Want the real deal? Motherhood isn’t always pretty and it ‘aint for the faint of heart. I wanted to end the week with a list from what I’ll call reallife motherhood. [Please note this is not a glamorized mommy blog written for people.com that gushes about the true gifts my children are and how mothering has only made me a more complete human.]
Real moms:
drive their kids to school in their pajamas without brushing their hair or teeth
yell
switch their kids lunches in the mad dash out the door and are bitter when they have to “fix” the f*#^ up.
need to drink wine (insert alcoholic beverage of choice) to do homework with their children.
are exhausted by 9am
buy syrup for a class party which contains high fructose corn syrup [gasp.]
wonder daily how any of their children will turn out “normal”.
These statements are all taken from true stories told by real moms. Or they are all about me. Remember, we are all in this together.
The cuff bracelet. Long forgotten in the winter due the fact that we are all covered from head to wrist! Soon (let’s hope soonER than later), spring will arrive and the cuff bracelet will be back in the mix. The perfect way to add color, personality, or fun to your outfit!
I am a total sucker for a frosted sugar cookie. I love baking them, and find every excuse to bust out the cookie cutters. Hey, hey-it’s Valentine’s Day! My little boys and I cut two pans of cookies last night and lovingly frosted them. We keep our frosting and decorating super simple. Icing and colored sugars. (Anything more complicated and I get frustrated..which ruins all my fun.)
I do have the MOST amazing recipe-which I will share with you. It comes straight from the domestic-goddess herself. Who else? Martha Stewart. I have two tips which should ensure the perfectly baked cookie. First, roll your dough thick-approximately 1/2″. If they are too thin, they turn out crispy. Secondly, don’t over bake them. Watch them carefully and pull them out of the oven when the bottom edges are just golden.
The Basic Sugar Cookie (with a few tips)- from Everyday Food | Holiday ’06
2 cups flour
½ tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Salt
1 stick butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Whisk together flower, baking powder and salt. In mixer, beat butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients gradually. Beat until combined. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic. Freeze until firm-at least 20 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough and let stand for 10 minutes. Roll dough and cut out shapes on floured surface. (First tip is to roll dough thick. This makes softer cookies.) Bake for 10-18 minutes. (Second tip is to pull cookies from oven when edges are JUST golden. You don’t want to over bake your cookies.)
Easy icing:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbs. Milk.
Whisk together. Add food coloring if you would like. Frost cookies and let set, about 20 minutes.
**If you don’t like to bake or just short on time, order the GORGEOUS cookies pictured above from the Etsy shop, Sugar Me Desserterie **
For the first time in 7.5 years I had a night off AT HOME. I have plenty of nights out, but I have never-since the birth of my oldest son-had a night off and got to stay home. My husband openly admits he enters a full “lock down” when I am gone. No one comes in, no one goes out. The boys are getting older and he is beginning to lift his self-inflicted isolation. Even venturing out with both of them when I am home (gasp!). Another perk to my boys learning to ski…..night skiing with dad on Thursday night! “Party rock is in the house tonight!’
What did I do with my time, you ask? I couldn’t help myself.
First stop, manicure/pedicure. I totally splurged and treated myself! Usually I just have them shape and buff my finger nails. Not tonight. Check it!
Spring has sprung. At least on my nails! Color me happy.
butter | London in Slapper
Next stop, take out. Picked up Pho soup to enjoy at home.
And finally I got to watch Season 1: Episode 1 of Downtown Abbey. Reminds me of a Jane Austen novel. (Love.) Totally indulgent and worth the chatter. Can’t wait to watch the next episode.
Can you appreciate my enthusiasm? If I am granted another night, it most likely will be filled with dishes, laundry, and tidying the house. Since nothing in life is guaranteed (including nights off), I lived this one to the fullest! ~denise
The CHAOS got the best of me this last week! I am totally behind and so I will not give a new task for the week. (Oh, it is secretly great when you control the homework assignments. But that is entirely a different blog post!)
A few odds and ins:
1. I Loved with a capital L …… Smash last night. Did you see it? I can’t wait until next week. This was my favorite scene.
2. Love that App: Where’s my Water?
I recently downloaded this app and played it Saturday morning with my youngest for 2 hours. We were in the ski lodge with time to kill. We both think is was pretty super! Produced by Disney, it is thoughtful in its design. My kids adore the graphics and all the levels to unlock. I appreciate that it is a physics based game with tons of reasoning skills needed to complete each level. Cause and effect is taught through the introduction of toxic ooze, algae, traps and triggers. Bottom line though, it is just plain fun. (Plus, I love the price at $.99!)
3. Vitamin D is good for the soul (and spirit and mental well-being)!
Love, love that Debra Messing is back on TV. Along with Anjelica Huston and cutie pie Katherine McPhee…it might be more than I can take on a Monday night. Steven Spielberg produces. I truly hope that it lives up to all the hype. Check it out tonight.
Ask my youngest what he wants for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and his response will quickly and emphatically be, “A chocolate sandwich.” Sadly he has one at least one a day. A chocolate sandwich? Uh, that would be Nutella between two pieces of bread. The only redeeming nutritional value is that I serve it on two pieces of whole wheat bread. I do draw a line somewhere.
This Sunday, February 5th, is World Nutella Day. The official website declares: Nutella lovers unite for one day! Well wouldn’t you know….a day made just for my little man. I could have contributed an idea for the website’s recipes. I have grilled the sandwich in the morning with each piece of bread buttered. I think if you added a sliced banana, it could be pretty darn delicious.
Interested in celebrating something other than the Super Bowl on Sunday? http://www.nutelladay.com/
OR if you live in the Seattle area-you may indulge your Nutella tooth on Sunday!
Zeppole, Nutella Mascarpone, Ginger Sugar
airy, deliciously yeasty dough that’s fried crisp, dusted in a ginger sugar and then filled with a rich Nutella mascarpone
