Recipe to Share: Cream Cheese and Applesauce Bread

For Mother's Day, the kids helped me put together a basket of goodies for both local Grandmas. I broke my rule of not feeding people something I've never made before, but it turned out well, so I thought we'd pass the recipe on!

You'll have to click this link to Cookingbread to get the recipe, because we don't want to violate anyone's copyright - and because it is well worth checking out the rest of the site! Unfortunately, we don't have any photos, either, because what we didn't give away, we ate:) Trust us, though, it looks as yummy as it tastes! A thick batter that includes applesauce and rolled oats is layered with a cream cheese/powdered sugar filling, then topped with a mixture of pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Hungry yet?

We found this recipe while looking for ways to use all that applesauce we made and canned last Fall. Judging by the last frost, we probably shouldn't be in any hurry to use it all up. At any rate, we used unsweetend raisin applesauce, and doubled the recipe so we could have some too. Then I managed to break one of my Pyrex loaf pans just before baking, so our half ended up in a square, foil baking pan instead. It cooked just fine that way - when the loaves were done it was still a bit soft in the center, so I turned the oven off and left the foil pan in for another half hour, and that did the job.

I also added more brown sugar to the topping, because Baby Logan has a sweet tooth, and a couple people specifically mentioned liking that part. If I made it again I might increase the filling a bit. Oh, and instead of honey in the filling, I used a couple tablespoons of toffee-flavored syrup, because I forgot someone else had taken the honey to work with him for sandwiches.

Overall, pretty good stuff, simple to make, and a definite possibility for any brunch-type potlucks. I imagine it would freeze pretty well, too. I'm looking forward to checking out the other recipes on their site. Is it too soon to start baking and freezing for Christmas?

Redneck Baths

So, by the time we finished having canned fruit and homemade applesauce for lunch, we were ready for a bath. And hey, Mommy was already watering the garden, so why not be thrifty and just stand in the sprinkler? No pictures of that because I ended up holding S., who would shriek every time the drops hit her and bury her face in my shoulder, then as soon as they moved away would start reaching for them again, saying "Please, please!"

From there we moved to the water play table, a yard sale find that you may recognize from the volcano post - hence the red water.

Well, red and brown. The brown is, I think, self-explanatory.

Woah, how did I get even dirtier? Huh.

And I'm not naked, I have my pretty church shoes on. And a diaper. So it's all good.

Hmm...splashing is fun and all, but we're not getting very wet.

Hey, look, M. isn't wet at all!

Problem solved!



Wait a minute, you weren't supposed to get me back!



Missing: teenage girl. Last seen running down Karr Canyon, shrieking. In flip-flops. If found, please return.

Nothing Beats a Giant Box!

I try to do some sort of project with the kids whenever I have a day off, so I'm not spending the whole day just cleaning (yes, I do clean, you just can't tell five minutes later). Today we made a playhouse:

I was cutting out the circle window when C. cheered, "You're making a hot air balloon!" So, of course, that's what it had to be. He directed me to draw him, S. and myself in one, and Daddy and M. in the other. He then went back and added L. himself.

As you can see, Daddy is wearing his good black hat. M. has a baseball cap on. I don't know what that is on L's head.

S. went inside a couple times, but seems to prefer peeking through the windows.

And then shutting them tight so brother can't get out.

Big sister is actually home today too, but sick in bed. I wonder if we can lure her in when she comes back to the land of the living? Hmm...

Why parents spend a fortune on toys...

..so that, months later, we can find them still playing with the card instead.

Why We Call Her Turd

So, Grandma and the little ones stopped by the library to visit for a few minutes, then I walked them out to the van.

"Bye C.! I love you!"

"Bye Mommy! Love you!"

"Bye S.! I love you!"


S. leans forward in her seat, cranes her neck around me, makes eye contact with the stranger in the car next to us:

"Bye, Buddy!"

Then a big grin at me to make sure I caught all that.

Big Dog, Little Dog

Has anyone else noticed this trend? Do you see it everywhere, or is this an Alamogordo thing?

Me, I like big dogs. Golden retrievers, Great Danes, etc. Some people like small dogs (Mike calls them bear killers - poor grizzly could choke to death on a Chihuahua). For some reason, I frequently see yards around here with one of each. Is this a sign of a compromise between Mom and Dad? Or a single owner who just can't make up his mind?

These two were playing fetch with their owners in the park across from the Library today. By the time I fumbled my camera out of my purse and got it turned on, they had crossed the street and were headed home. I am extremely impressed that they are just following Mom and Dad, no leashes or dangling steak on a string. Our idiots would be halfway to Tulie! At any rate, doesn't this picture scream to be made into a picture book? Somebody else please do it, though - I can't even manage to post here regularly.

My Child is a Genius

I am SO far behind on book reviews for my other blog, that I volunteered to take M. to REVO tonight just so I could use Plateau Espresso's wifi to get a few posts done. In preparation, I looked over some of the picture books with C. and S. this afternoon. ("Puppies!" "No, S., that's a walrus.")

Halfway through this book from Lerner:



C. jumped and ran to his bookshelf. He came back with this book from Scholastic:



and showed me that they both contained the exact same photograph. Now I have something new to say, however inconsequential, about two books in a series I already reviewed last year:)

Now, if I can just get him to help me with the family budget...