Chocolate Chip Dip (Dessert Ball) YUMMY!!

Anyone that invites me to a party and ask me to bring something gets the best treat from our kitchen. We look forward to makeing it and hope to have leftovers to bring home. It is THAT good!!! I should start making "how to' cards to take with it because everywhere it goes, everyone wants to know how to make it! There are differant versions of this special treat but I feel I have perfected it to our liking!

Ingredients
1 (8 0z) package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 Cup butter, softened
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Cup miniature semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely chopped topping of choice
(pecans, crushed graham crachers, toffie bites, chocolate chips or we LOVE Chocolate Chunks!)
Cookies to serve. We use Graham crakers, Chocolate wafers, Vanilla Wafers, or the best is Graham sticks...if you can find them!

Directions
In a mediam bowl, beat or mix together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Mix in Confectionsers sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract
Stir in Chocolate chips
Line a shallow bowl with plastic wrap, pour mixture in and refrigerate for at least 3 hours
After refrigeration, open plastic, flip bowl over onto serving dish and top with your favorite topping. Should look similar to a cheese ball.
***To make it our special way...line the bottom of the bowl with choloate chunks, fill bowl with refrigerated mixture, top with chocolate chunks.***

It is best served on a cold tray or something to keep the dip chilled! Thanks to Pampered Chef, I just got one and can't wait to try it out!!!! But you can also serve it on a plate with crackers like the picture! Once one person tries it, they will be telling everyone how great it is!!!!

Spring has Sprung

It has been a busy spring and I have been terrible about updating the blog. It is starting to get hot here in Charlotte and the air conditioning has already been activated in the house! Wanted to do a quick post to share some of the things we have been up to. In April we went to visit some family friends in TN. We had a blast and it was a much needed break from our life here in NC. Keagan learned all about sleding down a hill on some cardboard. He had so much fun! He also managed to get scratches from head to toe without any tears! At the end of April we had a nice visit from Gramma Becky and Grandpa Dave (Kevin's parents) Keagan was in heaven having them all to himself while Kevin and I were working part of the week.

Snow Day in the South!

Keagan has been dying for a snow day for a while now. Each night before he went to bed he would tell me "It just has to snow!" Well it finally did! Usually a snow in Charlotte means the ground is covered for less than 4 hours, then the rain starts which turns it all to slush. The slush then becomes ice and that is what we will battle with for the next few mornings! We got about 2 inches in our part of town. Just enough for a snowball fight, which is all Keagan wanted to do! Thanks to living in New York thru a winter, we had some great snow gear to keep us dry, and Keagan was able to still fit into the snow pants we found last year at consignment.

Snow Day Continued!

Attempting to thin it out!

The Entry way is always a mess with shoes, coats, and stuff. Tonight I made an attempt at decluttering it as well as adding a new Uppercase living phrase to the wall.

Ok, it is WINTER so I wasn't able to kick out much. Minus 2 pair of shoes and a few coats and backpacks, at least it is a little more organized and cleaner!

The Uppercase Living phrase says "We may not have it all together, but Together we have it all!"

Very fitting for us. It took forever to decide where to put it but it works in this spot! My father in law would be proud I pulled out the Level, the straight edge and the measuring tape myself!!!

Christmas Eve visit with Santa

Christmas Eve we were very brave and drove to Concord Mills Outlets to get one last visit in with Santa. You know us, we can't pass up a free event, especially when they will let me take all the pictures I want! (Thanks Bass Pro Shop!)

It really wasn't bad at all! Christmas Eve must be the day to go! We got a good parking spot, the line for Santa wasn't long and moved fast, and Santa looked GREAT!

Keagan and Kevin on the carousel in the food court!

Santa was so great with Keagan. He talked to him about Buzz Lightyear and what kind of cookies he liked. Next year I will have to inform Santa that the general Chocolate Chips and milk would be a great request instead of extra chocolaty chocolate milk and special oatmeal raisin that is not generally stocked in my pantry!!! Grrr! Thanks Santa!

The favorite toy?....the Box that Kevin's shop vac came it!

Keagan loves to take pictures. It isn't often that he gets to use the 'big" camera. I think he looks like a pro!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Keagan and Buzz hanging out with the very warm Snuggie that Kevin got for Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

It is 2010 and I am finally getting 2009's Christmas pictures on the blog. (can't say as much for the holiday...New Year cards :)) If you are friends on Facebook, you probably have already seen most of these. Keagan was a lot of fun this year. He was all about Santa coming, Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus having a birthday party up in Heaven (which he reminded me every time he saw balloons that they needed to get to Heaven for the party), and camping out in the living room with his Buzz Lightyear sleeping bag. Of coarse every morning thought the month of December, he woke up disappointed that when the sun came out, there was no snow and Santa didn't come for a visit. We tried the advent calendar this year but he always chose some other day besides the day it should be on. Maybe he will understand that one next year.

One very excited 4 year old and 2 tired parents on Christmas Eve.

Keagan was excited about making Santa cookies, carrots and Milk. In case you are wondering why you cannot see many ornaments on the tree....it would be the one year old that lived in our house from 6am to 2pm M-F...all of them are at the top!

Keagan and Kevin pretending to sleep and wait for Santa in their sleeping bags (and created sleeping bags)

Keagan on Christmas morning with the 3 gifts that Santa left him. We started the tradition a few years ago that Santa only leaves 3 gifts since there were traditionally 3 wise men bringing gifts to Jesus. It is a reminder of the Christmas Jesus was born and Keagan was able to relate to that. His gifts arrived in his Toy Story reusable shopping bag. He received a Buzz Lightyear with wings that pop out, a bowling set and a Leapster gaming system for the TV. You can see the cookies, carrots and milk are gone and Santa seemed to have made a phone call with the cell phone that Keagan left hidden in a gift box next to the tray. When I asked Keagan who was still on the phone, he said Daniel, his cousin in Detroit!