More Pics from Deep Creek Lake, 2

Beating up Uncle Franco.




At Swallow Falls.


Feeding the ducks, a favorite passtime.


We may be camping, but we're still princesses.

More Pics from Deep Creek Lake

Courtesy Enzo


At the beach.


Almost got Mary to look.


At least I didn't burn down the house.


I think I'm gonna hurl. But look at those abs.


The whole group.

Northville Summer Carnival

Mary Kay is in Boston this weekend so Derek and I took the girls to the Northville Summer Carnival. It was ROCKIN'!!! A hot dog the size of my pinkie was a bargain at $3.


We got cotton candy.


Enjoyed by everyone, some more than others.


That is Katie and Derek on the Himalaya, Katie's biggest ride yet, I think. One person came of the ride laughing. The other did not. To her credit, she did go on another big ride, Catch the Wave, and really liked it.

Fun Things to do with a Mac

Make silly pictures

I'm in the running

Not really in the mood for that!



This is the closest I've gotten to her laughing on camera.





Sleeping in...

This is one of my favorite recipes

Cinnamon-Swirl Raisin Bread

1 1/2 c warm milk (110-115 deg)
1 c mashed potatoes (w/o added milk and butter)
1/2 c butter or margarine, melted
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
2 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 c warm water (110-115 deg)
6 1/2 - 7 c flour
1 1/2 c raisins

Filling:
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

In a large bowl, combine milk, potatoes, butter, sugar and salt. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add potato mixture and 2 c flour; beat until smooth. Fold in raisins. Stir in enough remaining flour to form soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 min. Place in greased bowl, turn, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and divide in half. Roll each into 16x8" rectangle. Combine cinnamon and sugar. Here is where I do my own trick, which I have found to make it better (more moist). Spread about 1 tbsp oil onto the rolled out dough before sprinkling cinnamon sugar mixture over it. (That was a trick from another recipe, which this one does not do.) Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over rectangles to within 1/2 " of edge. Foll up, starting with short side. Pinch seams to seal. Place seam side down into 2 greased 9x5x3 pans. Cover and let rise 30 min or until doubled. Brush with butter. Bake at 350 deg for 40-45 min.

It is to die for.

I made brownies

This is my new favorite recipe.

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

This is another thing I've noticed about blogs. They pose pictures a lot. For example, in my brownie shot, I've got the milk next to it, just for a little something special. In knitting blogs people often put their knitting in trees or flower beds. It makes me laugh. Anyway, this picture is me trying to be "artsy."

Also, in this batch I tried adding caramel to them and that did not work out so well. Perhaps it was because my caramel wasn't really caramel but buttermilk syrup. Anyway, don't do that. They never really sat/came together...but they were still tasty.

I think they are easier and better than brownies in a box. Cheaper, too.

Contest Update 2

Derek asked if an all text post would count. I initially said no. I'm going to retract that and say an all text post DOES count but it has to be interesting. You can't just post, "Hi." and call it a day. However, if you have some interesting news you would like to share with everyone and don't want to send a mass email, it will count. I have not yet determined a point value for all text posts because I don't know exactly what people would do with them. I think it would be on a case by case basis. :)

Alina's new trick

Mary Works on Her L's

Mary has made significant progress on her ability to pronounce l's.

Mary Napping

We went to Costco. Mary fell asleep.


Notice that she looks like she's still pouting while napping.


Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince.

Deep Creek Lake

Some pictures from Deep Creek Lake.


Mary and Ryan


Katie and Mary helping Michelle with Ryan


Group photo at a man-made whitewater rafting course (we didn't go)


Making Mexican food for the Italians.


Katie always the helper.

Contest Update

Derek asks: How are we counting? How many pictures does a video count for? Is this just quantity, or is there a quality aspect?

All questions I had thought, too. So I think these are the rules. I can change them as I want, if I see people have found a loop hole, but I think this is it.

Basic Pfoto: 1 point
Basic Video: 2 points

The interesting point: Each member of the pfamily in each pfoto counts for a point, so if you have a pfoto with all 12 of us, or whatever, 12 points. The pfoto pfrom the birthday dinner has already been posted, so is disqualified. But if your pfoto has 4 people in it, 4 points. If the video has 4 people in it, 5 points.

I think this is a good way to encourage quality, which I would like, but also quantity, which is pfun when there are lots of new posts.

What do you think of that? Do you think that is pfair?

Molli Wants to Win

I am going to win. Behold.

I want to win

It's been a while since I've posted, and no time like the present with the contest coming up and all. Here are some recent pictures from our household.


Here are some pictures from Tanya's baby shower, which was at our house.


Tanya and Alina














Cupcakes I decorated.














Mommy and Alina on the way to the park.







Alina LOVES standing in front of the fan.

Contest

As you may or, more likely, may not know, we are coming up on our second blogoversary!! Being a blog reader, I know this is cause for celebration. To celebrate I am having a contest. The contest is to both encourage more postings but also help me with a project I am working on. The contest is this: The person who posts the most pictures between now and October 25 will get a prize. It will be a good prize and will be personalized to the winner. The winner, prize and project will be revealed on October 31, the blogoversary. (I guess I was bored on Halloween. :)) Have pfun and happy posting!

Edited to add: You can add old pictures from even before the blog was created if you think they are pfun.

The New Swing

Derek made a tire swing. It is great. It is even big enough for us!


Mary liked going with somebody. That was understandable. Derek can push high! Of course not as high as I could, but you get the idea. :)


Look how determined Katie is. I must say she is getting braver.

Lots of pfun.

U Like?

I cut about 11 inches.

More CO Pictures 2

Uncle Stud reading a bed time story.


The cousins.


The only picture of Mary and Alina where Alina is not crying.


More pfun than Water World.

At Rodizio's

Mary found an interesting way to use the tongs at Rodizio's.

Happy Birthday Josh and Derek

Josh and I could think of nothing finer than to go to Casa Bonita to celebrate our birthdays, and hopefully be serenaded by a mariachi band. Fortunately, both of us got our wish.

We Went to Canada

Now that I've got a fancy camera I can post all the time! :)

I am working with a girl from Verona, Italy and we do conversation exchange. One day we speak in Italian and the next time we speak in English. It's pretty fun. Her parents are in town and we went to Canada for dinner. We also stopped by the Casino.


Guess if I was their favorite customer snapping pictures.

Detroit looks nice...From a distance.