Simple Sweet Mid-Week Treat: Blueberry Cookies

My cousin emailed me a recipe for blueberry cookies a couple of days ago.  We are big blueberry fans.  My kids love them and eat frozen blueberries for snacks.  When I got this recipe, I knew that I had blueberry cookies in my near future.  They are light and very muffinesque (new word, I just made it up).  They reminded me so much of a blueberry muffin and there was a big bonus...I didn't have to wash a muffin pan.  Because seriously that is probably the worst baking dish to ever have to clean...12 of those little cups with muffin crumbs caked on them.  Anyways, back to the cookies...they were great.  You should make some.

Start with a stick of butter.

Add some brown sugar.

Beat it, beat it...

Add an egg.

And vanilla.

Beat it, beat it. Don't you know you got to beat it...

Dump in some flour, baking powder, and salt.

And cinnamon.

Yep, beat it.

Add some milk. And mix it together.

Dump in the crowning glory...blueberries.

Gently mix by hand.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. And pop them in the oven.

Ta-da!!  Blueberry cookies.  Enjoy!!

Blueberry Cookies

1 stick butter, room temperature

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 whole egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon milk, or more if needed

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combined, about 2 minutes.  Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon with the mixer on low speed.  Mix until dough comes together.  Add in milk.  If dough is still crumbly, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together.  Fold in the blueberries gently with a spatula - it is okay if they break a bit.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Remove dough from the fridge and drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Makes 15 cookies.

Popcorn, 3D, and a nap

We went to see Cars 2 this past weekend. From the sounds of it, we weren't the only family to enjoy this cinematic treasure. We even went all out and did something we have never done before, 3D!! I tell you what, that 3D is something. I didn't think it would be that cool, but boy howdy is it fun.

We have been talking about it for quite some time. In fact, we had it hanging over C-man's head for the entire last week. "If you don't eat your supper, we aren't going to Cars 2. If you don't listen to me, then we aren't going to Cars 2. If you hit Sissy one more time, we aren't going to Cars 2." We are so mean.

The kids have been on Cars 2 countdown. Every day last week, C-man asked if we could go see the car show. Sissy would give him the countdown. Then he would hang his head and pout when she told him that today wasn't the day and that he still had to wait. When Saturday finally rolled around one of the first things out of his mouth was, "Are we going to the car show today?"

Once he was told that today was indeed the magical day that we would go to see Cars 2, he was ecstatic. He was ready to go. He was craving the movie theater popcorn and desperately wanted to see Mater and Lightning McQueen. We ran into one teensy little problem. Movie time was at 1:30. Nap time is at 1:30. We figured he would stay awake to watch the movie.

After stuffing handfuls of popcorn in his little mouth, I noticed his head was nodding. I kept tickling him so that he would stay awake, but I failed. The little guy passed out halfway through the movie. We watched the rest of the movie and he woke up for the very end. We all enjoyed our family outing. I am certain that we will have a new movie to add to our kid's movie collection when it comes out on DVD.

Ka-chow,
Carrie

A girl and her bike

Sissy's birthday is coming up.  The next couple of weeks are going to be absolutely jam-packed.  Because we have so much going on we decided to go ahead and give our daughter her birthday present.  She will still have a very special birthday, but we wanted her to be able to play on her bike before we got so busy that she couldn't enjoy it.

We are a little late in teaching her how to ride a bike.  She will be 9 in a week and a half, WWWAAAAHHHH!!!  I don't understand how she can be growing and getting older when I am still young?!?!?  How does this happen?

She got a bike when she turned six.  She could ride it and was doing really well until that fateful day in August.  Her brother had just been born, and I took a time-out from him and took her to ride her bike.  She was doing great until that mountain popped out of the middle of nowhere.  Ok, ok, it was just a hill.  Ok, ok, it was pretty much just a dip in the road.  Anywho, she started gaining speed and before long she was going lightning speed.  I had to jog to stay up with her and then for whatever reason she bailed.  To make a long story short, she skinned her knee and gave herself a bloody nose.  Her bike was never the same.  Its seat and training wheels were bent.

Needless to say, she didn't want to get back on her bike again.  Trying to instill the never give up attitude, we started pressuring her to try again this summer.  It was a rough start, but by golly she's got it.

Daddy had to get the gears in the right spot for the almost 9 year old.  (He's going to kill me for posting this.)

And then she was off.

 

I really am thankful that they can share this time together.  Daddy and daughter bike rides are great, especially when the little one is taking his nap.  The only problem I have is that I don't know what to do with myself when I am left alone.  Do I read a book, watch a TV show uninterrupted, take a nap, or just sit and enjoy the peace and quiet?  Oh the possibilities...

Simple, Sweet Mid-Week Treat: Easy Cherry Pie

I am not gonna deny it.  I am a pie lover.  I love pies.  I love the flaky pie crust and the gooey, sugary filling.  I might even go out on a limb and say that I prefer pie over cake.  Unless it is a good cake.  Unless I don't have any pie and all I have is cake, then I would like cake.  Unless I was forced to eat cake...forced to eat cake, now that would be absolutely awful.

Clint likes pie, but he is rather picky about his pie.  He liked his Grandma Ollie's chocolate meringue pie and he likes cherry pie.  That is about it.  I am not even going to dare to make a chocolate meringue pie because I just don't think that I will do it justice.  There will never be enough love put in it to make it taste just like Grandma Ollie's. 

Do you have a special meal or dessert that someone makes you or made you that no matter how hard someone else tries it will never taste the same as when your loved one made it for you?

Since I dare not try to make his other favorite pie, I usually make him this cherry pie.  This pie is fairly simple and quick and is a hit whenever I do make it.

Since I usually don't have the time or patience needed to pick and pit cherries.  I buy these.  I love Oregon's Cherries (their blackberries are great too).  I usually find them at my local grocery store or Walmart in the canned fruit aisle.  (Surprisingly, they are not where the other pie fruit is in the store.) 

Drain and reserve the juice in a saucepan from only one can of cherries.

Add sugar to the cherry juice.

And cornstarch.

Combine.

Over medium heat, stir the cherry mixture continuously until it is a thick.

Once it has thickened remove it from the heat and combine with reserved cherries.  Add cinnamon.

Gently stir cherries, the thickened juice mixture, and cinnamon together.

Pour filling into pastry lined pie pan.

Dot with butter.

Add top crust to pie, seal, and vent.  Top with sugar with desired.  (I top my pie with demerara cane sugar, but only because it makes me feel fancy.)

Pop that beauty in the oven and wait.

Voila!  A quick and simple pie. 

 

Enjoy!

Easy Cherry Pie

1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar (We prefer a tart pie, so I only use 1/2 cup)

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 cans Oregon Red Tart Cherries

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon butter

2 crusts for a 9-inch pie

Preheat over to 400 degrees F.  Drain the cherries and reserve the juice from only one can.  In a saucepan, stir the cherry juice into the combined mixture of the cornstarch and sugar.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Gently stir together cherries, thickened juice mixture, and cinnamon.  Pour filling into pastry lined pan.  Dot with butter.  Adjust crust, seal, and vent.  Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust browns and filling begins to bubble.  Let pie cool for a couple of hours to allow filling to thicken before slicing.

Proud Momma Moment

Excuse me, excuse me, proud momma coming thru!!! 

Sissy got her first pair of water skis last year for her birthday.  She was so excited when she got them.  But I also saw another emotion on her face.  I could tell that she was nervous and a tad scared.  Nervous about learning how to get up on the skis and scared about the water that would most certainly get shoved up her nose and in her ears when she took a face plant into the water.

She tried a few times on her birthday, but ultimately didn't get up.  She was a little flustered but determined when we went back to the lake a few weeks later.  In August '10, she finally got up and skied a little around the lake.

When we got to the lake on Friday, the only thing on this girl's mind was skiing.  She couldn't wait to get back in the water, shove her feet into the skis, and take off.  It took a few attempts, but ladies and gentlemen I am proud to announce that this girl is a water skiing fool!!! 

I love to water ski and I am so proud that we can share this passion.  She still has a ways to go as far as form and going in and out of the wake of the boat, but she will get there.  We just need to make more trips to the lake.  I am game!  Let's go!!!

This is a video of her first successful attempt this past weekend.  Clint is riding beside her on a jet ski.  The video is a little jerky and bumpy but I think it captures her perfectly.

 http://youtu.be/qYAfg4Pfi0A

Thanks for stopping by and letting me brag a little on my girl,

Carrie

Be Patient, Mommy!

Friday morning we awoke feeling adventurous.  Hubby had a few loose ends that needed to be tied up, but after they were taken care of he looked at me and asked if we could go to the lake.  It was his weekend after all, since he is the father to our children.  Of course I didn't mind in the least bit.  I love going to the lake.  We always have a blast.

We had been talking about going to the lake for quite some time, but just couldn't find the time to get away.  Our little blondie had been talking about going fishing for quite some time too.  When we finally told him that we were going to the lake the first thing out of his mouth was, "Are we gonna go fishin'?"

How can you say no to that?  After driving for what seemed like forever, we arrived at the lake.  He was so excited and like a broken record kept asking, "Can we go fishin'?"  Except that when he gets really excited his mouth gets ahead of his brain and his question comes out, "Can-can-can we go fishin'?" 

Sissy was pretty excited about being at the lake too.  She knew that water skiing, tubing, and swimming were in her future. 

But she so kindly waited for her fun and went fishing with her daddy and brother. 

 

I sat down with the little blondie and we fished for a while. But I was told, "Just be patient, Mommy."  It seems that I was not doing it right and he went back to fish with daddy. 

It's ok.  I didn't mind.  Seeing the little guy sitting down (not falling in the water) and enjoying time with his daddy made my day. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Carrie

The Beggar

Pepper has a really hard time if there is food left on the table. She really is a compassionate doggie. She worries about those that are less fortunate and are having to go hungry. If food is left on the table, she whimpers and whines to remind you that there are those out there that have aching bellies because they are so hungry...mainly, her.

Her OCD tendencies rear their ugly head when there are crumbs left on the table. She has horrible table manners and will stick her paw on the table and try to bat the crumb her direction so she can swipe it. Shortly after getting our current kitchen table, I noticed little scratches on the edge of the table where our son sits. I was so flustered with the little blondie. I was certain that the scratches had come from car races. Or he was messing around with his fork. Or something else silly.

But then a strange phenomenon happened. I had scratches at my table spot. And I certainly hadn't had car races at my table spot. And I don't mess around with my fork (I eat with it, notice the extra jiggle in my thighs.) Then the ol' brain started turning...that little black and white beggar!!!! She was scratching the table every time she tried to swipe a crumb!!!

Honey, if you are reading this, please stop now. That is the end of this post.



I am starting to reconsider my thoughts on one of those counter-height tables. Clint tried to talk me into one, but I flat out refused. I didn't want one that tall. I'm sure not going to tell him that though. Geez, louise, I would never hear the end of.

I can already hear it...I was right and you were wrong. Just say it, I was right.

Ok, honey, you were right. I was wrong.


Thanks for stopping by,
Carrie

You're killing me Smalls!!

Warning: What you are about to read is true and disgusting. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Recently, this boy was kept overnight at a hospital. As with all hospital stays, he was heavily monitored. He was pricked for blood, they checked his vitals every hour, and his urine levels were monitored.

Rewind just a couple weeks before said hospital trip. He was knee-deep in potty training. His poor mother thought that he was never going to get it figured out. But he turned a corner and finally understood what needed to be done on the porcelain throne.

Monitoring his urine levels turned out to be a pretty interesting thing for said boy. He laughed and giggled every time he had to go in the bottle. His mother didn't think much of it. As long as he was telling her before he went, all was fine her mind.

Now fast forward to today. The boy ran to the bathroom as he always does.  He doesn't know how to walk.  He runs everywhere.  He never stops, just runs and runs and runs.  Anywho, he made a mad dash to the bathroom.  His mother didn't think much of it.  As he usually tells her, "I can do it all by myself."

So his mother, kept on doing what she was doing, whatever that was.  But then, she heard a strange commotion coming from the bathroom.  She went in to investigate.  Sure enough the boy was in the middle of doing something very naughty.  It seems that instead of just using the potty as normal he decided to shake things up a bit.  He was found standing (without his undies) on the bathroom counter with his sister's cup in hand.  And you can put the rest of the story together.  Yep, the little stinker decided that his urine levels needed to be monitored.  He finished his business in the cup and his mother took the cup away to be burned. 

Oh heck, if you haven't figured it out his mother is me.  I am not proud of this story nor am I proud that my son knows how to do his own urine sample.  But, it is one of those things that I will remember forever.  And I will tell his girlfriend, his fellow classmates, and really anybody who wants to listen.  Yes, I believe my friends, that I have blackmail for this little guy.  I am sure that this will only be a drop in the cup (pun intended) to the remaining stupid things that he will do throughout his lifetime.  It is my job as his mother to not forget them and to embarrass the heck out of him when the moment arises.

The boy's mother,
Carrie

He Just Will Not Sit Still!!!

These pictures were taken almost a year ago.  I was looking through my pictures and came across them and just smiled.  Please excuse my appearance.  We were at the lake.  It was July 5th and it was HOT!!! 

If you will notice, my daughter has received her orders.  Just sit still and smile...don't look at your brother and don't scratch your nose. 

Hey, C-man, over here!!!

Oh, Hi Dad!
(Goodness gracious, I look rough!! Someone hand me some powder...please fix my hair...please...anyone, anyone. Oh, nevermind.)

Hey, Grandma!!! 
Notice Sissy still sitting there, still smiling.

Ok, we have officially lost him. 
I have given up hope and am now just giggling to myself over the amount of joy this little stinker gives me.  Joy and gray hair.

Hey look Mom no hands!!!