Weekend update and a host of new favorite recipes

We have been pretty busy here with Mike's weekend birthday celebration and finishing up all of my shopping for the girls and Mike for Saint Nicholas day. We will be giving the girls their gifts from us tomorrow in honor of Saint Nicholas since we realize that we will most likely not be at our own home on Christmas morning for a very long time, or until we live in the same town as our families and then we can be at our home and theirs for Christmas.

Friday was packed full of seeing friends at a play group- which is a real rarity these days- and making this pretty fantastic broccoli tuna casserole (as far a tuna casseroles go) and which was great for sneaking extra vegis in for the kids, which we can always use (as the girls generally live on a hearty diet of cereal and cheese). Here's the recipe-

1 box of tri-color rotini noodles (cooked and drained)
6 ounces velveeta cheese
1 can cream of broccoli soup
2 cups cooked frozen or fresh broccoli
2 cans tuna
seasoned salt or salt and pepper to taste
a bit of shredded cheddar cheese to sprinkle on the top
Italian flavored bread crumbs

NOT my casserole, but you need a picture to inspire you

Mix first 5 ingredients together and then sprinkle with cheddar and bread crumbs. Pop in oven preheated to 350 for 20-25 minutes, take out, let cool and enjoy.

I threw a little birthday/Christmas party Saturday night and made a few recipes found on pinterest, or course and it was pretty amazing.

This cheesy bread pleased the crowd greatly:

Then there's the smores dip that was a definitely Ana pleaser. There is still a tablespoon or 2 left over in the fridge that I refuse to throw away and am waiting until the girls go down for a nap so that I can lick the container clean:

it most certainly was a decadent as it looks

 I made some double chocolate cookies for Mike because he wanted double chocolate cookies "just like the kind at kroger" and while I do not think they measured up to those, they were pretty great. And some deep dark chocolate cookies for a friend with an allergy to gluten since they are flourless and they were also incredible- especially right when you take them out of the oven, I would recommend eating as many as you can right away.

Sunday was spent making "German pancakes" for Mike (otherwise known as crepes), his favorite meal- sauerkraut and kielbasa with mashed potatoes, and baking him a double chocolate cake since there is NO WAY he got enough chocolate the day before. This is my favorite picture of the cake:

I saw that Naomi had an extra slice of cake on her plate after I had turned my back for a second and then I looked at the cake and realized she had hacked off her own piece- at least she is learning independence.

Licking the mixer thingies after making some homemade white icing.

So that was our weekend, much more exciting then normal and I am looking forward to some intense gift wrapping this evening in anticipation of a "very-princess Saint Nicholas day" tomorrow.

I hope that your weekend was lovely and that Monday is not punching you in the face, like it pretty much did to me today,

Cheers,
Ana