6 months of silence...

It's October!  What?!?  Crazy.  Time flies.  And I realized I haven't posted in months!  Usually, because I choose to just post on facebook instead of here, or because I want to finish a puzzle on my jigsaw app or something.
Anyway.....
What's new in our world?
~Derek and I went on vacation.  For a week.  With no kids.  Totally amazing, super busy, but also much needed.  We went to the Grand Canyon, Sedona Red Rock national park, and Las Vegas.  Pictures shall come later.
~Jaden's plugging away in first grade.  He's almost 7.  (As I type that, I realize just how fast time flies).  We are working on planning his birthday (a Lego Batman playing football theme....not sure how to squeeze all those in...), and he has 2 loose teeth!
~Eli is growing like a weed.  His favorites are food and climbing.  He weighs 25 pounds, is 2 feet tall, and has a mouth full of choppers.  He is currently working on his two year molars, which is zero fun for everybody right now.  Prayers are definitely appreciated!
~my marathon training is just about done!  My race is in a little over 2 weeks, so I am officially in taper mode!  I do have to say, I would not have been able to train for this had I not had a gaggle of running buddies willing to keep me company on my weekly long runs.  3 hours of running goes much better mentally if I have company.
That's about it for now.......our faithful laptop is getting fixed, but once it's back, I will post pictures :)

Playing catch up

It's been awhile since I've posted!  life has a way of creeping in and taking over.  so, thought I'd do a big catch up blog.... :)

* jaden has 2 days left of kindergarten!  2!  He got off the bus yesterday rejoicing and proclaiming there were only 2 more days of school til he had summer break.  Crazy to think he's getting so big.  Sometimes I want to freeze time and memorize every tiny detail so I never forget what he is like right now.

*Elijah is 14 months....shew, talk about growing!  He is big into walking now.  He toddles around pretty good!  He also enjoys climbing and screeching and, of course, eating.  Oh, and his favorite is bath time.  I can't wait to spend time at the pool with him this summer!  I think he's going to love it!

*I am certifying to be a fitness instructor!  Wahoo!  It's been one of dreams for the longest time.  My test day is in August, so I am studying and reading and memorizing here and there when I have spare time.  Also, continuing with marathons training :). My race is in October.

I will do a photo dump post in a little bit.  Hope you guys have a fantastic weekend!

peanut butter cookies

I love Sundays.  They're so relaxing.  Jaden came back from Disney yesterday, so today after church we came home and hung out/rested.  

Jaden wanted to make peanut butter cookies, and who could say no to a cute six year old asking to bake???? =)

What you need:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter *you can use smooth or chunky!*

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon milk

1 egg

1/2 cup peanut butter chips *optional*

1/2 cup chocolate chips *optional*

extra sugar, if you want to roll the cookies *optional*

What to do:

Cream the butter and peanut butter

Mix in the sugars until well incorporated and fluffy

Add in the egg, vanilla and milk.

Add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Mix well.

If you choose to add baking chips, add those and fold them in.

If you are rolling the cookie dough in sugar, chill the dough for at least an hour before proceeding.

Scoop out cookie dough and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve with milk =)

berry buttermilk cake

My family is coming to visit for the weekend, and I thought this cake might go well with coffee =)

What you need:
1 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest *optional
1 egg
1/2 cup of shaken buttermilk *I made my own-1/2 cup of milk, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let it stand for 5 minutes
1 cup fresh berry *the original recipe used raspberries, but I had blackberries so that's what I used

What to do:
-Cream the butter and sugar together until it's light and fluffy, about 2 minutes
-add the vanilla and lemon zest
-add egg
-combine the first 4 ingredients, and add in thirds alternating the the buttermilk.  Make sure to begin and end with the flour mix.
-Pour the batter into a greased 9 inch cake pan, and smooth out the batter.  Layer the berries on and bake at 400 for 20 to 30 minutes.

This just came out of the oven, and my house smells aaahhhhhhh-mazing!  I also tried a piece with my cup of tea, and it tastes wonderful! =)  It's light and fluffy, and the crust is just a tiny bit crispy.  Yummm!  Hope you guys like it too!

baked chicken meatballs

These little guys are a yummy variation of traditional meatballs.  They can be made into big size balls, or little appetizer sized balls.  Or I'm sure it be yummy as a meatloaf, too.... =)

What you need:
3 slices of Italian bread, torn into pieces, soaked in milk *I just used 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs*
3 ounces of diced pancetta, or bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped *optional
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of butter
1 egg
1 pound ground chicken *I used ground turkey*
2 tablespoons of tomato paste *I used ketcup, because that's what I had*
salt, pepper, parsley to taste

What to do:
-melt the butter in a saute pan.  throw in the onion, garlic and pancetta and saute until onions are tender (about 6 ish minutes).  set pan aside to let mixture cool slightly.
-in a large bowl, combine the egg, ground meat, and seasonings.  add breadcrumbs (or milk soaked bread)
-add the pancetta mixture
-with clean hands, mix everything together, until everything is incorporated
-roll out meatballs and place on a foil lined baking sheet
-bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes

and, voila!  ready to eat.

Eli's 1st birthday (photo shoot)

family photo shoot

In the fall, we had a friend take some family pictures.  I thought I'd share =)

blueberry scones

I just opened my Kitchen Aid =)  It is now sitting cozily in a spot I made for it on one of the kitchen counters.
I decided when I opened it that I wanted to bake!  So, I did.  I made blueberry scones.....


These babies are de-li-cious!  They are fluffy and light and slightly sweet.  Mmmmmm.  And, so quick to make.

You need:
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon grated orange zest *i didn't have this, so i left it out*
1/2 cup of cold butter, cut into small pieces *the recipe says salted, but i always use unsalted*
1 egg
1/2 cup of heavy cream *i used half and half*
1 cup of blueberries

What to do:
-Stir the first four ingredients in the big bowl of your stand mixer.
-cut in the pieces of butter until the mixture resembles small crumbs*I waited until this step to take the butter out of the fridge.  The colder the butter, the fluffier the scone.  I used a pastry blender to do this, but you could use the dough or paddle attachment on your kitchen aid*
-With the kitchen aid on slow speed, add in the egg and 1/2 cup of cream
-Fold in the blueberries until just incorporated.
-Flour your hands, and take dough out of the bowl.  Place on a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle.  Cut into 8 triangles.  Place the triangles on a greased baking sheet. *you could line your baking sheet with parchment paper if you're worried about burning the bottoms*
-Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes *mine took 18 minutes*

They're super yummy straight out of the oven with a cup of coffee or tea =)  They're also good for the next few days.  Store in an air tight container.

some more snow day fun

We *finally* got some snow!  Maybe because the weather men said we wouldn't get any?  Figures... =)  The kids didn't have school today, so they're outside playing!

I took some pictures while Eli was napping...

building

the boys wanted some plastic bowls and spoons to help building their city

jaden, the snow warrior

the snow cream stash .. the boys insisted i keep these bowls safe in the freezer 

jaden's friend was working too hard to stop and pose for a picture

this is the best i could get of our back yard.  i waited too long and the kids pretty much trampled all the snow =)

the view from our front door

snow day!

Today is the first day we actually have snow on a snow day!  Wahoo!  Jaden was pumped.  He and the neighborhood kids played outside for a while.  I like to look at it from the window =)  

our backyard

eli likes it! =)  he was a little hesitant at first, but then loved to play with it.

jaden and his friends made snow angels all over our yard

elijah's done playing.