Dino Disaster!

Dalton celebrated is 4th birthday on Friday and the theme of the party was "Dinosaurs!" Kristin did a great job putting everything together and the kids loved it. I attempted to make a Dinosaur cake, and despite my best efforts...it was a disaster!
Let me start by saying I looked all over the internet for a cute but easy dinosaur cake idea. I finally found the perfect one at a sight called "Easycakes.com" So what could be easier?First, you bake a cake in two 6" bowls and one 8" round. Cool the cakes. Cut the 8" round into tail and head.
Level the top of the bowl cakes and split into two layers. Frost between the layers. Stack the first bowl on your plate or board, right side up. Frost and stack the second bowl and place upside down on top of the other bowl cake.

Attach the tail and frost with a thin white icing to hold in place. (So far...so good)
Take the leg section and slice it in half creating 2 pieces. Attach one piece on either side of the body with frosting. Take the smaller head section and spit horizontally. Secure a smaller head shape on either side of the larger one, creating a half football shape.
NOW THIS IS THE STEP I MISSED!
Push a cake decorating skewer through the body vertically about 3" extending from the top of the body. Push the head on to the skewer to finish your dinosaur.
When you miss this step...this is what happens!
( I left it for an hour or two while I ran errands and this is what I came back to! A decapitated dinosaur!)
I replaced the head, using LOTS of frosting, and then covered it with green butter cream frosting.
The original recipe had you make the eyes, teeth and back fins out of colored molding chocolate. Instead, I used "Runts" for the claws, and the teeth. (Candy corn would have made better teeth) I found "Sour watermelon" triangles and used them for the fins on the back. I frosted two lady fingers cookies and placed them on the sides for the arms.
This takes a ton of frosting!! That was part of the problem. I used so much frosting to hold it all together, that as we traveled to the party on the bumpy road, it just started to fall apart! By the time we got to Kristin's it was a pretty sorry dinosaur! As the structure fell and the frosting squished out the sides, he became more of a "squatty body" and looked more like a blow fish!
Tania had the perfect explanation. She said, "Let's just tell the kids that it got into a fight with Tyrannosaurus Rex!" (That works for me!)

Grateful for Grads!

We've had a busy, but memorable month...four graduations and a trip to New York!
Up first...Chelsea! She graduated from the University of Utah on May 7th! What a GREAT accomplishment and a great day! We're very proud of her determination and hard work! She's amazing. Doesn't she look beautiful and smart! (No "small brain" here! ;) Congratulations Chelsea!!

Next up... On May 26th Bryan received his doctorate in dentistry from NYU! (Not to mention he graduated WITH HONORS in aesthetic dentistry! Can I just say "WOW!" This is something I can't even imagine doing. I couldn't be more proud of him and his beautiful wife BreAnna! Luckily, all his family was there to help him celebrate! Congratulations! And...if anyone needs a fabulous dentist, I just happen to know one!
Then, on June 5th, Sean graduated from Bountiful High School. This is our last child to graduate from high school! (I can't stand it!) I still remember my mother at my high school graduation...she cried a lot harder than I did, and now I understand why. No more high school plays, musicals, dances, basketball and football games. Life changes dramatically after high school. Sean seems to handling it just fine...I'm the one who's struggling! He has worked incredibility hard since he started school 12 years ago and it shows! We're proud of him and his many accomplishments!


And last, BUT not least...Sean graduated with his four year degree from Seminary! I'm as proud of him for this accomplishment as I am for all his school accomplishments.
As I told all my kids, (and I include Bre and Chels) we are very blessed, and I am so proud of each of them! They are all so different...each with different talents and different challenges, but they get along so well and they love and support each other through everything! As a mother, there is no greater pay off!!

Only in New York...

Can you find someone playing bagpipes in the park.


Can you find a lake THIS big...in a park!

(...big enough to row boats on!)

Only in New York can you find traffic lights...in a park
eat the BEST Artichoke Pizza!!

Sink the "Titanic!"
watch my son officially become a "DOCTOR"
hug my FAVORITE baby!...and spend time with my favorite people!
Congratulations Bryan and Bre!!
...And WELCOME HOME!

Ouch!

About two weeks ago, I woke up with  canker sores on the bottom of my mouth.  They appeared out of nowhere and have continued to spread all over my mouth.  I just get a few of them healed and new ones appear.  I think I am on the last set.  (I hope!)  

I get canker sores when I eat oranges, strawberries, pineapple, tomatoes, nuts (including peanut m & m's!) and sugar.  I even get them when I go to the dentist.  (always around the tooth he works on.)

I have tried a number of things, and some of them help to shorten the duration of them, but does anyone know anything that will help PREVENT them?  Summer is coming and I am looking forward to all the fruits and vegetables in my garden, but these canker sores are a high price to pay for enjoying the bounties of the season.  Any suggestions?

Oatmeal Carmelites

Don't let the title fool you...I know they have "oatmeal" in them, but these are not really a healthy dessert.  They are however, a delicious treat and are easy to make!  (You can make it even easier by substituting the caramels and the cream with a 16 oz. bottle of "Mrs. Richardson's" Carmel Butterscotch topping or "Nestle's" Dulce de leche.)  They both work great!  These will keep in an air tight container for about three days and they freeze really well! 

I hope you like them. 

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
• 1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 14 oz. pkg. light caramels, unwrapped
• 1/3 cup light cream
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips  (you can also use milk chocolate)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (my kids don't like nuts, so I omit these when I am making them for my family)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9-inch pan and set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, soda and salt and blend. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Reserve half of crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan.

In a small bowl, combine caramels and cream. Heat in microwave oven for 4-6 minutes on 50% power, stirring twice during cooking, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.

Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over reserved crust. Drizzle evenly with melted caramel mixture and sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.

Senior Prom

I can hardly believe it, my "baby" just attended his Senior Prom! (He'll kill me for that one!)

Sean and all his friends gathered here before the big dance and I got to take a few pictures before they took off. They are such a great group of kids. Sean has been friends with most of them since elementary school. It's so hard for me to believe that they will all be graduating in a couple of months.

They had a great time. For their day activity they went to the local thrift store (DI) and purchased outfits for their dates which they HAD to wear to their activity, (ice skating followed by ice blocking!) Unfortunately, Sean didn't have a camera so I don't have pictures of everyone's outfit. But I did get one of Sean!

Then they came back and got ready for dinner and the dance. Following the dance they went to "Flips". (It's a local gymnastics gym.) They had a great time!
I think I am as sad as Sean that this is the LAST high school dance. We've been doing high school dances since 1994...I can't believe it's all coming to and end!

8 Years Ago..

Around this time 8 years ago, we were off to the airport to pick up Bryan, who was returning from his 2 year mission in Brazil. When I look at these pictures, it just doesn't seem that long ago. I remember this day so clearly! We were all so nervous and so excited! ( I think Bre might have been the most nervous!) Time flies! Now Bry and Bre have beautiful son, and Bryan will be graduating from NYU in May! They have accomplished a lot in the last 8 years and we are incredibly proud of them both!
Here are just a few of my favorite memories of that special day!
No explanation needed...

We took this picture the day Bryan left FOR BrazilCompare it to this one on the day he came home! Look at their faces! That says it all!
This is one of my favorite pictures of Bry and Bre. (Does she look a little flushed?)

I guess it won't be long until we do this again. Within a few months Sean will be old enough to leave on a mission. He's not sure when he will put his papers in. He might turn them in this summer, or he might go to school for a semester first. This just doesn't seem possible!
Time really does fly...unless you're the mother of a missionary!