Best Baking Day ~ 2/19/09

Last week Afton chose chocolate chip cookies as her BBD food. So, that is what we made today.

Is it ok to admit that I don't like chocolate chip cookies made with whole wheat flour? Is that bad?
I tried. Really I did. I just love the way they taste when I make them with white flour.

I know it's not as healthy, but are cookies seriously supposed to be healthy? Can I justify it that way? Yes? Good! Next time it's white flour all the way *gasp*

The kids don't care either way, but I know Mike does and I have to agree with him on this one.
Needless to say, I forgot to include the flour in my picture. Just pretend you see it, ok?

The ingredients


The dough


The cookies. Afton did this tray all by herself.
Well, almost. I directed and neatened them up a bit.


The finished product.


See? Told you the kids don't care.
Caleb is drooling and Afton is wearing chocolate on her nose :)



So, when hubby comes home he'll have dinner, dessert and family to greet him!

Oh, and dinner is this yummy number from Taste of Home. I just love the crockpot.

Happy Best Baking Day!

Feel the love

Sometimes I feel it, sometimes I don't.

I struggle with doing things even when I don't feel like I want to. Patiently teaching children when they've done something naughty for the zillionth time. Correcting selfish behavior in one of the children after just correcting it 2 minutes earlier. Remaining calm when everything in me wants to scream, cry and break something. Where is a crummy plate to smash when you need it????

Some days I can make it through the day and say that I was successful. Other days...not so much. Lately the "not so much" days have outnumbered the successful days. Don't get me wrong, I have successful moments in those "not so much" days, they just get overshadowed.

It's when I can feel the frustration and helplessness building in the midst of my children's disobedience that I realize I need to take a moment to breathe, pray and get my thoughts and attitude under control. I have to remember to show love to my children even when they are acting out again! I am teaching them by the way I act.

I struggle with feeling that love. Not that I don't love my children because I do...more than anything! I thank God for them daily. I pray for them and I pray I will be the mom they need in order to grow up and serve God with all their heart, soul and mind. Some days I just feel so discouraged.

On those days I realize how dependent I am on God. I cannot imagine raising my children without Him. I also realize when I am not spending time in His word...daily. After a few days of that it really shows. In my attitude, in my speech, in my tone of voice, the words I use. I feel like a hypocrite correcting my children and talking to them about what pleases God when I haven't spent time in His word for several days.

I desire that intimate relationship with Him. I know what it feels like to be so close to Him. I also know what it feels like when I let life and my family take His place in my life.

So, when I struggle with "feeling the love" I have to remember that I must choose to love even when someone is unloveable. I choose to love even when there is nothing in it for me. I choose to love because He first loved me. Love isn't a warm and fuzzy feeling. It is a willing act on my part to serve someone because my Savior demonstrated what it meant to serve.

I am praying for the strength to love and serve my children and my husband even when I feel unloved or unappreciated. I am praying for wisdom in raising the children God has blessed us with. That I will know what each child needs and that I would be sensitive to that. I am committing myself (again!) to a regular quiet time with God before I pick up my laptop in the morning. Before I start my day I will spend time in His word.

I need His guidance and wisdom to be the kind of wife and mother my husband and children need. I cannot do it on my own. I don't want to do it on my own. I am weak, but He gives me strength. I will stumble, but He is there to carry me. I am so thankful!

Psalm 103:1-5
¹ Let all that I am praise the Lord;with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
² Let all that I am praise the Lord;may I never forget the good things he does for me.
³ He forgives all my sinsand heals all my diseases.
⁴ He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
⁵ He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

(Tonight I felt as if I was being urged to share my personal struggle with you. Perhaps it was God's leading because it may help someone or maybe it was just for me to be open and honest about a weak area in my life. To be accountable. Whatever the reason is I knew I had to write.

...and it all started because I read this article.)

A Taste of Spring

We had two beautiful days last week and it gave us a brief taste of spring. It was more like a tease. I was really loving the warm sun, no jackets, light breeze, and walking outside for more than 4 minutes at a time.

To celebrate the nice day we went for a little bit of a walk...with no jackets!!!

I decided to bring my camera along on our walk and I'm so glad I did.

(I caught Afton in mid-air)

Just like Daddy

I don't think I'm ready for this yet...lol! Boy is he cute though!

(Don't worry. The cover was on and Mike was right beside him!)

Nothing is Ordinary

Take these mittens, for example.

Pink. Handmade. Cute.

...but, in the hands (or feet) of a 5 year old they become....


Monkey feet.

...and that is how my imaginative daughter becomes Curious Georgette.

Friends

I was tagged by Mrs. B (awww, shucks) so, I'm passing along the compliment.

However, it's too hard to choose just eight!!!!

So, I choose all my blog girl friends!

"These blogs are exceedingly charming.
These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends.
They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.
Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more
friendships are propagated.
Please give more attention to these writers.
Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Best Baking Day ~ 2/12/09

It all started with an email from a friend I have never met in real life. It was about homeschool curriculum. Simple, just a question. From that second the wheels started turning and it ended with a weekly baking session called "Best Baking Day". Named by Afton herself.

What better way to kick off "BBD" than with Mike's favorite cookies. Oatmeal.

So, I presented the idea to Afton, explained what it was, that we would do this once a week, and that we would name it. As you can imagine, my little lovebug was very excited!

So, I took a few pictures along the way to share with you. Hope you enjoy!

(Disclaimer: You will see certain ingredients that I do not use on a regular basis. I used shortening and white flour because they were for Mike and I know he likes them to taste a certain way. I may experiment with healthier ingredients later on and submit them to him for a taste test. For now, when Mike wants oatmeal cookies, I better make sure I have artery clogging ingredients handy. Love you, honey!)

The ingredients.

The temp. (I ended up turning it down after the first batch. They came out a little brown. I also decreased the cooking time from 10 minutes to 6 minutes. I have a gas stove and it cooks good!)
Please ignore the smudge on the oven door. I missed that spot cleaning.

The dough. We taste tested it, of course.

Ready to bake.

The first, very dark batch. I let the kids eat them and they were pretty happy!
(I guess the cookies weren't the only things that were dark. What's up with my lighting? ugh...)

The baker and her cookies.

The baker and her brother.

Her mischievous brother!


Next week Afton wants to make chocolate chip cookies. So, that's what we'll do.

The Super Bowl Commercial You Didn't See

Go here for the complete story.





Pro life...with a twist.

Food inspiration

Technically this isn't about food, but what food goes into.

I've been thinking about this for a few weeks now and felt I was lacking something when it comes to dishes. (My hubby would not agree with me since he thinks we have too much in the cupboards and cabinets already. Honey, I'm working on that one and I started cleaning some stuff out already!)

I love looking at recipes for desserts. Who doesn't? They're always presented so nicely in their ramekins. That's when it hit me. I don't have any ramekins. I can't make this or this or this. Well, technically I could, but it would be lacking in the presentation department, and we all know what presentation does for food!

So, I'm thinking of hitting up a few discount stores in hopes of finding some inexpensive, but cute, ramekins. That way I can bake, souffle, and custard to my hearts content!

Yum!

Silliness

I was making Afton laugh by saying "hat" in different, funny voices.

As she's cracking up laughing she pats my arm and says, "Oh my goodness, that's great!"

Where is my little girl going? Her vocabulary is growing daily and her expressions and words are hilarious!

I'm so glad for quiet, pj days...even if we are all sick. Sometimes that forces us to take a break and just enjoy being together.

This was so funny!

Watch the whole thing through. I seriously was laughing so hard about halfway through. You'll know why!!

In someone else's words

I don't really have too much to say today. It's one of those days where me and the kiddos are sick, so that makes for a quiet day. At least, I hope it does. I'm just praying Caleb actually sleeps tonight.

So, instead of reading what I write, how about reading what someone else has written. Good? Good.

I was really encouraged by this blog several days ago. So, I thought I would share the link and I pray it will be an encouragement for those of you who may need it or just a great reminder of who we draw our strength from!