Cinnamon Blueberry Crumble Bars

Awhile back King Soopers was having a great deal on blueberries so I snatched up several 18 oz. containers... several as in 10, I believe. We ate some; I froze 2 quart size bags worth; I made blueberry muffins; and I also made these bars! They were really terrific. I liked the added texture of the oatmeal they called for. Here's the recipe:

Cinnamon Blueberry Crumble Bars
**from the Cake Mix Doctor 

Ingredients: 
1 pkg. plain yellow cake mix
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 c. old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
2 lg. eggs
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 c. fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. granulated sugar

To Make: 
Preheat the oven to 350*. Set aside an ungreased 9x13" baking pan. Place the cake mix, melted butter, oatmeal, brown sugar, eggs, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The mixture will be thick. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for the topping. Transfer the remaining crust mixture to the pan. Using your fingertips, press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan so that it reaches all sides. For the filling, place the blueberries and granulated sugar in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour the blueberries onto the crust, and spread with a spoon so that the berries are evenly distributed. Pinch off pieces of the reserved crust mixture and scatter them over the filling. Place the pan in the oven. Bake the cake until it is light brown and bubbling, 40-45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool, 30 minutes. Cut the cake into 24 bars.
**Store these bars, covered in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (We did this. They were good cold.). Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the bars overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

To life... full of fresh, summer blueberries!

MMM: Simply a Quote

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie."
~ Unknown 

Last September...

"Maybe When the Kids are Older..."

I started writing this poem as a way to keep perspective when the house always feels chaotic and I'm feeling guilty about being behind on my daily "chores." But as I wrote, I realized that, honestly and truly, I am going to miss this phase of life so much when it is over. All the "complaints" and difficulties that come with these baby and toddler years are really not so bad. I read somewhere this past week that there is never truly a "smooth-sailing" time in your life. And I realized, it must be true. I have always told myself, "Well when this happens" or "When we finally settle here" or so on that things will be "easier," but I don't think that's true. What we have now is our normal, it might not stay that way for long, but right now this is our life and instead of pining away the time I should be celebrating because time never stops, it's always moving forward, and one day, I'll miss this:

"Maybe When the Kids are Older..." 

the dishes will be done at the end of the day

the books and the toys will be all put away 

the middle of the night crying will stop

my main piece of clothing won't be a nursing top. 

I could go to the bathroom all by myself

all the breakables won't have to be on the top shelf 

I could go for a walk without causing a fuss

I could come back inside without tears and a muss. 

When we eat they just might cut up their own food

and clean their own mess up, wouldn't that be good? 

I won't read "The Ear Book" six times a day

I'll understand all the words that they say! 

But, oh, those things most surely can wait! 

We can go to bed early & sleep in till eight! 

That doesn't mean we're asleep the whole time
but the rocking and snuggles are sometimes sublime. 

When you reach for my hand with a smile on your face

you're saying, "Mommy, I want to take you some place!" 

Sometimes I hesitate, I have something to do

but I can't waste this time, you're going to be 2!

The dishes, the laundry, they don't HAVE to be done

we can dance, read, and snuggle, make memories of fun. 

The kids will grow up, and the house might stay clean

but today, little one, let's play and let's dream! 

To life... full of the day-by-day living! 

The Dog Days of Summer

We made it to the Loveland Spray Park one more time! Zeke, of course, had a blast! Check out a few pictures and even a short video!

My Little Sous Chef

Checking on the cinnamon rolls! 

MMM: I'm Wide Awake

Today, I'm going to see how many tactics Zeke has used in the past 18 months to keep himself awake during naptime/bedtime. Please note: this is meant to be a humorous, but true, list, not a complaint!

Jeremiah decided to join in on the fun, so this is a compilation from both Mommy and Daddy experiences...

Crying
Head-butting
Sticking his fingers in my mouth or nose
Hitting himself in the head
Hitting me in the head
Readjusting/Getting comfortable (but I give him a little credit on this one, I roll around a lot when I'm trying to go to bed too!)
Humming/Singing
Babbling
Lifting his head off my shoulder, making eye contact, crinkling his nose and smiling his toothy smile
Pulling out one of my earrings
Picking at one of my moles
Moving his hands and feet
Pulling his ears
Raising both arms straight up in the air, then as one starts to fall it catches his attention and wakes him up

pulling on the fabric on the chair
moving your head back and forth
moving his head back and forth
grabbing your nose
grabbing his nose
pulling on his ear
putting his finger in your ear
making popping noises with his mouth
grinding his teeth
switching head positions, left then right then left then right...
laughing
giggling
pointing to everything in his room
asking for a glass of water
asking if you want a glass of water
listening for mommy...asking for mommy...yelling for mommy...whispering mommy
making animal farm noises
pooping
calisthenics - stomach excercises
falling backwards
falling forwards
falling sideways
looking at the ceiling
shutting his eyes to make you think he is asleep then when you set him in his crib, going into meltdown mode because you couldn't read his mind and see that he was playin' you

Just as he drifts off, Dora comes in and "MEOWS!" (Agh! Not his fault, but worth mentioning because it has happened enough times that Dora gets chased out of the room.)

To life... full of learning to fall asleep!