Ella is 5

Here I am almost a week late but we all know the saying, so I will spare us. Last week was a busy one but of my own choosing because my sweet" baby" turned 5 I know I almost can't believe it my self that Ella is 5! She has been such a gift and such a joy. I am so gald God has given me this girlie girl. Weeks before her birthday we had discussed all the possible birthday ideas...sleepover, strawberry shortcake, makeup, you name it we talked about it and then about 2 weeks before her birthday she decided she wanted a cooking party. I know it sounds funny but I loved the idea.



As her friends showed up at the house I had chef hats for them to decorate

Once they were all arrived they put on their aprons and we got to cooking

I started them off with decorating cupcakes and tried to teach them to use the pastry bag, they did not master that :) and needed much assistance. Then they added sprinkles, as much as they wanted fun right?

Once they were happy with the cupcakes they made we moved on to making pizza, their challenge was to try new ingredients and make a funny face pizza.

With the pizzas in the oven we moved on to making fruit sticks, yes I tried to give them something healty. Now all that was left to do was eat!

It was a successful party and everything went well but having four 4 yr olds come over to cook is not for the faint of heart! Most of all Ella had a great time and will always remember her 5th cooking birthday party.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET GIRL!

Ella's spring recital

Ella had her Spring recital this past Sunday, she still loves ballet and she takes it very seriously. She did have a few silly moments when she knew she did something wrong and got tickled. Excuse Dan sneezing at the beginning of the video, what can I say allergy season

Kids Night

Since I started doing cooking classes at the community school Caleb has begged to come and I promised him I would teach him to cook. So I decided this summer the kids would make dinner one night a week, they get to plan the menu and cook the food the only rule is it must be a complete menu and it can't be cheeseburgers every week.


So this week was our first dinner that the kids made they chose Macaroni and Cheese with ham and broccoli. Even though the temp was about 95 that day and mac and cheese really did not sound good I agreed. I printed off the recipe and taught them how to read the recipe and follow the directions...lesson in reading at the same time.



They learned how to make a white sauce aka bechamel, and how to boil pasta. I know some people might laugh at me but I just think the earlier you start the easier and what talents and interests can develop. And besides don't they just look so cute in the chef hats? Caleb will tell you he only has a small one because he is a junior.





When asked what they learned Caleb said you have to stir the sauce a long time. Ella lost intrest about half way through but Caleb held out to the end.


Fannie Farmer's Classic Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups good quality shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup buttered breadcrumbs


Directions
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.
3 In a large saucepan melt butter.
4 Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.
5 Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.
6 Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
7 Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.
8 Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

9 Turn off flame.
10 Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.
11 Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
12 Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
13 Bake 20 minutes or until top is golden brown

I am going to make them their own "cook book" with the recipes of everything we make this summer and some of these cute pictures.

Look what we found

With summer on the way here in Birmingham our vegetable garden is in full production. We have enjoyed lettuces, peas, beets, and carrots but my favorite of all times to harvest has been the potatoes.


Last week Ella and I dug around the potato plants in search of potatoes imagine the excitement as we found beautiful red potatoes. "I found one mommy" Ella shouted "me too" I chimed in and another...from all the excitement and shouts you would think we had discovered a cache of rubies in our backyard. And as I'm in the backyard digging out my dinner I have that Gone with the Wind moment "God as my witness I'll never go hungry again" Sometimes I wonder what world I live in...but I like it where something as simple as digging potatoes can bring joy, excitement and inspiration. Who knew potatoes could be so much fun!

No Spirit of '76

For Ella's 4th birthday we decided to get Ella her own girlie bike, until now she has been riding Caleb's old yellow very boy bike.

Ella's new bike is pink and purple with princesses all over it and tassels on the handle bars, it's the ultimate girlie girl bike and Ella loves it! When I went to Wal-Mart I was tempted to buy the cheaper girl bike the Seastar it too was pink and purple but instead of princesses it has a star fish and was no where as cool as the princess bike, but the $20 savings appealed to the frugal side of me.

After considering it for just a moment the memory of Dan's most disappointing Christmas ever came to mind. He was like 8 years old and had been asking for a bike, well on Christmas morning his dad rolls out this cool tough black bike called something like the black widow and he was beyond excited about how good he was going to look on HIS bike. Much to his dismay it was not for him but for his older brother, then out comes HIS bike red, white, and blue with a banana seat and tassels from the handle bars...the Spirit of '76... not at all cool!

So as I fight my cheapness I remember the Spirit of '76 and the answer is clear, princesses are worth the extra $20, besides if I had gotten the Seastar Dan would have taken it back that night for the Princess bike...those scars never fade!

Ella is now a biker chick it's all she wants to do!

Kids in the kitchen

My kids always want to help cook, I guess because they see me do it so much it is just a part of our lives not to mention that they both love food. I remember my mom giving me scraps of pie dough that I would roll up with cinnamon sugar and bake still such a fond memory. I want my kids to have basic cooking knowledge and these fun family memories so I try to let them "help" from time to time. You never know what kind of talent you are fostering...Caleb made us all rotisserie chicken sandwiches for dinner a while back and stated "I'm a GREAT chef" he was so proud of himself. He has learned how to cook an egg sandwich all on his own...ok so he has burned his arm on the hot pan but lesson learned, pay attention to where your body is.

A few weekends ago I was making cupcakes for a baby shower and Ella just wanted to help. Not really wanting to be bothered and just wanting to get done I almost said no but then was haunted by the pie dough and let her help me cut out fondant flowers. I had plenty of time and so what if I had to remake a few, she took her job seriously and did a great job and the cupcakes turned out fine. So I would encourage parents take the time out cook with your kids and give them a little freedom to experiment you may have a "GREAT CHEF" in the making.
Not to bad for the flowers that Ella made

What is a Princess

A princess is always dressed for the occasion...a day at the park requires a matching hat and purse
She is always ready to smile for the camera!

A princess cares for both man (Caleb) and animal (Jack)


She is always ready for a party

Of course a princess has a beautiful gown in which to twirl.

Being a princess is exhausting work...sweet dreams little Princess