Pop Quiz Time:

Q: What happens when you fall asleep while watching "Signing Time" with your almost 2 year old?





A: She empties 1/2 a tube of Desitin Diaper Rash Ointment all over herself and our two month old couch. Then to top it all off, she digs in a new box of Cheerio's so the cereal gets a sufficient coating and has to be thrown away.


Bonus Question: Does anyone know how to get Desitin out of fabric?

Pop Quiz Time:

Summer Chores

So, I'm tired of my chore charts and since Cooper and Jackson can now read, I'm trying something new this summer. I found a cool blank Chore chart on "The Project Girl" web page. So, I uploaded it and added in the chores I am going to have those two boys do. I'm sure I'll find more for them to do (help with laundry, clean out cupboards, etc...) but for now this will suffice. She suggested getting each kid a clip board with their name on it, a stack of the chore charts and a pencil with it to cross off what they have done.


I also am rereading "The Parenting Breakthrough" so I can get back to setting goals as a parent and family. (We always do so well until baseball season comes, then our lives just go haywire for 8 weeks!)

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

Are you ready for an amazing recipe? Seriously, so good you won't believe it. If you've liked any other recipe I've ever posted, trust me on this...they are so good they may just change your life.

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

Makes: 8 oversized brownies

Time: 35 minutes, plus 30 minutes to cool

*For the richest flavor, use dark chocolate and dark chocolate cocoa.

½ cup butter

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup sugar

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup flour

½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 8 muffin cups.
2. Microwave ½ cup butter in a heatproof bowl to melt. Add chocolate, stirring until melted, then add sugar and cocoa and stir to blend. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and salt. Add flour and stir until smooth. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups.
3. Using a small spoon, make a depression in each portion of batter 1 in. wide and ½ in. deep. Spoon 1 tbsp. chocolate hazelnut spread into each.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into brownie part comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 20-24 minutes. Let cool on a rack about 10 minutes. Using a small metal spatula, loosen brownies from pans, move to rack, and cool completely.

Make ahead: Up to 1 day.

Mini Vans really can be cool...

As evidenced by this hilarious video:

Watch this and try not to cry...

What an amazing example.