bits o' fun

My honey spoiled me this Christmas by splurging and buying me what I really really wanted: a mixer. I've done 6 married years without a mixer & got along fine but I'm really wanting to start branching out to more mixer-needed things like meringues & bread doughs. So. That's what he got me. Unfortunately, the one he bought me was like a freight train loud to which everyone had to yell over no matter where in our little house we were :{ So this week we traded it in for the one I originally had my eye on: a KitchenAid =] It's not the color I wanted (it's gray), or the style (head lifts up instead of tilts) but it's got the power & quietness I needed & already I'm loving what I can do with it =] Yesterday I made a delicious Red Velvet Cupcake recipe to celebrate my hubby's birthday with his fam:

and then since we had some of yesterday's luscious frosting left over, today we made fun snickerdoodle cupcakes =]

Today the boys also painted some Valentine's Day cards which may arrive to their destination sometime before the end of the year =]

And tonight. Last week, after a little stalking, I finally found a good deal on a swing set for the boys! It was on clearance @ Walmart, the last of its kind =] Z has been harassing C ever since to get it out of the box & build it & he was sooooo excited when C came home & started right in on the setup. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be able to show the finished fun product =]

mmmm. delicioso!

The boys have discovered Dora... and now whenever something tastes good, we have found ourselves copying her backpack saying "yum, yum, yum! delicioso!" =]

This month, July, our goal was to eat as healthy as possible... so we've eaten alot of salads =] My way of making salads was pretty limited to start (throw lettuce or spinach on a plate and add ranch) so I've had the pleasure of trying some recipes I've had around for forever in attempts to broaden our supper varieties =] Here was our favorites:

And for the first time in probably all my life, I went the entire month without making a dessert! Can you imagine? I, personally, didn't think that was possible! So for a little something sweet, here's my new found favorite:

The meal I loved most was (not surprisingly) the least healthy... but still considered healthier than spaghetti in my book =] As soon as dinner was over I was looking for more! Mmmm- now this was truly delicioso! =]

Isn't she cute?

Our first zucchini out of the garden! And to celebrate, I thought a little chocolate zucchini sheet cake would be just right :)