Happy Easter From Mack

Here is the latest and greatest from my little man at the Superstition Mountains!
I love that this picture makes Mack's neck look even more non-existent. Love him.

#4 and #5

We made #4 for Mack's birthday party. A chocolate ice cream cake with a ganache frosting. I am still dreaming of this cake. Thank you Sandra Lee... Here is the recipe..

Line 1 (9-inch) cake pan with plastic wrap, with 3 inches overhanging. Spread softened ice cream into lined pan in a smooth, even layer. Freeze for 3 hours, or until frozen solid.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour 2 (10-inch) round cake pans and set aside. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Using a spatula, divide batter between the 2 prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each pan to loosen cakes and remove from pans.

While cakes are cooling, heat heavy cream (1 cup)in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbling around the edges. Remove pan from heat, add chocolate morsels (12 ounce bag of semi sweet), and stir with a whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until cool and slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Spread ganache on top of and around sides of both cake layers, keeping layers separate and not fitting together yet. Refrigerate entire cake for 1 hour, or until ganache is set.

Place 1 cake layer, ganache side up, on a serving platter. Remove ice cream from pan, peel off plastic wrap, and place on top of cake layer. Place second cake layer on top of ice cream, ganache side up. Freeze until ready to serve, but let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before serving.

For #5 we decided to make ribs. I have never made them before so I was intrigued. We made our own BBQ sauce and it turned out ...fine. Nothing to write home about, therefor I am not adding the recipe. And if anyone out there has a good rib recipe, send it my way.

One More Round

We went to Disneyland a couple weeks ago and I thought I would document to occasion. This is our little family. Yay for Disneyland! Mack loves the Carousel. It is his favorite ride. Yes he still loves the gold pole. We could have a rocky future on our hands. On a side note, Mack puked in my hand after this ride. Fantastic.

I love this kiddo. I wish I would have gotten a picture of him walking to the Disney characters, he LOVED them.

I had to take a picture in this Johnny Depp Madd Hatter Hat. (the movie was excellent by the way. -other than the semi dissapointing music... did anyone else think it was just a lame mixture of Charley and the Chocolate factory and Edward Scissorhands?)
In the Indiana Jones tunnel. ...of love.
This was fun guys! Want to do it again in, oh... 3 months or so? Done.

The First of Two

Mack has two wonderful sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles that love him. This year those two families had conflicting schedules which led to .... TWO BIRTHDAYS PARTIES FOR MACK!! ..lucky kid.

I am feeling guilty for not having a big friends included party. But what the heck, a one year old isn't going to know the difference right? And there is always next year for those anyway.

This is party number 1 with the Theriot family. Woo, those Theriots know how to party:) Mack loved the cake I made him - A cookies and cream ice cream cake covered in delicious ganache! ..k, maybe I loved that more than he did.

I still can't believe my little boy is one.

I call for a recount

I was complaining to the gals at young womens about Mack loving to poop in the bath. If it was one big poop that would be one thing, but Mack puts out lots of little gems for me. Gross.

I told them his max number of poop was 15... but i think this picture holds 16.
A NEW RECORD!!!

..Dreaming..

Today I am tired.

I am tired of school.

I am tired of my teething child.

I am tired of cleaning my forever dirty house.

I am tired.

I have been day dreaming of going back to Coronado Island where me and Cody spent our honeymoon. We stayed at the Del Coronado Hotel, which I am in love with. I love it's old glamor. Everything is so beautiful and romantic. I am missing the cute ice cream parlor moo time creamery. I miss eating the delicious breakfast outside on a patio that overlooks the beach. I miss relaxing on the beach without anything to do.

Is it too early to go on a second honeymoon?

Dinner #3

Last week for the meal that me and Cody decided to make together was fresh corn and avocado salad!!! This was fantastic!! The salad dressing was light and delicious! I especially loved the fresh sweet corn. oh, and we decided to add cubed grilled chicken- it was so good. If anyone would like the recipe I will include. Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad

6 ears corn

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (we omitted this because we don't love raw onion)

1 large avocado cut into 1/2 in. cubes (I added 2 avocados.. extra delicious)

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp. champagne vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra - virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook corn until warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water until cool.

2 Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, onion, avocado, and basil in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients to make the vinaigrette, whisking until blended.

3. Cut kernels off cobs and add to salad: pour in vinaigrette and toss gently.

Big Mack

Today my little Mack turns one year old. I can not believe it! This past year has absolutely flew by. Here are some pictures to show how lucky I have been this past year. Happy Birthday Mack. I love you.

An Enigma Wrapped In a Riddle

Dear Cody,

Today when I sat down to have a delicious bowl of Coco Pebbles (Thanks Dee for the Coco Pebbles, or actually thanks to your mother-in-law) I noticed that you had accomplished the Maze on the back of the box. I am so proud of you!!! When Mack gets to be 8 years old you and him will have to fight over who gets to do the stupid games on the back of the boxes :)

We were sent an adorable valentine this year by my aunt Errin and the Arnold clan over from San Diego. They sent us a ginormous sucker with their picture on it all crafted in cuteness. After V day was over I was going to throw this sucker away but I thought better of it. Mack LOVED it.. I am sad I didn't get a picture after he was thoroughly suckered. The sucker kept getting stuck to his fat belly, which made him scream. It was disgusting ha ha.

Codes got to clean this one up (thank you girls night for being perfectly timed!!)

The best day of my life will happen in 3 days

All you naysayers I don't want to hear it! Alice in Wonderland is going to be amazing! Just look at this trailer and try to tell me that it doesn't look so good. How can you go wrong with the Tim Danny duo I ask you? Visually this movie just looks beautiful. Almost every single scene has some sort of special effect.

I can't wait! I can't WAIT!!!!

Is anyone else out there as excited as I am!?!

oh and doesn't Helena Bonham Carter look freaky! ..and Johnny Depp is his usual hotness, even in his M. Hatter gettup!

Night #2

For our culinary masterpiece this week we chose to make homemade pizza. The first one was fresh mozzarella and pepperoni with stuffed crust and the second was fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Too bad i put the tomato under the cheese- it made it look semi strange.

Cody says that the next thing we will make is a turducken (a chicken inside of a duck inside of a turkey) Ha ha ha keep dreaming Cody!