Fleur de Aleta

No, I'm not into smoking... piping is the icing decorations.  I'm using the buttercream icing recipe in the previous post.  I started working with a full bag of icing, using tips 16, 17, 18 and my hand started hurting like nobody's business.  Fortunately, I was able to turn to a group of cake decorating ladies (and friends on FB) and explain my dilemma.  They suggested to go with 1/2 bag of icing, tip 32 and possibly add water to the icing to make it less of a stiff consistency. Here are my first 3 days at attempting piping.  NOT as easy as the DVDs and YouTube videos make it out to be!! I really need to get the shell border down pat, because it's frequently used and is a real skill at learning balance with consistency.  I'm also still trying to figure out when to hold the bag at 90 or 45 angles, as that makes a difference. The ladies with the cake decorating group have been very encouraging and supportive, which really helps!

Thoughts:   I missed NabloWriMo?   I thought it was in October!  But then I read it was this month - Yikes and here it's the end of the month.  Well... shoot....  I guess I'll be a month behind.  Oh, wait, that was NaBloPoMo ... I'm all confused. The Good News: I found a Facebook link for NaBloWriMo - national bloggers writers month - one post for 31 days straight in October.  Whoop Whoop - they are doing it again this year!   Here's the FB link   and Here's the blog link if you want to find out more about NaBloWriMo and join in!  I'm sure my son will give me plenty of opportunity for blogger fun.  Watch out family and friends!!!  Hehe... If anyone has any questions you want to ask me or prompt suggestions, I'd love some ideas!

I never thought I'd have to make icing when I thought of cake decorating. I mean, the stuff is already at the grocery store, right?  Why should I have to make it?  There are consistency reasons, of course and costs.. it's cheaper to make a big batch of icing than it is to buy it in the store.  But man... it's not a neat thing to do and it's a little scary too :) To see Sharon's recipe on her blog, click here .  I highly recommend that you visit her blog and join her group.  Great bunch of ladies that are very supportive and helpful. I'm going to type my notes as well as share pictures. Ok, to start, I have a kitchen aide 5 quart, which is what the recipe calls for - 5 quart mixer. The ingredients - super duper simple: 5 generous cups of Sweetex shortening (you want hi-ratio shortening, so the handy dandy Crisco is a big fat No No)  Sweetex isn't easy to find, but it's available for online purchase. 5 pounds of powdered sugar.  Easiest way to do this - b

I am participating in the 1000 words and a picture.  To learn more about the 1000 words and a picture prompt, click here and join in ! Autumn What do you write when you don’t believe in the word?  For many years as a child, I learned the word, but it was a “numb” word, one that existed, but it didn’t make sense or have any meaning to it.  It was a word we learned in school and it represented months on a calendar.  But it was nothing special, nothing different.  It’s not something routine in my city’s year.  In New Orleans, in this area, we jokingly say that we have two true seasons:  Summer and Summer Lite. Autumn, I know it’s a season.  I’ve seen it, but I don’t live it. While everyone is enjoying the changing weather north of us, we are all gasping in the humidity and praying, praying the “cool front” will actually reach us this time and bring our temperatures to 89-90 degrees.  Thus starts our Summer Lite.  Autumn normally brings thoughts

Conversation: Mommy:  "Let's go for a walk this afternoon." Daddy:  "It's going to rain." Mommy:  "No, it's not, come on, let's go get the stroller." Daddy:  "Only if we put Tigger in the stroller too at the bottom." Mommy:  "No, the cat will jump out!" Daddy:  "No, he won't."  (This has been an on-going disagreement.) Mommy:  "Ok, but if you have to get the cat if he jumps out." We start our walk and Tigger is leaning out of the stroller like a figurehead! I thought for sure Tigger would jump and run, especially when I saw another feral cat on the street.  But no, Tigger proved me wrong. And then... not even half way down the street.... it starts to rain!!  Daddy gloated the entire way back and INSISTED that I create this blog post.  So THERE *sticks out tongue* Lol.

I am participating in the 1000 words and a picture.  To learn more about the 1000 words and a picture prompt, click here and join in! Water  I have a love/hate relationship with water, more specifically the beach.  I hope my son has better luck and it looks as though he is off to a good start by the smile on his face. The earliest I can remember with water is when I was a little girl and we went to the beach.  I braved it out to the water and stood still, feeling the waves around me.  It was good until the sand circled and covered my feet, more and more.  I cried out to my mom to come get me, because I couldn’t move.  She offered words of encouragement to stay in the water.  I remember a paralyzing feeling, as if my legs would never be free of the sand.  My mom did come and get me, but to this day, I don’t like that “sinking” feeling in the water and sand mix. Many years after that, my parents would take our family to a condo unit that a friend owned.

Yesterday my son made 7 months.  I was on the verge of tears.  How silly is that... to think he is on the other half of making a year old.  My husband said, "I looked at pictures of him when he was first born and his head was SO SMALL!  He's grown a lot."  My little boy isn't so little any more, but he'll always be my baby :) Dear Son, Your Daddy and Mommy have noticed that you grow in different ways.  First you get a little belly on you, then your legs get longer and the belly goes away.  Then you get a little belly on you and your arms get longer.  It's as though your body stores the energy for limb growth, while your torso continues to lengthen. You are only 7 months old but already fitting into 12 month cloths.  Not the width of the 12 months, but the length!  You know how to roll from your tummy to your back, but you fake it like you can't and give me this look. Daddy thinks you are going to skip crawling altogether.  It used to be

Trying to fit into Daddy's size: My happy boy :) Chillin out Turning is easy now :) Daddy making funny duck sounds while giving our son a bath. To view this on YouTube, click here .

We aren't vegetarians, but our son is right now.  He does NOT like meat, not even mixed in with veggies or rice.  I  can't blame him.  The stuff STINKS.  I wanted to gag just trying to feed it to him. Yucko!  We tried chicken/peas and turkey/rice/veggies. Here are some pictures with the chicken/peas episode.  I like the "body bib" for him :) Normally he opens his mouth for more and will even scream if I don't get the food to him fast enough.  This is what I got instead.... "Gross Mommy, YOU eat it!" "Seriously?  You're going to try to give me more?" "I'd rather eat my toes.  Are you getting the message yet?!" To see a video of Oma feeding Gregory turkey... watch below: To watch this on YouTube, click here

I am participating in the 1000 words and a picture (Well, I might have more than one picture).  My husband doesn’t like long posts, so Sweetheart, you might want to skip this one.  To learn more about the 1000 words and a picture prompt, click here and join in ! Wonder My child is a blessing in so many ways and part of that blessing is his sense of wonder, which brings me back to how beautiful and awe-inspiring this world is…  When something is new and different at first, my son’s jaw will drop and his eyes get round and he just looks and looks.  He might even smile. I want positive things to be around my son.  Positive thoughts, positive vibes and I see that positive influence reflect back in his smiles towards strangers.  He sees the wonder and beauty in a new face, be it from another baby or someone elderly.  I want my son to keep that wonder and to continue to teach me about it as well. Not long ago I read, "a child is happy and able to

Gregory has 2 bottom teeth out now.  I wasn't able to get any recent shots of his teeth, which I think are just TOOOO cute :) Early on, when they first started to come out, I tried to get a picture.  Gregory gave me this look, as if to say, "Nah Ah, Mommy, not gonna show my teeth to you!" The little bugger! But eventually I did get a picture, after taking 100 shots!  Lol, every time I would get his bottom lip down, he tried to suck on my finger!

Darn, another bomb recipe.  Tasteless plus my husband didn't like the thick consistency of the soup. So, here's the recipe, if you can doctor it up, let me know what you did to make it taste good!  No recipe card will be made for this. 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour pepper, seasoning to flavor 2 cups milk 1 chicken bouillon cube Dash Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken 1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds In a large saucepan, saute celery and onion in butter until tender.  Stir in flour, add seasonings - stir over low heat for about one minute.  From this point forward, must stir constantly.  Gradually stir in milk until no lumps remain.  Add bouillon and Worcestershire.  Cook over medium heat until desired thickness.  Add cooked chicken and almonds. I added rice to this, because it wasn't thin enough for a soup, but it was still too thick even as a sauce.  Plus, it was missing something, maybe added veggies l

My husband hates it and my mom hates it.  They hate my flower shirt.  It has a bunch of multi-colored bright flowers.  I call it my "spit up shirt."  When baby spits up on me, it just kinda blends in.  Lol.  And I will also wear it because my son loves the bright colors :) Since the above picture is one of Gregory sleeping next to me, I thought I'd also share a "sleepy eyed" picture.  My son gives us warning signs for when he's tired... he rubs his eyes and grabs his ears.

My husband has a gift for making perfect rice.  Me?  Not so much.  It either comes out still hard or soggy, just never "right."  But my husband makes it perfect every time.  I asked him to share his secret and this is what he said: 2 parts water to 1 part rice Bring water to a boil Then add spices (salt, garlic) and rice. Reduce to simmer and cover Simmer for 30 minutes or until the water is gone. If you still have water after 30 minutes and you cooked 1 cup of rice, then keep it on low heat, take off the cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

This past weekend, my husband took the baby monitor, got up early when the baby woke up, fed him, changed him.. then brought Gregory back to bed to say, "Good Morning, Mommy." Gregory leaned in; we touched noses.  Then Gregory's head went side to side in an Eskimo kiss!  My husband said, "Aww, that was great.  Breaks my heart.  You taught him how to give Eskimo kisses." It was a perfect way to greet the day.  Afterwards, the three of us went for a stroll around the neighborhood.  Some mornings Gregory gets special attention from neighbors who are also honorary Uncle Matthew and Aunt Cindy: When we arrived home, Daddy set up his iPad.  Mommy hid her face behind the iPad and played "hide and seek" - something my son loves to do - watch where a person will "peek" up from or around.  He giggled the entire time :) I had a heart break moment too.. a couple of days ago, Daddy gave Gregory a warm bottle.  It was in the afternoon.  Gre