Summer Vacation and New Traditions

Yes, summer vacation!  It's here, not quite in full gear, but still here none-the-less.

We're in full pre-Boy Scout camp mode!  Talking Vacation Bible School (VBS)! Lazy mornings!

One of the best parts, so far, is happening now as I type.  Boys got a bit of t.v. this morning, couldn't figure out breakfast, and were about to grumble.  I'd wanted to listen to Pandora as I prepped breakfast, but youngest asked to listen to Huckleberry Finn.  They've been happily listening to it for about 45 minutes so far.  During this I was able to fix pancakes for breakfast, get them fed, and start the dishwasher.  They seemed to enjoy that as well.  This may have to be a new tradition and carried into the new school year.  Listen to an audio book and have breakfast.  The schedule will need to be tweaked, once school starts, but hopefully this will be a good memory for the boys.

What traditions do you enjoy?  Summer related or school related!  Ones your kids just love and keep coming back too!

 For now, loving summer!
 

Tuesday Tidbits

Tidbits on a Tuesday, from our house to yours!

• Days are officially getting longer.  Although we may still get a lot of snow, it's mentally a nice thing to think that we'll be getting more sunlight.
• Went to Costco today.  Did the usual, go with a short list and spent over a hundred.  We did buy a present for Kevin from Thing One and Thing Two.  It's something I am sure he'll enjoy.  So far, it is the biggest under the tree.
• We're watching "Narnia" this afternoon.  Closest thing to a Christmas movie, on DVD, which means we don't have to go downstairs.
• Our dog, Charlotte, is such a snuggle bug.  She's keeping my side nice and warm.
• We'll be having a non-traditional Christmas Eve meal ~ California Pizzeria BBQ Chicken Pizza.  Costco had samples and the boys thought it was pretty good.  We'll be keeping our Friday Pizza tradition, while having something a bit different.  We just need to figure out what service to go to.
• Only one more present to wrap.
• Only one more present to buy.
• Only a few more thing to buy for each stockings.

Merry Christmas!

Pizza Night

It's been about 8 years. Eight years of making homemade pizza, from scratch, most every Friday night. There have been some weeks, over the years that have been skipped, because were dining with family or friends (at their house) and there have been some weeks that we order in. Mostly, though, we make our dough in the bread maker, make the sauce, and go from there.

Today was a first. The first time we made individual pizzas and the first time photos where taken (dear hubby even suggested that we should take pictures - guess he knows I like to blog). Here's a look into some of the pizzas.















Here are the hands of my all cheese child. The other pizza if for my meat loving son. Hubby's and mine are on the other tray.











Two trays worth of pizza's ready to go into the oven.

Chocolate Croissants

We have a tradition at our house to make chocolate Croissants, the first Saturday, after pay period. As that is today, I thought I'd blog about it. Following are photos and directions for how we go about it.

1st: Take out the 8 croissants out. Lay them out on a cookie sheet in sets of two as seen to the left. Pinch the diagonal seem together. You will then have four, rectangular croissants.








2nd: Sprinkle with chocolate chips, as many or as few as you want. To many, though, and it's hard to roll up.










3rd: Roll up and pinch seems together.









4th: I like to set the filled croissant with the seem down. To the left, are the first four (one package of 8 croissant). Continue with the same steps if you are using two packages.









5th: Bake as directed. Here are our homemade chocolate croissants.