And So It Begins

I don't do a lot of Christmas baking, I'm learning over the years my family is more of a chocolate and candy snacking family than cookies and baking.  Although we will have shortbread cookies, it's not really Christmas without those.  Fudge is a family favorite.  I whipped up this batch last week, I was planning to use half the pan for missionary pkg and freeze the rest for Christmas, but our sweet tooth's got the best of us and it's gone.  It was oh so yummy.

I tried a new recipes this year, I got it from our ward RS party.  It was oh, so good.

Creamy Milk Chocolate Fudge:

2 cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream
20 large marshmallows
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp real vanilla
3 cups milk-chocolate chips (Callebaut is best, Chipits are 2nd best)

1) Place chocolate chips, cut up butter, and vanilla in large bowl. Set aside.
2) Combine cream and sugar in medium sized saucepan. Whisk over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved (about 20 mins).
3) Add marshmallows and turn heat up to medium. Fold in marshmallows until melted.
4) Boil mixture over med heat for 6 minutes (stirring constantly).
5) Pour cream and sugar mixture over chocolate chip mixture.
6) Stir vigorously until mixture is creamy and smooth.
7) Pour into 8x8 pan lined with waxed paper
8) Cool in Fridge, use waxed paper to lift fudge out of pan, cut into pieces!

You're invited

Bumbo Chair - My new best friend

Now his best buddy has one to!!! (Porter Taylor)

Chocolate dipping day

I know, your mouth is watering.  Dipping chocolates is a tradition that runs through a few generations in my family.  We even have a secret family recipe.  The fondant (say this in your mind like the Cake Boss, it makes it funnier) melts and in your mouth. So delicious.

Chocolate Dipping Day is a crazy intense affair, some of the dippers wanted to stop and finish up another day, but I am a task master and I cracked that whip and even though it went into the wee hours of the morning we prevailed.

We made:

Lemon - my favorite

Chocolate orange

Maple Brown sugar - Spencer's favorite

Root beer

vanilla

Amaretto

Maraschino cherry - Nolan's favorite

If you come for a visit we'll be happy to share.

Tid Bits

1. We all think this baby is so cute, we can hardly stand it.  He in return thinks he has the greatest family ever.  He love Nolan and Jarom and smiles at them whenever they come around.

2. I visiting teach with a sister that has all girls.  Last month I had to change Barrett's diaper in front of them, her 4 year old twins went home and talked about the baby with the "tail" all night.  So funny.

3. Christmas so stresses me out.  Every year I say I'll get the shopping done early so I can enjoy the true meaning of the season, but I never do.  I stress out about everything and find myself wishing I could skip Christmas all together.  I know that makes me a Grinch or a whatever. 

4. My favorite movie is Sense and Sensibility. I always cry at the end.

5.  Even though he is not such a great man, I very much enjoy Hugh Grant as an Actor.  I think he is great a romantic comedy.  Doesn't have much of a variety, but I enjoy what he does.

Free Time - what's that?

Man oh Man I have lots to share with you, but someone who is oh so cute seems to take up all my time. 

I'm hoping to do some bulk blogging tonight so hopefully all week you will be treated to little exerts of our lives.  Or at least dozens of pictures of our little guy, cause let me tell you we have a few.

But most importantly we celebrated another birthday at our house.

This so fun kid turned 8. 

Yep it's a big one. 

He is getting baptized. 

We're excited for him.

We got him an Ipod.  He was so excited he did the dance of joy.  It was so fun.

This is his cake. It was actually quite cool.  I did a rainbow cake, so the inside was chalk full of colors.  Jarom talked for days about how he wanted to do the writing as well as decorating his cake.  It killed me, but I let him do it.  It says:

Jarom

Happy

Birthday

Look hard and you'll see it. He had 7 girl friends.

THE STAMP

This is it folks.

The Stamp. 

This is what Spencer spent 14 years working towards. 

It was exciting to have it come in the mail the other night.  We all took turns holding it and caressing it.  We oohed and awed over it.  We are thinking of building a special display cabinet with a spotlight shining on The Stamp for all to view.

Halloween with the Courts

Pulling out the guts - Gross

Jarom's work of art. He was totally into the pumpkin carving this year and did a great job.

Nolan and Greg's Pumpkin

This baby went as the cutest baby ever

Nolan was suppose to be a rockstar; but he was this instead.  Scary

Ninja

This picture reminds me of a certain gift to Rachel at her wedding.