Photo 93: Baking with Alex

This afternoon Alex and I needed something to do (I was not in the mood to go outside!) so I decided we should bake some cookies. We need to meet our next door neighbor and taking her a plate of cookies was a good reason to go over! Anyways, Alex followed me over to where I was looking for my pink recipe book. I told him I was trying to find my cookbook so we could make some cookies.

He scampered away. I thought he had lost interest. 

But he returned with what HE thought I was looking for...

his Sesame Street Cookie Cookbook! 

I about died, I couldn't believe how smart he was.  But then, Will often reads to him the cookbook when he is going to bed! He is SO my child...I have multiple food magazines and recipe books! So without further ado we sat on the floor to pick a recipe and then got started. 

Here are the steps for how a toddler boy follows a recipe. Below all the pictures is the actual recipe!

Bert's Cranberry Oat Chip Mini Cookies
(from Alex's favorite cookbook. Yummy Cookies!)

1 cup quick oats
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chocolate chips

• preheat oven to 375. 
• stir together oats, flours, baking powder and soda in a small bowl.
• beat butter, sugars, and peanut butter in a large bowl until creamy. 
• add egg and vanilla, mix until blended.
• stir in oat mixture, then cranberries and chocolate chips.
• drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet
• bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown.
• let cool on cookie sheet for a minute and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Photo 92: The Antics of Alex

15 seconds is all it takes for Alex to get a crayon stuck in a hole left by a loose rung in a chair. 

(He was pretty much in my line of vision the whole time.)

He has also taken a real interest in my coffee station 

(is he too young to teach how to get my morning coffee ready for me).

 Bubble baths are a real hit.

Occasionally he takes a moment to sit still and draw.

emphasis on MOMENT.

but for all his shenanigans through the day, he is my wonderful little Alex. 

The one who now brings books to me to read to him

(and sits long enough to read the whole thing!)

and then, 

my favorite moments when I am hugging him good night, 

and he takes his little arms and wraps them around Will and I for a group hug.

(and often makes sure we all exchange kisses!)

oh my sweet, silly Alex.

Photo 91: 2 hours, 3 recipes, 12 meals.

...So maybe I am cheating a bit with the 12 meals. one of the recipes is breakfast for will and I, which should last the whole rest of the week.
With a little bit of chopping this morning I came out with this:

I have done some freezer meals before. They were okay. I didn't love them, but they weren't terrible either. But at this point in life, to only have to pour some stuff into a crock pot in the morning and have dinner in the evening. I am willing to give it another try!
The freezer meals I found here. I am hoping we like these more...they fall under more the type of flavors that we love so I hope so! :)
Then I made an easy egg "pie" kind of thing that a coworker had posted here (her's is the first idea in the comments! :) )

I am so grateful to have smart people out there who make my life simpler when the days are busier.

Isn't Labor day so nice. It was nice to have a day off after 7 days in school and since school stuff is settling down I was able to focus on getting my house more in order...well, maybe it is still a bit of a mess, but it is a mess with curtains hung and pictures on the wall! That makes me happy!

Photo 90: Sunday Dinner

In our house we don't do a big Sunday Lunch. Alex is going down for a nap right away, and we are usually hungry after church so we just grab something quick. Anyways, I have been enjoying life getting back to normal and feeling like there is time to cook again.

But today the conversation went like this.
Katie: What should we eat for dinner?
Will: uh.... Chicken.
Katie: Just chicken, or with something?
Will: uh....uh... (some help he is in meal planning! :) )
Katie: With tomato sauce, japanese sauce, rice or noodles?
Will: tomato sauce.

So with that huge amount of help I ventured into the chicken. This was a meal that really didn't come together  until I started cooking it, but we enjoyed it very much!

You need:
2 chicken breasts, cut into about 3 pieces each.
olive oil
pepper
diced tomatoes
parmesan
garlic
fresh basil
more olive oil
noodles of your choice

• pepper chicken and cook in pan with olive oil.
• start boiling noodles
• turn chicken and sprinkle crushed red pepper, parmesan, and pepper on chicken
• once mostly cooked through add 1/2 can of diced tomatoes, basil, and garlic. cover
• once noodles are boiled and drained, pour back in pot and add a little more olive oil, remaining diced tomatoes and basil.
• Put noodles on a plate and top with chicken and juices.
• enjoy!

Photo 89: A Box

Sept 1st.

Photo 88: Bubble Bath

August 31.
I bought Alex bubble bath for the first time. We had just been adding some of his shampoo to the water previously, but these bubbles were so much more fun! It was hard to get Alex out of the bath!

Photo 87: Stroller View

August 30
One last cheer for the falcons before we went home