Bits and Pieces

Coming off of a weekend that nice, it's hella hard to be back at work this morning. My brain hasn't quite regained the necessary focus, so I figured I'd brain-dump here and see if that helps. We shall see.

1. The baby has a new nickname. We started out calling the baby Baby J, but now he/she is known as Kicky. I'm seventeen weeks along and I'm getting some pretty strong kicks for such a small baby. It's awesome though. Kicks are my very, very favorite part of being pregnant. Oh, there it goes again! I don't remember Gabbie moving so much - she was kind of short on space in there and was a pretty calm baby. This one? I could be in for some major movement for the next 23 weeks. (I just had to do some subtraction on a calculator to figure that out. My brain? Is gone. The "pregnesia" this time is way worse than I had with Gabbie.)

2. This weekend we started to tackle potty training at home. It went pretty well - we only had one accident and one foot-stomping, wailing tantrum after her nap when she didn't want to give up the diaper (we soon found out it was because she was about to soil it and didn't want to try doing that on the potty just yet). I'm not above bribing her on this, and getting a treat every time she went on the potty seemed to work pretty well.

3. We went to see Dispicable Me on Saturday morning, and we all really enjoyed it. The sound in the theatre was a little loud and Gabbie didn't really like that part, but she really loved the minions and the music. She got down off my lap and danced a few times during the movie. Aaron laughed like crazy and I got in a few good giggles too. Ultimately, it was very sweet and it will be joining our movie collection when it comes out on DVD.

4. Our neighbors down the street celebrated the husband's 40th birthday this weekend, and his gift was a new dog that they brought home yesterday mid-day. A cute little beagle, that they haven't named yet. Last night just as True Blood was starting, the wife knocked on our door - the dog escaped and they can't find him. Aaron headed out on his bike to circle the wooded area near our house, and I kept a look out through the back yards. Neither of us spotted the dog and they were all still out looking when I went to bed. I feel so bad for them and can't get it out of my mind. I hope they will have good news by the time we get home tonight!

5. Speaking of - for those who watch it, what did you think of True Blood last night? Aaron thought it was a little too sensationalist - especially the dripping blood at the end (that shouldn't be a spoiler). My favorite part was the preview for next week which looks like it might finally move the story along a little more. I also wish they were doing more of the Alcide story - this was one of my favorite books and I'm missing the parts they're leaving out.

6. We did a lot of baking and cooking yesterday. We had a ton of eggs we needed to use, because we get a dozen every other week right now through the CSA. With more than a dozen sitting in the fridge and another dozen arriving on Wednesday, we had to come up with something that would use up some eggs. We had a baked egg dish for breakfast, I mixed up some brioche dough from the ABin5 cookbook, and Gabbie and Aaron made banana bread (Gabbie's favorite, especially when she gets to help bake it). We also made chicken taquitos and red rice for dinner last night, which was delicious. I'm sure you'll see much more about all of these things over at my other site this week. All that cooking was totally worth the three loads of dishes we had to do yesterday.

Getting Bigger Every Day

Oh, man, last week got away from me. I kept thinking, oh, I'll just blog tomorrow, but then tomorrow would be gone and I don't know. The past few weeks have flown by and I don't know how they went so fast.

So, anyway, there was the trip to Kansas City, which went very, very well, and was very, very fun. Gabbie was a champ and did better in the car than I did even. I was ready to get the heck out. She just wanted to play some more. Here she is watching a movie, holding the iPad all by herself:

Everything on the way there went swimmingly until we offered her some licorice and then about 40 minutes later, and with approximately 40 minutes left on our drive she got car sick. It was, well, a less than pleasant experience. She would retch and then cry, "Yucky!" and then repeat the cycle. We got her all cleaned up at a gas station but she threw up a couple more times during the remainder of the drive. I have to say, nothing cements the fact that you are a parent quite like catching vomit in your hands and not flinching. Not to say that I didn't pull a Lady Macbeth the rest of the night, feeling like I just couldn't get my hands clean enough.

Anyway, sorry about that grossness.

We all had a great time at the parties (there were two) and Gabbie had a blast playing with my aunt's small dog. Gabbie put her on the leash and walked her around the house, and also gave her lots of hugs. Gabbie was a much bigger fan of the dog than the dog was of her, but the dog is also very patient and deserves a medal for putting up with a toddler for two days straight.

Since we've been home Gabbie has been a major daddy's girl. Aaron didn't go with us and she obviously missed him a lot. She started calling him Dad instead of Dada this weekend (she's been calling me Mommy instead of Mama for a while now). It's adorable and incredibly sad all at the same time. My baby is getting so big! She'll be two years old in just over three weeks? How did this happen?!?

Just to illustrate how big she's getting, look what she helped me make yesterday:

They're mint chocolate cupcakes, and she helped me count out the cups, pour liquids into the bowl, and stir the batter together. She also put all the liners into the cupcake pan all by herself. I'm really in disbelief of how big she is getting these days. My baby isn't so much of a baby any more!
This week she goes on her first airplane trip. We're headed to Florida to visit my inlaws. I'm even more nervous for this (including for my own issues with regards to air travel) than I was for our long car trip. It should be interesting to say the least. We bought her a seat and are taking her carseat with us, so hopefully that will make her more comfortable. Now we just have to figure out how to keep her awake until flight time so she naps the whole way there. It will be a challenge, that's for sure!

Five Things

1. I've definitely been feeling the baby moving, so imagine my disappointment and slight panic this weekend when I went a day and a half without feeling much. Then my mom pointed out what should probably have been obvious: I hadn't moved much in a day and a half, and maybe if I pulled my butt up off the couch and moved around for a little while I might feel something more. So I got up, washed some dishes, made some cookies, made some more cookies, and made an afternoon snack. When I sat down the baby moved up a storm, and it was awesome.

I have to say that the baby moving is, at once, the weirdest and coolest thing I have ever felt. I love it and that's why I was missing it when the baby wasn't moving. Check with me in a few months when the baby is kicking me in the ribs, though, and see if I feel the same. I'm sure I'll still love it, but it won't be quite as awesome.

2. Carrie over at Carrster had her baby this weekend, and it's a girl! A beautiful girl, with a beautiful name. I'm so happy for her little family! Go over and congratulate her if you can, she definitely deserves it after all she's been through pregnancy-wise lately.

3. Frema is being induced today, because little Freka didn't seem to want to come out on her own. Wish her some good thoughts! I can't wait to see her little one!

4. In the one non-baby related note, there's only today and tomorrow left in my 12 DAYS OF COOKIES, and today I bring you a recipe I've brought before but one I love as much as ever: Nanaimo Bars. They're incredibly rich, which works better this time of year than during the summer, which is when I originally posted the recipe. If you do make them, cut them small as a large piece is almost too much to handle. And just as a side note, the recipe calls for vanilla custard powder and icing sugar. These are instant vanilla pudding mix and powdered sugar. It took me a minute to figure it out for sure, but I used these and they turned out wonderfully.

5. Final baby related note, I have my Big Ultrasound a week from Wednesday and I have no inkling one way or another as to what sex the baby is. Any guesses? I may have to choose randomly from the right guesses to send out a little prize, if anyone is interested. I'll take guesses until Wednesday at noon (EST).

I can't get two coherent thoughts together to save my life

I made croissants about a month and a half ago, and we just took the ones we froze out of the freezer last night. They were still totally delicious, and I'm thinking the next weekend I'm home (and I have no idea when that may be) I may have to make them.

I had a croissant, strawberry preserves, and a banana this morning for breakfast, and they were all delicious. I was sad yesterday because I've gained almost 10 pounds since the beginning of the year, and that's a lot of weight when you're trying your hardest to maintain or lose weight. Then I got to thinking about it, and I have to not mind for two reasons: 1) Good food is the bright part of my summer right now - work is hellish, we're constantly on the go, and I don't have a minute to relax, and 2) since I already have an iffy stomach, I know that I'll probably be pretty sick when/if I get pregnant, so I might as well enjoy my food while I still can.

OK, I lied. There is one more bright spot - I've been watching Grey's Anatomy on DVD lately (I'm a few episodes into season 2), and I'm loving this show. Although I personally think it's sightly sad that a television show is the highlight of my day.

It was between these and Frosted Bourbon Brownies

This week at work there was at least one good thing that happened. I've been wanting to join a book club for a very long time, but haven't yet. Then a few weeks ago at work I was talking about books with a couple co-workers and we decided to start a book club at work. I was so excited! Our first meeting was this past Tuesday, and as usual when there's any kind of event, I baked.

I tried something new, which always drives Aaron nuts - he heard once that you're not supposed to try new recipes on other people, and he sticks to that idea like it's adhesive-backed.

Anyway, I made a recipe I've been salivating over for a few weeks now: cappuccino brownies. And they were just as delicious as I hoped. If you need something decadent (they are super-rich; cut them small) for any occasion, I suggest these.

Cappuccino Brownies
source: Better Homes and Gardens Favorite Bars & Cookies, 2002

1/2 c. butter
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. instant coffee crystals*
1 Tbsp. whipping cream
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 recipe Chocolate Frosting** (recipe below)

Grease an 8x8x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a heavy medium saucepan cook and stir 1/2 c. butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon just until combined. Stir in vanilla.

Combine the flour and baking soda. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture just until combined. Spread in the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for topping, dissolve coffee crystals in cream. In a small bowl beat together powdered sugar and the 2 Tbsp. butter with an electric mixture on medium speed until combined.*** Add the whipping cream mixture and beat until creamy. If necessary, beat in enough additional whipping cream to make a mixture of spreading consistency. Spread the topping over warm brownies. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until topping is set.

Carefully spread Chocolate Frosting over brownies. Cover and chill until set. Cut into bars. Makes about 16 brownies.

Chocolate Frosting: In a small saucepan combine 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate pieces and 1/3 c. whipping cream. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture begins to thicken.

*I used espresso powder, since that's what I have on hand
**This is ganache, pure and simple. And delicious.
***Do it this way and you'll have a big mess on your hands. Use a large bowl or stand mixture, otherwise you'll be covered in powdered sugar. Don't ask me how I know.

Sinfully Delicious

On Saturday we spent the day hanging out with some friends of Aaron's that he hasn't seen since high school. It was a great time, and I was only shy for a little while, which is definitely different from the norm.

Anyway, I'm of the "never show up empty-handed" camp, and I typically bake something to take. This weekend I made something new, but something I've been wanting to try for a very long time: Nanaimo Bars.

These things are awesome, and so incredibly easy to make it's ridiculous. They're made up of a layer of chocolate, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and almonds, a layer of vanilla cream, and a final layer of crisp dark chocolate. They're absolutely decadent, and all the women who tried one asked for the recipe. I'd call that a hit.

They're incredibly rich, so if you do try them, I'd suggest cutting them into very small squares (1-1/2 inch square is about what I did). I made a double batch, and, despite them being so rich, they're almost gone two days later.

I was going to take the leftovers to work today to get rid of them, because Aaron thinks that they're so sweet they give him a stomach-ache (I told him not to eat two to three at a time, but does he listen?), but he refused to let me take them. He gets protective of the things he loves, including and especially any sweets I make. I guess I'm going to have to watch him so that he doesn't eat the rest in one sitting.

Ooh La La

This weekend was much better than last. I really didn't do anything. Well, except to make these:

They may not be the prettiest croissants ever, but they taste amazing.

When I was growing up we would visit my grandparents in Columbus, OH for a few weeks every summer. That was my favorite time of year and my very favorite place to be. My best memories of my grandparents house are of breakfasts on their screened-in porch. I'm a morning person and always have been, so I was usually the first one up after my grandpa got out of bed and headed down to make coffee. If I think hard I can still remember the smells of coffee, his mouthwash when he kissed me on the head, fresh honey dew melon and toast made from white bread. That's what a good morning smells like to me.

The next thing I remember is the sound of mourning doves at the feeder right outside of the porch and an early-morning flight passing overhead. The rest of the time we were there was filled with various activities, but those mornings truly are my favorite memory.

A few of the mornings when we would visit I'd wake up early to find my grandfather and my mom already gone. Soon they'd be back carrying a box of fresh croissants from the local French bakery. The name of the bakery is on the tip of my tongue, but I can't seem to remember it. I don't even remember if they're still open, but I think they closed years ago. What I do remember are their buttery warm croissants, and how they were pure heaven. Some would have a fruity or chocolate filling, but, picky eater that I was, I always preferred the plain variety.

I started the dough for the croissants yesterday morning. I used Julia Child's recipe, and right at the beginning she tells you that it takes 12 hours to make these croissants. I did half the recipe yesterday, and following the tips she adds in along the way, I refrigerated the dough after the second rise so that I could finish them today. I started this morning at 9 and they still weren't ready until 2 this afternoon. Even though the process was tedious, it was fun and well worth it. With the first bite, my mind sailed back to childhood summers and my grandparents' house. I haven't had a croissant that good or fresh in a long, long time.

If you have a spare 12 hours, yeast, and 2 sticks of butter, I strongly recommend giving croissants a try.

What I've Been Up To

I have been enormously busy lately. That is, at least, until this last week which I've spent taking care of my mom post-a couple surgeries. (She's fine, and doing better than I expected.)

I've also been working on many of my favorite hobbies plus a few new ones. I'm currenty making this (for me):

and this (supposedly for my neice, but I may have to keep it because it's just so darn cute):

(If you want either pattern, email me and I'll send it to you.)

I've also been baking a lot, and my recent favorites are Ree's Chocolate Sheet Cake, and the World Peace Cookies that I found on Deb's site.

I'm having a lot of fun with these and one new "hobby" (*cough* trying to make a baby *cough*) that I'm very excited about.

So, my hobbies, like these, are what I'm planning on talking about on this iterration of my website. I won't be posting every day, but hopefully frequently. I hope you enjoy these things as much as I do.