This year we decided to make homemade stockings.
We made each cuff match each family member's personality.
Click here for instructions on how to make your own homemade stockings.
Clay Creations November 27, 2009
I invited my 10 year old niece over for a play date. She is very creative especially with clay so I thought this would be a fun project.
Savannah was in her element, and I was her apprentice!
We used Bake and Bend clay to make this Mickey replica, but we soon found out that Mickey wasn't so bendable. His arm snapped off when I tried to bend him.... Ooops!
This is a watermelon my niece made with the Eraser Clay (bought at JoAnn Fabrics).
More of our finished products... hot pink lips, a dog bone for Marley, and a delicious looking swirled hershey kiss
Fun + Fondant = Fundant October 12, 2009
Our first attempt at making a cake covered in fondant. It turned out pretty good... thanks to Billy!
I laid down for a short nap... more like 3 1/2 hours, and when I woke up this is what I saw. I'm so impressed with my man's pastry skills!
Jim and Pam got married on The Office this past week... hence the cake topper. Our friends came over to celebrate!
Smores With A Twist September 24, 2009
If I haven’t said it before I love baking! The other night my cousin and I made these delicious Smores Cupcakes. They turned out moist and delicious.
The cupcake part can be any chocolate cake you like (we used Martha’s One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes)
Frosting:
1/2-3/4 lb. (2 or 3 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 lb. (2 cups) confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. tub of marshmallow cream
Cream the butter on high until it’s light and fluffy. Add the confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated. Then dump in the marshmallow cream and mix it up ’til it’s all creamy. Transfer to pastry bag (if desired) and pipe onto cupcakes! (You can also cut the corner off a Ziploc bag and use that instead.)
The tops are dusted with graham cracker crumbs, and each cupcake is topped with a square of Hershey’s chocolate.
Mexigrills September 18, 2009
Last night was The Office season premiere so we had our friends over for the big debut. The highlight of the night for me was introducing everyone to my new creation. It’s a cross between a quesadilla and grilled cheese sandwich. I call them Mexigrills. They were a big hit and so simple to make which is what I’m all about. Our friends loved the recipe so much that we had a cooking lesson before watching The Office. It was so much fun! Okay, so it’s not true Mexican, but it’s a quick appetizer that your friends, kids, and family can help make.
Mexigrills
Ingredients: Flour/wheat tortillas, Mexican shredded cheese (I used Sargento – any kind will do), butter and salt
On top of the stove on low to medium heat, heat butter and salt to give pan a nice coating. Then place your tortilla flat in the pan. Next place cheese (as much as you like) on top of the tortilla, then fold in half. Cook until it is to a crispy golden brown. Half into 2 triangular shapes. Last, but not least…ENJOY!
Surviving Date Night August 25, 2009
This past weekend Billy and I did The Great Date Experiment: Great Date #5 which was all about TRUST. Little did I know how soon we would put what we learned into practice!
The next evening after our Great Date #5 I suggested we take an after dinner walk in the park. We arrived at the park with our dog Marley and decided to hike some new trails that the park made. Mistake #1 – Trails and Hiking should never be used in the same sentence.
We made our way over to a box that housed pictures of hikers and a map that had the trails marked out in colored marker and chose our destination… the blue path. Mistake #2 – Never follow a map that looks like a treasure hunt map colored by a 3 year old.
Five minutes into the blue trail I realize we have picked a straight up and down path. It was a battle getting to the top, but I was determined to make it, and Billy was determined I could make it too! Once we were on the downward slope I was feeling pretty good about our hike, but oh how things quickly change. The blue path we were on forked off into opposite directions neither of which were blue! So what do you do when faced with 2 non-blue paths? Pick the one that is least scariest. I stayed pretty calm and was just enjoying the moment… I mean all roads lead to somewhere. RIGHT?
Walking a little further I notice daylight is quickly fading, but I still mosey along knowing that the gravel lot where we parked our vehicle couldn’t be far ahead. RIGHT? We eventually come to another fork that splits into several different paths, and nothing looks familiar. I start to get a little nervous because it’s almost dark now, but we have Marley with us so we’re he’ll protect us. RIGHT? Mistake #3 – Never leave home without a compass or GPS! I should have known that if I lose my car in Wal-mart parking lot then I could get lost in the city park hiking a 2-4 mile trail.
Billy and I both start to panic, and survival mode sets in. Next thing I know we’re kicking it into high gear to make it out before it gets completely dark. I scan the area for signs of civilization, but all I see are trees, trees and more trees! Billy thinks on his feet and calls none other than his Mom. What was her advice? Somebody call 9-1-1… Shawty fire burnin on da dance flor. Yes, it seemed our only option was to call 9-1-1. By then my mind was swirling with a million survival plans if we got stranded in the woods over night. This is where watching “Survivor Man” and “The Colony” would pay off!
Billy puts in the call to 9-1-1 and tells them our situation. Not long after Billy and the dispatcher begin talking I see something familiar up ahead and the sound of rap music feels the air… a gravel road. Could it be the road that is only a few hundred feet from the start of the trail? Yes, yes it is. I keep walking and trying to not get my hopes up too high because this could be a mirage after all… oh wait this isn’t a desert and we haven’t been lost that long.
We finally see our vehicle and hang up with the 9-1-1 dispatcher. Marley’s tired, I’m tired, Billy’s tired. We’re all tired, but we manage to laugh at our Adventurous Date Night.
Why do I tell you this detailed story? Because it reminds me a lot about how we go about life wondering aimlessly in the dark not knowing which path we are on, and the only thing we can do is place our FAITH and TRUST in our Lord and Savior. We had no idea if the path we were on would lead us to safety, but we had to depend on each other and TRUST God.
Would I ever go hiking again? HECK YEAH. It was the scariest and best night of my life!
P.S. But I won’t go without a flashlight and map!
When You Wish Upon A Star… August 11, 2009
Summer is never complete without a family vacation. This year we decided to go to Disney World. I never really understood how you can call standing in lines in the hot blazing sun for an hour to ride a 2 minute ride a VACATION, but thousands of people do it everyday, but NOT the Whitt’s. We pulled a few strings with Mickey and took advantage of the Extra Magic Hours for guests who stay at one of the resorts. I highly recommend doing this. We got to the park early before the crowds arrived and didn’t have to wait in line to ride the rides. It made vacationing at a theme park less stressful and more entertaining. One of my favorite parts of the trip was seeing my niece’s face light up when she met Minnie Mouse… Oh, and when Minnie stole a kiss from my 6′2″ brother! It really was a great trip with lots of memories. Check out Billy’s video above and click here to see some photos of our Magical Memories.
Meet My Virtual-Self July 28, 2009
Ever wonder what it’d be like to be in a video game. When I was on vacation at Disney World we visited Innoventions in Epcot, and there was a neat game that let me do just that. Click the link below to play.
http://www.thinkingofyoupostcards.com/runtime/play?Guestcode=KQ6QKH0DFXFTCQ
4th of July Fun July 6, 2009
This year we spent July 4th with my family. Check out B.Dub’s video above. There’s food, family, and fun!
