52

12.52

10:22 PM



"a portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015"

 holland: dancing in the waves, this is your element

 clark: and you little love, a ribcage squeeze always does the trick and get those giggles going

52

11.52

9:00 AM

  
"a portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015"

holland: waffle snatcher 

clark: it's a bird, it's a bee, it's clark :)

52

10.52

7:00 AM


"a portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015"

holland: intently decorating his sugar cookies

clark: never far behind his big brother. every ounce of him lights up at holland's recognition of him

PROJECTS

sugar cookies.

8:27 PM

 
 
i wish i had a fancy cookie recipe to share with you, but truth be told i don't, just a lot of adorable pictures of an afternoon turned to evening making sugar cookies. 

here's what you will need:
sugar cooking mix/decorating kit from trader joes (it comes complete with icing and sugar crystals)
rolling pin
flour for rolling
wax paper/slip mat
small paint brush or two
cookie cutters
cooling rack
baking sheet
*juice from an orange (if you want to spruce up your icing a little, if not, just follow directions on your box and use water)

we were able to mix, roll and cut out our cookies in no time. we followed the directions on the box to a tee, only sprucing up our icing by using juice from a freshly squeezed orange rather than mixing water into the powder sugar which comes with the kit. my mom grabbed this kit for us on a whim, and it was so fabulous. i am not at all affiliated with trader joe's and this is definitely not a paid promotion, we just loved this product. what i loved most, is that this sugar cookie kit didn't require that we chill our dough prior to rolling (though you certainly can) saving us a lot of waiting time. as soon as our cookies were out of the oven we gave them a few minutes to cool (distracting holland with a big sudsy bubble bath) and then got to decorating. it was so much fun we all joined in, dad included, and holland spent a ton of time on each and every cookie, carefully painting the icing on, and placing the sugar crystals ever so intentionally. i love to see him like this. it is one of my favorite sights, especially when he is patient with himself, which he all too often is not. afternoon faded into evening before we knew it, filling the after nap midday lull we sometimes find ourselves in. after we decorated every single cookie (it made a ton) we gave holland a second dip in the tub before retiring into our pajamas and snacking on a cookie or two, or three. all that to say, if you are at trader joes and you see this kit, grab it and save it for a rainy day. it's wonderful.



52

9.52

8:50 PM






 "a portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015"


holland: you're growing up on us pal...right before our eyes

clark: a rare afternoon nap on grandma's chest

recipe

dark chocolate zucchini waffles

10:36 PM


living in a 1940s bungalow, chilly, grey days call for baking in my opinion. old homes though charming, are drafty, but with the heater turned high and the oven on the house warms in no time at all, and who doesn't love coming in to a home with the smell of chocolate wafting through the air.

in fact it was enough to bring my toddler out of his room where he was suppose to be napping, instead sneaking through the jack and jill bathroom, tip-toeing past his sleeping baby brother, finally entering into the kitchen with a smile on his proud little face eagerly asking, "what cooking mommy?"


dark chocolate zucchini waffles
yield: 10 waffles, about 6 belgium waffles

ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 large eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid form (or melted butter or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 cup dark chocolate pieces
butter, for topping
maple syrup, for topping
vanilla ice cream, for topping (optional)

method:
preheat oven to 250 degrees F and place a wire rack over a baking sheet, set aside.
in a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. whisk until combined. make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in egg yolks, buttermilk, coconut oil (or oil of choice), and vanilla extract. mix until just combined and lump-free. 
in a stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. add the beaten egg white to the batter, a little at a time. fold in gently until evenly combined. fold in shredded zucchini and dark chocolate pieces.
heat waffle iron and grease with cooking spray. add about 1/4 cup of batter to the center of the hot waffle iron. close lid and cook according to your waffle iron's instructions. transfer to prepared wire rack baking sheet. repeat with remaining batter, greasing after each waffle. serve as you continue to cook the rest or keep warm in the preheated oven. serve with butter and maple syrup or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

**tip: waffles may be made ahead and frozen in an airtight container. rewarm in the oven or toaster before serving.

 

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