Chocolate Fixation Friday

Dulce De Leche Brownies

I have to start out with saying I cheated this time. I used my favorite brownie recipe instead of the one listed. I did use the dulce de leche recipe though. Both Chris and I thought that these came out too sweet, and the dulce flavor wasn't all that pronounced. The normal chocolatey-ness these brownies have was subdued as well. I am not sure that I cooked the milk enough, it could have been darker, which might have made it taste better. I have been reading several other blogs that have used similar methods with sweetened condensed milk to make dulce de leche so I think I will try that again. The next fixation recipe was actually chosen by me, so hopefully I will like it!



Enjoy!
Amy

Another color challenge

So, I have done another of Kristina Werners color challenges. I haven't used Kiwi Kiss or Riding Hood Red that much, so I swapped those for the Certainly Celery and Ruby Red. I am only so so happy with this card. I also used a sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers. Hopefully the person this was made for will like it more than me!




Amy

No chocolate fixation Friday for me (and a couple other things)

So, I injured my back a week or so ago, and just today got in to have a Dr look at MRI's and Xrays. Turns out I just have back pain with no real injury. I now have some lovely drugs to make me feel better though. So, no chocolate baking for me this time. I am still supposed to lay low for another week or so to let the inflammation go down and hopefully recover in another 10 days or so. I think Chris is a little tired of playing nursemaid to me and taking care of the 3 dogs. Yes, we now have 3 dogs (temporarily). We are fostering Harley the pug for Seattle Pug Rescue. So if anyone you know wants a very affectionate loveable 2yo pug let me know, he is a doll...

Amy

Harley

We have walls and a roof!

We are at the lake again for a couple days is all, but here is a photo with the walls up and the roof on. This morning though Chris comes over and says come look at the front of the house. Where the big window and slider had been (on the floor with the deck) there was now a huge hole, basically the whole front of the house was gone. Umm... hello? Aren't we supposed to be progressing and getting it closed in, not making bigger holes? Apparently there was rot and the whole thing had been put up pretty weirdly, so Chris and Dad (maybe more Chris than Dad) wanted to make it right before covering it all up.

This photo shows a little bit how tall the house is compared to my parents house. And my parents is one of the bigger houses on the lake. Ours got a little tall... I think it is gonna look really nice though when the round window goes in and the trellis gets put up over the front windows.

We are leaving tomorrow, so probably not much more progess till the windows go in, which will hopefully be in a month or so.

Enjoy!
Amy

Camping with the girls

I went camping with some girlfriends over the weekend at Camano Island State park. The weather was nice for the first half, then VERY wet for the second half. Luckily we had Gail's RV and stayed inside playing games and keeping dry. I have realized about myself that I am kind of prissy. Well, very prissy actually. I like my hot showers, my bed, and being warm and dry. Good girlfriends are worth the sacrifice though. I REALLY enjoyed my hot shower when I got home! Thanks ladies, I had a great time!

Amy















Mardel, Dash, Amy, Amy, Boo, Kathy, Jackie and Gail

Chocolate Fixation Friday

I joined a group of bloggers that make a chocolate dessert every first and third Fridays. This chocolate glazed peanut butter torte was supposed to be last Fridays entry... Needless to say I didn't manage my time wisely enough and ran out of it before going camping over the weekend. Oddly though the torte was mostly done when I left on Thursday. Chris finished it for me (by putting the chocolate on top) on Saturday, and now I am home and can blog about it.

This thing is huge. And not our favorite. It is so rich that this will serve like 30-40 people. The crust is very yummy though. I don't think I will be making it again however.
















Ginormous chocolate glazed peanut butter torte

Amy

Fitz on the treadmill

Fitz sometimes has too much energy than is good for him. Well, maybe too much for us... A little while on the treadmill seems to help him behave better. We started him off on the treadmill at an early age, he fought it quite a bit then, but now has gotten the hang of it so well he doesn't even need a leash. The other day he went and stood on it, turned around and stared at me, like, come on mom, lets go. Here he is going at 3 on my mom's machine, I am not sure if that is 3mph or what. Chris had him up to 4.5 the other day for a short stint, that was quite a running pace for him. (Chris says he was doing sprints with him...) I think he looks quite silly, in a loving, only a mother would think it is cute kind of way. Enjoy!

Amy

Crafting with Mom

I have always wanted to do one of Kristina's color challenges, and today was the day! Mom and I both made cards, it was interesting to see how differently they turned out using the same colors, being made at the same time.




Here is my card. We both thought to make small cards without mentioning it to each other. These are 3X3.







And here is Mom's card. It is hard to tell, but she used lots of glitter on the butterfly, it is really sparkly in person.








The photos only turned out ok, the sun had gone behind the clouds so the colors are not quite right. Mom doesn't have the new in colors, and I thought the turquoise looked too bright, so we used Old Olive and Taken with Teal. Now we must make dinner which is quite late! Enjoy =)

Amy

Fallish weather

The lake was gorgeous today. It is feeling like fall is near, the air is a little crisp and most people have left. I wandered around taking photos for the heck of it...


Lounge chairs on our dock.


Wind whirligig in our yard.

I love the change of seasons, so the end of summer is not so sad for me.

Amy

Dogs...

Cutie Bennett profile with a very unhappy Fitz in the background trying to paw his way through the slider to get in and play. They have gotten more violent with their playtime and still can't be unsupervised so one of them always has to be penned up or outside or something when the other one is loose. Neither of them particularly like this...

Amy

More lake house remodel

This was a big week for changes at the house. We were so-so lucky with the weather, it rained once and got the house a wee bit wet. I was called over to use a push broom to get rid of the standing water in the main floor. It hasn't rained since though, so we will keep our fingers crossed until the roof goes on.


Chris and Dad on the second floor which has no walls or roof anymore...

Our topless house on the left, my parents on the right.

Ken operating the boom truck we used to lift off the roof. It was quite the sight. Even the neighbors stood on their deck and watched.

I have more photos from today with walls up, but they are still on the camera so will have to wait for Chris to help get them off.

Enjoy!
Amy

Welcome home Bennett

Last night we brought Bennett home. We had read that he and Fitz should meet on neutral ground, so we went for a walk in the rain to introduce them last night. At first Bennett didn't really like Fitz, he got all growly, but they have are becoming fast friends I think. Bennett is really whiny, more so than Fitz was, but he chews a LOT less than Fitz did. This is nice! They are having fun playing, we are having to keep a hold on Fitz though, he is a little too big and brutish for Bennett right now.



Supervised (aka Fitz can't actually get to Bennett) playtime


Lets chew on each other...

Amy

Remodeling at the lake

We have been at the lake house for the last week and a half remodeling. I say we, but really Dad, Ken, and Chris have been remodeling. I have been cooking and providing moral support! =) We are adding on an entryway and a covered porch, taking the roof off, extending the upstairs walls to a full 8 feet, then putting a new roof on. The former loft upstairs will turn into 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and a laundry room. A big undertaking!


The garage side of the house where the new covered porch will be.


The lake side of the house.


Where the new entry addition will be.

We are home only for a couple days, then back to the lake to get the roof torn off and replaced quickly so the house is enclosed before icky weather sets in. (well, icky-er anyway...)

Amy

Introducing Bennett

Bennett is our new shih-tzu puppy. He is 6 1/2 weeks old in this photo. He just ate, as can be seen by the food still on his face =) He will be coming home to us around the 25th of August. Such a cutie!

Hello blogging world!

Well, I have taken the plunge and joined the blog world. I have no idea how much I might use this, but thought I might as well try. It just might be interesting to someone!

Amy