Cookies!

So, at the end of last year I offered up a couple dozen decorated cookies in an auction my office was conducting to raise money for the Empty Stocking Fund.  Great cause and we raised a ton of $$!

Anyway...the winners of my auction item came calling a few weeks ago.  They wanted me to create some decorated heart cookies for their daughter's first birthday celebration.  Pink and Orange were the colors.  So...off to working on their request I went.

First off, I had a bad experience this year at Christmastime with my old cookie press, so I took my happy self off to Amazon.com to buy another.  Boy am I happy with it.  No more threading and trying to get the thing in the perfect spot to start gunning away.  This puppy just takes off from the get go and makes some great looking cookies.  You can find the press I bought HERE.

Second, I was off to find another spritz cookie recipe.  I really love my old recipe, but it was time for a new one.  I searched until I found one that fit the bill.  Here is my new recipe, Lemon Butter Spritz Cookies from Taste of Home.  They are light, a little lemony, perfect crumble.  LOVE it.

So, then came the decorating part.  How did I want to do it?  I tried one batch using an abstract method of drizzling bright pink and orange over light pink cookies.  Didn't like it....ditch it.

Next I thought, I'll make up some royal icing* and outline the cookie in white.  Then I colored some thinned out royal icing bright pink and some of it orange.  I thinned a bit more white and off I went to fill them in.  I used a skewer to swirl the icing and VOILA, a masterpiece is born.

I think the recipients of these cookies are going to LOVE them.  I know I do and they're super tasty too.



*  For my royal icing, I used 2 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbs of sifted confectioners sugar and 1 1/2 Tbs of meringue powder, 1 tsp of lemon extract and 5 Tbs of cool water.  I beat it with my hand mixer on medium low for about 5 min and then on high for another 5 min.  You want a nice peak on the icing.  I put some of that in a piping bag with a small round tip and piped the outline on the cookies.  For the rest of the icing that I used to flood the cookies, I added another 1 1/2 Tbs of water and beat it again until smooth.  I spooned about 5 Tbs into two separate bowls and tinted to the color I wanted.   I used an Ateco color for the pink and Wilton for the orange.  I then put that icing into two squeeze bottles which I think are easier to work with when flooding cookies.

Recipe time!! Hawaiian Chicken Burgers

So....I've been on my diet for well over three weeks and I've lost a little over 10 pounds.  I'm now working some carbs back into my diet and branching out into some more recipes.  I have been fasting from Facebook and I think I may have replaced my infatuation with it with a new fascination with Pinterest.  The other day I came across a recipe for the most delish sounding burgers, Hawaiian Chicken Burgers.

Shooter had to work late tonight so I ran by the store, picked up groceries and then picked the Todder up from day care.  Ran in and started dinner.  These are the most juicy burgers.  I grilled up some pineapple to top them with and melted provolone cheese over the tops.  I spread a little bit of dijon mustard on the buns and I think it really added a nice tang. 

I also baked some sweet potato fries and it turned into a great alternative to the traditional burger and fries.  Give them a chance and try these amazing burgers tomorrow!

I think I might be a bit crazy

Okay....so bad things happen with I'm being a couch potato with my laptop on my lap and the TV on.  Bad things....like, I order really cute stuff from Ideeli.  Bad stuff....like I decide that my couch potato self needs a real kick in the butt and I order something call the P.I.N.K Method.  Yea...I was watching the doctors and they talked about how much weight you can lose and that you lose the bad weight....that stuff they call visceral belly fat.....and I caved and ordered it.

Today is day one of my P.I.N.K reset.  Basically that means that I eat nothing but veggies and a little protein and will become a farting machine in about 12 hours.  I'm supposed to lose something like 5-10 pounds in the first two weeks.  We'll see.

My church is also doing a Daniel Fast so the start of my diet works beautifully with this....they're very similar.  As part of the Daniel Fast, I've also decided I'm going to fast Facebook for 21 days.  It's day one and I'm thinking I might have been a bit crazy to do that.  I have, however, made a decision to pray for my friends, family, church family and community every time I think of filling time with Facebook nonsense.  So far it's working.

I look forward to seeing what the next 14-21 days brings my way!!

Mommy!

So...the word I always thought I always wanted to hear....

Mommy!

Nope....not anymore....especially not at 12:15am....especially not at 12:15am when  it's being screamed by a toddler from across the house...especially not at 12:15am by a screaming toddler who has a diaper full of poo and a husband who's so asleep a hurricane wouldn't wake him.

The Toddler, as I'm now going to refer to him - kinda like when you were a teenager and you were so disgusted with your Mom that you'd rile her on purpose by calling her Mooootherrrr *eye roll* - has decided that when anyone else comes to take care of him, he wants to chant "I need my Mommy, NOOOO, I need my MoooOOOOOooooommmMMMMMmmmmyyyYYYYyyy!"

I remember, many moons ago, when The Toddler was a wee lil babe....so cute, so innocent, so sweet smelling.  I would gaze into his beautiful blue eyes and dream of the day he'd call me Mommy.

Yea, boy...if I knew then what I know now.   I'd have followed through on that promise of freezing him at his adorable, chubby, 9 month old stage.

But no....here we are....The Toddler is three full months into the 2s and it's allllllllllll about his Mommy.  I have to say, I love it....sometimes....other times, I'm like, seriously, kid....can't your Daddy give you a bath?  Can't your Daddy change your diaper? 

I absolutely love that Toddler with all my heart, though. 
He's strong willed and he's a natural comedian.. 
He's a slave to his schedule and he loves to hop like a bunny.
He loves to snuugle and he loves to run wild.
He loves unconditionally and is a climbing daredevil.
He's all that is good and wonderful wrapped up into a mischievious, nudie time loving Toddler.

Mommy - yea, it's a pretty great word to hear screamed from your Toddler's mouth - as long as it's not in the middle of the night or following a huge thump and cry. 

Recipe time!! Pasta with Kale and Italian Sausage

I've been through 4 weeks now of Phase I of the South Beach diet.  Now, I'm starting to introduce some whole wheat back into my diet and came across this amazing sounding recipe at Kalyn's Kitchen.  I had some beautiful organic red kale come in my CSA last week that was begging to be cooked.  So...it was time to try my hand at something other than Kale Chips.

Pasta with Kale and Italian Sausage

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale, stems removed, washed and dried
1 pound whole wheat pasta
1 cup chicken broth
1 small can diced tomatoes, drained

In a large pot, bring well salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until desired doneness.  Drain and return to the pot.

While pasta is cooking, warm a skillet over medium heat with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Once hot, add sausage and cook until no longer pink. 

While sausage is cooking, take washed and dried kale and slice it into small slivers.

Add chicken broth to the sausage and then add the kale on top.  Cover and allow kale to steam for 5 minutes.  Stir kale into the sausage until it is well wilted.  Pour sausage and kale mixture over pasta and stir to combine.  Heat for a few more minutes while pasta absorbs the chicken broth.  Add in a 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese and tomatoes and stir well.

Serve and enjoy!

Today's edition of things that annoy me

Okay...so, I've been dealing with the "crud" that's going around.  I was sick two weeks ago before I got my flu shot and then got the shot and then got sick all over again.  Then Parker started getting all snotty.  Then I noticed that a lot of folks at his daycare were snotty.  Well, after a full week of nearly mind blowing headaches, I'm finally back to normal, except for this hacky cough. 

Well, guess who's gotten sick now....Shooter.  Who, last night before bed, starts in on how bad he feels and oh how he's sooooo sick.

**sidebar - just yesterday, during the day, Shooter's parents and I were having a conversation about how Parker seems to get his flair for the dramatic from him....**

Please, I have been sick for going on three weeks....and worked....and took care of the house, kinda....and cared for our kid....and cooked meals, kinda....

I don't wanna hear it.

Choices

Is it too early to start teaching my child the benefits/consequences to choices?

He turned 2 in mid July.

Well...tonight we tried a lesson in choices...it didn't go well....

I gave Parker a choice - he could keep playing with his toys in his playroom or watch Cars.  He said he wanted to keep playing.  I explained that his choice meant that he couldn't watch Cars and he said, "Keeep payin with mah toyeeez". Okay, but explained again, that meant no Cars and milk in his room and then bed.

So of course, comes time to clean up and the fit starts.  He won't help clean up and fights me tooth and nail the entire time.  He then hysterically wants Cars. 

I stick with it though, no Cars, baby, time to have our milk in your room then on to bed.  Oh, it was one fit to behold...a masterful one...he's getting good at this terrible 2 thing.

I got him settled...we drank some milk...read a couple of stories....then when Mommy says that it's time to brush teeth and go to bed, the waterworks start again.

He cries through the tooth brushing.

He cries through the prayers.

He even asks for Cars as we're putting him in the crib....the kid is nothing but persistent.

In the end I really felt badly for him...his routine was out of whack, but that was really due to a choice he'd made...to play in his playroom rather than watch his movie. 

Sometimes choices are hard - sometimes the consequences are harder.

I guess I did the right thing....what kind of child would I be raising if I don't give him the opportunity to choose and then have to live with that choice.  I want my child to understand that he has to make his own decisions, that he's empowered to make his own decisions, but that he has to bear responsibility for those decisions. 

This parenting gig isn't an easy one...

You have a coupon for that?

So, I was suckered into signing up for a couple of those discount coupon sites and now get a bazillion emails into my mailbox every morning.

Mostly, I'm humored by what services are being offered...sometimes, I really wonder if the service being offered should be purchased through a discount coupon....examples:

Liposuction - Do you REALLY want to be THAT person who walks into the office and presents your coupon for a buy one get one Liposuction????  Do you really want to go to a surgeon who takes said coupon??

Dental Cleaning / Whitening - see above

Fishing Trip - aren't you afraid of getting lost on  the river or something?

Infrared Body Wrap - I mean, seriously?  That sounds dangerous enough on its own....

Photo-to-Metal print - Why yes, turn my sweet, innocent child into a weapon....as that doesn't happen on a daily basis already.

BYOB Glassblowing Experience - sure....molten glass and blow torches aren't dangerous enough on their own...let's throw alcoholic beverages into the mix.

Facial and Dermaplaning - Dermaplaning?  Nuff said.

Frozen Yogurt! - I only mention this because apparently Frozen Yogurt without an exclamation isn't nearly as good.  :-)

Just call me Iron Chef!

So, I have started up participation in a CSA at my office.  I'm quite excited about it because I get a goodie grab bag of produce and then get to figure out how to cretively use it!  It's kinda like Chopped...or Top Chef!  Okay...so not really, but in my eyes it is.

So, this week I got a glorious basket of produce including:

Red Kale
Bibb lettuce
Cabbage
Pie Pumpkin
Yellow Delicous Apples
Sweet potatoes
Celery
Sweet Basil
Juicing oranges
Brussell Sprouts
Bananas

I mean, seriously....how awesome is all that?!?!?!

One of my coworkers got the fully organic basket and it had rainbow carrotts and chard and butternut squash.  OH YUM!!!!

I have to say, I'm going to really enjoy getting these baskets.  We are set for a delivery every two weeks and once we transition into spring and summer...yippee!!

Today's installment of things that annoy me

So, today on my Facebook news feed, I saw an ad from Huggies for their Christmas themed diapers.....

Really?  I do not let my child just run around in his diapers....these things therefore annoy me....but not as badly as these do....





Every time I go to Wal-mart I cringe when I see these diapers. 

Recipe time!!! Cuban Ropa Vieja

Okay....I'm usually pretty good about taking pictures of my recipes....but this week Shooter is working late so it was me and a hungry toddler to feed....so the camera got pushed aside.  But here's a good representation of what the delicousness looked like:

This is a really great, tasty recipe that simmers away in the slow cooker all day and waits for you to come home and eat it up!

Cuban Ropa Vieja
1.5 pounds flank steak
1.5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 oz tomato paste
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
chopped cilantro

In your slow cooker, mix together the beef broth, vinegar, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onions, cumin, garlic powder and olive oil until well mixed.  Place the flank steak in the mixture and submerge.  Cook on low for 8 hours. 

NOTE:  Flank steak can be added frozen, I did that and it turned out fine.  When I got home, I had a lot of thin sauce so I took out the meat and poured the sauce out into a pot and boiled it for about 15 min until reduced and good bit.  I then added in a corn starch slurry to thicken a little more (1 tablespoon corn starch with enough water to dissolve).  I then added back the shredded meat and a decent handful of cilantro.  I served with shredded cheese, tortillas sour cream and more cilantro.  I am on the South Beach diet so no rice for me, but it would be delicious with some rice to soak up the delicious sauce.

Nickname: Blackhawk

So, Shooter had to work late tonight, end of month for his job = he has to close = late night getting home.  I decided to go pick up Parker and go on a little dinner date with him.  One of our local McDonald's has the only Toddler Playplace in existence so I thought that might be a fun thing to try.  Yea, not so much....

First off, I had to travel North from the house and that's something I try to not do too very often.  I just prefer the shopping and restaurants and such in the areas South of our house.  Secondly, it nearly drove me to drink because people were not following the rules - I like it when people follow rules!

I mean, really....it's a TODDLER Playplace.  That means your kid, who is 5 feet tall and weighs 90 pounds and is 8 yrs old, shouldn't be running around all crazy like while my 2 year old is trying to have some fun.  Your kid, who insists on pushing my kid off of toys, is about to get a smack down laid on him.

I had a really hard time sitting there and letting Parker play....I had to fight the urge to become one of those hovering Moms....one of those.....helicopter Moms.  I want my kid to be safe when he plays with other kids.  That means I prefer that kids who are 8-13 not play in the same area with my 2 year old.  That means that I prefer that the child who is about to cough up a lung not breathe on my child.  That means that I really don't care for another toddler grabbing my son's milk cup from my hand and trying to run with it - and the Mom just sit there.

I want my kid to be socialized....but I'm beginning to think that I can just let day care be that socialization and that we're going to hibernate at our house the rest of the time.

I seriously don't want to be a hovering Mom - I want my kid to experience the world....but can't I just have it on my own terms and at the speed at which I'm most comfortable?

Yank my Mom Card - reason #46349

Okay....so last Friday I broke down and decided to take Parker to the doctor.  He'd had this little rash that was sticking around and I couldn't rid it with cortisone cream so, after a week, I figured I should get the dear pediatrician to take a look at him.

Honestly, I figured he'd gotten into something that irritated him or got some bug bites - he has incredibly sensitive skin after all.  I really figured the pediatrician would tell me I was being too cautious and send me on my way.

Oh no......as I go about explaining the various places where I've noticed this "rash", he's nodding his head and looking Parker over.  I then mention - very casually because it really meant nothing to me - that he had had a ulcer in his mouth, on the left side where his cheek and gum meet.  I figured his gum was irritated because we're due for 2 year molars on the bottom and his 1 year on that side really busted his gum open in a serious way.

Well...at the mention of the mouth sore, the pediatrician's head pops up and he looks at me with this knowing look he has....he asks if he's run any fevers?  No.  Acted like he felt bad, lethargic?  No.  Then....he turns his hands over....looks at his feet....then the dreaded words come from his mouth....

Hand.  Foot.  Mouth.

How could I not have known????  I start apologizing to the doctor...like that's going to make it better.  Then I apologize to Parker for not having figured it out. 

Seriously though, all other Mom's that I know who've dealt with Hand, Foot and Mouth have had kids who were terribly sick, sores all over their mouths, running fevers, awfully lethargic.  My child, who spikes a fever at a mere sniffle - acted completely normal for the entire time he was "sick". 

Oh well....chalk up another reason why I should have mom Mom Card yanked.....but you'll have to take it from my cold hand.  ;-)

Opinions, everybody's got one!

So....My toddler is becoming increasingly opinionated.  He's suddenly wanting to weigh in on the shirt he wears to school, what pajamas he wears at night......even going so far as to declare opinions about dinner before he's even tasted it.

One night we sat down for dinner and Parker asks, "What dat ting?"  I tell him that it's chicken and he'll like it.  I get a "Mmm, 'kay" in response.  Then we have this exchange:
 He points to the next pile on his plate, "What dat ting?" 
"That's a bean salad, you'll like it." 
"Me uh no like 'em beans, Mommy" 
pause
"What dis, Mommy?" 
"Those are cucumbers baby, you'll like them."
"Me like 'em."

He tries said cucumbers and decides pretty quickly that he doesn't like them.  I'm determining that he has a pretty interesting palate...he's not so into the crunchy stuff, which is what excites me about food.  He promptly spits out the cucumber and says, "Mommy, me uh no like 'em cucubers."  I explain that I'm happy he tried them and that it's okay if he doesn't like them.  From there, however, the toddler who "no like 'em beans", ate most of what was served to him.  Yesssss!

Since then, he likes to tell us when he likes or dislikes something.  Most funny was the night he declared that he liked cauliflower.  This was much to my amazement, as I wasn't aware that he'd had it before.  We soon found out that it wasn't the cauliflower he liked, but rather the dip he was licking off the cauliflower.

And just yesterday, when I went to put on his blue sandals (that went with his blue shorts and his yellow/blue shirt) he says, "NO MOMMY!  Brown shoes."  I reasoned with him for a few min and then gave it up...why bother, it's a little thing and I'm not sweating it!  So we put on the brown shoes...with the blue shorts....and he looked cute as a button.  :-)

I'm  having a pretty fun time finding out who my little man is on the inside.

Today's installment of things that annoy me

So...wanna know how to get me to roll out of bed on the wrong side?  Wanna know how to really throw my day into the crapper before it's even begun?

Decide that you are going to be stupid and not set your alarm.

Better yet.....
Decide that you are going to be stupid and not set your alarm.
Then decide that it is a good idea to call your boss (MY HUSBAND) at 5am to tell him that you'll be late for work even though you're walking out the door and end up at work on time so your boss (MY HUSBAND) can't even write you up for being STUPID.

When you decide you're going to be stupid....it doesn't just affect you...or your boss....it puts your boss' wife in a really crappy mood.  I had at least another hour of good sleep waiting of rme...but NOOOOO....you had to be STUPID!  I'm fighting off a cold and that hour of sleep would have been so nice. 

I know where my brain cells went during pregnancy

So....shall we talk about how my son's mind is like a steel trap?  Shall we?  Let's just say you musn't tell the child ANYTHING that you don't want him to remember with absolute clarity.  Take for example....

Shooter and I went away this weekend for a delayed anniversary trip, our anniversary is near the beginning of September, and Grandma and Grandpa came to baby/house/dog sit for the weekend.  While we were away, we found a neat little gift shop that had some of the same sock monkeys that Parker has at home.  We bought a little, tiny one as he's now in this stage of categorizing everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - as Daddy, Mommy, Baby. 

Let me take a tangent here....the child categorizes his Mater cars, his Lightning McQueen cars, his french fries, his sock monkeys.....it's a terrible addiction that he has.....

Anyway...so after about 4 hours of having Baby Sock Monkey, one of its arms falls off.  No reason why, Parker had barely looked at it.  Shooter haphazardly says, "Leah must have gotten him."  Leah, our miniature schnauzer, who has a soft spot for stuffed animals - meaning she likes to rip them to shreds.  Well, Parker wasn't the least bit happy about it...proclaims that Baby Sock Monkey is "bwoken" and that "Lele got 'em".  I tell Parker that Mommy will fix it and take Baby Sock Momkey to the doctor to have him stitched up.  After several minutes of the same conversation repeated....and repeated.....we finally got Parker in to his crib.  He would then lay down only to pop right back up and repeat the conversation about how Lele got the baby sock monkey and now it's broken.  Argh...I'm about to live the book I've heard so much about, I fear.  But finally we got Parker settled with no more peeps about baby sock monkey, or Lele or doctors.

I go in to wake the little man up this morning...and his first words were, "MOMMY!!!!!".  Well, no, actually, they were "Baby Sock Monkey bwoken, where he go?"  "On the shelf sweetie, Mommy has to take him to the doctor today."  "He bwoken, arm huuurt, Lele got 'em". 

Our poor dog will never live this down and I fully believe she's innocent of all wrong doing.

Again, you can't tell the child anything...he remembers it!  Every detail burned into his toddler brain like the plot to his favorite Cars movie.  This is going to be a long trek through childhood with him. 

:-)

L.

So I'm back....

I'm baaaaaack!

I have been reflecting lately on how little I've used this blog to document my son and his growth into toddler-hood and my subsequent loss of all sanity.

I'm therefore picking up the proverbial pen again and renewing my desire to dump all the craziness that life is throwing at us into the interwebs.

Look forward to some hysterics.....it's becoming a bumpy ride into toddlerland!

Thought for the day....

When you're having one of THOSE days....

A friend of mine on Facebook posted this the other day....I thought it was absolutely hysterical...so, my friends, when you're having one of THOSE days...

On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal Thermometer made by Johnson&Johnson.
Be very sure you get this brand.
When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed.
Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair.
Open the package and remove the thermometer.
Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken.
Now the fun part begins.
Take out... the literature from the box and read it carefully.
You will notice that in small print there is a statement:
'Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson &Johnson is personally tested and then sanitized. '

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times,
'I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer quality control department at Johnson &Johnson.'

Ignorance really is bliss.....

People, ignorance really is bliss.....

You see.....I have had a revelation......and not the kind of self revealing revelation that is awesome....no, this one pretty much sucks....

Shooter and I tried for many months to have a baby. For a while before that we were not exactly trying but not exactly not trying.

I've never been one of those gals, and I consider myself very lucky, who's had bad PMS or heavy periods or painful cramping. But tonight, as I got up at 1:30am to go to the bathroom, out of the blue, mother nature had thrown me a curve ball. I had a new badge to add to my Girl Scout sash of life.

Well, this sucks, I'm one of those women who's had a miscarriage

You know, when the brain gets going, it's like a train and it takes a long time to stop it. Before I could stop myself, I was thinking that I've probably miscarrried several times in our venture to get pregnant. I remembered several times where I would have the most painful cramping. I mean, hurting so bad I couldn't sit down on the toilet because of the pain, pressure and burning but I knew I had to so I could get rid of the pain. In reflection, I remember wondering why I was having that kind of pain and then be grossed out by what I saw in the toilet. It never occurred to me that I might be losing a baby. That what we were trying so hard for was just rejected by my body. Ignorance is bliss......

I have laid in bed for almost 30 minutes, trying to put my mind at rest so I could go back to sleep, but I can't. My mind has started wandering to the "what might have been" place. I feel sad for the children who might have been. What would they have been like? Would they have been a boy or a girl?

I'm letting myself mourn for the children who might have been. I also have a new found love for those who've lost babies as well. We all know someone. Listen, in no way do I profess to know what it's like to go though the heartache that so many have felt. The elation that comes from a Big Fat Positive, the joy from telling family, and then the ultimate sorrow you see and feel when it all slips away. I can't imagine that! That takes a strength I'm not sure I have.

My friends, those of you who wear the badge of "I've Lost a Baby" on our Girl Scout sash of life...you're in my thoughts tonight. We're a group who's numbers are large and always growing, unfortunately.

L.