Heartwarming!!!

He did it. He finally said MAMA! Dada has been his word of choice. But the day before he turned 9 months, yes 9 months!, he said Mama. It is so cute the way he says it. He brings his chin towards his chest before he says it. It melts my heart everytime. I will have to try to get it on video. He is eating a lt more these days. I am trying to wean him off of nursing. We will see how that goes. he actually is weaning himself. He drink the formula from the bottle so well and I feel like he is getting so much more. His sleeping has improved but still not a full night of sleep. Hopefully he will get that MAMA loves to sleep and that it is a great thing. Well I am freezing cold out in the garage on my inlaws computer on this rainy night so I better get back in the warm house. I really want to write more. It not only documents everything Shane does but also brings me joy.

New Year New Adventures

I know every year I am absolutely amazed that yet another year has flown by. But it happened yet again. Still fat...still unhealthy..still...well that is enough said. Tomorrow I am signing up with a new gym and my best friend is joining me..this is my year...getting thin in 2010. Wish me luck..I need it. So I thought somehow my life would slow down with the birth of Shane, but it was just the opposite. I can't believe he will be 9 months in less than two weeks!!!! He has grown so much. Tonight he totally fed himself a bottle. It seems as though he is weaning himself from nursing. This past week has been crazy. We had to move from our house to the In-Laws the day after Christmas. This is a lot for a little one. Shane did great after a few night he is back to sleeping through the night. He has his own room and I really think that makes a difference. Our other house was laid out to where the nursery was at the complete opposite end of the house and in the front. I couldn't handle him being that far. So I had no sleep for about 6 months!!! On Christmas Eve I guess the monitor was not working and he actually was crying my sis-in-law told me. He managed to get himself back to sleep..who knew...ok I knew that but was having a hard time. After one night of 6-8 hours of sleep I have no problem with it anymore.

Also on Christmas Eve he cut his two bottom teeth. That probably helped him sleep better as well. Teething is no fun! Poor guy. A few days ago he learned how to clap and is on the verge of crawling..that he can take his time on. We love every minute we spend with him. Daddy is having so much fun with him as well. It is so special to see them bond. Shane loves his Daddy! Hmmm lets see any more amazing things my child can do??? :) Grandma and Grandpa think he said their names..I have yet to hear it but I don't doubt it..he tries to repeat everything. He will definitely be a talker, just like his Momma...hahahaha..lol. Grammy had him on Saturday and he swung with her and learned all sorts of new things. It is awesome to have two sets of grandparents so close by.

Well I better go I am missing valuable sleep time:) Started back to work today after being off for 11 days. It was not such a great vacation since I had to move and an awesome friend of ours passed..RIP Eddie....but it was a vacation none the less. God knew I would need the time off the move. He always provides and watches over me. I am so thankful for that.

Christmas Goodies

I usually try new recipes out on people when they come over. That can either go great or ruin a whole night. I had my parents over for my Dad's birthday and decided to BBQ for the first time. Scott was at work and wouldn't be home in time. I got the BBQ started and put on a Tri-tip. The seasonings smelt soooo good. There was a thick layer of brown sugar. As we all know sugar burns! Boy did it. I had the heat up way too high, for way too long. Low and slow Summer...low and slow!!! About part way through the cooking process I remembered that and checked on it. Yea it was burnt. Luckily I did not trust myself so I had some chicken baking in the oven. So we had boring baked chicken legs. I didn't even have one they looked so gross. I chiseled through some tri-tip and ate that. It was actually pretty good despite the candied crust. Everyone ended up trying it and liking it. Sorry Dad! I need to try recipes out before I decide to make them for a crowd. Below is my Peanut Brittle recipe. I made this for the first time for our Christmas Party. I have to say it was fun to make and Scott thinks I should sell it! Peanut Brittle is one of those things that I have to make every Holiday season. Enjoy.

Peanut Brittle

1 c Sugar
1/2 c Light Corn Syrup
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 c Water
1 c Peanuts
2 TBS Butter, softened
1 tsp Baking Soda

Grease large cookie sheet and set aside.

Measure out all ingredients ahead of time. You will need to move quickly and you don't want to get stalled by measuring out everything as you go along.

In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat, bring sugar, corn syrup salt and water to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Put your candy thermometer in place in the saucepan and continue to cook. Stir frequently until the temp reaches 300 degrees.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in the butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks gently pull the mixture into a rectangle about 14x12". Cool and then snap into pieces.

Inspiration

I just finished watching Julie&Julia for the first time tonight. What a great movie! If you have a passion for food or anything for that matter this movie will speak to you. It was especially a great movie since I understand both points of view. Julie struggled with never finishing anything and so she decided to cook her way through Julia Child's "Master the Art of French Cooking". Oh all of this in 365 days...that is 524 recipes!!!! Julia Child really knew nothing about food and definitely had to work hard to keep up at Le Cordon Bleu. It was great to watch them both persevere and complete their goals. Although I have to admit Julia Child always annoyed me..she is a classic. French cooking is complicated and a bit too fussy for me, but I do appreciate it. Most of what is taught stems from the French way. I decided to post some recipes of mine. Being Christmas time I thought it was appropriate to share some Christmas goodies with you. Just like Julie in the movie stated..I am not sure if anyone actually reads any of my blogs..I feel like I am writing to a black void sometimes. It does get a lot off my mind and I will be able to sleep better if I share this. So as Julia would say Bon Appetit!

***Please excuse my photography skills...or lack of*****

Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 c Flour
2 tsp Ground Ginger

1 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Gound Cloves

1/4 tsp Salt

3/4 c Margarine, softened

1 c Sugar

1 Egg

1 TBS Water

1/4 c Molasses

2 TBS Sugar

Preheat 350

Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl. cream margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Then stir in the water and molasses. Add in the dry ingredients gradually. I like to refrigerate my dough for about 30 mins. If you don'r have time it is not necessary. Then shape into balls, about the size of walnuts, and roll them in the remaining sugar. Place on cookie sheet and flatten down slightly with the bottom of a glass.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and they are ready to eat!

More to come later..I am off to bed!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

This year Shane was way too young to enjoy Halloween. Mommy is glad because it is my least favorite holiday. I picked up a Mickey Mouse costume from Wal-Mart, which just again made it clear why I don't shop there. Wasn't the best costume...oh well, he still looked cute and it was comfortable. We went to a car show at Del Taco. They had a trunk or treat car show. Then we went over to our friends house for their annual Halloween party. Next year should be much more eventful:)Katie was a SUPER GIRL and Siena a 50's girl..Oh and Scott a Hic..his costume every year:)

Friends

It is so fun seeing Shane experience new things. He is already learning how to make new friends. We have had quite a few people around us who have had boys. Below is Shane'S friend Micah and his cousin Benjamin. I can tell he is going to be a people person. He loves new things and is so interested in people. He is getting over being afraid of loud noises and new faces. Everytime he sees someone his size he immediately leans forward to squeeze their cheeks. Can't blame him!

Give Away

For anyone interested this is such a cute blog. Awesome vintage ideas! Here is a great giveaway:

http://cynthiascottagedesign.blogspot.com/

It has been too long

As Shane gets older (6 months on Friday) I seem to be getting busier and busier. I thought things would get easier. In ways I am in the hang of the whole nursing, changing diapers and bath routine. Now, we have nursing, cereal, solids starting tomorrow (I think if I can make it to the store and make my own baby food), mommy and me time and a new sleeping schedule. The past two weeks Shane has decided he only needs a few hours of sleep now. That doesn't work for mommy. Mommy needs her beauty sleep. I think I just might turn into a dreadful looking monster by Halloween time. Which may not be such a bad thing; I won't need to think up a costume. My bags under my eyes are sure to scare all the kids away. I think that may be why my husband seems to be keeping his distance. I have mutated into monster. No sleep or showers will do it to ya!
I got some mommy advice today about feeding the Lil one solids and that should cure his strange new sleeping pattern. I am hoping to make my own baby food. I think it is the frugal thing to do...but I am not standing by that. I will give it my best shot. I believe I am going to start on carrots and potatoes. I will steam them and then place them in ice cube trays to freeze. In attempts to become Super mom...hmmm another Halloween option...I am trying to get my life in order. I am coming up with a Master Scheduler. One that has sections for all the areas of my life. Such as, finances, medical, house cleaning and many others. I found a blog that a stay at home mom put together on scheduling. It is really the only way for me to function. I love order. Organization gives me such joy!
Being a parent has been so much fun. Shane is the most handsome baby I have ever seen! Everyone tells me that so I feel fine making that statement:). He is so alert now and it is getting so much more fun now as he interacts with us. Scott is determined to get him to say dada first. Little does he know I am with Shane way more and we have "say mama" sessions regularly:) I try not to get too frazzled. I am new to the parent game and I try to enjoy each stage. Scott is working hard so I can eventually stay home and not have to work. I am very blessed that I get to stay home, but my work is suffering and I want to give whatever I am doing 100%. Being a parent comes first. We are trusting in the Lord. He always takes care of us and I know he will guide us in the right direction. Hang in there all you mommies! Don't completely neglect your hygiene, but know it is ok if you are still in your PJ's and your making dinner. I think I may need a "ME" day. I never really understood those until now. I felt like it was selfish..but it is more of a refueling....so necessary!

Oh the Joys...

Tomorrow my lil man will be 4 months old! As you can tell from the time in between this post and the last I have been enjoying every minute of it. He brings so much joy to my life. I just got his 3 month old pics done...hey he was still 3 months old technically..I will have to wait a few more weeks for his 4 month old pics to be taken. Here are a few that I thought were pretty cute. The first two are his 2 month old pics. I thought the pic with our wedding rings was a strange idea at first, but once I saw it I loved it!

Shane loves to laugh and is happiest in the morning. He is learning how to hold onto things like his rattle, our fingers and mommy's hair:). He hates loud noises, but I hear that is normal. If he is going to be a Gieser he better get used to it. I love watching him grow and discover new things each day.

This one is too bland..this one is too sweet..this one is just right

I feel like Goldilocks in my attempt to find the perfect vanilla cupcake and butter cream frosting recipe. So far I have found a few bland vanilla cupcakes and a few too sweet butter cream frosting recipes. I have tried vanilla cupcakes with every flour imaginable. When baking a cake, most cooks aim to create a light, fluffy cake with a tender crumb. Cake flour usually is the flour to use since it is low in protein...but for some reason it produced a dense cake??? So I tried AP and then self-rising flour. Next round I need to try a mixture of both. I found the flavor to be bland as well. I am thinking of adding a package of vanilla instant pudding. That should give it some extra flavor and moisture.

I also have made many different butter creams that are all too sweet! I am actually not a huge sweet person to begin with..surprising I know..I wanted to be a pastry chef and love baking but am more of a savory person. Good thing though or I might be twice the size I am. So, back to the butter cream. I tried just butter, then butter and shortening and finally shortening and margarine. I have to say out of all of these options I liked just the butter the best, but still the amount of powdered sugar used was too much. I felt like giving up on baking all together. After all what good is a baker who can't make a decent vanilla cupcake and butter cream frosting. But I decided that I can't let my perfectionism get in the way and that eventually after I try and try I will find a great recipe in the end. So, until then I am still on the search for that flavorful and moist vanilla cupcake and not so sweet butter cream frosting!

Made with Love

I am of the belief that pies should be "just like grandma made". No fuss just true homemade goodness. I think making a pie crust seems really hard to many and so they never try. It so shouldn't be. Try it a few times and you'll be a pro in no time. My great-grandma is such an amazing baker..actually an amazing woman! She is in her mid 90's and still lives on her own. She has acres among acres. Her and my great grandfather had planted a huge vegetable garden and many fruit trees. My great grandfather has since passed(at the age of 99 might I add) but my great grandma still keeps the homestead goin'! My best memories are of her whipping together a pie when we stopped by after she made us a huge dinner. My favorite are her blackberry pies..mmmmm. I love that she has made everything for so long that she never once looks at a recipe. She never stops moving. Even in her 90's she still wants to make breakfast. lunch and dinner for you. And I am not talking some cereal or a Bologna sandwich...no way...I am talking homemade waffles and fresh boysenberry sauce and then a few hours later what I would consider a dinner she makes a huge roast or something along those lines. And you can't tell her your not hungry. I always plan on wearing my comfy pants when I am there:) So the point of this blog is to emphasize the importance of plain and simple rustic homemade pies. Keep the tradition alive. Below is my Award Winning Apple Pie Recipe. So simple but so good.

Apple Pie
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6 medium green apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 TBS. butter
Dash of salt

Directions:
1. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and apples together. Place pie crust in pie plate(see crust recipe). Add mixture of apples to the pie crust. Dot with butter and then add top pie crust.
2. Slit top and cover sides with foil.
3. Bake @ 425 for 40-50 minutes.

9" Pie Pastry Crust
2/3 c. shortening, plus 2 TBS.
2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
5 TBS cold water

Directions:
1. Cut shortening into flour.
2. Add salt and water.
3. Shape into a ball and chill.
4. Once chilled roll out to fit 9" pie pan. Enough for top and bottom crust.

Adventures in Baking

After completing Culinary School I found myself burnt out on baking and cooking in general. I lost my interest in it, mainly because of the hours and also the lack of training I received in the pastry field while at school. The focus at school was more on cooking than baking. It was a wonderful experience. I loved it, but I really wished I had learned more about cake decorating. I can make a nepolian, but have no idea how to decorate a cake.

I recently have been very amused and intriged with cupcakes. These little cake were once just a kids birthday staple, but are now served at weddings in place of a wedding cake...who would have ever thought. Below are some beautiful cupcakes that another blogger made. Absolutely stunning.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you what recipes have worked and failed. So far I can not get anything right. My butterbream frosting is too sweet and my vanilla cupcakes are too bland. As a culinary school graduate I hate to admit that I really love me some Betty Crocker. She is amazing! I love the taste, texture...everything! So, my next step is too try try and try again on the basics and then eventually practice my decorating skills. Hopefully one day I will produce cupcakes as beautiful as the ones above. Sweet trails to you!

Picture time

I thought I would share Shanes' first professional pictures!

Old Mommy Tales

The one thing I have come to notice most as a new parent, is that every child is different. What works for one mom may not work for the next. Just as I am different, even from my own sister, my child is different from my own friends' child. Some advice has come in handy, while others just did not work.

I am surprised as to how much of my day is devoted to Shane. I truly thought he would sleep more. As I am writing this I hear that he is waking up. He has been sleeping for two hours though, so mommy is happy about that. I was able to update his baby book. I swore that I was an organized person and that I would keep up on each and every move he made...wrong! I am an organized person..but that went out the window when I became a mommy. I find myself taking a nap over cleaning these days. The first few weeks it was opposite. Everyone told me to sleep when he sleeps, but I couldn't imagine letting the dishes pile up for one more day. Now that he sleeps for about six hours each night I do not need as much sleep during the day anymore. My house is slowing getting back to normal. I still haven't managed to remember to eat every meal or to take a shower daily, but I have been able to spoil Shane with my love and time.



I went back to work last week. I am so blessed to be able to work from home. It has been a little adjustment trying to figure out how to get my work done and also take care of Shane. I couldn't imagine having to leave him right now. Love, love...love my job!

Shane is finally pretty much over his cold. That was really hard to deal with. He had it for about 3 weeks. He was really congested and I took him to the doctor right away. He seemed to think it was just allergies and told me to give him nose drops..little noses. That stuff works great..at least for my little ones little nose. But, he was still coughing and choking and sneezing!!! So a few days later I took him back to the doctor. This time the cold was a little more advanced and the doctor could hear the congestion in his lungs. So, he ordered me a nebulizer. It was the cutest and saddest thing I had ever seen. It came with a little baby mask that covered his mouth and nose (see pic). He did really well with it. Shane would just stare into my eyes. I find that he does that with me and Scott when he may be scared or unsure of things. It is so awesome he looks to us for comfort. Well I better get going I am on a mission to start another blog about my baking adventures! Stay tuned:)

8 weeks!

Can you believe it???? Shane is already 8 weeks old! I sure can't. Everyone says to enjoy every moment because before you know it you turn around and they are graduating. That became so clear to me last night when I went to my brother's graduation from high school!
Today I took Shane to the doctor to check him out. He has been congrested and coughing. He also was sneezing so I am sure he has a cold. Doctor doesn't seem to think he does. He listened to his lungs, looked at his ears, throat and nose and did not find anything? Oh well...I am going to keep an eye on him.
I have to return to work on Monday:( I shouldn't complain. I still get to stay home with him. I couldn't imagine having to leave him all day.
Being a mommy is so fun..tiring..but fun. I LOVE him so much. Well I gotta go the little one is up from his 20 minute nap. Was hoping for a longer one. Will hopefuly get a chance to update this soon!