First World Problems

The excitement you get when you hear your phone chime and you think you received an emai or text message from a friend to only have an emotional letdown when you learn it is just junk email. Yes, I do this.

The Doldrums of January

Nothing exciting. So here are pictures of our not-so-exciting but good life.

This little miss turned 9 months.

Here she is eating her favorite snack of gold fish and clementines. (You can't see the doggie below her just waiting for her crumbs).

A beautiful Saturday we spent the morning at the field. Letting the dogs do what the dogs do best... run free.

This is how we are greeted every morning.

All Because of a Butterfly Toy

I had to do some work tonight. So I was in babe's room while she played and I worked. When I have to work during her waking hours I usually sing songs about the toys she is playing with, usually I have to make them up. She grabbed her butterfly toy, so I started sing the song "Butter fly Kisses". At one time I thought this song too cheesy for my taste. I went to youtube to see the video. I bawled.like.a.baby. And because I was crying my baby started crying. It was quite the sight. Seeing her little self and how she already has her daddy wrapped around her finger (For example. This has been a very busy week for me, so she has been having a lot of one-on-one time with daddy. In one week and two times he has been solo with her: BLOWOUTS. TWICE. ONE WEEK. And he handled them like a pro - ok by the second one he was pro.) the tears just started flowing.

Recipes Finally Here

Sorry, it took me so long to post these, I was experimenting with the recipes.

These recipes come from my dear friend Erin, who is wonder woman.

Granola Bars

Stir together:
2 c. oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flax seed (ground--a good brand is Bob's Red Mill. It might be in the fridge at the store)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Add:
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. peanut butter (use crunchy and your bars have nuts!)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3/4 c. chocolate chips or raisins, craisins, dried apples, etc.

Mix with hands. Press into a 9x13 greased pan. Bake at 20 minutes (no more, no less). Cool in pan for 5 minutes (no more, no less--if more, they turn into a brick and it's hard to get them out, if less, they fall apart). Cut, remove, let cool on rack. YUM! I haven't made these in a while, I don't know why. Guess I better make some now. If you find they're too crumbly or too soggy or whatever, adjust the peanut butter and/or honey. I baked them at 300 degrees. (The degree wasn't in the recipe I have seen recipes bake them at 300 or 350 - really I was sure if that would be high enough with the egg. But no sickness here :)

Graham Crackers
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. whole barley flour (I had a hard time finding this, so I used spelt flour, which has a sort of nutty flavor. You can also use graham flour, if you can find that)
1/2 c. white flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c. chilled butter
1/3-1/2 c. milk
Mix all dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Add milk until a sticky dough forms. Knead smooth by hand. Make it about like pie crust, not too dry to roll out, not too sticky to knead. Chill for an hour. Roll out 1/16 inch or so and cut unto squares. I would use a cookie cutter of some sort, because cutting with knives distorts their shapes. I use a Gerber baby food lid. Rub cinnamon and sugar onto each cracker, if desired. Prick with holes on top, if desired. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (I found that 11 minutes is my preference. The longer their in, the crunchier they are).

**Now, I tried to make the graham crackers healthier by substituting the half stick of butter for 1/2 cup of applesauce (I have done it before it other recipes). The verdict: AWFUL. I can't eat them. Lucky, for me the babe doesn't notice. She devours them regardless.

ENJOY!

For the Grandmas and Great Grandmas

I am sorry. I recorded it vertical and do not how to rotate it, so you will have to turn your head sideways.

MIA

I know I have been a bit MIA. But I have been busy being a domestic goddess. Brad and I started this "PHAT Challenge". He stepped on the scale and saw that he would like to lose some weight, and well, I am still carrying around an extra 20 pounds from the babe. I like this "PHAT Challenge" because it isn't your typical weight lose challenge. It is based on points. (You get a point for water, exercising, eating fruit and veggies etc) so there is more to it than just weight loss. So I decided to take this opportunity to do other things to change how we eat. I know processed foods are terrible for you, so I am trying to cut processed food out of our diet. And after researching it I CANNOT believe how much we eat is processed. Things you would never think. So I started making our own granola bars and graham crackers (the babe LOVES graham crackers).

I have been getting freezer meals together (thank you pinterest). Everything is done all the chopping and cutting, I just open the bag and dump it in the crock pot. They are packed with veggies. The test: are they any good? I haven't tried yet.

Oh, and green smoothies. Easiest way to get your servings of fruit and veggies. My favorite: One big handful of spinach (which is about 2 cups), 1 banana, and 1 mango, and 1 cup of ice. Nothing else. I love it. (Don't mind the picture of me, I just finished a 45 minutes ride on the stationary bike).

And other things: We have been enjoying this unrealistic 55 degree weather in January. Enjoying some time on our new deck. (Oh, yeah, and the babe is growing. It is pure joy to watch her learn new things and continue to develop but I do it with a lump in my throat. My heart telling my brain, "No, no, no. Stay my baby forever." It can't happen, and it shouldn't happen, I know, but...)

Spending time with her best friend. It has been so cute to watch the Apple's relationships with the dogs develop. Sydney is definitely the maternal one. The loyal protector. Dixie is the friend. She makes the babe crack up like it is no one's business. We are still teaching the Apple how to be soft with the dogs (the reflex of just grab and pull isn't helping - but she is doing a great job and the dogs are amazing) Dixie takes it, and when Dixie is not in the mood for it she just walks away.

Anyway, we hope everyone had wonderful holidays. We missed our east coast family, but we will visit again after winter.

Merry Christmas

This month... this year has gone by too quickly. This has been a wonderful year; a challenging year too as we found our new routine (please note challenging does not been bad). Brad and I had been going down the same path for so long. Our routine had been the same for years. We would get up go to work come home either make something or go find something to eat elsewhere. Run errands, run the dogs. Relax on the couch and then go to bed. We would visit PA, go on one wonderful vacation a year. I would travel with Brad when he would go on a business trip. We enjoyed traveling. And then in the wee morning hours of a day in April it all changed. Our once seemingly stagnant life was jolted. We closed one chapter of our lives and opened a new one. Do I still look back at that chapter? I do. How can I not? They were some of the most wonderful years of my life. But I am so in love with this next chapter. It was challenging, adapting is the key. You learn, and you learn quickly. And then 8 months later you will look back and think what a beautiful magnificent change, and you will smile because your life makes you happy.

Are you watching???

Sundays at 8:00 pm on ABC.

I am in love.

Same creators as LOST. Not the reason why I started watching, I learned that after the fact when I saw Henry eating an Apollo candy bar, and I thought "Hey, that is from LOST." You do have to watch it from the beginning or you will be very confused. So go watch it now on hulu you have until Mid-January then hulu only provides the most recent 5 episodes.

It's good. Real good.

And those who are already watching. Can you love Snow White and Prince Charming any more???

D.I.Ying and baby overload

I am not crafty. The only way I can do a craft is with my SIL, Andrea by my side helping me every little bit of the way. However, this pinterest has got me thinking maybe, just maybe I can be crafty, and possibly can be a D.I.Y-selfer. So I did my very first D.I.Y. project (all on my own). I have been seeing these tutu skirts everywhere. I know they can be easily made. I thought "why not?" And I have to say I really outdid myself. NOT only did I make the skirt, I made the onesie (not the actual onesie but the design) AND the bow.




Of course, there are many mistakes, many. The biggest being the actual onesie. It is suppose to be a Christmas tree, except I only realized after the fact that I didn't narrow it very well, so it looks like a big block with a bow on top. In fact, Brad had no idea what it was. The poor outfit was only worn about 3 minutes before it became a casualty to tonight's dinner of chicken with apples.

The bow. I wasn't even planning on making a bow, but I had all this left over ribbon. And my SIL (Andrea, yes) showed me this cool way to make a bow by wrapping it.

Now, it wouldn't be a project in this house if a dog wasn't victimized or used as a model. The victim, of course, being Dixie. Sweet Dixie, always wanting approval and love so much she is willing to wear a ridiculous tutu. She received treats for the humiliation. Well, worth it really.

T'Was Perfect

It was the perfect night to the chaotic day. It was one of those nights you would read in a Jane Austen book, or watch on the Hallmark channel. The ones that rarely happen in real life so when they do, you much capture it and hold it in your heart forever.

We kicked off Christmas. After a dinner of homemade soup we got cozy around the fireplace (BTW of a very clean house, yes mopped, dusted, AND vacuumed - it makes it that much better) as we sipped our Stephen's Hot Chocolate (the more hot chocolate I drink the more I love Stephen's Hot Chocolate), nibbled on wafers, we read Fancy Nancy to the babe, we read Luke 2. We just sat and enjoyed it. I love Christmas. I really do.

PS I have to make a shot out to my Nanny who is celebrating her birthday today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I hope I am as cool as you at 84. I know you are not suppose to reveal a woman's age, and most certainly not your grandmother's. BUT there comes a time that it is impressive to be 84, let me explain my Nanny is a facebooking, Jerseylicious watching, blogger - see impressed?