General Conference

Green Monsters

{here's to your health!}

If you give a post-preggo lady a cookie, you'd better have her wash it down with a green monster smoothie. My brother and sister-in-law got Jefe and I drinking these because supposedly they'll make us healthier people. They are loaded with veg and fruit, and to be honest we've only made 3 varieties that are actually yummy, which means we've been drinking a lot of yucky swamp water around here with a scowl and a toast to eternal life, then a "bottoms up!"

Green monster smoothies are really quite good for you though, so if you're interested in giving them a shot, I recommend checking out this website for ideas and tips on how to make a good one.

Here's what we like the most:
1 1/2 C almond milk (prefered to cow's milk because it has more flavor)
2 -3 large handfuls spinach
3 leaves of kale, stemmed
1 C frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon scoop frozen orange juice concentrate (we use a regular large spoon for this)
1/2 frozen banana

Layer ingredients in blender in listed order. Blend away. Like really. Blend it VERY WELL. Or else it will have the texture of liquid salad. Serves 2, or more if you don't want a large glass of veggies :)

Drink your vegetables!

Levain Bakery Copycats

One of my cousins came back from a Christmas vacation this year that included a trip to New York with a visit to Levain Bakery. My interest for these cookies was piqued as I had seen various discussions and recipes floating around the blogosphere, always accompanied by a rave review and an uber-scrumptious-looking cookie. That, coupled with the sad news that my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe is failing me these days, I set out to make these apparently UH-mazing cookies.

While I'm not yet sure if they are a true copycat (said cousin is MIA these days...Dan, come back to game night, I have cookies for you), the thick, gooey goodness is a cookie delight for us of the unknowing.

Levain Bakery Copycat
Chocolate Chip cookies
original Recipe here

Ingredients:
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C brown sugar, not packed too hard
2 eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 C flour (depending on humidity, kitchen temp, etc., dough needs to feel "like cookie dough in a tube" slightly sticky, but workable)
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
scant 1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 C milk chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Measure dry ingredients into large mixing bowl and whisk together, stir in chocolate chips, and set aside.

Cream together butter, sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients and chocolate chips until just combined.

Scoop dough out onto a clean surface and gently knead to help all the ingredients come together evenly. Divide into golf-ball sized cookies and freeze individually (optional, you could bake them right away if you must).

Bake on parchment paper for 13-16 minutes, until tops are golden and just barely set (so the insides are gooey still).

Note: I baked the first batch right away, and liked the texture but something was off. They tasted too "floury." Baking them from frozen made them much better. Next time I make these cookies, I plan on adding 2 Tbsp vanilla, 1 tsp kosher salt, and perhaps a bit more sugar. If you make these, let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

One Glorious Week

Recently, our families came to town for some good old-fashioned familial support. My sister-in-law was having a reception for her BFA show, and our little lucky boy turned 2 months and was ready for his baby blessing. While we loved, loved, and loved all the festivities and presents (!) that these types of things bring, what was most wonderful was having time to be a family. I loved being an aunt and a mom so much that I'm officially convinced we should break with modernity and live in tribes like our ancestors of yore.

While I work out how that can come to pass, for now I'll be grateful for a wonderful, scattered family and memories we make together. Thanks to all who could come and be with us and love up on our sweet, precious boy.

Unfortunately, the downside to such a fantastic visit with diffuse relatives is that it eventually comes to an end...which left me a little bluesy and curled up in bed (that is, until Jeff said he'd take me out on the town with mention of cupcakes and shopping. My man sure knows how to life my spirits!)




Can you recognize the pattern in these pictures?





Cousin Lincoln loves baby Sawyer! We could hardly keep Lincoln from trying to get a better look (or lick...) at his friend. Ah, family!

2 months

(ok ok ok, so I couldn't get the landscape pictures to load right and I'm to lazy (read: I'm doing this while the baby sleeps so I really don't feel like eating precious quiet time or energy) to figure out how to fix it...but I just couldn't deprive you of that cute face, so turn your monitor if you must!)

Two months, and here's how Sawyer is measuring up: 14 lbs, 25 in long, and a pretty average sized head that is carrying cute cheeks, ocean blue eyes, and fuzzy copper hair.

My boy is getting so big! He is so long he has to wear 9 month size pants or everyone starts wondering, "hey, where's the flood?". Growing and growing is still sad for me, but I tell myself it means that there is evermore for me to love, and it is really exciting to see how he changes daily.

Other marks of note, Sawyer boy can now sleep 7 hours straight at night! He usually goes for 5 or 6 though, which feels like sleep heaven for me. That is, when I can actually sleep and I'm not waking up and looking at the clock wondering if he silently starving or wasting away after hours of not eating (or waking up feeling like I'm going to explode and start shooting milk everywhere....this nursing thing is a two-edged sword I tell ya).

He smiles! Quite often now, although he hasn't yet given up his signature look of consternation. He's also trying to laugh! It's adorable. He's got it backwards though, instead of pushing air out in a guffaw, he tries to laugh while inhaling, so it ends up sounding and looking like a wheezy smile.

In the motor skills department, he is going to roll over any day now. Frequently he'll tip all the way on his side, only to get stuck by an out-of-place arm or thrown back on his tummy by an ill timed kick. He loves to look and look at the world, so he's always moving his head around. He loves to get in his morning "dance" with nothing but his diaper on, but I'll share more on that later.

As for me, I'm doing great. I love being Sawyer's mama, and I have so much fun taking care of him. I'm continually in awe of the miracle that babies are, and how wonderful and beautiful it is to be mother and care for a little soul. It's definitely the most fulfilling thing I've done in life, and while some day I'll be ready to expand my world again and get back to some things on my to-do list, right now I'm more than content to be sure that Sawyer isn't rubbing his face in his own spit up and double-checking for poopie diapers before stepping out for a walk about town.