Cookie's birthday

It's pouring outside.  Can you believe it?  February in Minnesota and it's actually pouring outside.  I have to say though, I am glad it's rain and not snow even though it's a little scary to think about sleet and freezing rain outside.  It could be ice rink galore outside in the morning.  If that's the case, the boys won't have school and I won't have to get up as early.  Daddy daycare will be open though!

This weekend we attended another birthday party.  Seems like my blog is just full of them lately.  Little Aubry turned 4.  She had a cowgirl party.  I brought the cupcakes and cookie dough pops for everyone.  There was good company and really yummy food.  Why is it that I always end up standing right by the food.  I think I ate a half bowl of dip.

Isn't she cute?  I call her Cookie.  Not sure why but I've called her that for a while now and it just fits her.  My little Cookie!  For her birthday I made her an ABC picture for her room.  She just started pre school so what a great idea I thought.  This is how I made it.

I bought a stencil at the craft store.  This isn't the exact one I used but realized after I spray painted it white that I should have shown you what it looked like before.  Mine was blue when I bought it.  I spray painted it white and then took all different scrap book paper and taped them randomly behind the letters.

Next I put it in a white 8x10 frame.

I think she loved it.  When she opened it I saw a quick big smile before she ripped into the next gift.  I got her to hold it up for me though.

I can't believe she is 4 years old already.  With her pretty momma...

Tonight for dinner I made my version of manicotti.  You can get really fancy with this or you be really really simple with it like I do.  Now most people have a pound of hamburger, an onion, tomato sauce, tomato paste and shredded cheeses.  The only thing special that some might not have is the manicotti noodles.

1 lb hamburger, browned

1/2 onion, chopped small (I have picky kids)

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

8-10 manicotti noodles, cooked according to package

Italian seasoning

Pepper

Garlic salt

little sugar

After I browned the hamburger with the onion, I transferred that to a bowl and stirred in the tomato  sauce and paste.  I added in the cheeses and seasonings as well. Now the messy part.  You will want to just use your hands when you take this mixture and stuff the shells as full as you can get them.  You'll put them in a greased 9x13 pan.  You'll have a little hamburger mixture left over.  Spread it all over the top of the noodles and sprinkle a little more cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Cody loved this dinner.  He even asked for seconds, as well as his daddy.  It's really good heated up the next day for lunch too.  These are staple cheeses I always have in my fridge but if you'd like to use something different, that's fine.  There are no rules on the kinds of cheeses you can use. 

Did you watch the Daytona 500 last night?  WoW, it was exciting but boring at the same time.  We were invited to a race party on Sunday which we went to...and left a couple hours after enjoying a bunch of really good food.  I brought cupcakes of course.  I enjoyed one of those as well.

Nite!

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