Take a look

not-quite-ready lemons from my mother's garden, 9/2013

As much as I don't want to admit it, I am a little LOT addicted to my phone and really, the Internet in general. For awhile, I was checking out Facebook multiple times during the day, always disgusted that at least 1-2 hours of my day in 5-10 minute increments with the kids awake was spent reading the news, catching up on my friends, family, and strangers' lives. One day, I deleted all my social media apps and blocked access to those fun sites on my phone. I feel that my days have become more meaningful and every other day when the children go to bed or are napping, I hop onto the computer to see what's going on in the world. Much better.

While I have cut back on my social media drug, I still enjoy my time spent scouring the Internet and discovered these gems:

- ever use a #hashtag? #everydayoninstagram #itsreallydumb #istillusethemanyway #hahahaha
- I'm in love with all these handmade stamps
- Birthdays are pretty simple in our home: 1-2 presents, a party without extravagant decorations, etc. I love these 10 simple birthday traditions shared!
- Ready for Halloween? Hoping I never get photographed at a haunted house
- I don't really eat eggs, but 1000 eggs to do this??
- just wow. commemorating fallen soldiers and civilians at Normandy beach
- I need to try these homemade vegan protein bars!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic day! Looking forward to sharing my single mom travel experience to CA with two kids this weekend!

A Prediction

title: self portrait. voila.

I know you are all so anxious to participate in this prediction challenge/wager/guess, especially since it's even more enticing with the potential of winning a delectable treat that will tickle you inside and out and change your life. Ok maybe it won't be that amazing of a treat, but I promise it will be tasty.



So here is the challenge:

Guess the gender (boy or girl?) and birthday (mm/dd/2012 - you can choose another year, but I guarantee you'll lose).


That's it. No time of day necessary (unless you want to), just the gender and day. I'm not going to be particular. You can choose the same day as someone else if that's your day that you're confident in. Let me know via this blog, email, or facebook. We'll keep track of the predictions :)



Prediction challenge closes at 37 weeks, which is 3/19/2012. Good luck, you have 4 weeks to decide.

        

Don't mind me, just being goofy.

Here are some extra tid-bits to help you choose a day and gender:
- My due date (40 weeks) is 4/9/2012, which is also my nephew's birthday!
- I'm just about 33 weeks now and have gained about 25 lbs.
- Ezra was due 7/14/2011 but came on 7/11/2011 at around 4 am after 14 hours of real labor
- This babe has been SO active. I definitely first felt it move at 14-15 weeks and it's been a wiggle worm since.
- My belly is really pointy. With Ezra, it was round.
- My belly button also popped out this time.
- I had a linea negra (dark line on my belly) with Ezra. This time I don't.
- My sacrum and hips have been aching for weeks. maybe months.
- I didn't have acne in my first trimester
- Tums are some of my closest friends
- Nausea lasted for the first two trimesters, but I never did throw up
- I don't wake up in the middle of the night to pee. Ok I didn't have to include that, but now you know.

"Look, hon! My belly button is inside out!" Carl and I were having too much fun...

For the sake of my poor sister

Dear Shnooks, I am sorry that I have neglected my motherly duties of keeping you posted on Ezra's growth and cuteness. Here are different posts I promised to update on months ago:

Ezra's First Birthday

It was a success. Party goers came, Ezra was happy, he smashed the cake like it was his life calling, and then we took off to Seattle that night and enjoyed a little day trip there. Here are pictures to prove he turned one and we went to Seattle:

yum. my first mini smash cake!

I love that he touched the frosting with one finger and tasted it. cutest. thing. ever.

the cake really did not stand a chance.

Our happy family!

so concerned haha!

One of the games we played. Put Ezra in order from newborn to 11 months!

Fairly self-explanatory. There were 557 cheerios, by the way.

Isn't she just like sleeping beauty in child-form?!

Pretty ladies :)

Now, a party is not complete until a pinata is included...

  

Run, Carl, Run!

Even Carl- er, Ezra- joined the fun!

Remember young Sleeping Beauty? I LOVE the drama in her face here. This picture cracks me up. A circle of children, possibly debating candy theft or cutting in line for hitting the pinata :)

I love the fierce look in all the kids' faces when they're about to whack the pinata!

Even some adults join in the candy picking!

Grandma and the birthday boy! His head is so bulbous sometimes :)

And of course presents!

birthday success!
Seattle

outside our motel

on the ferry headed towards seattle

seattle :)

That's it Shnooks, I'll update another day.


... hopefully before we move to WI.


much love,
 mei :)

First, the Recipe Post

Many of you facebook followers and party attenders asked me for my reduced fat, reduced sugar, zucchini cake recipe and also for my hot dog bun recipe. I will share the not-so-secret here:

Reduced-Fat, Reduced-Sugar, Chocolate Zucchini Cake
yields enough for 30-32 cupcakes, one 9x13, or two 9" cakes
original recipe found here

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (gives it a nice homely taste, but you may omit)

4 eggs

3/4 cup canola oil (I use canola just because it's one of the healthies oils, but veggie is also fine)

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (sweetened is fine, but just more sugar)

3 cups grated zucchini

handful of chocolate chips if you think it's too "reduced" haha

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the nuts and zucchini until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.               
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.

For the cupcakes, I spruced them up by filling them with vanilla pudding in the middle. You will want to fill each cupcake tin about 2/3 to 3/4 full.

1. Make a small package of instant vanilla pudding (be even healthier and use fat free milk and sugar free instant pudding! I just used regular instant pudding and 1% milk) and pour into a bag that can have a decorating tip (ziplock with corner cut of can work ok, but a tip makes this easier)
2. Once cupcakes have cooled enough (to not instantly liquify the pudding), cut an X into the center with a thin sharp knife.
3. Stick the pudding tip into the center and squeeze until the cupcake bulges slighlty
4. Cover up the top with your choice of frosting. A strong cream cheese frosting is my favorite (two 8 oz cream cheeses, 1/4 c. butter, 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar, 2 t. vanilla, whipped together until well blended and somewhat light)

so very moist, ever so sweet, and extremely pleasing to the taste buds. try it. yum.
do you see what's gross about this picture? I didn't notice until after I ate this treat...

Hot Dog Buns (also hamburger buns)
yields 12 hamburger buns or 16 hot dog buns
no changes made to the original recipe found here

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until very warm, 120 degrees F (50 degrees C).               
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.               
3. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for 30 to 35 minutes.               
4. For Hot Dog Buns (16 buns for standard size hot dogs): Shape each piece into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly, and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 20 to 25 minutes. Bake as above.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.               

no tasty and tantalizing picture here...



well, enjoy the recipes, I will do a first birthday party post soon, as it was a success and so much fun! Here is a preview of the great day: