I know this clip is a month or so old, but I had to add it.  I try to interview Hudson every so often for memories sake.  My mom did a few cassette tapes of me talking with her when I was little and I love listening to them.  It’s so crazy to listen to my little 4 year old voice talking or singing.  And yes, the first video I have of myself is actually on silent film and can only be played on one of those old school reel movie projectors.  I know, I know what you’re thinking – sweet…or maybe, I didn’t realize you were that old!  I digress, what a better way to capture their little personality and growth than little interviews.  Notice Annie’s cameo at the end.  It’s just so…well, Annie!  This is why I love my kids.
On a side note: Will is not dead, he is just sleeping!

Often times, I find myself with grand dreams and schemes.  My schemes to the real thing ratio is actually pretty high.  Unfotunately this time, it just didn’t happen.  Thinking to myself I say, “Hmmm, we need snacks at the Egg Hunt.  Let’s make them healthy.  How do we make veggies fun?  Veggie men on skewers, with string cheese hair!!  Of course.”

It’s obvious from the pictures. Veggie men were definitely NOT the answers.

Skewers were kept, but  a more traditional approach was used.

The cupcake cones were really easy and fun to make.  I was wanting to do a really stiff frosting that peaked nicely to make it look like ice cream, but I don’t have all the right tools so, melted ice cream was the outcome.

I had inspiration from two friends to start this mini-project.  My good friend, Carmen loaded me up on jam when we first moved to California.  She sent me more jars than I could count of delicious jam(I’m sure the postage was out of this world).  I just opened the very last one and was in a panic, thinking I might soon be jamless.  Combine that situation with my good friend Amber, who was just talking to me about how easy it is to make jam and voila, you get my mini-project.  

I finally made freezer jam for the first time in my life.  It was actually quite quick and painless.  People have been telling me this for years, yet I find I have never taken the plunge.  I let the kiddos help me and I think it made everything even more fun, and a little more messy.

I didn’t notice until the last strawberry, that as Annie was passing strawberries to Hudson for washing, she was first taking a bite out of the bottom(Here is hoping Annie stands the test of strawberry dirt).  I guess I shouldn’t be expecting any managerial positions anytime soon.  She was standing right next to me.  As a result of Annie’s antics, any jam we were planning on sharing will remain in our posession…sorry.  I actually didn’t make very much anyway, just in case I bombed.

All in all, I think this FHE on food storage was a success!!  At least the jam I couldn’t fit in a container was really good on vanilla ice cream.

Annie was begging to cook today.  She had found scrap material from the apron I made her and was falling apart because it wasn’t fitting right(I know my apron isn’t wonderful, but it functions well and I only had to pick out a few lines of stitching.  One day I’ll hop on the sewing bandwagon).  I digress, after a treasure hunt for her apron, Hudson joined us in the kitchen for some quick cooking.  Considering the fact that I haven’t been to the store for quite some time I thought a cake mix could do the trick.  I didn’t want to worry about busting out the oil and eggs with the little ones so I substituted all of the ingredients on the back for a can of soda.  Annie got to dump the cake mix.  Hudson got to dump the soda.  I’m not sure how many of you out there have tried baking a cake like this, but it is quite good and VERY QUICK!!

#1. I don’t mind letting the kids lick the beaters…no raw egg.

#2. Less ingredients

#3. A good dessert for food storage.

#4.  The cake ends up more moist, strawberry shortcakish, if you will.  

One of my good friends from when I was teaching gave me this…”recipe?”  She says it came from Weight Watchers.  I can’t stake claim.  I must say the yellow cake mix + Sprite + straberries + whipped cream topping = Heaven

Of course things got crazy when I was taking picture.

 I think their attention span was about one ingredient each today so it was  good day for “Soda Cake.”

“Chocolate…chocolate cake with chocolate frosting,” was Hudson’s response to a birthday cake this year.  He didn’t want any special type of cake except for chocolate so chocolate it is!  I actually took to making and freezing the cakes ahead of time.  The day of and before always seem rushed.  I thought it would be fun to attempt a checkerboard cake.  I think it just might become tradition.  It wasn’t really that hard.  I had forgotten how much easier frozen cake is to deal with.  It also turned out to be very moist.

Note to self: freezing cake makes birthdays less stressful and makes the cake more moist.

I know the frosting looks a little funky, but I am not one for the normal frosting…too rich.  I mixed it with 2 cups of whipped cream and I fell in love.

Below you can see the cake without a petticoat…how embarassing!