the longest day

Yesterday I spent the afternoon running errands. After work i went to pick up Knox, who was sleeping (this is normal). However, I decided to wake Knox up early from his morning nap to go ahead and go to the grocery store. Mistake number one. Knox did pretty well most of the trip, though dealing with whiney moments throughout (which I guess would be understandable, seeing as how I hadn't fed him lunch yet and it was about 12:30...mistake number two). Until the checkout line. I believe I witnessed one of the largest tantrums that anyone in the civilized world has ever seen. After trying to discretely discipline, and quickly trying to get out of there, we left to run a couple more errands. After trying hard neither to let Knox bite Sam's fingers nor Sam pull Knox's hair, we arrived for lunch. Sam ate relatively quickly and was off to bed. Knox ate much more quickly, but wanted to hang around and play for a little while, so I let him (mistake number three). By this time it was at least two or so (early for him not have fully napped in the morning), so he should have been ready to sleep, but like any two-year-old, Knox wanted to stay up and play. Robin & I ate a VERY YUMMY lunch of her homemade chicken penne alfredo while Knox played in bed. After lunch, since Knox was still not asleep and was getting quite unruly, I picked him up to take home, where we both crashed until around 6 or so. Then, wesley came home from working out and we headed off to his parents' house, stopping by Burger King (mistake number... i lose count). We order. We double check my sandwich to make sure that it is infact grilled chicken and plain. It is, so we continue on our way, about 20 miles out, to Wesley's parents' house. We arrive; we pull out our combos only to find Wesley's sandwich is no where to be found. No where. So, I call Burger King, get it sorted out (and we can go pick one up whenever we choose, though that didnt' help us any last night). Finally, Knox began to start his I'm-sleepy-defiance-of-rules bit that children do when they've been up too long, so we put him to bed. Well, that just doesn't work well when you are over exhausted and two and at your grandparents' house. So, after about and hour of dealing off & on with an unpleasant child from the bedroom, he finally went to sleep! (Hallelujah!!!!) I put my feet up, watched much too much tv for one night, and went to bed way too late to get up as early as i did this morning. But, I am at work early this morning, and perhaps i'll get a nap in this afternoon. Wesley & I got to peek in on Knox before we headed out to work early (Wesley's mom is watching him today) and he is so almost angelic looking when he sleeps. What a sweetie. And we have lovely plans of friends coming for dinner, so I am very excited about what this day holds. Oh, and we rented Run Fatboy Run, so I'm excited about getting to watch it, as well!

i just realized that my shirt has been inside-out all morning.

Knox was poking at my newly "outie" belly-button this morning, and I was explaining that there's a baby in there. While he was poking around at my belly, the baby kicked, so I told him to put his hand on my tummy where he could feel his baby brother. He looked pleased. When I started to sit down, he wanted to poke at the baby again and said, "belly brother, belly brother!" :o)

My version of the yumminess I ate at Red Tree Coffee

I call them biscuit muffins.

4 eggs
a pinch of cheese for each muffin
1/2 slice of ham, sliced quite thick (and cut into cubes)
1 can of whop-biscuits, flaky style
onion powder to taste
garlic salt to taste

Preheat oven to whatever degree your biscuit can says. Spray the muffin tin with Pam. Put 1 biscuit in each muffin tin, pinching the sides up the tin. Mix the eggs where the yolk and whites are inseperable and add onion powder and garlic salt to taste. Pour on top of each biscuit. Add a few ham cubes to each egg mixture. Add cheese on top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until biscuits and eggs are both done. Eat! Yummy!!!

Yellow Butter Cake & Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Frosting

1 lb. semisweet chocolate chopped
6 T. Dutch processed cocoa powder
6 T. boiling water
3 sticks unsalted butter
½ cup powdered sugar
Pinch of salt

Melt chocolate in a double boiler until melted, turn off heat (about 15 minutes).
Combine cocoa & boiled water, stirring until it’s dissolved.
Beat butter, powdered sugar, & salt on med-high (3-4 minutes). Add melted chocolate, & beat on low until combined (1-2 minutes). Beat in cocoa mixture.


Yellow Cake

2 sticks butter
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 cup cake flour
1 T baking powder
½ t salt
1.75 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1.25 cup milk

Preheat to 350. Butter 2 9x9” round cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper. Sift flours, baking powder, & salt.
Beat butter & sugar till light & fluffy (3-4 minutes). Beat eggs (1 at a time) and vanilla. On low, add flour. Bake, rotating ½ way through, for a total of 30-35 minutes. (20 minutes if making cupcakes.) Cool 20 minutes. Trim cake to make level. Add ¾ frosting to middle layer, and frost the remainder frosting around the sides and on the top.

Fudgy Brownies

1 stick butter, unsalted
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1.5 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
¾ cups all-purpose
½ t salt

Preheat to 350. Butter a 8” square pan. Line with parchment paper.
Combine butter & chocolate in a double boiler stirring frequently until melted (7 minutes). Cool 10-15 minutes. Stir sugar until combined. Whisk in egg 1 at a time. Wisk in vanilla. Fold in flour and salt. Bake 40-45 minutes.

Icebox Butter Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter
¾ cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 t salt
½ cups sugar

Beat butter & sugar on medium (2-3 minutes). Add egg, vanilla, and beat again. Add flour & salt on low. Divide in half & roll into logs 1.5” in diameter. Cover completely in parchment paper, put in paper towel rolls, & refrigerate 1-24 hours. Preheat oven to 350. Roll logs in sugar. Slice ¼” cookies, place 1” apart, and bake (rotating ½-way through) total of 15-20 minutes. Cool.

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour ¼ t allspice
2 t baking powder ¼ t salt
2 t baking soda 2 c pumpkin puree’
2.5 t ground cinnamon 1 c packed dark brown sugar
½ t nutmeg 1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs ¼ cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat to 350. Coat 2-8.5x4.5” loaf pans w/butter. Whisk flour, baking powder, soda, cinna, nutmeg, allspice, & salt. Combine puree’ with both sugars, mix on medium (2-3 mins) add eggs & oil, mix until incorporated (2 mins). Add flour on low. Bake (rotating ½-way through) total 55-60 minutes.