Playing, Loving & Surviving the Games of Motherhood
It might be cold out side, but mommy still needs to get in her run! There’s only so many treadmill miles you can log before the monotony starts to get old. So let’s talk about how to keep your little ones comfy and warm while you get your miles in outside.
I love apple desserts. They are just so homey and comforting. This is a great cake to make for the holidays because it’s super versatile. It would be a great snack for unexpected guest, a fabulous dessert with a dollop of whipped cream, or a sweet breakfast when the urge strikes. The batter is super thick, almost like dough, so when it bakes up it’s super moist and will stay that way for days. The addition of the glaze give it an extra special kick. And it makes full 13 x 9 in. pan’s worth, so you can feed a lot of people with minimal effort.
I’m having so much fun looking at all the scrumptious holiday recipes online, I don’t think there will be enough time to make it all! What is on your “Must Make” list for the holidays?
Ladies, is your husband/boyfriend as hard to buy for as mine? Then this is my early Christmas gift to you. I asked my sweet husband to write about his favorite gifts – ones that he thought all guys would love and that women wouldn’t necessarily consider. He came up with this amazing post, and I think it will give you some great ideas for your holiday shopping! Here’s Brad…
The only question in this world I think the internet can’t answer is – What should I get my wife for Christmas? If you don’t believe me try googling the words “best gift idea for wife/husband” and after your 20th page of useless items on Red Envelope you will know what I’m talking about.
As I mentioned earlier this week, we had a really wonderful Thanksgiving this year. There was a lot of hoopla trying to get everyone to the streets to see the Macy’s parade (which conveniently takes place right outside our apartment), so there wasn’t a whole lot of time to do some serious cooking. We decided to skimp on the mains and ordered the turkey and ham, then my mom, grandma, and myself split up the sides and desserts. In the end it was perfect – a very relaxed but beautiful meal. The main point was to be together and for my dad to see the parade, which has been a long time bucket list item for him. Although it’s super crazy crowded, we hit the streets early (6!) and had a great spot. Brandon especially loved the marching bands and balloons. In fact, that’s the first thing he mentions when he wakes up now. Sorry kid – there’s a while to go before the next one!
Happy Monday! We are still getting back to normal around here, after celebrating our first Thanksgiving in NYC. Although I’m going on 8 years in NYC, we’ve always hightailed it out of here around the holidays to go and visit family. This year we were lucky enough to have family come to us. I will put up some pictures and recipes from our Thanksgiving table later this week, but I wanted to quickly share this awesome way to use up your leftovers. This soup is a fantastic way to utilize a leftover ham bone. My mom makes it after nearly every holiday, and my husband especially loves it. It’s super easy and delicious. If you have additional ham left on the bone, it will just fall off into the soup, making it even more yummy (and probably salty, so watch how much you add). Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
With the holidays quickly approaching, you undoubtedly will be inundated with lots of festive cookies. I love a good Christmas cookie as much as the next person, but I thought I would change it up a bit and instead give you my go-to cookie recipe. I have made these amazing peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies more times than I can count. Frequently, they’re made post dinner when that hankering for something sinful sets in. There simply is no better cravings cure than chocolate and peanut butter. The trick, and this applies to almost every cookie out there, is not to over bake them. I’m sure you will love this recipe just as much as I do. And hey, the diet doesn’t start until Jan. 1st anyways, right?
This is the kind of meal you need in your life. Just the kind of thing you want to eat when it’s chilly outside. Earmark this one for when you are all turkeyed out in a few weeks, but still want something warm and satisfying. Feel free to use whatever kind of sausage you like – spicy if that’s your style, but in our house we stick with sweet Italian to appease the younger appetites (and we tend to be wimps where spice is concerned). The leftovers will be perfect to stick in your freezer or share with your (sure to be very appreciative) neighbors!
This has been an interesting month for Rylan. He’s had constant cold like symptoms for the majority of the month, which has thrown him off a bit. It’s left him congested and not wanting to eat as much as he normally would. He’s still been really happy, but had more fussy moments than ever before. I finally took him to the doctor and they said he was totally clear, so I’m attempting to resume our normal life of play dates and gym/church nursery visits (I’m a crazy stickler for not bringing your sick kid around others – my attempt to put out good mommy karma).
