tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40950345207217535862012-01-27T11:50:11.759-06:00Cooking, crafting and crazinessMrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.comBlogger7411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-39478752759520527182012-01-27T07:06:00.000-06:002012-01-27T07:06:00.085-06:00

Are you a cheater McCheaterpants like me? Are you a lazy Magee?  I fully and freely admit that I am and love to take a shortcut if at all possible to save time and effort. In particular, I hate frying things, but I do like Chicken Parmesan.  Normally that would be a problem as the usual Chicken Parmesan requires frying.  With oil.  That pops up and gives you burny hurty ungoodness. OH ho!  Not

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-56913952745467075632012-01-26T11:01:00.000-06:002012-01-26T11:02:07.649-06:00

1. I did not have a hissy fit when I couldn't find any jeans that fit me...again. 2. I found the fancy shampoo I like that I haven't bought since Blockette was a baby. 3. Said Shampoo was on sale. 4. I did not fall on my bum on the sidewalk going to get the kids from the bus. 5. Blockette got the highest possible marks on her report card. 6. All the check marks from talking too much last

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1Illinois, USA40.6331249 -89.398528337.396558399999996 -94.4522393 43.8696914 -84.34481729999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-25243012590180557962012-01-25T15:08:00.000-06:002012-01-25T15:08:28.972-06:00

All she'd need is an orange shirt!Now she's missing her upper and lower front tooth on her left side.  And if you can believe it, this was the least goofy face Blockette made out of this set of photos.  She knows exactly how long it takes for the flash to go off and the actual picture to take.  So she has this nice sweet angelic face when I click the button, and then hams it up as the shutter and

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-27884109059850192422012-01-25T14:54:00.000-06:002012-01-25T14:54:42.543-06:00

I was feeling particularly yucky today but still needed to get something done, so I thought, if I try something funky on my hair, maybe I'll feel better. Here's what I did: Man is it ever hard to take a picture of the back of your own head! It's called a French twist and pin.  I need practice the style some more as it doesn't look exactly like it's supposed to, but I don't think it's too

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-48431995539371977132012-01-25T04:20:00.000-06:002012-01-25T04:20:00.286-06:00

I had tried roasting chickpeas in the oven several years ago. I thought they were rather disgusting. Of course this was before I incorporated beans into my regular diet and I was under the impression that I didn't like beans at all.  As my tastes have changed, I thought I should give roasting garbanzo beans a second chance. There seem to be two schools of thought in roasting these beany little

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-76403011948917269342012-01-24T03:33:00.001-06:002012-01-24T03:33:00.604-06:00

My friend Chad gave me this Vegetable soup recipe ages ago and I finally got around to making it.  I have no idea where he got the recipe from, so let's just say he made it up himself.  Hooray!  It's the easiest thing ever. Are you ready for it? Into your crockpot dump: 1 can each of canned corn, peas, beans, carrots, and sliced potatoes-undrained 1 bottle of V8 Regular or spicy(I'm not sure

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-3365020083002789682012-01-23T04:56:00.001-06:002012-01-23T04:56:00.211-06:00

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-18121953414003787242012-01-21T09:26:00.002-06:002012-01-21T09:26:00.866-06:00

This is what you find on your computer when you do a little housekeeping. A photo (taken by my mom) from a nice warm fall day. We've had about a week of winter now and I think I've had my fill.

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-63670793758866379302012-01-20T03:33:00.001-06:002012-01-20T03:33:01.234-06:00

Well you learn something new everyday. I've been married to my husband for 4 billion years, (OK maybe just 10 years,) and I did not know that chili dogs were one of his favorite foods. I asked him how come it was that I was just learning about this now. Do you know what that crazy boy's reply was? "Well I never told you because they aren't very good for you." Huh? For the better part of

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-5733771216706138512012-01-19T09:55:00.000-06:002012-01-19T09:55:52.660-06:00

1. Not being in the car when I had digestive issues. 2. Getting out with my friend for a few hours on Tues. 3. Blockette's playdate with M on Monday. 4. I didn't screw up Mrblocko's cake this year. 5. The lawn in the back yard isn't going to need to be mowed for months so I won't have to pick up all the sticks back there for months too! 6. Blockette is a fast learner. 7. Resting instead of

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-48709652523986072992012-01-18T07:07:00.001-06:002012-01-18T07:07:00.122-06:00

Remember back in September when I won a bunch of stuff, including eggs, from Egglands Best Eggs? And those eggs were the best eggs I ever tasted.  Seriously, I didn't think that there would be a difference, but there was.  Egglands Best Eggs taste fresher and more like an egg than the usual grocery store fare.  So yum yum yummy. Nothing could ever top Egglands Best.  Or so I thought, until this

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-64700152868803079162012-01-17T07:40:00.001-06:002012-01-17T07:40:01.267-06:00

One of my friends is in the process of moving.  Like everyone does when they move, she was complaining about the amount of stuff she and her family has accumulated.  During one phone conversation she mentioned how she had way too many spices, some that she never even used. I laughed at her.  Yes.  Laughed out loud at her, not even the fake lol that people write these days.  Nice friend I am eh?

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-90241387614694236922012-01-16T02:45:00.002-06:002012-01-16T02:45:00.319-06:00

Happy Birthday Mrblocko! Don't worry, I won't put ALL the candles on the cake this year.

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-72595934357968008372012-01-15T10:41:00.002-06:002012-01-15T10:41:00.754-06:00

At one point I had created myself another blog (Recipe Linky Loos) in attempts to organize of all the great recipes I had discovered online. I have since transferred all that good stuff to Pinterest. I like it a lot better because I can view recipes by photo instead of hyperlink.  If you want to check it out click on the button below. If you're not familiar with Pinterest, beware. Looking

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-48287410232594031182012-01-14T09:42:00.002-06:002012-01-14T09:42:00.701-06:00

Uh oh. Only the second Thursday of the year and already I'm forgetting to post on time! 1. I didn't cancel my Dr, apt. 2. Blockette and M didn't argue at all on Friday.  (Whoohoo!) 3. The screen door is functioning better. 4. First time I shoveled this winter wasn't until January 12th. (Must be some sorta record.) 5. It finally snowed. (Blockette was so excited!) 6. I went to the

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-41431514316157012512012-01-13T05:34:00.000-06:002012-01-13T05:34:00.379-06:00

So January 5th was Twelfth Night or Three Kings day. This day celebrates the arrival of the three wise men and January 6 marks Epiphany in the Christian calendar.  Growing up Protestant, we never really did anything for either of these days.  Enter the internet.  I was very intrigued with all the Rosca/Roscon de Reyes I saw posted on people's blogs.  As I am too much of a mutt to have my own

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-87566944398021353952012-01-11T06:16:00.002-06:002012-01-11T06:16:00.319-06:00

The other day M's mom was a bit later than usual to pick him up. It was about 5:30 and I thought that some corn bread would be a tasty addition to dinner. So I did a quick search on cornbread. I quickly realized that cornbread would take longer than I was willing to spend. But then, I had the thought about corn muffins. I settled on this recipe for cornbread muffins from Eat at Home. It's a

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-32575393563873233472012-01-10T06:59:00.001-06:002012-01-10T06:59:00.218-06:00

Jenna over at Eat Live Run raved about this White chicken chili so much that I felt compelled to make it. Yeah. I know. Chili is supposed to be red.  I declared it here, on this very blog, on my fourth post ever.  Well, after nearly 3 years of posting, it's time for me to eat my words. This chili was awesome.  Totally awesome.  Even if I changed the recipe up quite a bit. The biggest change

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-6892619998642465172012-01-09T07:57:00.001-06:002012-01-09T07:57:00.439-06:00

I had really high hopes for this breakfast sandwich casserole from Sisters' Stuff. A make-it-the-night-before breakfast casserole...that's like an egg sandwich, and all I have to do in the morning is stick it in the oven? Yeah, how could that not be awesome? I guess I built it up in my mind too much as the end result was a bit of a let down. Not that it wasn't good. It was. I just had it in

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-4311106409006937432012-01-08T10:19:00.002-06:002012-01-08T10:19:00.201-06:00

With everyone making New Years resolutions on getting more fit and healthy, I just realized, I have the body of a super hero! I ask you, who is more physically fit than a superhero?   So who cares if the superhero I resemble just happens to be Elastigirl aka Helen Parr from the Incredibles. She's probably the most realistic looking lady superhero out there. This just validates the fact

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-66953469223069354152012-01-07T09:13:00.002-06:002012-01-07T09:13:02.469-06:00

OK.  So I haven't tried this yet, but I'm posting it on here so I don't forget the next time I bake up loaves of bread.  Too bad I cubed and froze the extra loaf of garlic bread I wrote about yesterday!  Oh well, it will make tasty bread pudding. Anyhow, here is the trick to getting the crusty exterior to your baguettes when you reheat them, (courtesy of One Good Thing): Run the loaf quickly

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-10348664146421751532012-01-06T02:17:00.001-06:002012-01-06T02:17:00.224-06:00

I'm on this quest to make crunchy crusty bread. Sadly, mine never gets this crusty shell.  Or maybe not too sadly, as I've learned that my husband doesn't really care for the super crusty exterior.  But, too bad for him, because I like it.  I've been known to pick away and only eat the crusty part off the bread bowls at Panera, much to the amusement of my friends.  Seriously, I think it's the

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-20460486953372393332012-01-05T10:32:00.000-06:002012-01-05T10:32:08.222-06:00

Please keep in mind that it is JANUARY 5th.  And I live just outside of CHICAGO where our average temperature this time of year is a high of around 30F. My Black Lace Tree has buds on it. The Crocuses are up and the Hyacinth also has begun to form buds. Parsley anyone? Hello Sedum. Forecast for tomorrow is 50F. What's going to happen when winter finally comes?  Is my garden doomed?

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-27993517847105608542012-01-05T06:50:00.022-06:002012-01-05T06:50:00.324-06:00

1. An easy fix for my sewing machine. 2. Not having major digestive problems for over two weeks. Where is my Winter Wonderland Christopher? 3. Blockette being well behaved over Winter Break. 4. Not having to shovel...yet. 5. It's been warm enough that it wasn't a huge deal we left Blockette's hat, mittens and scarf up at my mom's. 6. My mom was nice enough to mail Blockette's winter things

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-56009074833425451772012-01-04T10:46:00.011-06:002012-01-04T10:46:00.147-06:00

What do you do when you can't decide between a chocolate chip cookie and a chocolate chocolate chip cookie?  You have them both. (Perfect, when you think that this year is an election year and there's a lot of indecision going around.) You can totally do that with these brown butter double fudge chocolate chip cookies from How Sweet it is.  Each cookie is made from half chocolate dough and half

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-72007395313059389002012-01-03T08:15:00.001-06:002012-01-03T08:15:03.350-06:00

Did you know that you can freeze quinoa?  I read about it over at Not Rachael Ray.  I figured it was worth a shot.  So, when I made Broccoli Quinoa Casserole in November, I cooked up the entire box and froze what I didn't use in ziplock bags in 1 1/2 c and 1 c portions.  This was a huge time saver for me, doing the cooking just once.  When I used the quinoa, I let it defrost in the fridge

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-78665577561477652902012-01-02T06:22:00.000-06:002012-01-02T06:22:00.441-06:00

The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Kimberly Cutter.  Man, I thought I was going to have a big goose egg for reading books in the month of December, then I found some time to read while I was visiting my mom over Christmas.  This book was just ok.  I've read several books about Joan of Arc in the past 10 or so years.  Can I remember any of them?  No, of course not!  Wait, maybe it was Joan of

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-82361262306728289272012-01-01T10:16:00.002-06:002012-01-01T10:16:00.695-06:00

I saw this and it made me think about the "Occupy Wall Street (or insert city here)" Movement. We, as in the entire United States, are the 1%.  Even the poorest of Americans have it better here than the majority of the world. I really need to remember this, shut up and quit complaining about stupid stuff.

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-77821023958638025432011-12-31T10:35:00.001-06:002011-12-31T10:35:00.252-06:00

Ok...so they aren't really oysters. Oysters are gross. These are ranch flavored Oyster CRACKERS. (The only kind of oysters one should really eat...if you know what's good for you!) I found this super simple recipe for ranch oyster snack crackers from examiner.com.    They take 20 minutes tops to make, and that's only if you're a slow poke like me.  I think they'd make a great last minute snack

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-85968843467466528222011-12-30T07:02:00.003-06:002011-12-30T07:02:00.542-06:00

I saw this recipe for Fiesta chicken casserole over at Plain Chicken.  I went all kinds of crazy and used leftover turkey from Thanksgiving instead of Chicken.  What a rebel I am.  Turkey was the least of the things I did to alter this recipe.  First, I didn't realize that I needed INSTANT rice.  I never have instant rice in the house anymore.  Mainly because slow poke regular rice is cheaper,

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-6157044032365045472011-12-29T07:21:00.001-06:002011-12-29T08:19:11.990-06:00

 So around Tuesday I realized that I forgot to publish last Thursday's list so I'm mashing the last two Thankful Thursdays in one big huge mega post!  Exciting! 1. A nice visit with the in-laws. 2. My father-in-law actually liked my lasagna even though it was loaded with veggies and garlic.  (I know it wasn't just lip service because he had seconds.) 3. Keeping my best friend's sewing

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-81642633863309420032011-12-28T09:40:00.000-06:002011-12-28T09:40:00.791-06:00

I've had this Cheeseburger Soup from She Who Makes on my to do list since August. I'm not big on soup in August. No matter how tasty it is. I'd much rather have an actual cheeseburger. Now, December, that's a different story. I could eat soup every day. Every. Day. This soup does taste quite a bit like a cheeseburger.  I bumped up the cheeseburgery flavors by swapping out the salt and

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-58444798206805275442011-12-27T16:39:00.000-06:002011-12-27T16:39:00.862-06:00

More Christmas presents!  These I made for my mom who was complaining that she didn't like the disorganization of having all her crochet hooks and knitting needles in a plastic bag. Here is the case I made for her crochet hooks: The pink in the photo is less mauve-y in real life.  I don't know why the colors turned out so wonky.  I tried taking the picture on different backgrounds and with

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-16121358131367032232011-12-26T12:29:00.015-06:002011-12-26T12:29:00.613-06:00

Blockette and I made these marbleized ornaments as presents for her Grandparents.  We had lots of fun watching them change as they dried. For example, these two looked quite identical when we dripped the paint inside the ornament, but the end result was very different.  The one on the right was softly muted stripes, while the one left was mostly solid colored with one main swirled area. The

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-89308237739612311282011-12-25T06:00:00.001-06:002011-12-25T06:00:05.908-06:00

Have a Very Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-44939702092719251252011-12-24T07:08:00.006-06:002011-12-24T07:08:00.834-06:00

I am about to get all fancy on you.  Super fancy for Christmas. BAM! Santa Bread! Are you impressed yet? Ok, so I realize that Santa looks a bit creepy. What do you expect from someone who asks you to sit on his lap and whisper what you want in his ear so he can sneak into your house in the middle of the night.  Oh and is made of bread dough.  I think you'd look a bit creepy too if you were a

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-88505652478263769072011-12-23T07:55:00.000-06:002011-12-23T07:55:00.534-06:00

One of the Christmas cookies I would always convince my mom to make at the last minute were Peanut butter Ritz sandwiches. If you haven't ever had this, get yourself some peanut butter, Ritz crackers and some white chocolate. What you do is make little sandwiches with the peanut butter and the crackers, and then dip them into white chocolate. Salty and sweet can't be beat. (Just so you know,

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-66656472303186599122011-12-21T09:05:00.005-06:002011-12-21T09:05:00.253-06:00

Oh those crazy Mayans!

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-74888762172233178762011-12-20T07:50:00.002-06:002011-12-20T07:50:00.328-06:00

I was in the mood for a smoothie. Yeah. I realize it's December. Not exactly smoothie weather. It's not like it's been super cold or anything. I mean according to my Crocuses (Croci?) it's early spring. Sigh. Anyhow, this is the Hawaiian smoothie from alla Poppy. I made this version with 12 frozen canned mandarin oranges and 12 frozen pineapple chunks, also from a can. I omitted the

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-75981594654031798962011-12-19T05:08:00.000-06:002011-12-19T05:08:01.156-06:00

These were so good we ate the entire batch before I could snap a picture. These babies have taken the internet by storm.  If you've been under a rock, and have no idea what I'm talking about, head over to Dinner with the Donnels for a great picture of the pepperoni roll ups . You really don't need a picture to figure out how to make them. These guys are easier than hot dog roll ups to assemble!

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-51696607471616536832011-12-18T11:16:00.000-06:002011-12-18T11:16:00.677-06:00

Back in September I made Cake batter Ice cream. It was oh so very tasty, but it left me with a LOT of leftover cake batter. I used some of it up making cake batter pancakes. The pancakes used only 2/3 cup of the cake mix. I still had loads more.There was no way I was going to toss all that cake-y goodness out. I was certain I could find more tasty treats that would use up my pretty pink

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-87344772543491424052011-12-17T09:38:00.002-06:002011-12-17T09:38:01.200-06:00

Can you tell she's proud to have lost that front tooth?  She says she looks like a real First Grader now.

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-6402331982586586162011-12-16T11:51:00.001-06:002011-12-16T11:51:00.102-06:00

Blockette and M had a short day last week.  I've been trying to find little crafty things for us to make on the days that M is here for more than 2 hours. This time we made these Popsicle stick snowmen.  I saw this idea over at A Day of Wonders. I love how they are all so different!  Blockette's has a pink dress on and M's has on a dark green sweater.  I guess that means mine is naked!  Poor

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-43318081579065533222011-12-15T15:15:00.000-06:002011-12-15T15:25:24.503-06:00

1. Making it through another hour long Christmas Pageant with squirrely 3 and 4 year olds...on risers. 2. Blockette seeing a kid who rides her bus at church. 3. Getting 95% of the Christmas shopping done and wrapped! Doesn't this picture creep you out!? 4. I didn't break my best friend's sewing machine. 5. Only almost cutting my finger off this morning. 6. Chats with grown ups waiting for

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-47954534789399178852011-12-14T07:44:00.000-06:002011-12-14T07:44:00.182-06:00

Oh man. Gingerbread flavored cake donuts? Ngaaaaaaaaa. The moment I saw this recipe over at Pinch of Yum I knew they were going to be super duper yumtastic. Was I right?  Of course I was. Who doesn't want a legitimate reason to eat gingerbread for breakfast!  They were so tasty, but very sweet.  Consider yourself warned. In order to save time in the morning, the night before I combined all

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-50938987687679478992011-12-13T04:27:00.000-06:002011-12-13T04:27:00.394-06:00

I found this recipe for BBQ Chicken and Penne on Real Mom Kitchen.  As I have an over abundance of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, I used shredded Turkey instead of Chicken. This meal could not have been easier to whip up.  And it was super speedy as the meat was already cooked.  It only took about 20 minutes.  AWESOME.  Wanna know what's even more awesome?  My family LOVED this.  Yeah!  Even

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-87648441460361859352011-12-12T02:49:00.001-06:002011-12-12T02:49:00.066-06:00

Why is this dessert called "Lust cake?"  I'm not certain, but it must have something to do with the fact that once you finish one slice, you lust after more.  I came across the pumpkin lust cake recipe over at Sweet Treats and More. Apparently, the original recipe calls for chocolate or vanilla pudding. This particular version has you using the seasonal Pumpkin Spice flavor of Jello Instant

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-48410361886579640432011-12-11T10:49:00.002-06:002011-12-11T10:49:00.577-06:00

I saw this weaving art project on Pink and Green Mama.  Blockette and I made these over Thanksgiving Break. I made a turkey and Blockette made a Christmas Tree.  I traced my picture to get the same type of image.  Blockette drew her two pictures free hand.  I think she did an awesome job getting both pictures to be really similar. The second art project was also from Pink and Green Mama.  This

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-74065098991383738022011-12-10T10:33:00.000-06:002011-12-10T10:33:00.188-06:00

This time the patchy jeans are for me, not Blockette!  Since The GAP decided to discontinue the cut and style of jeans that seems to be the only jeans on the planet that actually fit me, I had to find a way to mend the hole that erupted in the knee of my jeans. I had purchased this little fish patch years and years ago and it was the perfect size.  I also had the exact right amount of green

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-80341604177223308712011-12-09T07:10:00.000-06:002011-12-09T07:10:00.458-06:00

I found this awesome set of directions on how to cook a turkey on Simple Bites.  We are going to cook all our turkeys this way from now on.  Our turkey was nearly 18 lbs and it took less than 3 hours to cook! Here are the directions in a nutshell (For a lengthier description, including the how and why, please visit Simple Bites.) Step 1: If your using a frozen turkey, make sure it is

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-33663908902601794762011-12-08T09:32:00.001-06:002011-12-08T09:32:00.741-06:00

1. Discovering I had two each 40% and 50%  off coupons that expired the same day I was going to Joann Fabric.  (SCORE.) 2. Blockette did not have a timeout at Joann Fabrics. (She only got counted to one.  First time ever.) 3. Teaching Blockette how to cross stitch. 4. Not running out of white thread before I went to the fabric store. 5. My best friend lending me her sewing machine when mine

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-66341693844751131992011-12-07T07:48:00.000-06:002011-12-07T07:48:00.535-06:00

I think we all had high hopes for this beer crust pizza from Plain Chicken.  I'm not exactly sure what happened, but the top part of the dough, under the sauce, didn't cook completely.  Maybe this was because we don't have a pizza stone?  That's the only thing I did differently.  I cooked the pizza on a cookie sheet instead.    The crust was very thin so I just don't understand why it didn't

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-74392220162622723552011-12-06T09:57:00.001-06:002011-12-06T09:57:00.656-06:00

AAAAACK! And I was doing so good at remembering to take pictures of stuff. I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the one pot mac n cheese from White on Rice Couple.  Instead, please enjoy this picture of Calvin and Hobbs. Aren't they a photogenic duo?  Certainly much better looking than any picture of macaroni and cheese that I could have taken. In particular, this mac n' cheese was a

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-22978897713501476052011-12-05T03:56:00.000-06:002011-12-05T03:56:00.634-06:00

I swear I took a picture of these Chubby Hubby Bars from Food is My Friend. My camera must have thought it looked so tasty that it ate the picture. Originally, I made them for a Sunday dinner gathering at my best friend's house. We wound up not going as Blockette had a very Flu like reaction to her Flu shot the night before. These bars were quite similar to chocolate chip pretzel bars I made

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-17372098385644296092011-12-04T12:55:00.004-06:002011-12-04T12:55:00.114-06:00

My original plan for Thanksgiving was to make butterflake frozen rolls from Jamie Cooks it Up.  Actually, I was supposed to bring rolls and sweet potatoes.  The sweet potatoes were a no brainer.  I've made them so many times I can almost do it in my sleep now! We were planning on all going to my husband's brother's house who lives about an hour/hour and a half a way, depending on traffic and how

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-73477404134657622242011-12-03T06:34:00.000-06:002011-12-03T06:34:00.065-06:00

Do you want to know why I made this Apple Cider Ice Cream from a Sweet Simple Life? Um, because I bought a turkey.  Huh?  Well around Thanksgiving, turkeys were around 40 cents a pound.  That's cheaper than a roaster chicken.  So I bought one to stick in my freezer. Now, those of you that have a ice cream attachment for your stand mixer know that the freezer bowl takes up a goodly amount of

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-38340826129398863852011-12-02T18:28:00.000-06:002011-12-02T18:28:56.283-06:00

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-71134440206575258862011-12-02T09:02:00.000-06:002011-12-02T09:04:12.982-06:00

Well, a day late and a dollar short with the Thankful Thursdays this week. I just plumb forgot! 1. The kitchen sink completely backed up after we made our big Thanksgiving dinner, not before. 2. A nice long weekend with my family. 3. Not getting mobbed at the stores on Black Friday. (I went at noon after the mad rush.) 4. Blockette pretends she's a General at recess. 5. Mrblocko didn't need

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-20743735709436267292011-12-02T08:12:00.000-06:002011-12-02T08:12:00.401-06:00

Not a very big list of reads this month.  I've been more into watching weird shows like Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Fringe and American Horror Story. (Which, by the way, a bazillion times weirder than Twin Peaks.) 1. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated by Alison Arngrim.  Man, the girl who played Nellie Oleson had a messed up life.  I

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-15499954200957960502011-11-30T07:26:00.003-06:002011-11-30T07:26:00.183-06:00

I happen to like a good many of the Broccoli Cheese and Rice casseroles out there. Personally, I don't know what's not to like. You've got the cheesey, salty, carby goodness, with some healthy broccoli thrown in there for good measure. My husband on the other hand, thinks broccoli cheese casserole is disgusting. Oh, sure he'll politely take a portion when it's served at potlucks, and eat it

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-71978856552841595262011-11-29T09:36:00.030-06:002011-11-29T09:36:00.127-06:00

A few weeks ago I was feeling under the weather.  Nothing sounded good to eat, not even toast or soup.  I was sitting at the computer, screwing around in hopes that I could just pass on the whole lunch thing. Then I came across this recipe for Okayu over at FOODjimoto.  I knew instantly that I HAD to get my butt in the kitchen and make it for lunch. Back when I was in college, many many moons

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-88965013146966399162011-11-28T09:19:00.000-06:002011-11-28T09:19:00.428-06:00

I finally broke down and made sawmill gravy from scratch.  It wasn't any harder than making it from a packet, or heating up a jar of the stuff on the stove.  I always add sausage to the pre-made stuff, so there's no extra work there.  And with the packet of powdered gravy stuff, you have to add milk and cook it over the stove so no extra work there either.  It takes the exact same time, tastes

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-81218349522431808722011-11-27T06:13:00.000-06:002011-11-27T06:13:00.924-06:00

These Lion House Rolls from Mel's Kitchen Cafe were amazing.  I was over the moon when they turned out looking and tasting like bread.  It's too bad that I didn't see the link on how to roll them and place them on the sheet until well after I made them.  Oh well.  There will be a next time.  I'll try to remember to post an updated photo when I cut, roll and place them on the cookie sheet properly

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-26764686105592570132011-11-26T12:14:00.001-06:002011-11-26T13:49:11.698-06:00

Get a load of that massive granola-y goodness. OM. NOM. NOM. This isn't just any granola. It's pumpkin granola from Baked Bree. The weird thing is that it's not too much different than my go to recipe for granola.  The main difference is this one doesn't have any filler Rice Krispies, but does have pumpkin.  Hmmm...since this granola has applesauce and pumpkin in it, does it qualify as eating

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-7056115533284667372011-11-25T08:30:00.001-06:002011-11-25T08:30:01.601-06:00

These Soft bread bowls from Jamie Cooks it Up were a last minute addition to dinner.  I wasn't really thrilled with the idea of eating boring old leftover soup.  Fresh bread can jazz up any meal, and I was all about giving this ordinary soup some oomph. I searched my "to make" list for breads.  Most of them had long rise times.  I didn't decide to make bread until about 4:00 after I got

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-66237182877253997392011-11-24T09:40:00.000-06:002011-11-24T09:54:36.986-06:00

This year I'm especially thankful that my life is so full of all those things that money can never buy.  I am so blessed to have a weird, wonderful, drive me crazy, goofy, loving family that encompasses more than just those loonies I'm genetically related to.  I loves all y'all!

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-81275140074684202822011-11-23T10:53:00.000-06:002011-11-23T10:53:00.517-06:00

Salted caramel seems to be all the rage these days. I've never had it before, but I do love salty and sweet things like chocolate covered pretzels or chocolate covered potato chips. So my logic told me that I would love salted caramel as well. One of Starbucks seasonal beverages is a salted caramel hot chocolate, which I have also never had. (Yeah, I know. We've been through this before. I

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-27913513954937137802011-11-22T07:55:00.000-06:002011-11-22T07:55:01.116-06:00

I am a huge fan of this eggless brownie in a mug. It's the perfect treat when you don't have any sweets in the house and you've got a massive chocolate craving. Plus there is that bonus of not eating an entire pan of brownies as it is just one little serving, (or two if you feel generous and wanna share.) But what happens when you are out of cocoa powder?  Then what do you do when you want

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-90335557450415358242011-11-21T09:38:00.001-06:002011-11-21T09:38:00.900-06:00

It's fall so I've been in the mood to make all things pumpkiny. I saw this recipe for pumpkin beer mac n cheese from The Fig Tree and thought it would be the perfect recipe to satisfy my culinary craving. We really love Rachael Ray's Pasta with Pumpkin and sausage, so I thought this would be a knock it out of the ball park grand slam.  The Fig Tree got this recipe from Rachael Ray as well, so

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-55707827954337622292011-11-20T10:22:00.001-06:002011-11-20T10:22:00.219-06:00

I'm still not 100% from my bout with the Victorian sounding affliction, Pleurisy. My best friend pointed out with all those ancient funky sounding ailments, they take forever and a day to recover from, and at least back then you got to recover sea side.  Where is my sea side recovery?  Huh?  And shouldn't it also include something brass-y and steampunkish?  Yeah.  I don't wanna hear about how

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-16853760933159540082011-11-19T03:34:00.008-06:002011-11-19T03:34:00.167-06:00

My husband's best friend turned 30 this year.  We don't normally give birthday gifts to grown ups, but Mrblocko thought we should make an exception as this is a special occasion/milestone birthday.  Gift cards were suggested as a good present, but that seemed a bit impersonal to me. Mrblocko and I were stumped.  We couldn't think of anything.  I got a hold of my best friend to see if she could

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-46141303261248154642011-11-18T13:06:00.000-06:002011-11-18T13:06:00.263-06:00

My mom makes the best french toast on the planet. This is not up for debate as I doubt any of you have ever had my mom's french toast. You'll just have to take my word for it. I did come pretty close on the deliciousness scale this summer using Homemade Cinnamon Bread for the bread in french toast. Well, I didn't have any cinnamon bread on hand, fresh or store bought, to go that route. So,

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-27292941995419402612011-11-17T12:00:00.000-06:002011-11-17T12:06:01.796-06:00

1. Going to the party on Saturday vs staying home by myself. 2. Actually knowing more than the birthday girl at the party. 3. Blockette behaved herself at the party. 4. Mrblocko liked the new broccoli dish. 5. "Just because" cookies. 6. Blockette is still excited about math. 7. I didn't throw a fit when I cut several quilt pieces for the border wrong. 8. I finished the quilt top today! 9. I

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-28142331607029682302011-11-16T08:25:00.001-06:002011-11-16T08:25:00.923-06:00

I posted a frozen version of Butterbeer in Popsicle form back in September. Now that it is brr freezing cold out, I thought I'd share the more seasonally appropriate hot butterbeer I found over at What the Devil is Going on Here. Blockette and I are at the part in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban where Harry uses the Marauder's Map and his invisibility cloak to sneak into Hogsmeade,

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-14764613023657393952011-11-15T08:03:00.014-06:002011-11-15T08:03:00.259-06:00

Chocolate, bundt AND cheesecake?  Aw yeahs, the Holy Trinity of Desserts.  Now this is how you celebrate National Bundt Day.  I'm not gonna let that potato bundt of doom get me down.  No sirree.  Gotta get right back on the horse. I found this gem of a recipe for chocolate cheesecake tunnel cake over at Barbara Bakes. The whole time I was making this cake I kept thinking about Gollum talking to

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-78108062829716866282011-11-14T07:39:00.002-06:002011-11-14T07:39:00.451-06:00

You may or may not know that National Bundt Day is on Nov 15.  Every year Mary the Food Librarian hosts "I Like Big Bundts."  This is the third year in a row where she has made a bundt every day for a month leading up to Nov 15.  This year I didn't want to leave the celebratory baking to the very last minute, so I made a bundt a little early.  I scoured the interwebs for a suitable recipe to

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-7369122730767122432011-11-13T11:40:00.000-06:002011-11-13T11:40:00.695-06:00

One of the women who leads the music at church is having a baby this winter. It's a pretty big deal as they had been trying for a long time. Her shower was being held for her at the church. I opted not to go as I have Slimer from Ghostbusters oozing out my nasal cavities. (I figured giving her this cold would NOT a good shower gift make.) When I heard she was having a boy I instantly knew I

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-22338380683844470762011-11-12T13:37:00.000-06:002011-11-12T13:37:00.202-06:00

Honestly, does the child scoot around the floor all day on her knees?  I swear the way she wears her pants out she does.  Mrblocko asked me if we needed to buy her some more.  I told him nope. What would be the point in buying her new ones when she would just get those holey in a month.  I'm fully skilled in patching, and we have plenty of scrap denim, so why not? I covered this patch with some

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-86078933041434254182011-11-11T11:11:00.001-06:002011-11-11T11:11:02.290-06:00

Why is today Heavy Metal Day?  Well the date is 11-11-11.   In the mocumentary "This is Spinal Tap"  the band has a special amplifier that goes up to 11.  (Standard amps only go to 10.) So headbang away my metal head friends... if you are super cool, you'll do it in this shirt from Think Geek. (They have it in a babydoll version for stylish ladies too!)

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-72091180698925494292011-11-10T05:15:00.035-06:002011-11-10T09:18:40.043-06:00

1. Blockette loving the new math workbook I bought her that she wants to do pages in it even on the weekends. 2.Mrblocko making dinner on Sunday. 3. Blockette handling it like a big girl when she couldn't do Feed My Starving Children because she had a cold. 4. At least I don't have Bronchitis. 5. The gloomy rain and wind is blowing all the leaves off the trees so I should only have to rake

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-35563677754289926922011-11-09T03:18:00.001-06:002011-11-09T03:18:00.185-06:00

I think by now I have fully established the extremes of my laziness. What is slightly lesser known is that I am impatient.  Ah, lazy and impatient.  They go great together, like milk and sauerkraut. Last year I made Dulce de leche in the crockpot. And while the potential of having molten hot caramel sauce erupt all over my kitchen was thrilling, it took a whole 12 hours.  Ugh.  That is like a

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-52237513703987751422011-11-08T03:21:00.002-06:002011-11-08T03:21:00.106-06:00

I was looking for a chocolate-y dessert that I wasn't going to have to spend a lot of time preparing, or money on ingredients. These Magic Cake Bars from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures really fit the bill.  These bars are a version of the classic seven layer bar, only they don't quite have seven layers.  Unless butter counts as a layer?  I like me some butter, so let's go with that. What makes this

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-24186850364927412592011-11-07T04:21:00.000-06:002011-11-07T04:21:01.200-06:00

A while ago I came across this book, Not Your Mother's Casseroles by Faith Durand, at the library.  In it, I found a recipe for what is called Mujadara, or lentils and rice.  Mujadara is basically a dish made with lentils, rice and onions.  It seems like just about every Middle Eastern country/region has their own version of this dish.  In some circles, this it is referred to as "Esau's Favorite"

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-23285907537235411962011-11-06T07:59:00.000-06:002011-11-06T07:59:00.697-06:00

Last Friday Blockette and I had a girls day. She had the day off and Mrblocko went out with his friends. We filled the day with girly spa frivolities for Blockette. (I painted her nails, we made lip gloss, she had a bubble bath, etc etc.) A while back I had seen this hairstyle online where you twist the hair into little tiny buns all around the hairline. You go to bed with the buns and in

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-18858996050843381612011-11-05T08:56:00.001-05:002011-11-05T08:56:00.872-05:00

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-44905348472893039482011-11-04T09:33:00.000-05:002011-11-04T09:33:00.235-05:00

About two years ago I made this Blitz bread.  In my post I mentioned how I was going to cook this bread in two 8" cake pans and freeze one.  Now that I have a bit more cooking experience under my belt, the idea of freezing cooked focaccia sounds gross.  So instead, I just halved the recipe.  I know!  Genius, right? So here is what you need to do to make a more manageable quick and easy focaccia

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-57020844252814190312011-11-03T09:10:00.038-05:002011-11-03T09:11:56.522-05:00

1. Mrblocko got to have a night out with his friends. 2. Blockette and I had a fun girls night in. 3. Mrblocko and Blockette helping me with the laundry (without complaining) when I was feeling yucky. 4. Being able to sew things for Blockette that make her smile. 5. Saying no. 6. Not screwing up dinner two nights in a row. 7. Waiting until Saturday to break into the Halloween candy. 8.

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-65108020124241824432011-11-02T10:20:00.000-05:002011-11-02T10:20:00.543-05:00

So I made these flourless brownies on a whim. (Sorry, no photo this time.)   My mom was in town and she is on this low glycemic index diet. I thought these flourless brownies from The Hoot Eats would be fun to try out as they are low in sugar and carbs. I followed the recipe, exactly save for using honey instead of brown rice syrup. The recipe says that you can use any sweetener of your

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-78934863220932061072011-11-01T11:06:00.043-05:002011-11-02T11:29:53.393-05:00

Whew! I thought I was gonna have a big goose egg for books read in October. Luckily, this last weekend was a big reading one for me. Yay. 1.  Emmy and the Rats in the Belfry by Lynne Jonell. This book for youngsters is the third in series about a girl who can talk to some very special rats.  One particular rat's bite shrinks you and then the second bite turns you into a rat.  A kiss from his

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-43400817559897208552011-10-31T09:25:00.007-05:002011-10-31T09:25:00.836-05:00

Happy Halloween from Hogwarts! In celebration of this festive fun occasion...let's make some Harry Potter wands!  I found this cool idea over at Cut out and Keep. First thing you need is some sort of base for your wand.  I used those disposable round pointy wooden chopsticks.   They are on the short side, but that is ok since these wands were for Blockette. Next, hot glue on some beads and what

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-22078838643522340942011-10-30T13:25:00.002-05:002011-10-30T13:36:31.386-05:00

A few weeks ago Blockette won this little white poodle for completing her reading assignments on time. And that was how Snowy came to join our wee little band of crazies. Last week Blockette asked me if I could make Snowy a skirt.  I told her "sure" and left it vague as to when said clothing was going to be completed. Today she asked me again(in her sweetest, most polite, non whiny voice), and

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-82936061185303597192011-10-29T10:30:00.000-05:002011-10-29T10:30:00.929-05:00

So maybe I've been living on another planet, but I just found out this really awesome tip on how to sharpen your rotary blade over at Penny's Hands.  Wanna know what the trick is?  Tin foil!!! (or if you belong in the 21st century, Aluminum Foil.) Yeah, you just run your rotary over the foil and shazaam...it's good as new. People, you can do this with scissors and paper punchers too!  How

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-66589352040332265272011-10-28T09:59:00.000-05:002011-10-28T09:59:00.623-05:00

Soccer practice night is a bit hectic. We have to leave the house by 5:45, which doesn't leave much room for screwing around at dinner time, eating or preparation wise.  One night I was particularly pressed for time so I whipped out a good old fashioned can of Manwich...and steeled myself for a fight. Oh, Blockette likes Manwich well enough, it's just the bun she doesn't particularly care for.

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-18149651769489057152011-10-27T15:12:00.002-05:002011-10-27T15:27:05.080-05:00

1. Mrblocko took Blockette to her roller skating party. 2. Mrblocko stayed with Blockette when she realized she was terrified of roller skating, even though he probably would have been much happier on the couch watching football. (P.S. Blockette is a roller skating fanatic now.) 3.  Star Wars family movie time. 4.  Seeing Blockette's friend's family at church this Sunday. 5. I found the bugs

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-32063675241395086222011-10-26T11:38:00.000-05:002011-10-26T11:38:00.966-05:00

How is it that I have not written about this amazing apple crisp before?  I got to thinking about it and I haven't made this awesome microwave apple crisp ever for Blockette.  That means it's been at least 6 years since I've made it.  I guess that I've just gotten so focused on baking new things that I lost touch with some of my favorite classics. My mom and I used to make this all the time when

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-86838271781012369662011-10-25T09:56:00.009-05:002011-10-25T09:56:00.246-05:00

I was wanting something chocolaty after dinner one evening, but wasn't willing to break into the stash of Halloween candy I have hidden somewhere in the house. (Shhhh Amy. Secrets.)  I thought that this pb hot chocolate from eat live run might satisfy my sweet tooth, and warm me up at the same time.  This hot chocolate is slightly sweet, with just a hint of Peanut butter in the background. 

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-20293231948473537132011-10-24T07:40:00.033-05:002011-10-24T08:50:44.812-05:00

The other day I wrote about the white under dress I made for Blockette.  I whipped up another one lickety split that was large enough for her to wear a coat underneath. I had bought this fabric years and years ago, and tried to make a Roman dress out of it.  It was an epic fail so I passed the whole thing onto my best friend.  She made a skirt out the fabric for herself.  Then a few weeks ago

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-41681318822255368212011-10-23T14:32:00.013-05:002011-10-23T14:32:00.066-05:00

So I finally bit the bullet and plucked all the tomatoes off their vines.  It's been getting near freezing every night for about a week.  I figured it was now or never. This is the extent of my harvest.  What a bumper crop, eh? I think there's hope for the large Romas, but the baby cherry tomatoes...I'm not gonna hold my breath. Blockette and her friend M both think the tomato in the lower

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-74706429711359144252011-10-22T07:41:00.000-05:002011-10-22T07:41:00.491-05:00

Blockette decided that she wanted to be a fairy princess for Halloween. I thought that was awesome because we already had most of what she needed for her costume.  I mean I already made her a Renaissance dress for her birthday.  All she really needed was an underdress. I've made Renaissance shirts to wear under a bodice for myself before.  I didn't think that a dress along the same lines in

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4095034520721753586.post-69253868039006281442011-10-21T16:36:00.000-05:002011-10-21T16:36:25.959-05:00

If so...check out the blog Crafty Lil' Witch.  She's having a contest where she is giving away 2 of her designs from Brookes Books Publishing.  This is the same company that I adapted the freebie to make Blockette's tooth fairy pillow. Head on over to Brooke's blog and enter her contest!

Mrsblockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14433636824635089491noreply@blogger.com0