so somebody's chill during the first leg of our trip....and a little Flock Of Seagulls too with that hair (its her hair tie falling over her forehead)
October 9, 2011
October 4, 2011
The Playdate Playhouse: Pumpkin Painting
Stella hosted a really cute and fun pumpkin painting playdate at The Playdate Playhouse on Monday Oct. 3rd. There were 5 moms, 6 toddlers and one baby here and it was a really really REALLY beautiful fall day which was such a bonus. Stella and her friends had so much fun at The Playdate Playhouse!
This was a morning playdate starting at 10:30am so I served Pumpkin Spiced Lattes topped with Homemade Whipped Cream & Glazed Apple Cookies. The kiddies of course always show up with their own beverage of choice in their cute little sippy cups.
I have been asked to give these recipes so here they are - ENJOY!
P.S. That day I forgot a crucial step in the lattes - I forgot to make the coffee that it calls for DOUBLE STRENGTH like it notes - I thought they were on the weak side. I realized this mistake today when I corrected it with my leftover lattes this morning - THEY ARE PERFECT NOW, SO YUMMY! So if you are a fan of pumpkin spiced lattes at the coffee house and you had one of mine yesterday...and you thought it may have been on the weak side then PLEASE try this the right way with the double strength coffee - you may just find yourself with extra mula in your pocket rather than handing it over to the local Starbucks - because it is deeeelish!
JEN'S PUMPKIN SPICED LATTES: No Frappe Machine Needed! Not Time Consuming!
Serves 3 (simply double, triple, etc. the recipe as needed)
INGREDIENTS:
Lattes & Whipped Cream:
2 1/2 Cups Hot Whole Milk (not boiled just HOT is fine)
4 Teaspoons White Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
6 ounces DOUBLE-STRENGTH brewed coffee (I used de-caf because i don't drink regular)
1/2 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1-2 Tablespoons White Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Pinches Pumpkin Pie Spice for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Lattes:
Combine the hot milk, sugar vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice in a blender, blend until frothy. If you have a blender like mine, you can actually choose the "froth" setting which is better.
NOTE: If you are making just a single serving of this, instead of getting your blender out for this you can use a battery operated hand held frother like this one that i have The Bonjour Turbo Latte Frother
Pour 3 oz. coffee into each mug, then pour the spiced hot milk mixture to almost the top. Garnish each mug with your homemade whipped cream and a good sprinkling of the pumpkin pie spice.
Whipped Cream:
Pour the 1/2 pint of Heavy Whipping Cream into a mixing bowl and I used 2 TBSP of White Sugar.
NOTE: But you can start off with just 1 TBSP sugar, whip, then taste and add more sugar to your heart's content.
Beat on Medium Speed for several minutes....as long as it takes to see it turn into a whipped cream. Store in fridge until you are ready to use.
ENJOY!
JEN'S GLAZED APPLE COOKIES:
INGREDIENTS:
Apple Cookies & Glaze 1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/3 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
1 Egg
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon All Spice
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Large Granny Smith Apple (peeled, cored & finely diced)
1/4 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 Tablespoons Half-and-Half Cream
DIRECTIONS:
Apple Cookies:
Beat butter & brown sugar together until light & fluffy (this takes several minutes to achieve). Beat in the egg and blend thoroughly.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, all spice & nutmeg.
Stir half the dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in the finely diced apple, then stir in remaining half of dry ingredients & milk. Mix well.
Drop from Tablespoon and make them 1 1/2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheet (I greased with stick of butter lightly - i do not like Crisco for greasing).
Bake 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies to racks and while still warm, spread with glaze. This part is not necessary, just yummy, but you can spread your glaze on a cooled cookie as well.
Glaze:
Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and enough cream to make your glaze of spreading consistency (can be as thin or thick as you prefer, thicker is easier to work with...). Beat until smooth. Spread on warm or cool cookies.
NOTE: These are really good the next day and so on if you pop them in the microwave and eat slightly warm.
ENJOY!
AND NOW FOR SOME PICS OF THE PUMPKIN PAINTING PLAYDATE!
Katy, Lydia's mom....first to try out my pumpkin lattes
Lydia
Stella wanted to get the show on the road with the pumpkin painting!
THE PAINTING SERIES:
each pumpkin had this tag on it and inside the little white balloon that you see Stella holding was their name
Sienna's Mom, Brittany helps her get her painting apron of of the laundry line
Sienna's baby sister Cora was so good during the 4-hour playdate!
Davis, Sienna, Katy & Cayla
The beautifully painted works of art!
Somebody is proud!
Stella was all about this play armor that we have in our outdoor toy chest
The moms relax
Lunch after all her guests left - she was getting very tired
Stella's Pumpkin
Somone is tuckered out from all the fun!
This was a morning playdate starting at 10:30am so I served Pumpkin Spiced Lattes topped with Homemade Whipped Cream & Glazed Apple Cookies. The kiddies of course always show up with their own beverage of choice in their cute little sippy cups.
I have been asked to give these recipes so here they are - ENJOY!
P.S. That day I forgot a crucial step in the lattes - I forgot to make the coffee that it calls for DOUBLE STRENGTH like it notes - I thought they were on the weak side. I realized this mistake today when I corrected it with my leftover lattes this morning - THEY ARE PERFECT NOW, SO YUMMY! So if you are a fan of pumpkin spiced lattes at the coffee house and you had one of mine yesterday...and you thought it may have been on the weak side then PLEASE try this the right way with the double strength coffee - you may just find yourself with extra mula in your pocket rather than handing it over to the local Starbucks - because it is deeeelish!
JEN'S PUMPKIN SPICED LATTES: No Frappe Machine Needed! Not Time Consuming!
Serves 3 (simply double, triple, etc. the recipe as needed)
INGREDIENTS:
Lattes & Whipped Cream:
2 1/2 Cups Hot Whole Milk (not boiled just HOT is fine)
4 Teaspoons White Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
6 ounces DOUBLE-STRENGTH brewed coffee (I used de-caf because i don't drink regular)
1/2 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1-2 Tablespoons White Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Pinches Pumpkin Pie Spice for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Lattes:
Combine the hot milk, sugar vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice in a blender, blend until frothy. If you have a blender like mine, you can actually choose the "froth" setting which is better.
NOTE: If you are making just a single serving of this, instead of getting your blender out for this you can use a battery operated hand held frother like this one that i have The Bonjour Turbo Latte Frother
Pour 3 oz. coffee into each mug, then pour the spiced hot milk mixture to almost the top. Garnish each mug with your homemade whipped cream and a good sprinkling of the pumpkin pie spice.
Whipped Cream:
Pour the 1/2 pint of Heavy Whipping Cream into a mixing bowl and I used 2 TBSP of White Sugar.
NOTE: But you can start off with just 1 TBSP sugar, whip, then taste and add more sugar to your heart's content.
Beat on Medium Speed for several minutes....as long as it takes to see it turn into a whipped cream. Store in fridge until you are ready to use.
ENJOY!
JEN'S GLAZED APPLE COOKIES:
INGREDIENTS:
Apple Cookies & Glaze 1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/3 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
1 Egg
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon All Spice
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Large Granny Smith Apple (peeled, cored & finely diced)
1/4 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 Tablespoons Half-and-Half Cream
DIRECTIONS:
Apple Cookies:
Beat butter & brown sugar together until light & fluffy (this takes several minutes to achieve). Beat in the egg and blend thoroughly.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, all spice & nutmeg.
Stir half the dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in the finely diced apple, then stir in remaining half of dry ingredients & milk. Mix well.
Drop from Tablespoon and make them 1 1/2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheet (I greased with stick of butter lightly - i do not like Crisco for greasing).
Bake 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies to racks and while still warm, spread with glaze. This part is not necessary, just yummy, but you can spread your glaze on a cooled cookie as well.
Glaze:
Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and enough cream to make your glaze of spreading consistency (can be as thin or thick as you prefer, thicker is easier to work with...). Beat until smooth. Spread on warm or cool cookies.
NOTE: These are really good the next day and so on if you pop them in the microwave and eat slightly warm.
ENJOY!
AND NOW FOR SOME PICS OF THE PUMPKIN PAINTING PLAYDATE!
THE PAINTING SERIES:
October 3, 2011
Senior Day at the Zoo!
We had a great time with G. Aunt Deb & G.G. Shorty at The Toledo Zoo on Senior Day a few weeks ago. It's amazing we made it out of that place alive - huh Deb ;)
October 2, 2011
"Groucho Stella"
Stella would like to play homage to the late and great Groucho Marx whose birthday was today Oct. 2. And it is he who has one of the best one-liners ever and in which i am going to adopt when leaving a friend's dinner party some day....
"I have had a wonderful evening....and it wasn't this." hahahaha the thought of me saying this as i hug someone goodnight after leaving their lovely dinner party is just CRACKING ME UP! just picture it.
"I have had a wonderful evening....and it wasn't this." hahahaha the thought of me saying this as i hug someone goodnight after leaving their lovely dinner party is just CRACKING ME UP! just picture it.
September 25, 2011
Happy 60th Great Aunt Snookie!
My aunt Snookie, Stella's Great Aunt, turned 60th this Saturday Sept. 24 and what a FIESTA we had for her at Aunt Joyce's! Live Band, teaky torches, and all the margaritas and mexican food your little heart desired! Emilee & Lola came into town to celebrate with us, although we decided instead of bringing the girls for the first few hours of the party to just have Tonya show up earlier and we headed out just the two of us. It was a great weekend!
Watch Out...Cousin Jeremy Has Got Some Moves! This is the first time, as his mom Snookie claims, that he has ever danced with her - so i was sure to get this moment on video! You both look great on the dance floor!
The girls with Stella's babysitter, Tonya. She brought them each a gift bag of goodies tied with a balloon. I think they enjoyed their night with her. And Lola was such a good girl with Stella - being very patient with a 2-yr. old that can be sensitive sometimes!
Watch Out...Cousin Jeremy Has Got Some Moves! This is the first time, as his mom Snookie claims, that he has ever danced with her - so i was sure to get this moment on video! You both look great on the dance floor!
Lola & Stella
The girls with Stella's babysitter, Tonya. She brought them each a gift bag of goodies tied with a balloon. I think they enjoyed their night with her. And Lola was such a good girl with Stella - being very patient with a 2-yr. old that can be sensitive sometimes!
September 17, 2011
Toddler Trails at Wildwood
September 16, 2011
September 10, 2011
September 8, 2011
Stella's New Word....and she says it more than once ;)
Stella just learned the word NO - and she isn't afraid to use it let me tell ya....and these two videos are evidence!
And I've read that you should record your bundle of joy displaying all kinds of emotions and not just the happy ones just for the sake of it. I've never recorded her crying, not as a baby that seemed cruel...but here we are in the toddler phase and she can be quite the actress at times. Anyway - she was on a roll and it just screamed home video - make sure to watch through the end of this as our "converation" gets pretty amusing.
And I've read that you should record your bundle of joy displaying all kinds of emotions and not just the happy ones just for the sake of it. I've never recorded her crying, not as a baby that seemed cruel...but here we are in the toddler phase and she can be quite the actress at times. Anyway - she was on a roll and it just screamed home video - make sure to watch through the end of this as our "converation" gets pretty amusing.
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