Friend Makin' Mondays...

Friend Makin' Mondays...
All That Is Good hosts Friend Makin' Mondays... ! I saw it on a few blogs I follow so decided to join in today! You can go HERE for the rules and facts about this fun little bloggin' game.

Today's task: Copy and paste these questions to your blog and give them your own answers.

You wouldn't be caught dead where?: at a NASCAR event

Do you have any hidden talents?: I can still do pretty high kicks from my danceline days :)

Name two things you consider yourself to be very good at: cooking and gardening

Name two things you consider yourself to be very bad at: passing up baked goods and spelling

Have you ever won a trophy? yes, for running

Name one thing not many people know about you: I am a fan of America's Next Top Model - sshhhhhh!

Name your earliest memory: getting burned on the 4th of July with a sparkler. We lived in CA at the time so it was before I started kindergarten. I am still hesitant about those things.

What was your favorite musical group in jr. high? I have such a bad memory that I had to google "1987 music" but should have known....Bon Jovi. That was my first concert as well. They played with White Snake and someone threw up on the back of my seat. Fun stuff!

What was something the worst roommate you ever had did? My freshman year college roommate was very possessive of me. She did not like me going out with other people and even would tell people I wasn't there when I was and didn't give me phone messages. It was really weird.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?: I have no idea. I still don't :)

What was your worst dating experience?: Again, freshman in college set up (can't for the life of me remember by who) with a scrawny, (I like my men bigger than me) drug induced hippie type. He took me to see Needful Things and then back to his place...complete with a black light, velvet posters, and lava lamp. I had my share of hippie things but grew out of that phase shortly after graduating high school. I fled the scene as quick as I could!

If you were about to die what would your last meal be?: Ruth's Crist Filet, their chop salad and loaded baked potato - apple crisp ala mode for dessert :) If I ended up not dying I would have to work out hard the next day!

Who is the most important person in you life?: My husband

If your house was on fire what 3 things would you grab on your way out?: If I have to count all three girls individually, then that is that.....otherwise I would also grab my scrapbooks and my hard drive (I am not good at backing up things)

Aloha Friday - Stageable Talent?

"In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response."

So head over to her site, An Island Life and answer her question but while you are here you might as well answer mine:

If you HAD to participate in a talent show, what would your talent be?

I don't have a stageable talent. All of my "talents" are too long for a talent show. So, I would have to don my long forgotten tap shoes, break out the piano and make it into a comedy routine :)

Enjoy your weekend!

Check out Kid Friendly Friday and come away with some great ideas!

Kid Friendly Friday - Bananagrams!

Last year we were taught a game using Scrabble tiles where (long story, short - instructions here) you make words (each player works on their own crossword type grid) using all of your tiles before anyone else. Fun and, if you are like me, a little addicting. I love word games (Boggle anyone?). I got my parents to play with me the last few times they have visited. I even tried to get my husband to play when I was in labor...luckily we didn't, because we barely made it to the birthing center in time.

When I saw Bananagrams I knew it was a must-have. What I didn't realize at the time was the learning/teaching potential this game has. This simple game is comprised of is a banana zipper pouch filled with hundreds of letter tiles. You could, of course, dig out your Scrabble game and use it's tiles for the same purpose.

My kindergartner likes to use it to spell words and make sentences. I can't wait until she is old enough to start playing this (and Boggle) with me for real. Did I tell you that my husband no longer will play Boggle with me?

My preschooler likes to put her alphabet in order (great letter recognition). We also use it to make patters with the letters. Or I will write down a word and she will find the letters to spell it as well. For a little harder activity I will write out a word in lowercase letters and she will find the uppercase tiles to match. Because she is just starting to read I'll give her 4 tiles (TECA, for example) and have her try to spell cat (I do tell her she'll have 1 tile that she will not use :). Great for working on phonetics. For preschoolers the activities are endless.

And if your husband is as sweet as mine, you might find this on the table in the morning!

And for me....I spend a good deal of time nursing. And sharpening my skills :) Maybe one time I'll have enough time and space to use all 300 tiles!

Link up with Mr. Linky below to share your kid friendly ideas (recipes, reviews, crafts, books, whatever)! Check back to see what my creative participants have come up with as well. Enjoy your weekend!

We Heart Art!

Her favorite medium is paint!

Emma loves to draw animals!

Domestically Challenged , 3baybchicks and I am living Proof God Has A Sense of Humor are holding a blog contest called We Heart Art, where they feature children's art. They each have a Mr. Linky up at their sites. Go check it out! You KNOW that your children will give you a little more time to blog if they know you are posting their art :) These will also be my Thousand Word Thursday pictures over at Cheaper Than Therapy.

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

I don't have any pictures of this pie - it's THAT good :)


Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie
crust:
1 cup vanilla wafer cookies (about 20 cookies)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tbl butter, melted
Cooking spray

Filling:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz.) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz. container frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1 1/2 cup sliced banana (about 2 bananas)
1/4 cup chocolate sundae syrup

Crust preparation:Place cookies in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Add the cup brown sugar and butter; pulse 2 to 3 times or just until combined. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9" pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 deg F. for 10 minutes; cool completely on a wire rack.

Place 3/4 Cup brown sugar, cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Arrange bananas in bottom of prepared (or purchased) crust. Spread peanut butter mixture over bananas; drizzle with syrup. Cover & freeze 8 hours; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Visit TidyMom.net for more pie recipes!