Bunco Buffet Recipes Per Your Request

You asked- so here they are!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 10-oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 t. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350* F.
Mix all ingredients together until well blended.
Spoon into 9" pie plate or quiche dish.
Bake 20 mins or until heated through.

You can also prepare this in advance, covering and refrigerating
up to 24 hours. Just add 5-10 mins to the baking time.

Serve with tortilla chips, bread, crackers, or veggies.

{I've also baked mine and then spooned it into a little
dip-sized crock pot to keep it nice and warm.}

I got this recipe from Kraft magazine, but you can find it here, too.

Fruit Dip

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/3-1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix cream cheese and brown sugar with electric mixer.
Begin with 1/3 cup of sugar, adding up to 1/2 cup depending on your preference.
Serve with fresh fruit- I used Granny Smith apples the other night.

The Oreo Bonbon recipe can be found here. The pumpkin bread recipe is in this post; I just swirled a little Nutella into the batter before baking the other day. Sometimes we like to dip bananas in Nutella, so I thought it might be good on banana bread, too.

Happy Eating!

Baby Buncos and Bunco Baby

I want to warn my friends in far away places that this post contains photos of food you possibly have no access to. If that will cause you undue distress, then step.away.from.the.blog.now.

Can I just say that it is so fun to organize an event, watch it come together, and then enjoy it along with everyone else? We military wives (and a few missionaries who came as subs) had the best time tonight!

Words can't really begin to describe life in Ukraine. Most embassy housing is relatively close in proximity, but when you add in all of the other variables life presents us on a day to day basis here, getting together takes a great deal of effort to pull off. It's a one-event/day type of culture: you go to the store and you come home wiped out and that's all you do. We get to see each other at other official functions, but those are times we really need to be mingling and not huddling together as an exclusive little group. So a ladies night out was a very special treat for all of us!

Huh. This first photo is small. I cropped it to get the glaring fluorescent lights out of the photo. Oh well- we're going with it because I still have some dishes to wash! I love having this long counter in the kitchen as it's the perfect place to set out the food.

The Bunco Buffet

I found these cute mugs and appetizer plates at Home Goods this summer when we were home. I bought a set for the girls and I to use for Tea Time Tuesday, but I thought they'd be fun to use tonight, too. I needed some sort of runner, so I bought these two scarves down in the metro for 25 UAH/each (about $3 apiece). I figured the girls could put them in the dress up trunk when I was done with them!

Clearly, "G" stands for Yellow Hat.☺

The lefty side of the mug.

Can't you just smell them?!
I bought these down in the metro today, too.
Remind me- someday I will do a post on what
you can buy in the metro passages.

Spinach artichoke dip is my favorite!

Have you ever made an apple dip with cream cheese and brown sugar?
It's delicious with the green Granny Smiths!
{Marci tells me it's great with apple walnut bagels, too!
There is a couple that makes NY style bagels here, and
I bought 3 dozen to put in the freezer!}

I love pumpkin bread.

This time, I swirled a little dollop (such a fun word)
of Nutella in the batter before baking- YUMMY!

Can you see the pink high heels on the paper cups?

Head table.

We even had pink dice.

What can I say?
I have matchy-matchy disease.

Oh, yes. I did not take a photo of our drink station,
but we had Hawaiian Kona Hazelnut coffee, tea, soft drinks, and wine.

And there's my bunco baby. She was simply not interested in letting the sitter put her down to bed. Nor anyone else. And you know what? I decided that after 3 weeks of being alone this month, I was not going to fight this battle; rather, I was going to enjoy Bunco with the world's youngest player in my lap! How appropriate that I won the prize for the most Baby Buncos!

Have you had a girls' night out recently?
What is your favorite thing to do when you have one?

On the Topic of Dating and Wife Getting

{Tonight right before dinner as I was securing a sub for Bunco...}

The Boy: Who was that?

Me: Ms. Tara

The Boy: Oh. She's going on a date with Mr. Jonathan?

Me: Yes; when you're married, you're still supposed to take your wife on dates.

The Boy: How do you get a wife?

Me: You have to be a grown up first- a man. And you need to love God so you can pray and He will help you find one.

The Boy: I can just have you for my wife when I grow up.

{♥♥♥heart melts♥♥♥}

The Boy: Does God allow that?

The Land of Nod

Big Girl
2004
Kyiv, Ukraine

The Boy
2007
North Carolina

Baby Girl
2010
Kyiv, Ukraine

We had this bed built the first time we were here after Big Girl decided to take a nose dive out of her crib. We had planned to switch The Boy over after a trip we were taking to MI because he followed the same milestone schedule as his older sister. He beat us to it 2 days before that trip. We sold the crib before Baby Girl had time to formulate her escape plan and she never climbed out of the play yard because we had her in a sleepsack- couldn't get a leg up, I guess! But, the time finally arrived to graduate. She's been in this for some time now. Mom is making a quilt that matches the one she made Big Girl. For inquiring minds: yes, she stays in now that she has been trained to do so. However, she is our little spitfire and she does dare to test her boundaries occasionally.

It's the Law

That when the guys go away, something must go wrong.

During deployments I had my oven catch on fire as it pre-heated because of a faulty part, my dishwasher basically blew up, and someone backed into the car (they drove off, of course). My children who never get sick did- and usually on the weekends late at night when my only choice was to take them to the base ER and sit there no less than 4 hours with both of them because I had no family nearby, friends were gone (we were in the same boat and many left for their parents' for the deployment duration), and the locals at church still hadn't accepted us as some of their own.

Mr. YH left Sunday for another 10 days. Baby Girl woke up sick. She didn't nap yesterday because she was so uncomfortable. She woke up after she was put to bed tonight crying and fussing to the point I just got her out and held her. I finally put her down in my bed, surrounded by pillows. I thought she was sleeping until I heard a thud and crying- she had tried to get down and fell against the nightstand. When I picked her up, I immediately saw the damage, raced to get a wet washcloth and began applying pressure to the gaping wound in her eyebrow.

After hours, we're to call the Marines so they can get in touch with the medical person on call. They couldn't get through to anyone. I tried all the numbers I had- no luck. I finally called them back and Tara the Tigress said they were going to have to get creative and find a way to get one of those doctors. I was near tears as I was tired, it was late, and I was alone in a foreign country with a child who clearly needed stitches. Thankfully, a doctor had called back and they patched me through {and they're working through future protocol for such situations}.

My friend Marci came over with her mom who is in town. Her mom stayed here with the sleeping kids while we went to the embassy. Some glue and butterfly stitches later, we were back out the door at 11:15 p.m. Exhausted.

It's about 7:30 a.m. for all you east coast peeps. Have a great day- my two little ones are down for naps, Big Girl is amusing herself, and I'm headed to the bedroom to finish watching the movie I didn't get to see the rest of last night!

Announcement

Just add this to the "Quirkiness of Mrs. YH" list you're keeping:

You know those cake balls made with crumbled up cake and a can of frosting and then dipped in chocolate? I made some for Bunco, and I don't like them enough to even serve them. I'm not sure what all the hype is about. {In reflective mode, I think it's a combination of too much sugar and texture.} So I'm sticking with the Oreo Bonbons. And I do like those!

For B over in Paradise:

1 pkg oreos, crushed
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
almond bark

Mix crushed oreos and cream cheese together in a mixer. Chill. Shape into quarter inch balls and place on cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Freeze. Dip in almond bark and return to cookie sheet. Drizzle with another color ofo chocolate if you'd like. Chill or freeze again. Store in the fridge or freezer. You can give them a few minutes to defrost slightly before eating.

Ambassador's Reception

We had a busy weekend full of social engagements. And although I really enjoy entertaining and am a total extrovert, I've decided I am glad Mr. YH's job description does not include too many formal receptions. Some of my friends here have at least one a week- and it's the same {international} crowd all of the time; they totally get bored with one another.

The Ambassador's reception was lovely (of course! he's the ambassador!). We got an additional e-mail the day prior to the event saying dress was casual. My friend, Tara A., correctly observed that ambassador and casual do not belong in the same sentence together. I mean, S.E.R.I.O.U.S.L.Y.!!! I had a minor clothing crisis as the outfit I had put together in my mind just didn't work for me. I scoured the closet and finally came up with something to accessorize my depression: a pair of dress pants, white ruffled cami, and a dressier jacket that ties around the waist. "Smart/business casual" you might say. Had everyone gone home to change out of their suits and not come straight from their embassy jobs, I would not have felt underdressed.

This reception was for all new {American} post staff that have come in since Ambassador Tefft arrived. He and his wife hold these twice a year so that they can meet and greet a little more personally and so that we can all see the residence. Trust me- our government has done a wonderful job with the presentation which is a big part of the mission as we build relationships with our host country representatives and those from other nations.

We went through the receiving line, had drinks, and chatted with the other guests upon arrival. Ambassador Tefft gave a short speech, told us a little about the history of the residence, and told us about the art display downstairs we could visit at our leisure.

Dinner was buffet style in the large dining room, and we were able to take our plates and find a seat anywhere on the first floor. Dinner included fresh bread, salad, some type of pasta, chicken in a tomato sauce, crab cakes, rice and a spinach dish. Dessert was served on the prettiest salad plates- navy rimmed with gold stars and a gold US emblem. They had another kind, too, but the navy were the prettiest and I'd sure love to have a set of my own! The sweet was a thin pastry like crust with ice cream balls dipped in chocolate and frozen. {I just found a link to Pickard China who made the china we ate on (yes, we ladies looked!). If you scroll down, the design that night was similar to the inaugural plate shown. The eagle emblem was smaller and not centered, though.}

So that was our evening: mingle, mingle, eat, mingle, mingle, eat, mingle, mingle, time to go.

I have no photos because, well, that would have been a bit tacky.
Stay tuned for The Promotion Party.

P.S. Did I answer all of your questions?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

And I haven't even shown you the {very few} fall decorations I have out! Humor me, huh?!

We are blessed with U.S. mail privileges here. Our mail is sent via regular U.S. avenues to a major airport and then sent on over to the embassy. Sometimes things get here quickly (I'm talking 2 weeks), and sometimes they don't. I know that come November, it's going to be slow with the sheer volume of packages being sent to various diplomatic missions around the world, so I've been shopping...

Each year we gift our children with a new Christmas ornament {wrapped all nicely} at the time we decorate our tree. I choose something that represents a place we've been, a major accomplishment/event they've had that year, or something that simply represents their personality or current {major} interest. I also try to get something that is of good quality to withstand the years and that will be nice to have on a tree as an adult.

These are the ornaments the kids will get for 2010
{SHH! It's a secret!}.

Big Girl:

Horses are it right now. I searched for the longest time to find a decent looking horse. I finally stumbled upon The Trail of the Painted Ponies and purchased this one that the artist designed to look like a gingerbread cookie. We have a yearly Gingerbread Day, so it seemed like the perfect choice.

The Boy:

This, people, is the USAF's newest fighter jet- the F-22 Raptor.

And Mr. Jonathon flies one and he is The Boy's hero. {Period.}

Find any aircraft you want here.

Baby Girl:

She loves babies and we often see her holding one just like this. She also loves shoes- anyone's are fair game, so this dolly toting girl in borrowed slippers (Hummel) was the epitome of our own little doll!

I'm looking forward to the art fair the embassy will have this fall when I can get some beautiful handmade Ukrainian ornaments to represent our time here- I'll just have to store them for a year!

Did your parents gift you with a
collection of ornaments when you "grew up?"
Have you continued that or instituted
a similar/new tradition in your own home?

Five Weeks Later: The First Day of School

Slowly, I'm getting organized.
Yes, I know, if I'd simply stop wasting time ironing my sheets,
I could be up to date!

Here we are before we dove into preschool and 3rd grade!

The Boy has been so anxious to get his own pair of scissors!
I presented him with his first pair and now he is learning to use them correctly.

Big Girl is enjoying her curriculum and has written some cute little paragraphs and poems. I'll have to put one up here soon. Baby Girl listens in when I work with her brother and she has some little "school" activities to do, too.

How is your school year going?
How long does it take for you and the kids to get into a groove?

Ballards Coupon for the Taking

I recently purchased a few things from Ballards and (1) I have a 15% off coupon for a $200+ purchase to be used by 28 Sept. E-mail me at mrsyellowhat@yahoo.com if you're interested and I'll send you the code. (2) I debated, thought, waited, and finally pulled the trigger on some fabric that, it turns out, will not work for me. I have 2 yards of "Hudson Moss" fabric from Ballards that I will happily sell at a good/fair price and for free shipping. E-mail above.

And if anyone can hook me up with a current coupon code for Restoration Hardware, I'll be your BFF.

Clean Enough for a Swirly

{Are we saying that anymore?}

I just discovered that the STRONG smell coming from my kitchen every time Sveta is here would be the toilet bowl cleaner that she uses to clean my sink. I guess a trip to the store to find something more appropriate and less offensive to my nose would be in order.

Sketchy Invite

We just received an invitation for dinner on Friday evening. Mr. YH inquired about dress code and was given little guidance...I'm thinking jeans probably aren't going to be dressy enough for dinner with the ambassador. Blast! I still haven't completely restocked my fall wardrobe after pitching it all {it was time- I'd had a lot of it since college}!! Seriously, this whole affair has thrown me off. We had to move a going away/Mr. YH's promotion party to Saturday afternoon and that bumped my Bunco night. I'm thinking Mrs. T could have just come on over to play with us girls and could have gotten to know us really well over some dice and snacks!!

So, to make this a little extra fun,
anything you're interested in that Tara and I
can report back on after the dinner?
We'll do some polite recon!

Short Sheeted

Hello, my name is Tara, and
I iron our {flat} sheets.

I simply can't stand it when they come
out of the dryer wrinkled up along the edges.
I feel cheated- short sheeted, if you will.
Those extra couple of inches really do matter
when someone tries to steal the covers at night!
I also press the top 8 inches or so because
I like the flat sheet to fold nice and neatly
over the blanket when I make the bed.

And to be completely honest,
it's just a little bit of pampering I enjoy
at the end of a long day to have sheets that lay flat and hang correctly!

Does any one else out there iron sheets?

P.S. I iron the pillowcases, too.

P.S.S. The star sheets belong to The Boy, not me and Mr. YH.

P.S.S.S. No, Sue B., I do NOT expect my sheets to be ironed when I come to stay at your house (just clean)! I can still read your mind across the ocean!

Food for the Soul

Years ago when I was in Atlanta and Mr. YH was in Anchorage, we memorized Scripture together. We'd say our verses weekly and every so often have a big review quiz. We stopped doing that together, and I believe it's safe to say that we would like to be more consistent than what we are with our current practice of committing the Word to memory.

The Lord has been speaking to me about some changes that needed to be made in my life (more on that to come), and one of those was to get serious about hiding Scripture in my heart. My biggest obstacle was simply having the verse in front of me often enough to remember to practice it. So I began to think about where I am most frequently throughout the day and how I could use that to my advantage: the kitchen!

I purchased this Southern Living tray off ebay to keep on the kitchen island several months ago. I love having fresh flowers there and it seemed like the perfect spot to keep my verse for the month. So while I am cooking for my family's physical needs, I am feeding one of my spiritual needs!

August

I purchased several different place card holders
for my chosen verse of the month.

This was my verse for August (which should read "of great transgression").

Mr. YH brought these gorgeous roses home to me on Saturday.
They're even prettier now that they're opening!

What have you found that works best for you to memorize Scripture?

#7 and 8 on the Bucket List

7. Visit the United States Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB

This would have been a bigger hit had we not spent the morning at Dayton Children's Hospital ER trying to figure out what was wrong with The Boy's arm. {And because (a) the souvenir shop was the biggest hit for them and (b) they were tired after an hour, we decide to cross off #9: visit the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum and leave that for another time.}

Sadly, I have 3 photos from the entire time...my camera battery died and I forgot the back-up.

Exciting stuff when Daddy the Pilot can explain it all!

The Boy: "Is that a pirate's plane?!"

8. Swim at the lake.

This is where Mr. YH spent his summers as a child. His parents' home is a block or so from the private swim lot. There is a little beach and some docks to jump off- the perfect place to play for a couple of hours each day! There are no photos of me, but I assure you, I got in and had fun playing!

$35 out of pocket on a waterproof cast = summer's best buy!

Baby Girl wanted no part of the fun.
So this is where she sat.

Good thing that suit only cost me $5 at Wal Mart!

Warming up to the idea...but she still would not get in the water.

I took the kids to the lake one day while Mr. YH was out in Maryland.
Baby Girl suddenly became a fish!

Mr. YH flew back in on Friday morning, and we headed straight down to the lake for one last swim before cleaning up and driving back to Ohio that afternoon.

This is one of my favorite photos from the trip.

And that's it for the bucket list items- we had to forego putt-putt and bowling due to the medical event. But we did plenty of other fun things we had not planned on (I'll share soon!)!