Cookie Baking Night 07/21/14

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance this evening: Emily, Ethan, Carissa, and Alli. We made one of our favorite summertime cookies tonight: The Hamburger Cookie.

• Here's what you'll need for the Hamburger Cookie: 
• Vanilla wafers
• Small chocolate mint patties
• White frosting + yellow and red food coloring
• Coconut + green food coloring
• A few kids to help you out

First, divide the frosting into two bowls, color one red and one yellow to resemble ketchup and mustard. 

Next, color the coconut green to resemble lettuce (or as Alli would say, "salad"--please pass the salad)

Frost the inside of one cookie with mustard (yellow frosting) and the inside of another cookie with red frosting (ketchup). Place a mint patty on top of one of the cookies, sprinkle with coconut (lettuce) and top with the second cookie. 

Ahh, the finished product

Can't beat this no-bake recipe on a hot July evening

Tonight we continued on in our book Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade. 

Tonight's question (#3) was: "What Does the Bible Primarily Teach?"

Answer: "The Bible Primarily Teaches What Man Must Believe About God and What God Requires of Man"

As you can imagine, this question (and answer) spurred on some lively conversation. I'm enjoying this book because the questions (and answers) allow me to probe deeper into conversation about God. Once we move past the "Sunday School" answers, the children really start to think about what they believe about God and about if they believe what I'm saying is true (especially the older children). I love material that causes us to think. Now that they're thinkging, may God move and change hearts (the complete set is needed). 

Another Cookie Baking Night has come and gone and, as usual, a fun time was had by all. 

Graduation Musings (07/13/14 Meghan)

My niece, Meghan, graduated from high school in June, and today she celebrated that accomplishment with a graduation open house party. 

I love you, Meghan. My prayer for you is that your course will be marked not by worldly accomplishments but by a life that honors God and makes much of Him. 

Babysitting Musings 07/12/14

Today I did a little babysitting for the youngest niece and nephews: Alli (3-1/2), Rylar (2-1/2), and Enzo (11 months). 

There was coloring

and sitting 

and standing

and wagon pulling 

and wagon eating

All the elements needed for a fun afternoon, and that it was. 

Cookie Baking Night 07/07/14

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance this evening: Ethan, Carissa, and Alli. Carissa turned 9 years old on the 1st of the month, and as is our tradition here at Cookie Baking Nights, today was her birthday choice. For supper, she chose macaroni & cheese, berries with half & half, and fruit smoothies. For her "cookie" choice she went with "Dirt Cups". 

There is much to do when you make dirt cups. First, there is the scraping of the cookie, taking the filling out. 

then the crushing of the cookies to make the "dirt"

then the filling of the cups ... for our layers in the cup we use chocolate pudding, a cream cheese/whipped cream mixture, cookie crumbs, and .... don't forget the gummy worms. My new favorite cup for this project is this one. It comes with a lid and a straw, which is great for attaching a flower. 

We traced and cut out paper flowers to complete our dirt cup/flower pots. 

The finished product

Tonight we also continued in our current book Training Hearts and Teaching Minds by Starr Meade. This evening we worked on question 2. "What authority from God directs us how to glorify and enjoy Him?" Answer: "The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible, which is the Word of God and is made up of the Old and New Testaments." This launched us into a lively discussion on who wrote the Bible and what gives it authority. 

Not a minute left over in this Cookie Baking Night. We used everyone of them in activity of one sort or another. And, as usual, a fun time was had by all!