Halloween Already!??!

Yep, the stores are stocked with everything Halloween. And although it feels much too early for it, I think I'm going to take advantage and get a little ahead of the game. The kids have been told that they need to tell me their costume choices by next week and then shopping we will go. The baby BARELY fits into the kids hand me down Winnie The Pooh dressed as a honey bee costume...but enough that we can make it work. So one costume down!!!


The older kids....well, they just freak me out. Hannah (the 6th grader) wants to be a dead gypsy (huh?) and my son Jack is interested in some scary ninja something or other that I've never heard of. What happened to pirates and princesses??? I mean, why do you have to be a DEAD gypsy?! They scare me! And...this is my life!

Speaking of all things Halloween, I'll have tickets to Safe Halloween that I'll be giving away all week during The Mix At Work...so keep listening!! Here's their website if you need more details on a really fun and safe event!! http://kcsos.kern.org/safehalloween/

Now...we'll just see how ahead of the game I really end up being!!!! :)

Flu, Movies & Mac & Cheese!

I came down with a nasty flu bug last week and spent the weekend taking it easy...and I did nothing! I finally watched The Notebook and cried buckets and buckets. Honestly, I think I was one of the only women left in the world that hadn't see that movie. If that's not true...I won't ruin it for you. But I will say this....I have been with my husband for nearly 18 years and I gave him the biggest hug after I watched it!! UGH!! Anyway, back to the great weekend. I also watched Legally Blonde 1 & 2 and The Proposal! (What a super cute movie!) I caught up on housework, had soccer for the boys and had friends over for dinner. OK...so that wasn't nothing...but it was relaxing...I swear!!! (And I feel much better!)

After not eating for a few days...I was ready to pig out!!! I cooked all weekend and came across this Mac & Cheese recipe. We ate it ALL!! So good! Give it a try! :)

You'll need...

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Cheddar Soup
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded two-cheese blend
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups cooked corkscrew-shaped pasta
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic (if desired)
  

1. Mix soup, cheeses, milk, garlic and black pepper in 1 1/2-qt. casserole. Stir in pasta.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 min. or until hot.

Feeds 4

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day's coming...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

At our house...Valentine's isn't something we overdo! See, my husband and I have been together since well....time began, frankly! And we have had our share of disappointing Valentine's Days. We just gave up...it was easier that way. Well, in recent years we've brought it back and keep it SIMPLE!! We get a heart shaped pizza and don't spend more than $20 on each other. $20?!? I know...it's kind of hard actually...there are letters written and chocolates and just sweet little tokens. It works for us and it's something we'll continue to do!!

So this week on The Breeze we're giving away Heart Shaped Pizzas from Me & Ed's Pizza and tickets to the new movie "Valentine's Day". Just listen to me while you work and win...that easy!!!

Valentine's Day isn't the only thing on my mind lately...nope. Something that has been weighing on me for awhile is my Baby Girl's 1st birthday!!! Seriously...we're less than 2 months away! Can you believe that????!!! How fast did this year go? What have I been doing to be so sidetracked that a year has gone by and I barely noticed?? Wow!! She's getting so big....crawling all over the house and terrorizing her brother and sister. We've nailed down sleeping through the night...thankfully!! It took 10 months to do it...but here we are...FINALLY!!!!


Oh...before I wrap up I wanted to pass along a super yummy cake recipe that I came across over the weekend!! My son and I made a whole bunch of food for Super Bowl Sunday...and he wanted a football cake...so I came across this recipe. If you're a coffee fan you'll love it. It's super easy and REALLY moist!!! Now, this is supposed to be a football cake...but you could add some food dye and turn it into a big old heart for Valentine's...it's SOOOO good!!!!

What You Need!

1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix

Brewed strong coffee, cooled

3 cups Cappucino Pudding Frosting

PREPARE cake batter and bake in greased and floured 13x9-inch pan as directed on package, substituting coffee for the water. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife; invert onto wire rack. Gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.

TRIM corners and sides from cake to resemble football. Reserve trimmings for snacking or another use.

FROST cake with Cappuccino Pudding Frosting (Recipe below). Keep refrigerated.

Frosting RECIPE:

What You Need!

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1/2 cup cold milk

1/2 cup chilled brewed strong coffee

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Make It!

BEAT dry pudding mix, milk and coffee in medium bowl with whisk 2 min.

STIR in COOL WHIP.

SPREAD onto a cooled cake or cupcakes. Keep refrigerated.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!