Manic Monday- Friends, Fun & Frosting

So I have been meaning to post this blog for like a month. I kept waiting to post it on Family Fridays, however you will notice I haven't exactly been on "it" lately with the blogging. Totally bitter last week and didn't want to taint my faithful readers with my bad attitude which would have spilled out no matter how hard I tried. 

None the less....I want to share the following photos of my guys making the CUTEST watermelon cookies, with our adorable friends Julia & James. It was SO much fun and super easy. I kept thinking I either need two more kids or to run a daycare, because I had so much fun working with them on this. The concept behind the watermelon cookies was Gilly's genius. She saw the really tiny soft round sugar cookies at the store and they had pink frosting and black sprinkles, to which she ask "Mom do you think one day we could make watermelon looking cookies?" . If I had been thinking I would have just bought the package it would have been cheaper! However not nearly as fun:)  

All I really did was use my favorite sugar cookie recipe and a TON of green food coloring. I then let the kids cut out all sizes of circles and then we halved some of them to make "wedges". I baked the cookies, whipped up two huge batches of pink/red icing, and then let the kids go to town frosting them. We used chocolate jimmies to garnish them with seeds, cause I searched high and low and couldn't find black sprinkles. 

They were as yummy as they were cute! So with out further rambling onto the pictures!

Some of the finished product:)

So the photo captions which weren't cooperating should be:

1) My happy cooking crew cutting and rolling.

2) The girls slathering their cookies in frosting.

3) The boys more interested in the sprinkles than anything else.

4) Gillyan's Masterpieces

5) Gideyon's Masterpieces

6) My Masterpieces with a bite to make sure they weren't poisoned;)

To much fun will have to do this again with my guys sometime! Maybe next time we will attempt citrus fruits, oranges, lemons, and limes...

Thematic Thursdays- Chocolate Chips!!

So encase you didn't know or had forgot, today is National Chocolate Chip day! In honor of this yummy day I am posting some of my favorite recipes using up those tiny treasures:) Again not in any special order:

1. Graham Cracker Brownies. The beauty of these little guys is that you can whip them up in no time and I normally have all the ingredients on hand:)
2. Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies   These are SO yummy and easy that I hardly ever use a mix anymore!
3. Peanut Butter Snack Cake. This cake is EASY, so yummy, and soft yet it doesn't even have any frosting.
4. Vanilla Chip Cake  This is a bundt cake that is a nice change of pace because it is like a vanilla pound cake with just a sprinkle of chocolate chips throughout. 
5. German Chocolate Brownies. ENOUGH said! I am sure if you have ever had these there is no doubt they should be on everyone's list of favorite desserts:)
6. Chocolate Chip Pie  I made this pie for Steve one night on a whim and Boy did he LOVE it! It is like the best parts of pecan pie but with the taste of a chocolate chip cookie.
7. Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake. This is my go to cake if I have to take something to a potluck or meeting and don't want to spend much time in the kitchen. It is dense and moist and the ingredients are brainless!

I suppose I shouldn't sign off without mentioning Chocolate Chip Cookies. But to be honest CCC's are such a personal taste thing that the recipes are there range far and wide! I am still looking for my favorite. I prefer a soft fat cookie with a butter taste, but maybe you prefer a flat crisp cookie. Oh well Steve is more than a willing Guinea Pig on my never ending quest for the "just right" recipe:) Hope you bake something chocolate "Chippy" today and think of me. Let me know if you want a recipe for something I couldn't find a link for and I will email it to you.

Tasty Tuesday- Weekly Menu 5-10

So since my recipes are meeting with mixed reviews I thought I would go simpler this Tuesday and share a weekly menu. I actually make my menus up 2 weeks at a time due to military paydays, but I thought that would be to boring of a post.  You may notice that I am only posting 6 meals. This is because I alot one day a week for either eating out or leftovers. So without further ado this is what the Goodmans are eating this week:

Lunches:

Chili Dogs, Grapes, Chips

PBJ, Pretzels, Bananas

Toasted Ravioli, Salad, Oranges

Sandwich Melts, Apples& Dip, Chips

Frito Pie, Fresh Pineapple

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Chips, Oranges

Dinners:

Blackened Tilapia, Rice Pilaf, Steamed Veggies

Grilled Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Strawberries

Pizza & Salad

Spatchcocked Chicken, Cucumber Salad, Crash Potatoes

Fake Filet O Fish, Coleslaw, Fries

Sausage Rigatoni Bake, Ceaser Salad, Garlic Bread

                                      

And because life isn't worth living without Dessert, I am making:

Blackberry Cobbler, Banana Cookies, Earthquake Cake.

If any of this sounds yummy and you would like the recipe be sure and leave me a comment and I will either email the recipe or send you the link. I am trying a few new things this week  so hopefully I will have something delicious to blog about next Tuesday:)

Thematic Thursday- Summertime fun

So today was a warm 94 degrees, which made it feel all to much like summer was already here at the beginning of May! So in honor of the summer days to come I am listing off some of my favorite Summer things. As usual these are in no particular order:)

1)Sprinkler/Pool time for my kids! I love being able to shove my guys in the backyard in swimsuits with Popsicles and let them run off their energy!

2)Summer Fruits and Veggies:) I love how fresh fruits and veggies are so much more affordable and plentiful this time of year. We have already been enjoying blackberries, strawberries, watermelon and asparagus on a daily basis! Can't wait for corn, cucumbers and even "tomuckoes" to come in season. I am especially impatient for some of my garden to harvest!

3)I am totally in love with the scent Summer Orchard at Bath&Body Works. It smells so fresh, yet isn't to heavy. I have been burning either my candle or the oil almost everyday.

4)I probably don't even need to mention my forever continuing obsession with flops, but I can't help it. I cover my feet up as few months of the year as possible and then bask in the glory of painted toenails and flip-flops all the rest of the year! As you can see from my flip flop holder I cleaned house a little in order to make room for the new ones I am sure to find and fall in love with this summer:)

5)Grilling!!! I have been making my husband grill about every other day here lately. I love how it feels like I didn't have to "cook" when all I do is throw together a fresh side dish and prepare a big pitcher of iced tea. We have grilled everything here lately except fish. I think we are going to tackle that one though before the summer is over.  One of my very favorites is just good ole burgers. Wish I had a pic of the tasty ones Steve made the other day, but didn't think of it at the time.

Well ladies that wraps it up for today. Jot a short comment letting me know what your favorite thing about summer is! P.S. Had to include a close up of the cute garden markers my kids decorated for our little garden. Thought they did such a good job with their veggies:)

Tasty Tuesday-Poke Cupcakes

If your stores are anything like around here you are finding an abundance of cheap strawberries! Here is one of my husbands favorite ways to eat up those red berries. This is a take on one my mother in laws recipes. Recipe is a loose term, really it is more like a few directions! 

Whatcha ya need:

1. Boxed White Cake Mix and ingredients to make it (egg whites, oil, water)
2. Small box of instant strawberry jello
3. Strawberries, sliced and sprinkled with sugar so that they form a small amount of juice.
4. One small Container of cool whip ( I actually used a can of spray whip, I bought several at Sam's cheap and I needed to use them up!)

Start by preparing and baking the cupcakes according to box directions. Let the cupcakes cool slightly. Prepare strawberry jello by mixing ONLY with 1 cup boiling water. Proceed to poke several holes in the top of your cupcakes with a fork or toothpick.

Once your cupcakes are poked take your strawberry jello and pour right on top of cupcakes. The slower you do this the better the absorption of the jello. I also recommend doing this over your sink. I made a HUGE mess during this step!

Allow cupcakes to set and cool completely before topping with cool whip and strawberries. I also recommend only topping the amount you plan to eat. The cupcakes don't save so well with cool whip and strawberries already on them unless you keep them in the Fridge, and I don't know about you but I rarely have room to store 2 dozen cupcakes in my fridge!

Hope you enjoy these easy seasonal treats! If you don't want all the hassle of cupcakes this recipe is EVEN easier made as a 9x13 cake! Either way I don't want any comments telling me this recipe has to many steps for you all!;)

Manic Monday- Happiness Is...

Short but Sweet today! Here are a few things that are making me smile lately.

Flowers from my Honey for NO GOOD REASON! Aren't they pretty? He said he just wanted to brighten my day!

Beautiful! Cheap! Big Blackberries! I have been putting these in the yummiest smoothies. Gets my morning off to such a good start:)

The Yummy Smoothie previously mentioned. Easy Peasy! Blend the following together in a blender till smooth:

• 1 Container thick vanilla yogurt
• 8-12 fresh blackberries
• 1/4 cup OJ (more if needed to thin to taste)
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream (about 1/4 a cup)
• 4-6 ice cubes
• Dash of vanilla

Makes 2 generous smoothies! I always start with the smaller amount and add more as I eyeball the consistency.

   The hoard of wild Roses right outside my kitchen window. Who wouldn't smile to see a hundred blooms everyday?

They aren't always grins and giggles but I do so love these smiling faces!

Hope your Monday was filled with Happiness and Smiles.