A little too young for boys

Brianna was sitting in the car behind me when I heard her squeal.."Oh my gosh he is just too cute mommy!"
my curiosity is picqued.
"Who?" I ask.
"Marco. He has just grown up to be so handsome! Everyone wants to play with him."
starting to sweat...okay..who is this kid and where did he come from?
"All the girls in the neighborhood just think he is the cutest."
note to self: no more playing with girls in the neighborhood. period.
"I just wish he could be mine forever."
oooooh.... I am seriously going to threaten whatever girl in this neighborhood is filling my innocent little daughter with such ridiculous thoughts. She is WAY too young to be talking about boys like this.
"Honey, where does Marco live?
"A few houses down. He has the blackest hair I have ever seen. And it is soooooo soft and curly."
Okay..that's it.
"WHO IS THIS MARCO, BRIANNA?"
"He's Sarah Jane's puppy. Remember him mommy? Don't you think he is the cutest?"

sigh. breathe. sigh. breathe. sigh.

Christmas through Brianna's eyes

Brianna got a camera for Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Brianna!

Food for the Soul

A misleading post, I am sure. As much as I would like to literally drench your soul in a warm spiritual holiday feast, today I am writing about the actual pick it up with a fork and put it in your mouth kind of food. And yet, I would also like to pose the thought that perhaps certain foods can warm the tummy and nourish the soul at the same time. Case and point:

I've been planning our grocery list for Christmas week. We're blessed to have family who will be staying with us for a few days and are excited about that. But there is also the realization that I am a host for the holidays, and with that means I must supply the food. The Aunts are taking care of Christmas Eve dinner and it will be a joint-effort on Christmas day, but there are the in-between meals and treats and non-holiday foods that I need to come up with.

While making a grocery list, and checking it twice (oh come on, I had to!), my mind has wandered to meals that I remember. Food that brought thankful tears to my eyes as the perfect gift when times were hard, memories of laughter and many holiday gatherings, and friends who's recipes I just had to have. Food that was cooked in celebration, or simply made for the most ordinary of reasons (we have to eat, right?). Food that makes me remember the moment when I took a bite of something that tasted so good. Food that makes me remember who made it, where I was and who I was with. Food that makes me smile because of the memories brought along with it.

And so for fun, how about a new kind of blogger-tag? Post a memory of you and me with food, and I will do the same for you. Suspicion has it that although the memory of our feast together will be mind boggling scrumptious, the memory of us will be the icing on the cake!

Making for the Taking

It has been non-stop baking, sewing, and shopping around here. We decided on some MUST MAKE Christmas recipes last year, and have loved making them again this year. GamMommy came from Georgia for Kai's birthday and decided to stay and help. It got seriously messy. And no--Kai did not put his feet in the dough. But I also wouldn't tell you if he did:)

The Perfect Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar; add dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated. With mixer running, add egg, milk, and vanilla; mix until incorporated.
Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between. Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Trick: To make them seriously perfect--roll them out in powdered sugar instead of flour. Extra flour makes them yucky and not perfect.

We Love This Icing

Ingredients
1 box confectioners' sugar (1 pound)
2 large egg whites

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle

This is like a thick glaze, which is not a regular frosting. You just glaze it on, and then it ends up all shiny and pretty and you can sprinkle it up or leave it plain like my picture shows. It will also harden like a candy coat.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Ingredients

Makes sixteen 2-inch squares
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
4 packages (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons red food coloring

Directions
Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.
Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.
Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

These are a bit time consuming, but once immersed in yummy hot chocolate, oh my gosh they are worth it.

And then here's an apron I made for my niece. I realized I can't show all the sewing I have done until after Christmas on the chance that some family members actually look at my blog:<

I had to make this pattern up because after I got everything out, I realized I didn't have a pattern. However, I did learn what not to do by my lack of preparation!

alrighty, back to work.

present pain

My husband is kind of hard to shop for, especially when I want it to be thoughtful as well as functional. It's the thinking part that always gets me. Thankfully he does give a list, or mention things he likes throughout the year, so I am not completely in the dark. If I am smart enough, I write it down in that moment when he says it, whereas most times I am a bit distracted with other things and I forget.

Well this year, I was super proud of myself. He saw something on TV 6 months ago and loved it, and I wrote it down. About a month ago I had to do a search for it online, but I found it and ordered it and I was so excited because it was seriously thoughtful and functional.

And then dear husband of mine came out of the office yesterday announcing that he bought the exact same thing for someone for Christmas, and while he was at it he got one for himself.

Seriously? Seriously.

monkey see monkey do

so I made this birthday cake for Kai. I know it looks really imperfect...but he loved it. When I had just frosted the head and ears with the chocolate frosting, Kai came in squeeling MON-EY! And so I knew that if a three year old could recognize what it was without a face, I was doing alright:)

and because I love her just as much...

(It was a hard day for her. Apparently, we only paid attention to Kai and it made her sad.)

gimme a t-h-r-e-e

Good morning, my sweet boy. Today you are three. What more perfect day can you have your cake and eat it too? Chocolate cake batter is the perfect breakfast, of course.

You have enlightened us with your smiles and growls for three years now, and I can't think of a better way to be enlightened. If only I could growl just as good. Maybe one day, you can teach me. Although I somehow believe that a growl such as yours is one-of-a-kind.

Thankyou for teaching me how to love little boys with a perfect love. Thankyou for teaching me patience and how to see the joy in a simple cake batter turned mud pile. Thankyou for coming into my world little man. I waited for you, and you were worth the wait.

Today to celebrate your wonderfulness I will let you take the longest bath ever with as many bubbles as you want. And I will clean up the messy floor from your taking the longest bath ever without complaint. And we will play with your train and watch Wall-E and Curious George. And I will chase you around the living room not because I want to, but because YOU want to and you are super fast. And I will attempt to make a monkey cake because I think it will make you growl for joy. I say again, attempt. And we will do all of this for you not because it is your birthday (although that is a bonus because we get cake) but simply because you are you. And oh, how grateful I am for that.

tiny snow-laden villages and such

How sweet is this? It took Brianna and I forever to put together, but it was worth it:)

and check out her dresser! Aaron completely refinished and painted it. It is so awesome to have a husband who can take something ugly and make it beautiful.

The pink knobs were, of course, my idea:)

And the WINNER is...

uhmm...

wait...

what is he....

oh..

okay...

It's EVERYONE!!!!!

Mary, Jenni, Mo, Jessie, Rachel M., Jana, Tara, Amanda, Rachel W., Leanna, Sarah, Corley, Jackie, Janice, Andrea, Becca

Send me your address (unless you have recently) and what print you want and Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas GIVEAWAY!

I'm in the mood for a giveaway! So put a comment saying what your favorite post has been on here and I'll have Kai draw a name on Friday the 12th 9am EST. I mean, like, don't you totally have a fave?

You will win an 8X10 signed print of any picture from these past posts:

http://rowdystroudy.blogspot.com/2008/10/sweet-sweet-girl.html

http://rowdystroudy.blogspot.com/2008/11/georgia-snow.html

Days 8 & 9

So here it is all decorated. I'm sure I could do more, but for now, this is enough. I've realized that I'm going to have to hit the after-Christmas sales this year now that I have space to display things. And of course, we still have days of Christmas crafts ahead of us:)
Some people have the perfect looking Christmas tree. My tree is perfect for me. It's a whirl of old (and I mean old) and new ornaments with splashes of crazy color. Brianna was the main tree decorator this year, so three cheers for her!
and no--it is not an optical illusion. My tree is totally crooked. I wish I wish I knew how to take pictures that really showed how everything looks in real life. It is seriously sparkly..but no sparkles in these lame shots:(So you might say this is just an ordinary glass vase of ornaments. Not so, my dear! This is an ordinary glass vase of ornaments with a vintage ribbon that I adore around it! Truly one of my favorite Goodwill finds ever. My mind has been swirling with ideas of things I can wrap it around!

I posted this shot because you can see the coffee table color really well. It was the ugliest thing ever left here by the previous family and Aaron refinished it. He's amazing!

My favorite thing on here, beside the nativity that my Aunt Barbara gave me, is the White Christmas record album.

cute message Brianna put up in her hallway...

and I am done.

some answers

The past few days have been really hard. Kai would not take a nap all weekend, so his temper was, well, at temper tantrum level non-stop. I have questioned myself as a mother, I have questioned him as a child, I have questioned everything. What am I doing wrong? Why won't he start talking at the level of other kids his age? Why aren't I strong enough to handle him physically and emotionally? I have felt like a such a failure.

He is such a good kid. I adore him. But I can't handle him like I should be able to. He is so physically strong and then mentally strong-willed. When he's upset I can't calm him down. How much of it is typical 2 year old behavior and how much of it is simply the level of communication that he still does not have?

He'll be 3 in just over a week, and for some reason it feels foreboding. I had just hoped that by the time he was 3 he would be talking in perfect sentences, I guess. I really should be grateful for the fact that he is talking. But as he grows, his needs change, and his wants and desires and my reasons for saying NO just don't seem to be working together very well. I could really use some answers because I am just in tears over this...

And yet...

This guy is such a crack-up.

Day 6 and 7

A newspaper Christmas tree! here's the link to the instructions...

This is how beautiful things begin... haha!

I told Brianna to go make some Christmas art and she came back with this. She's good.

Day 5

I took pictures for our Christmas card

This is how it went...

yay!

I DID IT! For the first time in my entire life, I made amazing whole wheat bread. It is fluffy inside and butter crispy on the outside and oh my gosh I am so excited. It tastes amazing too. I have tried so many recipes and for some reason mine never turned out. Hallelujah people. I told my friend Sarah that it was "so good I didn't throw it away. Ya. THAT good. " (for those of you who don't know my baking technique...if it is even slightly not fabulous--it's fed to the birds.)

Here's some comments from the home front:

Aaron- "Good job, Carrie. It doesn't feel like a brick. Oh, wow. It doesn't even taste like a brick."

Brianna - "Mommy, you made the super-est best-est most amazing bread ever!"

Kai - No comment. He just ate it.

Thankyou daaaah-lings.

RECIPE

2 3/4 c. warm water

2 Tbl. yeast

1/8 c. sugar (I used raw sugar and it was more like 1 tbsp)

let sit for 5 -10 minutes until bubbly

Add:

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. honey

1/4 loosely packed brown sugar (or raw sugar)

1 tbsp. salt

6 tbsp. gluten

3 to 3 1/2 c. wheat flour

3 c. white flour

I use 7 - 7 1/2 c. of flour total

Knead for 8 minutes by hand or with your kitchen aid dough hook attachment:)

Spray with PAM and let rise until double in bowl (about 2 hours). Turn onto oiled counter and cut dough in half with sharp knife. Form into loaves and place in greased pans. Allow dough to rise 1 inch above bread pan (about 1 hour). Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

*So I trick I learned was to never add more flour than the recipe requires. Some bread baker chick said that to add more flour afterwards does not allow that new flour to have the same activation time as the rest--so the bread will become dry and dense. If the dough seems sticky at the end, just spray it with PAM--and it works so great and it won't make the bread dry because of too much flour!

Day 4

Just a few little things...

oh how I love to read Christmas books

I put up my nativity and I had this random star mirror wall decoration thingy and oh-my-gosh I had a plan. Here is the result. When I am completely done decorating I will give a full room view. No peeking yet:)
Last year I took a lot of photos of the snow and trees before Christmas. I decided to frame them and put them all around the house to give a wintery feel. Just a bit of Carrie art.

what a crappy picture of a picture. I really need to start photographing during the day. Oh well(if I didn't have the whole photographer stigma attached to me--way less pressure:)

and can I just say that choosing paint color is not my idea of fun this year. I have gone through 4 colors in my office and then 3 colors in my bedroom. It looks amazing at the store--and then on the little square thing--and then on my wall I want to throw up. I am EXHAUSTED just trying to make it right. I just want to paint already. I am seriously considering just going back to blah beige. yes...it is THAT serious.

How is that for a Christmas AND lamenting post? haha!

I am starting to feel silly..

about posting all these random craft pictures. I feel like I need more substance to a blog post and that this 24 days idea is super silly because they don't look half as cute online as in person. Does anyone actually care about these kinds of posts? Or should I just go back to my normal lamenting about life?

Day 3

Snow Wreath

Okay-I totally love this. It took me and the kiddos 20 minutes to make. I got a foam wreath and glued cotton balls to it. I think it looks so cute on our office door. I also think I am a genius because I googled the idea and can't find anyone else who has done it. So finally--an original idea from me! And if you are someone who has happened to have done this before... just let me live in my glory for a sec, okay?

Day 2

Letter to Santa Old sweater chair cushion covers

I took some old sweaters, cut them to size, and stapled them around the existing fabric. So easy!