Lefse

The kids and I were invited to make Lefse over their Winter Break with a lady whose grandparents came from Norway, I believe.  Being the amateurs we are, she had us make the kind using flour instead of potatoes since it's supposedly easier to work with.  I think we need quite a bit more practice, though.  None of ours were uniform like hers. 

See?

But we still had a great time!  They tasted good, too.

Jordan's Birthday

Even though Jordan's birthday was April 27, we celebrated it this last Saturday. His request was Mexican food so we put together a Mexican Fiesta for him. The menu was Chicken Enchiladas, Carnitas, Carne Asada, Miami Black Bean and Corn Salad, Mexican Rice, Cilantro/Lime Rice, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole and Chips, and Fruit Kabobs. It was a lot of work, but so fun and worth it! Many thanks to his 2nd mom, Kathy for all the recipes she emailed me - we used most of her family's favorites and then some!
Of course, what's a day at the lake without going for a spin around it or casting the fishing line in?

Jordan's dessert request was cheesecake and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Wish my cousin Cheryl was here from AZ - her cheesecakes are out of this world! Since she wasn't here, Costco's had to suffice.

Happy #17 Jordan! Wow. . . .

Loved the cute little chili pepper picks and had to add them to the cheesecake.

Jordan and his cousin Kayla modeling some of the party decor.

February Birthdays

We celebrated three birthdays in an 8 day period.

Brooklyn turned 9.

Keith edged closer to the big 4-0.

Jaeden has reached the ripe ol' age of 10!

This was the first year for the kids to not have a homemade birthday cake. Kinda missed it. Keith's mama made him his usual lemon meringue pie. Yum! Glad she came through 'cause with working, I forgot! That was definitely a first in 11 years. Oops. . . We made up for it by going to the beach for a few days, though.

Macaroons

Jaeden and Brooklyn love to cook and bake.

Brooklyn's latest endeavor yesterday after school: coconut macaroons. Now if we can just work on getting them to look like the beautiful macaroons in Paris bakeries. . . . .
They were a hit with everyone but Jordan. Keith loved them and as a result, they didn't last long!

Overheard this morning: Jaeden telling Brooklyn "Come here and fight like a man." Seems to have gotten her ire up a bit! Wonder why...

Another Wedding

Last week, I had the opportunity to help prep and serve food for a wedding of some friends of ours. The wedding was held at the Schmidt House in Tumwater, WA.

A pretty little pool strewn with flowers

The amazingly talented Kathy, mother-of-the-bride, with a brother-in-law whose wedding we attended last year.

The beautiful, beaming bride, Kati with her father

Can you feel the love???

Kati & Forrest

The wonderful buffet for the guests

I wish I had taken a picture of the crab cakes and salmon tarts that the mother-of-the-bride made.
What you can't see is how delicious everything was! The cakes were also made by the mother. Lemon with raspberries and lemon curd (the best ever!), chocolate decadence, white chocolate and strawberries, hummingbird cake, etc.
All of the bouquets and flowers were done by an aunt of the bride. This family is truly filled with the most talented, kind-hearted, sweet people. It was such a pleasure working with all of them and getting to know them a little better! Of course, spending time with the family's first grand-baby who was just 3 weeks old was a wonderful plus!

More wedding pics can be found here.

Cheesecake Recipe

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

with Gingersnap Crust

(Super yummy & very easy to make!)

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 5 hr 35 min
Makes: 16 servings

What You Need!
25 Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

1/2 cup finely chopped Pecans

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves

Make It!
HEAT oven to 325°F
MIX crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 13x9-inch pan.
BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.
SPOON half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers; swirl with knife.
BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.

*****************************************

I made this for a potluck a couple of weeks ago and it was a huge hit! It's rich so a small square goes a long way. Perfect dessert for fall. Let me know if you make it - I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

Chocolateness

I don't think I ever posted this picture from back in February. I wanted to show off this beautiful cake that our niece Kayla made to celebrate all the February birthdays in our family. There are 3 in our immediate family alone! Sorry for the flash reflection, but isn't it pretty? Kayla's only 15! Don't you think she should start a business? Love the browns and turquoises. The cake was delicious, too!

♪ Happy Birthday, Jaeden ♪

Jaeden celebrated his 9th birthday on Sunday.

He baked and decorated his own cake this year. He wanted to, and it was a huge help with the rest of us being sick. Lemon with cream cheese filling and lemon frosting. Hard to believe this is his last single digit year! My, how fast they grow. . . He enjoyed a spaghetti dinner - compliments of dad.

♪ Happy #9, Jaeden!!! ♪

♪ Happy Birthday, Boo ♪

It was a good one, in spite of being sick.

Fruit Tarts

Jaeden brought a book home from the library that was filled with easy recipes for kids. We decided to do the jam tarts only we were out of jam! So instead, we spooned in frozen mixed berries and sprinkled with sugar. They turned out good according to kid standards! Mom thinks we need to find a new recipe for the dough though.

The missing tarts prove that we taste tested them! Mmmmm....good.

A fun after-school project while Jordan and Dad are off taking a gun safety course.

We hope you're enjoying your week so far!