Apple Chips and Other Stuff

My kids have a heavy penchant for expensive snacks. The lovelier the package, the more eagerly they yearn to get their little hands all over it, tossing it into their mouths by the fistful. It's the Large Family Food Phenomenon that goes something like this: Devour delectable edibles at record speed in an earnest attempt to beat your siblings to it, because you know if you don't make a zealous move on all that extreme yummy-ness, those other kids who are supposed to love you, won't.leave.a.single.crumb.

Few items are higher on their list of desirables than apple chips. They especially like the kind that come in the bottom of a bag full of mostly air at Costco, setting the buyer back a cool $10 for a hefty burst of oxygen, and a few morsels of apple. (Do they really cost $10? I can't remember. In my often-erroneous-mind everything at Costco is $10....except for the stuff that's $20...)

So anyway, I buy apples by the 40 lb. box from Bountiful Baskets. "Well, what do you do with all those apples" you ask? Why, make apple chips (which results in deliriously happy children!) of course!

Do you have one of those apple peeler corer thingies that transforms regular apples into a sweet little circle? If so, just turn the crank and get yourself some circles going. Spread them out on a cookie sheet in a flat layer. (I like to sprinkle cinnamon on the whole lot at this point increasing the deliciousness factor by like a bazillion.)

Then, bake at 225 or so for 2-3 hours, or until desired crispness. It will dehydrate them into heavenly sweetness, smelling up your home better than a Yankee warm apple pie candle.

Your people will love you. Your littlest boys will want to marry you and your littlest girls will want to be just like mommy. And who among us couldn't use a boost like that? No one, I say....

Yesterday while my older 4 were at school I plopped the younger 3 in front of the t.v. and listened to a couple Brene Brown TED talks. I had heard one of them before but not the other one. Wowzers, I would highly, highly recommend them. Um, highly. Did I say highly already?

And...

Last week while The Big Man was working late, JOTSCMF and I watched a documentary called Happy. I have thought of it over and over ever since. Ideas from it just keep coming to mind. It is entertaining, extremely thought provoking, and family friendly. It will affirm and challenge your choices. Also, highly recommended. Highly. ☺

After the basketball awards recognition shindig the other night Jayla asked if we could go to McDonald's for ice cream to spend the gift card she had just won in the drawing. It was getting late and the alarm clocks were set for 6:00 the next morning for school. Daddy-o and I were discussing it and he said to me, "You only live once." To which I instantly replied the first thing that popped into my mind, "Thank you, Lord." Oooooooooh my. The rest that will take place in heaven sounds awfully enticing. Which reminds me, if you left a nice remark or e mail about my last blog post, thank you, thank you, thank you. You warmed the cockles of my heart. You allowed me to use you for therapy and you didn't even charge. I am grateful.

Of course, we went to Mickey D's! Because you know, apple chips aren't the only way to buy your children's affection.

Ice cream works pretty well too...