packer backer in training

"Hey, Jack! You get to go to Green Bay today and see Lambeau Field!!"

Doesn't he look excited?!

"Hey, Jack! Wanna go to Soldier Field instead?"

Yeah, I thought not.

So, off we went to Green Bay. We had to take my uncle back to the airport, and took in a few stores while we were in town. Our final destination was the Packer Pro Shop, where we found a new winter hat for the little guy...

I'm telling you, had he actually kept the thing on, he probably would own it today. Because I'm just that mean. Heh.

After our shopping excursion, we decided to have lunch right at Lambeau at Curly's Pub. Ahh, nothing says football like crappy service and inflated prices. The food was yummy (highly recommend the "Chicken Booyah" soup. Yum!), but that's about all I can say for the place. I'm pretty sure they are under the impression that people will keep them in business solely because of their location inside the stadium so they needn't try to exert themselves with customer service. Like I said though, it was good food and excellent company, so we left happy.

It was also Jack's first experience with a booster seat instead of a high chair:

We were seated at a high table, so the chairs were a good three feet off the ground, and Jack was a total wiggle worm so my uncle sacrificed his belt to help control the situation. :) He got it back a little worse for wear (think greasy little fingers that like to explore), but it served its purpose!

Finally, here's a pic of my grandma and uncle together. Awwww...
We love you, Uncle Donnie!

The Only Lemon Poppyseed Cake Recipe You'll Ever Need

Hi Friends!! I'm still not crafting, but I am still cooking and trying new recipes, so I thought I'd share. My grandma had a birthday a few weeks ago, and this is the cake I made for the occasion. Lemon Poppyseed is her favorite flavor (and conveniently mine, too!), so I knew I had to find something yummy for her.

Oh.

My.

Word.

"Yummy" does not even begin to do this cake justice. It's AMAZING. It's like a little piece of heaven on a plate. It's... well, it's the only lemon poppyseed cake recipe you will ever need. Ever!! It is just that good. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. Lemon Cake Mix
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
4 Eggs
3/4 c. Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 c. Water
1/3 c. Poppy Seeds

1 (21 oz.) can of Lemon Pie Filling

1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. Instant Lemon Pudding Mix
1 c. Milk
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and vanilla pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, oil, water, and poppy seeds, as shown below.

I buy my (Holland Blue) poppyseeds (and most of my other spices... their vanilla is divine, by the way) from Penzey's Spices. Check 'em out if you're looking to replace the boring old store brands with something a little fresher. While you're there, sign up for their catalog. It always has awesome recipes in it. Anyhow, where were we? Oh, yeah...

2. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. NOTE: When the cake comes out of the oven it will have a beautiful domed top that will sink as it cools. the cake will also pull away from the edges quite a bit... fear not! We'll fill in that space with something yummy in a minute...

4. Spread lemon pie filling over the cooled cake. (See, I told you!)

5. In a large bowl, mix instant lemon pudding with milk. Mix well and let stand about 5 minutes until fairly set. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over pie filling.

Mmmmm.... lemon-y Cool Whip!!! YUM! I love Cool Whip anyhow, but this takes it to a whole new level.

6. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Sometimes I don't care for leftovers of those salads (like Pistachio Salad, for example) that mix Cool Whip with pudding because after a day in the fridge the texture of the cool whip changes completely. I'm happy to say that it was not a problem at all with this cake. We were still eating on it a few days later and it was just as good as day one.

Here's the finished product:

Let me know if you try this, because I would love to know what you think of it. It got rave reviews from the entire family, and the neighbors who were lucky enough to score a few pieces, too. I'm sure you'll love it!