Senior Ditch Day

The key to having THE BEST Senior Ditch Day is to make sure that you tell your Mom about it the night before so she's not yelling at 7:00 AM telling you that you missed the bus and complaining because she has to drive you to school.

Can Opener

My "Hot Tip" for you today is to buy stock in Can Openers.

We started out our marriage with one can opener.  It was a decent can opener and had a long life.  I'm glad I didn't get too emotionally attached to it.  You see, It met it's demise when my children started learning how to use them.

A manual can opener is not very difficult to use.

Put the two gears on the can lid 

squeeze the handles until you hear a "pop" 

and start cranking.


Enter my children.

When they were little, maybe their little hands couldn't quite squeeze the handles.  They "usually" asked for help at this age.  Or, they just went ahead and tried to open the can which led to an unopened can and a broken can opener.

For awhile, I kept an extra can opener hidden, just in case this happened.  Eventually, that extra can opener became "the" can opener, and then, well, may it rest in peace....

We had one of those electric can openers that you placed on the lid and it did it's thing, cutting the can on the side, so you don't cut your hand.  That one lasted for awhile, until....well, I'm sure you can guess what happened.

RT and I were at a baseball game when I got the urgent text from Bella.

Yea.

Another one bites the dust.

Nick did put it back together for me.  And, I bought a backup, because we know it's only a matter of time...

When you make your millions from my stock tip, I hope you remember me and, maybe you can buy me a can opener or three?

Vegan Diaries - Vegan Brownies

Still doing the Vegan thing over here.  I'm not strict about it, but, try to avoid dairy when I can.  In fact, we stopped buying milk.  Only Alex was drinking it.  The gallon went bad, and I decided if he wants milk, he can go buy it.

Found this recipe here.  Bella loves brownies and thought I would make these for her after her dance recital.  They turned out pretty good.

Vegan Brownies

ingredients:
1 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 flax eggs*
3/4 cup brown sugar **
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (not melted)


directions:
Oven to 325F.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave.
In medium bowl, whisk flour and bakings soda until combined.  Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix flax eggs, sugar and oil until combined.  Add water and vanilla.
Add this to the dry mixture and stir for a few minutes until completely combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour into greased (or parchment lined) 8x8 baking dish.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Let cool before cutting.



*for one flax egg:  1 TBSP ground flax to 3 TBSP cold water and let sit
 (obviously, for two you will have to double this recipe)

** I used a little over 1/4 of brown sugar

Tastes a little coconut because of the coconut oil.

Optional:  Add chopped nuts.

Enjoy!

Dance Recital 2018

The videos are up on YouTube.  I know.  I'm actually getting the hang of this uploading thing.  The recital was yesterday, and, lo and behold, I've uploaded the videos already!

Bella's hair came out of the bun when she was doing some of these dances.  It makes it easy to pick her out.



Advanced Ballet

Toccata & Fugue

Defying Gravity


Jazz Hip Hop

Glorious

The Greatest Show

Outta Gas

I know I've mentioned how my family members are willing to lend me their car when it needs gas.

I had a bunch of errands to run and RT said I could use his car.  I was excited because Alex took my car and I had things to do (people to see and places to go).  As I'm walking out the door, RT yells, "Sorry!  It needs gas!"  It didn't just need gas eventually, it needed gas NOW!   I was afraid I wouldn't make it to the gas station.  Luckily there's one that's about three blocks away.

I'm not sure what it is with running the car down to empty and taking a chance on whether or not you will make it to a gas station in time.  I think my family enjoys the thrill it brings them.  I just wish they wouldn't share this "thrill" with me.

It Worked

I think my letter to Winter has worked!  Spring has sprung around here.  Flowers are blooming.  The sun is out a lot more.  The temperature has warmed up.

I'm still keeping the boots and winter coat around.  I don't want to jinx anything.

My Weird Dog

With all of these "My Weird Dog" posts, I'm starting to realize that Pippen really is weird.  I'm also worried how people say that dogs are just like their owners.  Does that mean I'm weird?  I hope not.

Pippen is pretty good when left at home alone.  Well, really good, I guess.  He doesn't get into any trouble (tear things or do his business in the house).  All he does is sleep.

If left for long periods of time, he can be quite clingy when we return.  It's either that or he gives us the stare down while we are watching TV.  His face says, "You left me!"

If everyone is gone during the day, for two or more days in a row, Pippen will go in the dirty clothes bins in the laundry room and pull out a pair of RT's socks.  At first, I would find RT's dirty socks in random places.  Like, in the middle of the basement.  I thought, "Why does he throw them there, when he could walk a few more feet and toss them in the laundry room?"  Then one day, my dirty socks were in the middle of the basement and I realized I knew the culprit.

Not only do we find dirty socks in the basement, I've found them in the family room.  Our laundry room is in the basement, so, Pippen is carrying around RT's dirty socks throughout the house.

Bella came home from school the other day.  Pippen was laying in his usual spot in the living room.  Next to him was a pair of RT's dirty socks.  She took a picture of him with the socks.  He didn't move at all.  Again, probably upset that Bella interrupted his nap.

I try to remember to tell everyone to give Pippen extra attention on days when no one has been around all day.  It's hard to remember, though.  I'm thinking maybe he should just get a job sorting laundry.