Land locked beach of joy!

Lake Pflugerville is a man made wonder a 10 minute drive from the house. 

We love going there. It's big enough that there are waves coming in on the little artificial beach.

The area is still being developed and I was thrilled when I discovered the beach last year.

I grew up going to the beach and I have really missed it living this far inland.

Even though we went swimming in the lake last summer it was before the beach was open and I'm really looking forward to taking a dip here soon.

because this is just a few minutes from major shopping we sometimes swing by on the way home if we do not have anything in the car that will spoil.

There is a bit of a current so they have a safety zone marked off by the beach. You can still go swimming in the rest of the lake if you want to. I think the safety zone is an excellent idea when you have kids along though.

The only problem I have with going there is that even if we just stopped by for a quick walk, it is nearly impossible to keep the kids from getting at the very least very dirty shoes.

So far one of their favorite activities is to toss stuff in the water. I wonder why there is such satisfaction found in chucking rocks and sticks at the waves. I seem to remember spending hours throwing rocks in Dronningborg harbor as a teen myself

Sand seems to work just fine for them as well.

My only request for upgrading this fine designer piece of natural bliss would be a skipping stone beach somewhere else along the trail.

I would love to teach the kids to skip rocks. I have fond memories of my moms older brothers skipping bricks by Vesterhavet (the western ocean in Denmark).

The boat dock is just next to the beach. I think I will add a paddle boat to my list of stuff I want. How much fun would that be!

We'll have to bring some buckets next time so the kids can build a real sand castle. Of course it will be a lot more difficult to decorate with out all the oceanic treasures that we normally use. Seaweed. Seashells. random stuff you find on the beach.

Bzzing about Dog Food

I am a Bzz agent for bzzagent.com which means that I get to try out new products for free and have the opportunity to pass on coupons for these products to anyone who would like to try them as well.

I just finished a bag of Science Diet Small breed Dog food, or rather Vick did. I got him the regular adult version but there are diet, puppy, senior Dog versions as well. You can read all about it here if you would like. I have $3.- off coupons for anyone who is interested.  This Brand is the number 1 vet recommended and My Dog LOVED it! Possibly as much as the stuff he keeps sneaking out of the garbage cans around the house. I think he has actually figured out how to open the food pedal operated ones in the bathroom as well.

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Ian turns 7.

Ian had a pizza party. This was his invitation. Because I got to host a DiGiorno pizza and bread sticks party from house party
go here to join, it free!
we got all this awesome free stuff. 6 boxes of pizza, bread sticks and marinara sauce, an awesome apron, party favor necklaces, a pizza cutter, a refrigerator magnet/ bag clip, coasters and awesome coupons for everyone and it all came in a cool little pizza box

I took the next picture after I came back from walmart. I spend less that $8.- on all this goodness including 2 gallons of water not pictured. I had a lot of awesome coupons including the ones for the 6 free boxes of Pizza for the party!
This next picture is my proudest birthday cake yet. The picture does not do it Justice!
for some reason the frosting looked really shiny on the pictures. The cake is decorated with red frosting yellow shredded coconut, red died coconut mass( resembles marzipan, but made with coconut, I brought this back from Denmark) and green sprinkles for that subtle touch of perfection! It looked just like a real pizza.

Ian's friends arrived and Ian loved his presents

Ian got an awesome homemade chef hat from the Alexanders!

Abigail did not want to be documented hugging a boy! She happily received her thank you hug right until she saw the camera!

After the party was officially over it was time to play with the cool new bakugan stuff

We had a splendid afternoon chilling after the exhausting party. Enjoying our cake, pizza and bread stick leftovers.

Lego cupcakes

After Ivy baked the cake for Ian all(most) by her self

http://idasjungle.blogspot.com/2010/04/baking-cake-with-ivy-in-her-own-words.html

It was time for Ian to decorate his Lego's so he could pass them out for this birthday celebration at school.

so on with the frosting

on with the Dots candy.

very scientific process.

Ian was quite happy with his Lego's and I was very proud of my baking crew.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I basicly copy and pasted this post from here
http://pflugervillepfinds.blogspot.com/2010/03/homemade-laundry-soap.html (one fine day I will figure out how to embed the link in something else.)

I think this sounds awsome and I can't wait to try it. This post was written by the one and only Angela Walters.

Homemade Laundry Soap

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED:

Small Batch

1/3 bar Fels Naptha (or bar soap of your choice)
1/2 cup washing soda (see note at bottom)
1/2 cup borax powder

Water

(Optional)2-3 oz essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice

small bucket, about 2 gallon size

Large Batch

1 bar of Fels Naptha (or bar soap of your choice)
1½ cups washing soda (see note at bottom)
1½ cups borax powder
Water
(optional) 2-3 oz essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice
Bucket, 5-6 gallon size


DIRECTIONS (large batch in parentheses)*

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan(stock pan for large batch)*
Add 6 cups (18 cups) water and heat it until the soap melts*
Add the washing soda and borax and stir until it is dissolved.*
Remove from heat.*
Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups (4 gallons plus 2 cups) water to your bucket.*
Now add your soap mixture and stir.*
Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will (should) gel.*
Use ½ cup per load.


Note: Plugerville Wal-Mart does not have "washing" soda on the laundry aisle, just regular baking soda. HEB has the washing soda. I've made the large batch twice now and it's lasting me about 4 months, at an average of 8 loads per week. The cost breakdown is about 2 cents per load. A great savings.

The picture on top is one of the homemade hand soap bars I used to make. I've been wanting to get back to that as well.

Baking a cake with Ivy, in her own words

This is me when I was getting ready to cook.

I am gonna wash my hands and put on my apron.

You have to grease the pan. You get a paper towel and put it in the grease stuff and rub in on to the pan.


You have to open the bag for the cake mix.

You have to pour the cake mix into the bowl.

Then you measure the oil.

Then you pour the oil in the bowl.

Then you pour the water into the measury cup.

I pour the water into the bowl.

I'm putting eggs into the bowl.

I'm mixing all the stuff I put in the bowl.

I'm still mixing all the stuff I put in the bowl.

I mixed it all up.

Then you have to pour all the cake batter into the pan.

Then you have to spread it around.

I'm all done putting the cake dough into the pan.

My mom put it in the oven.

I finished it and mom took it out of the oven. And I have a picture of me holding it when it's done.

Annas gluten free bread, the suprising result.

It's a bread bowl!

Besides the consistently odd shape, this has turned out to be easy, economical and most importantly delicious gluten and dairy free bread.
Follow the link for the recipe.

http://idasjungle.blogspot.com/2010/03/baking-bread-for-anna.html

Next time you shop on ebay, travelosity or any other online retailer....

I go through ebates every time I shop ebay. It is easy to sign up and I resived my first check from them a few months ago. If you sign up through my referal link we both get a $5 bonus. So next time you shop online, Please go through them, and once you do I will get my extra $5 so even if you think it is to much trouble and don't want to mess with it any more you can feel good about earning me $5.- and If you like it then you can be happy to know that every time you shop online you will get a persentage back from it. When your balance hits a sertain amount (not including sign up and referal bonuses), they send you a check. It is very quick to use everytime you hop online to shop and if you use debit or credit card cash back programs then it is like doubling the savings.

So please even if you think this is not for you just try it once, make me happy and who knows maybe you'll love it!

here's the link.http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=beLmR9GqAT%2FXTtxB54XSlQ%3D%3D

Astrid vs. the eye doctor!

Last summer we first noticed that Astrid was a bit cross eyed. We made an appointment and explained to her that a special doctor was going to be looking at her eyes. Because I was terrified of the eye doctor when I was little, I wanted to prepare her for what was coming. Jed and I both did our best to describe the process to her and explained that she might had to wear an eye patch to her her eyes work the same well she had the biggest panic attack of her little life. After about 30 minutes I finally convinced her to stop screaming and calm down enough to tell me why she was so upset. Somehow she had gotten the impression that the eye doctor was going to cut out her eye and give her an eye patch like the kind pirates wear. well I can understand why she freaked. However instead of getting her excited she was now terrified. We then spend a lot of time searching google and YouTube of videos of kids at the eye doctor. We finally found one that sorta worked. She watched that a lot and as long as it was going she was fine but as soon as the video was over she would freak again. In the end time helped and she was less nervous. This first picture is of her in the waiting room after she had her eye drops. Still quite nervous.

Finally! With Astrid sitting on my lab and half hiding her face the Eye doctor quickly figured out what my little bugger needed and she never even had to sit in the chair. This picture is when we were done and Astrid was very happy to have it over with.

Then it was of to Target to pick out her glasses. She was not scared at all this time.

And the final result.

She's a mini me!

Wilton Cake Pans

http://cakepantrader.webs.com/

I Started this website because I know that I would use it my self. I've been advertising it on craigslist and facebook but so far I have had no one remotely interested in trading or buying anything, which is kinda disappointing but I'm not quitting yet.

Baking Bread for Anna

What a sad looking little girl!

Because her skin is so bad we started her on a strict gluten free dairy free diet. Today I will be trying a new recipe from The Gluten Connection by Shari Lieberman.

So far I have not found a recipe that I love so I'm hoping this will be the one.

Basic GF Bread

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 and 1/8 cups water

3 and 1/3 cups GF flour mix

3 tablespoons sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup soy baby formula

2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Today I'm using

Bette's Featherlight Rice Flour Mix

3 cups rice flour

3 cups tapioca flour

3 cups cornstarch

3 tablespoons potato flour -not starch.

1. Combine eggs, vinegar, oil, and water in a mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside.

2. Combine the flour mix, sugar, salt, formula, and yeast in another bowl and mix well.

3. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly.

4. Beat for 5 to 7 minutes with a mixer or vigorously by hand to ensure complete mixing. The dough will be the consistency of very thick cake batter.

5. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set in a warm place.

6. Allow the dough to rice until it's about double in size. Punch the dough down and fold out into a bread pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.

7. Smooth out any bumps on top of the dough ball with your finger.

8. Cover and allow to rise until it' about double.

9. Preheat the oven to 375* F. Bake for 35 minutes.

10. Cover the top of the bread with foil and bake for 20 minutes longer.

if you want you can also use a bread machine. Set for large loaf normal cycle. In my machine all the wet stuff needs to go on the bottom or disaster strikes. Check periodically during mixing stage and push ingredients down from sides using a spatula.

Because I have a lot of other baking to attempt I thing I will try the bread machine today.