One of our own

I created a wonderful memory with my 3 year old daughter today. We sat and watched the Royal Wedding on TV together while we ate our scones with raspberry jam that we made together last night. She got out the camera and started taking pictures of the television she was so excited. "The pwincess is in the car mommy!" & "The pwincess is so pretty mommy!" were heard several times. She even posed next to the TV so I could take a picture of her watching the wedding. When I was about 2 1/2 I watched Princess Diana and Prince Charles get married with my mother. Of course I don't remember it but she tells me about it. Knowing my mother and I did the same thing 30 years ago makes me feel even closer to her and to my daughter. 

After all, history was made today and instead of it being  about something depressing like troops being sent into war or a government shut down; it was something joyous and beautiful! It allowed us Army wives to think about something else for a couple hours and take a break from all the worrying we do about our deployed military. We deserve to celebrate and think about something happy. How many celebrations do we have while our men are away?  How merry can they be when we know part of our heart is missing? Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries all become just a little bittersweet when the one you want to celebrate with isn't with you. So if you watched the wedding today and enjoyed it, don't let anyone make you feel bad about it! It was nice to see one more happy married couple join our ranks. Remember, Kate is one of us now. She's an Army wife too ;)

Watch a video of the First Kiss

Wedding Scones (updated)

With the Royal Wedding in the morning I decided to celebrate by attempting my very first batch of scones while watching this historic wedding on TV.  Maybe I'll see my friend Miranda standing in the crowd with her "Firm" umbrella ;) AFN is broadcasting live coverage of the wedding starting at 10:00 CET on the news channel.


This simple recipe comes from the 1896 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merrit Farmer. 


Cream Scones
2 Cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 Cup cream or milk and water in equal parts
Mix and sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Work in butter with tips of fingers; add eggs well beaten (reserving a small amount of  unbeaten white) and cream. Toss on a floured board, pat, and roll to three-fourths inch thickness. Cut in squares, brush with reserved white, sprinkle with sugar, and bake in a hot oven fifteen minutes.


This is what I'll be attempting. I did come across some other scone recipes that I'd like to try next time. What's your favorite scone recipe? 
Popular Scone Recipes
Unusual Scone Recipes


Oops, that was my plan until I realized that I haven't any cream and the commissary closed almost two hours ago. I just made a run to the Shopette and they don't carry cream.  I'm so disappointed. I guess I'll be trying a different recipe. I'll update with pictures after. And if they don't turn out I'll just eat biscuits with my English tea.


Wow! after starting a new recipe I realized I didn't have any milk either! Good thing my neighbor came to my rescue. I made them tonight so I don't have to get up early tomorrow and do it ;)

Mix baking powder, flour and salt together...

Beat the egg and milk...

Add softened butter to dry ingredients...

It should look crumbly

Stir in egg/milk mixture

It should form a soft ball

Separate into two balls and knead on a lightly floured board

Pat into 1/2 inch thickness, then shape balls or cut out with a biscuit or cookie cutter

Bake approximately 15 min at 400 degrees F

I have mine all ready for the Royal Wedding tomorrow!! I think I'll eat them with the jam I brought home from Paris. I've been saving it for a special occasion.

Simple Scones
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 C Flour
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp butter (softened)
3/4 C milk
1 Egg


Mix dry ingrediants together and then add the butter. Stir until the mixture is crumbly. Whisk milk and egg. Add to dry ingredients until soft dough ball forms. Place dough on lightly floured board. Knead lightly turning a few times. Separate into two balls so the dough is easier to work with. Pat or roll into 1/2 inch thickness. You can slice them into wedges or cut them out with a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter. Bake 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes. 


Mmm, mmm mmm!

Little hborstad art

I love the way kids color. They don't worry about staying inside the lines. They don't worry if they're using the right color. They just color. For fun!

I hope you enjoy these as much I did. They were made by my daughter 2 years ago when she was only 20 months old.

Decorating a package for daddy when he was deployed

These were done more recently. She's out of her abstract phase ;

The cat monster (the beginning of her surrealist period perhaps?)

I guess I need to scan more in. I have a whole drawer full of her drawings. She's always been very artistic. She started drawing faces very young. Now she puts tiny little details in them like fingers and ears that make them so special.  I can't wait to see what she does as she grows up!

Confessions of an Army Wife - Bad Habits

Confession time:
I used to always take a juice box and a can of Diet Coke to the park. (juice for my daughter - Diet Coke for myself just in case you were confused)

Recently I splurged on a new water bottle. It cost more than I would usually spend but I thought it would be worth it if it got us to drink more water. My daughter hates water almost as much as I hate milk so getting her to drink it can be tricky. I thought maybe if she saw me drinking it she would copy me so I got one for her and one for myself. Sometimes I still take a can of Diet Coke in addition to my water bottle but I have actually been choosing the water over the soda! Yay me! I can't explain it but I just LOVE this bottle. My daughter doesn't drink as much water as she should but she isn't drinking nearly as much juice as she used to either. I've completely gotten her away from having a sippy cup at bedtime. She gets to have her water but she rarely drinks any of it.

As a bonus, since she doesn't drink liquids at night anymore she stays dry all night. She has been wearing big girl underwear for at least a month and she's only had one accident at night! Yay her! 


Ok, so now you're thinking, that wasn't much of a confession! You wanted something juicy didn't you?! What do you expect. I live in Baumholder after all! I'll try to think of something more dramatic for you next time ;)

Frohe Ostern! Happy Easter!

Frohe Ostern! Happy Easter!

It was a weekend of BBQ's for us in Baumholder. We celebrated an early Easter Saturday with a German friend/neighbor who's parents were visiting from Mainz. The food was delicious and we even fit in a water fight. Sunday we spent the first half of the day in bed (that's my favorite way to spend the day by the way) and then had to practically lead my daughter to where the Easter bunny had left her basket of goodies. She doesn't quite have the hang of it yet. We had another BBQ behind our building yesterday with most the people in our building and my neighbor cooked a feast all by herself. Today we had (drumroll please...) a BBQ and our Easter egg hunt at the park to celebrate with friends who were out of town for the other BBQ. Three BBQ's in a row!! BBQ's and birthdays. There seems to be no end to them around here :) I can't complain though when we have such great friends to share them with.  

What der Osterhase brought us

She's starting to scare me a little. She bites the faces right off and that's all she eats. Even off of Peeps!

A really big Kinder Egg

Mmmm, Kinder candy is the BEST!!

  

There goes his face!

She was so proud

"He wanted to go in my tummy" she said

"See?"

das Ostereiersuchen (The Easter Egg Hunt

As much as I've enjoyed spending so much time among friends, I'm actually looking forward to the next meal with my husband at home. Even if I have to cook it. I can only handle hot dogs and potato salad for so long! I even made a pregnant friend throw up! Apparently mushrooms make her vomit in her current condition and she didn't realize they were in my green bean casserole! 

Mail Call

Where we collect our mail here on post is called the CMR (Community Mail Room). When we get a package they leave a little yellow card in our box. I LOVE seeing those yellow cards when I open our mail box! 

My friend Cathy makes these AWESOME care packages. Even the outside is completely decorated. I hated to cut the tape because it had cute ducks all over it!

Each flap is covered with decorations

Doesn't she do an amazing job?

Cathy is so creative

She makes them for her husband for every holiday and they are adorable

My little girl is already in love and she hasn't even seen whats INSIDE the box yet

She was so spoiled this easter

It didn't take long for her to start pulling of the stickers and start putting them on her hands.

Jackpot!

She was so excited :)

We happened to get 4 packages that day. It was like christmas at our house. My husband got some car parts.

I got a new laptop (that my husband was just as excited about as I was)

My daughter got a gift from another friend Sarah

She even included a toy for our cat Slinky!

And no, we don't get mail on Easter or on Sundays. We actually got these a few days ago. For those of you stationed here in Baumholder the CMR is open Monday-Friday 10am to 6pm.

We had a marvelous Easter (three days in a row of BBQ's) and I hope all of you did too!