Maiden Voyage !!!!! (and a reminder about a worthy cause)

Good morning Blogland Neighbor-hood !! Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! Today, we here at MBIAJ Headquarters are marking the beginning of a new era .... this Moonbeams Mama will no longer be a member of "Mom's Taxi Service" .... because our Moonbeams Baby Boy Evan passed his driver's test this past Saturday! So, it was with a bit of nervousness (on my part) that I handed over my car keys for Evan's first ever Maiden Voyage this morning .....AAAAACK !!!! (he' only going across town, but to me it feels like he's driving across the country!) ....anyhow, of course I had to take a picture of this momentous milestone .... and of course (like his mother) he closes his eyes when the camera clicks ..... and of course he was in too much of a hurry to let me take another picture ..... lets just hope he OPENS his eyes while he's driving !!!! :)

.....oh, and we also just wanted to remind you all to consider stopping by the NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) online auction which runs through Wednesday Dec. 2nd. (we also posted about this here . THANKS !!!

Now I have to go stand in the driveway and pace back and forth and wring my hands until I see Evan driving back towards the house !!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

So how many pies do you have to bake ???? ......(and please check out a worthy cause)

Happy Thanksgiving Eve Blogland Neighborhood ! Are you all busily baking pies and other goodies for tomorrow's big feast ?


Here at the MBIAJ "test kitchens" we (well mostly Evan, our Chef in Training) are making a mess and baking up some very yummy desserts for tomorrow..... (here's Evan modeling the "Chef Curly" apron .....)




....and here he is hard at work making a Fuji Apple Rum cake and a pumpkin cheesecake ...... (I can't tell you how DELICIOUS it smells here in the "test kitchen" !!!!)











Now since it is the start of the holiday season we know how many worthy and deserving charities and causes there are out there in the real world .... all of which request a little extra help at this time of the year. We would like to ask you to consider helping out NEDA , the National Eating Disorder Association. Someone very near and dear to our hearts has recently been affected by this heartbreaking and frustrating disorder which has very serious medical consequences if they do not receive the help they need. Please consider bidding on the online auction NEDA is having through Dec. 2nd.

The MBIAJ Sewing Dept has donated an adult sized apron and matching chef hat (well, we just submitted it .... so we haven't heard yet if these things will be accepted for the auction ) .... either way, please check out the auction anyway and bid on some of the many great items that are listed. In this way, you will be helping out those who are hungry but are unable to eat.





......and....LOOK !!! the yummy desserts are out of the oven and are absolutely GORGEOUS !!!! and there's Evan the Chef posing with his creations (which he made completely by himself) .....saying "ah shucks ... it was easy!"








Well, time to supervise the kitchen clean up !!!! We here at MBIAJ Headquarters wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Move over Ben, here come the Moonbeams Boys

Well happy Sunday evening Blogland Neighborhood. Hope you all had a nice weekend. We here at MBIAJ Headquarters took a little field trip today ....


....just look at those Moonbeams Boys Matt and Evan hurrying along to go to (NOT a dirtbike race for a change no....) but some place that qualifies as .......EDUCATIONAL !!!




......yep .... yessiree ..... the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia!!!! and here's the real surprise .... they ASKED to go here !!!! MUSIC to my ears I tell ya !!!! (even Ben Franklin looks a little stunned )








Anyhow, as noted by the Moonbeams Boys .... "there's lots of really cool stuff in there" .....such as ...


....this "sky ride" bike .... yep, it's a bike you can ride WAY up high on a teeny, tiny rope thing .... but hey there's a big net .... so no problem if you fall off ..... WHAT !?!?!!! The Moonbeams Boys were very willing to give it a go but they didn't get a chance before the museum closed ..... phew!!

...other cool stuff the Moonbeams Boys enjoyed ....



...this big telescope (I think it's a telescope ...or maybe it's something that beams you up to the mother ship....)


......mechanical engine stuff to tinker with (the Moonbeams Boys are big time dirtbike engine tinkerers)


.....and a favorite subject (especially with Matt, our pilot and student aerospace engineer) the Wright Brothers plane ....



....oh, and look ..... here is Matt practicing flying a plane......



...and there's Evan .........practicing flying too ....







Now don't think there's only "guy" stuff at the Franklin Institute ..... look at this ......



.....a toy sewing machine from 1890 ....


.....this beautiful treadle sewing machine ....


......and look at this thing .... this is a typewriter from 1888 ..... how'd you like to write a blog using that thing !?!?!!!

OH !!! and we just HAD to take a picture of this ....


......pretty quilt block ...well, not exactly (but it would be a pretty quilt block) ...anyhow this is .....


.....a pendulum that hangs down from 3 or 4 floors and has something to do with the movement of the earth (I'll have to ask Evan again to explain it ....) ANYHOW.....




......just LOOK at that stairway !!!! Is that elegant or WHAT !?!?!!!! Now, once again I can't tell you just how important it is to keep one's spare tiara in one's purse ..... this stairway just screams for a tiara to be worn whilst descending (not ascending, however since tiaras should not be worn when one is gasping for breath while hauling oneself back up .....it just kind of ruins the whole effect.....)

Well, anyhow, since I already had my spare tiara on.......



......it was time to head out into the lovely Philadelphia evening for dinner (besides, the Franklin Institute was closing .....)

.....a fun day with the Moonbeams Boys ...... priceless !!!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Kitty's semi homemade comfort food

Hey there Blogland Neighborhood.....haven't been around for awhile ..... still going through kind of a rough patch here at MBIAJ Headquarters ..... decided some comfort food was in order (apple pie to be exact) but wasn't up for a big production ...... Kitty to the rescue !!! (will wonders ever cease?!?!?)

So, here's Kitty with her "semi homemade apple pie" .....take it away Kitty ......



.....first you will need some Pillsbury pie crusts (found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store ... near the slice and bake cookies that so often pass for homemade Xmas cookies at MBIAJ Headquarters), some Lucky Leaf premium apple pie filling, and some "Sugar in the Raw" natural cane turbinado sugar.....


......follow the instructions on the pie crust box to unroll the bottom pie crust .... plop it in a pie plate...... and then dump in the apple pie filling ...


......next unroll the second pie crust and plop it on top of the pie ..... make an attempt to flute the edges .... or just smoosh the edges together so all of the filling doesn't leak out (honestly NOT caring what the darn thing looks like .... just want to get it done and dig into it.....) last, sprinkle some of the sugar on the top, cut the slits in it and stick it in the oven according to the directions on the apple pie filling jar ..... and ......





........TA DAAaaaaaaaaa!!!! Hot, bubbly apple pie fresh from the oven ....






......just like Kitty's grandma used to make !!!! (eat your heart out Martha !!)












Be back when we can ......

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Somebody needs to find a rake ........

Well, good morning Blogland Neighbor-hood ...... it has come to our attention that there seem to be some slackers in the Leaf Raking Dept .....


....Kitty complained that she could hardly get up the driveway this morning ....




....those autumn leaves drift by my window .... and onto the driveway ..... la la la laaaaaaaaaa........

Be back soon,
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)