And She is TEN...

Dear Lesse,

I cannot believe 10 years ago today I first held you in my arms....I cannot believe how much you have

grown, how beautiful you are, how wise you have become.  It is unbelievable to me that my baby girl is so big, so smart, and so different from me...

Lesse you make me so proud, I wish I could be more like you.  I admire the way you forgive and forget, the way you love unconditionally, and the way you see things for the way they are.

You will go far in this world, no matter the challenge you meet....I know this!

I beg of you babygirl, don't grow up too fast, don't make rash decisions, remember to have Faith in God, and Faith in yourself!

Love,

Mommy

Becky Cooks....Plum Jelly

Disclosure:  Part of the products in this post I have been gifted in return for a review...however, all thoughts and opinions are my own, unless you want to come help me can my veggies and fruit!  

We have an abundance of plums this year, okay no we have so many plums that we could feed our

Lesse picking plums

neighbors and have!  Grandpa H's plum tree is overloaded with plums this year, he claims it his special fertilizer (chicken poo and water) either way we have so many plums I decided I would learn to make plum jelly! .

I have claimed before and will state it again I am a complete idiot when it comes to this stuff, but with the help of my support team (The Man, Grandpa H, & Grandma H) and The Ball Blue Book Of Canning and Preserving Recipes I have successfully made some yummy Plum Jelly.  

First Lesse and I picked plums, okay we picked and picked plums.....I washed, sorted, and boiled the plums to make plum juice, this was rather easy!   Then the recipe called for 5 1/2 cups of plum juice, 1 package of powdered pectin ( I used Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin), and 7 1/2 cups of sugar. 

Sugar Buzz Bakery in Cape Girardeau Missouri

It is a Foodie Friday; my kids are hyped up on sugar from the Sugar Buzz Bakery in Cape Girardeau, MO.

We found a tiny piece of Heaven right here in @VisitCape! #tmom #travel #food via beckydavenport

  

This is probably the one of the few times I have allowed my kids and my taste buds be influenced by a commercial, but we saw this place recently on a commercial and immediately Lesse screamed “Mom, we must try it!”  I agreed, as we had to be in Cape Girardeau early the other morning and well what better way to kick off a holiday weekend than with Cupcakes for breakfast.

Our affection or addiction to bakeries, cupcake stores, and sweet shops happened months ago while Lesse and I were on our Mom and DaughterRoadtrip to Chicago.  Lesse had only one place she wanted to visit in Chicago and that was Sprinkles!  Now every time she sees a bakery she tells me “mom I wonder if it is as good as Sprinkles” well Sprinkles being world famous and on the Food Network, it is hard to compare. 

Steamboat Arabia Museum in Kansas City Missouri

This past summer when the kids and I on our road trip to Kansas City Missouri, we had the opportunity to visit Steamboat Arabia Museum in Kansas City.

The museum is dedicated the history of  The Arabia and the treasures that were recovered 132 years after the boat sank.  The boat was not only a passenger boat, but also a cargo ship, and was loaded with merchandise.  Much of the merchandise and cargo was wet, but had been preserved by being encased in water and mud.        

The Hull of the boat

Inside the Steamboat Arabia Museum you will learn the history of The Arabia, why it sank, how many causalities, including the one mule that was supposed to be released, but was discovered it had not been, and learn how they recovered the boat and merchandise.