May's Ten Things

May is over.  I can't believe how fast it went.  I know I say that every month, but May really did go faster.  Time to link up:

Here are my Ten Things to Smile About in May:

1.  Sparkle toes

2.  Being the Judges Chairman for The Miss South Jordan Pageant - such fun!

3.  Mother's Day

4.  Watching Madeline ride her new bike

5.  I repainted and redecorated my bathroom!  Pictures coming!

6.  I got to go out to dinner with Todd and then to Hale Centre Theatre to see The Hasty Heart

7.  My pink tree!!

8.  Madeline getting potty trained!!!!!!!!

9.  All my Memorial Day treats I was able to bake

10.  The hope . . . HOPE that is may someday get warm!

Desserts with Family

At lunch, I shared my Lemon Meringue Cookies with family.  It's good to share treats.  My sister-in-law made lemon meringue ice cream too.  Who knew we'd have such a lemony day?!  Then for dinner, we went to another family party where I shared my Root Beer Float Chocolate Bundt Cake with 24 people.  You don't feel nearly as guilty about making a cake that has 1600 calories in the butter alone when you're sharing it with so many.  Oh yes, it was good!

Strawberry and Jam Muffins

Best.  Muffins.  Ever.

Strawberry and Jam Muffins

adapted from joythebaker.com

6 TBLS unsalted butter

1/3 cup 2% milk

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

3 TBLS raspberry jam

Put a rack in the upper third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees.  Generously butter muffin cups or line with papers.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over moderately low heat;  remove from heat.  Whisk in milk, egg, yolk, and vanilla until well combined.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Add milk mixture and stir until just combined.  Gently but thoroughly fold in berries and jam.

Divide batter among muffin cups and spread evenly.

Bake 18-22 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Baking

I love baking!  When I think of all my hobbies, this is the one thing I could do the longest without getting tired of it.  And if you include photographing the food and eating it after, then you really can't beat it.  Period.

I just finished making muffins with fresh strawberries and raspberry jam in them.  I could have eaten the whole batch.  Ethan said he could have eaten 50.  They seemed more like cupcakes.  And they didn't even need frosting. 

Speaking of cupcakes, I am hoping to make some chocolate ones soon, with peanut butter cookie dough in them.  Yes, you heard that right.

I currently have a list so long of recipes I want to try that I wonder if I'll ever get to all of them.

Ginger Shortbread Lemon Bars.  And Rootbeer Cake.  Peanut butter Banana Bread.  And Meyer Lemon Blueberry Cake.  And deep dish pie.  How about Sweet Potato Zuchinni Bread?

Most of these come from my two favorite food blogs:

Desserts for Breakfast
Joy the Baker

Sigh . . .

I'm heading to my treadmill.

No Room in the Inn

Sometimes I wonder how Ethan sleeps at night . . .

Colorful Outfit

Here is my darling three year old in the outfit she picked out all by herself!  The heart shirt (which has no yellow in it) matches her panties and therefore doesn't need to match her skirt.  If you don't believe me, just ask Madeline!  And all you have to do now, is picture her wearing Ethan's old Lightning McQueen red crocs (on the wrong feet) and you have a classic, "I'm three and I dressed myself" girl!

Painting

I just finished painting my hall bathroom!  Last week I painted the ceiling, this week the walls.  I'm very excited for the new look.  I've been collecting new towels and rugs and wall decor for a while now and it'll soon come together.  I just have a bit more sewing to do.  But back to the painting, have you ever had to paint behind a toilet?  Not the easiest thing in the world . . . but it feels so clean in there now!  I love it.

Sorry, no pics yet.

How have you been spending your Saturday morning?

Three Cheers for Madeline!

Today, I am linking up with Emmy Mom to share with you a proud mommy moment!  Though I'm not sure it's really a "proud mommy moment", more like a "relieved mommy eternity".  But Madeline finally did it!  She is officially potty trained!  HOORAY! 

 She's smiling because she's got Dora panties on under her Dora jammies!

A Book about The Ocean

I know this blog is slowly turning into a blog of Ethan's books, but I can't help posting another.  When he draws things that are not dinosaurs, I really jump on them!  And this book particularly struck my fancy because he read on his preschool calendar that they were doing a unit on ocean animals and therefore decided to write this book (entirely on his own, and again in seceret) to take and read to his class! 

Blogger did decided to turn one of the photos, which makes me want to scream, so you'll just have to turn your head for that one . . .



I'm Hungry, Mom!

I've been hearing this even more than normal lately.  Today they said it about 2 minutes after lunch was over.  So I offered them carrots and raisins and they happily accepted.  Then tonight they said it again 5 minutes after dinner.  "Don't worry", I said, "we'll have our FHE treat soon." 

We had chocolate pudding.  And when their pudding was gone, they both looked up and said, "I'm still hungry Mom!"  I was feeling lazy and couldn't think what else to give them anyway, so I said, "You can have some more green beans left from dinner."

And guess what?  They both thought that was a GREAT idea!  So my plans were foiled and I had to get up after all.  But how can you say no to your children requesting green beans?  And besides, there is nothing like green beans after chocolate pudding!

Nail Polish

I read yesterday in a magazine (so it must be true) that one should discard their nail polish after one year.  Mascara every three months I've heard.  But nail polish after a year.  Wow.  I have nail polish older than Ethan . . . do you have old nail polish?

More about Bikes

I just think it's fun how good she's doing when less than a week ago, she had never even sat on a bike before!  Not even a little tricycle or anything.  

And look at their reaction when the bumped into each other!  My favorite!



It's Pink AND Purple!

Look what Madeline got:

She has never been on a bike before this past week and she's already doing really good.  Give her a few weeks and she might be as fast as her brother.  Maybe faster if Dad gets his way and Ethan's training wheels come off soon.  Ethan's not as excited about that idea as Madeline is with her new bike!  Either way, we have hours of summer riding fun coming our way.  Now if it would just stop raining . . .

Mother's Day Photos

With my mom:

 With my kids:

 Ethan was very excited for these photos as you can tell!

It was such a lovely day.  I got a new white leather purse that I may or may not have picked out, a wood block with a hand print on it, and flowers to plant in the front yard!

Happy Mother's Day

I have the best Mom and the best MIL that the world has ever known!  Happy Mother's Day!!

I love you both so much!

Wanting Waves of Ruffles

Dear Waves of Ruffles Shower Curtain:

If I had $98 to spend on a shower curtain, I would pick you.  Your cousin is not half bad either.

I just might have to attempt to make a copy.  Because you are so pretty.

the end.

Ethan's Book

He came around the corner with a smile on his face as he announced, "I finished my book!"  I asked him which one he had done this time and his eyes twinkled, "I didn't do someone else's book.  I wrote my own."  And he did.  He didn't copy any ideas or text from any of his dinosaur books.  He came up with the whole thing himself.  And he kept the whole thing a secret until he had finished the whole thing!

It's pretty impressive.  And so, when he asked me if I could video him reading it and put it on my blog so that, "everyone in the world can see it", how could I say no?!  It's pretty long, about 3 minutes, and you can't see his pictures too well in the video, but Mamas can't resist.

Enjoy!

This post is brought to you by:

Our Garden's Beginning

This is the first year that Todd and I have been able to plant a garden.  And while it's still too cold to plant most things, we do have peas and lettuce growing!

 Why is it that these little plants can make me feel so happy?

 Madeline helped me plant, and as I watch them come up in not quite even rows, it makes me even more happy.

I can't wait until we can plant the rest! 

Photo Shoot

A few days ago, I was able to do a photo shoot for my friend of her two darling children:

 This kid was so fun to work with.  Lots of smiles and lots of pictures that turned out really cute!

 His one year old sister was a little harder to capture, but equally as darling!

I realized while taking these, that I haven't had a lot of opportunities to use all my nifty equipment.  No one in my family wants me to practice on them.  And I need practice.  And I LOVE it.  Sooo . . . . if there is anyone out there reading this (sorry, but I have to actually know you . . .) that would like a free photo shoot done by me I'd love the chance to practice and work with my equipment.  I've got all sorts of cool lights and reflectors and off-camera flashes and things.  And it's hard to figure out how they work without a model! 

I can't guarantee amazing photos, but I usually take enough to get a few great ones.  AND, I'll give you the CD of all the pictures too.  

April's Ten Things

With May already here, I'd like to take a minute and join Emmy Mom to think about ten things in April that made me smile! 

1.  Spring Flowers!

 2.  We enjoyed General Conference with Cherry Turnovers and Cinnamon Rolls

3.  We bought a van!

4.  I captured this photo:

 5.  I made the most amazing ginger cookies EVER!!

 6.  Easter!

7.  I became addicted to a most delightful frozen yogurt shop called Menchies!  Highly recommended!

8.  Madeline made some major potty training progress . . . yes, we are still battling this one . . .

9.  Ethan wrote me THAT SONG!  (see post below)

10.  I FINALLY got a grip on my eating and don't pig out anymore on the above mentioned cherry turnovers, cinnamon rolls, and ginger cookies.  Though Menchies . . . yes, they have nonfat!  But I'm happy to report that I gave all my Easter candy away and didn't even cry.  :)