First Christmas Program

I am no cinematographer, but I am proud of myself for being able to mostly focus on her the whole time without losing it. She was afraid of the Night Wind, that's why her elbow is to her head in the beginning.  I am a super proud mama!  She made a beautiful angel, even if her attitude can often be less than angelic!

Side note: This is my hundredth post...how fitting!

Poor Man's Quiche....errrr Strata

Last night was breakfast for dinner, in our house it typically means eggs (scrambled for Nate and Jude, Over hard for Sophia and I), bacon (oh how I looooove bacon, real bacon, it really shouldn't be so bad for you, its just wrong to taste so good and be so bad), and pancakes or waffles.

I was ready to make cheesy scrambled eggs last and just make Sophia eat them because I really didn't want to make 2 types of eggs and then saw the barely touched package of Hawaiian Honey Wheat rolls on top of the fridge.  Nate looooooooooooooooves Hawaiian sweet rolls, and of course I went out to buy them the day after Thanksgiving (to make our after Thanksgiving dinner) and of course the stores were cleaned out of them,   had plenty of the Honey Wheat ones though, so I bought them, just so he had something.  Yeah, those went over like a lead balloon.

So....Plans changed, no waffles, I decided to make an egg casserole.  The following recipe was born, and I called it "Poor Man's Quiche." I was telling my Mom about it, and she said "sounds like a Strata", oh yeah..... OK, so its probably a strata, but without the overnight rest to soak the bread thoroughly since I used super soft dinner rolls and not french bread.

Jenn's Poor Man's Quiche (or Strata, whatever, I like my name better ;P)

8 Large Eggs
3/4C Fat Free Milk
1T Tarragon
1T Onion Powder
1T Garlic Powder
1t Pepper
1/2t Salt (I used fake salt, could probably eliminate all together)
2C Shredded Cheese (I used a combo of Monterey Jack and Cheddar)
16oz package of frozen chopped spinach thawed and well drained
1C Diced Sweet Bell Pepper (I used mini yellow and red peppers because I had those on hand, you could use any really)
7 Soft Dinner Rolls (hand torn)
1C grated Parmesan Cheese


Preheat oven to 350, and spray a 8x13 baking dish with canola oil spray.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together Eggs, Milk and Spices until well combined and foamy, stir in Cheese, Spinach (wrap in paper towels and squeeze the heck outta the thawed spinach to remove as much of the liquid as possible and then break up into the egg mixture) and Bell Pepper.  Tear up the rolls and toss them into the mix and stir together till rolls are completely covered.  Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and let sit for a bit while starting the bacon :) (I have tried the baking method and just can't get it crispy enough without burning it so have resigned to just pan frying for now until I get a new oven and try again), I waited until I had done 1/2 the package of bacon and then put the casserole into the oven, this made it almost perfect timing for bacon and casserole to be finished at the same time.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 (until eggs are almost set) and then top with grated Parmesan Cheese, bake an additional 5 min, or until cheese is melted and eggs are set (test the middle, if it seems gooey still, let it go a bit more).  Turn off oven and put prepared bacon in with the eggs so that everything gets warm and cozy until everyone is ready to eat.

For once, I didn't want to add Siracha to my eggs, it had great flavor without heat, which is a good thing since princess Sophia isn't a fan of spicy and Jude is just starting on the flavor adventures :)  What is fabulous about Strata recipes, is that you can pretty much put whatever you think sounds good in your eggs (or whatever you have on hand).  If you use a harder bread, you would have to let stand until the bread was softened well (overnight in the fridge), so that takes away from the last minute awesomeness of this dish, but it would still be easy, which is a big deal in a household with small children :)

Let me know how you changed yours up, its always fun to hear other peoples versions!

Its been awhile....

Just a little tease, its been a busy month so far....But couldn't resist posting this bit of blackmail for Sophia as she gets older :D

Not So Fond of the Cupcake....

 

Hard to believe its only been a year!  Happy Birthday my sweet Jude!

PRESCHOOL!!!

 Ah, the fake smile!

 Repeat of fake smile.

Might as well make it three of a kind.

So, four years old, in preschool, went in with no trepidation, totally cool.  Mom, (do you really need to know her age?), sitting in the quiet, not quite sure how to take this. 

We got the call when we were in Disneyland that Sophia had made it in, I was so excited that I squealed in the gift shop we were in at the time.  She needs this interaction, I need this time away....and there is some guilt associated with that.  In time I will figure out what I am going to get done while she is there, (that is if Jude cooperates with a nap like he is right now), should I knit? should I clean? (*barf*), should I cook?  Today I should probably be napping, but I am kind of wired with the excitement/nervousness and though I slept terribly last night, decided to add to my jitters with a gigantic sugar filled Starbucks treat with extra espresso.....Ah, Jude is awake now.......

Wyatt Cookies

I love my family, and am so happy I married into a family with brothers and sisters, this way I got nephews!  One of my nephews is on a special diet, so its really hard for me whenever I bring treats over to have to keep him from the goodies.  Thus was born a challenge, to find a treat I could make him that he would be able to eat.  Because he is gluten free, no flour (bah, who needs it right? :/), because he is milk free, must be careful about chocolate (geez, chocolate, come on, give a kid a break).  There are all kinds of gluten free and milk free products if you look for them, but I really wanted to be able to make him something using what I had in my pantry because darnit, he deserves to have spontaneous treats.  Peanut butter is something I have in my pantry (hello I have kids!), and who doesn't love a good peanut butter cookie (thank goodness no peanut allergies!).  Oatmeal is another staple.  Hrmmmm, PB and Oatmeal cookies with no flour, I betcha I could make that. A little research looking at all kinds of peanut butter, as well as Oatmeal cookie recipes and voila I give you Wyatt Cookies:

Wyatt Cookies
2 Eggs
1-½ C Sugar (Plus some for rolling dough in)
½ C Honey
2 C Peanut Butter
1 C Quick or Old Fashioned Oats (Old Fashioned makes them more chewy)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat Eggs till foamy , beat in remaining ingredients (I beat the heck out of all the ingredients, it looks pretty) except oats, add oats when all other ingredients are combined and mix well (I have done this with 1/2 C Oats, but I really liked how they turned out when I went to a full cup, experiment its fun!).
Chill mixture for about 1/2 hour, this helps it firm up a bit so its easier to form without getting too sticky (I HATE STICKY!)
Roll into 1” balls and roll in sugar, place on cookie sheet about 2 in apart. With tines of a fork press cookies down.
Bake in oven for 9-10 min till lightly browned (watch to make sure edges don‘t get too brown because the bottoms will be burned), let cool on sheet for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to wire rack.

Welcome to the Jungle

The downer....This weekend is my mother in laws memorial, as many of my closest family and friends know, my way of dealing with grief is through food.  Through the years I have channeled this into cooking and baking, so its not all about me running out to get the most greasy processed salty crappy fast food item I can shove into my face as fast as I can.  I love the process of getting from ingredients to finished product, and usually, by the time I have put in the effort to make a recipe, I am very unlikely to go too far overboard with the ingesting of the wonderful deliciousness that I have created...That being said, there are these insanely wonderful things that my mother in law introduced to me, and thankfully passed the recipe to me that I have some serious trouble keeping my paws off of (let alone the rest of the household).

Ok, before I tell you about this insanely wonderful thing, I have to tell you, that there ain't nothin healthy about these folks...That being said, they are well worth it, I promise.  Those who were raised by Sheri know exactly what I am talking about so no introductions are needed for them. 

For the rest of you (you know, all 9 of my followers), behold, the Lunchbox Jungle Chew:

Do not let her common looking crust fool you, she is a sinful wench!

I have no clue where this recipe hails from, I have a copy of what looks to have been a newspaper clipping, if anyone (again, of my 9 followers) can tell me, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due! (and tackle the writer with billions of kisses).

On with the recipe:

Lunchbox Jungle Chews

1 lb brown sugar (do your teeth hurt yet?)
1 C oil (I told you this isn't healthy)
3 Large Eggs
2 C Flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt (Yeah, this is not a low sodium food)
1 t vanilla (I think I have said in other recipes that I am heavy handed with vanilla)
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips (original said 6 oz, PUHlease, if we are going to have a lb of sugar and a cup of oil in this recipe, lets just use the whole package)
1 C coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 C flaked coconut


Preheat oven to 350
Combine brown sugar and oil until all that sugar is glistening, add the eggs to the party and mix well.  Add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla and make sure all that stuff is married well (remember, I love the process right, so enjoy the mixing, don't try to get this done as quickly as possible, unless your kids are awake, in which case beat that stuff together quick as you can before they figure out what you are doing) before adding the yummy chunky stuff in.
Spread all that wonderful sticky goodness into a 13x9 inch baking pan (ungreased, remember this has a cup of oil in it so its not all that crazy) and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and the crust is dull.
Even though its supremely hard to let these babies cool, be patient (thanking God that the husband is at work and the kids are asleep, now I only have my hands to slap), they will cut much better once you let them set up well.  The original recipe says "Cut into 36 regular squares or 48 small squares", right, so cut them the way you want, I assure you, if you cut them that small you will be eating more squares, so just cut em big and enjoy :)

I really hope that I can keep these safe before the memorial, I made 2 batches and baked in 8x8 squares so that if we have 1 sacrifice, there are still 3 pans to bring! Wish me luck.

Sheri

I lost my mother in law this past week, it was not unexpected, but it was painful nonetheless, I pray that she found peace, and is now dancing with our other loved ones at this moment. It has been a rough time for all around her. I have watched my brother in law as he struggled with his role as his mothers caregiver and my sister in law lose her forever confidant. I have held my best friend/husbands hand as he watched his mommy struggle to take a breath. I watched my daughter as she yearned for her grammy, struggle to understand the entirely too big for her concept of death. I have held my son wishing he would know his grammy the way his sister did. And I have stroked the head of and put chapstick on the lips of the woman who I loved for bringing my husband into this world and appreciated for adding me to the list of her children.

I miss Sheri so very much, I miss her amazing retention of sign language, the way she reused her tea bags and her insane dedication to recycling every little thing. I miss her ignoring her pain and sleeping on our couch so that she could spend time with her granddaughter. I even miss her millions of email forwards.
I do not miss her pain, I do not miss her heartache, I do not miss her sadness and I am happy she is now in a better place (as cliche as that may sound).

If there is anything that the last few years, and especially the past week or so has taught me, it is to appreciate every day you have, not to look ahead to what is next but to enjoy what has been handed to you at that moment. This is what I would like to instill in my children, a belief that no matter how hard something might be, that it is part of the journey, and to appreciate the lesson.

I love you Sheri Marie Moore. Thank you for your lessons.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Mothers Day!

Tired, drained, scattered, foggy, messy, late, exhausted....All of these I may be, but I wouldn't have it any other way! I am absolutely proud to be a mom.



Thank you Sophia and Jude for making me a Mommy, without you I wouldn't know what it is to love or be loved so completely and unconditionally.

Oops for some

Check out this link

Ding dong the witch is dead...

Which old witch? Bin Laden fools!!!!!!!

Easter Bunny!!!!!

"Look look look, the Easter Bunny!!! Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, THE EASTER BUNNY!"



I am so disappointed that Jude was asleep for this, but, this got to be a special time Just for Sophia, so the disappointment is not as great :D

PSA

Recently I had a family member express their discontent about getting
junk mail, specifically pre-screened cc offers. I thought I would post a PSA to let you all know there is a way to opt out of these dang things! From this website you can opt out for 5 years, or opt out forever for pre-screen cc offers! (A wonderful way to help protect your identity too!)

In addition there are other sites out there that help with those other annoyances in our lives, including commercial "JUNK" mail, as well as telemarketing calls. You can thank the Federal Trade Commission for these services.

Oh and yes, it would sure be nice if we didn't have to do any of this to avoid all this nonsense, but, at least its possible to fix right?

BTW, I found all these sites at the FTC's website, at their facts for consumers page

Sophias favorite song

Is this appropriate for a 3-1/2 year old?

Of course soon after listening to Lola, she asked for:

We had a bad day...

I will spare you most of the details, but it was a super bad day. Jude had a rough night so of course mommy did, and Sophia didn't seem have enough sleep either. We tried to have a pleasant lunch with my friend Cora today and well that went awry. Got home and it just seemed to get worse.

The worst part was when Sophia called me an idiot. We had had timeout after timeout after timeout in the past hour or so, and this time I was just trying to get her to hurry up and put away her blocks because she needed to eat her dinner. The top of the block container has the shapes of the blocks cut out of it, and though I love the shape recognition part, it was not time for that and she was just kind of messing around anyhow, so I took the top off and walked off....this prompted "give me that top back you idiot" kind of like that kid on Christmas Story when he says the F word. This lost her the rest of her fun bedtime stuff and of course another time out.

At this point, I realized this is my fault, I said to her the other day "you're not an idiot Sophia, stop acting like one"....*sigh* yep, no mother of the year for me for sure. And doing our 123 magic has been so hard, too much emotion and talking on our part....REALLY need to work on this, because the method works, as long as your consistent.

So tonight after prayers, we talked about tomorrow being a better day, and I asked her how we could do that and she said "yeah, don't say stupid, or idiot, or shit"..."but daddy and mommy can say them".

Ok, so obviously we need to work on some stuff here, obviously I am not making good decisions when it comes to how I speak to and around my child. Counting to 10 is great, when you remember to do that, walking away is great, also, when you remember to do that before the situation comes to a head....Gonna have to do some serious thinking on this.

Please don't judge, I know that I am not perfect, but I'm trying, and this is hard ok?

Oh and I really really really really miss Starbucks right now :(

Parsley, Tomaaaatoes, Basil and Chives....

We planted an Early Girl tomato plant as well as a kitchen herb garden today. Sorry no pics of soil covered Sophia, I neglected to bring the phone out with me when we were playing in the dirt.

I am hoping I didn't over or under size the pot, I'm new at this :/

You can see she is quite proud of our handiwork.

Never tell your kid to look at you while they are watering a plant, its virtually impossible to keep them from pouring the water everywhere but in the pot.

I don't think she quite gets whats going to happen here, I didn't do a great job of explaining, but should be fun once germination occurs.

Basil, Chives and Parsley. I figured we could start with ones I will use quite a bit, I would be happy if only the the basil works, that's my favorite!

So this all started with a Topsy Turvy style planter I purchased last year with all the best intentions to do it last spring, obviously this didn't happen. This year I bought a plant and opened the Topsy Turvy planter and then went to figure out where to hang it (yes, my typical, jump first then see where to land right?). This proved to be a challenge because the best light is basically right where we would walk, and well, none of us would like to have tomatoes smacking us in the face as we walk to and from the front door. Soooo, after apologizing profusely to the husband for acting before I planned, Sophia and I set out for Walmart to purchase a planter and cage. *Sigh* one day I will plan these things.....

If all goes well, we will have tomatoes around Easter or maybe a couple weeks after. If anyone has any advice as to how to make either the tomato or herb garden work out best, we would loooove it. As of now we have a calender that will be devoted to keeping track of when pots are turned, plants are fed and watered etc... Wish us luck!

Incidentally, the title should be sung to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel's hit Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.....

Wow, we are in trouble.

Funny, when...

I try to use the computer with Jude in my arms, he wiggles and screams, kid knocks out with daddy, NO FAIR!

Baking Banana Bread

I LOOOOOVE High Five Magazine (its the equivalent of Highlights for Children for the preschool set), Sophia and I pour through its pages as soon as it comes in the mail (BTW, thanks Nana and Gumps for this awesome Christmas present!). Besides the fun stories and hidden pictures (which I think like her mommy is Sophia's favorite part), they always have 1 craft project and 1 recipe to make together. March's recipe is banana bread, and we decided to make it today:

The best part of this recipe was that besides the oven parts and measuring stuff (that will come next), Sophia could do pretty much everything, from mashing the bananas to mixing the rest of the parts in the bowl. I could even walk away for awhile to take care of Jude, or to find my phone so I could take pictures. The recipe said you could add nuts or chocolate chips, we added both and oh yum, never leaving chocolate chips out again.

Sophia showing off her creation!

Enjoying the fruit of her work.

Jude wishing he could try it.

Everything comes down to poo.

Grapple

Aww how cute, the neighbors are calling it "snow" lol

3-1/2 and 14 weeks

Jude Laughing/Creepy Mommy

Yes, Mommy sounds creepy, but Jude finds it hilarious

Huh?

Yeah, we don't know either.....

Princess? or Buzz?

I love preschoolers.....

"Chlocolate Chlocolate" Chip Cookies (scratch made)

Its been raining here for the last couple of days, which means the kids and I are housebound while daddy works. We really need to finish the valentines we started 2 weeks before valentines day, but when its rainy, I like to cook, OK OK, I like to cook all the time, but the rain gives me a good excuse to play around in the kitchen.

DD and I decided to bake "chlocolate" chip cookies yesterday (I gave her a choice between cookies and brownies), and after perusing some of the recipes I have bookmarked, I decided to make up my own recipe (I swear, this is not turning into another food blog). I based it on a brownie recipe since I wanted something really chocolaty (yes, I am a girl, I love chocolate, but so does the rest of the household to there :P). DD was such a huge help, she really loves to do things "all by myself," and I am getting better at letting her and not freak out if its not turning out exactly like it should. That's the beauty of making up a recipe, you really don't know what its supposed to look like (just a vague idea), so less stress over the details. So before DS wakes up, I better get on with the recipe:

"Chlocolate Chlocolate" Chip Cookies
(makes about 3 dozen, or 2 dozen and some to "taste test")

4 oz Unsweetened baking chocolate (I used Baker's)
1-1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 t chili powder (optional)
1 T vanilla
1 C unbleached flour
1 C oatmeal "flour" (I whizzed about a cup of quick oats in the food processor, this brought the size down to about what wheat germ looks like and then evened out the cup with some whole wheat flour)
2 generous C of chocolate chips, make sure you test them before putting them in your dough, gotta make sure they are of good quality you know (1-1/2 C or so for the dough, 1/2 C to top off the cookies right before going into the oven), oops spilled some, better test those too.

Preheat oven to 375

Cut up butter into thick pats and break up the unsweetened chocolate on top. Microwave the butter and chocolate until the butter is melted and then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir sugar in (this looks like dirt according to DD). Add the 3 eggs, vanilla and chili powder and blend together. Add the flours and combine then add chocolate chips. Put kids down for nap and chill (the dough, and yourself).
After surfing the web, having a snack, changing and nursing son, wash hands for the trillionth time and prepare cookie pans with parchment paper (this is wonderful stuff, have I told you this yet? Seriously, buy this, its worth its weight in gold) and remove stiff dough from fridge. Use a spoon to help get the clay...I mean dough out and form into golf balls. Push reserved chocolate chips into the balls before putting in oven (this assures some pretty and gooey chocolate chips on top).
Bake about 10-12 minutes (they should have shiny dry tops kind of like how brownies look), slide parchment paper off pan and let cool a bit before transferring to cooling racks.

These are super chocolaty cookies, so if you aren't that into chocolate (whats wrong with you anyhow) don't make these. :D

Love According to Us

"Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can; all of them make me laugh." -W.H. Auden

Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. --Mark Twain

To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with. --Mark Twain

Valentines day might well indeed be a retail holiday, however, it doesn't hurt to have a reminder of what we love and to give us a chance to make sure we tell one another how much we love them. I feel so blessed to have the husband and children that I have. Even when we have a "bad" day, its another day together and that alone is enough for me.

Love and Twain (or Clemens whichever you prefer)

May 12, 1869

Out of the depths of my happy heart wells a great tide of love and prayer for this priceless treasure that is confided to my life-long keeping.

You cannot see its intangible waves as they flow towards you, darling, but in these lines you will hear, as it were, the distant beating of the surf.

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens), American writer, to Olivia Langdon, his future wife.

Love and Baseball

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. ~A. Bartlett Giamatti, "The Green Fields of the Mind," Yale Alumni Magazine, November 1977

A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz. ~Humphrey Bogart

Without baseball, the world axis would tilt.
Animals would bark and howl constantly.
Citco signs and subway trains would quit running.
All sunrises and sunsets would be gray. Without baseball,
all that we love might never be the same.

~Marty Schupak The 59 Minute Baseball Practice Video

When you're in a slump, it's almost as if you look out at the field and it's one big glove. ~Vance Law

If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry

Love and Auden

O Tell Me The Truth About Love

Some say love's a little boy,
And some say it's a bird,
Some say it makes the world go around,
Some say that's absurd,
And when I asked the man next-door,
Who looked as if he knew,
His wife got very cross indeed,
And said it wouldn't do.

Does it look like a pair of pyjamas,
Or the ham in a temperance hotel?
Does its odour remind one of llamas,
Or has it a comforting smell?
Is it prickly to touch as a hedge is,
Or soft as eiderdown fluff?
Is it sharp or quite smooth at the edges?
O tell me the truth about love.

Our history books refer to it
In cryptic little notes,
It's quite a common topic on
The Transatlantic boats;
I've found the subject mentioned in
Accounts of suicides,
And even seen it scribbled on
The backs of railway guides.

Does it howl like a hungry Alsatian,
Or boom like a military band?
Could one give a first-rate imitation
On a saw or a Steinway Grand?
Is its singing at parties a riot?
Does it only like Classical stuff?
Will it stop when one wants to be quiet?
O tell me the truth about love.

I looked inside the summer-house;
It wasn't over there;
I tried the Thames at Maidenhead,
And Brighton's bracing air.
I don't know what the blackbird sang,
Or what the tulip said;
But it wasn't in the chicken-run,
Or underneath the bed.

Can it pull extraordinary faces?
Is it usually sick on a swing?
Does it spend all its time at the races,
or fiddling with pieces of string?
Has it views of its own about money?
Does it think Patriotism enough?
Are its stories vulgar but funny?
O tell me the truth about love.

When it comes, will it come without warning
Just as I'm picking my nose?
Will it knock on my door in the morning,
Or tread in the bus on my toes?
Will it come like a change in the weather?
Will its greeting be courteous or rough?
Will it alter my life altogether?
O tell me the truth about love.

WH Auden

Yummy Cookie Experiment Part 2

Ok, so I tried a Lemon version and a Maple version and they were just as yummy, though the chocolate ones are my favorite thus far. These are the variations:

Lemon Coconut

• Lemon Cake mix (again used one with pudding in the mix)

• Replaced 1 of the Tablespoons of water with lemon juice (would replace both next time)

• Used about 2 cups of flaked coconut (approximate, I just used up the rest of a bag I had on hand and loaded the cookies up)

Maple Walnut

• Yellow Cake Mix (this was a butter recipe mix)

• Added a teaspoon of Maple flavoring to the butter/egg/sugar mixture

• Used about 1-1/2 cups roughly chopped walnuts

These came out with the same spongy texture as the Chocolate Chocolate Chip ones, but spread a bit more on the sheet, I think I remember the butter/egg/sugar mixture being more frothy in the Chocolate cookies, so that might have been the reason, who knows.

The cookies seemed to go over well at our church coffee hour, one of my friends there said that the maple walnut cookies were like "pancakes in a cookie". I would love to use the lemon coconut cookies in a parfait with strawberries and whip cream......

Saw this about to happen, had to get the pic!

Yummy Cookie Experiment

OK, so Husband had a particularly bad day the other day, I wanted to make something for him to try to end it on a good note, but only had a couple hours to do it in (seems like a long time, but remember, 2-1/2 month old and 3 year old).
So to the chocolate cake mix I went, but cake is so boring to me and I couldn't get it cooled and iced before he got home so to the Internet I went. I wanted to make a cookie of some sort, and there were lots of different recipes, but most of them used oil and water for the liquid part and I wanted a rich cookie. Here is where I went with it...

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Jennifer Moore
1 Stick unsalted butter
3 Eggs
1 T Sugar
1 Box chocolate cake mix (I used one with "pudding" in the mix)
2 T Water
1-1/2 C Chocolate chips (this can be modified to your taste, or add nuts or toffee pieces, the possibilities are endless here ;-D)

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter, eggs and sugar together for 4-5 min using hand mixer (dunno if this amount of time is really needed, but that's how I did it), add cake mix and beat in till well combined, then add in the water and continue to mix till well incorporated (the color will lighten). Scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed. Remove mixing thingys (yes, this is a technical term) and scrape out as much of the batter as possible, this is the most annoying part because the batter is like a really thick frosting so its a pain but worth it i promise. Mix in the chocolate chips using your spatula. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto parchment lined cookie sheets, bake 1 pan at a time for 7-9 min, or until the cookies barely give when you lightly press with your thumb. Remove from oven and cool on parchment paper (carefully slide it off the pan) and then on cooling racks.


These cookies are even more scrumptious as they get cool and over the next couple days, they didn't last long around here, and this time I was the main culprit *blush*. Today I am going to try a lemon cookie, and a maple version as well, bringing them to church coffee hour tomorrow...Wish me luck!

When Did I Become This Boring?

But yesterday I did this:

And today, this:

All before 7 am...

I have been getting up with Husband, feeding Bug, putting Cake back to sleep and then coming out to do things like organize cabinets, yesterday I even organized the deep freezer while Cake was playing and Bug was napping still. I think I love to organize, hate to clean, but love to organize, so I have to figure out a way to make cleaning like organizing....
Tomorrow I might try organizing the kitchen counters, and in the process I can clean those, that will kill two birds....
Now if only I can figure out a way to make cleaning the kitchen and bathroom floors fun!

Just Because

3, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

I won't bore you with the details, 3 is an interesting age, I am re-reading 1-2-3 Magic as we speak (thank goodness for iBooks, easy to hold while nursing)......The good news is, there are moments that happen that make it all worth it.

Cake came running to the doorway while I was changing her brother, the dialogue was priceless:

Cake: "Mommy, what are you doin?" (said extremely fast as a 3 year old tends to do)
Me: "Changing your brothers diaper" (in an exasperating tone, I mean really, what do you think I am doing?)
Cake: "Oh, well we're doing screws an I helpin Daddy an I got the 'ranch'" (this is said as she runs off....)
Me: (uncontrollable giggles)

Using the "ranch"

"helpin Daddy"

Gotta remember this stuff, thank goodness for blogging.

Paper bag Town

Its so much fun to have a preschooler!

Cake and I got some precious time yesterday (while her brother watched from the bouncer) to do a craft project. This is a paper bag town, mommy cut out the images from the back of a High Five magazine (if you don't know what this is, and have a little one, its Highlights for the younger set) and then gave Cake her first personal bottle of Elmer's Glue and let her go. This isn't the first time we have used glue, but it is the first time for mommy to let her practically do it herself, and it wasn't a disaster!

Its so hard to get time for just us now that Bug is here, so it was nice to be able to do this from start to finish with her. I love crafts, and look forward to doing many more with her, I even bought construction paper and preschool scissors the other day, just waiting for the right time to introduce the scissors. If you have older kids, when did you introduce scissors? These are really safe looking, and are rated for 3+ but I am still a bit leery.