Ode to Cheeeeesecaaaake

Some swear by New York style, others settle for the Jell-O no-bake version. Some like it slathered with rich strawberry/cherry/blueberry toppings, others will only take it plain. Personally, as an avid cheesecake fan, I could care less. Well, that applied until I encountered the champion of cheesecake, and since then any other version has been automatically chucked to the substandard category.

In my opinion, the key to a perfect cheesecake is the consistency. Not too loose, not too thick...a perfect bite has enough resistance, but still smooth enough to convey that silky texture. A really good cheesecake is best naked...no toppings, no added chocolate or raspberry swirl. And the absolute beauty of this cheesecake recipe is that secret ingredient (I know what it is!) that gives each forkful a light burst of freshness, so often absent from the standard slice usually so cloyingly sweet.

Mister Hep of the Hepworth Four is the master of said cheesecake. I have him to thank for the extra ten pounds I gained with the last one he brought over for Thanksgiving weekend (so worth it!).

Wishing

Every year, the children's wish lists undergo numerous revisions both minor and major. It really depends on if they happen to view a new commercial featuring some must-have item. This year, our Miss Sophie is venturing outside the box. Ever since she figured the concept of a wish list, she had always opted for dinosaurs, fire trucks, and arts and crafts items. This year, it is out with the dinosaurs and in with....Barbie?!?!

This came as quite a surprise since she's never been a big fan of Barbie. In fact, the Barbie aisle often gets skipped altogether during visits to the toy section. But this year, she insists she MUST have one particular doll in order to keep living.
As a child, I wasn't much of a Barbie fan, either. I was more interested in Legos and Lincoln Logs. I had grand dreams of building castles and forts after all. I was always dissuaded from those choices, my mother always insisting the only thing she would purchase for me was a Barbie.

But yesterday, much to my delight, Miss Sophie expressed her longing for building materials since her creativity was significantly limited by our Jenga pieces. I don't know who was more excited to put Lincoln Logs on that list for her (or me?)

The Wheel of Karma

Black Friday was a glorious day spent with the sis (NO KIDS ALLOWED) shopping. In the melee of retail hungry slash sleep deprived shoppers, a roll of pretty wrapping paper escaped the checkout scanner and hijacked itself into my trunk.

When full realization hit, despite my horror of this inadvertent *gasp!* shoplifting, I continued through my day with the offensive unpaid-for item in my car. The nagging guilt ate at me all day as I attempted to perform simple little "good deeds" to hold me over until I had the time to return to the store and officially make the purchase.

Here is the proof the deed is done:
I am known to be terrified of the mighty hand of karma. And frankly, I cannot afford that slap in the face, especially during Christmas time. Right now, I can breathe a sigh of relief and know my conscience is clear!

Have you ever had an item sneak its way into your home unpaid for?

Turkey Day Success!

Despite running on only four hours of sleep (long story), the Mister and Missus teamed up to bring out a scrumptious Thanksgiving feast today!!! AND, might I add (shamelessly brag) everything and I mean everything was made from scratch!!!

Apple/Candied Walnut/Bleu Cheese/Spinach salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (yes, the pomegranate molasses was made from scratch, as well as the candied walnuts). TURKEY! Mashed potatoes and gravy. Corn and Edamame stir-fry. Classic stuffing. Cranberry dressing. Chocolate Cake. And the sum of all these...equals sleepy, happy, and bloated faces. :-)

Really, I can't think of a better day (except maybe Christmas morning when the children are opening presents). I am tired, yet serenely happy in this blissful contentment.

I hope all of you have had as glorious a Thanksgiving Day as Team Och has.

Ya Wanna Come Over?

My current foodie obsession is CHEESE!

Soooo, I have this crazy idea to hold a ladies only cheese-tasting to-do for the neighborhood. I figure, everyone can bring a hunk of cheese and whatever accompaniment they want to share and we can all just sit and nibble and chat!

I'm sending feelers out there...let me know by commenting or sending me a personal email @ wdsloch@msn.com. I think it will be a good time!

Not So Subtle

I wonder what this represents???

Preference

Me: Liv, it's time to go in the car!

Liv: We're gonna get Daddy?

Me: No. Daddy's at work.

Liv: We're getting Dylan?

Me: Yes, we are. Who else are we getting?

Liv: Dylan.

Me: What about Sophie?

Liv: No, it's okay. Sophie can stay at school.

Getting With the Program

Yeah, yeah, my posts of late have been...well, lame...and might I add...sparse. Uber busy? Yeah. Facebook versus Blogger conflicted? Definitely. But in all honesty? My creative juices are experiencing a slight drought.

Considering the ebb and flow of my attention span, I am sticking to my guns about keeping constant with this blog. So...this is me getting with the program yet again.

So Freakin Proud

Nobody hates school as much as I do except for my one and only, Mister Och. But now, I am SO proud to toot his horn for him...he is currently taking his first class at the University of Phoenix towards a BS in Information Technology!

Hun, I'm so proud of you!!!!

This is the only video we got of Mister D and one of his touchdowns of the season. He is a speedy thing...even when he wasn't wearing his cleats, as in this clip.

Her Version

Little Liv was playing with her Little People Farm Set singing her version of a popular nursery song...


"Uncle Donald had a farm....E-I-E-I-O..."


Yes, she really does have an Uncle Donald, although he does NOT have a farm.

My Boy

Today and everyday, I am so thankful for this sweet precious boy. My Mister D, who for the longest time was my sole partner in crime. He and I, making the joint decision what to have for dinner or do for the day. Now, with a complete family package, he is still my go-to man, and he loves it.

Mister D is always willing to help me out, especially when Mister Och is at work or deployed. This morning, aware I had a rough migraine last night, he insisted I stay in bed instead of helping him with breakfast. He fed the dog, gave Liv juice, and heated up a waffle for Soph...all without request or reminder.

Thank you, Mister Dylan! I love you!

Another Writer in the Fam Bam

My boy has been exhibiting interest in writing ever since he read my rough draft on the novel I have been working on. Usually, he'd make up some short stories based on topics he learned at school that interested him. Today, he came home with a short story assignment. He handed it over to me and was giggling about its silliness since his chosen topic was: How the Rhino Got His Wrinkles.

And guess what? It was excellent! Like good enough to be a children's picture book excellent! We're looking into asking his aunt (a closet artist) to do illustrations and make a book out of it. My son may become published before I do! I'll keep you updated!

Thankful Still

Today, I am thankful for the health of my family. I have been an avid follower of blog stars Stephanie Nielsen of nienie dialogues and Stellan McKinley of Mckmama, two people who have struggled with great tragedy and have come out triumphant. Stephanie and her husband were severly burnt in a private plane crash. Stellan, is a darling one-year-old boy who has defied a death sentence from in utero and conquered SVT. I, myself, have successfully battled lymphoma, and can relate to the difficulties both physically and mentally a major illness can bring. I can't imagine constantly having to endure skin grafts and surgery, or worse, have my children shie away because they cannot recognize me from my burn scars. Or, fight to keep it together as I watch my child flatline in front of my eyes. I just can't.

This daily reading keeps me grounded and appreciative of what is important. We are all in generally good health. It is a great cause to celebrate everyday.

Oh, and my closet is immaculate (happy dance!). :-)

Season End

This flag football season was a pleasant surprise for us as we watched Mister D bust out of his normally quiet personality and transform into an aggresive bulldog on the field. Initially, we had predicted he would be a great QB, since the boy has a great arm for throwing some pretty sweet spirals. But, it turned out, his position as a running back revealed his crazy speed was a better asset for the team. So much so that my boy scored four touchdowns for the season, not to mention the yards he rushed for the Cowboys.

He got his man, btw. See the fire in this kid's eyes?

The weather turned real ugly real fast. The snow started coming down, and despite the league coordinator's insistence it was still "playable" weather, it was downright miserable from that point on. The temp dipped below freezing and the kids did NOT want to be out there. Funny thing, going against the league coordinator, the kids took it upon themselves and agreed to just meet in the middle and call it a draw just to get out of the weather. The next game was then played indoors in the gym.

The team finished out the season with a record of 8-2. Great job, Mister D!

In the Right Frame of Mind

Yes, there is a monster of a snowstorm raging outside today. And yes, my girls are battling an equally raging monster of a cold/flu/cough. And because of this, I have not had any sleep at all save the ten or fifteen minutes between Liv's fits of crying and wailing. And I, along with the girls, had to skip out on Mister D's last football game of the season.

Yes, I am not completely happy with the look of my Xmas tree (I like to change it up every year and have opted not to do so this time around). And yes, my pile of laundry continues to dwarf the washing machine (laundry fairy, where are you?)

BUT, today IS a good day.

Not only because this month renders one to reflect on matters to be thankful for. It's easy to be caught up in trivial things...black Friday sale ads, trip planning, house cleaning, etcetera, etcetera...especially during this month. But...my family is together, we have a roof over our heads, the children are happy...LIFE IS GOOD.

Thankful Thankful Thankful

Still Runnin'

Okay, so I had mentioned previously how SO very looking forward to the cold weather and the hibernating slash relaxing slash slowing down will bring. Welllllll...the cold weather is here but it seems Fam Och is still going going going.

Last week, we somehow managed to survive a week of Hill's ORE (or for you non-military folk, operational readiness exercise). It's basically playing war on base. I'm sure you locals have either heard the loudspeaker attack warnings, or at the very least, the gazillion jet flyovers. Anyway, the hubster is always a main player in these things, and so he was once again assigned to twelve (really with in-processing, changeover, and out-processing it's really thirteen and a half) hour shifts, occasionally sucking rubber (donning gas mask) for an hour or two.

It just so happened during this cluster my back decided to give out while I was scrubbing those EVIIIIIIIL "washable" bath markers from the bathtub. As a result, Mister D missed both days of football practice. Annnnnd, I also had to work drill weekend at the guard base while Mister Och was still pretending to battle Koreans. (Koreans, really?) So D had to miss his game as well.
At least he got to enjoy a night with the Heps.

L's football season has come to an end with the team's loss at the semifinal round. Mister D's last two games are this Saturday. So it should be looking to calm down.

Although, the Mister's nads will be getting the ole snip snip this Friday, so I'll be sure to catering to my hubby and his achy nether parts over the weekend.

Next up will be finding a way to get a tkt for Liv's H1N1 booster.

DUH

Signs that state "DO NOT ENTER" means you need to go the F around to get into the parking lot. Get with the program, mofo!

Young Love

A week ago, Mister D announced he found a note on his desk when he arrived at school that morning. The note said:

Dylan, I LIKE YOU.

Of course, it was a big deal. Mister D has been crushing on this cute little blond girl since fifth grade, and the handwriting matches his love interest's. But, as of yet, he has decided not to "pursue" the opportunity.

It's so cute seeing his excitement about the whole situation and I'm so grateful he feels free to discuss his school experiences with Mister Och and I. He asks us what we think he should do and what his friends are saying to him. He tells us what he wants to do but is afraid to for fear of rejection. This has provided a window for Mister Och and I to discuss other topics with him such as peer pressure, drugs, and sex. Mister Och has taken it upon himself to teach our little man the proper way to treat ladies.

One of the things I was afraid of was trying to raise a pre-teen slash teenager without the proper communication lines established. This time right now, is a fairly good sign we are doing the right thing.

Trick or Treat

The grim reaper, little bo peep, and a cute little garden gnome made an appearance tonight at Fam Och's abode. They left in quite a hurry, armed with buckets, to make the rounds of the neighborhood, hitting them up for goodies.