TWD: Chocolate Oatmeal Drops

I'm playing a little catch up this week with TWD. I really wanted to make the scones because I have never made them before but the main dessert eater in this house is not a fan of almonds. I thought of making them with pecans instead but that would have required a trip to the store and, still feeling sick, I wasn't up for the task. As a result, you are seeing last week's Chocolate Oatmeal Drops this week. These cookies were very good and slightly different because the oatmeal gives it an interesting texture and the cinnamon gives it an interesting flavor. If you want something brownie-like with a hint of otherness then these cookies are for you.

Thanks to Caroline and Claire of Bake With Us for making this selection. I promise to be back on track next week. For now, my apologies to Mike of Living Out West for missing out on his Almond Scones selection this week. Make sure to stop by the TWD site to read what everyone else did this week.

Dessert Table Sweets: The Rest of the Treats

There were five other desserts on the table I didn't make. One of the desserts was sugar cookies made by my friend and baker, Shelley. The week of the party she asked if she could make some cookies for the party and I said "of course!" I love the look of decorated sugar cookies, I just don't have the time or patience for them. Needless to say, I was really happy when she said she'd even make them in the party's colors of pink and aqua. Aren't they great?

Two of the desserts were cream-filled. I saw them at BJs and thought they would be perfect for the table because they were bite-sized. Plus, the cream puffs and eclairs fit into my pairs scheme for the table (two cookies, two pops, two chocolaty).

Last, but definitely not least, were the cupcakes and the cake. These, in my opinion, were the real show stoppers. Ivonne of by.Ivonne Cake.Love.Couture made the cupcakes and the cake and was extraordinarily helpful and excited about making these ballerina-themed sweet treats. I was beyond excited when I saw everything because we had been discussing the design for well over a month; it was nice to see the vision become a reality. The cake was made vanilla so Cati could eat some (she didn't because she fell asleep as we were cutting the cake!) and the cupcakes were red velvet. Just tell me they aren't breathtaking. 

Going to Explode!

The excitement is just too much to bear. I don't know why I haven't shared this before. Oh yeah, the party took up a lot of mental space. This Saturday is going to be an "all about me" day! A few weeks back I got tickets for my friend Jeselyn and myself to go to Kohl's Fun and Fit as a Family featuring Kellogg's Kidz Kitchen. On Saturday there will be presentations given by Rachael Ray (Jeselyn's favorite), Rocco DiSpirito (such a cutie!), and Giada De Laurentiis (my favorite). At first I was going to take Cati seeing as the event is all about educating parents and kids about healthy lifestyle options, but I was really apprehensive about being out all day with Cati. We would have to leave before her morning nap and we would be getting home after her afternoon nap so she would have to nap somewhere in between and I am almost positive that nap would be preceded by a meltdown of sorts. What if she decides to breakdown during Giada's presentation and I have to leave to console her and out of respect for everyone else at the event? That would suck and I would never ask a friend to help me take care of a fussy, crying baby. The main reason she was going to go was because Alex wanted to catch up on yard work and, obviously, wouldn't be able to get things done if he was watching her all day.

But then, the stars aligned. There is an art show this weekend that he wants to go and he's going to go with his parents because I'll be out and his dad was planning on coming by to help with the yard work anyway, so that leaves my mother-in-law open and available to spend a day with Cati. This will be the first time EVER that I will have been away from Cati for a whole day. I won't put her down for a single nap and the only meal I will be giving her is breakfast. I know she'll survive because she's going to be with very capable hands, but will I? Is it silly to hope there will be alcohol at the event to prevent any sort of meltdown on my part??

First Annual Thoughts on Motherhood

A month ago I decided I wanted to do a post on my thoughts on my first year of motherhood. I jotted things down every time I thought of something so my thoughts are a little scattered. Motherhood has been the craziest, scariest, happiest, and most thrilling roller coaster ride of my life. There are downs (lots and lots of them) but the ups are so magnificent you realize you will gladly experience the downs of sleepless nights in exchange for the ups hearing mama come out of that sweet baby mouth. Without further ado, here are the First Annual Thoughts on Motherhood:

• I hate to sound egotistical but I think this past year has been harder for me than it has been for Cati. She went from a crying blob of a baby to an active form of a little person. I did everything for her and suffered so much that I don't think I will be able to forgot how much certain periods of time with her hurt. She's lucky in that she won't remember any of the cries or the bumps or the mistakes. 
• I wish I could get a snapshot of how she saw her life this past year in a "Look Who's Talking" sort of way. I know she's happy because she is a happy baby. I know it was good for her because she has grown and developed beautifully. It would still be fun to see the world through her eyes, though.
• The worry is probably the worst part about the first year of motherhood. I have never had so much self doubt and internal debate. I've never felt so un-confident and have never taken so many things personally.
• While Cati was becoming a whole new person I had to learn how to incorporate this new role into my person. I was used to being independent, coming and going when I wanted, sleeping in, etc. Once Cati was born her needs had to be met before my own and it's been a struggle to balance out the nurturing mother role with the "I'm still me" role. 
• Motherhood is the best work out. The jumping and bouncing and dancing I've had to do to keep Cati entertained have been enough to leave me panting and sore.
• Motherhood is kind of like those Cirque du Soleil contortionists. I had to learn how to do some many things while carrying a baby. Using the bathroom and all that entails while holding a crying baby tops my list.
• Room temperature food is my best friend. There are still plenty of meals I don't get to eat hot because it's at the precise moment where food is set in front of me that Cati chooses to have a meltdown. I can't stand to hear Cati cry so I will pick her up and entertain her until someone else can grab hold of her so I can eat. You know who else is my best friend? The need to savor food in quick bites. I love food but sometimes I can't enjoy it for as long as I'd like so I've gotten used to eating quickly and savoring as much as I can in a short amount of time.
• Who needs an alarm clock when your baby wakes up at the same time every day?
• Cati started sleeping through the night at 7 months. I haven't slept through the night since I was pregnant. Even though she sleeps all the way through I still wake up when I hear her making noises. 
• Motherhood has made me really appreciate ALL mothers out there. Every time I see a mother struggling with her child I wish I could give her a cupcake and congratulate her on doing an awesome job despite the frustration. 
• Motherhood can be so divisive. I shudder at the thought of the one woman who told me I needed to get Cati on the breast because she wasn't going to bond with me as long as I gave her a bottle. I shudder to think about my friends who have encountered women who told them they "should have held out longer" instead of getting a c-section. Why can't we just support one another and call it a day?
• I still have trouble seeing how Cati came into the world as a birth. I know I gave birth to her but it's so weird to think that layers upon layers of me had to be cut in order for her to come out; this was medicine doing the work and not nature (why did my body fail?). This only applies to me and how I've struggled to process Cati's birth so please don't take this to mean that I don't think c-sections are real births.
• Motherhood can be so isolating. Regardless of the help and people around you, there are still some things that only you can do and only you feel.
• I love that Cati was able to have breast milk for as long as she did but I hated pumping. The Pump and I had a great relationship but I do not want to renew it next time around. I have already stated multiple times that I will tape the baby's face to my breast if that's what it takes to get it on the breast. Just kidding. Kind of. 
• Now I see why people keep having kids. When Cati was an infant I told Alex I thought she was going to be an only child. I hated the first three months of life with her. I started to really enjoy and like motherhood after that and at about six months I started to love it. Cati has become such a fun baby over time that it's helped ease the pain of those first few months. Plus, she doesn't stop growing! She's so delicious right now that I wish I could freeze time and keep her this small. 
• However, I only want one more child. Silly me wanted three before I had kids. Of course, I wanted three! I had no clue what it was like to have one! I feel sufficiently traumatized from Cati's first few months to know that I can only go through that one more time. Alex likes to say that our next child will be so easy going that I will want a third, but I like to think I am very firm on this. 
• The simple truth is this: I have no idea what I'm doing. Forget the books I read and all the advice from older moms, my daughter is an individual and she doesn't follow the rules. I have to make them up as I go along and I pray that I'm doing a good job. I think that's the key to motherhood: don't give the advice of others too much weight and listen to your gut because only you know your child.
• I've been a mother for a year now and I still feel like I'm playing make-believe. Alex and I are just pretending to be parents and Cati is pretending to be a baby that is our child. I can't believe this is really my life. 
• I've learned to be content with having only one room in the house completely cleaned at a time. The minute I clean one room, Cati goes to another and litters it with her books and toys.
• Who needs toys? On many occasions Cati has chosen to play with things like the remote control and my make-up back over her toys; 85% of the time Cati chooses these household items over her toys.
• But with those toys, make sure there is an "off" button before buying. Cati's Mickey airplane has no off button that I can find and hearing a Mickey remix at 8am because Cati is in a -push-that-button-over-and-over-again phase is not always the best way to start the day.
• There will be no shortage of opinions and judgments from random women. I wish there was a mute button in those instances.
• Yes my daughter looks like my husband. Yes she looks like his mother. Please, please, please don't say that my daughter is really my mother-in-law's daughter and I just carried her. Not funny then, not funny now, not funny ever.
• I knew Cati would change a lot during the first year but I didn't expect her to look like a completely different baby. I know I shouldn't but sometimes I look at her newborn photos and wonder how I could have considered her so cute when she's so much cuter now. Love is so blind!
• Speaking of cuteness, babies are lucky they are cute because I don't know how they would survive some of the things they do if it weren't for their cuteness factor. "Oh gross! You spat up on me. But wait! Look at that smile you just gave me! Awww!" That doesn't work with an adult.
• I would love to shove the "nap while they nap" words down the throat of the person who originated them. Am I the only one that found it nearly impossible to do this in the first few months? Is it because I had to do a lot on my own so nap time was really catch-up-on-everything-else time? 
• There are moments where I really hate Alex (how can he sleep through the cries?!) and there are moments where I really love him (hide-and-seek are best with him). Motherhood has simultaneously made me appreciate and expect more of him. It has also showed me that I need to be very specific and vocal with my wants and needs.
• I never knew baby clothes could be so cute and addictive. I love to shop for Cati and sometimes I wish I could magnify her clothes so it can fit me. Downside? I would rather shop for her than myself so while Cati is always stylish and put together I'm almost always a mess. I need to learn to invest a little bit more in myself.
• Thank God there are no allergies in the family because I sucked with the 3-day rule.
• One of the biggest issues has been understanding that while Cati is my daughter she is also very important to others whether it be because she is the first granddaughter or first niece. Her firsts are firsts for everyone too.
• I'm so sensitive as a mother. I cry so easily that I'm afraid my tear ducts are broken. Part of what makes me emotional is lamenting bringing such a wonderful little human into a world that contains people capable of causing such devastating harm.
• Motherhood means trusting yourself, trusting the instincts of your baby, and letting go. You have to trust that you know best, trust that your baby knows what it does or doesn't want, and let go of that need to control every little thing.
• The farther away from being pregnant and giving birth I am, the more confident and comfortable I feel as a woman. I created life, carried and sustained it, and, once out of me, have nurtured it. It's hard work, empowering, and utterly amazing.  
• No matter how much alone time I have spent with Cati there are still days where I'm scared of it being just the two of us.
• Are you sure this baby isn't on loan?
• I'm still amazed the hospital let me bring this perfect creature home. They never saw any credentials. Didn't they know I had no experience?
• I didn't think I'd survive and I did. I didn't think Cati would and she did. The reality is I am a lot stronger than I thought and Cati isn't as fragile as I assumed her to be.
• Never has the saying "the days are long but the years are short" been so true.
• They say it take nine months to gain the weight and nine months to lose it. I think a more accurate statement is "it takes nine months to grow a baby and nine months to rediscover yourself after the baby is born." Granted, my nine months after coincided with the end of my breastfeeding journey, but it was at this time that I started feeling more like myself and more like a person that is more than just "Cati's mom."
• Which leads to daily proclamations of "Oh my God, I'm somebody's mother" and when I'm feeling particularly jolly "I'm somebody's baby momma" and "I got a baby daddy!"
• I was not one of those women who was instantly in love with motherhood and that's ok. I loved my daughter from the beginning and it was that love that kept me moving but I didn't start to truly and enjoy motherhood until much later.
• There is nothing wrong with walking away from a crying baby when you need a minute or two to compose yourself so you don't lose your temper. 
• You know you're a mom...when you've been pooped, spat, peed, thrown up, and drooled on. When you put more pressure on yourself to be the "right" type of mom when all that matters is being the "best" kind to your specific child. When you feel guilty over not breast feeding, making baby food, etc. When you worry 24/7 about every single little thing, even things you can't control. When taking a shower seems like a huge accomplishment. When you have 10 pictures of almost the same thing and then proceed to show every one of them to anyone willing to see them. When poop becomes a normal topic of conversation. When you can pick boogies without flinching. When you try foods you never liked all for the sake of knowing what foods you were giving your baby. When you would rather spend money on the baby even though you desperately need new bras, clothes, hair cut, highlights, etc. When you look at your child and see yourself in him or her and realize that you have played a huge role in helping him or her develop into a little human being. When you are finally willing to give your life for another person. When you love someone at first sight without knowing what kind of person he or she will be. When you love someone unconditionally even if he or she doesn't let you sleep and does all sorts of bodily functions on you. Most importantly, you know you're a mom when a little person out there calls out "mama" and means you.

Now it's your turn: how did you know you were a mother?

Dessert Table Sweet: Brownies

Here's the last of the desserts I made for the dessert table. Who doesn't love brownies? Especially ones as chocolaty and fudgy as these? This is my favorite brownie recipe because they have the right balance of crunchy topping and chewy everything else.. I promise you pictures of the entire table are coming up soon

Other dessert tables sweets include Oreo Truffles, Apple Pie Pops, Chocolate Chip Cookies, S'mores Pops, and M&M Cookies.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Source: PheMom here


6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces coarsely chopped good-quality bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a buttered 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, allowing 2 inches to hang over sides. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside.

Put butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until butter and chocolate are melted. Let cool slightly.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; set aside.

Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until pale, about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out brownies; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

The Cake Slice: Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake

This month's cake for The Cake Slice was an interesting cake. I think this is the first real “coffee cake" I have ever made with actual coffee in the batter. I usually omit or make recipes that don't call for coffee but this cake intrigued me because I wanted to know what flavor the combination of coffee and toffee created. The cake tasted like drinking a mocha with a caramel swirl. The cake was moist with a strong, but not overwhelming, coffee flavor and the toffee melted (after it sunk!!) into a delightful caramel surprise in the midst of coffe-flavored cake.

Make sure to stop by the Blogroll to see all the other cakes baked up this month. 

Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake
Source: Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman

For the Cake
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk


For the Streusel
1 cup/4 Heath bars (1.4ounces each), chopped *(see below)
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp butter, softened

Method – Streusel
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9inch round springform pan.

Combine the Heath bars, brown sugar, flour and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Work the mixture with your fingers until it resembles large crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Method – Cake
Combine the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

With the mixer on low speed, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and then half the milk, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Repeat, alternating the flour and milk, ending with the flour.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with a spatula. Scatter the streusel onto the batter, distributing it evenly over the cake.

Bake the cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom to onto a wire rack. Cool completely, cut into wedges and serve.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Styling C: 02.17.11 to 02.20.11

Thursday, 02.17.11

The Look: Baby in Pink
The Outfit: Gap striped pink jumper

Friday, 02.18.11

The Look: Pink and Chic

The Outfit: First Impressions pink rosette dress and leggings


Saturday, 02.19.11

The Look: Ortho Baby

The Outfit: "Peace Love Ortho" onesie, Cherokee khaki shorts, Payless pink shoes

Sunday, 02.20.11

The Look: Miami Casual

The Outfit: Old Navy striped green top, Gap pink pants

 

This Week in Mommyhood

I decided to keep doing these weekly letters. It's a great way for me to remember all the little things I found special and to keep you guys updated on my motherhood journey. Each week is more special than the last and I don't want to forget a thing.

Cati is obsessed with bubbles. We introduced them to her a few weeks back and she quickly caught on to what they were and how to make them happen. Last week she would grab the bottle and blow when she wanted bubbles. This week she actually says "bubble" when she gets the bottle! She still blows and brings us the bubbles but it's amazing how quickly she catches on to things.

I haven't been putting bows in her hair for a while now because as soon as she feels something in her hair, she grabs it, pulls it out, and either hands it to me or tries to put it in my hair (heart melts!). The only way I can get bows to stay is if she doesn't notice me putting one on, which is very difficult. Her distaste for bows has spread to her socks. I like to keep her in socks around the house; she likes to be barefoot every second she gets. The funny thing is that she will pull them off and then try to put them back on but when I put them on she yanks them right off.

Cati had her 12-month appointment this week and Alex was amazed by her. Not only is she weighing 22 lbs and is 30" long, but she also takes vaccinations like a champ. Alex held her arms down (she didn't fight back) and she watched as the needle went in and came out. She had a delayed reaction and cried after the needle was already out, but that's it. At her last appointment she did the same thing and I was amazed at how intrigued she was by the needle. If that were me, I would have turned away, said my ABCs, and asked someone to hold my hand.

Cati got her first cold! At first, I thought it was a reaction to the vaccines but then Alex and I got sick too. Luckily, the cold for her was short lived and it was two days of a runny nose and tossing and turning at night. Other than seeing boogies ooze out of her nose and trouble sleeping, you would have never known she was sick because of how active and playful she was. She's such a little trooper.

I've given Cati her spoon in the past but this week I gave her the fork to try out. She understood that food went on the fork but didn't have the coordination to actually do it. I would fork little pieces of chicken nugget onto the fork and she would then move the fork to her mouth. The really impressive thing was that after a few times of me doing this, she tried to do it too. Again, she's catching on so quickly to things that I am constantly reminder of her growing status.

Cati turned one this past week. Valentine's Day in our house was spent celebrating her birthday. My mother-in-law brought her a little cheesecake cupcake and Cati had some with her dinner. I think I am going to give her cheesecake for her birthday every year now as a new tradition. There were no tears or moments of sadness. My daughter turned one and she's so amazing now that all I want to do is look forward to the days where I can braid her hair, hear about her day, cuddle with her, and share mommy-daughter secrets.

Dessert Table Sweet: M&M Cookies

I made one other cookie for the dessert table and it was these M&M cookies. These cookies always seem to be a popular type of cookie and they add a bit of fun and color. Luckily for me, M&Ms had special Valentine's Day candies and I was able to get two packs of dark pink, light pink, and white (and red) for less than the price I would have paid for a single bag of pink M&Ms.

Other dessert tables sweets include Oreo Truffles, Apple Pie Pops, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and S'mores Pops.

M&M Cookies
Source: Beantown Baker (here)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups M&M’s, divided
1 cup chopped pecans (I omitted)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.

Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3/4 cup M&Ms and all the nuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Press 5-6 of remaining M&Ms on each cookie before baking. Bake 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Dessert Table Sweet: S'Mores Pops

Here's another "on a stick" dessert treat. I thought these S'mores Pops inspired by White on Rice Couple were going to be hard but they were actually really easy.  It's basically dipping, rolling, sticking, and torching. It took me less than an hour from start to finish to create 40 of these pops. Like I did with the Oreo Truffles, I added a bit of butter and corn syrup to make the chocolate thinner and easier for dipping.

Other dessert tables sweets include Oreo Truffles, Apple Pie Pops, and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

S'Mores Pops
Source: White on Rice Couple and Gimme Some Oven

4-6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp corn syrup
40 large marshmallows
About 5 graham crackers processed into crumbs (~ 3/4 cups)
Lollipop sticks

Combine the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a double boiler or medium bowl set over a saucepan containing simmering water. Place cracker crumbs in a bowl and keep close to the chocolate mixture.

By hand dip a marshmallow into the chocolate, covering half. Then, roll in graham cracker crumbs and set on a cooling rack. Repeat with every single marshmallow.

Push a stick through the center of the marshmallow. The chocolate should have had enough time to harden a bit. Place the marshmallow pop in a cup that's been filled with dry rice or beans; this helps to keep it in an upright position so you can torch the top.

Torch the marshmallow on the low setting to desired crispness, making sure to blow out any flare ups.

Serve and enjoy!

Note: I made the S'mores Pops the Thursday before the party and they were still crispy and chocolaty.