Andrew's First Kiss

Andrew must have been feeling fresh at play group today with his new summer hair do. He was "chasing" one of the little girls (Isn't she adorable?) and when he finally caught up with her here is what happened:

He would not leave her alone today. Hopefully she isn't scarred for life. Poor girl!

Recipe Night

I am looking forward to my evening "out" tonight. All of the ladies from our playgroup are coming to my house tonight to eat, drink, chat and eat some more. Each person that is coming is bringing at least 5 recipes to share with everyone and one of the recipes made up to share with the group. It should be yummy!

I thought that I'd share two of the recipes that I will be sharing tonight. They are both delicious!!


Sicilian Casserole :

Brown and drain 1 pound ground beef, chopped onion, and 2 garlic cloves, minced.

Add 15 oz. spaghetti sauce and simmer 10 minutes.

Cook 2 c. elbow macaroni, penne pasta or whatever shape you like, and drain.

Heat 8 oz. cream cheese to soften, beat it and slowly add ¾ c. milk. Beat until smooth.

Stir in ½ c. sour cream, about 1/3 of a green pepper & ½ c. Parmesan cheese. Pour over cooked pasta and stir. Place in casserole dish. Top with meat mixture and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes covered. Uncover and sprinkle with ¼ c. Parmesan cheese and bake 5-10 minutes longer. This casserole also freezes well.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake :

Combine:

1 chocolate cake mix

1 pkg. instant choc. Pudding mix

1 c. vegetable oil

4 eggs

½ c. hot water

1 c. sour cream

1 t. vanilla

Beat until smooth, then stir in 1 c. mini-chocolate ships.

Pour into greased and floured Bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Allow to cool before removing from pan and dusting with powdered sugar. (OR drizzle pieces of cake with caramel topping before serving!)

Enjoy!

Dedication

We had the kids both dedicated at church today. Lauren did a great job on stage...Andrew screamed the whole way through! We are so glad that Nana & Papa and Grandma & Grandpa could share this with us also. What a great Mother's Day!

Chocolate Painting

One rainy day last week we decided to try something new...painting with chocolate pudding. The kids both loved it...especially Andrew (as you can see below!)

We had a great time!

Andrew's Birthday : Take Two

We finally celebrated Andrew's birthday this past weekend with all of our family. It was very nice and everything turned out great! I love the cake that I made him...

Here is the birthday boy with his very own chocolate cupcake...
thanks to the Aunts, he enjoyed whipped cream on top!

Here is Andrew while enjoying his cake...

Andrew's Birthday!

It is hard to believe that one year ago Todd and I were in the hospital with our new baby boy! It has been so much fun to watch him grow and learn this year - he is so very different from Lauren. We are having the big "First Birthday" party with all of the family next weekend and did not really plan on doing anything for him today, but big sister was distraught with the idea of "no party!" So here are a few pictures with his "First Birthday Ice Cream ."

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Warmer Weather and Walks

Today was a beautiful and sunny day. I would have enjoyed a little bit warmer weather, but I cannot complain ...especially since the next few days are supposed to bring storms! We all enjoyed a nice walk...Lauren even pulled Andrew in the wagon all around the subdivision. What a great day!