Ruger and Red Velvet

Joel's Mom and Step dad Ronnie had a dog "cookie" who ran away a few weeks ago. They like to have a dog around just for another set of ears and for the company. We got them a chocolate lab puppy from a litter an old friend of mine had. We took him over there this weekend and I think it was a good match!! His name is Ruger and Harrison started out calling him "Rubert" than "Goobert"now I think he has it. If that dog can survive all the kids that want to hold him, he will do just fine! He is so pretty and smart, I posted some pics below.

Boys will be boys.... Yesterday while it was FREEZING and RAINING I was... let's just say I was "tied up in the restroom" which is by the back door. My sweet children can unlock the deadbolt and "bolt" and they did. I could hear them and felt the frigid air but I was prisoner and I couldn't do anything about it. I heard them running and splashing through the rain sneezing and coughing....ugh it's like nails on a chalkboard to a mom that tries so hard to keep everyone warm and dry and well!! Finally I coerced them back inside (hope the neighbors couldn't hear me!) and they were soaked and frozen. As they say "those boys!"

Here is a great recipe I made last week and it was surprisingly a hit!

Raspberry-Red Velvet Petit Fours

makes 24 servings

1 pkg Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Red Velvet cake mix

1/2 cup of seedless raspberry jam

1 container of Duncan Hines Creamy Home style Cream Cheese Frosting

Prepare cake batter as directed, pour in a greased and floured 13x9 inch pan

Bake on 350 until toothpick stuck in comes out clean (25 to 30 min)

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 min. than remove from pan and cool completely on rack (1 hour)

Invert cake on cutting board, cut off rounded top and edges with serrated knife

Cut cake in half cross ways than horizontally (to put jam in the center)

Stir jam until spreadable and spread on the bottom halves

Replace tops and cut each half into 12 square pieces

Microwave frosting for 20 seconds, put in a Ziploc back and nip the corner of the

bag with scissors and pipe frosting on separate cakes letting frosting run down the sides.

*I put wax paper under the cakes to put frosting on, saved a mess and they were easy to transfer to a cake plate.