Week 4 Whip It Up!

So this weeks theme is Healthy Favorites. I was going to share a great sounding Weight Watcher's Recipe, but its been a crazy week and I never go around to making it. However, I did manage to make the Best.Chocolate.Chip.Cookies.Ever! Not kidding. How's that for not doing the assignment correctly? Tuesday was a cruddy day. It was 68 degrees and overcast, with the occasional drizzle. Not perfect July weather if you ask me. It was more like October. So to cheer everyone up, I made these homemade cookies from a recipe in my Amish Cookbook, Home Aromas with the Habegger's. This cookbook is wonderful! Even my husband says it makes for great reading.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

6 oz. Chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until creamy. Add chips and dry ingredients; mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

These cookies were not only super easy to make, but they came out perfectly. I've always had issues with my cookie baking. I can never get my cookies to stay "fluffy" and soft. They usually sink and get crumbly. Not these. The cookies stayed soft for days! I made 30, and still had a good chunk of dough left over, so I wrapped it in plastic wrap and froze it, now I have some handy for the last minute parties at school. My husband used the last 4 cookies to make us some ice cream sandwich's and they were wonderful.







Enjoy!

Guilty Pleasures

Its week 2 of Whip It Up!

I had the opportunity to try out lots of new recipes this week on my in-laws because we went on our annual 4th of July family trip to Bennett Springs. I was instructed to bring a snack/side dish and dessert. I really wanted to try Peanut Buster Bars, but my MIL doesn't like the combo of peanuts and chocolate (I know! Who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate?) so I opted to try Miss Daisy's Cherry Salad.



Ingredients:

1. 8 0z container of thawed Cool Whip ( I used light)
2. 1 can of cherry pie filling (I used the 19 oz can)
3. 1 can of pineapple chunks (next time I'm going to use crushed)
4. 3/4 of a can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (I used the whole can, I didn't want to waste it)
5. 1/2 cup of Pecans or Walnuts ( I would suggest crushing the nuts, and I used 2 cups because we like our things nutty, like us)

Chill for at least 1 hour (I made mine the day before we left, and then we didn't even eat it for 2 more days)



Forgive me because I keep forgetting to take pictures of the finished product before its consumed.



But I will tell you that this was delicious! Its an odd color of pink, and the pineapple juice makes it smell funny, but once you get past that it is so scrumptious. I started out eating just a bowl full, but then my MIL brought out an angel food cake and we scooped it over that and it was soo yummy! And very light, not too rich.

Whip it Up 2009

I decided to participate in the Whip It Up Challenge, 2009. I don't even remember how I found out about it. Blog stalking I guess. I'm probably going to come to regret this. I don't cook that well, or often for that matter. And I am definitely not creative. But with James working late hours now, I'm not going to go out to eat with a 2 year old in tow, so I might as well cook. And as a personal challenge (because I really needed one!) I'm going to be looking for recipes that are Weight Watcher Friendly and LeftOver Friendly. Since James'll be eating everything 2 or more hours after I make it.

Week 1 Recipe:

From my Handy Dandy FREE Jiffy Cookbook

Mexican Corn Bake

• 1 pkg Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 1/4 C. flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C. milk
• 2 tbsp Chili Powder (unless you are using something from Penzey's Spices, then only use half)
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes (didn't have any, oops!)
• 1 can, 15 oz, Chili (I used a 19oz can instead)
• 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, grease 13" x9" pan
2. Combine muffin mix, flour, egg, milk chili powder and parsley flakes, blending well. on floured surface, knead dough 10-15 times until dough becomes soft and easy to handle. Press dough into bottom of prepared pan. Spread chili over crust and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes. Cut into squares. Let sit 10 minutes and serve.

Makes 9-12 Servings (I made mine into 12)

And in case you were keeping score, that doesn't seem very WW friendly does it? The total dish has 60 points, 5 points per serving. I ate two.

Today

It rained upside down. How is that possible you ask? I'm not really sure. All I know is my cube neighbor is upset that his shoes are soaked through and his socks are wet. I offered him my women's size 7 gym socks. I don't even think it would cover his toes.
I had a meeting in another building. I was smart enough to grab an umbrella before I left. It didn't help. Because it was raining upside down. Never mind the fact that I walking under an overhang, with an umbrella. I'm still wet. Wearing Capri's and a short sleeve sweater in June seems like a good idea. Unless it rains upside down and is 60 degrees and windy.

30 is the new 20 right?

Please say yes.

Things I accomplished before I was 30:

1. Graduated from College
2. Bought a house, well kind of. My husband owns it.
3. Got Married
4. Graduated with an MBA
5. Had a baby
6. Lost 40 lbs (that wasn't baby weight)

Things to accomplish before I turn 40:

1. Lose 40 more pounds
2. Have another baby
3. Go to nursing school
4. Sell my current house, buy a newer one with more bathrooms! And a garage. That I can park in.
5. Go on a cruise
6. Become debt free

Long story short...

May 19th 2009

James, Kristin and Lillian May 21st, 2008

Lillian Kimberly Wear was born at 7:14am on May 21st 2007. She weighed 6 lbs 4.5 oz and was 19 inches long.

She has been the happiest, joyful, exuberant, perfect child anyone could have asked for. Other than a trick elbow and the occasional trip to the ER for dehydration she hasn't given us any trouble. She was slow to learn to walk, 19 months old! But she can talk a blue streak, says perfect sentences, like "Go Away Mommy" and " No Clock Mommy" (that means no alarm, no wake up), is already sleeping in her big girl bed, and can drive. Her pink Barbie Jeep that is.

(Her 1st B-day May 21st, 2008, picture courtesy of Peters Photography)

Happy 2nd Birthday Lily Belle! Mommy and Daddy love you to pieces! Here is to many more years of kisses and hugs and you crawling in our bed at 3am to sleep.

Lily and her birthday Rose Bush- planted May 12th, 2007

On Tuesday we had Lily's 2nd b-day pictures taken by Rebecca Peters of Peters Photograhy. The top picture is a sneak peak!

Tomorrow is my 30th Birthday. I am mourning the loss of my 20's as we speak. Thank goodness for good work friends who come bearing Connie's Cookies!

2 years ago today

My water broke. I honestly thought I peed my pants. I was an uncomfortable 9 months and 3 weeks pregnant and my due date was in 4 days. When we left to go to the hospital I figured they'd send us right back home. We stopped at Panera on the way for a little breakfast. It was a lazy Sunday morning. I think our only plans had been to go to church that day. Not spend all day in the hospital in labor.
But when we got there the litmus paper turned pink and they said "yep, water broke, lets get you all hooked up". And there we were. May 20th. I thought that's fun, her birthday will be 2 days before mine instead of 2 days after. What I didn't know was that it was going to be 22 more hours before she was born.
I hadn't really had any contractions at this point. Maybe one or two that weren't uncomfortable and for the most part I didn't notice. We called my aunt that lives here in KC, then my parents and sister so they could start their 4 hour drive in from St. Louis, and my in-laws who are also here in KC. By 1pm I still wasn't having contractions and they ordered pitocin. Side note to all who are pregnant with their first child- run for the hills when they mention pitocin. Awful stuff. And I know I am not the only one that feels that way.
By 3pm I had watched how to lose a guy in 10 days, was part way through a baseball game and my contractions were so bad and one on top of the other with no breaks that I was begging, begging for anything. They gave me stadol and the nurse decreased the level of pitocin so I was a bit relieved, even though I could now see two of everything. By the time my parents arrived I was coming down off my high and getting ready to get the blessed epidural. Did you know those things have a self medicating button? I had everyone counting down the minutes until my next dose.
But at midnight the clocked rolled over to the 21st and no baby. I had now been in labor for 15 hours in a hospital bed the whole time. And I could still feel every bit of those contractions. At one point James says to me "you're doing great honey, you hang in there" and through gritted teeth I replied "where else am I going to go?"
to be continued...