The Braegger Family Blog: first half of February

On February 2nd, I went all out for an obscure holiday (imagine that?) and we had a GROUNDHOG EXTRAVAGANZA. I had the kids color groundhog headbands as party hats, and we watched Groundhog Day while we ate dinner on the ground.

Dinner was meatloaf (made with Pioneer Woman's recipe minus the bacon & sauce) and made with half ground beef and half ground pork (because it's ground hog--get it?) shaped into the guest of honor and decorated with string cheese slices and black beans.

After dinner we attached shadows to groundhogs and made groundhog finger puppets.

We had already done our cuter groundhog treats with friends, but we had to have dessert for such a special day, so I baked up some store bought choco chip cookie dough and let the kids decorate. Faith's cookie in the inset is the "normal" one and the one on the counter is a vampire groundhog.

It was a super fun night! It's one of my goals this year to do more celebrating!

On the 5th we had a Super Bowl party at our house. Faith was sad that the Steelers lost out in the first round of the playoffs, so to appease her (and of course, the downtrodden Tony) we celebrated with family and food.

Here is a crab cheese ball that I made and tried to shape into a football. I gave Faith the assignment of packing it with sliced almonds to finish it off. Fifteen minutes later she tells me that it's done and I realize that she's painstakingly arranged and pressed in each almond slice individually so it would be "perfect." Is this kid even related to me at all??? :)

They changed the recipe on our favorite frozen hot wings (TGIFriday's), and after "not really watching" the Pioneer Woman episode on football food with me, Tony decided to give hers a try. Best hot wings ever!!! Tony's the deep fry master at our house. He also fried some jalapeno poppers and some breaded mushrooms that Jordan brought.

Homemade salsa.

Faith took this picture of bread cubes and Knorr spinach dip before the dip was added :)

There was also a Chick-fil-A nugget platter, pretzel bites, and dad later brought over sweet and sour meatballs and his guacamole. For dessert, there were turtle brownies in the shape of little footballs that, very unfortunately, were enjoyed only by our driveway (poor Joy), and we had the chocolate fountain going with strawberries, cuties, pretzel rods, gummy bears, marshmallows and banana slices. It was enjoyed by all, but my little Buddy was seen twenty minutes after everyone had eaten themselves sick, sitting on the island, still dipping, and with a very chocolaty face.

Didn't get many pictures of our guests, but Joy brought her family, Eric stopped by for food and part of the game, and mom & dad came late after feeding grandma and grandpa Quinn. After the game, Faith played some music videos from her iPod and I caught Christian and Lily enjoying a snuggle under the upturned rocking chair.

Such a fun night! Oh, and I don't remember which team won. Or even who was playing for sure. Super Bowl is NEVER about football for me :D

On the 7th Christian wanted a "getting close to Valentine's Day" breakfast. I used a heart cookie cutter on a piece of bread and then fried an egg in it. We call it "egg in a nest" but when I was a kid, my mom called it a "one eyed Egyptian." Why? I have no idea. Buddy then used a special bread cutter we have on his cinnamon toast which cuts it into two dolphins and a small heart. Special breakfast, indeed.

That night I made some cornflake treats in the shape of little hearts.

The morning of the 11th we went all out. I made red velvet heart pancakes. Some even had a little message ❤

I also did some heart bacon. I saw on Pinterest how you can bake it in this shape, but my kids love the precooked kind (bleach) so I just nuked it like this.

We even made heart eggs!

At Lowe's the kids made Valentine Card Making Kits.

That night we had a special dinner of snow crab legs at home.

On the morning of the 14th, I got up early and made heart shaped cinnamon rolls (from a can).

Then I worked on some amazing Valentine's hair.

Faith loaded up her Valentine's card holder box (which looks like an embarrassed Pascal the chameleon from the "Tangled" movie) and I drove her to ballroom dance practice at school.