Balancing Act

It's no news, to anyone who reads here frequently, that Hoss and I busy folks.  We have several children and many moving parts in our day due to the logistics of a raising a large family as well as Hoss working a highly demanding job.  We make DD work partly because we badly want it in our lives and it helps our marriage run smoother, we are happier since adding it, and feel it overall benefits us during this season of our lives.

One of the main questions we get from our nosy neighbors awesome fellow bloggers or sweet readers is how do we possibly make this work?

Well, to answer that would be difficult simply because each day is so incredibly different, but I can say that if you want something badly enough, you will go to great lengths to make it happen.  So let me try to give you all an idea on how we make it work without being too nutso by sharing too much personal info.

Do the kids know?  I mean be realistic, Baker.  The kids have to know, right?

Nope!  Did your kids know about your sex life?  Um, I'd surely hope not.  Do ours know.  Nope!  So can you hide spankings from the kids?  Yup!!!

How do you hide the sound?

Hello!  I know lots of you have Alexis in your homes and she can really get her groove on with some 80s music with a beat.  Hoss loves a good beat.  What HOH doesn't? Also none of our kids are morning people, so early morning works well.  Late nights also can be equally used even with teens still awake, but in a different part if the house if the music is loud.  And Hoss always listens to his music loudly, so no news there.

Don't you cry or yell during a spanking?

I'm not a crier by nature, but I do make some noise.  I've eaten enough pillow fluff the last few years to stuff a Billy goat full, if you know what I mean.

Do the kids see Hoss as being in charge?

Most definitely unless I'm not setting a good example.  Which, um, happens too frequently to count never ever happens.  😉 Actually they do know I defer to him, but I'm here most often and there's tons of decisions made every day, so most of those are mine to make.  Hoss doesn't want or need to be  bothered with what they had for breakfast as long as they ate.  Those types of things.

Do you call him sir?

Where we live using sir or ma'am is not necessarily unheard of, but I don't call him sir in front of them unless I'm being snarky.  Same with using, "Aye,Aye Captain," or "Whatever you say, your royal Highness!". What?  You guys didn't think I just have a sense of humor here, right?  Nope, I'm pretty sassy as a general rule of thumb.🤣

How does Hoss let you know you're in trouble without letting on to the kids what's going on?

There's a few ways that work.  One, is simply suggesting I need break.  He might say, "Sweetheart, you look tired.  Why don't you go down stairs for a bit".

(Stop laughing those of you who know me!  I know you guys know I run on various statements on my particular exhaustion level for any given day.  That's just Baker talk for I never sleep!  So move along people,nothing more to see here!) .  Well, I do sleep, but it's on an as needed basis and well, enough said.

Or he'll give me a look and when our eyes meet I know I've stepped too far.

My favorite response so far is Cat's horrible lovely suggestion of him scratching his palm.  Think itchy palm syndrome.   Thanks, Cat for that one, I owe you one, my friend!  Big-time!

So those are some interesting questions we've got over the last two years.  Probably more than some of you cared to know.😆.   I'd love to hear more suggestions from the rest of you out there practicing ttwd with kids, or family members etc living with you.  If no one else is at home, but the two of you, than feel free comment as you see fit.

Have a great week!
--Baker

The Great Cookie Exchange

Hear ye! Hear ye!  It's that time again for the Great Cookie Exchange!  I know that I have not been around as much as I would like, but if there's one thing that can get me blogging is brand spanking new recipes!  (Had to get spanking in there somehow!)  So I dug around the old recipe cards in the box and came up with two that are very new recipes to our family.  Now, the dilemma set in on which to use.  I'd recently looked these recipes up and even on my first go, I Baker-tized them!  Folks, I'm just not that good at following a recipe...even the very first time.  Thankfully, Hoss, has sort of kind of grown accustomed to my ability to improvise and therefore I bring ye the top two recipes of the fall season (at least at our house)!

German Peppernuts or Pfeffernusse (this is not my sister's recipe)  The kids and I made this for a class project not too long ago and it makes tons of these little German cookies.  They smell divine and I would NOT double this unless you want to make a ton!  We made the mistake of doubling it, because with a ton of kids cookies do not last long at all.  Well, in this case they did!

German Peppernut (Pfeffernusse) Recipe

1 cup softened butter (two sticks)
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon anise seed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together butter, sugar, molasses and egg until well blended.  Mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add to molasses mixture until flour can no longer be seen.   Roll out the dough to about 1 inch thick log (makes cutting them much faster and makes them round not square).  Refrigerate for an hour.  Before baking cut into one inch squares.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.  You want the tops to be lightly browned as this is meant to be a crisp cookie.

Our second recipe is truly a brand new one for me.  I have not made Key Lime Pie in ages and really wanted one for Thanksgiving.  This recipe was one I just had to share because it truly is a rich and creamy pie and one that Hoss and our oldest daughter fell in love with and will now be a favorite forever.

Key Lime Pie (for two pies)

Two premade graham cracker crusts (or make your own)

3 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup of lime juice
1/2 cup of lemon juice
3 tablespoons lime zest

Preheat oven to 359 degrees.

Mix together sweeten condensed milk, sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice and lime zest.   Pour into the graham cracker pie crust.  Bake for 5-6 minutes until tiny pinhole sized bubbles burst on the surface of the pie.  You are not trying to brown the pie, just bake it to set.  Chill pie and serve with whipped cream.

Seriously the creamiest key lime pie I have ever tasted.  It is a light lime flavor, not overly powering.

Other participants of the Great Cookie Exchange are listed below!

Bogey and Bacall

Cat

DelFonte

Fondles

greengirl

Hermione

Jz

Katie

Kelly

Lindy

messymimi

Mrs. Fever

Olivia

ronnie

Ryan

Sassy

I do hope you all enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

Much love,
Baker and Hoss

EsMay's Gone Dark

Hello, all!  EsMay sent me an email earlier today explaining that she needed to go dark for a few days.  She's sorry for the inconvenience, but it truly could not be helped.  She plans to be back up and running by Friday afternoon.

Thanks,
Baker

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that time of year again!  Happiest of Thanksgiving to all of you!  I felt like going with a fun theme this year, so bring on one of my favorites!!!  The minions!  They have adequately expressed my thoughts in a fun way!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

And for all our friends not celebrating turkey day!

God bless--

Love Hoss and Baker

There's A Bit of Pinching Going On

So Lindy over at Downunder Dreaming, pinched this from Sunny from Facebook and now I've seen that Rosie from Rosie's Are Red has pinched it from Lindy, so I guess I will pinch it from all three of them and give it a go!

1.  Something people hate to find on their windshields?

Dead, squished bugs!

2.   Something a man might buy before going out on a date?

Breath mints.

3.   Something you cook in the microwave?

BACON!!!

4.    An item found in an old man's wallet?

Old condom?

5.    Something always stocked in the fridge?

Chocolate Chips of course!

6.    An item found in a Grandma's purse?

Lip stick...Gum....Cough drops.

7.    Sport where you might lose a tooth?

Wrestling?  I'm not really sure....rugby perhaps?

8.    A fruit that isn't round?

A watermelon, though I've seen a few that might have come close.

9.  Something you put on a Christmas tree?

Pretty colored or white Christmas lights.

10.   Name five people you think will do this?

Miss Lindy and Rosie (who already have--so I'm counting them as one in the same), 

Miss Ella, Fondles, Amy and EsMay.

 Pinch away ladies!!

--Baker

Happy LOL days!

Welcome to LOL day!  Yes, we love our lurkers and hope you all come out and say, "hello!"

A few years back I was a lurker and a mighty fine one at that.  I would say that it took some definite guts, on my part, to send those first emails out.  Then commenting came later, then blogging, though everyone who comments does not necessarily have their own blogs.  One of my first true friends that I made through blogging was a reader and we still communicate regularly.  So go ahead, dip your toe in, the water's fine!  Come out and let us know you are here!  

And remember...

So feel free to drop a comment below and introduce yourself.  Hoss and I would love to hear from you!

--Baker

Happy 2nd Blogiversary

A Sweeter Approach to Life is celebrating two wonderful years of blogging!  Thank you to each one who has helped us along the way!  We are blessed over and over by so many who have encouraged us in one way or another.  Thank you doesn't seem like quite enough.

God bless!

--Hoss and Baker

P.S.  I have not been able to comment due to silly blogger refusing to let me comment as Baker on our laptops.  I will get around to remeding the situation once I figure out the reason it refuses to let me!