Batman!

I personally love Batman! I mean look at all those fun toys he has! Then, there is the mystery of the man behind the mask.  Yes. We all know it's Bruce Wayne. But imagine for a moment, if you will, that you are not on the outside looking in.  Have you ever had a secret admirer? I am not talking stalker here!  If you have, think about what excited you the most about it. Was it that someone liked you or the mystery of who that person was? Hmmm.......

Then there is the fact that Batman is a superhero who has no super powers. There is nothing supernatural about him. He is just a man, that through sheer determination, commitment and discipline became the best he could be.  He stands for what is right. I would like to think, if Bruce Wayne, a.k.a Batman were a child in school today he would be the one to stand up to bullying!

Neal Adams, the great silver age artist, wrote "You must remember, Batman is the only superhero who is not a superhero. He has no powers....He's a human being bent on a mission." According to Merriam-Webster.com, mission means: a pre-established and often self-imposed objective or purpose. Batman's mission is to rid Gotham of corruption and evildoers. But I also feel that, via Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne Enterprises, he finds a way to give back to the community. I think that is why Batman is the greatest superhero. Because there is a little bit of Batman in all of us! Even my son who on many days can be found wearing his Batman costume. One particular time, he had on his costume and kept jumping off the couch. I asked him to, "Please, stop jumping before you get hurt!". To which he replied, "Don't worry, mom. I have my cape on!".

Now let's take a look at all the Bruce Wayne/Batmans there have been:

Batman (1943) - Lewis Wilson

Batman and Robin (1949) - Robert Lowery

 



Batman: The Movie (1966) - Adam West

Batman (1989) & Batman Returns (1992) - Michael Keaton

Batman Forever (1995) - Val Kilmer

Batman & Robin (1997) - George Clooney

 

Batman Begins (2005) & The Dark Knight (2008) & The Dark Knight Rises (2012) - Christian Bale

Batman vs. Superman (2015) - Ben Affleck

Way to go Ben!! I think it is awesome that you will be the next to be Batman!


Photos courtesy of: wikipedia.com, imdb.com, dragopost.com, dipune.info, facebook.com

Treasure Your Daughters

There is something that has been bothering me for quite some time now, and with the Miley Cyrus controversy, it is in the forefront of my mind.  My daughter is a treasure that God blessed me with. I want her to be a smart, loving, and CONFIDENT young lady!  At 8, she already asks, "Am I fat?".  And she had an issue this past school year with a "friend" who wouldn't play with her if she wasn't wearing the "right" clothes that day. We have had the issue come up with the short shorts. I WILL NOT allow her to wear them!! I prefer her to wear more appropriate clothes for her age. Heck, I am sure if I could I would have her dressing like Laura Ingles from Little House on the Prairie. But, I am realistic. However, when I picked my daughter up from school one day this last May, I saw a sight that not only baffled me, but angered me. There were several little girls, ranging from age 6-9, wearing extremely short shorts. One was even wearing 3" wedge shoes with shorts so short, if she bent over, I probably would have seen her underwear!!! I am NOT kidding!! Now, when I was in school, I would have been handed a pair of sweatpants and told not to wear those shorts again. Or anything that short for that matter!

Am I a perfect parent? Heck, no!! Do I want my daughter showing off her body and being viewed as a sex object, now or as a teen (or even as an adult)? HELL, NO!! This is where as a parent, it is my job to direct my children in the right direction. Instill morals and values. Help them to grow up to be confident in who the are, not what they wear.

This brings me to what the media and fashion industry is putting out there for our young girls. For instance, there is now lingerie for girls ages 4-12! Yep! When I first saw this on the Today Show (NBC), my jaw dropped and I shook my head! Here is a picture from their print ad. I don't care how much my daughter got paid. She would not be doing this ad!

I am not a prude. I know times are changing. But do we have to throw away our morals and values? This is what they are now deeming acceptable for our young ladies in dance and cheerleading/poms!  Sorry! I would be pulling my child out of dance and demanding a refund for my costume if this is what she came home with for her recital!

 

 



Let's see what our girls dolls are encouraging our girls to wear, shall we?  Not much better!

                        

 

Let's take a look at the latest trend in shorts! Parents, you might as well let your daughters wear their underwear out in public. In fact, let's do a comparison.

 

 

                UNDERWEAR            

               SWIMSUIT                

 

                  SHORTS                  

 

 Now, my daughter and I have had the discussion about what shorts she can and can't wear. Sometimes she tests the boundaries, but she knows what I will and will not allow. I know as she gets older, these boundaries will be tried and tested and there will be arguments, there is no doubt! If I do not feel what she is wearing or wants to buy is appropriate, the answer will be NO! I am her parent, her guardian, her protector! I do not want her to be objectified, sexualized, or demoralized! And if she EVER posts a picture like this on the internet or via text message, she will be spending a month with no internet and no phone and writing a really long report on pedophiles!!

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that we need to stand up for our daughters! We need to stand up against the media, the schools, the dance schools, and the fashion industry. Where there is a demand, there will be supply! I know there will be those of you who will argue that "it covers more than a swimsuit". To that, I ask, when did we start wearing our swimsuits everywhere? This is just my opinion. I know I have a long battle ahead of me with my daughter. I just hope she looks back and thanks me for loving her enough to care!

Monster Cinnamon Rolls

Awhile back, we were watching Man Vs. Food on the Travel Channel and they made the cinnamon rolls that were the size of your head. Literally! My husband suggested I should make them. I laughed and said, "You would make yourself sick eating one of those!". However, the seed was planted. So, last week I set out to make some big cinnamon rolls, a.k.a - monster cinnamon rolls!

You want to make some, too? Here is how I made them (with help from my kids).

Basic Sweet Roll Recipe (From Kitchen Aide Stand Mixer Recipes)

3/4 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine (I think butter tastes better)
2 packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (105°-115°F)
3 eggs, room temperature
5 1/2 -6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Place milk, sugar, salt, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture, eggs, and 5 cups of flour.  Using the dough hook on your mixer, turn on to speed 2 and mix for 2 minutes.

Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 2 minutes, or until dough clings to hook and cleans the side of the bowl. Continue kneeding on speed 2 for about 2 minutes longer.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough. Cover. Let rise in a warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. (I covered mine with plastic wrap and set outside since it was a beautiful day out.)

Punch dough down on a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle. I like to make my dough short and really long.

Add a thick layer of margarine to your rolled dough and then sprinkle enough cinnamon to coat the margarine. Then sprinkle with sugar. You can make adjustments in the next step.

Now rub the 3 together with your hands, as my little helpers did. You can add more margarine, cinnamon, or sugar as you see fit in this step. The more margarine, the more moist your filling will be. When finished it should look about like this.

Now starting at the short end, slowly roll your dough into a log like this.

You will need a sharp knife for this next step. A sharp knife can make the cutting process a lot easier. Depending on how big you want your rolls to be, cut them into 2"-4" pieces, and place in a greased pan. You may need more than one pan. I used 2 8x8 pans.

Leave space for the dough to rise. Again, cover and place in a warm place free from draft, to rise for about 45-60 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 350°F for 20-35 minutes. Time varies so widely because it depends on how thick you cut your rolls. I would check every 5 minutes after 20 minutes. You want your top to be golden brown. I placed foil under my pans, just incase there was any spillage.

Cover with a glaze or frosting and enjoy!! I used a cream cheese frosting!

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick of butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 -5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I like Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract)

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and cream together on low speed. If you turn the speed up too fast, it makes quite a mess. Trust me on this one! Add vanilla and 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and continue to cream together. Check taste and consistency. If you want the frosting thicker or it tastes too buttery, add more powdered sugar until its to your liking.

Welcome to my box of chocolates life

Remember that great line from "Forrest Gump" (1994), "Mama said life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what your gonna get." Well, I am going to share my box of chocolates with you!

I am a wife and mother of 2 that suffers from adult ADD. It keeps life interesting. I like to cook, bake, sew, read, paint, woodworking, photography, acting and trying new things. The last few years have been the most interesting and I will share with you past experiences as well as new ones, as I try new things. Life is not always easy, as I have learned, but you find the things that are good in your life and hold on strong to them. Live your dreams. Laugh at yourself. Love with the heart God gave you!

Thank you for sharing my box of chocolates with me.