Day 231 - Kitty love

She loved petting this "kitty" through the glass. I had to pull out the jaws of life to pry her away from this kitty.

Day 230 - Mama and baby

We loved the elephants. This is Mama and baby both munching on a Christmas tree. How cute is that baby!

Day 229 - Trip to the Zoo

We loved how close we could get to the snowy leopard. What a beautiful animal!

Day 228- Snow day Equals...

THIS! Mmmm...

Day 227 - Hot, Hot, Hot

(For the record, one day I will actually clue into the fact that I need to have my camera set for speed whenever I am around my children.)

These picture are the result of my children egging each other on to try some hot salsa. The boy did much better, but sister soon realized in a battle of heat, she was no competitor.

Day 226 - Under the weather

It is surprising how language evolves. Take the phrase or idiom: "Under the weather". This is what my child is... under the weather. But where does that come from, how did people come about using it to the point that I can say that phrase and you will instantly know what I am referring to. Supposedly it is a nautical term that when a sailor was ill, he was kept below decks, and thus, under the weather. So for now, we will keep her "out of the weather" until she is feeling better.

Day 225 - Blazing

Looked like the night sky was on fire.

Day 224 - Chocolate making finished

Here is the completed product. When he started this process, I was really skeptical about what the finished product would be. I was supportive, but it seemed like a lot of work for something I was more than willing to pay money for. I am no more a skeptic! This chocolate is amazing. The flavor is so full and smooth. It also melts instantly on your tongue - he claims that is a flaw in his tempering, but I find it an amazing sensation. So for a chocolate lover, I am in heaven!

Day 223 - Chocolate making continued

36 hours later...

Step five: Temper chocolate. For those not familiar with this process, Tempering chocolate is the technique used to stabilize chocolate through a melting and cooling process so the chocolate will set firm and shiny at room temperature. There is actually a lot of science behind it.

Step Six: What another 24 hours for the chocolate to set.

Day 222 - Chocolate making

While most people cannot fathom the appeal of making homemade chocolate, beans to bar that is (I was one of those people), my husband has been pining away at the idea. Apparently making chocolate from beans is done by relatively few companies in the united states and the idea of being among the few in the know was very appealing to him. As well as the fact that he loves fine chocolate.

So here is the process: (Mind you this is over the course of a few days)

Step one: Roast cacao beans. (See pic here) Adjusting temperature and stirring as you go.

Step two: The cacao beans are cracked and winnowed, that is, their outer shells are cracked and blown away, leaving the crushed and broken pieces of cacao beans, called "nibs."

Step three: The cacao nibs must now be crushed and ground into a thick paste called chocolate liquor (there is no alcohol in it). Chocolate liquor is pure chocolate in liquid form. (See pic below) Repeat this step several times to make this as smooth and shell free as possible.

Step four: Place Chocolate liquor and other ingredients including sugar, cocoa butter, milk, etc. in a chocolate melanger for the next 12 to 36 hours. Checking frequently and scraping down sides hourly.

Day 221 - Leaving the scene of the crime

This child spent some good times shredding Styrofoam when I caught her in the act. (Those little white flecks in her hair are not dandruff) She tried to make a run for it, but of course the evidence speaks for itself. (This was my 1st time using Photoshop- obviously need some practice. :)

Day 220 - Arts and Crafts

We have been cooped up for the last few days due to one member of our family being sick. So to help curb boredom, we did a little craft. It is similar to paper mache, but you use yarn and a corn starch glue. He loved it. Sister however got some of the glue on her fingers and immediately requested a wipe to clean them off. They look really cute hanging in our kitchen.

Day 219 - A plan

It has been building for awhile. The desire, that is, to more actively build up our food storage.

I think I began feeling more urgent after I had kids. Sometimes it seems that they can't go 20 minutes without being hungry. What was I going to do if we were really in a predicament? There have always been excuses though (and for the record mostly from my husband, though I don't think he was purposefully sabotaging my plans because his concerns were very legitimate) No space, not enough money, no shelves to put it on, no plan in place to rotate it, etc. etc. I started to stock pile some food willy-nilly and while it did make me feel better, I really had no idea how long it would last me. (It could have been a week and I wouldn't have had a clue.) So finally, after an astounding 8 years, we sat down and put together a plan! It was harder to do than I thought, because we wanted it to work for our family and incorporate lots of different things: long term, short term, a little frozen, a few just add water things, and we both had to agree on what we would store as well as fit it all in our budget. In the end, I was surprised at how exciting it was to see it start accumulating and know that we had a goal with an end in mind. Finally!

Day 218 - It Grows!

Do you remember those little "pills" that you put in water and they miraculously turn into funny shaped sponges?

It is a long story, but we got some to try out and can I say, they were a huge hit.

99 cents made for hours of play and entertainment.

Day 217 - Deal Day

Today has started off with a smashing beginning. First, I was able to score this:

11 boxes of cereals for just over a dollar a piece using coupons and sales. (Plus they are my favorite Cereals!) Next, I went to the car wash to clear off some of the winter grime, when a man who was fixing it, just so happened to complete it as I drove up and let me have a free wash to test it out. Sweet!

If you are interested in scoring the cereal deal here is how it breaks down:

Go to the awesome website King dealio and print off 2 buy one get one free coupons here and here. (That should total 4 Buy one Get one free coupons, just hit the back button after the first - you do need to sign up for special K's website, but totally worth it) Next print off two coupons for 1.00 off Kashi Cereal here. (hit the back button to get two) and Print off a target coupon for 1.50 off 3 Kashi Cereal here as well as 2 coupons for 1.00 off 2 boxes of Special K and 1.00 dollar off 3 special k products. (That should be 10 Coupons - You can use both the Target and manufactures coupons to get 11 boxes for a little over 12 dollars. (Plus Kashi Cereal and Special K are currently on sale at Target) I don't know how long those coupons will last, so good luck!

Day 216 - After effects

There is nothing like a good meal, I am just not a fan of the pile of dishes afterward. Lucky for me, my hubby made them disappear. We had Panini's, Spinach and artichoke dip, carrot au gratin, cranberry fruit medley to drink and an orange pineapple cake for dessert.

Day 215 - Fruit of the Gods

You may not recognize these, but I am sure you have eaten them before. These are Cocoa beans or cacao in their unrefined state. My husband is bound and determine to turn these into delicious chocolate. More to follow, I am sure.

Day 214 - The White stuff

Twist, Lick, Dip. Mmmm.

Day 213 - The cut

I chopped my hair. It has taken some getting use to. I don't think I have had bangs like this since I was 14. I was one of those poor souls, who as a child sported a lovely 80's bang. I think you could use the word "epic" (as in grand in scale) to describe it. As a result, I have had a bit of an aversion to them, but figured enough time has passed to help me forget the stigma. What do you think?

Day 212 - Melted

It is a tradition every year in December to make our own caramels, fondants, toffee and dip them in Chocolate. This year we got a late start, but it was worth the wait.