its been a long weekend

 i've been having a hard time putting my thoughts into words lately.  with emily's 5th birthday swiftly approaching, i've been feeling sad.  feeling sad mostly, i think, because she is growing up so fast, but also, because i'm afraid of what we're missing.  with her delays, she's not doing what a typically developing child does.  she doesn't play with dolls or do hubby's hair.  when we go shopping, she doesn't help me pick out her clothes.  she doesn't play with toys that a 5 year old would play with.  this has been a very difficult time for me.  are we going to miss doing all of these mommy/daughter things?  will they just pass us by??  i don't know, and that sucks.  i'm so proud of how far she's come in the last couple of years.  i need to remember her accomplishments instead of dwelling on things that may never be.
my love and pride for her will never fade.  no matter what.

new blog!

 i have started another blog!!  lol, i know...now i have three!  you can follow all of my baking adventures @ The Bedtime Baker! 

stay right here @ Tina's Place for stories and day to day stuff about the fam...and don't forget about The Clumsy Spider! over there my sissy and i share our sewing fun! 

thanks for reading! xoxo

valentine's day sock "cupcake"

i have adapted this project using a tutorial from seven thirty three.

i fell in love with this idea when i first saw it!  its perfect for emily's teacher and aides, but i ran into a couple of problems since i was using adult socks instead of child size.  

 first, these are just too big for standard size cupcake wrappers...so i found these cupcake boxes from oriental trading, and opted not to use the cupcake wrappers at all.

however, the socks were still too big to get the lid closed without smashing the top down.  so i had to fold them in half, and roll them as tightly as i could!!

but in the end, it all worked out, and they look super cute!!  i have a couple of preggie friends, and will be making some "cupcakes" out of baby socks!  can't wait!

to go along with the "cupcakes, i will also be gifting some mocha meringue kisses in cute cello bags!  you have to have something sweet for valentine's day, right??  emily's bus driver and bus aide will be getting some yummy fudge!

  

s'mores love

yesterday was our second snow day in a row.  cabin fever was becoming a problem.  baking is always a stress reliever for me, so i decided to bake some home made graham crackers.

Homemade Graham Crackers

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoon molasses
1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 30 seconds or so. Add the honey, molasses, water, and vanilla. Mix until the dough startes to come together in a ball, another 30 seconds. Scrape dough out of the mixer.
Between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper, roll the dough 1/8-inch thick. Chill for at least 1 hour, until firm (I chilled for several hours).
Preheat oven to 350F. Retrieve dough and roll it a bit more if it is not yet 1/8-inch thick. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2-inch squares. Arrange the crackers on parchment lined baking sheets. With a toothpick, prick several holes in each cracker.
Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan.
Yield: 48 crackers
Found this recipe here.

OK, so what good is a graham cracker if you can't make s'mores??  however, i didn't have any marshmallows on hand.  back to the kitchen i went with this recipe!

after cutting out my marshmallows, i dunked the bottoms in melted milk chocolate and stuck them to a cookie.

then i spooned some chocolate on top, and sandwiched it with another cookie.

nothing left to do except make a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy!!!

after the chocolate sets up, they stay together really nicely.  teacher gift perhaps??  along with a  packet of hot chocolate, a mug and a homemade mug rug?
 

fudge? yes, please. thank you.

what am i supposed to do while i am dieting--errr---making a "life change", when i need a baking fix?  that's easy---make whatever i want and send it to work with the hubs!!!  tee hee  i also needed to test out a recipe that i found to use as valentine's day gifts for emily's teacher and aides.  here we go...

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt
butter for greasing pan
1- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1 c nutella
3 tbs unsalted butter @ room temp
sea salt approx 1/2 tsp


grease bottom and sides of an 8x8 pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang to help with removing the fudge later.
combine all ingredients -except sea salt- in a glass bowl.  place over a pot with a couple inches of water to create a double boiler.  i highly recommend using this method and not microwaving it.  stir until everything is melted and smooth.  pour into your prepared pan and sprinkle with sea salt.  refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.
fill a large cup with hot water to heat your knife.(dry your knife before cutting!) start by going around the edges, then remove from the pan using the parchment paper to lift it out.  reheat your knife and dry before each cut.  i like my fudge on the smaller side, so i went with approx 3/4"-1" pieces.

while typing this post, i realized that i left out the vanilla--woops!  i think i was too busy telling david to stop eating the chocolate to realize that i didn't even take it out!  it still tastes really good though!! lol  

sweet tooth friday  domestic fashionista