Is it a Muffin or a Cupcake?

Last week was M's birthday and though I didn't do a big celebration, we celebrated in our own little way with lots of cupcakes. For some reason, I was doggedly determined to bake M his own cake from scratch. There's something very sweet and loving about the idea, especially since I skipped his first birthday celebration completely! I guess I am trying to make it up to him.

So, within a period of two weeks, I tried out a few recipes, having rarely baked anything from scratch. No, not even cookies! I've made candy-like toffee and truffles and cakes from a box, but nothing that really requires sifting. I remember asking our friend Keri, a sublime baker, from Forever Folding Laundry, about butter in her delicious chocolate pumpkin recipe. "When it indicates butter in a recipe, does it mean salted or unsalted?!" (Just in case you're a novice baker like myself, the answer is unsalted, unless indicated otherwise.)

My first batch of cupcakes ever, blueberry lemon cupcakes (doesn't that sound light and refreshing and summery?!) tasted good, but everyone kept asking me if I had made muffins or cupcakes. Aside from frosting, what's the difference, really?

For my first try, I have to say, the frosting was exceptional; though I did cut the recommended sugar used in the frosting by at least half. I don't like my cake and frosting too sweet and, honestly, I could simply eat the frosting all by itself!!

Here's the link these delicious Blueberry Lemon Muffcake (you like that?!) recipe:

Not wanting to ever confuse the cupcake and muffin again, I decided that chocolate cupcakes would be the best way to make the distinction. Forget the light and summery fresh cupcake - go for the decadent indulgence of chocolate.

For my recipe, I followed Ina Garten's wonderful Beatty's Chocolate Cake recipe. It is the best cupcake recipe and, best of all, it was a super easy recipe. It had everyone in our family asking for more, even though I made over 45 cupcakes for 20 people!

Beatty's Cake recipe courtesy of Ina Garten and the Food Network:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line with cupcake pans with cupcake paper.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes.

Thuy's notes: This recipe yielded about 24 cupcakes. For other beginner bakers out there, buttermilk is usually something I don't always have on hand so I simply add a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes. In many baking recipes, you can also just use plain yogurt or sour cream instead of buttermilk.

Also, the cupcake mix will seem incredibly thin and runny after adding the coffee, but it's absolutely normal. This is why the cupcake is so moist.

Ina's recipe called for a chocolate buttercream frosting. Because I didn't want too much chocolate on a chocolate cupcake, I used my first recipe's frosting to create a lighter tasting cupcake. The result was phenomenal! The combination of the light cream cheese frosting and the chocolate was perfect.

Thuy's Frosting:

1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted (add more to your taste)
squeeze of fresh lemon juice


As evidenced by M's happy face, this cupcake was a huge hit! As for me, I think I've got the cupcake bug now...Next cupcake recipe to try will be a red velvet cupcake. Yum!!

If you have any favorite cupcake recipes, please share because I've got to feed my new addiction for cupcakes!

-Thuy

Stay Cool with Bleeding Art

Keeping cool in the summer is not much of a challenge here in San Francisco. Our summers are mildly warm at best. My biggest obstacle this summer is keeping my 20 month old's attention.

As a young girl growing up in the heat, my mom always provided us with fun activities to keep us occupied and keep us cool. One of my all time favorite activities was tissue spray art. Because I didn't possess a natural proclivity toward art nor a high tolerance for heat, tissue spray art was great as it forced me to be creative and the spray bottle wars with my sister were always memorable. The spray bottle wars momentarily thwarted my incessant whining about the heat, and overall gave my mom a much need break from us kids.

Here’s what you’ll need:

A spray bottle, newspaper, tissue paper, and plain white paper.

***Be sure to buy bleeding art tissue paper otherwise this project will not work***

Begin by lightly spraying your piece of paper with some water. Next, tear up your tissue paper into smaller pieces and lay on the plain white paper.


Continue to lightly spray your paper so the tissue paper will stick. The more water you add the more the tissue will begin to bleed it's colors.


Emi really enjoyed this project and could now get a job for a pest control company, as she is an excellent sprayer.

Have a snack and let your paper dry in the sun.


When the tissue has dried, peel off the tissue and throw away. Voila! You now have a great background/book report cover/greeting card/picture frame/whatever you want, made by your little one!


To check out more ideas on how to beat the heat this summer with your kids, be sure to head over to Carissa's Good N Crazy blog. Her tips and ideas are a must read!

-Kacey

***The aforementioned bleeding tissue paper was mistakenly not purchased by my loving husband, so I'm borrowing a photo from this lovely site.

Bathroom Occupied

My poor blog partners have been stepping in for me, because, frankly, I've been a bit occupied. For over three weeks, my mind have been focused on nothing but grout, grout color, tile pattern, and toilet and fixture selection. Remodeling when you're trying to be your own designer is exhausting, especially when I lack style or worse yet, confidence in my choices. I get easily paralyzed by all the choices out there. That's why I turn to Costco.com for some of my stuff, including this fabulous sink.

First, I have to tell you, our house is 102 years old, but the previous owners remodeled it in the early 80s and removed all the charm of homes of that era. Since we've moved in, we have been trying to restore a bit of that charm to our house, as well as modernize it along the way. Here's a peak into one of the dirtiest/cleanest room in our house. :)

Before: Ugly vanity and narrow bathtub

Before: The slippery tile and no room for dirty laundry

We were trying to empty our bathroom contents when we took this picture. That's why it's so messy. Yep, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

After: The bathroom looks so much bigger

After: A place to throw the dirty laundry in

Every remodeling project from, the kitchen to our new bathroom, involve copious amounts of subway tile. I love them, can't you tell?!

One funny thing about this bathroom remodel was that I was at the plumbing store A LOT. Seriously, almost every weekend. It took us a bit of time to shop for a toilet because I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do at the plumbing store. There was a row of 30 toilets and aside from assessing them for aesthetics and water conservation, how was I supposed to pick a toilet? I wanted to sit on the porcelain throne and try out the seat...you know...for comfort, but no one else seemed to be doing it that way. When I did finally try to test out a few of them, the salespeople gave me a weird look and a few people smiled politely and looked away, as if they were interrupting me. (You know you want to test it too, people!) I finally just picked a dual flush Toto toilet (I highly recommend the dual flush) and when it arrived, I again immediately tested the seat in the privacy of my own home. Much to my relief, the seat proved durable, clean, and comfortable. Whew!

I hope you enjoy the little tour of little bathroom. Happy 4th of July to you and your family!

-Thuy

Talent Discovered

This morning’s topic on Yo Gabba Gabba! was talent. Apparently, everyone has one according to DJ Lance Rock.


It got me thinking…what is my talent? Starting projects and not finishing them, check. Shopping online, check. Eating candy, check. Wrighting, cshek. Don’t judge me.

Around 3:32 PM it hit me. My talent, without a doubt, is procrastinating. I’m SO very talented at putting things off. If procrastinating were a sporting event, I’d get first place every time…or would it be last pace? I have a loooooonnnngg list of things I’m supposed to be “getting done” this summer. Consolidating Emi’s clothes, organizing my school stuff, taking things to goodwill, potty training (not me), and the list goes on and on. So far, I’ve been able to cross the most important item off the list - that being getting the satellite dish fixed. How else am I going to learn how to cook Italian food if I can’t watch Francesca’s favorite, Giada, on the Food Network? How will I know what fashion is current if I don’t have access to The Real Housewives of New Jersey?


If I could get my act together I would most definitely want to be as organized as Tsh Oxenreider, the mastermind behind Simple Mom. To say she is a planner is to say Michael Jackson is peculiar. I stumbled upon her great blog while I was putting off preparing dinner. You really have to check out her organizational tips that are free to download from the resource section on her blog.


Perhaps if I used one of these nifty pages each day they’d keep me in line.

Ooh! I just thought of another one of my talents – idea stealing.

-Kacey

The Best Form of Flattery

When Francesca asked me to share a creative project that I had done during "We Heart Art" week, I broke out in a cold sweat. I've been tossing and turning for the past couple of nights now thinking about what the heck am I going to show. Truth is, I don't know how it happened, but I was born without any creative genes. A true medical anomaly. I've been wrestling with this disorder my entire life; they really should give me a handicap sticker for this condition.

The best way that I deal with this condition is by imitating all the wonderful artists out there on the web, including one of mine and Kacey's favorite artist, Lorena Simonovich of Petit Collage. I adore all her whimsical and adorable collages and always wished I could create them myself. Well, when I saw Lorena on Martha's show last month, I was ecstatic that she was willing to share how she does her beautiful collages. Not only that, but she also shared three of her easy templates. Sweet!!

I just picked up the supplies to start my collage yesterday and can't wait to get started...though, if I don't succeed (with my condition, I regularly suffer from shortness of breath, perception issues, and poor cutting skills), I can always buy Lorena's beautiful work. Those who can't craft, buy.

If you're afflicted like me, stop by Petit Collage and use the discount code "martha" to get 15% off of your order. Is saving money an art because if that's the case, I'm quite an artiste, non?!

-Thuy

For the Love of a Fairy

Although we are not officially revealing the prizes for the We Heart Art carnival until tomorrow, we thought it would be fun to provide a sneak peek at one of the prizes created especially for kids. Wendy from Green Girl Art, an artist in her own right, has generously crafted and donated a fairy door.

So, what is a fairy door, you might ask? Having never heard of this before, I asked Wendy. She explained that a fairy door is a portal to the world where fairies live; a magic door that allows fairies to travel between our world and theirs.

This door is perfect for imagination play between you and your kids. Although the door never opens, children can leave trinkets or their latest discovery at the fairy’s doorstep. And who knows? Maybe if you are feeling a bit creative, the fairy might even leave something for your little one to discover at the footsteps of the door.

Wendy’s idea was inspired by Jonathan B. Wright, the creator of the urban fairy locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The town hosts a number of fairy doors in locations ranging from the library, to the elementary school, to the local café.

But, why wait? In the spirit of We Heart Art, why not get to work on your own fairy door right away? Wendy will even describe how…

Supplies: Door, paint, paint brushes, sandpaper, tape, Super Glue, wood glue, old cardboard envelope, mini hand saw or x-acto knife, binder clips, push pin, and tweezers

Step One: Buy a door.
I ordered mine online from miniatures.com. Don’t forget to check your local hobby store too.

{The notes on my order say that these items are for adult collectors only. The doors are not intended for children under 14, which I am guessing is due to the small parts – so be safe!}

Step Two: Take the door off of the frame.
To do so, I used small tweezers, which were effective at pulling out the nails. There is a nail with a head on the bottom of the frame, and a headless nail at the top. Once removed, put the nails somewhere safe. I stuck them to a piece of tape because of their size.

Step Three: {optional}
I liked the idea of the door being flush with the wall, so I built out the molding on the back using a piece of balsa wood. I found the balsa wood at a hobby store. Be sure to bring the door with you when buying the wood because different styles require different depths. I purchased only one piece of wood {it was 24” long} and cut it to fit the top and two sides of the back of the door.

Step Four: {optional again}
Follow this step if you’d like to shore up the back. Cut your wood into three pieces – two for the sides & one for the top using a mini hand saw or x-acto knife. Glue the door with a little wood glue and clamp the pieces together using big binder clips. I like to have water and a paper towel handy in order to wipe down the excess glue that gets squeezed out.

Step Five:
If there is a window attached to your door, remove it and save to use as a template later. The window might be held to the door with a piece of tape. Rub off the excess adhesive with your finger. {I would not use solvent to take off the glue because I am not sure how it will react with the paint.}

Step Six: Paint the door.
I used two brushes: a 3/4” wash brush and a 3/8” angle brush. I like my brushes squared off, but, if you prefer round brushes, then by all means, go to town. You should probably avoid using paintbrushes smaller than 3/8” because the larger the brush, the less likely you are to leave brush marks.

You also want your paint to be the consistency of heavy cream; it will look better with two lighter coats, rather than one heavy coat. For paint, I recommend acrylic. It’s water based and dries pretty quickly.

Now here is where you can go wild. The color choices are endless. {It is for a fairy after all.} You can even choose a color that compliments your home, which would make the door even more of a secret. I painted my door pretty mild, choosing a green door with a white frame.

If you have a one year old getting up from his nap while you are painting, like I do, a little piece of saran wrap over your paint will keep it moist until you are able to resume working. It is usually OK to leave the paint out for at least a day. An old yogurt cup can serve as an easy-to-use paint palette. You can also use that same yogurt cup as a water container.

Keep a pushpin close by while you are working, so you can keep the ‘nail’ holes clear.

Step Seven: Sand the door.
You can do this step earlier, but I feel like the first coat of paint seals the wood, so it is best to sand after the first coat of paint. Sand the door until it feels smooth. This step actually yielded a surprise for me. I liked the way the door looked distressed, so I didn’t paint another coat.

Step Eight: Paint the door again.
For one of the doors, I was done. However, I did not like my color choice for the other door, so I changed it a bit. The white frame took three coats of paint; the green door took only two.

Step Nine: Add details to your door using super glue and tweezers.
A doorknob, doorknocker, or house address would all do the trick. Online resources have kick plates if you have a fairy that likes to wear boots, or who always has stuff in her hands and can’t bother to close the door properly. {If you order doorknobs online, then pay attention to how many you are getting – most come in packs of two.}

Use the window as a template to cut a shape out of an old cardboard mailer, if needed. You can then glue a fun piece of fabric, a photo of a park, or another shade of your door color into the window opening. Again, have fun here. Depending on how precise you cut the insert, dab a little glue onto your window and slide it in.

Step Ten: Reinsert the door into the frame using the nails you saved. Put the top headless nail in first and then the bottom nail. And there you have it!

Find a spot in your house, maybe near your own front door, the back door, or up high on a shelf, and create some excitement with your kids. A little double stick tape or some wood glue will keep the door in place.

Sew Crafty

There can only be one....winner, that is. Congratulations to Debbie of Suburb Sanity for winning three adorable Evelyn Fields bags! Hooray, Debbie!

For those of you who didn't win, don't be sad. I've got a craft challenge that will cheer you right up. It's supposed to be a simple sewing project, but I'm a real dummy when it comes to sewing. I can't even sew a straight line and would fail any sewing sobriety test miserably. No, seriously, I'm not kidding or exaggerating my lack of skillz.

The ironic thing is that I took a sewing class with one of my best friends a few years ago and after our 6 week class, I came home with the most expensive pair of flannel pajamas ever! (They were adorable though!!) However, within two washings, the pair ripped at the seams and had to be thrown out. What a waste!

Well, this time I'm really going to try and redeem myself with this challenge. By the end of this month, I hope to complete a few of these cute, reusable sandwich wraps. Okay, I'd be happy to complete one without it being torn to shreds after a few days. Gotta walk before I run, right?!

Join me, sew sisters, on this journey.

The instructions are from Kiwi Magazine by Vickie Howell.

Tip: For an even more sustainable sandwich wrapper, use vintage oilcloth (available at flea markets) and recycled buttons.

Materials:

1/2 yard oilcloth
4 large paper clips
1 hook and eye
2 buttons
1 thin hair elastic
Pinking shears
Ruler
Scissors
Sewing machine
Needle and thread

Directions:

1. Cut two 101/2" x 101/2" squares out of oilcloth.

2. Place one square on top of the other, with wrong sides facing each other (so pattern is facing outside). Slide a paper clip on each side of the square to hold pieces together as you sew.

3. Using a 1/4" seam, top stitch the two pieces together. Adjust the paper clips as you go to keep the oilcloth from sliding.

4. Trim around the edges of the sewn square with pinking shears.

5. Lay the square so that one of the corners is pointing at you, like a diamond. Fold the left and right corners toward the center so the tip of the points overlap by about 1". Repeat with the top and bottom corners to create an envelope. Run a fingernail over the edges to form a crease.

6. Open the top flaps, so that only the left and right corners are folded in. Hand-sew a hook about 1/8" inside the tip of the right corner flap. Hand-sew the eye on the left flap, leaving enough space inside for a sandwich (you can gauge this by using two pieces of bread).

7. Sew buttons on the top and bottom corner flaps, about 1 1/2" from each tip (again allowing room for a sandwich).

8. Place the hair band over the top button and pinch around the button with your fingers to create two loops. With needle and thread, tack the elastic so the top loop stays firmly around the top button and the bottom loop slips easily onto the other button.

Since you've now read all the instructions, you're in for the challenge, right? You ready to tear it up?! Ahem... I mean, sew it up?!

-Thuy

La Vie En Carnation

I love fresh flowers at home, though I am also always tortured by the impracticality of it all. I can't help but want to smell the roses every morning. Lately, like most everyone, we've been more conscious about what we spend our money on. Flowers every month from the farmer's market was the first on the list to go. It was an easy decision, but not a pretty one.

However, I had to share my pictures of the carnations that I received in a mixed bouquet from our family friend. I just took this picture this morning, three weeks after receiving these flowers! Most mixed bouquets have to be thrown out after only a few days, but these carnations have remarkably sustained their "beauty." I was one of those haters and considered carnations cheesy and cheap. But now, I have a new found respect for them. Cheap, pretty, and incredibly robust. Just like me in this economy. ;)

So, if you have a few dollars in your pocket, buy yourself a bunch of carnations to cheer up your home. Trick is, buy all one color. It makes a huge difference.

-Thuy

A Crafty Plan

If you asked my sister Mindy about my personality she would most likely say that I’m your typical first born: bossy, organized (ha!), know-it-all, and a planner. However, compared with my first born friends, Francesca and Keri, I am NOT what you might call a “planner.” They, on the other hand, both take the cake, literally, especially in Keri’s case.

This is the reason and my main motivation for starting my craft projects early. Yes, Halloween is several months away, but I’ve already found Emi’s costume, thanks to my new favorite crafting website. Just to make sure you love it as much as I do, here’s a sneak peek at what I’m working on this year to fulfill my new year’s resolution.

Not only is this cute and very appropriate for Emi (I probably won't have to use much stuffing!), but also after Halloween is over, the cookies can double as chair cushions. Hello? Can you say genius!

Emi’s birthday also happens to fall in October. This year, I would love to make her one of these photo banners.

I’m hopeful that this craft will be doable considering the fact that I will only have to make her two of the pennants for her second birthday! Baby steps, people.

Finally, after Halloween, it seems like Christmas always sneaks up on me. If I were Francesca, I’d be done with Christmas shopping in May, but sadly this is not the case. I figure that my summer might be well spent making some of these super cute felt onesies and t-shirts. Please do act surprised if you, in fact, get this for Christmas! To be honest, I will be surprised if you get this for Christmas 2009 too.

As promised here is my NEW favorite resource/inspiration craft site:

The site name does lack some originality, but do not let that sway you from checking out their fabulous ideas. Thankfully, most of the patterns look easy for those like me who tend to be a bit challenged in the craft department.

-Kacey

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Random question: Can anyone tell me the history behind pinching people who don't wear green? A student of mine asked and I do not have the slightest idea. Bad teacher!

Crafting Clips

My new year’s resolution for 2009 is to become a crafty lady. Last year, I wrote about some of my crafty friends. I have two girlfriends who are annoyingly crafty, Wendy and Keri. They have that je ne se qua and the ablility to make stuff whenever they want, usually without directions. Keri sells her Lovey Dovey Clips through Etsy and, in addition, makes the cutest cakes ever. Wendy is an all around artist with gallery showings in NYC and LA. She most recently was written up in Elle magazine. On the side, Wendy whips up little plush robots and birds, takes amazing photographs, and cooks her own jam. To top it off, both these ladies make it seem like what they do is no big deal. Everyone makes handmade goods, right? Like I said, annoying. In fact, my last conversation with Wendy went something like this:

Wendy: “So, I’m making Jasper a cape for his first birthday. Do you think Emi would want one too?”

Me: “Sure, but only if you have time. I don’t want to put you out. Where did you find the pattern?”

Wendy: “Oh, there is no pattern. I just figured it out. It seems pretty easy! I figure while I’m making Jasper’s, I can just make one for Emi.”

Me: “Uh, okay. Um, maybe I’ll be able to return the favor and make Jasper something one day. Thanks, friend”

(Cookies count as something, right?)

This year, I’m turning over a new leaf and attempting to be crafty. So far, I’ve only conquered one craft, but I’m pretty happy with the results. My first craft of the year was felt clips for Miss Emi. I love felt - all things felt. But I cannot, for the life of me, understand why things made with felt are so expensive.

When I found out I was having a girl, I ran out and purchased clips from my favorite company, Giddy Giddy. Giddy Giddy is a local company that makes THE most adorable clips. I’ve seen many people try to imitate their designs, but you can’t beat their craftsmanship.

I love these clips, so much so, that I later purchased about 8 more of them. EEK! Justifying purchases is my special gift. Yes, I’m quite blessed in that department. I figured they are handmade and would last a long time. My next daughter could potentially wear them, right?

What I was not anticipating was Emi losing them almost as soon as they touched her head. I’d put one in her hair and the next thing I’d know, it would disappear. I’m sure there are felt clips littered all over San Francisco, thanks to my little one. Needless to say, of the 8 clips that I originally purchased, we are now down to 3. When my husband recently asked why I was making clips, I did not dare tell him it was because his daughter had lost about $50 worth of hair clips.

Here is a shot of my most recent clips:

All in all, the clips were pretty to easy to make. I had anticipated them to be much more difficult then they actually were. I did have to search around the Internet a bit and find some tutorials, but mostly I found my way by trial and error. Good thing felt and clips are so inexpensive! It also didn't hurt that Keri is a pro at making her clips and gave me some great tips.

This is the perfect craft for anyone who is not good at finishing daunting projects. You can make these clips easily in under an hour. I was going to give you a step by step instruction guide on how to make your own felt clips, but my bed time has approached (a.k.a “The City” & “Gossip Girl” are on.) However, if you are interested in the instructions, I'd be happy to write about it next week. Just let me know in the comments.

Next Tuesday, I’m very excited to share with you my secret resource for all things crafty. I know you’ll be on pins and needles all week awaiting the post. Oh, the anticipation!

-Kacey

I'm A Star

I am getting my hair cut and colored this week. Friday to be exact. I booked the appointment last night. In order for me to accomplish this small personal care miracle, many things had to come together, such as a babysitter, an 8:00 AM opening with my stylist, and healthy kids. In short, the planets needed to be in perfect alignment.

It has been quite a while since my last cut. If I were to guesstimate, I'd say its been somewhere in the neighborhood of one year, two months, and a day, or in other words, since before my daughter, Lucia, was born. If you envision Cousin It from the Adams Family, you’ll have a pretty good idea of my current look.

I am feeling excited. Good-bye gray, shapeless hair, hello fun and flirty fabulousness. I’ll undoubtedly end up looking practically identical to any number of celebrities…

Even though I am planning on obtaining hair perfection, I am worried that my new look may go unnoticed. What if I go about my daily routine and people do not stop and openly stare at me wherever I go? I just don’t think I could take that type of rejection.

What to do? What to do? Is there a way for me to ensure that I turn heads and people say, "Wow, there goes one great head of hair?"

Celeb*4*A*Day, a company that allows you to hire your own temporary entourage, including photographers, publicists and bodyguards, may be just what I am looking for. For $750, I could be a MegaStar and hire a group of people to call out questions about me and my hair whenever I go, just like the paparazzi does with Julia, Brad, and Britney!

Friday looks like it is going to be busy for me. I’m thinking it should be a great day to have my entourage in tow...

8:00 – Undergo color and cut that brings me instantaneous fabulousness and superstar status.

11:00 – Hit the grocery store and post office. Maybe with my personal paparazzi, people will be less likely to notice my crying or arguing children or feel compelled to tell me how difficult motherhood can be. I will instead stun them into blessed silence!

12:00 – Pick up Giancarlo from pre-school. Super! Those made-up Mommies who always achieve the perfect tri-fecta of clothing, make-up, and a rested appearance, will embrace my new look and welcome me with open arms into their inner circle.

1:00 – OB appointment. This one could be a little tricky, but why not? The photos in US Weekly are continually capturing stars going about their everyday routine, grocery shopping, pumping gas, walking their dog. Why not add this one to the list? It shouldn't be too weird to have my entourage by my side. (I mean, weird would be something like taking your family with you to your OB appointment.)

All in all, I think it will be money well spent. $750 will even buy me a high-gloss print of me on the cover of Celeb*4*A*Day Magazine and a CD containing 5 high-resolution photographs from my experience.

What more do I need?

-Francesca

Souper Thursday

Yes, the title is really corny but it’s been a long week (and I had Monday off). Like Thuy mentioned, it’s been very rainy in our neck of the woods, and as Francesca pointed out, I don’t do rain. Although we desperately need the rain, I, to put it mildly, HATE it.

I didn’t always hate the rain as much as I do now. I’m sure it has something to do with my day job. When you are a teacher, rain is not your friend. The kids do not have recess, which means I do not get a break. No recess + kids filled with too much energy + no break = Grumpy Teacher. For the past two days, this has been my reality. I thought by purchasing these fabulous wellies, my rainy days wouldn’t be so bad. So far the wellie cure has not kicked in.

While driving home I decided to treat myself and make my new favorite soup: Butternut Squash with Sage and Parmesan Croutons. One word: yummy! I found this soup in the Real Simple magazine and I absolutely love it. It takes about 2 hours total to make, but only about 30 minutes of hands on time.

Here’s what you need:
1 3-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (5-6 cups)
* Sanity Saver: You can buy pre-cut bags of butternut squash at Trader Joe's. It’s more Expensive, but will save you time.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow onion diced (about 1 ½ cups)
3 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
* Sanity Saver: You can purchase pre-cut onion, celery, and carrots at Trader Joe’s. It’s in a tub called Mirepoix.

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (about 6 large leaves)
6 cups chicken broth
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper.

Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the cubes over and continue roasting for 15 minutes or until they are caramelized; set aside.

In a Dutch oven, or a large stockpot, heat the butter and the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and sage and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent and tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the squash, broth, and the remaining salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 30 minutes or until the liquid is flavorful.

Remove from heat. Using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender (which I highly recommend, less mess), blend the soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pot and keep warm.

Top with Sage and Parmesan Croutons and grated Parmesan cheese.


Sage and Parmesan Croutons

3 ounces rustic white bread (about 3 thick slices), torn into 24 1-inch pieces
1 large clove of garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage (about 6 large leaves)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375F. Toss all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl to coat. Spread the bread evenly on a baking sheet and toast for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

I can’t give this soup enough props. It’s easy, healthy, delish, Emi loves it (shocker, I know) and makes any rainy day much more bearable.

Enjoy!

-Kacey

Kids Tested, Mother Approved

It's been raining non-stop around here lately and nothing is more thrilling than trying to keep our little ones occupied. Of course, we resorted to one of our favorite indoor activities yesterday, playing with play dough. That is, until Lucia and M started eating the play dough.

Yesterday's escapades made me think of an edible playdough recipe that I saw on Jon and Kate Plus 8 last year. As much as I don't like how Kate treats Jon sometimes, I do admire that woman. I can barely handle one child and she takes care of eight and still manages to incorporate activities and educational games into their lives. Bless her!!

Here are some recipes that I found that should be fun and safe (even to eat):

Edible Play Dough Recipe as seen on Jon & Kate
Plus 8

Equal Parts:
Powdered Milk
Smooth Peanut Butter
Honey
(Flour as needed)

Mix the first 3 ingredients together and then add enough flour until it reaches playdough consistency. If you want to make this more fun, you can add food coloring. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Jello Playdough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 (3-1/2 oz.) package unsweetened Jell-0

1. Mix all ingredients together in saucepan.
2. Place saucepan on stove and turn burner to medium heat.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until consistency of mashed potatoes.
4. Let playdough cool and knead with floured hands until dry.
5. Playdough is fun! Give to children to enjoy!

Kool-Aid Playdough
(I love the smell of Kool-Aid and I can imagine all the fun flavors to try.)

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 package Kool-Aid Mix (any flavor of unsweetened)
1 tablespoon cooking oil

1. Gather all ingredients and saucepan.
2. Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, and Kool-Aid Mix together in a large saucepan.
3. Mix water with oil in a cup.
4. Place the saucepan on the stove and turn the burner to medium heat.
5. Slowly add the water mixed with oil and stir (over medium heat) until the mixture thickens to playdough.
6. Place playdough on cutting board, counter top, or table and knead until cool.

I found these recipes on E-how, but there are lots of wonderful links out there. If you're still looking for more play dough ideas, I was particularly impressed with this site: Making Friends.

If only play dough would keep M occupied for more than 10 minutes. Now what do I do with him the other 12 hours and 50 minutes of the day?!?

-Thuy

It's a Smashing Hit

I love my computer and, apparently, so does M. I've tried giving M an old keyboard to play with, but he doesn't fall for the trick. He likes to bang on my keyboard and usually activates some weird feature that I didn't even know existed.

I've recently discovered this very cool and free application called Baby Smash (the free Apple equivalent of this software is AlphaBaby) that will allow M to bang on my computer without doing any damage. Notice I did not say anything about the keyboard; we've already had to replace one keyboard since M enjoys seeing the effects of his banging on the screen.

Check out this clip of how happy Baby Smash made this little tot. If only my M was as gentle with the keyboard as this cute little guy. Sigh...

Scott, the Microsoft developer of Baby Smash, is considering updates to the program so that family pictures appear when certain keys are struck. I'm looking forward to new improvements to an already great tool.

Happy Smashing!

-Thuy

Baby Blurb

Over the holidays, my Mom pulled out my baby book to compare my growth to Emi’s. I discovered that there are actually many similarities between us, even if she doesn’t look like me. We were both born with a ton of hair, we were both (or still are) in the 75%+ percentile for weight, and we both walked around the same time. While it’s always fun to look at old pictures of yourself, I found it even more interesting to see the artifacts my mother has saved. My baby book includes hair from my first haircut, my first tooth, and, brace yourself people, my post-birth umbilical cord. Why? Is it because I was the first-born or is "Granny Janny" just crazy? (I’m kidding Mom...well, kind of.)

I had a hunch early on that my attempts to maintain a baby book would not be successful, so I created a blog for Emi when she was a month old. No one read her blog except for her dad and me. I blogged every Sunday and included photos and any fun stories from the previous week. This worked well because it was very low maintenance and essentially all I could handle at the time.

Here is an excerpt from Emi’s blog:

Week 18…A Fire truck and 2 Police cars

This week, your mom officially went loopy. She wore her shirt inside out one day to work and left a size sticker on her sweater the next. To top it off, she locked you inside the car and had to call 911 to come and rescue you! It was slightly embarrassing since it happened on a very busy street in San Francisco. First, I had to run into a hair salon to use their phone since my cell phone was locked in the car. When I called 911, I figured they would send one police car or a small fire truck. Even when I heard the sirens blaring, I assumed another fire was happening somewhere nearby. Why would they need the sirens on to help me? Moments later I discovered that, NO, it was indeed for us.

The sirens naturally brought more attention to us. Soon, all of the merchants on the street stepped out of their shops to see where the fire was. No fire, though, just a Mom that has officially lost her mind. After about 20 minutes, you were rescued and remained completely unphased because you had slept through the ENTIRE event!

Other than that fun filled day, your week was pretty mellow. You had the sniffles on Monday, so Dad stayed home with you. Friday, he stayed home with you again to take you to your four-month appointment. Dr. Wright said you are in the 50th percentile for weight and height. You now weigh about 13.5 pounds and have grown to 24.5 inches long! You are still sleeping really well at night, but during the day you are quite the cat napper. You are laughing much more and you like to look around a lot. You are reaching for many more things and slowly learning to sleep without being swaddled. Hooray!

Recently, I came across the company Blurb. Blurb lets you turn your blog into a published book. Perfect! They have many samples of other types of books you can create.

It looks simple and the prices seem reasonable. If you are one of those annoyingly creative and crafty people, you can sell your books through blurb as well. They have a lot of great examples on their site and, if you ever considered creating a hard copy of your blog, this could be an option. Just imagine: you could share your blog with your kids or read it again and again when you are old and want to relive your wild and crazy blogging days. The possibilities are endless!

I haven’t created Emi’s book yet because I’m still debating if I will keep her blog going until she turns two. I wonder how many blackmail photos I can put into her baby blog book?

How do you document your kiddos' childhood? Do share!

Also, for any new moms reading this post, there is NO need to keep your child's umbilical cord. Really, throw it away.

-Kacey