Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ahh, we made it through the holidays with only some minor issues. Sleep issues. The Kid is not sleeping, and it is making his mama quite sad (okay, mostly tired).

I've always been a lover of Christmas cookies, but I never seem to pull it all together to do some serious cooking baking. I made progress this year, though, and made some peanut butter blossoms (my favorite Christmas cookie).

Let me just say that you need to use Hershey's kisses for these cookies. They have the best flavor. Yum, yum, yum. I ended up making four dozen cookies (whoa!) and we polished them off in just a few days. I did bring some to my parents' house for our Christmas Day celebration, so that helped quite a bit!

**While I do believe that Hershey's kisses are the only kisses appropriate for baking purposes,

I did receive these kisses free of charge from Influenster.**

\\Thankful Thursday Vol. 13//

I find that it is impossibly easy to get into a rut of negativity. And once you're there, it's hard to climb your way out. Writing down my thankfuls for each week has become a way to stay away from the negative. Feel free to leave your thankfuls in the comments.

I'm thankful for the health that has been restored to our home. After the long weekend, Kid and I stayed home sick after getting no sleep the night before. We are now feeling back to 100% and our tissue use has decreased.

I'm thankful for Starbucks and Caribou gift cards. Let's be honest. It's such a treat to pull up at the drive-thru and know that you're getting your beverage for free. My favorites are Peppermint Hot Cocoa (Starbucks) and Hot Cocoa with a shot of Caramel (Caribou). I'm also thankful for the drive-thru window. It is so nice to stay in the warm car while my beverage is made and then be right on my way to work.

I'm thankful for dirty dishes (and the dishwasher). Dirty dishes remind me that I have food to prepare in the refrigerator. They remind me that I have a functioning stove, oven, and microwave. I'm forever grateful for my dishwasher that received as a Christmas gift when we bought our home. The family that left our home took everything with them, including the kitchen sink). But the dishwasher saves me (and the hubs) countless minutes after dinner each night. Minutes that we can spend hanging out with Kid and the pup. They are minutes that we cherish.

What are you thankful for?

Sick Kid

I'm posting from my phone this morning, as Kid and I rest on the couch and baby girl kicks away. 

We've both been up all night. My alarm is set to go off in 20 minutes and I kind of want to cry.

Our 6pm trip to urgent care went quickly; waiting for the prescription did not.

Kid fell asleep as soon as we got in the car. He's been up every 30 to 40 minutes since. I've just been up.

Tonsillitis stinks. How does a toddler get it, anyway?

In his few moments of sleep, I've learned which people are on Kid's mind the most.

"Elmo," he cries out, "Mamo, Pa." His beloved grandparents. "Daddy! Mama, Mama, Mamaaaa!"

And how can I not scoop the teary boy out of his crib? His arms reaching up for me, his nose so stuffy he snores like an 80 year old man. His skin is hot, his lips are dry. He guzzles 8 ounces of water in five minutes.

I want to take it all away. I'll take tonsillitis, please. The inability to breathe through my nose. The fever, the tears, all of it.

I'll take it all, so long as kid feels better. 

Wow, It's Been Awhile ~ A Chicken Soup Recipe

It's been quite a while since I've posted a recipe. I find it kind of hard to do, since I am such a recipe follower myself. I'm not often coming up with my own "new" recipes. But I think I've come pretty close to
the best chicken soup recipe ever.

What you need:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 cartons of chicken broth (64 ounces, total)
• 8 to 10 carrots peeled and sliced (no need to peel if they're organic)
• 2 ribs of celery sliced
• 1 onion chopped (I only use half of a really small onion)
• salt & pepper to taste
• one ... leaf? stem? of kale (unless you're anti-kale)
• egg noodles (because my husband doesn't like kale)

What you do:

• Slice your chicken breasts into thin strips and place in a soup pot. Add the chicken broth, carrots, onion, and celery. Add some salt and pepper as you see fit. I tend to go light on these ingredients and allow each person to add them to their own taste.
• Heat the soup over high heat for about 25 minutes. At 25 minutes, check the "done-ness" of your chicken and veggies. The chicken is done when it's no longer pink inside and easily shredded with two forks.
• While the soup is cooking, chop your kale. I only use one stem because my husband doesn't like it and Kid can't yet chew it enough to swallow it. I also remove the main stem/rib of the kale and only use the leafy part. Anyway. Chop it into bite-sized pieces.
• If your husband protests kale, and you don't feel like making an entire pot of chicken noodle soup, boil water in another pot and cook your egg noodles according to the package directions. If you're going for chicken noodle soup, you can add the noodles straight to the soup and cook for 8-ish minutes.
• To serve, place some kale and/or egg noodles in a bowl and ladle the chicken soup over the top. Give it a stir and enjoy!

I threw in this old picture because .. well, soup weather also means shoveling weather... And, I keep forgetting to take pictures of the soup. I'll become a true picture-taking foodie someday!

Quick tips:

• Cook your noodles separately, even if nobody is having kale (or you want both!). I usually double this recipe to freeze and I do not care for the taste of cooked, frozen, and then reheated noodles. I'll freeze a hefty portion of soup and then am prepared to cook noodles the day I decide to reheat the soup.
• Don't be bummed if your husband doesn't like kale. I was. And then I got over it. Because, really? It takes 15 minutes to boil water and make noodles.
• Go light on the salt and pepper to start. Once the soup is boiling, you can taste the broth and add more as needed. People can also add their own once they've tasted the soup and broth.

This Moment & Nuggets

((this moment))

A Friday ritual. A single moment - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember.

~SouleMama~

Nuggets :: November 28

Nugget :: Work was a treat this week, being that I only went in for three days. The kids were rambunctious, but the end of the week was never more than a couple of days away. We had some hectic times, with all of the Thanksgiving projects to be had. On Wednesday, we made Stone Soup and shared all of the reasons to be thankful. I'm amazed at how brilliant five- and six-year-olds are.

Nugget :: Family time. We spent the holiday with my dad's side of the family. A small gathering, but an intimate one. Football played in the background, my niece ran a beauty salon and gave everyone haircuts. Kid enjoyed the attention from the big dogs and the big boys (my cousins). He was quick to show off his dancing moves and his love for football. He recently learned to yell "touch down!"

Nugget :: Kid has been difficult. I know it's his age, and it's developmentally appropriate. I've worked with early childhood for 9 years now. I keep trying to tell myself all of the things I told toddler parents when we held conferences. It's hard. It's hard when Kid is a gem with everyone. Everyone but his mother. He slaps my hand at the store because he's mad. He kicks at my boots when we have to go inside. He wants me to give in, break down, let him get what he wants. I can't back down. No, I won't back down. He's learning. Every time out I give him. Every time I say "no." He's learning. He's testing his boundaries. He's worse for me because I'm there. I'm his rock. His mama. But that doesn't mean that I didn't break down in tears last night after he was in bed. It doesn't mean it's easy. And it sure as hell isn't fun when he's testing those limits. But then, he finally figures out how to say the K sound at the end of "milk" and learns to climb down from his learning tower, and finally throws the ball for Finn instead of at him. And then it's all worth it. A hundred times over.

\\Thankful Thursday: Vol. 12//

Thanksgiving is here, and I felt the need to bring Thankful Thursday back. There's so much to be thankful for, and Thanksgiving is a fabulous time to reflect.

1. As always, I'm thankful for my family. My parents watch Kid two days a week and he is so loved by them. My mom always has words of wisdom for when I complain about my body, my job, my cranky kid. Dad gives the best dad-hugs and sometimes you just need a dad-hug. My sister and brother are the best - always there for me. Especially when I need fashion advice. Sister always has fabulous tips for me. Brother has perfected Kid's wardrobe (we all have him to thank for Kid's adorable Christmas outfit).

2. My job. It's been really busy this year, but I'm loving it. I'm feeling like a new teacher again, in that there is always something to do, but I am sick of doing the same thing year after year. It was definitely time for some change! The kids I work with are delightful, and my coworkers make going to work even more fun. While I will complain from time to time, I do look forward to going to work.

3. A teacher's schedule. I love my schedule. Yes, I bring work home every night. Not correcting, but stuff to prep - cut, staple, draw, etc. I don't get to it until after Kid goes to bed and it takes a long time. But, I have a teacher's schedule. I have a break in the fall, a break for Thanksgiving. A winter break, a spring break. While we can't afford for my to stay home (my real dream job), I get the best of both worlds. I go to a job that I love during the school year. On breaks and during the summer, I get to be a stay at home mom. It's wonderful.

4. Cash Money. Don't get me wrong. We aren't rolling in dough. Even a little bit. We live on a tight budget. But, we are comfortable. We have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We have clothes on our backs. I can afford to fill my gas tank each week. Do I wish we had more money? Honestly, who doesn't? But, we are good. We are lucky.

5. Fertility. There are many families out there that struggle with fertility issues, and my heart breaks for them. I am ever so thankful every day for our fertility.

Scarf Swap!

I decided to join Jessica's scarf swap this year and am SO pleased with the results! First of all, I met an amazing blogger. Second of all, I got a scarf. In the mail. For FREE.

I've always been horrible at picking accessories out for myself. I just don't know how to do it. I have a semi-healthy collection of scarves, but they're all solid colored. Nothing fancy, nothing fun. It was time for a change. So, when I read about the scarf swap over at Jessica Lynn Writes I knew I had to join in!

I signed right up and soon was paired with Sierra, over at Tervo Times. What a wonderful partner to have! She is great and I highly suggest you pop over to her blog and check her out! She is an Air Force wife and mama to two living in Texas. I have enjoyed getting to know her through emails and her blog!

And! She did such a wonderful job of filling a Scarf Swap box for me. Plus, who doesn't like getting snail mail, right? I mean, a letter is one thing. But an entire package!? Filled with goodies? Just for me? That I didn't buy on Amazon... Awesomeness.

First and foremost, the scarf.

Isn't it a beauty?! I was telling Sierra that it wasn't something I would normally choose for myself, which is why I love it so much! I love the details of the overlay and the two colors. Beautiful.

In addition to the scarf, there were goodies! Yummy toffees, a Starbucks card (yes!), and a small Christmastime activity to complete with Kid. Okay, so I didn't take a picture of the Starbucks card, because it went straight to my purse!

Sierra, again, a big giant thank you to you!

Everyone else, be sure to join in on the scarf swap next year!