The Friday Five: Chocolate Broccoli...bad idea?

#1: I bought a new cardigan yesterday for $4.38. Huzzah!

Not the most flattering shot.  And, oy! I need to clean that mirror!

#2: My kids love these things...

They're called Energy Balls.  Although we've started simply calling them Peanut Butter Balls.

Basically they are a cup of peanut butter, 1/2-1 cup of powdered dry milk (you mix in enough to make it a dough-like consistency) and 1/4-1/2 cup honey.  Mix up, roll into balls and refridgerate until they get firm.  You can roll them in cocout, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, etc. (before you refridgerate them) Or just leave them plain. And you can add dry fruit to them, too.  Yum!

#3:  I came up with a new craft idea this week.  Yay! I need to get it written up and sent off.  I really really like it.  A lot. If I run into you, I'll probably make you look at one of them.  Consider yourself warned.

#4: I have been staying up very late to work on Sam's Super Secret Birthday Project. Ack! I was trying to keep it simple. And it is...Not. At. All. Simple.  I don't think I'm going to get it done in time.  blech. I should have started sooner.

#5: I have to get my bum moving and get excercising again.  I just don't know when to fit it in! But I've got to find the time. I wish I had my own raquetball court out back.  I love raquetball.  I especially love playing with my husband and trying to beat him! I haven't done it very much.  When we were first learning how to play I managed to whoop him, but now he usually wins.  bah.   And I should probably stop eating so many peanut butter balls....*sigh* why can't carrots taste like peanut butter?  And broccoli like chocolate?

The Friday Five: Random Fun

#1: I made this peanut butter chocolate cake a week or so ago. 

Yep. It was pretty darn good.  But I NEED to stop baking! Ack!

Oddly enough the recipe includes directions for a fluffy chocolate frosting but doesn't mention how much of the ingredients you need. So, I just used a chocolate frosting recipe from one of my cookbooks. 

#2: We had our Cub Scout Pack Meeting last week and had an international theme.  The assistant Cubmaster found this fun craft for the kids to do, African Drums from styrofoam cups...

The kids loved making them.

#3: Erin, the assistant Cubmaster (yep. Both the Cubmaster and the assistant are named Erin...kind of funny)also made a really yummy Italian Lemon Ice.  It was deliciously tart.  I think we've found a new family favorite. 

#4: In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we had mexican food for dinner last night and even added a colorful centerpiece to our table.  I found the instructions for these fun tissue paper flowers Here.  The kids had a great time trying out different color combinations.  And even my 3 yo could make these.

Luckily I had some bright vases to put them in. 

 #5: Also...we made our own pinata!  It was so much fun. I used THESE directions. 

When it was all nice and dry, we painted glue on it and then stuck tissue paper scraps left over from the flowers. 

We love how it turned out!

We hadn't popped the balloon yet in that picture.  And I'll tell you what, that was probably the best part! The kids loved watching the balloon "disappear" when I poked it with a push pin. 

But sadly, we didn't smack the pinata yet.  My handsome cowboy had to work late. He was busy lighting fires (he works for the BLM and they were doing a controlled burn). And I didn't want him to miss the crazy good time with a blindfold, a bat and our homemade fun. http://erinshakespear.blogspot.com/2011/04/thrifty-thursday-funky-spray-painted.html