Happy Buhrday Daddy! YAY!

Like I said in the last post, this past week has been busy HECTIC!  But in a good way :)  We've had dance class, swim lessons, Daddy's birthday, softball, a Thirty-one Party for a good friend, and that's all before Father's Day rolled around!  WHEW!  But we definitely didn't forget about Tim's birthday.  Especially since his b-day was softball night and Thirty-one party night, we wanted to show him how happy we were he was born, so we did it BIG!  On his birthday, we snuck to the store and got stuff to make him TWO birthday cakes!  He'd requested carrot cake when we asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday but we surprised him with cheese cake, too!  (those are probably his two very favorites ever...)  

Have you noticed yet that the kids like to help, especially when we're baking in the kitchen?  I don't have pictures of them actually baking this time, but I have pictures of them helping me "clean up"  

I remember when my Grandma Cleda used to let me lick the batter off the beaters when we were done, and it's still one of my favorite things to do when I bake.  I thought I'd start a new tradition with the kids- I think they like it :) 

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

So if you've met me, you know I like to eat healthy- it's no secret.  And Tim and I have decided everything in moderation, but we want to teach the kids to make healthy choices.  That being said, chocolate is never a bad thing!  :)

So via Pinterest, I stumbled across a recipe that was calling my our names- Banana Oatmeal Muffins.  MMMmmmmm.  And of course, my two assistants were eager to assist! :)  Of course, I modified the recipe I found, so here's what we whipped up.

Ingredients:
4 mashed bananas- the more ripe, the better!  (or 3 REALLY LARGE ONES!)
1 cup of skim milk
1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 egg
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats*
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

• Pre-heat the oven to 375*
• Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together.  Let it sit while you're getting the cupcake pan and liners ready
• Spray muffin tin and/or liners with Pam **when you're baking with anything but wheat flour (like oats!) beware- they stick to cupcake liners!  So my suggestion is bake with silicone that you have sprayed with Pam-OR- get the foil cupcake liners and take the paper lining out**
• Fold in the chocolate chips.  You're going to fill the cupcake liners almost full.  (I made 12 medium muffins and a pan of mini-muffins)  You should make about 15 muffins (or 12 and a pan full of minis!)
• Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the edges are brown and they are firm to the touch.  The muffins will stick to the liners when they are hot, but they will fall right out when they have cooled down a bit!

Nutritional info: (this is a guesstimate, which is killing the science nerd in me!)  15 muffins (or 12 medium muffins and 12 mini muffins)- 100 calories/ muffin, 1.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, 1 gram of sat. fat, 25 grams of carbs, 4 grams of protein, 2 weight watchers + points

These have been munchkin and husband approved!  :) 

My little helpers... 

In the middle of mashing up bananas we had to stop for a peach break.  I mean, the basket of fruit was right there and so tempting!  Notice said fruit basket was moved after little hands grabbed the peaches... 

Cheese!

 Big bite there, buddy!

Sweet face!

helping Mommy pour in the milk

another sweet face moment- I can't decide which ones are more precious, so you are subjected to them all!  Awful, I know ;)

 Graham is a big helper too!

 Sweet!!!

Don't these muffins look so good?  In the oven, ready to bake!

I mean, just SO SWEET!  Enough to melt this momma's heart.  

Okay, so I've had this blog almost ready to go- sans pictures- for almost a week now!  Whew, it's been a crazy week full of fun and lots of running around.  Blogs about that to follow, but I just want it to be noted that I am having an absolute blast with these Monkeys this summer.  We're doing new things every day, and I am seeing their personalities blossom more and more.  They are hilarious little people!  Just thought you should know :) 

Wiggle Wiggle

My first project in making Kennedy and Graham's non-baby rooms Big Kid Rooms was to make wreaths for their bedroom door.  I've been itching to make them for a long time, so I couldn't wait to get started!

I found a great idea to use foam insulation tubing instead of the expensive foam wreaths from the craft stores.  Two tubes together cost me $3.00 at Home Depot!  So I cut them the length I needed and then duct taped the ends together- viola!  A wreath!

my sweet little helpers- puppies and all :) 

 And this is where the "Wiggle Wiggle" part comes in.  K and G insist the wreaths were hula hoops, which they call wiggle wiggles.  A glimpse into the mind of a two year old: what do you do with a hula hoop?  Put it on your hips and WIGGLE WIGGLE!  But I digress...

Kennedy's Wreath
Kennedy's room is a fantastic, neutral baby's nursery but we definitely need some work to make this a little girl's room!  Her favorite color is PURPLE with pink being a very close second, and she "just wuvs butterflies!"  So what can a momma do but try to please?  So I'm going to be working very hard to add pinks, purples and butterflies to her room that already has yellow walls and yellow and green window treatments.  

Kennedy is very girly-girl, so I decided to use different ribbons in yellow, green, purple and pink to make a ribbon-wreath.  After I wrapped the hoola-hoop wreath form in strips of white remnant fabric, I started tying ribbons into knots... 

I was just a little short of white fabric, so I ended up leaving a little strip unwrapped, knowing the large ribbon I was using to hang the wreath would cover it

... and tying, and tying... 

and once I had covered the entire wreath with more ribbon than you could imagine, I decided it needed something more.  So I made a dash to Michael's and grabbed some Martha Stewart paint and added a little more of Kennedy style. 

Now THIS is a wreath that says "little girl's room" don't cha think?  It's fun, sassy and full of color just like my K. And let me tell you, she absolutely loves it.  

Graham's wreath

Okay, so now how do you make a wreath- which let's face it, when I think wreath, I think flowers and ribbons and chica- into a something for a little boy's room?

By adding baseballs :)  Kennedy and Graham REALLY wanted to help

Graham's room is Cardinal's baseball (does this surprise you?!?) so we had to go with Cardinal red!  I couldn't find any remnants that matched my color theme, so I got a few quarters because I had no desire to stand in the mile-long line in the fabric department.  And I wanted baseballs, but I didn't want something that was really heavy or would knock against the door when we snuck in to say night-night so I decided to go with foam baseballs I found in the summer toy section :)  It was tricky trying to get them away from the kids, they were ready to play!  

 wrapped up and ready to go

to make sure the balls stayed in place I pinned them, then hot glued and allowed the glue to cool down.

 I just had to add this.  Graham's new toy obsession is his water gun, which he calls his Buuujsh.  I can read your mind, you're thinking "HUH?"  Another glimpse into the mind of a two-year-old: what sound affects do you make when you're squirting a water gun?  "BUUJSH, BUUJSH!" right?  Sooooo, it's a buujsh.  So while I was working on the wreath, G was excited because Mommy had a Buujsh too!

Mommy's Buujsh

 So once the glue was dry, pins came out and wreath went up on little man's door!

Graham also loves it, and every time we go into his room he points it out and says "G for Graham's room!"  and then he adds in "Let's Go Cardinals!"  :)   Sorry Grandma Cleda, he's a die-hard Cards fan!!  He is definitely his Daddy's boy.

We have a lot more we're doing for the kids' rooms this summer, so check back in soon!