Friday, November 16, 2012

Fly on the Wall

Have you ever thought about what people might think if they saw what goes on behind-the-scenes at your house? Do you ever wonder what it would be like to catch a glimpse of someone else’s daily life? Here’s your chance. Today 15 bloggers are inviting you into their homes to be a fly on the wall.
 
Fly on the Wall | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics



Buzz around, see what you think, then click on these links for a peek into some other homes:

Baking In A Tornado                                                        The Mommy Chronicles
The Insomniac's Dream                                                    DeBie Hive 
Follow me home . . .                                                        My Brain on Kids  
Stacy Sews and Schools                                                    Raising Reagan
Just a Little Nutty                                                             Life on the SONny Side 
Frikken Duckie                                                                 Momaical

The theme for my Fly on the Wall post this month is conversations in my home:



Fly on the Wall | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


 How many times have you heard the line “do you know where your kids are?” Well, my kids are currently at school so I know exactly where they are. But do I know where they’ve been?

Me: “I’m so frustrated, I went to 3 different grocery stores today and can’t find what I’m looking for.”
Older Son: “what are you looking for?”
Me: “Cinnamon baking chips.”
Older Son: “Did you check HyVee, I think they have them there.”

Me: “They’re for baking, like chocolate chips, and you don’t even know where the oven is. When were you in the baking aisle?”
Older Son: “Mom, I’m always in the chocolate chip aisle.”



Fly on the Wall | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


I never really understood Home Schooling. I mean, am I the only one who needs a break?


Me: “Go get ready for school."
Younger Son: "No, I'm gonna stay here with you."
Me: “Only if you’re providing anesthesia."

Another school conversation that turned into a lesson for Mom on priorities:
Me: “You need to leave for school, you’re going to be late.”
Older son: “I got up late.”
Me: “You’ve been watching a TV show on your computer in your room all morning and you weren’t even ready for school?”
Older Son: “Yes, I missed the show last night and needed to watch it this morning so my friends don’t ruin it for me.”

It seems we talk quite a bit about school these days:
Me: “Get ready for school.”
Older Son: “It’s Saturday.”
Me: “But you had Friday off, your teachers owe me a day.”


Fly on the Wall | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

Conversations with my younger son need to be very specific:
Me: “I’m trying to plan dinner. Are you working at all today?”
Younger Son: “Yes.” . . . and he walks away…
Me (yelling up the stairs): “Hellooooo, still trying to plan dinner. Are you working over the dinner hour or will you be here?”
Younger Son, yelling down the stairs: “I’ll be here.”

Me (looking for a little help while cooking dinner) to Younger Son, who’s sitting at the kitchen counter: “Do you see the rice in the pantry?”
Younger Son: “No.”
Me: “Could you look and then answer?”

I was on one of the couches in the living room on a Saturday afternoon. Younger Son comes in, lays down on the other couch, falls asleep for an hour, wakes up and starts to walk away:
Me: “Wait, can you spend a little time with me?”
Younger Son, still walking away: “I just spent an hour with you.”
Me: “Can you spend a little time with me when your eyes are open?”
Younger Son, heading up the stairs: “No, I’m good, thanks”.

Fly on the Wall | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

I wonder what it’s like in other houses where someone uses food pictures in a blog:
Husband: “Is it OK to eat this, have you taken a picture of it yet?”

Dinner time is always a joy. I used to think that once my kids grew up the complaining would end but no such luck:
Older Son: “You know Mom, when it comes to cooking, you’re a great baker. Maybe you should quit while you’re ahead.”

Younger Son, at the dinner table: “What’s to eat?”
Me: “Well, probably the food on that plate sitting right in front of you.”
Younger Son: “Can I have another option?”

Husband, at the dinner table: “That was a good dinner. Where’s the cake?”
Me: “What cake? It isn’t anyone’s birthday.”
Husband: “It doesn’t have to be someone’s birthday to eat cake.”
I guess he’s got me there.


Cookie Frosted Cake | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe

Cookie Frosted Cake


So that’s what a fly on the wall would hear at my house. Thanks for stopping by, come back soon.  I'm sure I’ll have something baked, you bring the wine.

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

Cookie Frosted Cake
                                      ©www.BakingInATornado.com
Ingredients Cake:  
1 pkg Devil's Food Cake mix
3.3 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
 
Ingredients, Frosting:
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP sugar
24 Keebler Dark Chocolate Fudge Stripes Cookies, crushed


 
Ingredients, Topping:
4 oz semi sweet chocolate
1/4 cup butter

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
*Beat cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water and vegetable oil for 3 minutes until well mixed and a little fluffy.
*Pour into prepared cake pans and bake (according to cake package directions) until center springs back to the touch.
*Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pans and let cake cool completely.
*Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in cookie crumbs.
*Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Beat in vanilla and 2 TBSP sugar until stiff peaks hold.
*Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.
*Microwave chocolate and butter for 1 minute. Stir until melted. Set aside to cool while frosting cake.
*Frost the top of one cake layer, put the other on top and frost the top and sided of the whole cake.
*Drizzle melted chocolate mixture over the top.

56 comments:

  1. Loved this post, Karen! And you must feel so good that you are teaching such good social graces to your kids! "J, heading up the stairs: “No, I’m good, thanks”." - I like that he thanked you! :)
    You always get my day off to a terrific start. Thanks so much for letting me participate int he Fly on the Wall postings.

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    1. Loved your post as well, and that we're all connecting in this way. Thanks for taking a chance on another one of my ideas!

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  2. I'm always in the chocolate chip aisle, too!! It's funny also, because I used to blog about recipes all the time...My husband would say, "are these for your blog or did you make them because you actually love us?". Silly man. Everything is for the blog :) Hope you are well. Cheers to another successful blog challenge.

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    1. The more I learn about you the more I relate. So glad that whatever crazy thing I think up, you're first on the crazy train. Don't ever give up that front seat, I'll cry!

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  3. "Is it okay to eat this? Did you take a picture yet?" DYING laughing at this. Have had the same conversation. LOLOLOL

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    1. Thanks for doing this with me, Kelly. I have so much fun with you guys . . .

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  4. I think I am with her! I can see as kids get older the adventures do not stop!

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    1. Oh, the adventures NEVER stop, they just keep upping the ante.

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  5. My husband and I had a very similar convo about cake one day....and J sounds a lot like Sebastian when it comes to dinner. I so enjoy reading these posts! Thanks for the insight into the Tornado home! lol

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    1. Hope you had as much fun doing it as I did. Thanks for joining in, such a great group of bloggers. . .

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  6. Kids raised by funny parents turn out hilarious. However, they certainly can use your sarcasm against you. Your anesthesia retort was priceless. Love it. And, don't "quit while you're ahead" until we stop by to pick up some treats.

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    1. Any time, door's open... there may be some flies on the wall...

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  7. "Could you look and then answer?" Absolute best part! Your boys are funny, these conversations are hilarious. I really enjoyed the conversation about school on Saturday, we do that to the boys, too when they have extra days off. And . . .the fact that your husband has to ask if you've taken a picture before eating anything is so ridiculously funny. At least he asks!

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    1. Often in my frustration I think the boys are a lot funnier to outsiders than they are to me! And my husband...I think he's scared of me!

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  8. The "is it Okay to eat this yet" question is heard around here almost daily too.
    We have simply conditioned our people to work with us, not against us... most of the time.;)
    Glad to know it's not just me that has a kid that looks with their mouth not with their eyes for things. I swear I must be the family information desk. Does that mean I can close for holidays too? I'll have to ask the union.
    Thank you for extending such a neat challenge!
    So much fun to get to know other bloggers I admire so much better.
    I might NEED a slice of this Frosted happiness on a plate! Mmmmmmmmm looks AMAZING!

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    1. Ooh, I so love that idea, closing for the holidays. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that. . .

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  9. I cracked up this entire post! My favorite was the rice in the pantry followed by spending time with you.
    That's awesome!
    Had an absolute blast doing this with you :)

    Lanaya
    www.raising-reagan.com

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    1. YAY, I'm so much happier when people laugh with me than when they laugh at me! I had fun taking this journey with you, it's so much more fun to do these things in groups.

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  10. wow!! I had so many comments to make about your post and then the picture of your cake blew all that out of my mind!! I can see my future in "I just spent an hour with you; I'm good, thanks"!! :D

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    1. Yes, that seems to be my fate these days. Now that they can communicate with friends while playing on the computer and on XBox, there's less and less need to talk to Mom.

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    2. I love the idea of this challenge! Do let me know if you do it the next time!!

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    3. I've already been asked to do a December group. I'll send you an email.

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  11. So funny. The chocolate chip aisle...that's interesting. Did you find the cinnamon baking chips at Hy-Vee? My boys will stay up well into the wee hours of the morning watching TV on their laptops to avoid the spoiler. Thanks for sharing :)

    Jae Mac, I'm Just Sayin'...(Damn!)

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    1. I found them. Apparently studying for a test takes a back seat to memorizing the chocolate chip aisle!

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  12. Too funny!I love "The teachers owe me a day". How true is that! I thought about home schooling also. Only for the benefits of saving money though. But after summer break...I'm SO ready for them to get out of the house.

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    1. Yes, all summer long I say "is it the first day of school yet"? The boys don't think I'm funny, but that's OK, I'm not kidding.

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  13. Thank goodness our kids don't know each other, between the 5 of them, we'd be tweeting in between our AA meetings lol. Your boys are hilarious, as are you :) I could be a fly on your wall all day! I can't stop giggling!

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    1. Oh, good. I had so much stuff I'm doing a Fly on the Wall post in December and in January. Glad to know someone will be there!

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  14. This is wonderful, Karen. What a clever idea to write a post like this. Love the conversation with your son J on the couch when he slept for an hour. That is classic! And your husband is right--it doesn't have to be somebody's birthday to have cake!

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    1. I'm with him on the cake thing, even though I'm the one making it! I bet you could write a pretty good Fly on the Wall post yourself!

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  15. I love this theme!! Makes me feel better knowing that others have similar conversations with their family :))

    Thanks for sharing with my NO RULES Weekend Blog Party!

    Paula
    lifeasweknowitbypaula.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks, so much of what all the bloggers have said in our posts seem to resonate with others, makes us all feel better!

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  16. I like this Fly on the Wall thing. :-) Hope you do it again soon!

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    1. I'm doing it again, it's just a matter of whether anyone else is joining me.

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  17. ROFLMBO!!!!!!!! Awesome as always!!!!!!

    Gotta love what pod people, I mean TEENS, say.

    And I will definitely join in again. I may need to set myself a reminder, though... ;)

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    1. Unfortunately my pod people speak their mind every chance they get, and it's not always funny. I'll take the funny days over those other days without a doubt.

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  18. lol! So enjoying this post so much! I especially love the idea of Saturday going to school ha ha..

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    1. Thanks Rina, I love the idea too. Too bad it didn't work!

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  19. Look and then answer lol My mom used to say that to me ALL the time! Haha!

    I think the next thing you host is where you come to another blogger's house (mine) and bake delicious cakes :)

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    1. You may be joking but I might have to since I currently have no beater or mixer.

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  20. You have so many great ideas. I love this fly on the wall series. I have been working my way through them slowly and enjoying every single one! I love that you asked your child if they would be providing anesthesia when they stayed home. That cracks me up!

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    1. I've really enjoyed all of the Fly on the Wall posts too. It was fun to do!

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  21. Ha! My son just asked me for cake at the grocery store (the pre-made ones they showcase in the bakery). I told him it had to be a special occasion to get a cake. He's too young to question it yet, hahahahaa.

    I'm visiting you from the No Rules Weekend hop.

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    1. I really miss those days when I can say something (anything) and not be questioned. Enjoy it while you can.

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  22. Oh my! This looks/sounds way too delicious!! Found your yummy post via This Gal Cooks. :)

    ahumblebumble.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks for the visit. I'll stop by to see you too.

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  23. I love the concept of your son's teachers owing you a day. That's too funny! Thanks for letting me in on the Fly Project. I've so enjoyed it.

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  24. You know I am constantly getting:

    A: "Do you have to take a picture of everything we eat?!

    Darn skippy!!!

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  25. Yummy! This looks fantastic, Karen! Thanks so much for sharing on Marvelous Mondays! :)

    I’d like to invite you to my new blog hop – Grow Your Blog Hop. This party is all about networking and growing your blog. I hope to see you there. It starts at midnight tonight! http://www.thisgalcooks.com/p/grow-your-blog.html

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    Julie

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