REAL Hot Cocoa

Is so much better than the stuff you get out of a packet.  LOVE it.

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
4 cups milk, divided
1 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa and 1/3 cup milk in sauce pan to form paste.  Add remaining milk and stir.  Warm but do not boil.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Enjoy!

Brownie Cookies

Some of my all-time favorite cookies!  I tried to look the recipe up on here and couldn't believe it wasn't here!!  Fave, fave, favorites!

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soday

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup + 2 tbsps butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

Cream the butter and sugar and then add the eggs and vanilla.  Separately mix dry ingredients and then add to butter mixture.  Drop on cookie sheets and bake at 375 for 9 minutes (unless you're using stoneware, in which case bake for 15 minutes!).

I'm not even going to make excuses

There's hardly time. I'm skipping the pleasantries.

Instead I'm going to tell you that Powell quit playing with playdoh today so he could play 'hide and seek' with Christopher. It was adorable. And they were laughing hysterically. It was wonderful.

Here's a bunch of pictures in an attempt to catch up...

 Powell's preschool class went to Fritz's and the coterie theater.  We had some amazing one-on-one time : )

 My Man's been working on our front porch/patio step by step for a little while now.  This is how looked during Halloween (there's one teeny tiny step left).

 Here we are!  The Wizard of Oz cast!

 Maryanna's Halloween treats she took to school.  Lola described them as 'they're in the hot tub, Mom!' Totally didn't get it at first, but so cute!

 Night of Halloween.

My Angry Bird 

 My Lion

 My Dorothy

 What can I say?  We're all foodies!  This was at her preschool party.

 Powell's preschool party.

 Carving Jack O'Lanterns

 Finished products.  My Man carved about 4 of them.  I did the owl in the time that he did all 4.  Slightly irritating...

 The spread for Christopher's party.

 lion cupcakes

 Soccer game halftime entertainment...

 Just let me eat the cake!!!

 Found these on pinterest.  So yummy!  These were caramel kisses which didn't 'smush' as uniformly, but were very tasty with the salty pretzels.

 Hot cocoa treat bags.  The card read, 'warmest wishes'!

 My first attempt at cake pops!  So yummy - it's a good thing I haven't made them before or since!!  Side note:  not as easy as they look!!

 Lion cake : )

My baby pre-haircut!!!

Whipped Cream Frosting

Love this! So light and yummy! Got it from my mom who got it from a long time friend.

1 16 oz whipping cream
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup powdered sugar

Place dry ingredients in bowl then pour in whipping cream and whip to desired consistency! (some people add a tad bit of vanilla, actually I think almond flavoring would be excellent).

My kids look so old!

I mean, don't they? They look so old to me! I feel like I have thousands of pictures just like this in my future... Is it just me or am I being a tad sentimental this afternoon? Anyway, Happy Halloween!

This little stinker is going to end me.

End.

Me.

And what's up with this?! Are you TRYING to look 16!? Grandma, if you had anything to do with this, you're in trouble!

I'm not even goint to touch this. He just makes me smile. And I can't wipe the smile off....

Was the butterfly a little much? Oh, who cares. It was so much fun!

I think we're cheering here... I don't really know.

L's like, 'why are we here?'

Maddie and Nana. two peas in a pod.

Camo and pirate. They are gonna love that I posted these :-)

The Ghostrider. We discussed a way to make his hair burn, but none of them seemed practical.

Home and hopped up on hot cocoa.

Mine...

Chris's.... I mean Powell's and Maryanna's.

They were in serious negotiations over the candy.

And that was our Halloween in a nutshell. It was a great night!