Delivery #14

Cash has surprised me nearly every delivery time. He is not a demonstrative little guy, in fact there are days where I'm not even sure he likes ME! But every delivery he has made has been well thought out and sweet. Today he chose a cute little girl in his class. He had mentioned earlier in the week that she had lost her tooth during lunch. Then today he said he thought it would be nice to give her a treat. AND at the last minute he had me add a necklace to the delivery bag too. He said he made it special by winding two other necklaces together...so cute. Anyhow we hope her and her family enjoy!

Apple Week #4 Cashel's Carmeled Apple Cupcakes

Cash's choice today, he really wanted to make apple sugar cookies but we couldn't find a recipe so we decided on Apple Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting (I added the frosting part, I've always wanted to make that kind).
Finding 1/3 cup of butter on the stick

Cracking the eggs. Viv is the master egg cracker so she had to help her brother (mostly I think he doesn't like to get egg goo on his fingers).

We have gone through the cinnamon this week. Can't have apples without cinnamon I guess.

MMMMM Brown Sugar, butter and cream(we actually used evaporated milk)...its got to be good!

WOOOOWWWW! Best recipe we have done so far. We are renaming them Cashel's Carmel Apple Cupcakes!

Once again Cash made an excellent recipe choice!


Apple Cupcakes
Source: Cupcake Fun

Ingredients:
•2 eggs
•3/4 cup milk
•1/3 cup butter melted
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
•1/2 cup granulated sugar
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1 tablespoon baking powder
•2 cups Granny Smith apples peeled and chopped
Makes: About 18-24 standard cupcakes. Each cupcake serves 1.

instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat eggs with milk, butter and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to egg mixture; stir just until moistened. (Do not overmix.) Stir in apples. Pour into prepared pan 1/2 - 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 5 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.

BROWN SUGAR FROSTING
Printed from COOKS.COM

1 1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 c. milk (or half & half -liquid non dairy creamer is good too)
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Place first 3 ingredients in heavy saucepan. Mix until sugar is moistened. Bring to full boil, stirring occasionally. Boil exactly 3 minutes (soft ball stage). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Place pan in cool water in sink and beat contents until cool. This frosting thickens quickly once cool. If it gets too thick, add a small amount of milk and beat until spreadable. Frosts 9 inch cake.

Delivery #13

Viv's choice and she chose her best little boy buddy. She also chose him as her future husband about 2 years ago in the toddler years. This little guy is "ALL BOY" which oddly is something Viv totally relates to. She lives in a boy heavy household; most of the siblings are boys, most of the toys are for boys, the games and books are for boys, all the neighbors are boys. She's not a tomboy by any means but Viv knows boys, its her comfort zone. Put her in a room of girls and I can feel her awkwardness. She doesn't know princesses, or how to twirl, she isn't graceful, and complicated relationships just aren't her thing. So I think she appreciates the simplicity of just playing hard when she hangs with this buddy.
His mama has also been a huge influence in my spiritual growth. She was the first person I've met that shared the same search for answers to the same questions. She is one of those friends that spurs you on to another level and I am forever grateful for that relationship.
Today's delivery was pretty uncomplicated except that I had Viv and Cash as Delivery Fehries an they are both doorbell ringing chickens so I had to ring the door bell and run.
Enjoy!

Apple a Day #3

Viv's day again, she chose apple cookies. Like the Banana cookies I just didn't know there was such a thing as apple cookies. We are using apples that we picked at the orchard yesterday.

I'm loving the grated apple part, much easier that cored, peeled, and chopped.

Kai would like to add the butter his way! Which happens to be using his hands...little difficult with softened butter.

Add the oats, this recipe uses quite a bit of oats compared to flour.

Ahhhh! Best part, tasting the batter. The batter is so good, tastes like those little packets of Quaker Apple Cinnamon oatmeal.

I made the glaze a little runny. Final analysis, we'd make it again for the batter, the actual cookies taste a little too healthy but maybe that's because they are!


Aunt Hazel's Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix together brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
4. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, except for powdered sugar and milk. Stir until well blended.
5. Drop on cookie sheet and bake 9 to 12 minutes.
6. Mix powdered sugar and milk in small bowl and drizzle over cooled cookies.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com

Apple week field trip

Ok, when I grew up if you wanted to go pick apples you went out to the apple tree and picked apples. You knew to avoid worm holes, bird poop, and rotten apples. Suburban kiddos aren't born with this knowledge. Today we drove to the apple orchard, where we picked 5lbs of rotten, wormy, bird poopy apples and paid more per pound for the privilege of picking than I did earlier in the week at the grocery store. However, we had an awesome time.
This kitty greeted us as we got out of the car. From the look of his half-there ear, and funky foot we are thinking his name is Lucky (or Unlucky).

Cannon was the only one that could really reach the apples. Here is looking for worm holes, he thought anything less than 2-3 worm holes was acceptable.

Kai tripped on the irragation hose and lost his entire bucket of apples. So he is starting over.

Viv had an eye for a good apple, well at least she stayed away from the totally rotten apples.

The big boys

The whole crew.

Delivery #12

I'm going to post this before we have a picture because this delivery has no idea who we are. They moved in a few houses down earlier in the summer but we are just getting around to the welcome wagon. Welcome to the neighborhood! (btw we are in the first house in the cul-de-sac).
Ok now the kids are back. I sent Viv, Cannon and Cash on their own, its just a couple houses down. Here are a few of the 36 pictures that were on my camera when they came back.

Apple week Day #2

Kai and Cash swtitched days today because we are planning an after school trip to the apple orchard which would have us home too late for Cash to get something made and delivered. Kai chose his all time favorite food- Pantakes. Whenever you ask him what he wants for breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack he says Pantakes. I'm surprised we are this far into this project and just now making pancakes. We didn't want to make pancakes and then deliver them because they would get all cold and hard so we decided to make pancake mix and then make apple syrup to go with the pancake mix.
First off we have to take the stickers off of the apples. Have you ever thought to think about the person that puts stickers on you apples...what a job.

Next peel core and chop out apples. This apple slicer is one of our FAVORITE kitchen tools, this thing saves alot of time and cut fingers.

Chopping - apple stuff is hard to make!

Adding the sugar, if I made this syrup again I wouldn't add as much sugar, it came out really sweet.

Flour Fehry dust, we seem to have some on every project. This is our pancake mix.

We decided we needed to make some pancakes so we could try our syrup. They were YUMAPPLEDUMPLICOUS!

Don't know why we chose not to use forks!

Really liked this pancake mix, they turned out light and fluffy even with a fair amount of whole wheat. Like I said the syrup was a little sweet next time less sugar or maybe a little lemon juice, we also added a touch of butter and some vanilla to the original recipe.

Homemade Pancake Mix
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR
PANCAKES:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.
2. To prepare pancakes: In a bowl, combine egg and milk. Whisk in 1 cup pancake mix. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown
3. To prepare blueberry banana pancakes: In a bowl, combine egg, milk and banana. Whisk in 1 cup pancake mix. Fold in blueberries. Cook as directed above.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com

Cinnamon Apple Syrup

2 tart apples - peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons water

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon and water. Stir to dissolve sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until apples are soft and syrup has thickened. Serve over pancakes or ice cream.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com

Delivery #11

This delivery was to our old neighbors, not as in elderly, as in used to live next to us before we moved. They were such great neighbors! They have watched us go from young married couple to getting older married couple with 5 kids. We think they are great and still consider them our neighbors.
This was a tricky delivery because they live on a hill overlooking the road so they can see everything. Viv and Cannon made the drop then we drove down the road a little bit and waited until we thought they were back in side.
Enjoy!

APPLE WEEK!!!

Autumn is in the air so we have declared this week apple week!! We are going to only make recipes that use apples (plus apples are really cheap at the grocery store right now)
Viv and Kai were my Fehry helpers today. Viv said she wanted to make chocolate covered apple candy bars. Google...no recipe for chocolate covered apple candy bars. So she decided on just apple bars and we threw in some butterscotch chips for good measure.
This should be fun as both Fehries asked for their chocolate milk in bottles... they are playing babies.

Nothing like babies chopping apples.

Kai is the mixer boss.

Viv spreades the batter

Baby Kai Fehry is crying

Clean up, Clean up, Everybody clean up!

Yum diddly!


Apple Bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup apples - peeled, cored and finely
diced
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 8x8 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix melted butter with sugar and egg. Mix in flour, baking soda, and cinnamon, and then stir in apple and walnuts. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a small knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com

Delivery #10!!!!!! 10% of our Goal

This is one of Cannon's favorite friends from second grade. They have a cute connection, its fun to see these two interact. She isn't in Cannon's class this year but he wanted to let her know he was still thinking of her and that they were still friends.
I also think her mama is pretty great too!
Cash and Cannon were delivery Fehries, they have been stressing about these stairs ALL week but they pulled off the delivery without a hitch.


Love the doormat!

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate!!!

Cannon is still perfecting the chocolate chip cookie. Today he chose Chocolate Chocolate Chip. His only helper today was Kai Fehry; Viv was at the zoo with her preschool, Gigi was sleeping and Cash was downstairs having a piano lesson. Cannon and Kai did the whole recipe by themselves!

Had a minor Vanilla extract spill.

Kai is all business when he is helping Cannon.

That is some rich chocolate batter!

Delish!!


Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies I
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com

Delivery #9

Kai asks every single time we make a delivery if we are going to this house. This is where his best friend lives...she is my age. Being #4 is kind of an invisible spot. You get glommed in with all the other kids, adults don't usually take the time to get to know you, you are pretty much just considered another one of Heather's kids or more recently known as "that big two year old who hits":( That coupled with the fact that sweetness and friendliness rate very low on Kai's personality profile; means he is not super-endearing to most he meets. SO this person is very special to Kai because she has taken the time to get to know him, and sees the little spark that his mama knows makes him pretty cool. Today he said he ONLY loves her, Iron Giant, and Astro Boy. So she rates right up next to his favorite superheros. I also think she is pretty awesome and is just the sweet down-to-earth friend that I needed at this place in my life. Some friends you just feel were placed specifically in your life, she is one of them. AND we think the rest of her family is GREAT too (including her mother-in-law who is so sweet). AND she is the one who gave us the veggies...lol! We love you guys!

Some like it hot!

We got a big bag of veggies from a friend's garden so we are straying from the usual baking to make SALSA!!! No recipe here we just fire roast all our ingredients in the oven on broil. Then we add salt, lime, cumin and cilantro and blend it up. Kai's day today so he wears the wings.

We love our kid safe knives, we ordered them a few years ago from Pampered Chef.

Cannon taking the seeds out of the peppers.

Cash trying his hand at peppers.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Broil

Blend it all up.

YUM!