A bird's nest

The kids and I have started going for walks and bike rides here recently since the weather has been so nice, and because it seems to be that time of year when the kids are starting to get crazy.  They feel cooped up, ready to BURST out of the house that has contained them for so long.  These winter months are hard on a body, being cooped up in a house all the time when you are little and NEED to be outside everyday is just so hard.
So with the nicer weather we have started to head outdoors!

Adventures with Uncle Doug

Peace

How many of us need a little peace in our hearts?  I can name a few, hope this helps, even if just a little~~Jessie

Taken from Roots of She.  

Be calm in your heart

Mar 8th, 2012

by Roots of She.

Monarch Proyect, originally uploaded by K I R A

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no trouble, noise, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

-
Lady Gaga

Flowers

Just what I seemed to have needed this afternoon!

Sedgwick County Wrestling

West has discovered actual wrestling!  He has always wrestled with anyone that would be willing to go a round with him, however since getting here he has discovered there's an actual sport dedicated to just wrestling!!  He has had so much fun going to practice learning that there are actual moves involved to pinning, and take downs, and breaking away, and shooting, and all sorts of fun things to try on his sister!
Last week at practice the coaches wanted to know who was going to the tournament on Saturday, they needed to weigh in then.  West looked at me, I said no and his shoulders slumped, his face fell, and he proceeded to do the warm up by himself, he was the only one not lined up to get weighed.  I couldn't help myself, we got him weighed and we went on Saturday!
I am so glad we did!  We both had so much fun and he did so well!!  Uncle Jeff and Aunt Mary even came up to watch him, and Ruby finally got to wear her wrestling shirt and cheer for her brother!  She has been waiting to do that since this all started.

His first match was won after a long three round hard fought battle, both boys fought to the bitter end but West managed to rack up the most points so came out the winner!
Then it was on to the championship round, and wouldn't you know it?  He was going to go at it with one of his friends.  This was not the ideal situation in my mind but he seemed fine with it.  Not ideal because they are friends, but also because this other little boy has been wrestling for 4 years and his Daddy is the head coach (eeeeekkkk).

But all turned out ok, West won second in his age and weight group!  He was a little bummed but he won a super cool medal, it wasn't a trophy, but he worked dang hard for the medal and he eventually came around to it and has then worn it everywhere he has gone!  A trophy has to just sit on the shelf at home right?!

 He has assured me he will be winning that trophy this coming weekend!

Over-Night Stuffed French Toast and Crème Fraiche

The other day my mother was reading Mennonite Girls Can Cook when she found this recipe for Crème Fraiche.  She thought it seemed intriguing so wanted to give it a try.  Why not? I thought, I've never had it, who knows it may just be good.  
We did a little research to see just what it might be here ya go:

Crème fraîche (French pronunciation: [kʁɛm fʁɛʃ], from French crème fraîche^[1]) is a soured cream containing about 28% butterfat and with a pH of around 4.5. It is soured with bacterial culture, but is less sour than sour cream. It has a comparatively high viscosity and a higher fat content.

Originally a French product, it is available in many countries. It is traditional to France, Romania, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Scandinavia. With availability increasing since the 1990s, it has become popular in the United Kingdom, where cream has traditionally been of high quality and in widespread use but where the soured variety remained a niche product.  (taken from wikipedia)

Sounds a bit like yogurt to me!

We needed something to put it on, eating by itself was of course an option, but we thought all that cream might make us sick.  

She just happened to have a recipe for Over-Night Stuffed French Toast (or baked French Toast) that she had gotten from a B&B in Cheyenne, WY.  

Boy-Oh-Boy!  What a great choice for this choice topping!!  Just look at these pictures and wait for your mouth to start watering!

And this ladies is a video of the Creme Fraiche right after we opened the lid!

I gotta tell ya, these two together?!  Rich but OH so good!

Want the recipe for the French Toast?  Here ya go!

• 1 loaf of white cheap bread (we are thinking texas toast the next time)
• 1 8ox package of cream cheese
• 10 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 c syrup

Use a 9 X 13 pan and lay out the slices of bread with the crust cut off

Cover with the cream cheese

Cover with more bread slices, crust off

Mix the eggs, melted butter and syrup and pour over the bread

Press down until all the bread is soaked

Cover and put in the fridge overnight

Next morning - bake in a 350* oven for about 20 minutes

     (also warms up nicely in the microwave actually!)

Enjoy!!