Rain

Rain, rain go away, come again some other day. Little Bella and Kai want to play. Rain, rain go away.

All my excitement for spring is dampened by all this rain and possible snow!!! Snow in April?? For the following four days our forecast is rain! Everyday Kai wants to go to the playground, he hasn't grasp the concept of rain equals no park, yet. So I've got to think up of some rainy day activities for us to do.

Today, we tested out a new vanilla cupcake recipe and it's a keeper. I've got to remember to add it to my recipe book. It is what a cupcake should be; light, fluffy and most of all delicious! I love Jimmy's recipe for devils food cake so I haven't been searching for a replacement, but I have to work on a brownie recipe, I guess that's tomorrow's project. Except, I ran out of my favorite Valrhona cocoa powder so I have to make do with the cocoa powder that I have on hand. It's a nice one, but it doesn't have that deep dark rich chocolate flavor that I love! Maybe I'll try a recipe that calls for melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder.

Or maybe chocolate chip cookies! We just got in some yummy chocolates from Italy and I could put them in cookies...hmmm. The only problem with all this baking is, I have to eat most of it (Kai eats the other half). I'll have to get exercise some how in the rain! I think I'll take them to the weekly Mommy Cafe get together. (I haven't been to one yet, but as soon as it stops raining I think I'll give it a go and meet some moms.) So until then, I get to munch on all the treats.

• Thanksgiving cards for family. Done.
• Test cookie recipes....still testing.

Okay, so now I have to mail the cards. Hopefully that will get done tomorrow. I tested a new cookie recipe from a magazine and decided that it will not be one for giving this year or any other year. It just wasn't our type of cookie. It had cream cheese in it which made me want to try it, but once made it wasn't as good as I thought.

I made the famous MacMillan family shortbread the other day and the whole pan is almost gone. Primarily consumed by yours truly. I forgot how addicted to those cookies I am! This year I added vanilla extract in the mix, which is not in the original recipe, and it tasted like those packaged Walker's shortbread!!!
Hopefully, the family will like my addition to the shortbread. I thought about turning them into turtle bars by adding caramel, pecans,and chocolate but they are just fine the way they are. It would be too sweet with all the other toppings (I made a batch and it's almost all gone).

I wanted to go to Toys R' Us today because they are having a 2 day sale this weekend on toys, but I don't think I'll get to it. It is so hard taking Kai out in public now, he just wants to do what he wants to do. I rather not deal with a toddler tantrum in public. I just don't have the energy right now.

Jimmy came home sick after his cake contest yesterday so I didn't make the beef stew (that is tonight's dinner). Instead, I made him a pot of chicken soup with orzo. He is a little better today, but still feeling under the weather.
We always get sick when the temperature goes up and down like it has been doing lately.

Tomorrow, I plan on making vegetarian moussaka and Sunday is junk food day....I'm thinking mini-sausages in the crock pot with bar b que sauce and mac n' cheese. Then to continue testing recipes.