TRex!

Once we got home from St. Augustine, we were gone again in 8 days! This time? Omaha, Nebraska and South Dakota! We attended a family reunion in Omaha for one side of Matt's family and then visited the other side of Matt's family in South Dakota. Whew!!! Lots of driving! Lots of great visiting! Apparently , I was too busy visiting, swimming, eating, and keeping track of three kids that I took very few pictures. 

Hotrod, Princess and I slipped away for a couple of hours to go to the Duhram Museum. They had a TRex exhibit that, well, we could not miss! It really was fun!

Here is the link! 

http://www.durhammuseum.org/

Run! Run for your lives!

TRex would have so done it like this!

That is a fierce looking TRex!

Little Hands

Hotrod came to me and asked if we could make a craft out of craft sticks and 

glue and put it on Pinterest. I secretly laughed and said, "sure! Go ahead!"

          Here is what came about......

Materials were gathered.

Little Man became excited! Sticks and such within reach??? Yes!!

We are original!

Almost!

Big sister is not around.....

Wonder what glue would taste like?

Maybe I will try tape...

No, crayons!

Yum!

What is that Hotrod? A dead alligator?

Look out Pinterest! Here we come! ;)

Peachy Keen!

On the way back from St. Augustine, we had to drive straight through Georgia in the middle of peach season. Of course we had to find a peach orchard and Lane Orchards it was! Homemade peach ice cream, cobbler, a tour of the orchards and then the packing facility.....it was great!

Hot as heck and dusty! But great!

Is your mouth watering yet?

You won't find a cuter peach anywhere!

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake (gluten free)

Before I begin.....

                       THIS IS NOT MY RECIPE!!!!! I CAN NOT GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE, 

                       BECAUSE IT WAS  GIVEN TO ME THROUGH FOURTH AND FIFTH PARTIES.

That being said, here is a great wheat-free and gluten- free cake recipe. We tried it the other night and was well received by all.

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

9" round cake pan, greased

1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

19 oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

4 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 Tbs butter 

Preheat oven to 350*.

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with 2 or 3 Tbs of water. Microwave until chocolate is melted, one or two minutes, making sure to stir often. Add more water if necessary.

Combine the beans and eggs in the food processor. 

Process until smooth.

Add sugar and baking soda and continue to blend.

Pour in melted chocolate and blend until smooth. Make sure it is well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and put into the oven.

Bake for 40 min or until center is clean with a toothpick.

Allow to cool before inverting it onto a serving plate.

This makes one 9" round cake. Top with anything you like! Will hold up under frosting!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Torte in a Pool?

On this particular day in St. Augustine, Hotrod, Princess and I did something very special. The day before, Hotrod and I went on our first Mother/Son outing. He took me to the Lightner Museum. Here are two links to view it.

http://www.lightnermuseum.org/index.html

http://www.lightnermuseum.org/history_lightner.html

It is really something to see! Once The Hotel Alcazar, it now houses beautiful 

collections of early nineteen century things. What we did not realize, was the 

time limit to go to the Cafe Alcazar that is housed at the bottom of the three 

story pool. Obviously, it is now empty. So the three of us went together while 

Grandma kept Little Man.

He is a cutey!! Notice how fresh and cool he looks. We had just gotten out of the car. 

Florida humidity had not yet worked its magic. 

Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!! We ate lunch in the park and walked over to the museum 

to enjoy our special treat, a flour-less chocolate torte.

Yum!!

We might have been a little on the hot side by this point! Oh well! The kids 

did a great job minding their manners.

I am trying to teach her to be a lady.....thankfully, we have a few years!

If it would have been polite to lick the plate, we would have fought over it.

You can see the concrete bottom of the pool here. The side steps lead 

down into the water on either side of the pool. They would have diving 

competitions off the third floor!

The good manners could only last for so long!

We went into the courtyard and feed the coy fish afterward. I love this 

picture! Princess is doing her thing and big brother is watching 

with loving eyes.

The world's largest bunny ears!

Such a spirit!

God's Imagination

The Bible tells us that we are made in God's image. My children and husband have imaginations like no one else I know. I know that comes from God and I love to see His imagination in creation.  In St. Augustine we visited The Alligator Farm and saw God's creativity first hand. Amazing!!

Oh honey, I think you over did the makeup this morning! :)

Does this bird not look like an old man wearing a cape?

Our mothers love us!!

Speaking of God's beautiful creations!

Whew! What a fierce looking vulture!

You will never find a cuter vulture!!

Can I carry you across the water to the other side?? You look tasty!

I don't know why I find this picture funny.

I see you!!

A proud daddy! Or is it a momma?

At the Alligator Farm, there is a natural bird sanctuary. Every year these birds come back to this spot to nest and raise their young. I have never seen so many birds in one place! 

Just a little closer......

This was a highlight. They do feeding shows everyday....the man is crazy!

The alligator on the bottom with his leg sticking out? looks like Barney to me. Am I nuts? Heat exhaustion?

Numm! Nummy!

Nothing like slushies to beat Florida humidity!

Thank you Aunt Karen for treating us to the Alligator Farm!!