Summer fun!

I'm super excited for this summer. As I have talked about before my son has had a rough beginning. This year we aren't sending him to summer school. Last year we did because he was only in school for 2 and half months. He has such a great memory that I feel he will be ok without it. We will still have his weekly therapies, but postponing or combining them on other days will work out. I want to take him to the zoo, road trips, museums, and a bunch more things. I have wanted to sign him up for day camps as well, but that was hard to manage with him being in summer school. My son has worked so hard - I would like him to start having a blast whenever we can. I saw this really cool "slip and slide" at a store the other day, I think I will have to get one. He's a total outdoor kid! I wish we had more time to go outside now. When summer gets here it's on! He was riding his scooter the other day, we got him one for Christmas, he was hunched over it. His growing like a weed. I need my husband to raise it for him. I have been having a great time watching him grow and get stronger. Isn't our goal to see our children be happy, healthy and strong? I have to say at one point I wasn't sure I was going to see it.

Let's us know what fun summer plans you will be doing. I'm still figuring ours out!

Have a great day!

Apple Cinnamon Cookies

This weekend Eric asked me to make cookies but I was having a hard time deciding which kind to make.  Then I remembered these yummy apple cinnamon ones we get from the store sometimes and decided to try to recreate them.  After looking around online I ran across this recipe.  It was close but I wanted pieces of apple, not shredded apple.  I was worried that if I used chunks of apple they wouldn't have time to soften before the cookie was done.  Eric actually came up with the solution - baking the apples before I put them in the cookie batter.  Well, I have to say the cookies were delicious (you know there aren't any left, right?) - but they do take a little extra time and planning.  Well worth it in my opinion, but I think these would be great for freezer cookies so I can have them anytime (not just when I have an hour to make them).


Soft Apple Cinnamon Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 cups cubed apples, small pieces
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp butter

1/2 cup butter, salted or unsalted
1 1/3 cup brown sugar (you can also use half brown and half white sugar)
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp bakind soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon

For the apples:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cubed apples and 1 tsp cinnamon in a baking dish, coating all of the pieces.  Divide the teaspoon of butter into 4 pieces and place on top of the apples.  Bake for a few minutes and stir to combine the butter and apples.  Continue baking for about 20 min, stirring frequently, until apples are tender but not too soft.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar in a mixer.  Add the eggs and continue to beat until the batter is uniform.  In a seperate bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Add the dry ingredients to mixer, mix until combined.  Add the apples and gently incorporate.

Place dough on parchment paper, using a large cookie scoop.  If you do not have a large scoop, you can form large balls and gently press to flatten slightly.  Bake for 8-10 min, until lighly golden brown.  Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack (I just move the whole piece of parchment to the wire rack).  I got 18 cookies from this recipe, but I wanted larger cookies.

Eric really liked these cookies, but he said he would like something more like a Snickerdoodle next time.  I will try that out sometime, but I have to stop making treats or I am never going to lose weight!! Lol :)


  


 

Banana Cupcakes

My mom called me the other day to tell me what she wanted for Mother's Day......Peanut Butter Frosting! She said she did not care if I made anything to go with it, she would eat it out of a bowl. I thought I would make a chocolate cake with it, but when I went to make it I realized I forgot to buy flour. Now what to do? What else goes well with peanut butter... Bananas! I just happened to have some very ripe bananas and 1 cup of flour and it ended up perfect.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup smashed rippened bananas
1 egg
2 tablespoons soften salted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

With a mixer cream sugar, butter and bananas. Add in the egg, sour cream and vanilla. Once mixed, add everything else and mix until everything is well blended, scrapping the sides as you go.

This makes an 8x8 cake, but I made 6 heart and 2 clover cupcakes.

Bake for around 22 min for cupcakes, longer for a single cake.

My mother-in-law passed away last July and this was our first Mother's Day without her. Her birthday was on Saint Patricks Day, so I thought I would make a few clover cakes as a way to bring her into our celebration.

 

Happy Mother's Day!

J

Cup fashion

I've been itching to make crafts. My craft room has become a dumping ground. It's on my list to clean.  I decided to make this super easy cup cozy. All it is a top of a sock, 3 1/2 inches, I have button shapes for my son and I've had my eye on the heart since I gave them to him. I found some coordinating fabric and made some leaf shapes. I put them under the button and hand sewed it all together. I made some snowman socks over the holidays. I had some left over socks so I grabbed one for this project. I might go out and pick up more to make some for friends. I had a loose knit sock and I think a tighter knit would work better.  When I made the snow man (different sock) the sock edge rolled up on its own. What I had to do with this sock was spray quilting spray on the frayed edges then roll them up.

I hope you try this out! Let us know in the comments!

Did I make it?

So tomorrow marks the 30th day of my 30 Day Workout Challenge.  Did I workout every day? Nope, but I did do more than I thought I would.  It's a start.  Now I just have to continue for the next 30 days and do even better than this time. 

Here's a breakdown of my days:

Day 1 - P90X (60 min)
Day 2 - P90X (60 min)
Day 3 - P90X (60 min)
Day 4 - MS Walk (3 hours)
Day 5 - Nothing (Too sore from 3 hour walk lol)

Day 6 - Umm...nothing...oops

Day 7 - P90X (60 min)
Day 8 - Hmm...I might need a new plan
Day 9 - P90X (30 min)
Day 10 - I cleaned - does that count? (2 hours)
Day 11 - Weeelll, it is the weekend...
Day 12 - P90X (30 min)
Day 13 - UUGH - I have to figure something better out!
Day 14 - Four 10 min walks (40 min)
Day 15 - Four 10 min walks (40 min)
Day 16 - Four 10 min walks (40 min)
Day 17 - I'm awful ly tired 

Day 18 - See above

Day 19 - Three 10 min walks (30 min)
Day 20 - Three 10 min walks (30 min)
Day 21 - Three 10 min walks (30 min)
Day 22 - Three 10 min walks (30 min)
Day 23 - Dr Appt, Vet Appt, Sinus Infection...Nope, no workout - took a nap instead.

Day 24 - 20 min brisk walking (at IKEA)

Day 25 - More cleaning - I really think it should count! (2 hours)

Day 26 - Laid down most of the day - worst sinus infection ever! (Well, for me anyways)

Day 27 - HAHA - not happening - still can't breathe...

Day 28 - Umm...No comment

Day 29 - Three 10 min walks (30 min)

Day 30 - Three 10 min walks (30 min)  

19 days of working out - not too bad (Yes, I counted the days I cleaned.) That makes it 63% of the time - I'm gonna try for more like 80% next time.  I also want to try to do P90X on the weekends and walking during the week.  I find it really difficult to get home at 7pm and then spend time working out before having dinner (and after dinner just doesn't happen).  All of my co-workers are trying to be healthier, so we take mini breaks and go for walks during the day.  I have found that in 10 minutes I can walk 5 laps around our building and it is about 1300 steps, which is around 1/2 mile.  By the end of the day I have walked anywhere from 1.5 miles to 2 miles, depending on how many walking breaks I take.

So there you go - more than you could ever want to know about my workout routine lol :).  Does anyone else have a little cheat for getting their exercise during the workday??  I love that it gets me up and moving around during the day.