Workout Wednesday

Well, I wasn't able to workout yesterday. Elijah is teething again and isn't feeling too great. He has a bit of a cold as well so he NEEDS me (which is fine because he likes to cuddle in his condition). Till next time...

Make it Monday

Since my baby is teething I wasn't able to post this yesterday. So, yesterday I made HERMITS. Yes, I know the name is funny but I asked Adrian what he wanted me to make and he chose Hermits. It makes about 30. Here is the recipe. 3/4 cup flour 1 1/2 tsps baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup butter at room temp 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 13x8 inch pan with wax paper and grease. 2-Sift together the flour, baking powder and spices. 3-Place the raisins in another bowl and toss with a few TBS of the flour mixture. 4-With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then the molasses. Stir in the flour mixture, raisins, and walnuts. 5-Spread evenly in the pan. Bake until just set, 15-18 minutes. Let cool in the pan before cutting into bars. Done. They weren't too bad. It really does help to place wax paper down before the mixture. So much easier. Till next time...

Eli gets a new hat...

Here is the wonderful hat I received in the mail the other day (I won it). I don't think Eli liked it. It is a little big but I asked for a size from 15-18 months. I still think he is adorable in it. He probably likes the packaging more than the hat. Silly boy.

New addition to Eli's room

I added the lamp which has been in our basement for many years. It definitely needed some dusting. I'll have to put some cute decor on the lamp shelfs.

My sister Cassie gave me the shadow box and I've had the sign since my baby shower. Also, I added the command hooks which work really well.

Here is where the new decor is located in case you have been inside Eli's room.

Overall, I love his room. Before Eli came along I hated this extra room but now I am a huge fan. I'm so glad we painted it blue. I'm sure I'll update his room again so stay tuned.

Workout Wednesday

Today I did The Biggest Loser The Workout 30 day jump start DVD. I did three 10 minute workouts that focused on abs and upper body. I also did cardio 1. Not bad! The cardio 1 was actually challenging. I decided to do the same DVD on Saturday since I do have it for a week. Side note...you can rent DVDs from the library for a week. Anyway, it was fun. I love doing a different workout each week. I love the surprises.

Make it Monday

Raspberry Sandwich Cookies

Yesterday, I made raspbery sandwich cookies. Now, they took me a little longer since I was juggling making dinner and looking after Elijah. So, I'm not sure if it was worth my time. They are tasty but Adrian didn't quite like them. Thank goodness!

Here is the recipe...Good luck!

1 cup blanched almonds

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temp

1/2 cup sugar

grated rind of 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg white

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1 cup raspberry jam

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1-Place the blanched almonds and 3 Tbs of the flour in the food processor or blender and process until finely ground. Set aside.

2-With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon rind and vanilla. Add the ground almonds and remaining flour and mix well to form a dough. Gather into a ball, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3-Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper (will save time with 2-I only have one).

4-Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Working with one section of the dough at a time, roll out to a thickness of 1/8 inch on a lightly floured surface. With a 2 1/2 inch fluted pastry cutter, stamp out circles. Gather the dough scraps, roll out, and stamp out more circles. Repeat with the remaining dough.

5-With the small end of a piping tip, stamp out the centers from half the circles. Place dough rings and circles 1/2 inch apart on the prepared sheets.

6-Whisk the egg white and the salt until just frothy. Chop the slivered almonds (I used the blender-so fast). Brush only the cookie rings with the egg white, then sprinkle over the almonds. Bake until very lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on the sheets before transferring to a rack.

7-In a saucepan, melt the jam with the lemon juice until it comes to a simmer. Brush the jam over the cookie circles and sandwich together with the rings. Store in an airtight container with sheets of wax paper between the layers.

Let me know if you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks. Till next time...

2nd Play date

I watched Benjamin Fuller this morning so it was their second play date (at my home). We sang...I mean I sang the nursery rhymes. They basically looked at me like I was crazy. Then they both took their naps (well Ben almost took a nap). It was pretty fun. I'm so glad Emily and I help one another out especially when we both have dentist appointments. Too funny!