Cannoli and Expresso

Well around here when we do a play date we DO a play date!

Today my two good friends, Molly and Katie, joined me to make cannoli's and expresso.

First off, I am a cannoli WHORE! If we go to ANY place that sells them I WILL buy one (or 6).  It is almost an addiction.   Will knows if he wants to sweeten me up bring one home and my parents always buy me some from the bakery when we come to visit.

We found the cannoli recipe on pinterest.  If you like cannoli's you should try it.  It is a little different since you are using pie crust but is EXTREMELY easy and pretty dang good.  Katie was a barista so she taught me how to properly use my expresso machine.  Honestly I will be surprised if any of us sleep tonight.

Good food; great friends. What more could a girl ask for?

Rocky Horror Love!

So I have always wanted to attend a interactive showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I have never had the chance to attend till this past Saturday.  Let me tell you....IT WAS FREAKING amazing!  I wanted to share a few pictures of the night with you.

I literally had to drag two of my friends with me because they did not realize what an epic night they would be missing.  Needless to say they had a good time.  They were a little scared when rice came flying at their heads in the beginning of the movie, I on the other hand laughed my buns off.  

We have decided that this has to be a yearly event.  Next year I will be making out costumes, I haven't decided which way we are going to go.  But I do know they will be epic!  

Rockets!

We found a pin (doesn't it always start with that [my brain is reading this with an Irish accent if you would like to join me]).  The pin lead me to this blog where they made straw shooter.

NUMBER ONE: If you do not know me then come sit down and I will share a story with you my friend.  comfy?  need an extra pillow, cocktail?  Ok, good, now on with this story.  My wonderful son is picky and likes to control things.  This I understand, his dad deployed when he was 6 months and didn't return till he was a little over a year.  Then we moved a year after he returned.  Where we live now he leaves in spurts nothing too long, but still time with out dad.  SO how he copes with the things like moving, leaving old friends, and missing his dad; is to be picky about weird things he can control.  So food. Even if he likes it, if he didn't want to eat it in the beginning he isn't going to eat it.  Well this rolls over to straws.  (All that to get you to right here, Will says I blab...do it?) He has decided he want to drink through a straw for mostly everything.  I carry them in my car, purse, and any place I might randomly need straws.

"Danielle, you have to be spending a billion dollars on straws that is crazy!"  Is what you must be thinking.  The answer to that is no. My dad goes to this restaurant supply store and buys them bulk....I mean BULK. So I had them in spades.

This story over now back to the craft :)


I got out 3 sheets of printer paper and had both the kids draw on them to make them pretty.  We then cut them out and glued them shut.  After a few minutes he headed outside and had a BLAST with them!

We made a few challenges:
-whose rocket can go the farthest contest
-whose rocket can go the highest.
-who can aim their rocket the best.

The last one turned into a war and we chased each other around yard blowing rockets at each other.  But it kept the kids happy and wore them out.  Andi was not good at shooting them, she was too little to get the concept and kept sucking in instead of blowing out.  But she was a great rocket retriever when we would shot ours off.  So the whole family (minus dad sleeping on couch) had a great time!

sleep with one eye opened.

Why one should never fall asleep while my children are awake.

Let me begin by saying:

1. Will is still not used to the time change.
2. He realized he had a LOT more Yingling then he thought.
3. He found a bottle of red wine that he declared was his new favorite.
4. He normally doesn't drink a fourth of that combination at home watching football.

So he fell asleep on the couch. Then he halfway fell off the couch.  (The kids and I were doing a project outside which I will share soon.)

We walk inside. I turn and see him half on half off the couch. Instantly take picture. Turn to put my camera up and check battery statues on IPAD. Check out why the kids are laughing. Grab camera once  again and take another picture.  The kids topped him off with Eeyore.  Then added a few blankets. Finally the cherry on top themselves.  

I was not involved in any of this!  I just watched their little brains think of ways to decorate daddy.  It was fun watching the thought process.  Will during this...SLEPT the entire time! I think he grunted maybe once.  I finally told the kids to leave daddy alone and we made dad move to the bed where he could sleep in peace.  We had, had our fun! 

So take this as a fair warning.....if you ever stay the night, eat Thanksgiving dinner, or drink too much at one of our "celebrations"  all is fair :)  

Nummy food day

In our house during fall Will sits on his recliner and his eyes are glued to the TV for football.  He loves the game and watches all the teams, but his roots lie with The Ohio State University.  As for me I swing either Carolina or Clemson.  But we aren't too picky as long as its a good game.

Well you always need some good munchies if you are going to veg out on the couch all day.  So I stumbled on a Roasted Chickpeas pin and decided it was worth a try.

I let Will choose which one to try and he picked garlic parmesan.

Will and Andi loved them.  They both finished off the whole bowl before half time.  I wasn't in love with the flavor he picked.  Next I am going to make the honey cinnamon. Try them, let me know what you think!


Then I made Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip bread. The recipe makes mini loaves.  I do not own any mini loaf pans.  So instead I make mine in coffee cups.  I made 5 mugs out of the batch but I could of fit them into 4 mugs.

See, mugs not only hold that wonderful goodness known as coffee in the mornings BUT you can make some awesome bread in it!

Side note; they make good presents too. If you have teacher mugs or holiday ones make up a quick batch and bless someones taste buds.

Now be hungry!!!

Meet the furry family!

Since I talk so much about our people family I feel you should meet our four legged children as well!

We will go by who was adopted first.

Meet Lady!  

Camping with the kids in the living room

We got lady right before we got married in 2006.  I told Will I wanted a dog to travel with me because we lived 4 1/2 hours away from each other. I was driving between Camp Lejeune, Charlotte, and Augusta. I was in the car a lot.  I LOVED the look of a doberman pinscher so I opted for a min-pin.  

We had lady for about 5 months and Will said to me..."Danielle this is not a dog it's a rat." So I found a place in South Carolina and we got Max.

Max aka Moo Moo

Sleeping with Andi

When we got max he was about 7 months old and he was bigger then my parents dog.  We knew he was going to be big but I don't think we expected as big.  At his biggest he was 120 pounds.  He is SCARY looking and we have had people not come in our house because they were scared of him.  But he is the biggest baby ever!  I love him to death.  He is laid back, loving, and so gentle.  He is also a great guard dog.  People see him or hear him and they think twice.  So he is my protection when Will leaves for training or what not.  

So those are my two furry children.  They are two of the best around!

10-4 Good Buddy

Howdy Howdy there!  So I found this on one of my favorite blogs I follow and had to join the party.  Thanks The Chronicles of Chaos.

1. Do you listen to Pandora?  What is your go-to Pandora station?

Ok I listen to Pandora EVERYDAY when I clean!  It's always on the Michael Buble station, I love his music and the oldies it plays.   (I told my husband when we were dating a billion years ago that if Mr. Buble EVER asked me to marry him that I had permission to do so….) 

2. What is your favorite post from August?

I think it would have to be my MIles Between Us because I wrote it while I was missing my husband and it let me remember everything I truly love about him.  It is always great to focus on the positive.  

3. What non-cartoon TV show reminds you of your childhood?

MASH  I love this show! My dad and grandpa used to watch it all the time.  Will hates it but when he was deployed he found the whole series and sent it to me....golly I love him.  (Maybe this is why I married into the military? hmm must ponder that one)

4. What bad habit do you have that even annoys you?

I am SUPER analytical. I hate over thinking everything.  Also if we are naming things, I sometimes turn into a control freak. (Family trait)

5. What 5 things would you take with you if your house was on fire?  People don't count...hopefully, that's a given.

-2 ceramic statues my grandma gave me. The first is of a dancing couple.  The other is a girl feeding chickens. That was her job on the farm growing up. She found it in Denmark where my great-grandpa is from.    

-The photo albums by my door. It has my scrap book my friends made me from my bridal shower, my wedding book, college book, and my kids....tons of photos.  

- My dogs......if they aren't considered people :)

- my cricut, I love that thing....haha! 

6. Do you have a cleaning schedule that you use to keep up with your housework?

Sort of...once a week I clean my house throughly...then I just keep it up through the week.  But i do laundry every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. My house is SMALL...we downsized when we moved here from Hawaii.  Praying the next house is a little bigger.  

7. What was your high school mascot?  Please tell me you have the ability to scan a high school picture to post too...

Yellow Jackets....what what!  

8. What is your favorite picture from August?

THIS ONE!!!!  My hubby finally got home :) 

9. What do you love most about fall?

Lets list what I don't like about fall...shorter list.  I love everything, the smell, the sights, the weather, the clothes, and the festivals...LOVE.IT.ALL! 

10. Tell me your dream cupcake.

Are these considered a cupcake?  I dunno, they are cups...Mini Cannoli Cups.  I haven't made them yet but I am having an expresso and cannoli date coming up in a few weeks with one of my good friends, and yes you can join. So perfect time to try right!  I will keep you posted :) 

Check it out here

I hope you join in on the fun too.