Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Applesauce Muffins

I'm on a blogging roll today! It feels great to be getting caught up.
(It's amazing what I can get done while Avery and Lexi are at school,
Ruby is sleeping and Eli is playing with his cars.)
This blog is my journal so it's really important to me that I record as much as I can.
Anyway, a while back my sister-in-law, Michelle,
and I were talking about how we need to share more recipes with each other.
It's easy to get stuck in a recipe rut. I'm always looking for new things to make for my family.
I recently discovered some muffins that all my kids LOVE.
This recipe makes 15-18 muffins that they are always gone in a day.
So I had to share it. I hope your kids like them too Michelle.
 
Applesauce Muffins
 
Ingredients:
 
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter
1 egg
1/4 c. honey
1/2 c. milk
2 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cloves
1 c. applesauce
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a muffin pan with liners, set aside.  In a medium bowl, cream sugar and butter.  Add egg and mix well.  Add honey, milk, and all dry ingredients and mix until well blended.  Stir in applesauce, just until blended.  Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let sit a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!
 
Note:
 I don't use muffin liners. I just spray my pan with Pam.
I made these use half whole wheat flour and half white flour and we didn't notice a difference.
 

Ruby Smiles

One week ago, Ruby started smiling.
She was 6 weeks and 2 days old.
And it was the best day of the year so far.
Her smile is amazing!
A week later it still melts my heart and literally brings to tears of joy to my eyes.
When she first smiled, I just enjoyed that precious moment.
Then I texted Sean.
Then I immediately tried to get her to do it again while trying to get a picture.
These are the best I got with my phone...

 






 
Then I tried to take a video of her smiling and lucked out.
Her smile is infectious! I felt so blessed that I was able to record it and share it with Sean.
I feel bad that he misses out of things like this while he's at work.
 


New Years Interviews and Resolutions

We had a Family Home Evening lesson about making goals.
I challenged the girls to make some goals for the new year.
...
Lexi's goals are:
 Read more information books
Make more friends
Memorize a new scripture every month
Read from the Book of Mormon
Be nicer to her family
Clean the toilet every week
Lean how to draw better
Improve her handwriting
Save money
...
Avery's goals are:
Start to read
Write all the letters
Learn her friends' names
Follow the Golden Rule
Hug and kiss her family more
Clean her room
Use an inside voice
...
Our Family's Goals are:
Take turns teaching FHE every week (Now the girls each get to teach once a month too)
Read a column out of the Book of Mormon every night
Teach the girls the stories in the Book of Mormon so they can tell them
Eat at least five big bites of your dinner
Do secret services for each other
Call one extended family member a week
Have family prayer everyday
The kids spend more time with a babysitter while we go on more dates
...
I also interviewed the kids:
 
 
 


Picture-A-Day (December 2014)

These are the last pictures from my 2014 Picture-A-Day Challenge.
I made it to the end of the year! I'm so proud of myself. And so relieved to be finished.
I am not doing the challenge again this year. It's just too stressful.
Plus I think I do a pretty good job taking pictures anyway.
...
December 1st - Eli loves kissing his baby sister.
 


December 2nd - Ruby all clean after a bath.
 

 
December 3rd - Another sleeping newborn pictures.

 
December 4th - Lexi was so excited to put Ruby in her doll's outfit so they could match.
 


December 5th - Cuddling with my baby.
 


December 6th - Eli insists that he holds Ruby too.
 


December 7th - The girls all ready to go to their dance recital.
 


December 8th - Lexi showing of the really big whole in her smile.
 


December 9th - Avery loves holding Ruby.
 


December 10th - Halle and Avery being twins.
 


December 11th - Ruby the nerd.
 


December 12th - Wearing their matching Christmas jammies.
 


December 13th - Decorating our gingerbread house.
 


December 14th - Sean and Ruby.
 


December 15th - Lexi the nerd.
 


December 16th - Eli is so big compared to Ruby.
 


December 17th - Eli the nerd.
 


December 18th - Lexi all ready to go to her Christmas Orchestra Concert.
 


December 19th - Eli loved the reindeer glasses that my parents sent him.
 


December 20th - After work cuddles.
 


December 21st - Sleepy Ruby.
 


December 22nd - Avery loves kissing Ruby.
 


December 23rd - Ruby. Sleeping again.
 


December 24th - All ready for Christmas Eve dinner.
 


December 25th - One month old!
 


December 26th - Giving themselves make overs with the make up they got for Christmas.
 


December 27th - Ruby is one popular baby!
 


December 28th - Lexi is such a good helper.
 


December 29th - These two are so cute together!
 


December 30th - This is what Eli did to entertain himself
while I was on hold with the insurance company.
 


December 31st - Happy New Years Ruby!
 



Picture-A-Day (November 2014)

November 1st - We went up the canyon and walked around Silver Lake.
 


November 2nd - Lexi showing off the new whole in her smile.
 


November 3rd - Working on their work books while Eli plays with his cars on the couch.
 


November 4th - Cousin bubble bath. Austin wasn't too sure about the bubbles.
 


November 5th - Lexi's class shirt.
 


November 6th - The kids watching Curious George and eating cereal while I sleep in a little longer.
 


November 7th - The girls made a fort with their bunk beds.
 


November 8th - Sean dancing with a bunch of little girls at Timmy Greenwood's wedding reception.
 


November 9th - Lexi likes writing little stories now.
 


November 10th - Eli getting his bedtime stories. We read the same books every night.
His animal and car books.
 


November 11th - Eli sleeps with so many blankets and stuffed animals.
 


November 12th - The girls showing off their prizes from their new dentist.
 


November 13th - 38 weeks pregnant.
 


November 14th - Lexi wrote a poem.
 


November 15th - My friend Jena's daughter, Paislee, passed away when she was six days old.
We went to a memorial for her. It would have been Paislee's second birthday.
 


November 16th - Sean is our kids favorite chair/bed/horse.
 


November 17th - Lexi made me a card since I was having a hard day.
 


November 18th - I love checking on my kids while they're sleeping in their beds.
Eli is always sleeping upside down in his bed.
 


November 19th - Sean's half birthday.
 


November 20th - Elf hunting.
 


November 21st - Lexi likes to read Eli his bedtime stories now.
 


November 22nd - Night time walk in the snow.
 


November 23rd - Eli loves playing with our Little People.
 


November 24th - Eli loves bring all of his bedding into the living room.
 


November 25th - Ruby was born!!! Best day of the year!!!
 


November 26th - Staying in the hospital.
 


November 27th - Bringing Ruby home on Thanksgiving Day.
 


November 28th - I can stop taking pictures of Ruby.
 


November 29th - Sleepy newborn.
 


November 30th - Sean lovin' on Ruby.