Google me this

When I'm fighting insomnia or needing methods of procrastination I will occassionally spend time googling people I know.  I really have found some interesting things that way.

Well, the other night I decided to google *this* site name, just to see.  Because, you know, I stalk my analystics and often wonder how people find my site.

I was happy to see myself pop up right away (btw - Bing doesn't bring up nearly as much, so stay with Google! :D )

I also found someone else who had TALKED about me!  The Accidental Farmwife had done a similar thing and Googled 'farmwife' to see what else was out there.  Ahhh, the amazing things we find when we seek to find more about ourselves.

So, what's the most interesting thing you have found out about someone (or yourself) by using Google?

Thursday's Sweet Confection

This *to be named*  dessert came about after I happened upon a bag of caramel Hershey Kisses.  They begged to be made into a sweet treet.  And not just ANY sweet treat or cookie - something special.  So, this is what I came up with.

6 egg whites *

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch salt

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 bag of caramel kisses, unwrapped

*a trick I learned years ago when trying to beat egg whites, they will work much better if they are at room temperature!

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Sprinkle with cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form.

Gradually add sugar, cocoa, vanilla and peppermint extract, beating until stiff peaks form, about 5-8 minutes.

Line mini muffin tins with liners, place a spoonfull of mix in each tin, add 1 unwrapped kiss in each.  Then cover with another spoonful.  Do not fill all the way, as they will rise.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 275 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until firm and hollow when tapped.

Makes apx 48

These sweet delights need a name!  Hop on over to my facebook fan page, become a fan and enter a name!  Winner will be announced on Friday, March 26th.

Chore Wars

The generation-old battle between parent and child and the completion of chores continues on in my household.  My kids are fairly good at getting things done, but they often rush through it just to get it done, skip steps, etc. 

A couple things I've learned about my kids:

• They are easily distracted (like raccoons and shiny objects)
• They do better when they only see what they need to do, and are able to check off when things are done
• They like knowing ahead of time what is expected of them
• They do better when they can touch, feel, physically check something off, etc

We used to have a weekly chore list, and they'd check it off each day.  Some of the chores alternated between the two of them, and we found that they'd often get confused who was doing what on which day. 

I came up with the idea of a small, individual checklist.  I bought 1/2 sized clipboards at Wal-Mart.  I made chore lists for each day, then put them back to back on a piece of construction paper and laminated them w/ the self-lamination sheets you can get at the store.  They have chores for Mon-Sat.  They use a dry-erase marker to check of when they're done, then they will get a parent signature to verify that it is done to expectation.

At the end of the week, they will turn in their clipboards and we will calculate their allowance based on the percentage of the work that they completed.  For example, if they did 80% of their work, and their allowance is $5, they will get $4.   We still haven't figured out the amounts, I'm trying to determine what would work best.

Here are some great links and resources for chores as well:

Age appropriate Chore List: http://www.familyroi.org/Family_ROI_Age_Appropriate_Chores.pdf
Online, interactive chore chart: http://www.chorewars.com/