killer brownies

I have to preface this post with the comment that I know it seems like I'm baking a lot lately. It's because i am. However, most of it doesn't stay in the house. The gluten free peanut butter cookies were for my young women. And this next recipe I gave away 3/4 of the pan. Aaron, the baby, and I are not eating all of this. Just had to let you know. I stumbled upon a new brownie recipe. Brownies are my kryptonite. I love them. This recipe is dark and delicious and quite dense. A little goes a long way, but I rarely eat a little.

saturday service

On Saturday we participated in Mormon helping hands and had a blast. Here is a sample of what we did. We found some pretty interesting stuff in the creek beds, like mattresses, kids play towers, couches, etc... You know, stuff that totally belongs in the ocean anyway. I looked super cute in my yellow vest with a bowling ball underneath, but it was in the name of service!

super good

i was in search of a gluten free recipe and came across some peanut butter cookies that had stellar reviews.

even better, they require only a few ingredients.

the recipe doesn't call for butter and i was immediately skeptical.  what cookie recipe could be tasty without butter? 

i was proven wrong.  these are intense peanut butter cookies.  the smell and taste is all peanut butter.  everyone i shared with loved them.  they come together quickly and easily.  no mixer required!

the best part?  they last for days.  i'm assuming the lack of flour helps keep them fresh.  i made them last saturday and we've been enjoying them all week. 

give them a try!

never ending debate

we can't agree on any names.  

like, none.  

he has some favorites, as do i, but they aren't the same favorites.

before we discuss names, we have to set some ground rules so things stay friendly.  

we don't discuss it often, but today we took the plunge.

since we don't know the sex of the baby, we have to make two sets of names.  while discussing boy names, i mentioned oscar, but immediately took it back.

children chanting 'oscar the gough' on a playground flashed through my mind.  

we laughed pretty hard and slashed through one more name that won't make the cut.

but, our bags are packed and we know how to install the car seat.  that counts for something, right?

practice

yesterday aaron put together the stroller and car seat combo.  he did a great job making sense of how to do all of it. 

 i watched while cleaning the kitchen.  

earlier in the day i practiced how to use our moby carrier and used a large stuffed rabbit to practice taking baby in and out of the carrier.  i think he wanted to do the same with the car seat, so only sock monkey would do.

a little creepy?  sure.

feeding smart water to sock monkey while acting as our baby?  a little more creepy.

but, also cute.

shopping

we finished buying our baby registry items today. 

as you can see, aaron was very into it. 

nothing but the best for our baby means quality control.

even while sleeping.

 

waffle justice

i was reading bon appetit yesterday and saw this glorious photo.

which was accompanied by a tasty article.

it touched me. not so much because i'm dying to try this. i'm not big on ham. but, use quality ham and i'd give it a go.

however, the subject of this article, a new waffle trend, felt like waffle justice to me.

growing up, we always made homemade waffles. i'm pretty sure i never tasted an eggo until college. and our waffles had cheese in them. rather, on them. we'd pour the batter, sprinkle a bit (or a lot) of grated cheddar cheese on top, close the waffle iron and anticipate the crunchy delight that would soon be on our plates. the cheese crisps and is in no way gooey. the salty with the sweet of the syrup is amazing.

i thought everyone ate their waffles this way. i still prefer cheese waffles and have to make plain boring ones for aaron. yuck. for years people would give me the crazy eye when i explain our tradition to them.

not anymore. this ham and cheese waffle article in a foodie magazine is solid proof that waffle creations are branching out and soon my family's culinary genius will be commonplace.

can't wait.

i'd like to apologize

for lots of things in this picture, but i won't.

i've been told that when you apologize in situations such as this, you're actually drawing attention to the thing you're hoping people don't notice.

like saying how bad your handwriting is before writing on a chalkboard. (guilty as charged)

back to the picture. i will apologize for one thing because i'm not sure how someone with eyesight wouldn't notice it.

my random grin. if one could call it that. sadly, we took multiple pictures, but the one where i am talking turned out to be the most suitable for public consumption. sorry.

anywhoo, here is a shot of my growing status, per various requests.

i might have more in a few weeks. i might not. in a few weeks the actual baby will be here, so maybe there will be a new star of the show.