Packin' on the Holiday Pounds

Christmas Dinner included this-
Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole.
OMG. Basically, mash the potatoes with cream cheese, butter and sour cream. Spread in a pan and top with crunchy bacon and cheese. One scoop and you will have to run around the block twice. But SO worth it.

Today, Brunch includes-
Mini Mac N Cheese & Broccoli Cheese Quiche. YUM.
Can you tell I like cheese???
Oh- and fruit and mimosas, too :)

I think a gym visit is needed...

Lemon Jumbles. YUM YUM YUM

My favorite Christmas Cookie.
A few years ago I took a Christmas Cookie Class. We made a ton of different cookies but this was my favorite and I make them every year now.

2 3/4 All purpose flour
1 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 heaping tbsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice (i put in a little extra)

Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In mixer beat butter, sugar, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice until fluffy and well blended. Add the dry ingredients slowly until mixed well.

Roll into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 11-12 minutes or until the edges just turn golden brown. Place on cooling rack.

Once cooled dip in glaze and return to rack to dry.

For the Glaze-
Mix powder sugar and fresh lemon juice until you have a medium thickness.

HO HO HO-LY MOLY!

CHRISTMAS IS A WEEK AWAY!?
Luckily we (as in me, your are welcome dear husband...) are almost all set for Christmas. Gifts all bought & wrapped, cards mailed, tree decorated and cookies (almost) all baked.
Something about the holidays this year is making me feel like a kid again. I am so excited for Santa to come and I have a feeling that I will have a hard time sleeping Christmas Eve. I think it's because this year I AM Santa & I know Hannah is very excited for Santa to deliver all her wishes.
This year the holiday magic has sparkled in Hannah's eyes. Writing a letter to Santa, driving to see the Christmas lights, decorating the tree and having milk & cookies with the big guy himself have just amazed her. & IT IS SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH. When we went to see the Festival (or FestiBal, as Hannah calls it) of Lights this year I got- "Mama, this is SO cool!" When it was time to decorate the tree she was very proud of herself for putting up the ornaments. She is growing up. And while I hate that she isn't going to be my little baby forever, I LOVE watching her grow and seeing the excitement in her eyes this Christmas. It makes ME feel like a kid again. & that is the best present ever.

What are you thankful for?

Me? Well I am happy to say, many things.

November 9th my baby turned one. I can not believe this year went by so quickly. He was just a little baby yesterday, wasn't he? As he turned one, with a head full of dark curls, I wondered if the next time I blinked he was going to be all grown up. I truly hope not. As crazy as life gets I am trying to take all of this in. Each day seems to be a new milestone for both of my kids. I watch them learn something new each day and become much more independent than I am ready for. Every time I think I could not love them more or be more proud to be their mama they do something and "poof", I am. Motherhood has been such a blessing. Some days I have to remind myself of that, but I am so proud, happy and honored to be their mom.

Two weeks later we celebrated my Grandma's 90th birthday. I was overwhelmed with pride watching all of her friends and family gather to celebrate with her. She has always meant the world to me, but watching how she has impacted so many other, it took my breath away. She is an extraordinary woman. I pray that when I am 90 I have touched so many people the way she has. The best part was watching her as her friends sang the birthday song to her in Polish. It gave me a glimpse of the person she was when she was young, where she came from, and where she has arrived at. Also having her three great-grandchildren there to celebrate was wonderful. They all love her so much and I hope they always have the same great memories that I have with her.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I think partly because it makes you stop and be happy for what you have and the fact I LOVE the turkey dinner! As I have gotten older it has also made me appreciate the wonderful family I have. We have a small family and I cherish them all so much. This year, as always, I thought of my dad. Missing him and remembering past holidays with him. But I also had so much to be happy for- My Uncle who survived major heart surgery this year, My 90 year old Grandma, my husband & children who light my life, and my mom- who still takes care of me! I don't know how I would survive without her.

Fall is in the air!

I love Fall. I love the changing colors, the cool but still sunny days and the crunchy leaves. & I really, really love the baked goods. Apple Crisp, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Anything (except pie, for some reason I hate pumpkin pie!). Pumpkin tastes much better once a year.
Now I have a new reason to Love Fall- My Baby's birthday!! I can not believe that I am planning Lucas' first birthday party. I am not sure where 11 months have gone. & he is changing SO much the past few weeks, he really has started to go from baby to toddler. He is walking (and running) all over. He laughs, claps and teases his sister. He has a head full of curls! & he is getting even more adorable by the minute. He is ALL boy & likes to go head first into everything (and has the battle scars to prove it).
So, I am trying to plan a great First Birthday Bash. Full of Hockey, of course! Buffalo Sabres to be exact. I am sure daddy would prefer Toronto, but hell, I am the one planning this party so he will have to suffer :) I have a great birthday banner and Super Adorable invitations from Etsy ( LOVE ETSY). Now, I have to find more fun ideas. & have to decide what to get my little guy for a present. I am pretty sure it should be something more manly than the glitter pink princesses he steals from his sister... Trucks or Tools or something like that... I am not sure, I am new to boy toys. I think that will have to be left up to daddy.

I forgive you...

3 is a funny age. I am finding that they soak up more knowledge than I could have ever imagined and the things that come out of their mouths... well just too much to handle some days.
Today Hannah was acting up and I scolded her and said "you are making mommy angry!". She walked over, gave me a kiss and said "Sorry Mommy, I forgive you". I just stared at her for a second and tried not to burst out laughing. She forgives me? I tried to explain that it should be the other way around. She just shook her head and said " no mommy, it's ok. I forgive you".
::sigh::
Well, at least she is polite.

Time Flies...

I have been a big slacker with the blog, but this summer seems to be going by so quickly and I just haven't had time to keep up.

Hannah turned 3 July 30th. In typical Hannah fashion her birthday was pink and princesses galore... But, I think her turning 3 hit me harder than when I turned 30! I was all :sniff sniff: all day. Thinking about the crazy day when she arrived in a dramatic fashion (which make sense now that you can see her personality!), 5 weeks early, and how she has grown since then was overwhelming. My tiny 5 pound peanut is now 25 pounds, taking dance class, talking like a mini adult and starting preschool in the fall. I now truly understand the meaning of "time flies". I do love this age (minus the temper tantrum and little attitude) but I am so afraid next time I blink she is going to be in high school or GASP- getting married or having kids of her own. I hope that I can remember to cherish all these days while she is still my little girl.
We attended a wedding this past weekend and Nathan asked me "can you picture Hannah getting Married?" I almost burst into tears at the thought! No I can NOT!! I don't want her to grow up any faster than she already is!

I also had a birthday and when you ask Hannah how old mommy is, she says Three Three. See- these are the things I have to bottle. It made me giggle each time she said it. My kids and family made my day a happy day. My dad and I shared birthdays that were just days apart, so now its bittersweet. I miss him terribly and wish he could share in his grandkids lives, I know he would just adore being a Grandpa. We lost him 6 years ago yesterday. I don't know how its been that long already. Thinking of all the things he is missing makes me so sad. But knowing he is up there to watch and protect my babies, that makes me smile.

On a happy birthday note- I was given my Keurig Coffee Maker (from the husband) and KITCHEN AIDE MIXER that I have wanted FOREVER. I also got the amazing ICE CREAM attachment. I mean really, something that can make cookies AND Ice Cream. BEST PRESENT EVER! Thanks to my amazing family!!!

My Lucas is still growing like a weed (an adorable weed). He has the biggest belly laugh and now 4 teeth!!! He took 3 good steps on his own last week and claps for himself whenever he sees fit. I always heard the phrase "mama's boy" but NOW I get it. He is my boy, for sure.

It's just a matter of time...

Lucas is pulling himself up and standing with the help of anything he can grab. One handed or no hands when he forgets and lets go. I have a feeling the walking will begin soon! It just better not while I am on vacation because I would hate to miss it! The amount of trouble he already gets into is unbelievable. I can not imagine what I am in for when he is fully mobile and moving at a full run!!!

A note my babies.

To my baby boy, you are growing up so quickly! Crawling, standing all by yourself, and learning more each day. I watch you wonder where time is going. Your laugh makes me smile to my core and the way you look at your sister melts my heart. I hope you always look at her with that much love and she you.
& to my Darling Girl, I can not believe you will soon turn 3. How can that be when you were just a tiny baby, so small I wondered if you would ever weigh 10 pounds. Now you are so smart, speaking like a mini adult with a tiny voice. Loving your brother and being such an amazing big sister. Your sudden "mommy, I love you" through out the day light my world.
I love you both.
Mommy

Baked Potato Salad

I hate Potato Salad. It makes me gag (sorry, TMI). I have never in 32 years enjoyed it. Until two weeks ago. During a picnic, I tried a new version- Baked Potato Salad. I tried it because it had cheese and bacon in it & normally those two things make most foods better. This potato salad is Amazing!!! Thank you Wegmans (they always have great products & recipes)
Here it is, off their website. Really, SO yummy!!!

2 bags (24 oz each) Baby Red Potatoes, 1-inch dice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
8 slices Bacon
1 cup Classic Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sour Cream
4 small green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp minced shallot
1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 pkg (0.25 oz) Food You Feel Good About Italian Parsley, chopped
Add All Ingredients to List
You'll Need: Large baking sheet
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Toss potatoes, oil, salt, and pepper in bowl. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Roast 20-25 min or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool. Chill l hour.
Cook bacon to desired crispness; chop into small pieces. Set aside.
Blend mayo, sour cream, green onion, shallot, bacon, and cheese in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss potatoes with mayo mixture and parsley until combined.

Hope you try it and enjoy!

Crawler!

Lucas is on the move. Pray for me. :)

A LOOONG weekend.

I was so looking forward to having a 3 day weekend. A BBQ scheduled for everyday and visiting with good friends and family. **insert evil laugh here** Saturday started off well, a nice hot day and Sex and the City 2- It was ok, did not live up to expectations but the company was great none the less. After that we had a BBQ at our house and had a great time. SO nice to visit with friends and I love hosting! I don't know why, but I just love planning, cooking and having guests.
Oh, and I had the BEST POTATO SALAD EVER. That statement is huge considering I normally HATE potato salad. But one of my girls brought over Baked Potato Salad. YUM. Filled with cheese, chives, bacon (one of my all time fav. foods) and sour cream, it was fantastic. I will share the recipe once I get it.
Sunday started off well. Cooking a huge amount of cheese potatoes for my cousins graduation party. The hubby decided to go out for bike ride. O.M.G. An hour before we are supposed to leave I get "the call". You know, the one where your hands shake and you can't get into the car fast enough? He went over his handle bars and his face/head met the ground. He will be fine, but we spent the rest of the day/evening in the ER getting him cleaned up, stitched up and pain "meded up". We are thankful nothing was broken and that the bike helmet he wears did its job. But the rest of the long weekend was a lost cause. Two little ones and a broken hubby and I am officially tired. Well, go to bed then! Right? But no, lets blog about it first. That way I have a record of the crappy weekend I was looking so forward to.
But on a much funnier note, Lucas is crawling. Well, sort of. He gets up on his hands and feet with his bum in the air and somehow moves himself across the floor. Very amusing to watch, but darn he is now fast and we are not even at a "full" crawl yet!
Today he got across the room in about 45 seconds. Why do we wish them to be mobile again? It makes life that much more interesting I suppose.
Hannah never crawled, she sat on her butt and scooted across the floor by using one leg to push herself around. And she didn't walk until 18 months. This child on the other hand, I think he will be walking by the end of summer. I am in trouble.

Summer is here?

It's been HOT in Buffalo. I know, that just doesn't look right. But it really has been. 80 degrees and higher this week. I love when it is warm enough for the kids to play outside, but it has been so hot that I haven't even wanted to take the baby out for very long. I am hoping this is a beginning to a great summer since last year was a lost cause!
This week has been busy! A new driveway, which Hannah loved. TRUCKS! She supervised well.
& A new Swing Set for the kids. The husband has been quite busy. I am pretty sure he has spent about 2 full days working outside in the hot sun to get everything up and looking nice. Our house now looks great from the street (except my weeds that I have yet to pull).
The weekend is jam packed with a picnic or party every day, seeing family & seeing the new SATC 2 tomorrow with my lovely cousins! I am very excited!
I have decided that I want to run (and finish) a 5K this year (summer) which means I need to get my out of shape butt moving. And Soon. My goal is to do one on July 28th. Yikes. I really need to get running...
Father's Day is going to be here soon too! It will be a day of Missing my dad and wishing he was here to meet his wonderful, amazing, beautiful grand-kids. & also being thankful for the fact that my husband is a wonderful dad and that he loves the kids more than anything. I am very lucky to have him and to see him be so "hands on" with the kids 24/7 - well, they are lucky for sure...

Where did 6 months go!?

My baby is now 6 months old, And my other baby is going to be 3 in a couple of months. I am trying to figure out how the last 3 years have gone by so quickly. I love every moment with my kids and it is starting to make me sad that time is passing before my eyes.
Lucas is rolling over, up on all fours and trying to figure out how to crawl. He goes from his belly to sitting up all on his own and is now 20 pounds! A big boy! Fat chubby legs that you just want to gobble up. His personality is really coming through in the past weeks. A funny little guy with a great laugh and smile that is sure to melt hearts in the future.
Hannah is smarter by the day. This is both good and bad... She is beginning to realize she can outsmart me sometimes. She has a fantastic imagination and sense of humor. I listen to her play when she doesn't know it and am blown away by her ability to pretend, create and imitate life. I can not wait until she starts school in the fall and watch her continue to grow on a whole new level.
I celebrated my 4 year anniversary a week ago also. Its hard to believe we have been married 4 years and in that time have come so very far in life.
With the weather turning warm I look forward to all the adventures we will have this summer! I can't wait!!

What's new with us?

The day before his 5 month birthday Lucas decided it was finally time to roll over from back to belly. The he decided to forget how to roll back. One step forward, one back. But now he has been able to master rolling all over the place. I think he will start to crawl very soon. He gets up on his knees and rocks back and forth. I am in trouble when he is fully mobile. I can tell already he is going to be a handful!! His 6 month birthday is coming up fast and I don't know where the time went. Its so exciting to see him learn new things everyday, but sad also because he is my last baby and it's going by WAY to fast.
Hannah is almost 3 going on 20. She makes me laugh so hard everyday when she speaks like a little adult with a tiny voice. We have to be very careful because she likes to repeat everything, EVERYTHING, we say. Good and BAD. I learned that the hard way the other day... She is almost done with her first year of dance class. Overall, I think it was a success. She loves everything pretty & sparkly & pink. I am trying to enjoy it while it lasts. She loves letting me buy her adorable clothes and only wants to wear dresses. I am sure before I know it the day will come when we fight over what she can wear, so I am soaking it up while I still can. She will start preschool this Fall. I can't even believe it yet, my tiny little 5 pound baby is now almost 3 and going to school? She can not wait and I am sure I will be the one crying as she runs into school, never looking back.
Our 4 year anniversary is also coming up and I realized we have accomplished a lot of things in 4 years. Marriage, House, Baby #1, Baby #2... No wonder I am tired, we have been busy!
And, as Mother's Day approaches I am ever so grateful for mine. Always there to help, listen and make sure I stay sane. I have no idea what I- WE would do without her. Growing up you never realize what your parents do for you. I don't think you can or even try to understand until you are a parent yourself. Now that I am there, I thank God for mine and hope I can raise my kids and give them all they gave me.

Thank you, Dr. McUseless

I woke up with red spots on my arms and hands Thursday morning. I got out of the shower and there they were. What the heck is that? I didn't know I had said it out loud until the hubby said 'who are you talking to in there'? I took some Benadryl and hoped it would go away. No Such Luck. Today I found that I am now covered from the neck down in Red, itchy hives. But from what?
So off to the doctor I went. Did you change laundry soap? nope
New Cream or soap? nope
Have you been in the woods? Um no. I am not the wilderness kind of girl, doc. He came to the conclusion that I must be allergic to something. Gave me a shot and sent me on my way. If it comes back give me a call- those were my instructions. Come back? It hasn't gone away!
So, thanks a lot Dr. McUseless. I want a refund. I can use it to buy some itch cream.
Oh- and that shot? It did nothing. Still full of hives, just sleepier than before.

Three strikes.

In honor of the upcoming holiday, last night I made corned beef and cabbage. While it seemed like a good idea to try something new I can't say I will make it again. It's actually very easy to make and the meat was tender but SALTY, as were the potatoes, carrots and cabbage I cooked with it. I don't use much salt and this was salt overload. The hubby ate it but admitted he would probably not do so again. Hannah picked and asked to go watch TV. She normally eats anything so that was not a good sign. Strike 1

Since he has been born Lucas has slept in his pack and play in the spare room with one of us. He is not a good sleeper and when he is hungry he is LOUD! So we keep him far away from Hannah's room because the last thing I need at 2am is to have both kids up. But yesterday was his 4 month birthday (Happy Birthday, my love!) and we decided to try and put him in his room and his crib like a big boy. Oh course all he did was fuss and cry and eventually daddy took him back to the spare room so I could get some sleep and so that the other little monkey would stay asleep. Strike 2

& I have not been to the gym in over a week... That will not help me get into my summer clothes. Strike 3- and I am out.

On a promising note- its was in the 50's today! In March! In Buffalo! Yahoo! Too bad I was inside all day working. ::pout:: But at least the kids got to go for a walk with dad and get some fresh air.

Sunday Dinner

As I got older I started to appreciate having my loved ones around. When I lost my dad I started to treasure it. Now that I have kids, my life is all about family & friends. Life gets so busy you lose track of time and don't get to see everyone as often as you want and before you know it a week, month or more has gone by. So, I decided that Sunday Dinners were in order. Most of the time I will be having my mom and grandma over, this week it also included my brother and his girlfriend Kelly. I find that cooking and feeding everyone makes my week. Tonight dinner was roast beef, mashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin and hot rolls. Ok, so this may not be helping my weight loss goals but it sure is fun to watch my grandma light up as her great granddaughter does something funny at dinner and her great grandson smiles at her. Something about having kids changes your whole outlook on life. And I am glad it has.

On the weight loss front, I took a Zumba class this week for the first time. Can you say TWO LEFT FEET? Yeah, that would be me. It is a really fun class and made me remember that I am very clumsy. When everyone turns left, I turn right. But I will go back because I have 15 pounds to lose (thank you, Lucas John) and I would rather feel clumsy than run on the treadmill.

Hannah is potty trained! YIPPEE!!!!! And it only took a few days. God, she is smart. ha ha, ok a little bragging is in order. This is BIG! And I am a proud Mama! & One less bum to change 5 times a day! She picked up much better than I had thought she would and is doing great.

Tomorrow I am making stuffed peppers, a healthy version. I shall let you know how it goes. And back to Zumba... to look like a fool.

Happy (late) Valentines Day

A pre-kid Valentines Day would be fun presents and a dinner/movie out. Now that we are +2 it was a little different. I made a nice dinner the whole family could have together and my darling husband bought me 2 pairs on pants. For the Gym. And then off to bed at 8:30. Ah, how romantic! But at the end of the day it made me realize I love my new Valentines Day. I spent it playing with my two kids. I enjoyed the baby laughs and watching Hannah "ice skate" around the living room and was thrilled to look around the table as we ate dinner as a family. Things are sure different, but for the better.

New to this World of Blog

So, I decided to jump on the blog bandwagon. And I do this for a few of reasons: 1- Because I want to remember to document more of what my kids do. I am losing all the fun, cute, adorable things they do day to day in the craziness and want to have something to remember it all. 2- I like to write and now will have a reason to do so again. 3- One of my New Year Resolutions was to start cooking more. I want to try new recipes & share the good, the bad and ugly with you as I do so!
So, hi there and welcome to my world.