I resolve to make more reindeer cupcakes…and eat them!

This time of year New Year’s Resolutions make huge headlines. I know, I’ve been ignoring them for years. Which is surprising, considering my great love of lists – all kinds of lists.

Okay, I admit that I’ve made some effort to jot down a few goals every year, but it usually isn’t good when I’m still coming down from my annual Holiday Season Sugar Rush. I’m in no mood to restrict my self or my diet when I already have to deal with the sudden departure of decadent reindeer cupcakes and sugar cookies.

I am in a new state of mind there is no doubt. Sure, I want to publish a New York Times Bestseller, but realize it may take more time and work. And I will not kid myself that I can have a bikini body in three months, or even three years. No, this year is different. This year, for the first of as many as I can remember, I am ready to put away the lights, the trees and shed our family room of all the pine needles that are sure to fall when we remove the swags from our mantle.

This is big news, people! I am a holiday freak and am usually fighting to deck the halls early and keep things up at least until the bowl games are over. So why am I so eager to move on this year? There are several reasons, really – and perhaps some resolutions.

The first is I want to enjoy winter. What? Is she losing it? Yup! (That’s yes to enjoying winter. I will not admit to losing it, yet.) My 3yo is a fan of Frosty and it just seems like the right time to move on from the guy in the bright red suit to the one with the old silk hat. Building snowmen, sledding and searching for tracks in the snow with my kid is fun, and I want to do more of this (resolution alert) with my daughter before our second one comes along. Just for fun, I thought we’d get bundled up and attempt to make a snowman, woman or family with rounder middles than me.

The second is we are approaching our due date and we’ve got to get things in order around here (another resolution)! My belly may be about to pop, but I am not getting caught without a well-stocked changing table and pantry before this kid makes an appearance. We may have to add coffee and liquor to the list for dad, but we’re going to have things ready soon!

The third reason I am ready to move on from the holidays is that I want to enjoy the year. All of it. I want to take in every crazy blustery/rainy/steamy day from now until the next Holiday Season. Because that’s when I resolve to make even more adorable reindeer cupcakes with my husband and kids, and eat them up without worrying about fitness resolutions or reducing our family’s chocolate consumption.

And there you have it, enjoy, eat more cupcakes and worry less. I guess I did have some resolutions to share.

Happy New Year! Make it Great!

Here's a photo of the reindeer cupcakes we made from Family Fun magazine.

More than just a job (AAF, January)

It's nice to find people who enjoy what they do. Especially, when what they do is help kids. Here’s a profile of the Washtenaw Child Advocacy Center Program Director. She’s doing great work for area children. You can check out the link or the January issue of Ann Arbor Family to read more. 

Holiday Cookies - Yum!

Before you roll out another cookie this holiday season, read this.

I have bought, made and tasted my share of sugar cookies. When asked to try a new recipe, I shrugged and thought, Okay, surely not much has changed in taste department for decades, but, why not?

I was so wrong. When I made and shared these, the whole house agreed that these sugar cookies topped all the rest – no icing needed! If all you’re after is the recipe for these sugared lovelies, then skip ahead to the recipe below.

After making not one, but two batches of these delicious soft and chewy cookies, I decided to share a few seasonal faves with others who might enjoy them. Remember, it’s important for the cook to do a taste test, so enjoy a little now and a little later!

Happy Holidays!

·     Cook’s Illustrated Chewy Sugar Cookies (Best Tasting Sugar Cookie, all on it’s own) – Recipe below

·     Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies – Recipe 

·     Fannie Farmer’s Boston School of Cooking Christmas Sugar Cookies (Best Rolled Sugar Cookie, make your favorite shapes, add sprinkles or icing and enjoy!) – Find a copy of the cookbook here 

·     Land O’ Lakes Buttery Toffee Cookies – Recipe 

·     Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – Recipe 

From Cook's Illustrated.

Sugar Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Note: This recipe was developed using Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour. Cookies made with King Arthur all-purpose four, which has a higher protein content, will be slightly harder.

2¼ cups (11 ¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour (see note)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¾ cups (12 ¼ ounces) sugar
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
½ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Place 1¼ cups sugar and cream cheese in large bowl. Place remaining ¼ cup sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate and set aside. Pour warm butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine (some small lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later). Whisk in oil until incorporated. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until homogenous dough forms.

3. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces about 2 tablespoons each. Using hands, roll dough into balls. Working in batches, roll balls in sugar to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, 12 dough balls per sheet. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten dough balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops of cookies evenly with any remaining sugar.

4. Bake, one tray at a time, until edges are set and beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating tray after 7 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

MittenMade at Blue House

This weekend there is a Holiday Craft Show at Blue House in Ann Arbor. It's a great opportunity to stock up on handmade gifts or find something special for yourself. 
Blue House is located at 1026 South Main St. in Ann Arbor. You can check out the link here or call 734-780-1762 for more information. 

Disaster on aisle…

Wait…who am I kidding, it wasn’t just one aisle. Stopping off for a few quick items before lunch today turned out to be a full-blown debacle.

Let me begin be saying that we started in the hole and the experience somehow degraded from there. After a lovely time at the bookstore where my little sweetie decided to see if she could outrun me the last few minutes of our trip, I told her to sit tight and we’d stop for a couple things at the grocery.

As we pulled in to park, a little voice asked, “Mommy, I’m sorry I didn’t listen good. (Pause to melt) Can we get a cart where you drive me and I drive the car?” She had just said something so sweet, I only have five items on the list, and I thought, what’s the worst that could happen?

Big mistake.

I help her wrestle her way into the cart as icicles form on our noses. I start to drive/skate my way into the store and run into two outdoor displays and the automatic doors while grabbing some greenery. We’ve only just begun. 

Being pregnant, it was nearly time for my 50^th trip to the potty. So we parked the car/cart monstrosity as far out of the way as we could and my little girl extricated herself from the cart so we could hit the restrooms. Ah, much better.

We grab a bundle of bananas, turn the S.S. Disaster Cart around and walk two feet before I hear, “Mommy, I have to go potty.” Turn the cart back around, park it and get her out again. This time the potty stop is wrought with drama. She tries to support herself with one of the handicap bars and I struggle to help keep her from falling backward into the toilet. The joys of parenthood.

I give instructions. She ignores me, probably thinking she’s doing a great service. I’m just worried she’ll regress two years if this ends up badly. Again, I’m pregnant and squatting down to hold her as she cranes herself backwards holding that darn bar. I tell her again to let go. She looks blankly at me, so I have to remove her hand before she and I both lose balance and fall in. She starts crying. This was not what I had in mind by stopping off for a few quick items!

We finish our crying jag/conversation and end up leaving without going. Awesome.

Back to the car/cart and start again. It’s lunchtime and this is supposed to be fast so we can grab some things and get out…Twenty minutes later we’re still stuck somewhere between produce and dairy. I bust into the grapes and rolls to try and stave off hunger crankies. Helps a little, but navigating the Disaster Cart around the tiny aisles has me ready to scream.

Somehow we work our way into and out of the aisles, hitting only a few innocent bystanders along the way and we’re ready to check out. She’s already crawling out of the cart and I’m trying to keep track of her as people go around us to other registers. Do you have your store card? Yes. Dig, digging. Found it. Where is she? Stuck between the cart from hell and the checkout counter. I help her out and keep piling the groceries, of which we have twenty or so – hey, I ran up a couple wrong aisles trying to turn the cart around, so we got what we got – and we paid.

You’d think the hard part was over, but she wanted back in the cart and I still had to trek back to the car. We only ran into one display, the door and the back end of our car before this time. She got out and decided that she wanted to roam free in the back of the car while I unloaded groceries. I think I growled and she got in her seat shortly after.

Kid locked in place. Groceries in. A neighbor stops us and we have a short chat. She is due in January, and looks fabulous. I’m due months later and feel like a cranky disheveled mess. Can we go home yet? She’s very nice, but I’m ready to eat my arm and seriously questioning my decision to make this ‘quick’ grocery run.

She bounces off to her car. I throw the last bag into the van. Grumbling the whole way, I return the Disaster Cart to the front of the store. I pause thinking that I should memorize the cart manufacturers info. so I can give them a piece of my mind when hunger strikes. We’re outtta here!

So friends, heed my advice –

Don’t go to the grocery store hungry and in need of a potty stop!

Avoid the store on free bread giveaway days.

Never, ever, under any circumstances think that you can conquer the Disaster Cart, a toddler and get though the store in less than thirty minutes – it just doesn’t happen!  

Now, will someone please help me off this seat so I can potty and get something to eat?  Please?

5 Things to Enjoy this Holiday Season

If you’re still in a Turkey Day haze, then this is for you. Here’s a short list of things that might just help put you in a holiday mood and shake off the Grinchies. Enjoy!

Movies: There are lots of great choices. Try on a little Love Actually http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azcimpWgCT0

Food: Really great food, and sweaters to hide the fact that you’ve enjoyed a little too much.

Lights: The moment that hanging the lights turns into a scene from Christmas Vacation and someone starts channeling Clark W. Griswold.

Music: The Hanukkah Song by Adam Sandler http://www.hulu.com/watch/109925/saturday-night-live-sandler-update-song

The Glee Cast’s Version of Last Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy87cq2645U

Spirit: A child’s eyes lighting up on Christmas morning, people helping others out of kindness, a peaceful snowfall, and being part of the season’s wondrous joys.

Holiday Happenings

Here’s a list of Holiday Happenings around Ann Arbor if you are looking for things to do – just right for parents and families. The list is available online and in the December issue of Ann Arbor Family.