Food Mecca

Seriously. How was I able to survive without this website? I have a new favorite, Food Gawker. I check it 2, 3, 97 times a day! I am getting so many fantastic recipes and learning tons of great information on foods that I am not familiar with! (Butifarra, anyone?)
But what makes this website so much fun is the pictures that accompany every post! You really, really should not go there hungry. You'll be sorry you did!!
Take a peak at the Food Gawker web-site listed in my favorites. Make a recipe and send me a review! There are so many neat ones on there that I would never have the time or money to make them all!
So, hopefully I can enlist a friend or two to try something out and let me know how it turned out!
Spread the love, and the butter.
Danielle

A Truly Lovely Day

This is Katie. Isn't she adorable??

Katie is marrying my husband's youngest brother in January, so the sisters-in-law and my mom decided to throw her a bridal shower.

The theme was all things dainty, and it was a Tea/Brunch. And the hats, were required!
We used real china tea cups, my real silver for utensils, and the fanciest teas we could find! (Actually, Oprah turned us on to them)
Below are a few fun pictures from the day. We had beautiful weather, and a great brunch. The company was pleasant and the conversation hilarious!

I am so excited to have Katie join the family!
Enjoy the pictures!























The Behlmer Gals!

My brother found this oddly entertaining video! If you can forgive the first 39 seconds (she looks a bit possessed), it's really great!!!
And just FYI - there is no sound for the first 18 seconds.

Who would have thought?

When I woke up this morning, I never thought that one of my mom duties would come to an end today.
Ava and Cameron were playing outside this afternoon and Ava decided to go on the swings. She has been practicing swinging herself, but only gets going when mom gives her a nudge. So when Ava said, "Mom! Look at me!", I never expected to see my "little" girl swinging all on her own. And not just piddly back-and-forth swings, but BIG swings, like when dear, old, no-longer-needed-mom pushed her.
Sure, it's not her first word, her first day of school, or her first date (insert cringe-worthy thoughts and utter fear), but it was a milestone none the less.
She is so proud of herself, as she should be, and I made sure that she knew I was proud of her too.

Hey, I tried.

Many of you who know me know that I don't do crafts. Well, I like to do crafts, alone, without the kids. I mean that I don't let the kids do crafts.
Well, I let them do crafts at school and at MOPS when other wonderfully patient teachers set up the materials and, most importantly, clean up afterwards.
I think crafts are important for children to do. It buds creativity and the kids love to do it.
I just have never been one to do crafts at our house. First, it's expensive. Those quiet, unassuming Popsicle sticks can run upwards of $3. $3? That's not much you say! Well, no, it's not. But when you add the felt, a package of googly eyes, craft glue, sequins, stickers, pom-poms, and a subscription to Family Fun Magazine, one craft project will cost you $97.50.
Secondly, it's messy! I wake up with cold sweats just thinking of the red glitter forever embedded in our carpet.
Well, my meds must be kicking in because today I decided to do a project! Ava made a very cute shaker last year, which Cameron decided to destroy this morning. After I made Ava silence her hysterics, I told her that we could make her a new one. And Cameron could make one to - a shaker of his very own to destroy.
So, off we trekked to The Wal-Marts to get 2 cans of frozen juice concentrate, Popsicle sticks, a bag-o-beans, and various foam stickers. After seeing that my only option in the Popsicle stick area was a box of 500 (um, no thank you) we bypassed those.
After we got home, I got the kids situated at the kitchen table with a snack while I messed with the juice cans and washed them out.
I undid the funny little plastic puller-thingy and attempted to pull off the metal lid, but to no avail. The crazy thing was stuck!
So I pulled and pried and FINALLY it let lose! My victory was sorely short lived as I realized that frozen pink lemonade concentrate has just splattered
all-over-my-kitchen. UGH!! The thick pink syrup was everywhere! At that very moment, I thought to myself: This is why I don't do crafts.
After cleaning up all the goo and getting the kids situated with all of the stickers and markers, the rest of the craft-making went off without a hitch.
I think that the kiddos enjoyed themselves and I was happy that they did. And I was happy that it kept them busy for (seriously) only 12(!!!) MINUTES!
ACK! All of that for only 12 minutes of craft-time?
That, is why I don't do crafts.

Ack! Are You Hedu?

Someone with the name of hedu left a comment in my basil blog, and I can't for the life of me figure out who it is!!!
They had some very creative ideas for my basil, too!
If you are hedu...let me know!
A MILLION thanks!

Oh, Just pump the stuff directly into my veins....

I AM ADDICTED.
Ever since I made those dreadfully yummy Smore cookie bars, I have been craving, on a daily basis might I add, for this stuff! It's a gift straight from God I tell ya. Yesterday, I wanted, well actually I HAD TO HAVE, this stuff so badly that I went to Kroger and took a 2 year old and a 4 year old into the store just for 1 thing! What am I crazy?!?
Anyway, when we got back into the car after a wonderfully calm and successful store run, I popped the lid off my creme, and scooped out a big glob just for me. Why? Because I can. I paid for it. I'm the mommy, that's why.
It was so good. And by the time the night was over, I had about 1/2 cup of this white wonderful confection under my belt.

Well, off to the gym to work off my shame.....

And, I shutter just to think that candy corn season is right around the corner! I'm going to try and hold out until at least October to indulge.