Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup quick oats
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1. Pour boiling water over quick oats and set aside
2. Cream together all other ingredients.
3. Then add oatmeal, mix well.  Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan.
4. Bake at 350* for 35-45 minutes.
5. Topping: in a saucepan mix together 2 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/3 cup coconut, and a little milk.  Cook until butter is melted.  Pour over top of baked cake.

First Day of School

Yesterday was the boys first day of school.

Caleb started fourth grade,

and Gabe started Kindergarten.

Caleb kept saying this is going to be

the worst school year ever,

because his brother has to ride the bus with him.

They both seemed to have a pretty good day.

Because of the hurricane they had a 2 hr delay.

Which will probably never happen again on

the first day of school.

Gabe told us that he got a time out

when they were waiting to leave.

Apparently a boy was shaking his butt

in Gabe's face and he didn't like it,

so he smacked him.

He also keeps trying to let his backpack on the bus,

He doesn't like to wear it so he takes it off

and the forgets about it.

Since it was the first day of school,

I let the boys pick what we had for supper.

They picked corn dogs.

Gabe

Caleb

Walking to the bus

Gabe talking to the heifers

Yesterday the house was so quite.

It felt so different.

Gabe loves school.

Derek was trying to ask him about it this morning

and he said, "I got to go."

and started running out the lane.

I am hoping they both have a

wonderful school year!

The Boys Surprise

Today I took the boys to visit their teachers,

and see where their classrooms were.

Caleb didn't want to go,

 but I took him anyway.

He liked his teacher.

It is funny there are four kids from his preschool

class in his class this year.

He hasn't had classes with hardly any of them

and this year their is four of them.

He doesn't really remember them though.

Gabe like his teacher. 

He has two kids from his preschool class.

I am glad that he will know somebody.

It is going to be fun on Monday getting them

out of bed and ready for the bus by eight.

The have been staying up late and

sleeping in.

While we were visiting teachers,

Sam texted me and said he had a surprise at home.

I thought it was a new calf,

but I was wrong.

It was the boys 4-wheeler that hasn't worked

for about a year.

They were so glad that it is fixed.

Gabe was so happy.

Before he was too little to reach the brake,

so he wasn't allowed to ride.

Now he can reach it.

Chocolate Cream Cake



Ingredients:

• 1 package (18-1/4oz) devils food cake mix
• 1-1/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Prepare and bake cake according to package directions.  Using a 9x13 pan. ( I put wax paper in the bottom of the pan so it is easy to flip. )  Cool 10 minutes and then flip onto a wire rack.
2. For filling, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and flour. Gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate until cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until fluffy.  Beat in milk mixture and vanilla until smooth.  Split cake into two horizontal layers; spread filling over bottom cake layer.  Top with remaining cake layer.
4. For glaze, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa and cornstarch.  Gradually add water.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
5. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until glaze is smooth.  Cool til lukewarm.  Spread over top over cake.  Let stand until set.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Florentine Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 package( 10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• Hot cooked spaghetti

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the spinach bread crumbs, parm cheese, and eggs. Crumble hamburger over mixture. Mix well.  Shape into balls.
2. Place meatballs on a baking pan and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 24-28 minutes. 
3. Serve with spaghetti sauce and hot spaghetti.                                                                                  

Reptile Show...

Yesterday the boys and I went to

a reptile show at the library.

It was suppose to be back in June,

but the guy, Jesse Rothacker,
 was sick so they had to reschedule.

The boys were so excited.

They like to watch snake shows on tv all the time.

Caleb thinks that he want to have a pet snake.

( I think not!)

So I wanted to see what he would do up close to a real snake.

Gabe wasn't too sure at first but then did good.

He was afraid they were going to have

a venous snake.

Caleb got picked to help Jesse

They were doing bearded dragon languages.

an African tortoise...

corn snakes...

a milk snake,
which he tried to say was a poisonous coral snake
since they almost look alike.

a black rat snake...

an austrailian python...

green iguana

a baby alligator...

boa constrictor...

 

 

and the boy who touched the snake was:

 

 

Gabe petting a corn snake.

 

 

Caleb said it was too embarassing to pet it.

 

 

 

Gabe finished his kindergarden outreach yesterday.

He is doing really well writing his name.

He wouldn't write it for me before,

because he couldn't do it right.

Hopefully one the first day of school he won't fuss too much

about going to school.

Only a little over a week til school starts.

This summer went fast!

Cooking Chicken in The Rain...

Yesterday we were suppose to have a

baptism and picnic at our house.

Things didn't quite happen according to plan.

We still had the baptism.

The ones that got baptized got baptized in the rain.

Sam was making chicken we just had to cook it

in the shed instead of outside.



Gabe Playing in the rain.


The boys had fun playing in the mud puddles,
while Sam cooked the chicken.
The chicken turned out very good.
We cooked 84 pieces of chicken and
only had sixteen left over.

 

Instead of having the meal at our house,

we went back to church and had it there.

It was a very good meal,

with lots of yummy desserts.

 

Gabe and Logan were then pretending they

were the worship team.

I never have my camera when I need it.

Corn, Corn, Corn....

This past week has been busy.

We did lots and lots of corn.

I helped do 1800 ears!

Wow! That is a lot of corn.

I have 50 bags of cut of corn and

21 containers of crushed corn,

which I use to make baked corn.

I didn't take any pics this time,

but the boys took a few.

I was so glad to have corn this year,

last year our sweet corn got sprayed (by accident).

The year before it didn't do very well,

so we were glad for the corn this year.

We are going to busy this week too.

We are getting ready for the baptism,

we are having here on Sunday.

Sam is going to make chicken BBQ.

Plus they need to finish doing hay this week.

 

 

Gabe has been going to an outreach program

to get him ready for kindergarten.

I think it is going to be very hard for him

to get up and get ready for school everyday.

Hopefully he adjusts quickly and gets a good teacher.



More Mountain Pictures

Here is more pics from when we

were at the mountains that I never posted.

A few of them are from a friend that I just got.