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I just posted a link to this blog today on my facebook page.  Just in case I didn't have enough things consuming my time, I started a blog..  LOL, Yes I know I'm crazy, but it's something I've wanted to do for awhile.  And well it will be great to use at 3am in the morning when I can't sleep and I'm bored with Facebook and Pinterest.  Thank you for checking it out.

Gingerbread House

So this Christmas we started a new tradition for the Carter's holiday fun.  Gingerbread house decorating, yes I said decorating, not making.  I say this because we did the easy thing (smart with a 2 1/2 year old in the house), we bought this awesome kit from Costco.

We had a blast decorating it.  Jer and I did most of the decorating, Henrik did most of the eating of  the candy and feeding candy to Sammy (our dog).  The dog, who is not supposed to have table scraps or candy. But Henrik is convinced we are starving her, so he is ever on the mission to feed the poor starving dog.  Anywho, we had fun and completed it aound 12am.  Here are some photos of the finished gingerbread house.  I'm looking forward to this years night of gingerbread house decoarting.  So glad we started this new tradition and I'm sure Sammy (the dog) is glad too. 

Front

Back

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

 

 

Use your favorite lemon cake mix, bake and cool.
Fill with lemon curd after it’s cooled. Make sure to top the cupcake back so meringue does not touch the curd.
For the meringue: 

2 large egg white

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Put the sugar, cream of tartar, and egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water (the bowl should not be touching the water) and allow the sugar to melt into the eggs. Once warmed, add the vanilla and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 3 – 5 minutes, set aside.

Top cupcakes with meringue, broil till the meringue is golden. Then enjoy!! Yummy

7 Ingredient Lasgna

 

This lasagna is so easy and tastes fantastic. I love Amy's Pasta sauce, YUMMY!! 
      All you do is brown 1lb organic lean ground beef, saute 1lg red bell pepper, add 2tbls fresh minced garlic, mix all together with 1 jar of Amy's tomato basil pasta sauce, set aside. Cook 12 lasagna noodles. Preheat oven to 350...°. Spray baking dish w/ cooking spray, layer 3 noodles- ricotta cheese- mozzarella cheese- meat sauce mixture, repeat.... When you've gotten to the top, open another jar of Amy's tomato basil pasta sauce, pour about 3/4 of it all over, top w/ lots of mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes....and enjoy.

I just can't believe it's 2012. I remember thinking of 2012 as if it was so far into futuristic times, that we would all be flying around in little personal spaceships and wearing shiny metal clothes. Ha ha... How time flies by so fast, but here we are 2012 and I welcome it with open arms and a positive attitude.