Gotta give a shout out

To my friend Amber. Check out her blog to get the latest info on her current book projects.

http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

Also check her out at

A. R. Norris: Author Page is Up

Her book Duty and Devotion will be pulished with Desert Breeze Publishing: Available June 2011
Amber this is so awesome!!

Peanut Butter Garnola Bars

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

cooking spray
1 egg white
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup (1-stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted, *see Cook's Note
1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips


Directions
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to hang over the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, using a hand beater, beat the egg white until frothy. Stir in the peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey. Add the melted butter, oats and almonds. Stir to combine, then add the chocolate chips.

Using a rubber spatula, spread mixture into the prepared baking pan, pressing lightly to form an even layer. Bake until the edge of the mixture begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 1 hour. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares and serve.

*Cook's Note: To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
www.foodnetwork.com

At the park......

The boys and i took a stroll out to te park by our house yesterday afternoon, trying to burn off some energy. Here are some shots i got.

There's always room for Jell-O

I found the blog bellow by doing a little of what the kids call online surfing. I was looking at a website that took me to another website which led me to.....well, you get the idea. Anyway I wanted to share this with you all. I think we all need to travel out of our flavor zone sometimes, and i am usually down to try anything (except pepper on cantaloupe YUCK). It just so happened i had all of the ingredients for this recipe on hand. Yes, i keep unflavored gelatin on hand at all times, why? You ask....Jell-O is GREAT for nails and hair. It has marrow in it (yes as in bone) which makes nails and hair strong. Rather than trying to find time each day to eat some Jeel-O I found drinking the unflavored one, really fast 1st thing in the morning, was the best way to get it into me. But i have to say, the recipe bellow sounded great, so I gave it a shot. It really was good. I will warn you, this is ONLY for the biggest of coffee fans. It's basically like eating a chewy coffee bean, it's that strong. It was great though and i recommend you give it a try. Just not right before bed :-)

Cheers

~Sam

Vietnamese Coffee Jello
via http://www.thatwinsomegirl.blogspot.com/

1/2 cup cold water
2 cups strong coffee
1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 packages of Knox unflavored gelatin

Place 1/2 cup cold water in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 3 packages of unflavored gelatin over the water; stir to combine. Let this mixture set for about 10 minutes, until the gelatin blooms. Meanwhile, prepare 2 cups of strong coffee. (I used 8 tablespoons of ground coffee for 2 cups of water.)

Stir the hot coffee into the bloomed gelatin until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk.

Pour the combined jello mixture into an 8x8 pan (you could use a larger pan for thinner jello cubes). Place in the fridge for 2-4 hours, until gelatin is completely set.

Cut into 1-inch cubes and serve, or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

How's your book going.........

My friend asked me this today and it reminded me, it's been almost 2 years since the last time i even looked at what I've written, let alone, actually put something on paper. Rain, was/is my first attempt at anything big, i think i could make it into a big story, but then feel like there is no way I could write a novel. Novels are for Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Laurell K. Hamilton, novel's are not for Samantha Spillman. I have never thought i was very creative, which is fine, most of what i write is for personal, or close friend viewing, so it's never bothered me much. But lately, and perhaps because I'm home, i really feel like i should do "something" aside from the kiddos and cleaning, I should have a "craft" i should be knitting, or painting, or.......writing. My friend was very understanding, assuring me she's been there, and it takes time. She said she likes what I've written, and she wants to see more. I love her for this i really do. Sometimes, just like with being a parent, one needs to be reminded to just keep trying. In the end, I may never get "the call" but at least it's fun to do while i wait...........

Code Name: The Kid

Aragorn has informed me as of this morning, his new nickname is "The Kid"

1st Vacation pictures.....

Going down the north pole slide

I love Rohan's face "really mom?....really?"

We see you....

Waiting for the typical Colorado afternoon storm to pass

We did this ride twice for a total of 10 times around........And they still yelled and acted crazy when we had to get off

Yeah, that's Grandma's boy!!

Leaning on the north pole

Looking cute on the train at the north pole

Passed out Thursday night

The view from our room

Being cheesy at breakfast Friday

The terrace fire pitThe Lake

Our Pool

Being silly

Water Slide!!

I love this picture!!Making s'mores

Tasting the heavenly goodness that is s'mores

The broadmore hotel

Feeding the Giraffes

Even the monkey's said it was to hot!!

Shrine of the sun. Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun is the tomb which holds the ashes of Spencer Penrose (1865-1939), a philanthropist who contributed many of the most prominent landmarks in Colorado Springs, including the neighboring Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Broadmoor Hotel. Completed by Penrose in 1937, it takes the form of an 80-foot observation tower on the side of Cheyenne Mountain. It overlooks the Broadmoor Hotel, and from the tower one can see the entire Colorado Springs metropolitan area and Garden of the Gods.

Persuaded not to name the structure after himself, Penrose instead named it in honor of his friend, Will Rogers, the American humorist who died in a plane crash in Alaska in 1935, during construction of the tomb

The Love i have for my children is the ONLY reason for this picture, i am deathly afraid of heights. This is a view from the gondola at the Zoo.

Pffft mom, we could totally take him

The storm rolling in as we left Sunday morning

1st Vacation.......

We went on our 1st family vacation this past weekend and we had a BLAST. I want to take a moment and thank my mom who was able to help us out to make the trip possible. We started out Thursday and stopped at the north pole before heading to Cheyenne Mountain Resort. The north pole is a year round amusement park for kids. They have Santa and reindeer everything Christmas. The boys got to go on a ton of rides, and LOVED it. Aragorn definitely takes after my mom who could ride rollar coasters with the best of them. We stayed there for about 3 hours, long enough for the boys to see Santa (who the BEGGED and BEGGED to see, and then shied away from) then it was off to our hotel. It was a great place aside from the few issues we had, overall it was a nice hotel. They had a huge pool which Aragorn was very happy to see. We spent Thursday evening in the pool, and the kids passed out from all the activities that day. Friday we stayed at the hotel and enjoyed the 3 pools they had. We ate breakfast on the terrace and then enjoyed the pool until lunch. We took the kids to Chuckee Cheese for lunch as an added surprise. Friday night the boys made s'mores for the 1st time on the terrace fireplace, in the end, they were both more interested in burning the marshmallows than eating the s'mores. Saturday we got up early and headed to the Cheyenne mountain zoo. Although the boys are not really zoo kids, i think they liked it. What they didn't like was the fact that the zoo's elevation is anywhere from 6,800 to 7,000 feet above sea level depending on where you are at the zoo.So, it's a LOT of walking. They did ok though, but were happy to be on the way to the hotel. Saturday night, both Rohan and Eric had had enough pool time, so they opted to stay in the room while i took Aragorn to the "dive-in" which was exactly as it sounds, he was able to watch a movie (Wall-E) and swim in the dark!! He LOVED it. We stayed for the whole movie and he was excited to tell Eric and Rohan all about it. We slept in Sunday morning, and left around 11. It was so nice to get away for a few days, we got to hang out as a family, with no interruptions. We all had a great time, but we were all happy to come home, and get back into the routine of things.

I can't wait for next years vacation...........Hmmmmmm where to go.......

Love,
The Spillmans

A long road.........

Not long after Eric and i married my mother in law Salli went to see her doctor, she had not been sick, but felt like she wasn't loosing weight. After some tests it was determined she had colon cancer, after some more, they also found she had kidney cancer. She was a very strong headed women (so no surprise where Rohan gets it) she worked almost until the day she died. She still took care of Eric, and his brothers Jermey and Jesse, she called us weekly to make sure everything was ok. She was strong until the end. We got the call on a Wednesday morning, i was about 4 months pregnant with Rohan, and Aragorn was almost 2. I have learned in life that a call early in the morning (or late at night) is never good. And when i saw Eric's face, and the tears brim over his eyes, i knew our fears had come true, my mother in law, Eric's mother, had died. She was 49.

I mention this, because, it becomes more and more apparent every day how much she is missed in our life. When we were pregnant with Aragorn, i was so excited we would be able to send him to see his grandmother in the place where his dad had grown up. I was excited he would get a nice slower paced life when he would visit her, and i was excited that she was excited for all of this as well. I love Salli dearly, she was a great women, spunky and crazy, level headed and business savvy, she was funny, and didn't take anything from anyone. She was shopping the Christmas before she passed, and was mugged, well, he attempted to mug her. She called us after it happened and i was amazed, here is this women who is battling Cancer, on chemo treatments 3 times a week, working 2 jobs, and still managed to punch the guy in the face. He did not mug her, he ran..........fast.

I hope she knows we love her, and miss her everyday, that i wish we could escape to visit her sometimes. That Eric misses talking to her on Sunday's and her Thanksgiving feasts (ok....ok so do I......Eric just can't get that gravy right) most of all though, i am sad everyday that she won't see her grand kids see who they have become, and see the adventure to who they will be. I know she's smiling and laughs all the time at our exploits.

We miss and Love you Salli.

Eric, Sam, Aragorn, Rohan and Tabbi

Random pics-2

We went swimming in the pool and played in the hose today, amoung a ton of other things. I got a couple of good shots that i wanted the share.