Preparing For Father's Day Weekend!

Today we got a fun surprise, Justin didn't have to go into work until 3pm. He usually works 12-close on Fridays so to get him for an extra 3 hours was so nice! It started raining last night & it continued into today. The rain messed up our plans with some friends so the four of us headed to the YMCA. The rain had stopped so we attempted to take the kids swimming. As soon as we got out to the pool, Grace started fussing. She has a runny nose so I think she might be coming down with a cold. I fed her lunch by the pool & then took her into the pool. The food & swimming didn't seem to help so Grace & I headed inside. As soon as we got dressed, it began thundering again so the boys had to get out also. So much for swimming! haha

I was able to go to the grocery store & get my supplies for the weekend. Since Justin was with us & it was pooring down rain, I went into the grocery store by myself. It was so nice!! I was able to get everything on my list & I was able to actually think (for once) in the grocery store & make sure I had everything I need.

Justin is off work Saturday & Sunday so we have a fun filled weekend ahead of us! It looks like it is supposed to rain Saturday so that will probably mess up my plan for the day but I'm sure we can come up with an alternative. :)

While the kids took their naps this afternoon, I worked on a cake for Justin. Justin LOVES peanut butter so I made him a peanut butter & chocolate cake. :)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
**This recipe came from my Taste of Home Cake Mix Creations cookbook**
1 pkg (18-1/4 oz)devil's food cake mix
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 T confectioners' sugar
1 cup whipped topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions in a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter and confectinoers' sugar until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping.

Split cake in half horizontally; lace bottom layer on a serving plate. Spread with the peanut butter mixture. Top with remaining cake. Refrigerate until chilled.

In a small heavy saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Stir in chocolate chips; cook and stir until chocolate is melted. Refrigerate until spreadable. Frost top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until serving.

Yield: 12 servings

David Pays!

Today was a fun day hanging out with Uncle Jim!

We went to Chappy's for lunch. Jim had never eaten at Chappy's Deli so we wanted to take him. The best part about eating at the Chappy's Deli is the ice cream cone after your meal!

For dinner, Grandpa & Nanny took us all out to Sommer's Place. When dinner was over & the waiter brought the check, David offered to pay! Grandpa gave David his credit card & let David pay. David thought he was so special! The waiter brought the bill back to David & David decided he needed to sign the check!

Uncle Jim Arrives!

Uncle Jim arrived in Montgomery today from SC. The kids & I drove down this afternoon also. The kids have been so excited to see their Uncle Jim. Jim brought them both a t-shirt from Top Sail Beach (Jim & Meagan went there for a few days with Meagan's family). We spent the afternoon hanging out at Nanny & Grandpa's house. Nanny made manacotti for dinner & it was very yummy!!

David wearing the t-shirt Uncle Jim brought him!

Uncle Jim & David sharing chex mix! Yummy!

Summer Movies!

The summer movie program started this week at the Regal Cinemas in Trussville. The kids & I went & saw The Tales of Despereaux. I forgot Grace's pacifier so I did have a little bit of a struggle keeping her quiet. But, for the most part, it worked out good. Last year the summer movie program was free but this year they are charging $1 per person (Grace is free). Not a bad deal, $2 for the three of us to see a movie is nice! :)

After the movie, Grace was so tired. As soon as I got her buckled in her car seat, she passed out!

For dinner, I made homemade pizzas. I used a homemade pizza crust recipe (see recipe on 3/10/11 post). I cut the recipe in half since it was just me & the kids for dinner (Justin was working late).

Before...

After...

Mommy's Little Helpers

Today was a day of chores. I cleaned the house & got caught up on laundry. Both kids were so sweet & wanted to help. David took over the swiffer duster & did some dusting. Grace helped Mommy fold laundry. My kids are so cute!


For dinner tonight, I made chicken speedies with french bread. I made the french bread in the bread machine this morning.

French Bread
**This recipe came our of the cookbook that came with my bread machine (The Corner Bakery Bread & Dessert Maker Cookbook). It turned out really yummy! Everyone loved it!**

3/4 c + 2T warm water
1/2T oil
1T sugar
1tsp salt
2-1/4 c bread flour
1-1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Put all ingredients in bread machine in the order listed. Use Program #4 (french bread).
Before dinner, the kids & I made a quick trip to Food Giant grocery store. I found out over the weekend that Food Giant is doubling coupons up to $1 Mondays only. This is so exciting. All the other grocery stores around here only double up to $.50. I guess I will start making trips to Food Giant on Mondays! I went too late in the day today (the store was out of two of the items I wanted to get), so I will need to start making my trip early in the morning! Here is how I did today, I got...

12 boxes of Duncain Hines cake mix
1-5lb bag of Domino Sugar
3 bags of Tempation Cat Treats
2 jars of Ragu Spaghetti Sauce

Total Before Coupons: $24.34
Total After Coupons: $10.05 70% in savings! :)

Yogurt Mountain

We spent the afternoon at our local YMCA. After swimming with the kids we decided to treat them to a frozen yogurt. Yogurt Mountain recently opened in Trussville. David was so excited because he got the pick out his yogurt (chocolate, of course) & his toppings (M&M's, sprinkles & gummy bears). Grace was being very fussy (she was tired from swimming) so Justin took her out to the car to wait. Yogurt Mountain was very crowded. I decided to let David take his yogurt with him (I felt bad for Daddy & Gracie sitting in the car waiting for us). :) I covered David in napkins & he finished his treat on the way home. Thank goodness I covered him in napkins because he dripped all over himself, as you can see from the picture below. He had some on his hands but the rest landed on the napkins. :)

Fun Saturday

Justin started the day by mowing the yard. The kids love to watch Daddy mow the yard throw the window. It is so funny watching them wave to him & yell at him through the window! haha

After finishing up our morning chores, we all headed to the outlet mall in Leeds, AL. I packed us a picnic lunch & we hung out in the play area for a while. The kids are really into picnics so we do that often. :)

This afternoon, one of the kid's buddies had a birthday party. Mason is turning 4. It was a fun party & we all had a lot of fun visiting & watching the kids play.

For dinner, I made pork chops & milk gravy. This was my first time making this so I was a little nervous. It turned out okay. The pork chops were perfect but I had a hard time getting my milk gravy to thicken. It tasted pretty good but I will have to try it again & try to master it again. :)

Pork Chops & Milk Gravy
**This is a recipe my Mom made when I was growing up. It was always a favorite in our house. When Justin started coming around, it quickly became a favorite of his also. My Mom got it from my Grandma. My Grandmother doesn't use a lot of measurements when she cooks so I do not have the exact amounts. I had to do a lot of taste testing! :)**

Flour
Salt
Pepper
Pork Chops
1/2 stick Shortening
Milk

1. Mix flour, salt & pepper together. Coat pork chops on all sides with mixture.
2. Melt shortening in skillet. Cook pork chops in skillet until cooked through & brown on both sides.
3. Once pork chops are cooked, remove & set aside. Turn skillet temperature down & add flour, salt & pepper mixture slowly to skillet while whisking. Continue to add flour mixture until it becomes a smooth paste. Let it cook a little bit in the skillet.
4. Turn heat back up & add milk. Continue to whisk as milk heats up to a boil. Milk will thicken as it comes to a boil. Add salt & pepper to taste.