Cookie pops and book worms.

Last night I helped run a bake sale at the elementary school for the annual "Battle of the books". Zoe has entered this fun event for the last two years, anything to get her reading more books is a bonus as far as I am concerned. She loves reading but having someone else pick the books is fantastic, it's like a tween version of my adult book club.

Her team didn't win but they had a fantastic time which makes all the effort worthwhile.

So I baked my butt off yesterday, green jelly slice for Saint Patrick's day, lemon cupcakes with mango frosting and chocolate mint cookie pops.

I love bake sales, seeing all of the fun and fantastic things other people create, some healthy and some not so healthy (mine). A big thank you again to all the wonderful ladies who contributed to the sale.

Isabelle's yummy beer buns were a hit with the ladies. I must have this recipe Isabelle!!!!

And her chocolate cookies, a few ended up coming home to my house.

Get a load of these meringue nests with cadbury mini eggs, these things disappeared very quickly. What a cute Easter idea, way to go Natalie.

My treats were the one's all full of food coloring to get the kids all razzed up. Nothing like a hit of green and red food dye to get the kids going!!!

Cookie pops are my new thang!!!

Here's the recipe.

Chewy chocolate sandwich cookies (womansday.com)

Recipe Ingredients

2 bars (4 oz each) bittersweet chocolate, broken into 1-in. pieces
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp each baking powder and salt
1/2 cup mini–semisweet chocolate chips


Mint or Coffee Buttercream Frosting


Recipe Preparation


1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Put chocolate in large glass bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds, until chocolate is melted and smooth.


2. Stir in sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt until blended. Stir in mini-chips.


3. Drop level tablespoons 11/2 in. apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes until cookies are puffed and set. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.


4. For each sandwich, spread 1 Tbsp buttercream frosting onto bottom of cookie; add a popsicle stick, coffestir stick or lollipop stick,press another cookie on top. Refrigerate in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.




Buttercream Frosting.

 3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp milk
1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract


Recipe Preparation


Mint Use 1⁄4 tsp peppermint extract instead of vanilla; add a few drops of green food color.
Coffee Dissolve 1 Tbsp instant coffee in 1 Tbsp hot water; add instead of milk.
Apple Instead of milk, add 1 to 2 Tbsp apple juice until spreadable.

Christmas bazaar sneek a peek

This Thursday I will be taking part in my first market, not as a customer but as a vendor. I'm pretty excited to be sharing my jams and jellies but wanted to add a few crafts to my table to keep it interesting.

I had an old frame I purchased earlier this year for a couple of bucks on one at my thrifting adventures and thought it would make a great display for the table.

My apologies to the artist but the flowers just didn't do it for me. The frame is in amazing shape so I simply pulled out the canvas frame.....

Wrapped it in some cotton batting and linen, whipped out the staple gun and presto......back in with the framed canvas.

Here's a sneek peek at what I've been doing when I should have been doing housewifely stuff.

If you're in my neck of the woods on Thursday afternoon please pop into the Lavington gym and say hi and buy some goodies from me. Mates rates may apply, although there may be a secret handshake required to get the deal!!!!

I'm sharing a table with my pal Sam who makes the most divine crochet and knit accessories, so keep an eye out for us.

I'll be sure to update later on for those who aren't lucky enough to live by me!!!! hehehehehehe

The money raised from the rental of tables goes to the school PAC so that we can buy fabulous things for our fabulous kids.

Thursday 9th December

Lavington Gymnasium on School road.

4.30 to 8.30

Be there or be square.

If you are interested in booking a table or want to know anything about the bazaar, you can contact wonderful Miss Lyndsay, who also makes fabulous goodies and will have them there to buy,

keepsakequiltz@yahoo.ca

 or phone 250 2753449

Enough self advertising for now.....tootles.

Mom-a-razzi

My poor kids are slowly getting used to mommy ramming the camera in their faces every waking minute of the day, so much so that now Zoe follows it up with a snarky.....are you going to put that on you BLOG????

Countered quickly by my usual answer.......maybe......or maybe I'll keep them for you wedding day slide show!! I do feel like the paparazzi some days.

These pics are not pretty, glamorous or well taken, they are simply here to document the disbelief I feel when I see how quickly my girls are growing into little ladies. This is the morning of first day back at school, Zoe starting grade 5 and Marley starting full time, 5 days a week kindergarten.

I've always taken pics of Zoe on the first day of school in front of the little apple tree in our yard, they can both grow old together and now Marley has joined the club.

Boo hoo hoo hoo.

   

Outside their wonderful little school on their first day.

Marley is catching the bus home with her big sis today, I am trying my best to have faith in the bus supervisor to make sure my baby gets on the right bus, maybe I'll have to become stalker mom and drive there to watch from the parking lot......someone slap me now!!!!

Back to school....

Check out all the great back to school printables over at my delicious ambiguity, I don't know about you guys but I always start off the school year with good intentions of being on top of everything, keep the kids organised and their lunch kits full of fun and creative goodies. Then something happens and it fizzles out to sandwiches and granola bars.

Does anyone have any creative ideas out there for lunch kits yummies or ideas on how to stay on top of crazy schedules??