Random Ramblings – Lucky #13

The thirteenth edition of Random Ramblings.  And I am calling it Lucky #13 because I have some awesome news to share with you guys!  First…happy weekend everyone!  What are your plans for the weekend??  The weather here has been awesome the last couple days.  It was in the 70’s by the end of the week 🙂  Just getting outside in the bright sunshine, has put a smile on my face.  

A note to my email subscribers…super sorry that when you received the email for the Crispy Baked Kale Chips recipe I posted on Thursday, it had a picture of my Vanilla Bean Cupcakes instead of the kale chips.  I was watching my nieces and trying to do two things at once, got distracted and forgot to change the picture used on my email subscription service.  A 1-year old and 3-year old will do that I guess hehehe.  But a shout out to all my mommas and poppas out there reading this.  You are my heroes….I think being a parent is the hardest and most important job in this world.  Y’all have my love and respect.  So here’s your picture of kale chips, just in case you want to see it.  They are super yummy and healthy!!

So!  Okay!!  I actually have a lot of cool things to share with you guys!  It’s all happiness, rainbows and unicorns over in my neck of the woods.  What do I start off with first?  Success on my IHOP breakfast challenge!  My sister dropped off my nieces at my house early the other morning, because she needed someone to watch the girls until Aaron got off shift at work.  So up bright and early at 4:30 AM!  I figured this would be the perfect day to do my breakfast challenge.  So James loaded all the kids up in the truck, and off we went for a fun family breakfast at IHOP.  I got an egg white omelet with ham and mushrooms and a side of PANCAKES #forthewin….and I ate it all.  Mmmm hmmm.  IHOP pancakes are the best.  My favorite IHOP pancakes used to be the Country Griddle Cakes (made with Cream of Wheat in the batter)…those are amazing.  But IHOP does’t make them anymore!  I must come up with a copycat recipe for Country Griddle Cakes.

Guess who pretty much just ate all the chocolate chips off their pancake?

Miss G was having fun at breakfast….especially because she was sitting next to Ethan.  She loves Ethan!!

My omelet…it does’t look as good as it tasted.  But I loved it…you can see a small peek of my pancakes there in the top left corner too 😉

After our IHOP breakfast, we dropped Ethan off at school, to go on his field trip to the state capitol (super jealous) and James and I took the girls to our favorite park to play and play and play.  And being that it was only a little after 7AM, we had the park to ourselves 🙂  Swings, slides, climbing, running, jumping…we did it all!

And I am always down to play and be silly!  Even though Miss G and I are looking super serious about our sliding hehehe

I love every second I get with my girls!

Remember when I made THESE?

Well LorAnn Oils put my recipe up on their website!!  How awesome is that??  You can check it out HERE!!!!!  I am beyond excited and feel totally privileged that LorAnn Oils would put my recipe on their website!

FEELING:  Excited, excited, excited!!  But more on that in a few!  Also, my heart is full.  Time with my nieces always makes my week, but also, my stepdaughter texted me the other day and wanted to get together to visit (she’s in college)…I was so excited!  After Brooke got out of class, her and I met up at my favorite nail salon and we got pedicures and had some much needed girl talk!  How fun is it when your kids are all grown up, and now you can be friends?!  And Brooke is just such a smart, beautiful woman with such a good head on her shoulders.  Love her!

WANTING:  An extra hour of sleep to make up for the one I will lose when the time changes.  Does anyone else have a hard time the first week after the time changes??  Everything is off….sleep, eating, etc.  And right now I am trying to get on a schedule.  No more staying up until midnight watching reruns of Law and Order SVU or Dateline on ID Channel (yes they have a whole channel that is devoted to Dateline type shows…probably not a good thing I found that channel).

WATCHING:  We rented The Girl on the Train.  Have you seen it??  If not, rent it.  It was good.  Definitely a lot of twists and turns.   James and I both wished we had read the book first though.  Books are always better than the movie.  Survivor is back!  I always wonder how I would fare on that show.  I don’t really like camping and being dirty.  Ok….Nevermind.  I just answered that question.  But as far as the game play?  I’m not that conniving and I like getting along with everyone.  So I probably wouldn’t last long.  So maybe not Survivor….maybe a cooking competition show is more my thang.  James and I have talked about trying out for the Amazing Race too.  I mean a cop and a firefighter…married?!  And with my Type A personality and James’ easy going personality, I think it would make for some interesting television 😉

CRAVING: Country Griddle Cake pancakes from IHOP now.  Did anyone else grow up eating Cream of Wheat?  My mom used to make it for us girls all the time when we were kids.  And we ate it super hot with just a little milk mixed in.  Yum.  Perfect for cold mornings or for when you are sick and need something bland to settle your stomach.  But in pancakes??  Oh it’s amazing….trust me.  Copycat Country Griddle Cake recipe coming soon (as soon as I figure out how IHOP did it hehehe).

BAKING:  Cupcakes!!!  I am making three dozen cupcakes for a birthday party this weekend.  Half chocolate and half vanilla, all decorated in a baseball and Giants theme!  So fun!  Banana Bread and a special St. Patrick’s Day treat for you guys!!  And Pi Day is Monday….so stay tuned!  I have something special for you guys on Monday’s post too (besides recipes)….so make sure you read the whole post so you don’t miss it!

My top post on the blog right now is….. 2 INGREDIENT PEANUT BUTTER CANDY!  Doesn’t surprise me!  So easy and sooooooo good!  Click HERE to get the recipe, in case you missed it!

OKAY!  OKAY!  OKAY!!!  Ready for the most exciting news?!?!  I am going back to work!  Yup!  So if you are annoyed with how often I post recipes, you will be happy to know that I will probably only post recipes a couple times a week now, instead of six days week (sorry….I just have so much I want to share with you guys all the time).  I am on modified duty until the doctor gives me the full green light, so for now I will be working in the Field Training office, working on updating our Field Training Program manual.  I’m a Field Training Officer, so it makes sense.  Hopefully I don’t go stir crazy being inside the office.  I am used to being out on patrol.  But this girl is a happy girl now 🙂

The moments I cherish most in life…

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  Leave me a comment below and tell me what you are watching, craving, baking, wanting!  I love hearing from you guys 🙂

XOXO,

Kelly

 

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