Pumpkin Pie Milkshake Anyone?

Ok so my favourite time of the year has come!!

YAY~~ Welcome FALL!! I love to bake with apples and pumpkins so I am always on the prowl for some great recipes!! I have come across a few that I am interested in trying!
(picture to follow once I make it)

Like this Pumpkin Pie Milkshake Recipe that came from Sara @ Best Bites
Mmmmmmmmmm!!!

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/3 C pumpkin, canned or homemade
1/4 - 1/2 C milk
1/4 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/16 t cloves (just use a 1/8 t measure and fill it half way, or do a pinch)
1/16 t nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
2 C vanilla ice cream
a few graham crackers

Pop it all in a blender. Start with 1/4 C milk and then slowly add more if needed to make the blender process it all. I used somewhere between 1/4-1/2 C.

A note about blenders: Here's the problem with making thick, diner style milkshakes at home: A lot of times you have to add so much milk to the thing to get the blender to process that it turns into a milk-slushie instead. Or you have to blend and plunge, blend and plunge, etc. You know the drill, right? So if you have any trouble with your blender, I would recommend blending everything but the ice cream first and then mashing it into the ice cream by hand (well, with a hand. Holding a fork or spoon :) If your scooped ice cream sits out at room temp while you measure the other things and get them all ready, then by the time you mash it all together it should be a good consistency.

Sprinkle with crushed graham cracker crumbs before serving.

Ok quick...

somebody call 911- (kidding) Who the heck stole September?

They better give it back!!

OMG I can't believe today is the last day of September.
Seriously I am in shock! I have been so busy with life it isn't funny.
Both the boys settled into school pretty well. My boys are in grade 5 & grade 1 and now I have all this spare time it's weird. I don't know what to do with myself. But actually I do.
I haven't worked since I was pregnant with my oldest who is 10 1/2. Soooo it's time to dust off the old resume, redo it and get back to work PT and make some extra money.
Anyways.. just wanted to poke my nose in and say hello.
I'll be back next month...hahaha!!
HAPPY FALL!!
WOOOOOOO!!
hugs, Bonnie

Welcome September!

Wow...I can't believe it's September already!

The whole month of August swept right by me without a post!
School starts here a week today! And my baby will be in school full time!
"D"man is going into grade 5 & "E"man is going into grade 1.
The kids class lists are supposed to be posted by Friday so we shall see. Time for me to get out and get a part time job and make a few extra bucks.
Summer has pretty much gone here. It's cooler and sunny for now. Our pool is too chilly to swim in. We have shade covering the pool & the backyard 95% of the day, and we don't have a pool heater so it sucks when the pool is too cold. We are expecting rain by the end of the week.
I read an article saying that in the US they are expecting 50% of their population to be infected with the H1N1 virus which is really scary with school just around the corner. So now onto their Flu shots...just wondering how many ppl are thinking about getting them?
I really am not too sure about it since it is new strain of the flu, and we don't really have much info on the results of the shot after it's been given.
Well I just have to edit some photos before posting them for my Lasagne Recipe that I made Sunday night. Mmmmm it was nice having lasagne. It's been a long long time.
Oh I changed my blog theme and I really like it, but I really don't like how I have to keep adding my links n such. I wish that everything would transfer over without losing anything. LOL oh well..I'll be working on adding my links as well.
TTFN!!
Hugs, Bonnie

Holy Heat Wave....

The past week has been kinda warm, the temperature is currently sitting at 29c /84.2F but feels like 37c/98.6F. I feel like I am cooking from the inside out...lol.....

And apparently we haven't seen anything yet!
This next week, all week long will bring us high temperatures of 33c-34c(91.4F/93.2F) but with the humidity it will feel like 42c(107.6F). Apparently the last time we had a heat wave like this was in 1922. Not exactly too sure about how accurate that is and honestly I'm too damned hot to google it! I am sweating so much just sitting here while typing... Yesterday we had an awesome thunderstorm that lasted for a few hours and they are calling for another one sometime today! I really don't mind summer thunderstorms I love how the cool rain feels on my warm skin! Ok..so now I guess I have to de-stickify myself from my leather chair here and go make the kids some dinner!! Wish I could just order out but no such luck!
Ok so now I am off to make Natchos and will probably go dunk my head in the arctic like pool...lol..
TTFN!!
hugs, Bonnie

Diet Water? Artificial Sweeteners May Wind Up In Your H20

Found this disturbing article.....

Water treatment plants don't filter chemical sweeteners, a new report finds.

Chemicals that make our diet soda and foods taste sweeter may be souring the environment. A new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology has found that artificial sweeteners aren't being removed during wastewater treatment, and they're showing up in rivers, lakes, and even tap water.

THE DETAILS: Researchers took water samples from 10 wastewater treatment plants, four rivers, and nine lakes in Switzerland and tested them for the presence of four artificial sweeteners: acesulfame K (sold under the brand name Sunett), sucralose (sold as Splenda), saccharin (used in Sweet'N Low), and cyclamate (which is banned in the U.S. but still used in Europe). Acesulfame K was the most prevalent, cropping up in 65 percent of their water samples, and along with sucralose, it was detected in treated wastewater in concentrations equal to those found in untreated wastewater. The scientists also tested wastewater sludge to see if those same sweeteners degraded after seven hours. They didn't. The researchers also gathered samples of tap water in Zurich, which draws its water from many of the groundwater sources tested, and found acesulfame in the tap water as well.

WHAT IT MEANS: Whether it's artificial sweeteners or the pharmaceuticals and personal-care product chemicals that have been detected in American waterways, the synthetic substances we use every day don't simply disappear when we chug a diet soda, flush a toilet, or take a shower. And we don't know yet what impact these pseudosugars will have on our waterways, although a prior study on the prevalence of sucralose in rivers and lakes suggests that it could interfere with some organisms' feeding habits. Artificial sweeteners also aren't currently included in tests used by water filter manufacturers, so you may just have to accept that even filtered tap water may start tasting a little sweeter.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Use fruits and herbs to sweeten your drinks; tell the EPA you want artificial sweeteners kept out of your water.

Here are a few ways to cut down on your exposure to chemical sweeteners:

Go natural. Rather than use artificial sweeteners to cut your calorie intake, use fruits and herbs to make your own "diet soda." Our Nickel Pincher columnist recently offered quite a few recipes for satisfying summer drinks. And make sure what you drink most is water, with brewed teas and low-fat dairy products your second most frequent choice.

Read labels. Artificial sweeteners are used in everything from drinks to low-calorie bread loaves to toothpastes. Keep an eye out for acesulfame K (also listed as acesulfame potassium), saccharin, and sucralose. Aspartame, another artificial sweetener commonly used in diet sodas, wasn't included in this study because it, previous research has found, biodegrades pretty quickly into the environment.

Alert the EPA. Send a public comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency telling them to research the effects of artificial sweeteners in drinking water.

Article found *here*
http://healthandfitness.sympatico.msn.ca

Salted White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Ok...I follow this website on Twitter called Baking Bites and she posted a link to her site for this yummeh scrump-delly-ishish recipe for Salted White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies and for my own selfish reasons I am posting it on my blog so I don't lose the recipe! Hehehe!

I hope she doesn't mind me posting this, but I really want this recipe.

All Credit for photo and recipe goes to site Baking Bites.
(Thank you for this recipe...I will try it soon)

Salted White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 white chocolate chips
3/4 cup salted, toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
additional salt, for topping

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, then gradually add in the flour mixture, followed by the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. If your macadamia nuts are unsalted, add an additional 1/4 tsp salt to the cookie dough.
Drop tablespoonfuls of dough (1-inch balls) onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cookies are just beginning to turn a light golden color around the edges. Bake an additional minute or so, until slightly more golden, for crispier cookies. Cool for about 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet until cookies are completely set, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 2 dozen.
For more baking tips on these cookies, please go to
http://bakingbites.com/2009/06/salted-white-chocolate-macadamia-nut-cookies/

What it's JUNE already??

Happy 1st of June!!

I can't believe summer is just about here!
It's been pretty warm here for the last few weeks of May and the first day of June.
We usually are puddle jumping this time of the year but man oh man is it hot(for us).
The rain has been in the slacking off department for a long time. Don't get me wrong I am LOVING this sun and warm weather, just not used to it.
Today we hit a high of 31c / 88F.
Yeah yeah I know it's nothing compared to other places, but that is hot for us! Whew!!
My oldest son had track and field last week and it was a perfect day for it.
He has track and field again this week and they are calling for the same temp as today.
Guess we'll be packing him lots of water, sunblock and a hat to prevent
his poor pastey skin from burning. He takes after his pastey father...lol...unfortunately he wasn't blessed with my slightly darker complexion, where as my younger one was...lol..
So this is the time of the year for field trips and lots of activity within the schools and I have been enjoying all the time I have been spending with my boys. Tomorrow is the Parent Helper Tea, but oops...I forgot to RSVP to it, so I most likely won't show up...can't be rude yanno...lol..
Next week there is Sports Day and the Zoo for my Kindergarten guy, and then at the end of the month there is a trip to a popular run dairy farm. Some kids in the school's family run it.
The K's get 3 full days to attend class this month too! My Kindergartener is excited about that.
He was supposed to start full time Kindergarten this month to help him prepare for Grade 1 next September because he is special needs. (Has troubles with transitions and new expectations)
We just found out due to a TA being on medical leave in the morning class, my son's aid is filling in with another boy and can't take my son in the morning class now! He is really upset and disappointed which really sucks because he's been waiting all year for this!! Poor kiddo. Nothing I can say or do will change how let down he feels about this. :o(
Another thing I have to do is deal with the school board and their BS about 1/2 day support for him. He is going to be full time in September so I don't see how they figure that 1/2 is all they can do for him! How are they going to choose which part of the day he needs it the most??
We can't even tell when he will have his melt downs and problems, how the heck do they figure they can do this?? So I have a fight on my hand to make sure he gets the FULL time support and the support of his aid he has now. There's no guarantee that he will get her next year which is complete and total BULLSHIT!! Do these people even have an effin clue what this shit does to special needs kids??? OMG.....buy an effin clue FFS!! I am so angry!!
Ugh...well enough of this rant...it wasn't supposed to be a rant tonight...lol...
Have a great one and I can't believe the kids only have 18 days of school left!!
Ackkkkk!!
TTFN!!
Hugs, Bonnie