ACK! Too many projects...

I like to think of myself as a creative person. I come up with lots of ideas, and most of them come to fruition. But today I am overloaded with ideas of projects I want to complete. I want to bake, cook, sew, glue, create, paint, mix, ink, stamp, cut, just about everything. I have been spending way too much time (and a little money) on Etsy these days and I have to say I am inspired. And curious. How do they make all these lovely things? I want to make these lovely things. So I researched, and I browsed, I read. And now that I think I can figure them out, I have to decide which to make first (and which I can afford to buy the start up stuff needed).
I have figured out that I can afford to buy a sewing machine with our lovely tax return. I am not sure which one to buy, what the price ranges are....but I will figure that out when the time comes. I am hoping that I can borrow one from a friend so that I can try to get some of these ideas out of my head!
Baking...I am baking today and tomorrow - superbowl party. I am going to bring some cupcakes (yet to be decided...ideas?) and for the kiddos I am going to make some strawberry whoopie pies. I think they will be yummy. I was very excited that there were a few "Baked" recipes in the last issue of "O" magazine (dying to buy this book - it's on my wishlist). And the fact that I am trying to watch my caloric intake just makes me want to bake more! So I will be attempting some new recipes and am planning on trying out some blue agave to use as a substitute for sugar. Will let you know how that goes!
Cooking - Jason and I are working out a list of our favorite meals and I am going to attempt to have a meal plan set up so that there isn't any of that "what's for dinner?" business. We have been getting so busy and things are just getting busier and busier. Jakob is signed up for swim classes twice a week. Soccer starts in March for Jakob. Jason is working like mad. And I am trying to find a part time job. And am going to as many playgroups as possible and making some good friends. Oh...and fitting in workouts as much as I can. It has realistically been 3 years since I worked out. How sad is that? Shame shame shame. But I am doing it now and that is what matters.

Crafts - so some of the projects I want to attempt are sewn crayon rollups - they are a great way to store your kids crayons so they are all put away and not in a tub. Organized!!!! Aprons - I figure I need more than just the couple of aprons that I have. And I always want Jakob and Aiden to have a couple too - for baking, painting and just getting messy! Oh... and the one craft I am dying to try are these scrabble tile pendants. I just got three in the mail and they are super cute! I can think of all kinds of people that I want to make these for, as well as try my hand at selling a few....Etsy here I come!

Time....now I know you are all wondering when on earth I am going to find the time to do all of this. I really am not sure either. But the one thing I am lucky to have is a couple of hours each day to myself as the boys nap. Jakob is still a great napper (insert sound of knocking wood HERE). So I do have a couple of hours a day. And though I should be spending it unpacking boxes, cleaning, dishes, making dinner...I never am. I am online, baking, reading, or occasionally napping myself. So there really are 10-14 hours a week that I could dedicate to this creative need I am feeling. Something for me. Me time. Something I am trying to do more of. But at the same time making it something for my kiddos too. So maybe some of that time should be sent cleaning this house. So lets say 6 - 8 hours of me time.

Ahhh... the challenges of balance. Again something I am learning as I go through this thing called life. Any tips on life? Leave me a comment!

Take care,
Tania
Love Big, Bake Often

Clean my Room??

So today's question is "Tell me the steps to cleaning your room". And I hate to say it, but I don't do it. Jason is the neat freak in our family and he is the one that cleans our room. I could make it up, or try to remember what it meant to clean my room. But those who know me know that I am a terrible housekeeper and I hate (and I mean HATE) to clean. But I do.

So I will think of a better question to ask/answer later. Stay Tuned.

Take care,
Tania
Love Big, Bake Often

Cookie Swap

So today we had the cookie swap that I had mentioned yesterday. It was a very small group, just five of us. There was alot of chocolate today. Mary made these HUGE chocolate chip cookies, I swear there is a 1/4 chips in each cookie!! Jen made those peanut butter cookies that you ball up and press a hersheys kiss into. Sara made what I think are Italian wedding cookies. And Christy made these chocolate crinkly cookies - a Paula Deen recipe. I haven't tried them all. I am trying to be good. But I think one of the Paula Deen ones might be calling my name. And you know there will be a BIG glass of milk going along with it!
No recipes to post. I will hound the ladies for them and post them when I get them.
Until then....drool that I have all these awesome cookies in my house that I can't eat! But I will tell you this....Jakob, Aiden and Jason are sure excited to have them around.

Take care,
Tania
Love Big, Bake Often

oooohhhhh I like this question...

What is your favorite movie? This is a great question but and toughie. There are so many great movies and it all depends on what kind of mood I am in. Comedy.....stupid comedy - Old School or 40 year old Virgin. Dramatic Comedy... Chasing Amy. Animated....Finding Nemo (I love the sea gulls) Horror...The Ring. Drama....Life is Beautiful - such a heartbreaking inspirational movie, I cried for days after watching this (you have to watch it in subtitles, the Italian makes it)
80's - Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire 90's - Dead Poets Society

I hate to say it but that list changes all the time. There are so many great movies out there. I don't get to go to the movies very often and we don't watch too many at home these days, by the time the boys are asleep we are so wiped that there isn't time for a movie before we crash. Either that or one of us falls asleep in the middle of the movie!

So that is the question of the day. Now, what is your favorite movie and why??? Leave me a comment.

Take care,
Tania
Love Big, Bake Often

Who likes Spagetti?

Yes, that is hot dog on his plate.....turkey hot dog!

Tania
Love Big, Bake Often

Cookies!

What a day. I spent alot (and I do mean ALOT) of time in the kitchen today. And I have to say that three hours of it was a waste. I decided to try a new recipe for cream cheese cut out cookies and if failed. It was a pain in the a** to roll out, sticky dough, and some puffed up and some deflated. I was hoping that I would have nice even disks of yumminess that I could use to sandwich some yummy dulce de leche inbetween. No way. I really didn't think that these were something that I wanted to share with a cookie swap. Not what I want to share as a cookie recipe that I can stand behind and say that I like these! So...... I went to my fellow bloggers for help. I decided to check out the many blogs that I follow and see what they had to offer. I didn't have to go far. My first stop was Clara at Iheartfood4thought. I knew that my friend Clara (can I call you my friend?) would have some good cookies for me. And I found these...... Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies. And I thought that it was ideal as these were ones that she made to send over seas to a soldier through Operation Baking Gals. I checked the fridge and had all the ingredients, so off I went. These were so easy to make and they taste AWESOME! I ran out of raspberry jam, but had the dulce de leche so I filled in the last ten or so with it and they are delish.

Here is the recipe, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, as written by Clara.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly

1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch (I didn't use either)

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.
In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Look yummy eh?

Can you see the lemon zest.

I will definitely make these again....probably sooner than I should!

Take care,

Tania

Love Big, Bake Often

Oh it is good to be back in the kitchen!

It has been a few days since I have had a chunk of time to bake. Also trying to lose weight and baking don't really go together. I, unfortunately, am not going to participate in this weeks TWD. I just don't like gingerbread, and I don't want to mess the good taste of chocolate with gingerbread. Sorry!! And hubby doesn't like it that much either! So.... No Chocolate Gingerbread Cake here. But check out the other great TWD bakers here. And check back here later as I finish up some Cream Cheese Cookie Sandwiches filled with Dulce de Leche. YUM!! I have a cookie swap tomorrow, so I will have lots of yummy recipes to try and share with you!

Take Care,
Tania
Love Big, Bake Often