Festive Fourth of July Drinks for the Kids...

It's crazy to think that the kids have been out of school for almost a month.  I feel like I have been running in a million different directions since the last day of school.  Their last T-ball game is tonight and county fair is next week, so we have been busy working with the calves and pigs...the pigs could use more work, but we have been focusing on the calves pretty well!  Maybe after next week, I can find time to catch my breath!!!  Probably just wishful thinking as July is jam packed with events and festivities including the Fourth of July.

I made these drinks for the girls over Memorial Day weekend and they were very easy to make and very refreshing so I'm sure they will be making an appearance again on the Fourth of July.  I was a little nervous because I had never made a layered drink.  After a little research, I learned the secret to layering drinks is to layer them according to sugar content...the drink with the highest amount of sugar goes on the bottom and so on.  For our drinks I used, Ocean-Spray Cran-Apple Juice , Blue Gatorade , and Diet Sierra Mist (It must be diet)...

Now, I know that the order isn't red, white and blue, but instead it is red, blue and white, but I had trouble finding a white or clear drink with the right sugar content.  I think it is still pretty and festive!  The complete recipe can be found at the bottom of this post, but I will go ahead and let you in on this little secret: place a layer of ice cubes in the glass, then pour in the Cran-Apple juice, then layer more ice and pour the Gatorade DIRECTLY on top of an ice cube.  Finish filling the glass with ice and add the Diet Sierra Mist.  Be sure not to shake or stir the mixture or it will turn black!

They almost look too pretty to drink:)...

Layered Fourth of July Drink

Ingredients

• Ocean Spray Cran-Apple juice
• Blue Gatorade
• Diet Sierra Mist

Cooking Directions

1. Place ice cubes in bottom of glass or jar. Pour Ocean Spray Cran-Apple juice over ice.
2. Add more ice cubes and pour blue Gatorade directly over an ice cube.
3. Fill the glass or jar the rest of the way with ice cubes and add the Diet Sierra Mist.

Add a straw and enjoy!

Kelly's Strawberry Glaze Pie...

We have strawberries coming out of our ears!!!!  We have only picked from our patch twice and have already picked about 100 quart!  We have made jam, halved some and froze them to enjoy on shortcake this winter, I have frozen them whole, made shortcake, sold them and am now in the process of making every strawberry recipe I can think of!  My friend, Kelly gave me this yummy recipe and it is so good!  So, if you have some fresh berries, whip up this pie.  I'm sure store bought strawberries would work too, but nothing beats garden fresh in my book!  Enjoy!!

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pre-baked pie crust
• 4 Cups Fresh strawberries, halved
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Cup Water
• 1/2 small package strawberry jello

Cooking Directions

1. Place halved strawberries in pre-baked pie shell.
2. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and mix until most lumps are gone.
3. Add water and jello to sugar and cornstarch and bring to a rapid boil.
4. Boil until thick. (about 10 minutes)
5. Pour glaze over strawberries.

Wordless Wednesday {A Toddler and an Ice Cream Cone}...

This post isn't exactly wordless, but I'll try to keep it short and sweet so you can enjoy the messiness in pictures.  Jo is our third child and I think I have learned how to let some things go.  The key word in that sentence is "some!"  Some may tell you differently, but I am trying to be more laid back about certain things. You see, I used to hate messes!  I still do, but I'm learning to take some of them in stride. When B was a toddler, I don't think she ever had an ice cream cone or a Popsicle (I know!  Mean mommy!).  At least not until she was three and even then, it made me want to have a panic attack.  When Mel was a toddler, I would give her Popsicles, but only with those fancy cup things that hold the Popsicle stick and keep them from dripping everywhere...oh, and I made her wear a bib!  Now I have Jo.  She is 19 months old and has already had more ice cream cones and Popsicles than I care to count!  I don't use a bib, or one of those fancy cup things.  They drip everywhere.  Down her chin, elbows and eventually the drips make their way down to her legs and ankles.  My favorite are the red Popsicles.  The red doesn't come off the skin until she takes a bath, so errands get kind of interesting and we usually manage to get several stares!  And no, I don't give her a bath before we go somewhere.  I just wipe her down.  If I had to give her a bath every time she got in to something, she would have to have 27 baths a day.  When the pool is clear, I will probably just take her for a swim before we run errands!

Preschool Graduation and Second Grade Awards....

Thursday was Mel's last day of Preschool and graduation was Thursday night.  She was just a little excited.  We had to go to B's awards program in the afternoon and as soon as we got home she was ready to put on her "beautiful dress" and even requested that I curl her hair. (the awards program was over at 3:00 and her graduation was at 6:00!)  I didn't know how well her hair would hold the curls because it is stick straight, but they did manage to stay in through the graduation.  I made her pose for a few pix before.  It was pretty windy outside so I held my breath and hoped that the crazy wind didn't make the curls fall.

 Jump!  All her idea and the perfect graduation photo op if you ask me!

 Again, these poses were all her idea and they had to be taken by this tree, so the lighting wasn't exactly in my favor...

 Graduation time!

 She had one awesome group of classmates!

 Legs crossed!  Such a little lady!

 The Pledge of Allegiance...

 Song time...

 As shy as this girl was at the beginning of the school year, I am amazed at how much she has changed in a year!  She sang every word and even did the motions!

 Now on to Kindergarten, which I'm sure she will love, but she already misses her teachers!

 Now for Miss B who is moving on to third grade.  The end of the school year is always pretty emotional for her...and me too.  I have a hard time grasping the fact that another year has passed and she always has a hard time leaving her teachers.  We have been blessed with great teachers every year so far!

 This girl, unlike her sister, doesn't like to get all "fancy" so most days this is how she is dressed, but that's okay.  Each kid deserves to be unique!

Now on to summer fun!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp...

It's rhubarb season in the Midwest!  I'm not really a fan, but my husband loves it, so I bought a plant a couple years ago and it is finally producing enough to do something with.  I saw a recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp and decided to give it a whirl.  I thought if it included strawberries, then I might like it and I did!  I even made it with only rhubarb one time and it was still delicious.  When I have ripe strawberries in my garden, I'm going to try it with only strawberries.  If you do this just add 4 Cups of strawberries or rhubarb, whatever you choose to use instead of 2 cups of rhubarb and strawberries.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Cups Strawberries (hulled and halved or quartered)
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup Old fashioned oats
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/3 Cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter

Cooking Directions

Filling:
In a bowl, stir together the strawberries rhubarb and sugar.  Pour in a 2 qt. greased baking dish and set aside.
Topping: 

 Melt butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Stir in flour, oats, sugars, cinnamon and salt until well blended and moistened crumbs form. Spoon the mixture over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.