February 12, 2010

For a Sweet Treat...

...go here to the Sister's Cafe. Yummy yummy.
Tuesday Shannon and I made the Oreo truffles featured below. So easy. It was a great time hanging out as sisters and making Valentines treats.

This yummy thing was for Valentine's dessert on Sunday. Look under Strawberries on the right side bar of the above link.
Love new recipes. So fun.




"I Help"

A couple of weeks ago I started sitting Madelyn in the kitchen window seal while I made dinner. One alternative would have been to hold her on my hip with one arm wrapped around her while attempting to cook with my free hand. before the "window seal days" Madelyn would push herself between me and the cupboard and say, "hold you, hold you" while slightly bouncing up and down and reaching up to me as far as she could.
Sometimes while I made dinner she would briefly play with her toys or have a snack at the table, but for the most part Madelyn just wanted to be where her mommy was, doing what her mommy was doing.
The first night of window seal sitting worked out rather well. Madelyn sat contently in the window seal and I gave her a snack and talked with her. She was happy being near me and I was happy having a little cooking pal. i loved that I was cooking with my little daughter.
Slowly she started to explore the window seal area. She now knows that the crackers and cereal are located slightly to her right in the cupboard that she can open because there are no child safety latches. She knows that she can get the canister of wheat open if she just holds onto the latch and shakes it, and that if she pokes hard enough in the candle her little finger will make a dent. From the window seal she can reach the hand sanitizer and soap and says, "hands, hands" while holding her hand under the dispenser and waiting for me to dispense some soap into her chubby, squishy, little hand. She then washes that chubby, squishy, little hand and proceeds to turn the water on and off, and on and off, and then trickle and full blast, and then on and off. You get the idea.
Last night she says, "I help". She squatted down by the half mixed biscuit dough and with a measuring spoon in hand she spooned flour onto the floor and counter while attempting to get it back in the bowl. She then got a chunk of the actual dough in her spoon and it flew with a plop onto the floor. I briefly got her to stop "helping" by reverting her attention back to the yummy cheerios that I had originally placed in the window seal. I hurried as fast as I could to get the biscuits into the oven so that there was nothing left to "help" with (good thing they were drop biscuits).




And so goes my life, one little mommy and one little "helper" right by her side.

February 4, 2010

Ohia Love

Well, it wasn't really Ohio that we loved. Other than the Airport, Wal-Mart and the local Costco we didn't see much of Ohio (from what I hear there really isn't much to see). What we did see was Ty (my brother), Meghan (my sister-in-law), Mckinlay (my darling niece), and one of the newest Loveless cousins, Eliza (another darling niece). We spent about a week running around with three little girls doing things like, playing with plastic food, watching my little pony movies and getting naps in when necessary. The trip was just fabulous. We were all a little sleep deprived (you know how it is trying to travel with a little child), but I really didn't mind. It was just so great to see Ty's family.


We made lots of good food which included an amazing meal for Ty's 30th birthday that was complete with an Ina Garten cheese cake without a single crack on the top. I was impressed with Ty and Meg's great food. I came home with four new recipes that i am so excited to make. (Maybe I'll share in another post... they are good.)

Meghan and I made matching Valentine outfits for the girls. I must say that my sister Meghan is one crafty woman. We were at the fabric store buying material to make blankets (which we also did while in Ohio) when Meghan suggested we make matching Valentines outfits for the girls. By that evening we had three little skirts with matching shirts. How fun and cute.
I loved hearing about Ty's day when he got home from work. I loved getting to know Meghan and my little nieces better. I loved that Madelyn got to make cookies with Mckinlay and Grandma. I can't wait to see them all again.

Thanks again for a wonderful trip. See you in May!