G.G.'s Chocolate Sheet Cake

This is the absolute best chocolate cake recipe you will ever have.  It's a family recipe handed down from my grandma.  She uses pecans in the cake, but since I'm allergic, I leave them out and the cake is still delicious!

this beautiful photo is by my friend Mauigirl!

Here's the recipe!  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/GGs-Chocolate-Sheet-Cake/Detail.aspx

My Famous Sweet Baby Carrots

Here is my "famous" sweet baby carrot recipe.  Adapted from a recipe my grandma Bev gave me.  The recipe calls for 1/2 a cup of butter - which is fine if you will be serving with bread that you can sop up the extra liquid with...if not, use 1/4 cup instead.

 photo by apple.streudel 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Baby-Carrots/Detail.aspx

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Alfredo

This was so easy and so delicious!  The only change I made to the recipe was I that I cut the chicken into cubes prior to placing them in the slow cooker.

Recipe:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-italian-chicken-alfredo/detail.aspx by TLSmith from Allrecipes.com.

I couldn't get a really good photo :(

The Best Red Velvet Cake

This is the best red velvet cake I've ever had!  And it was so easy to make!


http://allrecipes.com/recipe/savannahs-perfectly-ravishing-red-velvet-cake/detail.aspx

Mmm...White Chocolate Oreo Truffles

I am making White Chocolate Oreo truffles for my friend's baby shower. Here's the recipe:  http://allrecipes.com/personalrecipe/63073581/easy-white-chocolate-oreo-truffles/detail.aspx

The naked truffles before they are dipped in chocolate:

Here are some truffles after they were dipped in white chocolate:

Here are some truffles after being dipped in white chocolate that was colored blue with food coloring:

Ridiculously True Tales of Being a Parent #142

When you stare at your sleeping baby, not because you are overcome with love for them, but because you are trying to figure out how to get the giant booger out of their nose without waking them up.

New Year's Resolutions - 2012

I'm a firm believer in making New Year's resolutions.  Unfortunately, I've never been too good with following through on them.  This year, I am hoping to change that.

• Be healthier: I am always watching what I feed the kids to make sure they are eating healthy.  I'm also constantly telling my daughter how important exercise is for you body and mind.  But when it comes to myself, I don't listen to my own advice.  I eat things that I know are terribly unhealthy...not always, mind you, but I do it.  Whether it's fried, processed or dripping in butter, I know what I am eating is wrong.  But it tastes soooo good!!  And at the end of the day, I usually find an excuse to keep my feet up and relax, rather than do a half hour of exercise.  Then I come across photos of myself at 18 and see how good I looked and I start to cry...then I drown my sorrows in some Ben & Jerry's.  It's a vicious cycle :) So, Resolution #1 is to treat my body like a temple.  Not a boring, tasteless temple, but a fun and exciting temple.  I vow to make better meal choices, and to force myself to exercise a few times a week - even if I'm too tired...or American Idol is on...or I want to finish my book...
• Go back to school:  Ha!  I already conquered this resolution!  I went back to school in November of 2011!  Yea for me!   So Resolution #2 is to keep going full steam ahead and earn my degree.  I am so proud of myself!! :) :)
• You're Rubber, I'm Glue...:  There are a couple of people in my life who are toxic and try to get a rise out of me.  Well, you know what?  Here's what I have to say to you about it:  I'm not going to let that happen anymore.  I'm not in high school anymore and I don't want to play high school games.  Just because you never grew out of acting like a teenager (and it's been a long time since you've been one) doesn't mean that I have to respond back in the same way.  I will still greet you with a smile and not let you rain on my parade.  Even though you are a big poo-poo head.

So there you have it.  Those are my resolutions for 2012.  Nothing too extreme, and all easy to accomplish.  Happy New Year all!

My loves!