What a week!

In my small, unimportant, personal opinion you are flat out crazy if you choose to work full time, raise children, run a household, and care for your husband... as if the latter three were not a full time job themselves. I worked Wednesday through Saturday at Kestrel this week and I am exhausted. If I had to do that with regularity, I would be stressed & very unpleasant to be around. The pace of life is far to hurried in those conditions.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Eric for rearranging his schedule and playing Mr Mom for me. He has been fabulously supportive and helpful as of late and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate him. It's nice to be married to a good dude!

Here's a random photo of our doggy... he and AddyLouHoo are developing an interesting relationship. He is so very gentle and patient with her - maybe even more so than her parents! More on the foibles and adventures of Pooper (as she has adoringly dubbed him) and AddyLouHoo later...

Goodnight Kiss

My friend and coworker, Ann, & her husband, Ed, have taken up ballroom dancing classes on Thursday evenings. We watch their son Eddie, he is all boy - rough and tumble - but he can be awful sweet to...

Giant Ginger Snaps

Taking a page from Staci's book, we decided to bake cookies and record the steps and share.

Giant Ginger Snaps everybody! Start with a curious, mischevious, and enthusiastic 18 month old as your sous chef.

4.5 c flour, 4 t ground ginger, 1/4 c minced candied ginger, 2 t baking soda, 1.5 t ground cinnamon, 1 t ground cloves, 1/4 t salt, 1.5 c butter (room temp), 2 c sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 c molasses, 1 t vanilla, 3/4 c sugar in the raw.

Mix dry ingredients (first 7 on list), set aside. In your handy, dandy KitchenAid beat butter and 2 c sugar until well combined and fluffy. Add molasses, eggs, and vanilla, beat until combined. Beat in flour mixture.

Shape dough into 2 inch balls using a 1/4 c measure or scoop (this often works best after the dough has chilled in freezer for 10 minutes), roll in sugar in raw until well coated. Place 2.5 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350F for 11-13 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and tops puffed, DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transfering to wire rack.

These are chewy and super snappy with the candied ginger in them. Guaranteed to please anyone who enjoys cookies and cakes of the spiced variety. :)

Sous Chef AddyLouHoo just before she flicked flour all over my kitchen...

Dry ingredients; Flour, baking soda, clove, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

Creamed butter and sugar... with addition of egg, molasses, and vanilla.

Mix it, mix it.

Ginger Snap dough rolled in sugar in the raw.

Baking da cookies!

Giant Ginger Snaps, hmmmmmmmmm!

If only I had one of these...

Jeff & Emily have a small horse posing as a dog for a pet. Fiona the GIANT Great Dane. This is her crate/kennel. There are many a day when I really wish I had one for Adelaide... I do believe that anybody with a toddler might understand my plight. Baby Jail!

This photo is the end of the Colorado related posts. A big, fat thank you to Uncle Brian & Aunty Lori for graciously hosting all of us! It was really lovely to visit with all of the family and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Happy New Year ya'll!