Yummy Drinks

In honor of St. Patricks day, which is tomorrow, here are some drinks made from the fabulous green fruit...the lime.

Lime Slush Punch (fron Christmas Recipes from the Lion House cook book)
2 cups sugar
8 cups water
1 12 oz. can frozen limeade
5 fresh limes, juiced
24+ oz. lemon-lime soda (add as desired)

Combine sugar and water and heat slightly until dissolved. Add frozen limeade and juice of the 5 limes. Mix and pour into a shallow pan. Freeze. (I used a 9x13 pan with lid which was just perfect.) Can be kept in freezer up to three months. Remove from freezer about an hour before serving and break up into slush. Pour into punch bowl and add soda.

This is a recipe that my friend Erin posted on her blog. It is soooo yummy!
Brazilian Limeade

4 limes
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (maybe a touch more)
6 cups water
Lots of ice

Wash the limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges, leaving the peel on. Place limes in blender with the sugar, sweetened condensed milk and half the water. Blend in an electric blender, pulsing for only a couple of seconds about 3 times (this will depend on the power of your blender. If you blend too much it will become very bitter. The pulp should be blended up, but most of the peel should not). Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the lime rinds.

Add the rest of the water. I usually pour it through the stainer to pick up any left over flavor. Stir and pour into a glass with plenty of ice.

Don't make it too far in advance. It tends to turn bitter after a few hours.

JoElle's note: I would plan to buy at least 12 limes, because you have a can of sweetened condensed milk opened and you won't want it to go to waste. And, if you have a large family you're gonna want a lot :)

Two Year Old Attitude

The girls are in the dressing themselves phase now and are constantly wanting to change their clothes. Their pants and pajamas are what are in the dresser drawers and therefore what they have access to, but I don't think they would mind wearing pajamas all day. I have quite the time some times trying to get them dressed in the morning and as you can see in the pictures getting hair done these days is near impossible too. It used to be that a movie would keep them still while I did their hair, but now they see me coming with the brush and they take off running. I'm lucky if I can actually get it combed. I can see now why so many moms just opt to chop off their daughters hair.

Allyse has almost got it.

Keira can't quite get the pants over her diaper, but she doesn't seem to mind.

I usually buy their pajamas in a two piece set and am quite particular about having them wear the coordinating pj's on the same night. Apparently they don't take after me in this regard.

My Little Valentines

Pictures of the girls valentine cookie decorating play date February 13, 2009

Allyse's conversation heart creation.

"I think I can fit another one right...here."

Keira's creation...a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Keira was in heaven with all the different sprinkles and candies!

While the other kids went to the bedroom to play, Keira was sitting

at the table eating it up!

Click and drag on sphere then let it go!

I was getting our lunch ready yesterday and I asked Keira if she wanted some grapes. Her reply was, "No, I want some chocolate."

The other night I had a dream that I had access to a 24 hour buffet. Actually, I've been having a lot of dreams about food lately...hmmmm. What I wouldn't give to just be able to walk into my kitchen and have a variety of foods just ready and waiting to eat. I am so, so, so hungry all the time right now and it seems I'm never able to get completely full. It doesn't help that when I open my refrigerator or cupboards nothing looks good.

Three Under Three

On or near August 29, three weeks before the girls turn three years old, we will be welcoming baby #3 to our family. I figure we might as well announce because for those that can see me, my belly is giving me away. By the way I've popped you'd think I was having twins this go around, but luckily there is only one.

I'm feeling good, but I'm incredibly exhausted (therefore the lack in posting). I am just too tired! Napping with the girls used to be an option, but now it is an absolute must. There have been days when I was just too tired to go check what the girls were doing and as a result, such as on Monday, found that my mascara had been found and used to color our rocking chair, and on Tuesday 3/4 of a bottle of bodywash squeezed onto the carpeted floor. This of course was due to my neglect of putting said objects out of the girls reach. This is going to be a long seven months!

Oh, by the way for those who don't know, we took our condo off the market. With all the foreclosures in the area it just drove the prices down too much for us to sell and make it worth it. It's a good thing in a way because there is just no way I would have been able to keep the place in presentable order all the time. We'll try again when the market turns, whenever that will be and until then just make the best of where we are.