Merry Christmas!

Granola Bars

My friend Sarah had this recipe posted on her blog and I tried it and they are so darn good that I want to share it!

2 c. oats

1 c. rice chex

1 c. wheat chex

1 c. wheaties/bran flakes

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 c. honey (or 1/2 c. honey and no corn syrup)

1/4 c. corn syrup

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1. In large bowl crush the chex and wheaties, then add the oats and chocolate chips.

2. In a small saucepan combine brown sugar, corn syrup and honey.

3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

4. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla; blend until smooth.

5. Pour over cereal mixture; mix well.

6. Pour into 13" x 9" pan ( I lightly spray with non-stick spray)

7. Push down firmly all over the pan; really squish it in good.

8. Cool, cut into bars. 


You can easily subsitute in coconut, different cereals, etc. It is a versatile recipe and we all loved it!

I found this cutest book on my friend's blog (thanks Amy) and I just had to get it for my kids to do this Christmas season. Lately, they have been fighting and arguing with eachother like no other!! We do "The Last Straw" story all season, but it hasn't seemed to work yet how I would like it to. (Hopefully next year). Anyway, this book is about an elf who comes to visit your house and he watches you every day and then reports back to Santa every night and tells him if the kids have been naughty or nice. He then reappears every morning in a new spot in the house. The book comes with an elf that you can use. Our kids have loved it! They named him Buddy and they leave him notes every night. Sometimes Buddy even leaves a note for them in the morning. The rule in the book is that no one can touch the elf and you can talk to him, but he can't talk to you. Anyway, it is the cutest book and my kids have loved it. I just have to remember to move Buddy every night!!! Yesterday, there was not one argument and if one was starting, they would say, "Hey, we don't want Buddy to see!!"

Sign of a crazy day...Honestly, I don't even know how the kitchen ended up like this. Well actually, I do. I have two sister-in-laws who live close by and we came up with an idea to each take turns once a week cooking for each-other's families. So, one person cooks on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, and one on Thursday, and makes enough for their own family as well as the other two families. So, it is nice that dinner is brought to me twice during the week. The only downfall is that when it is my night to cook and take it to them, the kitchen ends up like this. Why is it that making a mess so much easier than cleaning it up?

Talk about desperate...The other day I find Joseph and Josh eating spilled goldfish off the floor with their mouths. Looks like they didn't want any to go to waste!! Sometimes laughing at the situation is better than getting mad.

With only one daughter and 3 sons, Hannah has no sisters to play with. So, Hannah had Joshua fill that role the other day. When I walked into their room, Hannah was doing a full blown makeover on Josh...she even painted his fingernails.

By the look on his face, he was obviously done being a girl.