the Betty Crocker cookbook (my personal favorite). It's an extremely easy, cheap, and impressive looking dessert--a perfect combination!

1 c. water
1/2 c. butter or stick margarine
1 c. all-purpose flour (self-rising can be used, but I never have)
4 large eggs
1 box of instant vanilla pudding (or a container of pre-made or a snack pack, whatever's easier for you--you could also use ice cream)

1. Heat oven to 400.

2. Heat water and butter to rolling boil in 2 1/2-quart saucepan. Stir in flour; reduce heat to low. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat.

3. Beat in eggs, all at once, with spoon; continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by level tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie baller) about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool away from draft, about 30 minutes. Cut puffs horizontally in half. Fill with pudding (don't overfill--a little goes a long way); replace top half. Serve with chocolate sauce. Makes 36 profiteroles.

Recipe Extravaganza

A special Sugar & Spice series begins tomorrow! Every Monday, for the next several weeks, a new recipe category will be posted. Please post one or more of your favorite recipes in that category during that week. If everyone contributes, we will end up with quite a collection, sure to spice up our lives! Please post recipes that you have tried yourself and that you LOVE! First category will be posted tomorrow so stay tuned! (If you would like to suggest a category, contact either me or Stacibee.) Please also continue to post and comment about anything that comes into your mind or into your life. We have had some great posts and comments thanks to you all. Hope you're having a restful and wonderful Sunday!

--Linzerdoodle

The Idiot's Guide to Parenting...

So my last parenting book only took us to a year old and Megan's almost 13 months! Any good suggestions for parenting books on toddlers/one + age, etc? So far I've stuck to "what to expect" and "the happiest baby on the block". Any ideas now that she's getting older?

Diaper Rash

Darn. Little V had a little bit of diaper rash in her 2nd week of life (somehow I think the doctor said it was related to her thrush if I understood it correctly). From that point on we have been dilligently taking care of her precious booty and have had no problems. We have even been made fun of for blowing her booty dry at each diaper change. So we are so sad that she has diaper rash now at 5 1/2 months when we thought we were doing so well. We have regularly used diaper ointment just to prevent, now I want to treat it. Any suggestions? I bought something today called Triple Paste medicated ointment and we'll see how that goes, but I wondered if you all had any other solutions.

Could it happen?

2008 looks like it's going to be a very controversial year. Now that most of the presidential candidates have come out of the wood work, I'm very interested to see what's going to happen on election day. I mean, think about it...the 2008 presidential election carries the most diverse group of contenders that have ever run against each other in the history of the United States (or at least in my lifetime). We've got the first female candidate, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, a very popular African American candidate, Barack Obama, a Latter-Day Saint candidate, Mitt Romney, a POW, John McCain and the infamous leader during 9/11, Rudy Giuliani.
So...I know politics are a very devisive topic, but I'm interested to know...what do you think? Do you know who you're going to vote for? Could a female be the president? Will an African American? What would the effect be like for the church if an LDS president was voted into office? What does the United States of America have in store during the next 4 years?

Labor medications

What kind of pain medications did you use during labor/delivery? Were you happy with the outcome? Why or why not?

I get to try my hand at this in the next month or so and wanted to hear about your experience. My plan is to go middle of the road - use techniques I learned from my lamaze class, possibly some narcotics. I want to avoid an epidural - because the thought of a needle in my back and no control of my body freaks me out, and I also want to feel connected to this experience, even if it is painful.

I will keep an open mind, though, because I won't know how effective lamaze techniques, etc. are for me until I am actually in labor!

Wednesday Weekly--Valentine's Day edition

If you and you husband could take an all-expense-paid week vacation from work/school, where would you go?

veggie tales

I am always looking for more delicious ways to incorporate vegetables at dinner. What do you do? I do green salads, sometimes just steam fresh vegetables, recently tried roasting potatoes with zucchini, squash, EVOO, and S&P, and I like those frozen bags that steam in the microwave. What ideas do you have? I don't know much about roasting (only tried it once). Any insights in the roasting arena too?

what not to wear

My baby girl has been wearing pajamas for a week. With the exception of a cute dress at church yesterday, I have left my girl in pj's each day for at least a week now (I have at least changed her into new pajamas each day). I use to put her in a cute outfit even if she wasn't going anywhere, but with the moving craziness, I've just kept her comfy. As far as my wardrobe, let's just say that today I went out to the car in the driveway (I thought I left a bag from the grocery store in the trunk)wearing a blue summery skirt, a yellow long-sleeve shirt (don't go together), purple, orange, and pink argyle socks, and dark gray clogs. Nice. Would have made for good undercover footage on What not to wear.

Faith

Have you all heard about this story that happened here in Utah? My heart has been aching for this man and his poor baby girl. I think my sensitivity has been heightened since I had Baby "I" and we've been a family. Tears welled up instantly when I heard about the situation.
I can't imagine what it's like to go through something like this. I like to think that I would have sufficient faith in Heavenly Father to get through a trying time like this and have the strength to care for my child and move forward. I've had small experiences in my life that have left me saddened, frustrated and feeling very desperate and low, but fortunately with the Lord's help and the prayers and well-wishes of others, I was able to get through it. What about something as monumental and significant as this? How does one move on?

another moisturizing question

Sorry about my obsession with hyrdated skin! The other day NTG and I decided hand lotion by Vaseline Intensive Care is just not going to cut it anymore. My hands get dry and my knuckles crack really easily. We stared at the selection in the Target aisle the other day for about 10 minutes and decided that each of us would choose one new one try out. We bought Aveeno and St. Ive's. They seem to be pretty good so far, especially Aveeno. What is your favorite?

FHE

My husband and I have always been terrible about having FHE on a regular basis. We really want to be better about it, so that it's a habit by the time our daughter is old enough to participate. The problem is, I have lots of ideas for things to do with children, but I struggle with preparing lessons for just my husband and I. What did you guys do before children, or if you're children are still really young? I would love to hear some of your favorite ideas, or things that worked really well.

Flu Season

Okay, I'm really tired of being sick and having sick kids. Tis the season, I suppose. My kids were vaccinated for the flu. But it all started with a little cold. Then strep, ear infections, stomach flu, sinus infections and now this awful cough. My family has been sick for about a month now. It's so darn cold that we can't get out and I honestly think that would help to break the cycle. I don't know how, but my husband managed to come out unscathed by a single germ. I'm a little bitter, not that I wish he would get sick because he's a BIG baby when he is and he's the breadwinner. Anyway - so tomorrow is Sunday and I think we may have to miss church yet again. I feel like I feel worse when I miss church, but the last thing I want to do is spread germs. I know I've gotten a little uptight when I hear the kid a few rows up with an awful cough or see someone in nursery with a nose dripping like a faucet. Anyway - that's my blurb on flu season. And why haven't they come up with a vaccine for the stomach flu? Lol! It is the worst!

Fun Free Fonts

Hi gang! I was working on a project for singing time and came across a great website with tons of fun and cute fonts that you can download for FREE! I got great ideas for projects, scrapbook journaling, etc. I had so much fun I had to share it. Check it out!

I love Ziploc bags!

Hey ladies! Post your favorite use for the Ziploc bag today!

V-day-Just around the corner...

Well ladies, Valentines is just around the corner. Mark and I don't usually do anything too huge and exciting, but we do like to spend the night together--go out to dinner or something of that sort. Last year I "heart attacked" his truck--I cut out a bunch of paper hearts and put stuff on them --like "Hot Stuff" and "Be Mine" and all kinds of dorky stuff like that and taped them all on the inside of his truck. It was really fun! This year I wanted to do something cheesy and cute again--so that he knows he is on my mind. What are your ideas? What traditions do you all carry on with your special ones?

Bibberall

Have you heard of the bibberall? I received one as a gift and it's just so awesome for messy babies who are trying to learn to eat food like mine! It's a bib from head to toe! I hope I can find them for a little cheaper somewhere!

Facial Moisturizer

What facial moisturizer do you use? I have not tried very many but I do like moisturizers that have SPF.

The Fear of Being Alone....

Help!!! My 4 mos. old daughter has entered the delightful stage of screaming anytime she can't see someone, and thinks she's alone. I'm not sure how or why it started. I know she may be more used to getting attention than a baby with other siblings, however I've always made sure she has plenty of floortime, playtime, etc. So why all of a sudden does she think I have to be next to her all of the time???? I know this is similar to the question about stranger anxiety, but it's kind of different. This is more of an issue of I CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE!!! I would welcome any thoughts or advice on this issue!

Scentsy

I have something I love that I want to share with you all. www.scentsy.com I love candles, but I don't like burning them much because of the fear of fires and forgetting to blow them out. I got one of these burners for my wedding that I just love and wax from my wedding as well. The smells all ran out, so I was excited to get some new scents re-ordered. Take a look at it ---It's so fun. Mark likes the new smells too. They seem to last for quite a while. They have a whole bunch of new warmers that are really cute and can match colors in your kitchen and in your bathroom. Let me know what you think :)

Wednesday Weekly

Hey S&S gals!

Wednesday weekly is a new recurring post that you can count on each Wednesday! It's just a fun question to answer. Here's the first one:

What movie/TV/book character do you relate to the most?

Money-saving Muggles

Hey Harry Potter Fans! I know I already posted this on my family blog, but in case you're interested, Amazon.com sells Book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows for $18.89, a savings of 46%. I've ordered mine through them since Book 5 and they have always been delivered on the release date. Of course the midnight parties are fun too...

Games for geeks (like me)

What are your favorite board/party games? I've just moved to a new place and hope to make new friends :) and I think that games are a great way to get to know people. I like games like Catchphrase that get everyone involved and talking. Here are two of my other favorites:

Loaded Questions

Who? What? Where? (This one is a really fun drawing game my Mom discovered and you don't have to be good at drawing to enjoy it. We love it.)

Carseat craze!

Hi ladies!
Our little one is too long for her carrier but too little to go forward facing. We need a new carseat but our life is complicated! Her Dad takes her to the babysitter, the babysitter takes her in the car while she drives her own daughter to school, and I pick up and drive her around the rest of the week! With the carrier, it's easy-clicking into stationary bases and buckling it in. But with bigger carseats, they're harder to move around and I'm a stickler for having them installed correctly. So I'm worried we'll have to buy up to three carseats which seems so crazy for one kid! Besides the fact that we can't afford it! Any ideas?

Oral Thrush

Have any of you had a baby with this? I noticed my 12 week old daughter had it on Friday and took her to the doctor. They prescribed her some liquid nystatin that I've been squirting in her cheeks 4 times a day, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better. In fact, it's looking worse. Lindsay suggested I use a q-tip to spread it in her cheeks so I think I'll try that, but does anyone else have any advice? It doesn't seem to bother her, but it's gross and I want it gone!

Bumbo?

The other day my mom asked me about a bumbo. She was thinking about getting one for Reagan. Does anyone know anything about these seats? Are they worth it? What do you use them for (besides sitting of course)? Can our babies play while in them or are they more for sitting to watch Baby Einstein? Did I mention that this blog idea was great, Linz?! You are all so helpful!

Living in a house with all boys

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Those are my emotions right now. As I type this my 4 year old is going completely crazy because he has lost one of his beloved trains due to his violent acts toward his brother. This is just a little taste of life with 3 very active little boys. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment in my house. Though I would never trade it for anything, I could do without all the wrestling sometimes. As you look at the picture to the left, you wouldnt believe how long it took me to get it. At first I just wanted the boys, but after trying to chase and hold them down Daddy had to join in just so I could get a still shot. On a little side note, Parker (in the spider-man jammies) had his 3 year check up yesterday and I learned that he is only about 6 pounds more then his 16 month old brother. My babies are always such chuncks, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Baby Games

As much as I like to believe that I am a fun Mommy, I know that I could definitely use some fresh, new ideas. My daughter is restricted to our apartment until the Flu and RSV season are over, and I am in desperate need of fun games to play with an almost 5 month old. I swear this apartment gets smaller everyday! So, please give me all of your best stuff, don't hold back! Thanks so much!

Stress!!!!

So, it's been one of those weeks in my household! It seems like everything that could possibly go wrong has....until an hour later when something else goes wrong! I was at a meeting at work this morning, thinking about my ride to work in my husband's truck with a broken thermostat (did I mention it's approx -20 degrees in Michigan???) and wondering why things haven't gotten better. And then I rode in the elevator and helped a stranger find where he was going after another nurse was rude to him. I realized I was nicer to a complete stranger than I have been to my own husband. Then the thought occurred to me that maybe I haven't learned my lesson yet. Maybe I need to learn to handle stress and trials a little better, before Heavenly Father is going to lift my burden. So.......what do you guys do to overcome extreme stress, and avoid being complete bears to those you love??????

Mop and "schlop"

I have always had a microscopic bathroom and kitchen so I haven't had to worry too much about cleaning those floors. I have tried mops and found that they become a big schloppy mess. With such small floors to clean, I have resorted to just getting on my hands and knees and spraying and wiping. Tomorrow we close on our first home and our kitchen is big enough that I wouldn't want to clean the floor on my hands and knees. What do you all use? Have you found an effective mop? Have you used Swiffer or something like that?

Homemade Baby Food

Yesterday I was surfin' the 'net and happened upon this really cool website about homemade baby food. It looks pretty interesting. I know some of you ladies are past the baby food thing, but for those of you who aren't...something to look into.

Too Old?

I saw this post on another blog site and thought it was a great controversial topic.
Are You Too Old to Have a Baby? This article poses that very question.
I dunno. I was 24 years old when I had Baby "I". To be honest, I thought I would be lots younger when I had my first. I thought I would be lots younger when I got married too, but I wasn't and I'm really happy with the way things turned out.
It seems like women both in the church and in general are getting married and starting families when they are a little "older." It worked well for me. I was able to get my degree right before I got married, so I had that checked off of my "Things To Do" list.
What do you think? What's the "perfect" age?

Six Degrees of Separation

I am getting the biggest kick out of the Logan connection! Of course, it's making me feel very old, but that's okay...I spent four wonderful years in Logan! ...in 1999! I must confess I'm not a true Aggie, I never lived in Old Farm, and I never watched a movie projected on a bedsheet up Logan Canyon, but I had some fun adventures! Thanks to Staci for inviting all of these people who are making me wax nostalgic these past few weeks....

e.l.f

Ok, so I was reading back on a post about make-up and what kind of make-up everyone likes. I have never been a huge make-up fan. The only "quality" thing I buy is powder. My favorite is mac. Best ever! I used to use Clinique powder but I am a mac girl now. Anyhoo, my cousin told me about this website that has super cheap make-up. The brand is e.l.f. Has anyone heard of it, or used it? My mom and I just made a huge order of stuff. I'm axious to see how it is. I'm not really picky with anything other than powder so I'm sure it will work for me. But it's seriously cheaper than stuff at the grocery store. So we figured it was worth a try. Let me know if anyone has used it.

Stranger Anxiety

Hey S&S girls!

Does anyone have any tips about helping your babies with stranger anxiety? Little v is 5 months old and it is just starting. Someone else will hold her and she'll be silent for a few momenets, get a scared look, and gradually start a cry. I know it is our fault. We have pretty much been the sole "holders" since birth. We have not lived near any family and she has not been held by many others. She is kind of a spit-up queen so that is one of the reasons why I have hesitated to have others hold her (especially in their Sunday best at church).

We visited my family in Chicago for Turkey Day and Christmas. NTG and I went to the movies during each holiday weekend and left her with my Mom but that is the only time she has been left. So, yes, it is our fault, but now I'm wishing that she would feel more comfortable when held by others. If we are holding her, she will give a big smile to any stranger.

Now I'm getting closer to the point where I feel I would hire a babysitter or leave her with a future friend in Texas, but what will happen?! Will she be scared out of her wits? I'm not sure I could even relax on a date with NTG if I was worried about these things. Any tips on stranger anxiety??

Hello!

Hi Everyone!

I am a friend if Staci and I'm so excited she invited me to this blog. It looks like soo much fun! What a good Idea!

Well I have been married for about 3 1/2 years and have a one year old little boy named Sam. We live in Logan while Bronson (my husband) is getting his masters in Landscape Architecture. He has about a year left. I am from St. George and Bronson is from Kaysville. We have enjoyed our time here in Logan but I think we are both ready to move on.. haha. Its way to cold here for me! I went to hair school a while back and did hair for about 3 years. I needed a break from it so after I had my baby I stopped. I now work at Icon, testing exercise exquipment a couple times a week. The best job I've ever had! And I am also a Modbe consultant now.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe is sure to be a Superbowl hit!

Buffalo Wing Dip
1 package cream cheese
2 cans of chicken breast meat, drained
1 whole bottle of Frank's "Red Hot" Buffalo Wing Sauce (Make sure it's that particular one!)
1/2 cup Blue cheese dressing
2 cups mozzarella cheese (Try to find the cheese with 2% milk rather than skim. It melts better.)

Spread cream cheese across the bottom of a 8x8 glass pan. Stew chicken meat in Frank's sauce for approximately 20 minutes. Then put the chicken mixture over cream cheese. Pour the blue cheese dressing over the chicken and then sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips. It's SOOO good!

* You can substitute the Blue Cheese Dressing for Ranch if you'd like. Doesn't have quite the ZING, but it's still yummy.

Labels for Posting

Hi everyone! Missy used a label on her post which I hadn't seen before! Now when you post, choose a label (see post options at the bottom of your post screen). There's Recipes, contributor (for getting to know you), household, love, parenting, beauty, hobbies (like katiecaroline's book post), design (for fashion and decorating), and I think that's it. Create a new one if you can't find one that fits! Those words should start to appear automatically as you start to type the label in the designated spot. Thanks!

Crab Salad (A Green Salad Recipe)

Crab Salad

1 pkg. chopped romaine lettuce
1 cucumber
1 pkg. grape or cherry tomatoes
1 pkg. imitation crab
3/4 c. mayo
Salt
Pepper

Peel and cut cucumber to match size of chosen tomatoes. You can either cut or break up the imitation crab. Combine everything in one bowl just before serving.

This salad goes really well with grilled steak, but it's definitely delicate so don't mix it until you're ready to eat.

My Grand Entrance

Hello Ladies!

Joni here. I'm kinda late joining y'all, but I took a look at the blog and said, Hey I have got to get on there! I'm Staci's friend from Nu Hoz (college choir). I'm 27, live in Omaha, NE and I have 2 kids. Teia will soon be 4 and Radley is 18 mo.

I'm a singer, a reader, a writer, and a lover of fine chocolate (that would be anything finer than those yucky chocolate coins you used to get as a kid). My husband is a CPA. If and of you know someone looking to go into that field, discourage them if they are the type of person who likes working less than 70 hours a week. I play single mom a few months out of the year and while I feel I'm getting better at it, I still hate being away from my man.

I have my own blog called Oopsa-Daysies. Stop on by and leave me a comment sometime.

Can't wait to get caught up.
Love, Joni

19 hours

Ladies! May your prayers be with me as our little family embarks on a 19 hour drive to Texas on Saturday with a 5 month old baby! Just teasing. It should be fine, but I'll be happy when it's over! We are stretching it out over 3 days so we can take our time and hopefully not get the baby off schedule. A highlight will be visiting Bethany on the way! Thanks B! Hope everyone has a safe and warm weekend!

Cosmetics Query

I just wanted to take a short poll and see what your favorite brand of make up is. Anything from Mac, Mary Kay, and Clinique to Mary Kate & Ashley brand. (I personally love the Olsen twins lip gloss.) Feel free to comment.

Five Flavor Cake

By Laura's request...My mom's delicious recipe:

Five Flavor Cake

2 sticks butter or margarine
1/2 c. shortening
3 c. sugar
5 eggs (beaten for 5 minutes)
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 tsp each cocunut, rum, butter, lemon, and vanilla extract

Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs. Combine flour and baking powder and add to creamed mixture alternating with milk. Stir in flavorings. Spoon mixture into greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one and a half hours. Add glaze before removing from pan.

Glaze:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. each cocunut, rum, butter, lemon, and almond extract.

Combine in heavy saucepan and bring to a boil and stir until sugar melts. Spoon over hot cake and let sit until cool. Remove cake from pan when cool.