Thursday is Baking Day

I like having routines, so I've decided that Thursday is going to be our baking day. And let's face it, when it's 15 degrees and snowing outside, everybody needs a little something to take the edge off.

This week, I decided on these red velvet whoopie pies (Recipe from Mix & Match Mama, found here). I realized after we made them that they fit better with Valentine's Day, but the kids both love anything red velvet, so it was worth the reach back.

Lila can crack an egg to perfection. I had to work up to letting the kids crack eggs, but with practice, they are now both very good at it. I just keep the wipe box right next to us so they can wipe their hands right after. That's helps with my OCD.

One of my favorite little bakers!

She of course likes to lick the spatula. And loved it even more that it made her mouth red.

She immediately declared she had "blood mouth" and couldn't wait to tell Nate when he got home. The epitome of ladylike. That she is.

These are so yummy! And require extra elliptical time. Totally worth it. Scott is training for a marathon, so I'm just trying to do my part in helping him keep up with his caloric intake.

They also match perfectly with my soon-not-to-be red walls. I finally picked a paint color this week. It's only the 3rd one, and I think it's the charm.

Brrrrrrrr...

One word for last week...FRIGID. I mean there is just something very wrong about this. 

We had a pretty normal week, if normal means running between warm places. Fast.

So on Saturday, when the weather forecast promised it would be above freezing (FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 6 DAYS) (yes, I'm shouting), we ditched our winter coats and headed out to lunch in just our vests. It was liberating.

Even if it just was Chik-Fil-A, we were all a little giddy.

After nap (I use the word nap lightly, sigh), I decided it was sunny and warm enough for us to go outside and walk around the block. I figured the kids would like stomping around in the melting snow and just being outside. It appeared I was wrong. After suffering through the "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, WEEEEEE DON'T WAAAAAANT TO GOOOOOOOO OUTSIIIIIIIIDE," I used all my Mom courage and pushed them out the door.

I think it's safe to say, I was right. They had a great time and didn't want to go home.

Here's to hoping March brings Spring.

Sunny Morning Baking

I've had the urge to bake lately, it's the weather maybe? After the last few weeks of Valentine's treats, I wanted to bake something different this week. So I consulted the internets, where else?

After finding a recipe that looked pretty good, Lila & I set to work on Thursday morning (in her PJs, because of course). It was a frigid morning, but extra sunny, so that was nice. Excuse the blue tape on the walls. We're getting there.

I have to say this particular recipe is quite possibly the best tasting dessert I have ever baked. No joke.

Without further ado, here is my new favorite dessert...Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Neiman Marcus Bar.  

mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com

You can find this beauty here. Make it. Thank me later. 

It was fairly easy to make and I don't think you could mess it up. I will probably bake it a little longer next time to get the middle to set some more, but trust me, it tastes divine. 

Getaway & Snow

My Mom has always wanted to go to the Biltmore in North Carolina, so over President's Day weekend, we made the trek to that part of the country with Sarah and her mom, Cathie in tow. It was a fabulous ladies weekend! 

We started out our trip by swinging through East Tennessee, to Etowah, the hometown of the DeLaney family (my Grandpa, my Mom's Dad). This was my dear Aunt Mil's house (my Grandpa's sister). I grew up visiting her and my Uncle Bob here, and spent many a day sitting on that front porch or rolling down that very hill. I loved seeing the house again, it brings back so many happy memories for me. And for my Mom, she also grew up going to see Aunt Mil here. It was wonderful to reminisce and I'm so thankful that Sarah & Cathie humored all of our stories! 

Then it was on Asheville, after a harrowing stretch of road into the mountains at night. Even though it was chilly, I kept turning on the vent because I was sweating while trying to keep us safe on all the curves! 

Saturday morning, we headed to the Biltmore House. It was gorgeous of course and I loved going through it again (Scott & I went back in 2006). After touring the house and exhibits, we tasted some wine in their winery, which was ever so much fun. 

We were supposed to stay Sunday night too, but when we woke up and checked the weather for Tennessee & Missouri, we decided we'd better get the heck out of dodge before we got stuck somewhere. So we drove back to Missouri (and Cathie & I back to STL) on Sunday. It was a long day, but after my parents got at least 9 inches of snow at their house and Nashville got covered in ice, we were so glad we made that decision.

We only got about 4 inches at our house, if that, but the kids enjoyed playing in it and making a snowman.

 Now it's just bitter cold and we are ready for SPRING!!

The Great Outdoors

In the winter, I stand by my motto that if there's at least one 50 (or even 48) degree day in the forecast, I can make it. So when the forecast indicates it will be 65 degrees on both the weekend days? Well that just makes me want to let out a little WOO-HOO. The weather was gorgeous in the STL this weekend. 

We started off our days off by making Valentine's treats. Nate and I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. This year, I did homemade sugar cookies with homemade icing (I was feeling a little Suzy Homemaker, what can I say). 

 The kids enjoyed icing them and they tasted pretty good too.

They turned out to be more like shortbread cookies because I had to substitute the cream of tartar (guessing), but we liked them anyway. I'll perfect the sugar cookie another day.

After we cleaned up the cookie mess, we walked down to the park. The kids seemed to be dressed very warmly for the weather. Habit I guess. They shed the vests soon after we got there.

She loves a swing. Any swing.

Sunday served up some equally nice weather, so we headed to Forest Park to go on a little hike in the morning.

We saw a male and female Cardinal - always fun to believe this is an omen for the Cardinals to win the World Series in 2015!

Nate enjoyed pointing out all the fungus we saw and explaining to Lila what that is...she didn't get it, but she looked on like a dutiful student anyway.

After the hike, we made the short trip over to Turtle Park. I have never taken Lila there, I think Scott has, and I don't think I've been there since Nate was less than 2 years old. They loved it!

They must have slid down the big turtle 132 times. We love days like this!

We walked down to our park again after rest time and played with lots of friends who were there too. It was a great and fabulous weekend. Outside.

Happy Valentine's Day week!

New Eats

I've been trying to find new recipes lately. Since I usually error on the side of making something my kids will eat, we're not super adventurous with dinner at the Boyle house. Yes, I know they'll eat if they are hungry. But a long time ago, I chose not to make eating one of my battlegrounds. That doesn't mean I'm a short order cook, because I'm not, it just means I try to make dinners I know they will eat. Because actually consuming food is my main goal at dinner time. 

When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it because both of my kids like classic Chicken Parmesan. And they have been known to eat a sloppy joe at school. 

It was as easy as the author said it would be and Scott & I loved it. The kids? Well, they didn't think it was as fabulous as we did, but they were both a little off the night I made it (Nate had just tripped and banged his nose on a side table & Lila had not had a nap). So we'll definitely give it another try even if Scott & I are the only ones that will eat it! I think I'll try to make some spaghetti noodles to go with it next time for the kids so it feels more like the real chicken parmesan. 

mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com

Click here for the original recipe and if you don't read Mix & Match Mama's blog, you totally should!

In another attempt to try a new recipe with ingredients my kids like - I tried this Ham & Broccoli pasta. We all loved it! Next time, I think I will add a bit more seasoning, but I really liked how it turned out and it looked exactly like the picture!

tasteofhome.com

Click here for the original recipe. Note: I only used half the cream cheese that was called for and I used regular instead of sour cream/chive spread.

Bon Appetit!

The Past Few Days...

At last I can stop talking about the blasted kitchen sink! We have one that works and I am ever so excited. 

On the day after the plumber came to hook up the kitchen sink, Scott started measuring for the back splash. Well. It was then that we figured out that one side of the wall cabinets had not been hung at the same height as the others. Something about having to level the lower cabinets, blah blah blah, because the floors aren't even, blah, blah, blah. Last I checked, a tape measure is a tool that measures things and 17 3/4 inches does not equal 18 inches! Sigh. Over the people being in my house. 

So. The people had to come back out and take the cabinets off the wall and raise them up. That means we had to unload everything for this to happen. But we did it, and the part of moving them was actually fairly painless. 

The sink - still no cabinet underneath (they forgot to order it initially, then they ordered the wrong size - sigh - how do people renovate whole houses??!!??) 

In other news, Scott, Nate & Lila have gotten on a game streak this winter. They play a game nearly every night. The favorites are Uno Attack, Crazy 8's or Go Fish. Lila wakes up in the morning asking to play Crazy 8's and it is the first question she asks when she gets home from school. 

Yesterday, Lila & I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Fox Theater to see Cinderella with my mom, my aunts Lee & Kathy and cousins Elena & Sonia. On Friday, I was looking through Lila's closet and I decided she didn't have something nice enough to wear, so I went to the mall and got a darling dress on super sale from Christmas. And then I proceeded not to take a picture of the whole dress while it was on her:) It was darling, trust me.

I was trying to take a picture of her walking in - she looked up at the grand ceiling and her mouth dropped open. I have to admit I got a tear in my eye. Such a fun experience with the ladies on my mom's side of the family.

Yes, yes she does believe it was an audition. As my dear friend Nicole said, "if we only had their confidence." So true, so true.

Elena, Kathy & Sonia - so glad we go to do this with them and my Aunt Lee. Warms my heart. (so regret that we didn't get a picture of all of us!).

Since we got home from the show yesterday afternoon, Lila has been putting on a million shows for us and asking if she can be up there on stage next time. The best part? She doesn't want to be Cinderella. She would much rather be the Fairy Godmother. Love.