Cold Shoes

It has been a great year for snow.  And it has been cold enough that most of it has stayed.  This is me lying on my driveway with my legs propped up on the snow.  It is extra deep here, because it gets piled up when we shovel, but there is a good three feet in the middle of the lawn.  Happy Winter friends!

Birthday Shoes--look closely!

Birthdays are so fun.  But they are also a reminder that my children insist on getting older--and by extension, I am getting older!  Most of the time I can somehow delude myself into thinking that I am the same as I have always been, but when my babies hit milestones it's hard to pretend I'm still seventeen.  Or even twenty-seven. (I age by decades.  I really did feel about 17 until I hit 27.  I think I'll just stay at 27 for a while still.)

Enough about me.  Birthday boy is six years old!  Happy birthday you sweet, stubborn little man.  Here is your Transformers cake.  (I know when you asked for a Transformers cake you were expecting a 3D Bumblebee--like the Cake Boss might make--but this is still cool, right?)

And, here are your birthday shoes.  Some people might think they are silly, but I knew you would love them.  I love you, Munchkin.

 (The cake is strawberry---not meant to look violent.)

Favorite Breakfast

mmmmmmm.  A friend of mine recently mentioned how much she loves baked oatmeal.  Baked oatmeal?!?  I did not know such a fantastic thing existed.  I will never be the same.

My recipe: (I've made it several times now, and tweaked it until I love it even more.)

Mix together in 8x8 pan:
2 cups oats (quick or not, either way)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (maybe a little more)

In a separate bowl mix:
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2 TB melted butter
1 large egg

Pour the liquidy stuff over the dry stuff, mix together.  Sprinkle all your favorite oatmeal things on top. (I do raisins, craisins, frozen blueberries and chopped walnuts.)  Tap down a bit, bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. (Depending on how set you like it.) Eat plain or with milk. (I pour milk on mine, and then drizzle a teeny bit of maple syrup on top.)

Mmmmm... Happy New Year!