3....2....1....BRAIDS!

It started with Leah. Two braids - one on each side, back into a ponytail.

Next Lily. One inside-out French braid back into a messy, flipped under ponytail.

So, Elise decided that if Leah had two braids, and Lily had one, then she needed three. And, three we did. One French braid, and 2 regular braids back into a pony (I wanted to do a twisty bun, but she wanted a pony.).

I love girly hair!

My own version of Smooze

Life has been a whirlwind around here lately, literally (and I do not mean figuratively) but more on that a little later.....after I give the next round of nebs, bake a couple loaves of bread, and catch up around the house. Until then, I offer you this:

Back in March/April, Leah and Lily were sick for several weeks. And when my kids are sick, they love popsicles (don't most kids--and adults too sometimes?!); however, I hate pumping them full of HFC, and artificial colors and flavors. So, I sent Mark to the health food store with a mission--to find a "healthy" popsicle. He came home with this. And, boy-oh-boy, were they yummy! More like push-ups in texture, but with all natural ingredients, low sugar content, and higher in healthy fat (which my petite girls can handle).

Since then, I have been thinking about making them myself. And, today, the opportunity presented itself in the form of "my kids are sick and begging for popsicles again."

Here is my "recipe"

Take a bag of frozen mango out of the refrigerator. Then try to figure out how you are going to break off a medium-sized chunk. Bang on the bag with a heavy can. Give up that idea, grab the big hunk and defrost it just enough to break into smaller chunks (small enough to fit into your Magic bullet, which you've been using since you broke the seal on your blender just over a month ago). Pour in some coconut milk and a bit of young coconut water (electrolytes) then blend until smooth. And, this is the very important part: taste test; then carefully pour into popsicle molds. Freeze until firm and hopefully they will be perfect. (I say "hopefully" because I'm still in the freezing phase.)

So, I'm excitedly impatient!

If my taste test is any indication, they will be wonderful!

Only in my house....

Some kids would be blowing bubbles. Mine pretends the bubble string is her nasal cannula!

Love Thursday

Let me preface by saying it's been unseasonably HOT here for the past week. We went from highs in the 60s to highs in the upper 80s and 90s, which, honestly is fine with me. I like the heat....especially because our AC keeps the house from becoming unbearably hot.

A couple of days ago, the girls (and friends) beat the heat by setting up a "splash pad" in the front yard with a couple of sprinklers. Even Mark took his turn running through after he got home from work. While wearing his work clothes. Which the girls thought was absolutely hilarious!

And, really, what goes better with a hot day than watermelon?! (and lemonade, which the girls already had outside)

See what we found inside?

A 100% nature-made piece of love. (The heart was all God's doing too.)

C is for cookies!

Julie’s Best Oatmeal Cookies

By: Julie Hasson from “Everyday Dish”

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (white wheat if you're wanting to healthify them)

1 tbs. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

2 sticks Earth Balance, softened (you could also use butter or coconut oil)

2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar (you could probably also sub regular granulated sugar or sucanat + a little molasses, but I haven't tried this)

Egg Replacer for 2 eggs mixed with necessary water (or 2 eggs)

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups chocolate chips (any kind of chocolate is good)

1 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Rice milk, optional – add as needed if batter seems a bit too crumbly

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and soda.

In a large bowl, beat together margarine and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add mixed egg replacer and vanilla, beating until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until just mixed. Add oats, beating until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and cranberries.

Scoop mixture onto greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Press top of cookies with hand to flatten into a disk. Bake 14-15 minutes, or until puffed up and light golden brown, but still soft to the touch. Let cool on baking sheet completely before removing.

Recipe makes a bunch (I usually get at least 4 dozen.). Mark loves eating the cookie dough raw!

** To keep cookies soft, store in an airtight container with a marshmallow. The marshmallow keeps the cookies nice and soft. (In my opinion, marshmallows work even better than a piece of bread because sometimes bread makes the cookies soggy.) This trick also works with brown sugar.

In My Head...

If you can overcome your fears, you can do anything.

Angry Birds is way addicting!

Mommy and Daddy will always be here to lift you up, help you down, and catch you when you fall.

Fun Mom Part II

Before I knew it, plans were in full swing. There were so many other things I should be doing-- school work or laundry, for example. So many things that had fallen by the wayside while Lily and I were at the hospital. Instead, I found myself offering to bake cupcakes and helped Elise clip flowers from the yard to put in her bouquet. That day, I was the fun mom.

The table was made ready.

Everyone must be appropriately attired in posh princess fashion.

There were Pretty Princess games to play.

Delicious Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cupcakes graced my china plates. Only the best for my little princesses!

And, really, what better way to celebrate Lily no longer needing oxygen, and Leah finally having clear lungs than with a princess party?!

Perfect!