It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine....

The kids, in the beach "tiki" we built a couple of weekends ago

Do you have the time, to listen to me whine? There has been so much going on, I don't know where to begin. Since I last blogged, we have been on a crazy rollercoaster. Prior to Easter, we found out that Dave might be getting an overseas deployment. We weighed our pros and cons and now it is a certain thing. He will be gone between 6 and 10 months, we don't know right now which, but he has already left for a couple of months training. I realize people think what could the pros be, but trust me, its the pay. That part will eliminate debt, and free up time for us as a result, time and money to travel and have more of the relaxation time we have been needing. So that aside, we have taken it, and are now on the countdown with the time we have left before then. It will be a long, long time for us, but we have done it before, we can do it again. So life as we know it is changing again, but I am quite ok with it right now.
My course is done, I am taking the summer off. When Dave gets back we are hitting the road to go camp, enjoy the island for all that it has. We are going to enjoy our family time, until his first leave. Dave and I may travel alone for the first time since the kids, depending on the length of his tour (and if he has one or two leaves). We won't know for awhile which length, so i am putting no more thought into the trips till then.

Lemon Cream Cake

This was our Easter dessert, delicious white cake, the recipe my mom made every year for our birthdays as kids. The filling layers are a lemon curd with whipped cream folded in. It was very lemony and creamy and spring-like. Nice ending to our turkey dinner. Auntie and Uncle joined us, we had a great time, they are always enjoyable company.

Just chocolate cupcakes, kid-style

The kids and I also made peeps cupcakes. I love peeps. Not to eat so much, but I love the idea of them. Something neat and seasonal. I love going to the states to pick up the ones I can't get here, like the cats at Halloween or the peppermint Christmas ones. We even made peeps one year, I tinted the marshmallow green. Some were a bit messy, but it actually fairly easy to make them. I also recall making marshmallows as a kid. We made blue ones rolled in powdered sugar. We thought they were so cool. I loved making unusual things then, I recall the yogurt we cultured too. It was then I developed a love for plain yogurt. Mind you, I sprinkled a bit of sugar on it when I was a kid, but I loved the tang it had. 

Chilean prawns-I have been meaning to make these for ages. They are simple and insanely good. Poached large prawns in a paprika and spice mixture of peppercorns, coriander seeds, sea salt and a few other secret ingredients, with a cilantro and citrus sauce. I will be serving this at our next party- a BBQ with these prawns, empanadas, and some grilled veggies and carne...and sangria!!!