Wookie Cookies: My New Favorite Cookbook

Oh. My. Gosh.

I just discovered the most darling, creative, clever cookbook. If you have a child, you absolutely must buy it. It is called Wookie Cookies and Other Galactic Recipes by Robin Davis.

I happened upon this gem while seeking out giveaway books for my MOPS group. Our theme this year is "Planet Mom," and we've been doin' it Star Wars-style (by that, I of course mean that I got up in front of the whole church wearing my Princess Leia costume.)

Anyway, I was searching for outer space books, and up pops this little ditty. I purchased it right away, and as soon as it arrived yesterday, I immediately sat down and read through every recipe. (Am I the only geeky little home-maker in the world who just loves to sit and read recipes? I almost go into cardiac arrest from excitement when my Martha Stewart Everyday Food comes in the mail!)

This cookbook, intended for cooking with your kids AND getting them to eat their veggies, is SO DARN CLEVER! Here are just a few of the witty recipe names: Hoth Chocolate. Tusken Raider Taters, Greedo's Burritos, Han-burgers, Boba Fett-uccine and of course the inspiration for the book's title, Wookie Cookies. Bennett and I whipped up some of these out of this world treats (pun intended) just hours after the cookbook arrived, and they are pretty darn delicious! I highly advise making your own Wookie Cookies and not trying to steal them from a Wookie, as Wookies are known to tear poeple's arms off when they get mad...

Here's the recipe.

May the Fat be With You...

My Baby Boy is Three: How Did That Happen?

Bennett turned three years old yesterday. Sniff, Sniff, Weep. Shhhh.... if you listen closely enough, you can hear my heart breaking.

How did he become a big boy so fast? In the last year, he has gone from saying things like "Whassa name?" (What's his name?) to saying "Hi, I'm Bennett. What's your name?" He's gone from sitting in a high chair to sitting in a big boy chair. From sleeping in a crib to sleeping in a big boy bed. From diapers to big boy underwear. I just can't believe how much he's grown up this year and how quickly he has gone from baby to big boy.

This year was the first year that Bennett really understood about his birthday, and he's been excited about it for a while. So of course I figured it was the perfect year to start some... you guessed it... birthday traditions!

The first tradition is that Bennett got to pick anything he wanted for all three meals on his birthday.

For breakfast he chose a bagel and a smoothie. What he doesn't know is that I snuck broccoli into the smoothie! Haha!

For lunch he chose corn dogs. I'd never made them before, but they came out delicious and were surprisingly easy to make! Here's the great recipe I used!
*note: I cut out the bacon and blue cheese for Bennett and just made them plain.


And see... it was so worth the effort! Look how super excited he is about the special birthday lunch his Mama made for him!

Notice that the first thing he did was eat the breading right off the dog... Carb lovers of the world, unite!

For dinner he chose mac-n-cheese.

(No picture... mac and cheese is not that exciting...)

Then he got to participate in another birthday tradition that Neil and I have been doing for a while. For his birthday cake, he got to pick any cake out of Mama's special cake cookbook. (Note: this tradition will be especially fun when Neil and the kids are in charge of making Mama's birthday cake!)

Of course, he wanted to help me make the cake...

Here he is with batter all over his face...

Here's the cake about to go in the oven:

And here's the finished product:

For Bennett's birthday gift, we got him his first trike or "bicycle" as he likes to call it. Here's it is adorned with balloons.

Of course when he saw it, he cared much more about the balloons than the bike Daddy went to go get the night before at 9:30 and spent all night putting together... (McPreachy is such a great daddy!) But as soon as he got over the initial excitement from the balloons, he realized he had a bike of his very own, and he rode it around and rang the bell all day long.

Here are a few precious shots of the birthday boy on his new trike.

Bennett also got some new paints for his birthday to go with his easel. Here he is painting.

September: Apple Month

For the last 6 months, I have been bombarded with questions about Bennett going to pre-school. At first, it kind of took me off guard because he still seems like my baby, and it's heartbreaking to think about him going off to school. But more than that, pre-school just hadn't occured to me yet, which is definitely NOT the norm where I live. I live in a place where parents literally camp out overnight to get their child into the "right" pre-school, which (if you ask me) is just a little over the top when it comes to a place where my child will mostly be digging in dirt, eating paste and drinking apple juice. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about pre-school, but to me this just seems a little bit overboard.

All this to say that we decided not to send Bennett to pre-school this fall since he'll be so newly 3. Instead I will be taking him to a few fun programs during the week (Awana, Community Bible Study, MOPS, Sunday School, Library Story Time), and then on the days we are home, we have been doing "school time." Bennett LOVES school time. He, (like his BFF, Nate) loves structure, and school time is right up his alley.

And because I LOVE themes so much, I have decided to pick a theme for each month and really explore that topic during school time. September is apple month, and I'm so excited to do lots of fun, apple-themed crafts and activities!

Like today, for instance...

We painted a picture of apples in a variety of colors! Don't you just love the marker on Bennett's face? (And the fact that he is still in his PJ's?)

Some other apple-themed activities I've got up my Mama-sleeve are:

• Taking the kids to pick apples in Julian
  
• Going to the library and checking out books about apples
  
• Watching a video about Johnny Appleseed
  
• Making applesauce
  
• Baking an apple pie
  
• Taste-testing different varieties of apples (Green, Red, McIntosh, etc.)
  
• Making an Apple stamp craft (maybe we will use this bag for apple picking!)
  
• Planting apple seeds and seeing if they grow... (my guess is not, if Bennett has inherited my black thumb... but we shall see!)
  
• Making Caramel Apples

If you have any other apple-inspired ideas for me, please do tell!

I'll report back at the end of September with pictures of all our apple-inspired fun!

Hot Mama: The Five Beauty Products You Just Can't Live Without

So out of the five of you who read my blog, those of you who know me really well know how addicted I am to beauty products. My bathroom sink used to be so full of lotions and beauty hullabaloo that you couldn't open the cupboard door without all of it falling out. My Mom has had to drag me out of Sephora many a time. I could stay in there all day looking at and trying on every single lip gloss, perfume, eye cream and eyeshadow. In fact, just last night, my sister-in-law had to keep dragging me away from the cosmetics sections of Target and Kohls. She wanted to try on shoes and dresses, but all I wanted to try on was a new lip gloss.

But for a girl who loves beauty products SO much, my daily makeup routine is actually pretty simple. Of course, I love to glam it up for party time, but on a day-to-day basis, I like to keep things more natural and clean looking. Plus, most days I hardly have time to brush my teeth, let alone (in the words of my Grandma) "put my face on."

My makeup motto is: "If it takes you longer than 10 minutes to put your makeup on, you're not doing it right." I might just be full of hot air, but I'm pretty sure a makeup artist told me that once. Either way, the moral of the story is this: keep your daily makeup routine simple, don't cake it on. Makeup is supposed to accentuate what God gave ya, not hide it!

These are the 5 beauty products I wear every day that I simply cannot live without. Try them... they will change your life.

1. Benetint by Benefit

This is hands-down the best beauty product ever made. I use it every day on my cheeks and lips. It gives a very natural-looking flush to your cheeks, so you look naturally rosy. This way, when you forget your son's shoes, no one can tell you're blushing.

2. Bare Minerals Foundation

I don't care what foundation you're currently using, this is better. You might as well just switch right now.


3. Mac Paints in Bare Canvas


This puppy just about changed my life. I used to live a sad existence where my eyeshadow ALWAYS creased no matter what I did. Then I discovered this miraculous product. As the name suggests, I just paint it on my eyelids in a very thin layer. Now I have... wait for it... a bare canvas on which I can put any eyeshadow I darn-well please! And the best part is, it will stay on all day and will not, under any circumstances, even think of creasing! For a natural, day-time look, try using bare canvas and then layering on Stila eye shadows in kitten and twig.

4. Ooh La Lift by Benefit

Oh my gosh, I love this! This is like 8 hours of sleep in a tube AND it keeps your concealer from creasing (Why is my makeup always creasing? I must be well-hydrated) AND it has a cute name. What more could you want in a beauty product? After you apply concealer under your eyes, (which, if you are a mother, you are most assuredly doing on a daily basis) just dot Ooh La Lift under your eyes and dab gently until absorbed. This will take away that "I just put concealer on, and now I have raccoon eyes" look and set your concealer in place in one fell swoop. Need I say more?

5. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara+ Eyelash Curler of your choice

Even when I'm keeping things natural, I curl my eyelashes and wear mascara every day. I've found that nice, batt-able lashes can get you out of a slew of predicaments! A makeup artist once told me that good old Maybelline great lash was the best mascara out there, and I couldn't agree more. Why spend 20 bucks on fancy schmancy mascara when this one works just as good? And make sure you curl those lashes! In my humble opinion, curled lashes are monumental in the fight against looking tired.

Honorable Mention: If you want to go the extra beauty mile, two more of my favorites are Stila Lip Glaze in Vanilla for the lips (layered over your Benetint, of course) and Benefit High Beam for the cheekbones .

So there you have it, my favorite beauty products. If you have a favorite product, please do tell. My makeup bag is always open to trying new things!

Bennett Crocker: My Little Sous Chef

Lately Bennett has really started to love helping me cook. Without fail, every time I start cooking, within a minute or two, Bennett will come running into the kicthen. He'll look up at me with his sweet, puppy eyes and say, "Can I help, Mommy?"

"Can I help?" Sounds innocent enough, right? WRONG! These three little words can really stress a Mama out! Because when Bennett helps, I can be positive that:

• We will be making a mess of cataclysmic proportions.


• Egg shells WILL end up in whatever we're cooking.


• It will take twice as long to make whatever we're cooking.


• I will probably burn at least one food item as I try to referee my sous chef.

But more importantly, I've been trying to remind myself that when Bennett helps I can also be positive that:

• We will laugh together and have fun.


• I am investing in my son in a way that is meaningful to him.


• We are day-by-day cultivating a lifelong bond as we share these little memories.


• My son will know that I love spending time with him and value his help.

Messes can always be cleaned up. Egg shells can always be meticulously picked out of the batter before it is mixed together (well, almost always). But Bennett won't always be little. He won't always hang on my every word and get uncontrollably excited just to help me make cookies. So I'm taking the road less traveled by -- the messy, flour-covered, curvy, bumpy, super-fun road. And (I'm hoping) it will make all the difference.



Bennett and I made a cake together last week. Here is a picture of the aftermath. I know it doens't look that messy, but trust me, it was!

*Note: Only Mommy touched the knife, of course!






And here is the finished product. If you want the recipe for the most delicious chocolate sheet cake you will ever taste, click here.

My Nordic Friend: Things I've Done While Wearing a Baby Bjorn

I have a best friend. He is Nordic. His name is Bjorn.

Bjorn and I have done lots of fun and interesting things together. Here are just some of the things I have done with him tagging along:

Used the restroom (I'll just get that one out in the open right from the get-go)

Cooked dinner

Eaten dinner at a restaurant

Vacuumed the couch

Made pancakes

Gone on a walk

Gone on a hike (*see photo below)

Carried Bennett upstairs (with Mallie in the Bjorn)

Helped Bennett go potty (Sorry to say, but I think Bjorn got squirted ...)

Cried

Gone grocery shopping

Blow dried my hair

Painted my toenails

Mopped the floor

Watched a Movie (in a movie theater)

Airplane ride

Airport security check

Been utterly humiliated

Taught children at church

Fed the dog

Cleaned up toys

Played cars and trains with Bennett (while Mallie is in the Bjorn)

Played ball with Bennett (while shielding Mallory's head from near-concussions)

Packed boxes

Unpacked boxes

Rehearsed for a stage play (really!)

Checked my e-mail

Put on my makeup

Rocked my babies to sleep (my personal favorite)

Any many more...

I have often been asked how I can devote so much time to domestic things while caring for my newborn baby. The answer, my dears, is simple... and his name is Bjorn!

The picture up top is Bennett when he was around 4 months old. Ahhh... I remember those days, when Bjorn only came out for walks and the occasional fussy moment at the grocery store. Those days are long gone now that we have two kiddos. Bjorn makes an appearance much more often these days. Take for instance...

Our trip to Lake Tahoe, where Bjorn came through yet again. Thanks to my Nordic friend, our over-tired and cranky little Mallory fell asleep, and we were able to stay at the beach and visit with family.

And for the record, McPreachy and Bjorn are buddies too! Especially when we are hiking. (McPreachy doesn't trust me with baby-carrying duty while we are hiking because I am SOOOO klutzy!) So I guess I haven't actually hiked while wearing a Bjorn, but McPreachy has... and according to the Good Book, we are one.

Mambo Italiano: Antipasto on a Stick

I made these appetizers this weekend, and they were so easy and fun! They turned out to be quite a show-stopper for something so simple. Next time you want to add a little wowie to your zowie, try making these babies! Here's what you need:

• wooden skewers (no need to soak, cause we're not grilling!)
• 1 baguette, cut into cubes
• 1 jar kalamata olives
• 1 jar green olives (*insert McPreachy's gagging here.* He hates green olives, but I think they are like manna from heaven.)
• 1 stick o' salami, cut into hunks (or chunks... whichever you prefer...)
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes
• 1 tub of bocconcini (This is just a Fancy Nancy word for mozzarella balls. I got mine at Heaven's Threshhold, a.k.a. Trader Joe's. I used their marinated bocconcini for this recipe)
• 1 package of basil

Now it's just time to get creative and skewer your delish antipasto items. My pattern was: bread (I put bread on the ends to keep it from getting soggy), kalamata olive, green olive, salami, tomato, cheese, tomato, basil leaf, bread. But who cares what I did... you just go with your bad self, and do it your way! Add your own favorite antipasto items, like peppers, marinated artichokes, mushrooms, prosciutto... the possibilities are endless!

Happy Skewering!