Blog Linkage, Apple Dapple Cake, 8th Annual Lake Vacation AND Upcoming Post

Good Thursday morning!

Blog Linkage - Go to www.datingdivas.com and hit the BLOG prompt at the top of the page. When you officially arrive at the Blog, type "Kid Dates" in the Search box.

Read anything and everything that comes up under this Search. It is all very good!

Apple Dapple Cake

You will need the following for the cake:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups raw apples (peeled and chopped fine)

You will need the following for the sauce:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup butter

1. Spray tube pan liberally with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Mix oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and soda. Add to first mixture.

4. Fold in pecans and apples. Bake in a tube pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

5. For the sauce, place brown sugar, milk and butter into a small saucepot over medium high heat.

6. Stir constantly and bring it to a gentle boil. After it begins gently boiling, continue to stir and allow to cook for about three minutes.

7. Pour over hot cake while still in the pan. Allow cake to cool completely before removing from pan.

NOTE - Any type of apple will do great in this cake, so use your favorite.

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - This cake is better to me on Days 2 and 3 than Day 1. It isn't a terribly sweet cake on Day 1, but on Days 2 and 3, it is just right!

RANDOMNESS #1 - 8th Annual Lake Vacation - That's right. This was our 8th year trying out different lake houses on different lakes. (Actually, this was our second year in a row to visit this particular house, and we enjoyed it just as much this time around.)

For the most part, I am just going to share some of my favorite pics from the trip in an organized fashion.

Well, organized to me.

Judith




This is how Judith gets Josh to bait her hook.







RT















Eden






Eden in a bathing suit makes me smile. She has a very positive body image, and...

I think she could be a professional swimsuit model for the 16-month-and-younger-crowd.









And Little ME









Tubing Pics




RT let us know he didn't mind taking a pic with everyone on the tube, but under no circumstances was he going to actually "go" tubing.

Maybe next year.







Water Fight








In the end, Aunt Ro lost the Water Fight.

Boat Driving







A Gaggle of Geese








It was all fun and games until Courtney decided to herd the geese into the water...

Which didn't happen because when you're in a gaggle, you don't have to go anywhere you don't want to go!

Fishing Pics




Believe it or not, I cut down on how many pics were originally in the post.

You are welcome.

RANDOMNESS #2 - Upcoming Post - While we were at the Lake this year, Karen Waters of Waters Photography came by and took a bunch of family pics for us.

It has been three years since our last professional pics, and she did not disappoint.

I'll be posting more of these photos on the next post, but I will leave you the one below as a little teaser...

Along with the photo at the top of the page!



I hope you and yours have a very good Thursday. We are having a typical hot, sticky, muggy July here in the Deep South, and while I may not enjoy the humidity, after 59 years of living in it, I am not surprised when it arrives...

But I continue to be very thankful when it leaves!

Talk to you soon.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

"The fact my entire body cracks like a glowstick whenever I move, yet refuses to actually glow is very disappointing."

Slow Cooker Cheeseburgers, Nana B Stuff (Family Picture Board) AND THE 4TH OF JULY

Good Thursday morn!

Below you will find way too many pics from the 4th of July.

It has actually become one of my favorite holidays in my 40s and 50s, so indulge me, please.

Crockpot Cheeseburgers

You will need the following ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
3 cloves garlic (pressed and divided)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces Velveeta Cheese (cubed)
2 tablespoons milk
1 onion finely chopped
Hamburger buns (or Sara Lee Dinner Rolls for sliders)
Garnish with mustard, ketchup, mayo, pickles, etc.

1. Brown beef in a skillet with one clove of garlic and seasonings.

2. Drain and mix with remaining ingredients in slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on low for three to four hours.

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I know I've shared this recipe before, but it has come in handy recently when I've made something for adults (barbecue or seafood), but the kids needed something a little more their speed.

Nana B Stuff

Family Picture Board

I started doing this after I became a Nana. I bought a little burlap-covered bulletin board from Hobby Lobby, and I cropped a bunch of pictures I liked of our family at an event. (Let's say it was Easter.) It was nothing fancy. No ovals, circles, backgrounds, etc.

Just a bunch of Easter pics of the entire family (some posed and some not posed) stuck on the burlap board with some pretty thumbtacks.

I added some Hobby Lobby flowers...

And a little chalkboard.

When Christmas came around, I still had the Easter pics on the Picture Board.

This started to bother me, so as soon as we entered the winter months, I replaced the Easter pics with Christmas family pics.

As soon as Judith and RT started noticing their pictures on the Family Picture Board, I began trying to do it seasonally.

Now I am averaging three or four boards a year, and that seems to be working well for all involved.


Especially me!

RANDOMNESS - THE 4TH OF JULY - Just so you know, we all started the day with dry clothes and coiffed hair...

But it didn't end that way!


We had a total of 16 this year. Austin and his family were unable to attend because there was a chance he had been exposed to COVID a couple of days prior, and he had to quarantine.

Great sadness...

But thankfully, Melia posted a pic of her and the kids dressed for the 4th...


Which wasn't the same, but it was so good to see them in their festive garb.

They were definitely and wholeheartedly missed.


We started saying the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the meal this year. We have to work on the flag NOT touching the floor, but I thought Judith, Sawyer and Carly did an outstanding job.


We ate quickly because the kids (and a lot of the adults) were wanting to play outside on this thing.


Zac.


Sawyer.


Judith.


This one took a little time to figure out.

I assumed it was Josh's leg...

Because it was definitely Eden's hair...

But then there was Brad's cap.

At the end of the slide, we discovered Eden willingly went with Brad down the slide...


But regretted it soon after.




Beebo and Carly.


Zac's girlfriend, Maggie, and Carly.

Again, she went down willingly...

But in the end, did not care for it!






As you can see, Sawyer had no problem at all coming down alone OR with his Dad (Brad).


Josh won for "Most Displaced Water."


And Judith nabbed the "Cutest Mermaid Bathing Suit" prize.


Eden...


And Carly may not have enjoyed the slide portion of the inflatable, but they loved the "chillin' in the pool" part.


Mike worked hard helping prep for the party...

And I'm almost 100 percent sure that juice sippy cup belongs to one of the kids.


This one rocks ruffles on a bathing suit...

And one piggy up and one piggy down.


Totally content.


We have started calling them The Twins.

Zac and Brad.


Maggie and Zac.


I'm pretty sure Eden thinks the 4th is the best holiday ever. She was just sitting in her Daddy's lap minding her own business when one adult handed her a giant twirly thingy and another one came by with a bunch of Airheads.


And to make it even more wonderful...

Some outdoor flag waving took place.






Brad and Stephanie.


Toppy and Beebo.


At the very end of the party, right before Josh and his family left, I became unable to focus on the good-byes because I was a hot, sticky mess...

And the pool at the end of the water slide looked so cool and inviting...

So I just sat on the edge and slipped backwards into the water...

While still wearing my 4th of July garb.


I then went on to bounce in the house and slide down the waterslide a couple of times.

Those pictures have since been destroyed...

But this one of Judith cheering me down the slide was a keeper.


It was a good day, and clean-up was made much easier with everyone taking their leftovers home.

You can tell she can't wait until next year!

I hope you and yours have a good "rest of the week." I'll be back soon with more July stuff.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Nobody is more exhausted than a mother of a little boy who never stops moving... except the mother of a little girl who never stops talking!