The silence is eerie. I’m getting reacquainted with the humming of the refrigerator, the soft snoring sounds of the dogs, the sound of the central air kicking on and off and the part that has been the most fascinating, I’ve been able to keep my train of thought and complete each task I have set out to conquer in my little  world of wife and motherhood. These are sounds and defeats I have not been in touch with for three months, This my friends is what you call “THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!”  The doorbell has yet to ring, there is no trail of kids filing in and out at a steady pace, there is no one lying on my couch asking for a ride or asking to have a friend picked up, the house has stayed tidy, there is no asking for a meal the minute I sit down, there are no crumbs on the breakfast bar where the children like to eat. There’s just me and the dogs to take care of and considering the dogs have slept most of the day, it’s been a piece of cake. While my OCD is content as can be with the lack of mess and utter chaos and disorder that the past three months have provided, a big piece of my heart is missing today with my kids being back in school. I’ve wished them back to school many days, then I wish them to be home when they are back. Moms, tell me you relate?!  But I think I will survive and we are all better for routine and structure in our lives.

What do Moms do on the first day of school? Go get a mani/pedi, have a mimosa and read a magazine after the bus peels away from the curb, or go back to bed and rest (don’t do that, it’s a waste of a beautiful day!)? Not this momma. My routine sticks. Strength DVD, 50 minutes of cardio then I’m off and running to tackle the errands of the day which today included bringing the puppy in for her final puppy shot visit at the vet, followed of course by a trip through the Starbucks drive through:-)Upon returning home I thought I would list some new items on my eBay store but opted for creating and baking and coming up with my dinner plan for tonight. May not sound very exciting to some, but to me this is pretty much a day of perfection, I quite enjoy my little domestic routine:-) While some days this routine gets boring, there are many days I thank God (and my precious husband) for this privilege. Later this week my courses start (I’m taking on a new adventure!) so I’m going to enjoy my time that I have to myself right now! What do other Moms/Dads do on the first day of school? Any great routines, I’d love to hear them!

This is the creation I baked today! I was in the grocery store the other day and the Raspberries looked amazing so I just had to buy them with baking in mind. These are my Berry Lemon Crumble Bars and here is what you need to know to make them if you wish, which you should because they are truly delicious!

Ingredients:

3.5 cups AP flour + 2 tbsp set aside

1.5 cups sugar divided (1 cup aside, 1/2 cup aside)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs, beaten

1.5 cups shortening (I used Crisco)

3 cups fresh Raspberries

1.5 cups  Frozen Blackberries (You could use fresh, I only had frozen)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and mix together well. Add the shortening by cutting into the flour mixture until you have what looks like large crumbs. Beat the eggs in a small bowl, add the vanilla into the eggs mixing well then pour into the flour mixture. Mix this well. It will look like larger crumbs at this point and will be a semi moist/semi dry mix. Press 3/4 of the mixture into a 13 x 9″ greased baking dish.

In another large bowl combine the 2 tbsp of flour, the rest of the sugar and mix.

Add the berries. Remember to keep the frozen berries frozen until you add them in at this point if you are using frozen. Coat the berries with the flour sugar and when coated well add them to the pressed mixture in the baking pan. Cover with the remaining crumb mixture.

Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until done! These  bars will hit the spot, they are the perfect mix of sweet but tangy! I hope you enjoy them!