Has it really been a month since my last post? I promised myself when I started this blog that I would never let that happen. But I did. Time management is not my strong suit.
Since my last post, we’ve celebrated two birthdays, we’ve prepared our house for an appraisal, I’ve fulfilled my obligations as textbook volunteer coordinator during a week of high school registration, and I’ve gotten my two teens ready to go back to school. Since my last post, my daughter and son-in-law have gone back to work after having their baby, and I have begun babysitting my precocious four year old grandson and my fussy but adorable two month old grandson.
And I’m just not as efficient of a multi-tasker as I used to be.
But tonight, the grandkids are at home with their parents and the teens are at a football game with the Dana Hills High School Dolphins Marching Band. They’re playing their rivals, the San Clemente High School Tritons. Go Dolphins! My dear husband, is volunteering as a chaperone and instrument transporter. God bless him!
And I am gloriously home alone with my computer, a couple of golden retrievers, and a lab bloodhound mix that we are pet sitting. Time to catch up.
Here’s what I did in August:
The Dana Hills High School Marching Band had their barbecue and I signed up to bring what I always sign up to bring: cookies.
Simple Music Cookies for the Marching Band Barbecue
Noah getting ready to march onto the field for the first football game of the school year.
Hannah getting ready to march onto the field for the first football game of the season.
My son, Noah, hates cake and cookies. If I didn’t give birth to him, I’d wonder if we were really related. He does, however, love cheesecake, and he requested a classic. Here’s the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake I made him. I made a smaller version since we were also having a Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake with a Mint Chocolate Oreo Crust, my son-in-law’s favorite. We devoured that before I could get a photo. Sorry!
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake with a Shortbread Crust for Noah’s Birthday
My daughter, Stephanie, wanted to surprise my son-in-law, Austin, with a birthday basket, since he went back to work on his birthday after six weeks of paid maternity leave. Austin like beer. He’s not a lush. He drinks responsibly. So I don’t mind indulging this request at all. Look for a tutorial for these cookies soon. Here are the cookies:
Beer Cookies for Austin’s Birthday
A former orchestra teacher at the high school asked me to make some cat cookies for her daughter’s birthday. Here’s the cookies:
Kitty Cookies
My lovely and amazing Aunt Bev came to Los Angeles from Kansas City, so the family was getting together to see her. My cousin, Randy, loves my cookies and cakes, so I always try to bring something to these family get-togethers. Since it was the end of summer, I decided to make summer cookies. And since one of my favorite summer treats has always been Bomb Pops, I decided to make Bomb Pop Cookies. Thank you to The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle, my very favorite cookie blog, for the inspiration and tutorial.
Bomb Pop Cookies
And that’s how I spent the last month of my summer vacation!
Mara's Flour Power 