Having a hoppy good time

So much has been going on lately that I decided to give a quick update. I am a little overwhelmed with all that I have to say, but I hope to give you a glimpse into some of the highlights.

To start, I almost finished the mural at my parents' house; I just keep forgetting to take a pic of it to show you. At least I remembered to take the camera out for this tooth-filled grin Hayden flashed me in the moon bounce, while celebrating my sister's college graduation (the party was also at my parents' house).

Little lady loves to bounce, as you can see in this less than flattering pic. Us mommies have to sacrifice what we look like in photos sometimes just to capture the true joy experienced by our children. Hunching over and letting it all hang out can cause some criticism (poor Janet Jackson received her share with this photo, although she appeared very tone in this one taken at the same time), but it is well worth all the fun we were having.

Jacob also had a blast bouncing, but I'll refrain from posting a pic of him in the moon bounce. He was wearing only his swim trunks at the time, as there was also some Slip and Slide action, kiddie pools and the jacuzzi. Both Jacob and I took turns in the dunk tank, where he was bare-chested again and I ended up in my bikini (yes, this 34-year-old mom of two still opts to rock a two-piece bathing suit). Although I have no issues with us sporting swimwear in a public setting, I don't feel comfortable having these pics displayed on the Internet (you never know where they could end up). Therefore, I'll just share this photo of Jacob playing with his new hand-held Nintendo DSi.

Don't worry; I made sure he hasn't been glued to this device all summer. His grandma bought it for him to recognize how wonderful he has been to his sister this year, as well as all the other things he has done. Did I mention he got a perfect report card for all four marking periods in 1rst grade? He also far exceeded the recommended number of advanced reading books/quizzes for the year (for every five books they read and pass the test on, they get to "travel" to a new location on the map; he made it all over the globe).

This summer, we've been working on a "Reading Passport" package, where we are "traveling" to a different state with every book he reads from the list. Each week, we get a hefty stack of books from the library, each one representing a different state. After he reads it, we have a mini ceremony at home, marking off the states with star stickers. His passport map is filling up fast.

While at the library, he and Hayden also participate in a weekly activity group, where they listen to stories, go on scavenger hunts utilizing the references in the library, do science experiments and make crafts. Even Hayden has gotten involved in the coloring. Now I've got two artists on my hands.

Other summer activities have included Jacob's basketball camp (Hayden loves to watch her big brother play), swimming in the pool (Jacob is getting better everyday, and Hayden likes the water, too), going to the farmers market, the carnival, the boardwalk and more events. I'd tell you more, but I need to get back to what's going on now (Hayden is working on walking, taking multiple unassisted steps; she'll be taking off running by the end of the week).

BTW, I apologize for the lack of food pics, as I also was ill for much of July (it happens when I try to do too much; a little sunshine, fresh air and cayenne pepper-spiked lemon juice shots made me all better again). I guess I wasn't really in the mood to take pictures of food. Thank goodness for Heidi (who's quite the artist, too), I've got her yummy raw cupcakes to share (the pink icing is perfect for Hayden's upcoming 1rst birthday on August 21). She even remembered to add Ellen. Love it, don't you? :-)

Flashback fiesta in a cup

Keeping a blog fresh after a few years has its challenges, but it is nice to have material to fall back on in a pinch. As I'm trying not to get too overwhelmed with balancing blogging with mommy duties, I'm happy to sometimes just share a blast from the past, like this little number. I may have posted a fiesta in a bowl of sorts on the Natural Zing blog the other day, but I opted to recognize Cinco de Mayo in a cup (make that cupcake) right here.

This raw cupcake (above) is a variation of the savory cupcake from my raw cupcake e-book, which Lisa from Raw on $10 a Day was kind enough to mention on her blog recently (I just love her budget-friendly ideas, and her e-book sold on her site). She even used one of my recipes in her menu (these Chocolate Avocado Cupcake pictures to the left and below are hers; I guess they really can be economical). Check it out.

BTW, Ellen stopped by, too, to share a raw cupcake with her. Here is the pic Lisa posted on her site. Looks like the quest to get Ellen to try a raw vegan cupcake isn't over yet. I'll tone it down around here, but you're all welcome to keep it going if you'd like. I'll still post your raw cupcake creations and link back to you. Thanks :-)

Whoa Nelly!

I'm so excited I got a chance to say that, thanks to my little lady, who drew the winner of my raw cupcake e-book giveaway. She must have been taking lessons from Jackson when it comes to name picking. Just watch and you'll see why:

This time, she decided to dump out the contents of the box (I was a little nervous about her using those breakable bowls anymore, as she's getting a bit out-of-control with these things) onto her lap, before selecting a slip. Check out that look of enthusiasm on her face.


She carefully narrows down her selection to just one (although she went back for more after she was done; Hayden, you know you're just supposed to pick one winner).


As usual, she had to taste it first to see if it was good.


I quickly snatched it away, while daddy distracted her.


What does it say? It's Nelly, which explains the title. What are the odds of that? It's funny how these things just fall into place. Congrats girl!


Good thing that I got this pic of the winning slip when I did, since Hayden grabbed it back, shoving it in her mouth (sounds like what Jackson did with the winner of Nelly's second giveaway). She almost succeeded in eating it. I might have to come up with a new way of doing this. Any suggestions? I've tried to talk Jacob into doing it, but he always declines.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised by what happened; Hayden's been putting everything in her mouth lately. I think she might be teething, which would explain her fussiness the past couple days (my birthday wasn't exactly as relaxed as I led you to believe; I did get a break from the computer, but Hayden required some extra attention and tlc).

At least she looks happy during this photo shoot today. She really seemed to like the cupcake material. What should I do with it? I had originally purchased it (along with some similar prints) to make aprons, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Get your creative thinking caps on, like this artistic blogging friend of mine, Anne of Picture it Raw. You may recall her first sketch for the quest. For my birthday, she offered up one more, complete with two yummy raw cupcakes. Thanks!


And, thanks to everyone who left such lovely comments yesterday. You're all so sweet :-)

Speaking of sweet, I'd still enjoy seeing your raw cupcake creations, even if I am taking a break from the quest (maybe Ellen will be more likely to try one, if I stop force-feeding them to her; it's the same way with my kids). Let me know if you have something to share, and I'll post/link to it. There's always room for more raw cupcakes around here :-)

Happy birthday to me :-)

Okay, so the big day has arrived, and I have yet to hear from Ellen. Oh well, it is still early.

Speaking of early, I woke up way too soon this morning, due to a nightmare of all things ... make that "A Nightmare on Elm Street." The remake comes out today, so no wonder I had it on the brain. It would give me bad dreams when I was little (although I continued to watch the original and its sequels multiple times), and it still does (even without seeing it; maybe I saw a commercial for it before bed).

Anyway, you can't go back to sleep after having a nightmare about a gruesome character that's trying to get you in your dreams (I'd much rather dream about raw cupcakes, right Ellen? She's probably having nightmares about me). That explains why the franchise has been so successful.

I haven't been too successful with this Ellen thing, so I tried to get it off my mind (as well as Freddy Krueger) by way of distraction. Since I couldn't sleep, I flopped down on the couch in front of the television, flipping channels and searching for something somewhat uplifting.

Can you believe that I ended watching "Teen Wolf?" Ridiculous, I know, but I liked it when it first came out.

The funniest part about it was the timing; Matthew and I were tempted to put it on the other day to see if the comment in the Star Wars-themed Family Guy was true. As this is a family friendly blog, I won't link to it (which doesn't explain my nightmare link; sorry about that), although I'll tell you a bit more.

Supposedly, there is a man in the back of the stands with something hanging out at the final basketball game. I can't believe that we actually Googled this to find out exactly where to look (what else are you going to do at 3:30 a.m.?).

To our surprise, the man was actually a woman with her fly down (only exposing more clothing; otherwise, I wouldn't mention it on my site), who was trying to discretely pull it back up again. Now that's a crazy way to start my birthday.

At least when I checked my e-mail, this is what I found in my inbox. It's a raw cupcake pic (no Ellen here; this raw cupcake is for me) from my blogging friend Nelly (she'd probably get a kick out of the "Teen Wolf" thing after her last post), who also sent me these "good things in small packages" (I just adored her little note) that I won in her first giveaway (her second giveaway ends tomorrow). She's got some good timing, doesn't she?


She's also been a big help in my quest to get Ellen to eat a raw cupcake, by unbaking her own treats, tweeting and retweeting my tweets (did you get all of that?). Thanks to all of you who embarked on the quest with me, too. Let's review:

My good buddy Bitt was the first to hop aboard, highlighting two raw cupcakes on her site. Check them out. She didn't get Ellen's face in the shots, so I took it upon myself to add the cutout for her.


Next, Bitt contributed this naked Zippy Zucchini Cupcake.


Then there was the Reduced-Fat & Fabulous Cupcake modeled on Sarah's blog. Nice strawberry accent. That cupcake is working it.


I had to get a closeup on that pretty little thing.


Along with Aura's own take on Carrot Cake Cupcakes. S-weet! They're all decked out in n'icing, this season's creamiest trend.


I had to show a sneak peek at what's hidden underneath :-)


My blogging friend Debbie of Raw-Riffic Food not only made two types of raw cupcakes (the Creme-filled Lemony Cupcakes with her own topping/garnish and the Cocoa Avocado Cupcakes), but she did a review, too. She's so sweet. She was the first to buy my e-book.


Then, there was my newest "Buddy" on the block, with her blog, Vegan Showdown. She documented her first experience making raw cupcakes with her cell phone, demonstrating the ramekin technique, which is how I started out, too. Not bad for some phone pics.


She later contributed this little chick. So cute!


Since Heathy was busy with Moonie Pie-making, she opted to use her pic of the Rawtess cupcakes she made at the time I first revealed the recipe on my blog. She didn't have an Ellen cutout nearby then, so I added it for her.


Then, I made a moonie pie cupcake, too. Yum!


Anna of Picture It Raw has some impressive artist skills. She illustrated her blueberry topped raw cupcake for Ellen.


And both Michelle and Lori of Pure2Raw joined the quest, too. Lori arrived home from her European trip to these raw cupcakes, made by Michelle. Ellen even stopped by for some pics (something tells me they should upload this to the Ellen site in the "what's wrong with this photo" category, ha ha).


Then, my blogging buddy Bitt was at it again. She printed out her copy of my raw cupcake e-book and had it made into an actual book.


I later posted a craft that involved printing out the pages, too (Oops, I forgot Ellen. Oh well, she didn't need to be in all of the shots).


TyrahD from Domestic Dharma got a little creative in her raw kitchen, improvising with the ingredients she had on hand, as well as a biscuit cutter in place of the silicone liners.


I had to show a view of the sweet surprise center.


Nelly at From Nelly ... With Love ... (the same Nelly I talked about above; hey, that rhymes) went on a hunt for reusable silicone cupcake liners and look what she found; her liners are a different shape. Doesn't it resemble a chocolate covered strawberry cupcake?


She made more than one. Yum!


And Bitt continued her raw cupcake kick. What's under this chocolate n'icing?


She attempted making a checkerboard cupcake, but ended up making a swirly version. Now that's a tasty mistake. Ellen agreed :-)


And I had to mention Hayden's contribution to the cause, if you can call it that. She didn't want to share.


Maybe she'll share with me today :-)

Again, thanks to everyone who's shared with me so far. Keep sending your raw cupcake creations my way, and I'll continue to post them/link to you. Here's what you need to do:

Just check out the recipes from my raw cupcake e-book, whip them up yourself, take a picture and let me know where I can link to them (I gotta know about it, if you want me to highlight it on my site). Happy unbaking!

BTW, this is an e-book, which saves some trees (unless you decided to do my cut-and-paste project). Please make sure to provide a confirmed e-mail address at the time of purchase, so I can send it to you. Thanks :-)

*****

Also, don't forget about my birthday deal that ends today: The good people at Natural Zing have a birthday special in my honor. All of my readers who purchase $50 or more of raw cupcake-making ingredients (or whatever other products you like; I just thought you'd be on a raw cupcake kick) through Friday, April 30, 2010, will receive a pound of almonds free. Just enter the code: $50ALMONDS_RAWDORABLE in the comment box at check out. Happy birthday or unbirthday to all of you, too!

*****

GIVEAWAY ALERT! And, if you took the time to read this far, you can participate in my e-book giveaway. Just leave a comment mentioning why you'd like to win it or who'd you like me to send one to on your behalf (that is if you have one already). I'll enter you again, if you blog or tweet about it. The contest ends at the end of today, as it's special for my b-day. Good luck :-)

Ellen, you just got served ...

... some yummy raw vegan cupcakes on my blog. Don't you wish you had one with you right now? They'll have you dancing better than ever (although you already have some rawkin' moves).

Have you thought about any new shirt slogans? I, personally, like "laugh, dance, eat a raw cupcake." Maybe I should make you one and send it to you. Would you wear it?

Anyway, I realize this raw cupcake quest is getting a little out of control (I'm beginning to feel like Sam I Am from "Green Eggs and Ham") so lucky for you, I plan on toning it down a bit after tomorrow, as that's my 34th birthday - the day I had hoped to get a little raw cupcake recognition on your site and/or show.


But, since today is my last chance to show you what you've been missing (I'm talking about the cupcakes), you'll have to deal with yet another post full of raw vegan cupcakes with your face next to them (as well as some annoying tweets).

If you like what you see (still referring to the cupcakes), please make my birthday wish come true with a mention on your site, whether it be in the book section, listed under recipes (you have my permission to use one, as you are Ellen DeGeneres), talked about in a video diary (I'd really like to see a current one of those) or just added to the link section.


And, my readers can get in on the Ellen cupcake action, too. Just check out the recipes from my raw cupcake e-book, whip them up yourself, take a picture of the Ellen cutout with your creation and let me know where I can link to it (I gotta know about it, if you want me to highlight it on my site). Also, if you'd like, upload your pic to the Ellen website, mentioning the quest to get her to eat a raw cupcake.

You can also help out the cause by sending multiple tweets to Ellen, as well as posting on her Facebook page. Of course, the main goal is to get her to try a raw cupcake, but a mention on her site would be pretty sweet, too :-)

Thanks to all who are participating. My birthday is tomorrow. I wish I could show off a ton of your raw cupcakes that day (and maybe I can get a little Ellen recognition, as well). Pretty please, with naturally-colored coconut sprinkles on top!


How about a raw vegan sandwich cookie on top, too :-)

*****

Also, don't forget about my birthday deal this week: The good people at Natural Zing have a birthday special in my honor. All of my readers who purchase $50 or more of raw cupcake-making ingredients (or whatever other products you like; I just thought you'd be on a raw cupcake kick) through Friday, April 30, 2010, will receive a pound of almonds free. Just enter the code: $50ALMONDS_RAWDORABLE in the comment box at check out. Happy birthday or unbirthday to all of you, too!