It's very big, it's very big, it's very biiiiiiig!

So I'm not really sure how I came across this funky, sometimes irreverent, fun kids classical music CD collection, Beethoven's Wig. I just have to say I've been listening for hours to samples online now and, I'm hooked!

Check out their homepage!

Each CD seems to have the first half with the classics overlaid with satirical, cute, dare I say it, educational lyrics. Then the second part of the CD just has the orchestral score. Seems like a great way to get the kids into the "old stuff". We;ve never really had a problem, my DS loves listening to classical music more than most "current" music...what about your experiences?

(It reminds me of Alan Sherman and Al Yanchovic, too!)

Update - You CAN use your "Blue" Wishblade with Windows 7!

This post could also be titled "Where there's a will, there's a way!"

You may remember that over a year ago I posted a tutorial to help you use you Blue Wishblade with Vista or Windows 7. I felt there have been enough changes in the options available to you that it was time for an update!

Remember, as with any new software installation, it's best to set a "restore point" prior to any changes, so you can essentially roll the machine back if there are any unforseen consequences!

By now, most folks know that (internally at least) a wishblade, craftrobo, and silhouette are essentially the same machine with different badging. So, it's no surprise that finally these commonalities might solve some of the problems.

Download the Silhouette Studio (version 1.7.1) from the Silhouette America storefront.
Find the setup file and double-click it to begin the installation process.
Follow the prompts during the installation process.
Plug your cutter in to the Windows 7 computer and turn it on. Driver should be installed automatically. If you get a warning about not finding the driver you should be able to just ignore it.
You can now access your GSDs through Silhouette Studio and send to cut through that program.

Now, I have been told that Blue & pink wishblade owners and craftrobo owners are successfully cutting using Silhouette Studio from XP and Vista machines as well, so please share any tips you have in the comments section here...

I would recommend that you keep a separate GSD copy of any file you plan to open into Studio, because you can only save as a .GSP (via save to SD card mechanism) or as a .STUDIO file. This means that only Studio users can open and cut these files.

You CAN have more than one version of Robomaster on your machine at any time...just name them appropriately (like "blue wishblade GSD", "Studio to cut", or "original Robomaster") so you know which one to launch.

Time to get moving in the mornings...

You know me...I'm not a morning person...the day should start with a much quiet and a lot of caffeine. It just so happens that my kids prefer to start moving slowly in the mornings too! Unfortunately there always seems to be a ton to do before getting "out the door", so we've tried to streamline the breakfast experience.

They've been fairly happy with "Breakfast Cookies" (I think I've shared those before, if not...I'll look for the recipe). On the other hand, I'm trying to introduce a little variety, hence it was time for some experimenting in the kitchen.

Here's a picture of the final outcome, our mini frittatas.

First thing...ignore the picture above, LOL! I took a shot of the ones I made with the leftover egg mixture, but for best results you'll want to use a silicone muffin pan (or you'll be scrubbing...scrubbing...scrubbing),

Here's the recipe we came up with:

Mini Frittatas
10-12 eggs (it really depends upon how deep your muffin cups are)
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup milk
1/2 Tablespoons seasoning mixture (I used an all-purpose vegetable seasoning mix but you might like Mrs Dash, Montreal Seasoning, etc)

Place all of the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk with a fork just until the eggs are barely mixed. Then, take your muffin pan and prep it by spraying with non-stick oil spray (like Pam).

The great thing is that you can customize your Frittatas! I put a large teaspoon of fresh salsa and some crumbled pepper jack cheese onto the bottom of half the muffin cups for my son (who loves spicy foods) and some bacon crumbles and cheddar cheese in the other half for my daughter. Divide the egg mixture by pouring into the cups.

Place the tray (on top of a cookie sheet to catch any spillover) into a preheated oven set at 350 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, just until the tops are set and just beginning to turn golden. Let cool in the silicone muffin pan for approximately 5 minutes, then use a spoon or butter knife to "pop" them out. Serve immediately while hot or place them into a ziploc plastic baggie and store for up to one week in the refrigerator.

We found they reheated pretty well in the microwave for about 40 seconds at 50% power (be sure to check frequently as all microwaves do vary).

Let me know if you try it, I'd love to hear what combinations you come up with!