Best Dresses & Best Friends

I received a present in the mail yesterday--I had redesigned my friend Denise's blog and as a thank you she sent me a BabyGap gift card. AWESOME!! THANKS SO MUCH!!!

I told her that browsing through the BabyGap online store was one of the first times I really felt like I was actually having a girl!! I mean--look at these dresses!!! How to pick?





I can't possibly make up my mind! I guess I'll just have to get all of 'em!!! What a cutie patootie my sweet Ella is going to be!!

And, just to be fair to James, here are some fun pics I took of him recently with his very best friend in the whole wide world:



Ok, how priceless is this photo--don't you think they have the same look on their faces???


Thanks again Auntie Denise!!!

I'm Obsessed

. . . with my tomatoes! Can you tell?

Happy Father's Day!

Dear Daddy,

Thanks for being such a good Daddy to me. I love it when:

• we play with my trains (even though I rip apart all the track and you grump about having to put it all back--all the while thinking "Why can't your mother do this?");
  
• we play ball in the kitchen;
• when we roll around and wrestle on the floor;
• when we give each other hugs and kisses before bed;
• when you share your Otter Pops with me;
• when you take me to Jimmy John's for sandwiches;
• when you take me to car shows;
• when you practice my letters with me;
• when you ride around the kitchen on my ride-on toy,
  
• when we ride the Southern Nevada Railway together;
• when you tirelessly keep refilling my sandbox;
• when you teach me new words like "crap" and "naked" and "boogers;"

and I ESPECIALLY LOVE IT WHEN WE BOUNCY!!!

You are the best Daddy in the whole wide world and I am so happy to be your little boy.

XOXO

James

Two Great Things:

Lunch at our favorite deli, Jimmy John's,


and a couple of rides on the carousel at the outlet mall!

Quite Possibly the Best Cookie Recipe on the Planet

Chris and I are HUGE fans of America's Test Kitchen on PBS. A few weeks ago I saw an episode that they did on cookies and I was totally intrigued with a recipe they had for Brown Sugar Cookies. When I say "intrigued," I mean I thought about them every day, they appeared a few evenings in my dreams, and at certain times if I was plopping an Oreo in my mouth I would stop and say, "Well, I could be eating A Brown Sugar Cookie if I would just get off my butt and make them!!"

Well, I finally did. One word to describe the finished cookie? AWESOME. No, make that SPECTACULAR. No, how about SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!!


I am in LOVE with this cookie. Can you tell???


Next time (like when I make another batch tomorrow) I would take them out of the oven one or two minutes earlier than the recipe calls for. Other than that, these are the type of cookies that make you think about opening your own cookie shop, on some tree-lined little town's Main Street. Seriously folks, they are THAT STINKING GOOD.


Here's the recipe. I'm headed back to the cookie jar to get myself another one.

* * * * *

Brown Sugar Cookies
from the Episode: Cookie Jar Favorites


The most efficient way to bake these cookies is to portion and bake half of the dough. While the first batch is in the oven, the remaining dough can be prepared for baking. Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter. The dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is sufficiently browned. Use fresh brown sugar, as older (read: harder and drier) brown sugar will make the cookies too dry.

Makes 2 Dozen Cookies

14	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/4	cup granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces)
2	cups packed dark brown sugar (14 ounces)
2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/4	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	large egg
1	large egg yolk
1	tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches.)

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone; see photo below), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Good Thing I Have Another Baby on the Way . . .

Because James isn't a baby anymore!

xdhb

When did he get so big?

When did he get so funny?

When did he turn into a little boy???

Love you BABY--but could you slow down just a LITTLE BIT???

{sob . . . sob . . . sniff . . . sniff . . .}

Update

Ok folks--you can't see quite how short the hair cut is--but here is a pic anyhow:

Here is a pic from yesterday pre-hair cut. Why did I even bother?


On another note--James still has his binky attachment. We were down to two and so we decided to order him some more (and we ordered some for Ella, too). James has only ever had the orange ones, and so when he saw the blue ones that his Dad got, he was like "What the heck is this???"

James has been getting a shipment of books from his grandparents every couple of weeks. He LOVES getting these! He was very excited when I told him he got a box today. He said "Books? Books??"


Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!

And, here is today's tomato harvest.

Oh, Chris--I wish you were here to enjoy these babies with me! I miss you! (James does too. He keeps asking "Where Daddy?" and "What Daddy doing?")

COME HOME!!!

OMG--the GUILT!

I am sitting here after having just put James down for bed for the night, and honestly, I just want to cry my eyes out.

For whatever reason, James hates having his hair cut. I mean HATES it. I mean flails his arms and legs, screams, cries until he is nearly puking, sweats profusely and has rivers of snot gushing out of his nose.

The first few times he had his hair cut (I think he was 11 months old when we first started) it was not really a big deal. He whimpered a little and we got thru it.

The last few times have been just terrible. I end up holding him on my lap while Chris dances around him acting silly or bribing him with a toy while the hair dresser tries to cut as fast as she can.

It was so bad the last time that Chris and I were both practically in tears and I thought James would need to be sedated.

So, I decided to give it a go myself at home (which after scouring the internet for tips and tricks to cut a toddler's hair, seems to be the route that many parents take.)

Over the last few weeks, I have tried to get him used to both the scissors and the clippers. He gets to sit in his chair with a treat and watch his favorite shows, while I try desperately not to make him look like a Chernobyl victim.

I have taken it very slowly. It has not gotten better.

I tried again tonight, and basically told myself to just get the job done. My hairdresser suggested I just clip his whole head on a #6 setting, so that is what I did.

At one point I was holding him tightly against me and making frantic swipes at him with the clippers while holding his arms down with the other hand.

You can imagine that he wasn't happy.

I am basically thinking that he will be forever traumatized by my idiotic desire to have his hair neat and tidy.

Well--no more. I will NEVER EVER EVER cut his hair again. I loathe long hair on little boys (sorry, I know it is in style right now) but I guess I will be letting James' hair grow long, because unless Chris does it, or Chris takes him somewhere that can do it, I am NEVER EVER EVER doing it again. (Did I say that already??)

Even though as soon as I shut the clippers off he stopped crying, even though he played trains with me happily for an hour before bed, even though he snuggled against me while I read him five bedtime stories, and even though he said "Love you Mama" as I left his room tonight, I still feel like a CRAPPY, LOUSY mother.

You can say what you want to be supportive, or to console me--but I just have to say it. My mothering skills sucked tonight.

I guess that is part of the reason why blogging is so cathartic. I can get my thoughts out there for the world to read.

And if there is anyone out there who is contemplating cutting their toddler's hair, knowing full well that their beautiful child would get through receiving their vaccinations better--just think about my experience for a moment and STOP.

It's not worth it.

*Edited to say--We are both fine today--I don't know if it is preggo hormones that made me freak out about this last night or what, but thanks for letting me vent!

Yay!! A Playground for James!

Thanks for the input on my playground/easel dilemma. We went with the playground. They are pretty hard to come by, being that there is only one Toy's-R-Us in the Valley and I wasn't about to pay $143.00 in shipping!!!!!

We couldn't possibly wait until his birthday to set it up, especially as during the summer he can only really play on it in the morning before 10am and in the evening after 4pm. (Should have thought of that when I set his birthday party time from 1 to 4 pm!)

Anyway, here are some pics and a video of him enjoying it on his first day. He loves it. The first thing he says in the morning after "Hi" and "Love you Mommy" is "Playground?"

The Perfect No-Cook Summer Meal

WARNING: If you are NOT a garlic fan, much less RAW GARLIC, read no further. (And ignore the fact that the title of this post is indeed "the PERFECT No-Cook Summer Meal.")

Still reading this, aren't you Bill???!!

HA HA. I digress.

Anyhow--my tomatoes are all ripening very quickly. I have a ton of fresh basil and Italian parsley in my garden also. I remember an old friend of mine (Karen, wherever you are, I miss you like CRAZY) who was a true "foodie." Karen told me about this great recipe and it came to mind tonight as I was staring at 5, gorgeous, home-grown tomatoes on my counter AND my stomach was saying "FEED ME!!!"


I know you can see that some little creature had been sampling my basil. Never you mind about that.

This is what you will need:

• a bunch of ripe tomatoes
• a bunch of basil
• a bunch of Italian parsley
• a hunk of Romano or Parmesan cheese
• two cloves of garlic
• sea salt
  
• a handful of capers
• some nice olive oil
• pasta of your preference
  

Rough chop the parsley and the basil. Coarsely chop the garlic. De-seed and rough chop the tomatoes. Cut some of the cheese into little 1/2" cubes. Toss it all in a bowl and add the capers, a grind of sea salt, and a couple "twirls around the bowl" of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit while your pasta water comes to a boil.

Boil your pasta, drain, and then toss it into this lovely mixture. Mix to coat, put on a plate, add a little olive oil and some grated cheese and VOILA, you are done my friend.


Chris honey, its a good thing you aren't home--seeing as how I reek of garlic and tomorrow it will be coming out of every pore I have like gangbusters!

And please note, there is some kind of wacky FDA warning about consuming raw tomatoes today (except for cherry tomatoes and tomatoes on the vine). I didn't have to worry since I used my own. (And of course I was so stinking proud of that tonight!)

Maybe someday I'll have my own sheep and can make my own Pecorino Romano, too!