ANOTHER Snow Day. In March!!!

I cannot believe we got another day of snow! The monkeys and I spent two hours playing in our yard until there was almost nothing left to play in. It didn't last long, but they sure did enjoy it!

Take a look at that tree! It was so pretty and pink against the snow.

Fried Cheese

Don't make these if you're looking for a healthy snack*. It's not. It's fried cheese... but it's SO good! If you have children at home there's a good chance you have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already. I cannot give you exact measurements but I can share with you what I did.

You'll need to gather:
4-6 mozzarella cheese sticks (you know, string cheese)

2 eggs, beaten

about 1/2 c flour

about 1 1/2 c seasoned breadcrumbs (or panko if you've got it)

oil for frying

Heat the oil to med-high. Cut the cheese sticks in half and dredge in flour. Dip floured cheese in egg, then roll in breadcrumbs, back into the egg, back into the breadcrumb. (This gives it a nice thick coating. You'll be glad you did it!) Leave your cheese sitting in the breadcrumbs until you're ready to fry them so they all go in at the same time.

Carefully place breaded cheese in hot oil and cook for a minute or so. Turn and cook for another minute or so. They really don't take very long... don't walk away!

When they're golden, remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with pizza sauce or dipping sauce of your choice.

Math is hard work! This monkey deserved a little snack break.

*A healthier alternative would have been to coat a sheet with oil and bake them instead of frying them. You'll need to do some research on your own for oven temperature and times. ENJOY!

First Day of... Spring?

In the Pacific Northwest the weather can be unpredictable. And crazy! This really is one thing I love about living here. It's supposed to be spring. Well, actually, officially, TODAY is the first day of spring but it sure doesn't feel like it. I've put off starting any seeds and wish more and more that I had a mini greenhouse to get things started. (I just don't have enough space in my kitchen!)

While it may seem as if I've vanished over the weekend, we've actually been pretty busy with family! Our cousin graduated from nursing school. We are so very proud of her.

CONGRATULATIONS, JEN!

The monkeys got to spend some much needed quality time with their cousins. What do you think? Do they look happy???

I am thankful that knitting is portable. While on the road I was able to work on this hat (a test pattern for a friend) and managed to finally get it completed. It was a fun project to work on and I'll let you know more about it when the time comes. If you're a knitter, you'll want to have this pattern in your collection!

Our Snow Day

That's it, I'm afraid. Just the one day. It took us until March but we got it!

Just last night it was blustery and raining, so much so that our play area was flooded. Looks like some ducks would be quite cozy here, wouldn't you say?

Only a short 12 hours later the same spot mostly covered in snow! No, it's not a LOT of snow, but a couple of inches for us is something to mention.

The monkeys and I got ourselves bundled up and went for a walk in the neighborhood. It was a quiet and peaceful morning walk. By using our master tracking skills we could see where some dogs had been taken for their morning walks, and even saw where a bird was hopping around, possibly looking for the occasional worm for breakfast. They should have looked on the next street over as there were MANY worms wriggling around on the surface of the snow...

V E R Y S L O W L Y - Yep, bird food!

There's nothing better than coming in from playing in the wet snow than changing out of your wet jeans and sitting in front of a heater so nice and warm and dry. I'd say I've got a couple of happy little monkeys today!

As I write this, it's snowing again. The boys will spend some time at the kitchen table coloring and cutting out their plants and zombies and I'll be working busily on some more rubber stamps. I hope you're enjoying your day, too!

Mmmmm.... Muffins!

Our Favorite Banana Muffin Recipe

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 large bananas

3/4 c granulated sugar

1/3 c melted butter

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tins by adding paper baking cups or grease lightly.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In large bowl, mash bananas, then add sugar, melted butter, and egg. Add dry ingredients from small bowl to banana mixture and stir just until combined. (Stir in chocolate chips or nuts at this time if desired.)

Divide batter evenly between cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Simple Pleasures

I woke up this morning to find these guys shaking in their carton. Sorry little eggheads... gotta feed the monkeys!

Banana muffins don't have to be the same boring breakfast item. Fancy them up with a few sprinkles or chocolate chips (or BOTH) for a fun treat. You don't have to be a small child to enjoy this simple pleasure!

“If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!”

― James M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Transferring Images

This morning I carved a very special stamp for a special little someone using his very own handwriting. I discovered transferring images when I made Mom's sock monkey stamp the other day, designed from a photograph I had taken of an actual sock monkey I had made for her.

The monkeys often take their Legos and Minifigs along with them and I worry that they'll get lost. I hope this little muslin bag does the trick in keeping them safe!

Yep, my two little monkeys busy busy with all of their creativity. Plants vs. Zombies has been their "thing" this week. They've been researching images, drawing and coloring pictures to cut out and play out their adventures. I simply LOVE them both to pieces!!!