Baby Elle, and Cars

One of the things I love to do with my grandkids is cook. Williams Sonoma has made plenty of money on me since I became a grandma. I have cup cake pans, miniature petifours, a trackter cake pan, barn waffle iron and lots of cookie cutters, and pancake molds. Tanner I learned to my sadness doesn't like to actually help make the cup cakes, he just wants to decorate them. In some ways its less stressful , but I do like the whole process. It was so fun to decorate them. I was walking around the grocery store and found these cookies that looked just like tires. Then as I was going through the store I thought about fruit snacks and then thought how fun it would be to use them as people. It was a BIG hit. Anyway, here are the cupcake cars.

Scones

Well, once again I regret not bringing my own camera. I am a camera girl and should not leave home w/o it. Since I have been at Lizzie's I have been making scones for Tanner everyday. Lizzie made bread and put it in the dough state in the freezer. So first I put some frozen bread dough in the fridge overnight, the next day made him scones (fried bread) that looked like bread sticks with cinnamon sugar on them. With the left over dough I made a small loaf of bread. Well, fresh bread... who can ever get tired of that. Well, next day Tanner says he wants scones again, I take the frozen loaf out put it in the microwave for a very short period of time, cut off some of the dough and put the rest back in the fridge. Well, this went on, fresh baked bread, scones until the dough ran out. I laid in bed, who knows why I was awake! but thinking about scones. I decided the next day to make bread dough, divide part of it up into balls the size of the amount for scones, put them in plastic wrap and then split up the rest of the dough into loaf size wrapped them in plastic wrap and put all 3 loaves in a zip lock thinking the saran wrap would keep them separate...WRONG! I had to pound them on the counter then pry them apart with a knife. Next day I take out the dough ball, pop in the microwave for a minute and a half on 30% power and presto, dough thawed and ready for scones. When we need bread, I just put dough in the fridge the night before, (you can put it in the microwave also, but trickier) next morning shape into a loaf, set out on the counter and then later let it finish rising in a warm oven and bake it! Fresh bread instead of frozen thawed bread. It has been great. I think because it kind of has two raising periods it is even better than normal. Anyway, I have decided to do my bread this way in the future, and when I know I am having grand kids come, I will have some balls of dough for scones!!! Fun! Plus it will be so easy to take some dough out early in the day when we have company and have fresh bread w/o the mess!! Very cool!

Well, I am exhausted, but in a good way. I miss my hubby, and my life, but I wouldn't do it any other way. I am grateful I am healthy enough to help my kids with the new babies. Plus I feel so privileged to be with these perfect spirits as soon as they get here. I feel very blessed!

Love you all!!

Baby Elle!!

Baby Elle, was born on Feb. 4th in the evening. These pics are all when she was less than a day old. I will do more tomorrow.