Heaven

My pantry is a mess


My three year old is wild,


My laundy is undone


And Coco, an impertinent child


But today I feel like rhyming

Today is like pure joy


For through the night is sleeping,


This precious, little boy.

CANNING!

Boy I had one heck of a day. Like many of you I'm sure, I have been trying my darndest to get my year supply ready. For those of you who read my blog who are not LDS, the leaders of our church have asked us for many years to get prepared for emergencies and disasters by creating a years supply of food and water, our 72 hour kits, and being debt free (except for your house). Believe me it's easier written than done. My incredible mother came from 1 hour and 15 minutes away to help me and do a little but of her own. I ended up canning 140 # 10 cans of potatos, oatmeal, flour, and powdered milk. It feels so good to be so close to my goal! How are you doing on your year supply?

p.s. thanks for all the back feedback, I, Dr. Carrie, (as my husband like to tease because he thinks that I think that I can self diagnose---I will say I have been right more than my doctors) think I have arthritis in my back that has been temporarily caused by a hefty spinal block put in during my last c-section. I'm hoping it's temporary as I will not be able to continue being a mother of small children if it does. I'll keep you updated.

Some delicious bread recipe

Woops I forgot to add the recipe for the bread I was asked for! I don't have step by step pictures for this one because it's not necessary. This is acutally a roll recipe but last Sunday I made rolls for Father's day to take to my parents in Provo. I had some leftover dough so I made it into rolls. So apparently it works. This is really the easiest bread recipe I have ever used with the least amount of ingredients. So here you go:

Put 2 Tablespoons Yeast in 1/2 cup warm water

In you mixer:
2 cups hot water
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Add yeast/water mixture to this

Then add 5-6 cup flour. sticker dough will be harder to work with but will produce lighter bread, firmer dough with the full 6 cups will make the dough easier to work with and make a denser bread. I usually end up adding 5 1/2 cups flour

Mix for about 5 minutes.

Let rise 10 minutes, punch down----repeat this as much as you want up to 1 hour

Place on a greased cookie sheet very close together (almost touching for pull apart rolls. For bread, work into the shape of a loaf and put in a greased bread pan.
Bake on 350 for 8-15 min depending on your oven and where you place it in your oven.

P.S. ammendment to the cookie recipe: for chewier cookies use 2 cubes or 1 cup of margarine instead of 2 cubes of butter

Et Voila: This is what you will have!

How to Make Great Cookies

Have you ever wanted to be a master cookie maker? Well I'm about to make your dreams come true. I take a special pride in my cookie making mostly because I've got to take pride in something. I never became a famous singer, a doctor, or a world renowned hairstylist, (all dreams of mine) so I have to focus on the little things that I have become, not the least of which is a master cookie maker.

Now there are a ton of great cookie recipes and I am sure some of you are thinking, " Oh mine are probably better than her's." While I won't deny that is possible... I get asked for cookie recipes often. Shortly after, I also get a lot of calls with the complaint that their batch just wasn't the same. Well, from this I have deduced that much rests on the actually manner of preparation which you will see below.

So get your chef's hat on (figurative of course) and go to the store and get these ingredients:

Salted butter
Full fat margarine (none of this country crock stuff)
light brown sugar
extra fine granulated sugar (regular can be used)
vanilla
baking soda
salt
eggs
quick oats
(depending on what kind of cookie you want to make): chocolate chips ( I prefer milk chocolate ghiridelli, heath toffee bits, almonds, raisins)

Whip out your kitchenaid, bosch, even your hand mixer and roll up your sleeves, here we go...

Put in one cube of margarine, 2 cubes of butter in the micro until softened not melted (use 2 cubes of margarine for chewier cookies or 2 cubes of butter for crispier cookies)




Add 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar- (my belief is you can never pack brown sugar too tightly.)
And 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla (I spelled it out for all of you who have a mental block differentiating tsp and tbls).

This is where it gets complicated.....just kidding, come back to the computer, it's really easy.

Whip the sugar and butter until you can't take it anymore. 5 minutes on high should suffice. This step is key as this is what give the cookie its smooth,
(not grainy) chewy texture.

Then add in the 2 eggs

Whip this until you feel like your whole day is going to be taken up making these stupid cookies (5 more full minutes will suffice, no really, a full 5 minutes, not like the 5 minutes you tell your child they will have to sit on time-out)
This step is crucial because this will make your cookies like little fluffy clouds of deliciousness.






Then add 2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. I'm against sifting with the flour. Its a real waste of time. :)

Slowly add 1 3/4 cups flour as you continue mixing

Then add 5 cups oatmeal

Here comes the creative part. Add whatever you want as mix-ins. Pretend you are an employee of Coldstone and have been given the assignment of creating the greatest combination ever to grace their coldstone creation board. Me? I like to add large milk chocolate chips, heath toffee bits and chopped up roasted almonds.








I also love my twist on cinnamon raisin cookies- add cinammon to taste- what the heck does that mean? - a couple of teaspoons should suffice. Add as many raisins as you like, then for the grand finale, roll each cookie in a hefty coating of brown sugar. This will give the cookie the most delightful, original crunch. If you want a real farmhouse/grandma worthy tasting cookie, add some nutmeg.


Et voila your dough is perfect.

Here comes another essential- you can't just slap your cookies on any old pan. YOu need a good cookie pan to finish with a product you are proud to take to you visiting teachees. Roll into perfect balls and place on the cookie sheet- bake on 350 until they look like this or what you think they should look like.


P.S. does anyone know and easy way of getting your pictures where you want them?

P.P.S If you are wondering what me three small children are doing while I am doing this, well...it's not pretty.

Two birds with One Stone

Although this girl is rascal, she can actually be quite helpful. Case and point. Here's a question, Has anyone experienced back pain after having an epidural or spinal block?

To make-up or not to make-up

If if you've been reading my blog, you will recall my neighbor who didn't believe I actually used to wear make-up and do my hair. Normally, things like that don't get to me but I have been thinking that I probably should take better care of myself. And due to the 20% off coupon she had given me to use yesterday (she was for sure trying to give me a big hint), I went to the opening of the Ulta store and went a bit crazy. There were some unbelievable deals! 5 dollars for Sebastian Hairspray- the best hairspray in the world. So I just got finished getting all done up- for no other reason than just to feel beautiful again. Side note: every five years or so I buy a new thing of hot rollers somehow convinced that I will love the way they will make my hair look or I am fooled by the picture on the box believing that my hair will look like that when actually I always end up looking like polyanna (sp?). Then a few years later in the midst of spring cleaning I throw them out or give them away cursing myself for buying them in the first place.) But, hey there is a box of hot rollers in that picture. True to my idiocy, I bought another box and once again, I look like Polyanna. So anyone for a box of rollers? Oh- wanted to get your take on this Bare minerals stuff. I bought the starter kit- and I'm not sure if I like it yet. Got to look at my face in a few hours. Do any of you use it? Here's something funny- the girl that matched the powder for me was like, "Oh you have great skin!" Gag, that's a little trick in the make-up biz they use - its called flattery- because they think you will buy more if you feel good about yourself. I especially knew she was fibbing when I looked in the mirror at the foundation match and I had 3 whiteheads on my chin. Anyway, back to this morning, since I have never run a marathon I can't use that analogy, so instead, after the shower, the blowdry (which by the way my new 8 dollar blow dryer is awesome, especially because it isn't sparking fire out the back like my old one) the hot rollers and the make-up, I fele like I have cooked a three course meal, only my family can't eat me and there won't be any left overs tomorrow as it will all get washed off tonight and put in a pony tail in the next hour or so. The jury is still out on this whole get pretty thing everyday. Moderation you say?? THose of you who know me know that I don't do anything in moderation.

p.s. I put the first picture up because that's how I was feeling after the whole ordeal and the second because I am too vain to just put the first goofy picture up....

Too smart for his own good.....

At the risk of putting another post up and you not seeing the super cute pics of my kids I put up last post- I had to write down what David said to me tonight so I don't forget it. I was tucking him in and I said, " Ok, let's say prayers." "I don't want to say prayers tonight, Mom." Dangit- I knew this was coming at some point but I wasn't quite ready for it so I said, " Ok, but do you think Heavenly Father would like you to talk to him and thank him for all the things he has given you?" "Well Mom, Santa Claus gave me more that Heavenly Father." After some quick thinking and possibly the spirit prompting me I said, " Well David, actually Heavenly Father gave Santa Claus all the presents at Christmas time so he could deliver them to you." After some serious wheels spinning in his little head, " Ok so let's go on a train ride to the North and I will say Thank you to Heavenly Father and Santa Claus.......So I have concluded I am pretty much in for it. Until the next battle of wits between me and my 3 year old......

Is it Possible.....

that these are the 3 cutest kids around? You don't have to answer that. Maybe it's because I had no major discipline meltdowns today that I am feeling that way.

James is out of town and the baby went down a little early so I thought I would post some pics I took earlier.- Oh I can't wait to get photoshop!!! BUt if I know what is good for me, I better get my fat bum in bed soon or I am going to be cursing myself tomorrow.

I wanted to write down some things that happened today. I taught Coco how to spell her name although it doesn't take a genius....she marched around the house today yelling ,"C..O..C..O!!!" for about an hour complete with her SS haircut. She is a case. THe other day, while I was at my parents my dad said to her, "I sure hope your parents can teach you how to obey or they are going to be in real trouble." Thanks for the vote of confidence Dad.

Later, when I was putting the 2 oldest in the bath, David turned to me and said, "Doesn't Coco have a peepee yet mom?" "Uh..no honey, Coco won't ever have a peepee, she is a girl and she has a vagina." "Well, it looks like she has 2 bums, one in the front, one in the back." Think it's time to bathe them separately?

I'd like to send a shout out to my dear friend Amber who just found out that is she is having twins. No big deal you say?..well what you don't know is that she also had triplets 2 years ago, a 4 year old and a 5 year old. Lay off the fertility meds you say?... yep, no meds, either time. And sorry, her blog is private, so you'll just have to imagine 5 of the most darling kids you've ever seen and 2 on her latest ultrasound. Sending calm, soothing thoughts your way AMber, if anyone can do it you can.

By the way if any of you have read this far, do you know how to make it appear when people you know have updated their blog?- if so, please share.

p.s. If you are asking yourself, how did she get her 2 toddlers to kiss the baby's head at just the same time? .....I bribed them with a "special treat." When that special treat turned out to be fruit snacks, the look on David's face read, "Next time I won't be fooled by that "special treat" business Mom."

Postpartum poundage

I promised myself I would seriously go on a diet today. So I woke up, took a pain killer for my back (I am on my way to becoming an addict), ate a banana, patted myself on the back for my healthy choice, then ate 2 fudgsicles, (sp?) got mad at myself for eating them, then ate 6 target macaroons. AAAGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make-up etc.

My neighbor was over hanging out on my porch as we watched our kids play. For some reason we got on the topic of hair and make-up. I mentioned I used to work for Lancome. Oh I wish you could have seen the look on her face. It may have had something to do with the fact that I hardly ever wear make-up anymore and my hair always looks like I have never stepped into a salon. While she is someone you wouldn't recognize just out of the shower. Apparently she thinks I am some kind of Granola and demanded to see a picture. After a bit of hemming an hawing- I got out my wedding pics. SHe nearly fell out her chair... these were her words,'' Oh but you look so beautiful!" Classic. So how many of you get made up every day?

It runs in the Family

I have been a bit worried because Gabe hasn't been as smiley as my other 2 kids were at this age. But, when I got out he camera to take some pictures, I pointed the lens at him and this is what I got. Then the other two wanted their pictures too. I guess they are all posers. Hhmmmm... I wonder where that came from . Oh- Congratulations to Lindy and Courtney and their new little boys. I can't wait to go see the little cherubs. Check out their blogs at righteouslou.blogspot.com and cjanerun.blogspot.com. P.S. ANy suggestions about what to do with this little girl and her binkies?