You can download and view full size pictures here…

You can download and view full size pictures here…

Here are some fun pictures from the holiday season…

You can download and view full size pictures here…

We asked that people make donations to the Ronald McDonald House, and boy did they listen — except for a few stubborn grandparents who insisted on getting him some toys, we managed to raise a pretty penny for this great cause. Every day more and more dedication letters come to me in the mail letting me know who has contributed in Isaac’s name. It warms our hearts to know that people are giving back on our behalf. We love you all!!

Here are some pictures from the special day:

You can download and view full size pictures here…

Many people have requested the recipe for the “Monkey Bark” party favor. This is an adaptation of Isaac’s great-grandmother’s almond bark recipe.

Here’s the general method to making this crowd-pleasing and versatile treat:

Fruit/Nut and Chocolate Bark

The ingredients are simply dark or milk chocolate melting wafers. You can get these at any local craft or bulk foods store. I prefer to buy them NOT from a craft store because you can get a little better quality chocolate. The brand I used for the favors was Wilbur’s (a semi-local chocolatier).

You just melt those wafers in the microwave for less than 5 minutes and give them a good stir. Mix in any of your favorite nuts or dried fruits. Any nut will work, just try to chop them up pretty finely and don’t use any of the “dust” that comes when you chop them up. I always use sliced almonds and have used Macadamia and Cashew nuts in the past. For any raw nuts, toast them briefly with melted butter in the oven just to bring out their flavor. I try to get unsalted nuts when possible.

As for fruits, the possibilities are endless. I always try to include dried apricots because their flavor and texture goes really well with everything. I’ve also included dried cranberries, red and golden raisins, and banana chips. I want to try my next batch with coconut (sorry Jason)!

Once you combine all the mix-ins with the melted chocolate, spread it out in a thin layer on a wax-papered cookie sheet or cutting board and allow to set up. If you can fit your sheet in the fridge, that will speed things up. And, since it’s pretty chilly outside, you can let it set up outside, too! Once it’s set, just break it up into bite-size chunks. Be careful if you use a knife to chop it up (I know from personal experience that it’s easy to slip on a nut and chop your thumb up… yikes!).

To make this extra special, you can get cute candy molds at the craft store. I just saw one of a snowman that was nice, so check out your AC Moore or Michael’s and see what they have.

At some point the party had to end…

We had to tear down all of Aunt Heidi’s hard work that turned our simple family room into a jungle canopy. Isaac had almost as much fun helping put up the streamers as he did playing with them during the tear-down.

You can download and view full size pictures here…