baked goods

Hubby's had a very stressful and difficult week at work :(
Not just him, but the entire group of engineer's he works with
So, since I can't go in and solve their problems for them (though I've really been racking my brain how to....), what do I do for them instead?!
BAKE!
Thursday I made Honey Beer Bread

and Cream Cheese Banana Bread (pinterest recipes!) for him to take to an afternoon meeting

Friday I had him take in Cake Batter Cookies

and Cream Cheese Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Yeah - I know - YUM.

None of my creations turned out like the pinterest pictures except these chocolate chip cookies...I think it's because I only bake with whole wheat flour...
What are your comments/thoughts/suggestions on baking with whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose?!

Thankfully I had a co-baker during the oven marathon!

Yes, I realize she looks stoned. She technically wasn't - but also has been battling colds in the month of January, so this is her 'cold' face.  And technically she didn't help either.  BUT if it wasn't for this sweet soul I wouldn't have so much joy in my life to energize into baking!!!

We also were in charge of breakfast at church on Sunday so I made some favorite dishes of ours to have ready EARLY Sunday morning:
PBJ and Banana pie (again) with a new family favorite: Hawaiian Egg Sandwiches

Baking has been where I've invested my energy this week after feeling so sick and sad for the last several weeks :(

What have you been baking lately?
I'm on a roll and would love some more new ideas!!!

salads and head colds

My pinterest recipes of the week:
Apple Pear Gargonzola Salad
- My personalization: blue cheese instead of gargonzola...added avocado, didn't use nuts.  And did a bit of the cidar dressing and some blue cheese dressing too.   Great for a party!!!
(and since it was made at and consumed at a party - I did not get a picture!)

Chicken Salad sandwiches
- I didn't have grapes or celery and don't like nuts...but we did add garlic and some extra spices and of course parmesan! (makes any cold 'salad' sandwich better!).  Next time I will totally make sure I have red grapes - I love what they bring to a good chicken salad sandwich.

In other news I have been battling some form of cold for over 3 weeks.
This is getting old and exhausting
Thank you to all my facebook friends for your encouragement and home remedies!
While I am still definitely not back to normal - my energy is returning!
Evidenced by finally sitting down to do another blog :)
And also by going through emails, cleaning and organizing at home again, and leisure reading!
Can you believe I was feeling so sick I couldn't read?!
It just seemed too taxing...

However, I must give praise to the amazing husband God has given me

He was such a loving, selfless servant over the last few weeks and ESPECIALLY the last few days
He even battled being sick a few days in there too!!!
I am so humbled by the man God has given me as a husband - I do not deserve God's favor or Joel's loving-kindness
What a moment of gracious understand at how wonderful and good our God really is!
He deserves our praise and glory
Thank you so much for Your provision and ordination in our lives!

What did you battle with in January?!

Yummy donut fail.

This week's pinterest recipe was 'homemade' donuts
I was stoked all week to make this recipe for when Joel came home after a week of traveling for work
Saturday morning came and I heated the oil in my pan and opened up two cans of mini biscuits
After realizing they brown in like 4 seconds I was rapidly putting them in and fishing them out of my oily pan
We coated them in butter and then cinnamon sugar (YUM)

And just as I tore one apart for Mylin, I realized THEY WEREN'T COOKED THROUGH!
Yuckyyyyyyyyyyy  :(
and BUMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR

I was prettty upset and disappointed but figured I could just pop them in the oven to cook like originally made for...
(and forgot to take a picture...)

Finished product?!
Delicious!
I knew they sounded good and looked pretty good - but I was still surprised by how good they were!

This isn't a picture of her eating them, but Mylin enjoyed breakfast today too :)

So for next time?
I'll keep the oil temp lower...and have the oven hot and ready just in case I didn't get them warmed through!
This is definitely an easy recipe to make a ton of and take for a breakfast carry-in or something...

What would you use them for?

our week

3 Pinterest recipes

Cinnamon Roll pancakes (impromptu on the day Joel was home sick from work this week)
- we LOVED them! Next time I will try the cinnamon roll pancake bake mentioned at the end of the blog recipe link - this was crunchy, which I liked, but also burned easily in the skillet, which I didn't like...

 Peanut butter, jelly, banana breakfast pizza that I mentioned I was going to make this week
- We loved this recipe too!  Like always, I changed some things - I used whole wheat flour, brown sugar, regular butter, cinnamon chips (we were fresh out of chocolate because I also made scotcheroos the day Joel was home sick...) and jelly (not jam).  Next time I would either half the dough recipe or put this into 2 pie pans - the dough was VERY thick! Joel's excited to have it cold tomorrow and see which he likes better

 Chicken Parmesan Bake
-  Ok first of all it was WAY creepy that the guy who does this blog link did a video to tell me how to make this - I didn't like having his voice in my kitchen!  But, we really liked this recipe too!  I chunked my chicken and cooked it in a skillet 2 days ago (moms with small children can appreciate the stages of prep for a good meal!!!) and I also made my own croutons instead of using a bag of garlic ones - we'll definitely make this again!  Would be very simple to make a ton at once and freeze for meals for later

Daddy drew this picture at breakfast...

So we also had a snow day today!

Other than that, this week we had our extra day at home with Joel

A date night at church last night where we both one prizes!!!
I won the game at our table - a starbucks gift card
And Joel had 2 tickets to a Casting Crowns concert taped on the bottom of his chair :)

Mice in our kitchen  :(  (no picture because of how much I was freaking out when I saw them dead this morning!!!!!!!!)

And our little mama budding into quite the lover!

What happened during your week?!

 

What I am LOVIN these days

Coffee creamer

Maternity clothes - especially these cargo pants from Motherhood Maternity

And here's me modeling them at 18 weeks!

Leisure reading

Candles - particularly ones from A Different Light in Bluffton

Pinterest recipes

My goal is to try at least one from here each week!  This week is Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Banana breakfast pizza and Baked Chicken Parmesan

Ellen in the afternoons - my comic relief on my stay-at home days!
Tuesday night t.v.

My unbelievably amazing family that are blessings greater than I can imagine or describe

What are some of your favorite things right now?!