Wordless Wednesday - Goofing Around

We didn't do much over the weekend.  Sunday, Evie and I went on a shopping excursion to escape M's football bonanza.  Other than that, we just spent the day goofing around.  I love relaxing weekends.  :)

Trying on snow pants.  We're supposed to get 1 - 2" today. 
I love Wisconsin, really, I do. 

I'm ready for my close-up!

Posing for the camera...as usual.

Mom, I can do it...let me have the camera!!

No, really.  Give me the camera. 

Baking Wonderful-ness

I have been baking up a storm lately. I think it's just this time of year that puts me in the mood to bake.  In the last three weeks, I've made Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing, two loaves of banana bread, a loaf of bread in the bread machine, rhubarb muffins, and this weekend, my project was Cookie Dough Brownies.

I should have written about the "red" velvet brownies as another baking disaster.  I ran out of red food coloring, so I just put in all of the colors that I had.  They turned out a sort of greenish-black.  M said they looked "like calf shit...and I don't know if the calf was healthy."  Of course, he was raised on a farm and would know what that looked like.  I just took his word for it.  Food coloring doesn't affect the taste, and they were wonderful!!  (Bad blogger...I didn't take pictures!)

The cookie dough brownies, which I found through a crafty/recipe blog hop, turned out great!!  As I'm typing this, I'm biting into my 19384745756th brownie since I made them yesterday.  They took a little effort to make, but it was TOTALLY worth it.  ;)

That's right, they have a layer of brownie on the bottom, a layer of cookie dough (no eggs, totally safe), and then a chocolate glaze on top.

M and I have finished off half the pan since yesterday afternoon.  I'm a little ashamed of us, but it's getting closer to the holidays, and calories don't count during the holidays, right!?!?!?

Oh well, I'll bring some to school tomorrow to spread my caloric intake to others.  Teachers are like vultures for sweets.

Here's the recipe for anyone else who wants to participate in some pre-holiday gluttony with me!!

Found at Chef in Training

COOKIE DOUGH BROWNIES

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1-1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Glaze:

• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cups walnuts, optional

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and blend well.  Add vanilla, salt, cocoa, and flour.  Don't over-beat.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Cool completely.

For filling, in a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light & fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Spread over brownies (works best to just press out with clean hands.); chill until firm.

For glaze, in a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until smooth. Spread over filling. Immediately sprinkle with nuts, pressing down slightly.

Let glaze harden before cutting in.

Football Widow? No, I have a child to distract me.

I saw this in the paper today, and I couldn't help but relate.

"Real Life Adventures" Comic Strip from 11/5/11

 M loves football.  It goes beyond the usual "fan" and become fanaticism.  He will watch any game, big or small, whether or not he cares about the teams.  He likes some teams better than others (Miami and *obviously* Wisconsin for college teams, and Philadelphia and Green Bay for NFL), but overall as long as it's football, he'll watch it.  

Most of the time, this doesn't bother me.  Before I married him I knew that I would not have control of the remote from the Saturday morning ESPN Gameday coverage through the Monday night football game.  But some days....aaaarrrrrgggghhh!!!

It's become a joke between us and our families that I'm technically single from late August through early February.    My brother-in-law even got me this as a gift for Christmas when he had my name a few years ago.

It's a decorative throw pillow.
BARF!!!

On days like today, when I'd rather slowly drive a dull pencil into my eye socket than watch even one more play, it's nice to have a child around to distract me.  It was a gorgeous day outside, so Evie and I took a long walk with the dog.  I also caved and gave her one of her Christmas presents.  (She'll never know that today isn't Christmas.  ;)  Right??)

Crayola Adventure Dome Child Kids Play Tunnel Tent Giga...

I really just wanted to see her play in it, and M wasn't around to stop me.  She loved it!  Tomorrow, while M is watching MORE football, Evie and I are going shopping.  She needs some news shoes for winter, and I need some new sunglasses because she broke my last pair.

I'm sure we'll have another fun mommy/daughter day!!

Am I just expecting too much?

Like most working moms, I feel an immense amount of guilt about leaving my daughter at daycare each day.  I bring Evie to a woman's house (we'll call her "Mary Poppins") each day.  While she is there, there are also two other kids full time (a girl who is almost 2 and a boy is almost 3). There is a little boy who is 3 1/2 who is in preschool some days and at Mary's house the other days, and another little girl who just turned 5 who is only there half days after 4K.  Evie LOVES being around the other kids.  Many of them are the children of other teachers that I work with, which is nice too. 

Ms. Poppins is very caring and loving with all of the kids, but I never know how feel about some of the things that she says.  I just can't read her, and it makes me wonder about what is going on all day with all of those kids.  I wonder if they watch too much TV (I know Nick Jr is on most of the day).  I wonder if Evie was in the Exersaucer too much and that's why she didn't crawl until she was over 11 months old.  I wonder if Mary is giving her enough love and attention. 

Do all mothers feel this way about  leaving their child in someone else's care?  Do I just expect too much?

Some days when I pick up Evie, little things confirm that icky feeling in my stomach too.  Last week Tuesday Evie had a little scratch under her eye.  I didn't even notice it, but Mary mentioned that she had had a boo boo earlier in the day.  Because she brought it up, I asked what happened.  (Very nonchalantly, I honestly didn't mean to be accusatory...kids fall down and get bumps and bruises, especially kids like Evie that are mastering the art of walking.)  Her response caught me off guard.  She said, "I don't know."   There was no elaboration at all, just an awkward pause before I said, "Oh, well kids get bumps and bruises.  No biggie." 

Many people probably would just switch daycares if they felt even slightly uneasy, but there are several reasons that I stay with her.  The biggest reason is that Evie always seems happy to go to Mary's house.  She is so excited to see Mary and the other kids that she practically falls out of my arms on the way into the house each morning.  If Mary was really doing a bad job, she wouldn't be that happy, right?

I know that Evie is not in any danger.  I know that Mary is a very capable caregiver.  I know how much Evie loves the other kids there.  I think (like M said at the beginning of the school year) I just won't be happy unless I'm the one taking care of her all day.

Only 7 more months until summer...

Wordless Wednesday - Halloween

Monday wasn't Evie's first Halloween, but it was the first Halloween that she went trick-or-treating....sort of.  We walked around the neighborhood and stopped at the houses of the neighbors that we know better.  We went to 4 houses total. 

Evie was so excited to see all of the other kids in their costumes.  She didn't want to walk with us, she just wanted to say hi to everyone.  It was so cute!   We had so much fun!

I had to add my favorite picture from her 1st Halloween.