Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ainsley didn't want to get her "favorite"shirt dirty so she "had"to take it off

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are a Clark Family Favorite and the girls were really excited to make them afterschool on Monday.

Here's our recipe (Company's Coming Most Loved Treats)

Hard Margarine (or butter), softened   1cup
Brown sugar, packed                          2 cups
Large eggs                                          2
Vanilla                                                 1 tsp

All purpose flour                                  2 cups
Baking powder                                    1 tsp
Baking soda                                         1/2 tsp

Quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)  2 cups
Semi-sweet chocolate chips                  2 cups
Medium, unsweetened coconut             3/4 cup

Beat margarine and sugar in large bowl until light and creamy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Beat.
Combine flour, baking powder and soda in a small bowl.  Add to margarine mixture.  Stir well.
Add remaining 3 ingredients.  Stir until well distributed. Drop, using 2 tbsp. for each, about 2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake in 350*F oven for 8-10mins until golden. Let stand on cookie sheets for 5mins before removing to wire racks to cool.  Makes about 5 dozen :)

WOOOO HOO It's FINALLY Up!!!!

I bought this calender for my girls, atleast 2 months ago, at Staples. It was something like $19 (Canadian), which I thought was a little steep.  BUT I thought if I mactac the hell out of it I could get LOTS and lots of use from it while educating my little ladies.
So  needless to say months, rolls & rolls of mactac and LOTS of patience later we finally have it hung up in our playroom! 
Grampy rescued this big dry-erase board from his office (pre-retirement) for us to hang it on....we quickly realized it was not magnetic so we had to move onto Plan B (packing tape).
 All of the dates/months/days of the week are held on with velcro dots from the Dollarama (since I mactac'd over the slidey holes...which would not have stood a chance in this house). 
Our Daddy (Wayne) works outside so you can ALWAYS find the weather network on in the a.m because of this our girls are very intrigued with what's going on outside our windows.
The weather chart is a HUGE hit with Ainsley(6yrs).  She charts the weather with the dry-erase marker and watches for patterns and trends in the weather.  Ava(3yrs) LOVES LOVES LOVES the weather wheel and it's little spinning arms (Thank you Dollarama for the pretty purple brads*)
Ava often wakes up and runs to my bed yelling out the weather forcast for the day "Mommy wake UP! It's a Sunshiny Day!!" or "Mommy GET OUT of BED!!  It's wet and rainy out there!"

I LOVE this set up for many many reasons but most of all for the fact it helps me in my argument for appropriate dressing for the weather.  If your weather wheel says windy and snowing then there is NO argument for sundresses.
I have to Thank my sister-in-law for finding this at her Staples in Niargra Falls.  I have wanted one since Ainsley was a toddler but had no idea where to look.

Salt Dough Ornaments

This year the kids have an artificial tree of their own (oh so spoiled I know...but I bought it 2nd hand for $20) to hang all of their many many holiday crafts on.
To start the season off we did salt dough ornaments on Wednesday.

They are fairly simple.  To start you need:

2 cups of flour

2/3 cup salt

3/4 cup of water

Combine flour and salt in large bowl.  Slowly stir in water until it forms a ball.  Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3mins.

Then roll out and cut shapes with cookie cutters.

Don't forget to punch holes for ribbon (to hang)

.Bake for 30mins at 300*F...Cool then paint.

Then I seal mine with clear acrylic sealer spray (do this outside or in a well ventilated area because I gagged my family out this year....ooops)

Usually I use christmas wrapping ribbon to hang these on the tree, but because I used the funnel to make my holes this year the kids were able to slide the ornaments right onto the branches of their tree.

Lasagna Roll ups ...Mmmm Mmm so good :)

I have so many things to post from this week that I couldn't decide what first...so I went with something all together different and then I'll go post crazy when the kids & Dad go to bed :)

Tonight for supper we are having one of our new family favorites!
I got this "recipe" from a friend of mine and we now love love love it.

You need :

Lasagna Noodles (NOT oven ready)

spinach (fresh or frozen)

sauce (canned or homemade)

parmesan cheese

ricotta cheese

an egg

mozzarella cheese (grated)






Boil your noodles as directed and your spinach (if fresh) then drain.

In the meantime mix ricotta cheese, 1/2cup parmesan cheese, 1cup mozzarella and egg together...later add chopped spinach...in medium bowl

Then roll out noodles flat and smear mixture on

Then roll up

Add about 1/3 of sauce to bottom of casserole dish, then put roll ups in

then pour remaining sauce over and bake at 350*F for about 20 mins....then  I put more mozzarella over top

an heat til melted