A Mom's Still Got Dreams All Her Own

I think I've said this a bazillion times already, so I guess this will make it a bazillion-and-one: having kids changes everything. Or does it?

The other day my future sister-in-law "Facebooked" me telling me that a woman she knows was giving a talk about her book Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers. With my blog and all, she thought it would be right up my alley (what a sweetheart - unfortunately, we won't be there that weekend, but check out Kate Hopper's website if you want more info. on her or her book). I thought, "Now here's a lady who's doing it all! Writer, teacher, editor, mother? Go Kate!"

That got me thinking . . . How have my dreams for myself changed since becoming a mom? This is totally aside from anything kid-related (i.e. I'm not talking about dreams of sleeping uninterrupted for 3 straight days). So what did my dreams used to be?

1) I always wanted to be the voice of a Disney character (Belle, Ariel, Jasmine . . . Something along those     lines. Silly, I know.)
2) I wanted to play Eponine or Fantine in the musical Les Miserables
3) I wanted to write a fiction/fantasy series, probably Young Adult, or edit fiction novels
4) I wanted to work at, or possibly own, a bakery
5) I wanted to be a mom

I think I can safely cross off the first two as "never-going-to-happen" dreams. First of all, they seem more and more frequently to be casting well-known celebrities as voices for animated characters. Secondly, I don't see a production of Les Miserables being put on in the area any time soon. On top of that, I have little to no experience other than a love of singing. Those were long-shots to begin with.

How am I coming on writing a fantasy series? Um . . . I haven't gotten anywhere. That's still on the "I'll-come-back-to-you-I-promise" dream shelf. I definitely haven't put it out of my mind, so if I'm ever a famous author, you can say that you once read my blog. Haha :)

I don't work at, or own a bakery. However, I've been asked to make cake/cupcakes for three weddings total, and also cookie/goodie holiday trays. I still love baking as much as I always have, and for now that's plenty for me. Other than that last dream, this is the closest I've come to reaching a dream. Not too shabby, but definitely room for improvement.

The last dream? I guess that one gets a double checkmark! I have always wanted to be a mom. Always. I don't ever remember a time when I didn't want kids. I used to worry pretty incessantly that I wouldn't be able to have a baby for one reason or another. In that case, we probably would have adopted, but it was a pretty common concern for me until I got pregnant with Asher. Which is weird because it's a baseless worry. Motherhood isn't always a dream (sometimes it's closer to a nightmare), but I love it.

So what does this tell me? I'm 1 for 5 on accomplishing my dreams. And, I also discovered that my dreams haven't changed since becoming a mom. I'll still dream of Disney and Les Miserables, but I've always known  those wouldn't happen. Writing a novel? The bakery? Sure, I can still do those things, but, I need to be proactive about both of them. Those are things that are within reach . . . I just have to keep climbing. And it'll be a long, hard climb for either of them.

Becoming a parent does change everything about your life. There is no aspect of your life that won't be affected by kids. But, it doesn't change who you are. Under all that stickiness and crusty food that got wiped on your shirt, under the tiredness, stress, and maybe even poop (yikes), you'll still be you. And I'm still me.

Weekend Recap and Cinnamon Roll Pulls

The recipe for this deliciousness is below . . . 

How was your weekend? Ours was pretty uneventful - the cold, rainy weather kept us inside most of the time. Asher chose to watch Toy Story on Friday for Movie Night. Initially he picked out Toy Story 3, but he must've seen the monkey somewhere on the cover, because he changed his mind. That monkey scares him every time he sees it . . . Have you seen it? It is creepy. It doesn't just look creepy, but it screeches and claps its cymbals and is genuinely frightening. Look at that thing! I'm glad Asher chose the first one, instead!

Asher watching the movie with Dad and enjoying popcorn.

Aiden, doing what he did most of the movie -
climbing up, down, and over the chair.

It wasn't a nice weekend weather-wise, and boy was that evident in the boys' attitudes. Yikes. It was easy to tell they were feeling cooped-up. I've also been feeling crappy lately: sore throat and achy all over. I hate being sick. Unfortunately for the boys, it means I don't have as much patience; add on top of that they both have coughs and are probably feeling crappy, too . . . Well, last week was looooooong. Not a good week. Blah.

On Sunday we went to church, and found out that friends of ours took a call and are moving to California. Sad day. They're wonderful people, and the wife is a SAHM, too, so I definitely enjoyed having her around. Their kids are great, too . . . They'll be missed!

But, I digress. This absolutely amazingly-delicious bread turned all that around, at least temporarily. I will most certainly make it again, although next time I'll wait until we have people over because I could probably eat the entire loaf myself. I couldn't resist, though - I'd been waiting and waiting to make it, and I couldn't wait any longer. Besides, who knows when we'll actually have people visit us? It could be a while. I'm not that patient.

What I really loved about this recipe is that the ingredients it calls for are ones I always have on hand, except the loaf of sourdough bread which is easy to pick up, and a lot of times you can find it in the discounted baked goods if it's a day old or something. Much cheaper that way. You can find the original recipe here.

Cinnamon Roll Pulls
1 round loaf of sourdough bread, unsliced
1/2 c. softened butter
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbls. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice bread into 12 slices, but don't cut through the bottom crust.
3. Mix together the butter, powdered sugar, honey, and vanilla. Spread it on each of the slices, but don't use all of it, maybe 1/2 to 3/4.
4. Now, slice the bread crosswise, into 1 inch cubes, but don't cut through the bottom crust. (I think I sliced 7 times or something like that - it's not an exact science).
5. Spread remaining butter between cuts - again, it doesn't have to be perfect.
6. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together, and sprinkle it over the top of the bread, and in between the cuts. You might have leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture. Just use how much you think is enough. (I had leftovers, but it's great to sprinkle on muffins before you bake them, French toast, pancakes, quick breads, toast . . .)
7. Wrap the loaf in tin foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, mix the powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl.
9. Remove the bread from the oven, carefully unwrap it from the tinfoil and move it to whatever plate/platter you might use. Drizzle the glaze over the top and . . . Well, you know the rest!

This is how it looks after it's been buttered and sugared, but not baked. 

This is how it looks after it comes out of the oven - golden deliciousness. 

This is how it looks after it's been glazed. 

This is how it looks right before it's devoured. :)

It's Never too Early to Start a Family Tradition (and recipe for PB Popcorn!)

I think one of the things Dusty and I were most looking forward to after we had kids was starting our own family traditions. Both of us have great memories of things we did with our own families, and I think we're hoping our boys one day have the same.

So, once Asher was old enough, we started having Movie Night at our house. Usually it's on Fridays because we're all ecstatic that the weekend's here, but I think we've probably had it on every night of the week at least once, whether it was because we were out of town, ran out of time, or Dusty and I actually had plans on a Friday night (although, to be honest, I don't think that last one's ever come up . . .)

One of the things I love about it is that Asher looks so forward to it. "Mommy, watch a noovie in four days. What should we watch? Toy Dohwee? OK!" That's the monologue I've heard about 80 times this week, but the movie has varied among "Chipmunks," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "Monsters, Inc.," and "Toy Story."

The funny thing is that it started out being just a fun tradition, but the anticipation is actually helping Asher learn a sense of time. Initially, this week, I told him we'd watch a movie in 5 days, and since then, he's gotten the countdown right every day - 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . Although, he seems to have a hard time grasping the concept that today is sooner than 1 day. Oh well, he'll learn!

The other added bonus of having a family movie night is that I actually have people to eat popcorn with me! Seems nerdy, I know, but Dusty never really eats it, and it just isn't very fun to sit there eating popcorn all by myself as we watch a movie. Don't get me wrong, I still do it; it's just more fun when someone else is eating it, too. :) Classic, butter and salt is the way we usually go and Asher, Aiden, and I gobble it up. But today, I made something a little more special that is really delicious.

However, it's sitting on the table staring me in the face right now, so hopefully it lasts until movie time . . .

Peanut Butter Popcorn (original recipe can be found here)
8 cups popped popcorn, with unpopped kernels removed
3/4 c. dry roasted peanuts
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. corn syrup
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Snickers eggs, Snickers, or candy of choice (chopped) if you want the added indulgence . . . which I did.

Boil the sugar, honey, and corn syrup.

Stir in PB and vanilla, then pour it over popcorn and peanuts.

Spread it on a baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped candy.

Take a break to clean up the fruit loops someone dumped all over the
floor while your back was turned . . . Or wait, maybe that's just me.

Put in the oven for 5 minutes and then let cool.

1. Mix popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl, and line a baking sheet with waxed paper or tin foil.
2. Bring sugar, honey, and corn syrup to a boil, and boil for 1-2 minutes. Don't boil it too long or your popcorn will be rock-hard when it's done.
3. Remove mixture from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Spread on prepared baking sheet.
4. Sprinkle candy over popcorn and put in the oven. Turn it to 250 degrees, and leave it in for about 5 minutes just so the candy can melt a little and stick to the popcorn (your oven does not have to be preheated first)
5. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Taking "Me Time" Isn't Selfish, It's Necessary

Becoming a parent means giving up a lot of things. Sleep, long showers, sleep, running a "quick" errand, and sleep are just a few of the things that have changed drastically since Asher was born about 2 1/2 years ago.

"Don't worry little brother, I'll teach you
everything  you need to know."

Needless to say, having Aiden 16 1/2 months later didn't make things any easier in those departments. My days are spent with our two boys, and while I don't work outside the home, I definitely don't have extra time during the day to sit around doing nothing.

Someone always needs something to drink, something to eat, a diaper changed, help getting unstuck from between two toys or pieces of furniture they somehow wedged themselves between; a meal needs to be fixed, dishes need to be done, laundry needs to be washed/dried/folded/put away (always - I despise that chore), and the floor should desperately needs to be swept because every time I walk I'm crunching toddler crumbs under my feet (that's much more noticeable when it's warmer out and I'm no longer wearing socks around the house).

Aaaaand someone always needs to get dressed . . . again.

But, you can bet once naptime rolls around I'm taking some "me" time. Usually that's when I read, because even after 2 1/2 years as a mom I'm still adjusting to the fact that I can't just plop down with a good book anytime I feel like it. I could definitely use that time to do chores around the house, and usually some of that naptime is spent doing just that, but not all of it.

Partners in crime . . . I can only guess at the trouble they'll get into.

I'm much better at doing my job, being a mom, when I can spend some time doing something that makes me me. Because honestly, that's partially what shaped me into the mom I am. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that I'm this spectacular, super-mom, but I know my boys love me (in spite of the fact that I can't get either of them to willingly give me a hug or a kiss anymore!).

"The look" Asher gave me when I asked
 him to smile for a picture . . .

"The look" Aiden gave me when I asked
him to smile for a picture.

So, even if the only "me" time I get is playing the piano and singing along for 5-10 minutes while the boys pound on any keys they can reach, I'll take it because keeping my sanity is more important than keeping our house impeccably clean and tidy (is that even possible with toddlers?).

It's great when Dad's around to coax a smile for the camera :)

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

I guess I've started a tradition (mostly to indulge myself) of making something cheesecake-y for Easter. Last year I made these babies. It doesn't have any Easter significance, but it sure seems like a good excuse to make cheesecake! It's hard to justify making it on an ordinary weekday/weekend because it's just so rich. I love the stuff and could eat it on a daily basis, but I refrain from doing so . . . I guess that makes me appreciate it more when I do get to have it!

These bars were really easy, and I was really happy with the dulce de leche since I had never tried it before. It added a nice caramel-like flavor, the cheesecake part was sooo smooth, the crust stayed together nicely, and the chocolate . . . well you can't go wrong with chocolate in my book.

I only made slight adjustments, but the original recipe can be found here.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
Crust
2 pkgs. graham crackers
4 Tbls. sugar
6 Tbls. melted butter
1. Preheat oven to 325, and grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Crush the graham crackers until they're fine crumbs (either in a food processor or in a plastic bag using a rolling pin).
3. Stir in the sugar, then the melted butter. Stir until everything's evenly coated.
4. Firmly press into the bottom of your prepared pan. (I like to use my metal measuring cups when I do this because it makes a nice, even crust, and presses more firmly than my fingers can.)
5. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.

Filling
1 14 oz. can dulce de leche (can usually be found in the international foods aisle, or next to the sweetened condensed milk)
4 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened (that's right people, 4!)
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
1. After removing the crust from the oven, carefully spread the dulce de leche over it. (Spread gently because as I found out dulce de leche is very thick . . . it doesn't pour. So spoon it over the crust in dollops and let it sit for a minute to soften up before spreading). Place in the fridge while you prepare cheesecake.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar on med./high speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl.
3. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Beat an additional 3 minutes until everything is smooth and creamy.
4. Pour over crust and bake for 45-50 minutes. (You don't want to overbake it or your cheesecake will be dry. Take it out of the oven when the center is still slightly jiggly. It'll firm up as it cools.)
5. Allow to cool completely.

Ganache Topping
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tbls. butter
2 tsp. corn syrup
1 T. milk, cream, or liqeur
1. Melt all ingredients together on the stove or in the microwave until smooth.
2. Use a fork to drizzle over the cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

On a Side Note: One of my best friends from high-school is redesigning the look of my blog and from what I've seen, it's awesome! So stay tuned for that. We've been spoiled the last couple weeks with seeing family, so I think the boys and I are going through withdrawals . . . might be a long week this week. :)

In our Easter best - hope you all had wonderful Easters, too!

Book-to-Film: "The Hunger Games"

Well, I've been waiting on pins and needles since I first read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and discovered it was being made into a film. Dusty and I had a mini getaway this past weekend and went to see it . . .

. . .

SO WORTH IT! I loved every second. It's one of those movies where as soon as it was finished I could have easily watched it again. I was concerned going in since we'd seen some negative reviews about a lack of character development. I was not disappointed with what they did with the characters. I felt the important parts of the book were included, and yes some things were left out, but that's always the case with a book-to-film adaptation. I had just re-read the book the week before we went, and I'm glad I did because everything was fresh in my mind, and the things they left out in the film I could easily fill in with what I knew happened in the book.

A former professor of mine said that you have to see the film as a separate entity than the book. I always try to keep that in mind because it really is true and great advice. I've found myself far less disappointed when I go in with this attitude. Of course, I can't help but compare the movie to the book, and there are always things I wish could have been included; but, it's impossible to include everything from a 300+ page book in a 2 1/2 hour film.

I have yet to see a movie that I think is "better" than the book, and that's why it's pointless to expect them to be equal. A film can't capture everything the book presents, which is part of the glory of reading. But, I think "The Hunger Games" was really, really well done, and I can't wait to see how they do with Catching Fire, the sequel.

And here's something to make you smile or laugh . . . which I do, out loud, every time I see this picture.

Best-Ever Chex Mix

This recipe was all over Pinterest not too long ago (maybe it still is) and I can definitely see why. Not only does it look fantastic, but it is so, so, so, so, so GOOD! Chocolate, caramel, PB cups, marshmallows, melted chocolate . . . what's not to love? After the first bite I thought, "Yeah, this is good, but maybe not the 'Best Ever' . . ." 

And then I kept eating, and eating, and eating. And then it was gone. And I was sad. It is the Best Ever. 

However, if you search for the recipe, you'll have to look under "Better than Sex Chex Mix." I hate when recipes have "Better than Sex" or "White Trash" in the titles. Bugs me for some reason, so I usually forego that title and use something similar when I post. 

Best-Ever Chex Mix (original recipe can be found here)

8 c. (or one 14 oz. box) chocolate chex

6 Tbls. butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

3 Tbls. light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. baking soda

Toppings

1/2 c. caramel bits + 1 T. milk or cream (or 1/2 c. peanut butter chips)

1/2 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

1 c. mini marshmallows

1 c. Reese's miniatures (the ones that come with no wrappers)

1/2-1 tsp. coarse sea salt

1. Pour cereal into a large, microwave-safe bowl and set aside.

2. Microwave butter, sugar, and syrup for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for another minute. Stir in baking soda until combined.

3. Pour caramel mixture over cereal and stir to coat. Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute.

4. Spread on tin-foil-lined baking sheet and allow to cool.

5. Sprinkle with Reese's and marshmallows.

6. Melt each of the toppings separately (caramel, white chocolate, milk chocolate) and drizzle over the mixture. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in fridge to cool. DEEEEEEEEEEEVOUR! 

*I've used both the caramel bits and the PB chips and both are really good. The only reason I would prefer the PB chips is because the caramel doesn't really harden - it stays gooey and sticky. Delicious, but sticky.