Then and Now

May 4, 2010
OBSERVATIONS: Our family of four out for a walk in our new neighborhood.  I find it funny that I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt, vest, and jeans--while Brian is wearing a t-shirt and shorts.  (It's still that way--generally, I'm cold and he's hot.)  Photo taken with my Nikon D90.  

April 14, 2013
OBSERVATIONS: Nearly three years later.  Our family of five (Noah is 15 months old) out for a stroll before dinner.  Noah loves "driving" his blue car, honking the horn, and dropping the steering wheel out of the car.  This time, Brian, Noah and I were all on the same page, wearing short-sleeved shirts and blue jeans.  Photo taken with my Nikon D700.   

I'm looking forward to snapping more family photos--in this same place, at the same time of year--in the years to come. 

Thankful for Snow

Howdy!

Here's another layout I created during my winter break.

For this page, I used Cathy Zielske's Layered Template No. 76.


(Click on the image to make it appear larger in a new window.)

After reading this blog post by Cathy Zielske, I purchased the template and planned to scrapbook our Thanksgiving get-together. But as I was sifting through recent photos on our external hard drive--with a lens of thankfulness--I came across these pictures and thought this layout would be a perfect way to celebrate our first snowfall.

Journaling:
Mother Nature surprised us with a few inches of snow tonight. It was our first experience with snow in our new Colfax house. Brian and I were giddy with delight! This quote by Anne Sexton captures what I felt: "I am younger each year at the first snow. When I see it, suddenly, in the air, all little and white and moving; then I am in love again and very young and I believe in everything." I am thankful that Brian was home to see the snow falling, to catch snowflakes on his tongue, and to enjoy the quiet with me. I'm also thankful that our generator popped right on when the power went out. November 2010


(Click on the image to make it appear larger in a new window.)

As you can see, I went back and added some white snowflakes (decreasing the opacity to 50%) in the top right corner to balance out the page, but I think I prefer the original version. Which do you like better?

This weekend, I'm looking forward to finishing up two more layouts that I've been working on for the past week.

Toodles,
J

Ham and Cheese Appetizer

Here's a quick and easy appetizer that has been a hit with family and friends.

Ham and Cheese Appetizer

1 cup of cheddar cheese (grated)
8 ounces of cream cheese
3 slices of ham, chopped up finely

Mix it all together, stick it in a dish and bake it at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

This appetizer can be eaten with Fritos Scoops or any other type of chip you desire.

We doubled the recipe and enjoyed this yummy appetizer on Christmas Eve with Brian's family.

J

P.S. Thanks to the Liotine Family for sharing this recipe with us!

Death by Chocolate

Note: I may have already posted this recipe on my blog, but I'm sharing it (again) because it is one of my favorites to make for family and friends during the holidays.

Death by Chocolate

1 box brownie mix (21-23 ounces), prepared according to box directions and cooled
1/4 cup Kahlua (or Starbucks Frappucino Vanilla)
1 (4 serving) box of instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cup cold milk
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip, thawed
4 SKOR or Heath toffee bars, broken into pieces


Once the brownies have cooled , use a fork to poke holes into the top of the brownies.

Keep in mind that you can bake the brownies the night before. It's especially helpful to do so if you don't have much time in the morning or want to sleep in like I do. :-)

Pour the Kahlua (or Starbucks Frappucino Vanilla) over the top of the brownies and set aside.


In a medium bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk and stir with a wire whisk until thickened.
Fold in half of the whipped topping and set aside.

Break up the brownies into small pieces (using a fork) and place half in the bottom of a large bowl.

Cover the brownies with the entire bowl of pudding mixture and half of the candy.


Place the remaining brownies on the top and cover with the remaining whipped topping.


Sprinkle the remaining candy over the top.


Chill for at least two hours before serving.

I can't take any credit for this recipe; it was given to me by Brian's cousin, Gina. Gina's mom, Aunt Nonnie, loved to prepare this dessert for family and friends. She is greatly missed by all who knew her.

J

Fun in Florida: Part 2

12.31.09
I've always wanted to take an airboat ride in the Florida Everglades and today my wish came true. At Sawgrass Recreation Park, just 30 minutes from our hotel, we rode on an airboat. The ride was much smoother than I had anticipated, but a bit louder. Thankfully, we were all wearing earplugs! During our boat ride, we came up alongside an alligator.


I happened to be sitting on the side closest to the alligator. Did I mention that Al, the alligator, was 12 feet long?! (Do you like the name I chose for him? It seemed fitting.) And that the alligator's jaws were just two feet from where I was sitting! It was a bit unnerving, I tell you. The boat operator tried to ease my anxiety by explaining that alligators don't like to eat humans.


But not two minutes later as the alligator was staring me down, he shared that alligators love the color pink. Guess who was wearing a bright pink shirt?! You guessed it...yours truly! Luckily, I made it back to shore in one piece.

Not long afterwards, Brian and I had the opportunity to hold a 3-year-old baby alligator. Ali, the baby gator, had very soft skin and because her mouth was taped shut, she didn't dare bite us.




(Oh, and I couldn't resist taking a picture of this caution sign, which we encountered while meandering the trails at Sawgrass.)


After leaving Sawgrass, we ventured out to Hollywood Beach, which was overrun with snowbirds from Canada and the Northeast. It was so crowded that it took us nearly 20 minutes to find a parking space! The weather was beautiful--about 80 degrees with a warm breeze. The water wasn't quite so warm, but plenty of brave souls were swimming.


Later on in the day, we had hamburgers at Lester's Diner and then saw The Blind Side at the world's largest drive-in movie theatre! (Fourteen screens!)


We rang in the New Year with a cup of coffee (for Bri), a cup of tea (for me)--both of which were free courtesy of the hotel--and a pint of Breyer's Snickers ice cream.

Here's to a super sweet 2010!