Confessions of a City Eater

Garlic Soft Pretzel

2012-01-27T14:39:00.001-05:00

I've always wanted to try making pretzels, but as a general rule, baking with yeast scares me. I don't know why when I haven't really had a bad experience with yeast but it's still daunting to me. These pretzels are definitely a reason to give baking with yeast a try because they are such a feast for the taste buds. Very Soft and beyond garlicky (eat only around those who won't mind the garlic breath) these pretzels are seriously addictive and fun to make. They would have gone perfectly dipped in this beer cheese fondue but they honestly didn't last long enough for me to make the dip.

Garlic Soft Pretzel
Source: Sugarlaws
Yields 6 pretzels

1 tsp active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
1/3 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp baking soda
1 cup hot water (as hot as your tap can get)
Sea salt

Dissolve yeast into water with a pinch of sugar, let stand 10 minutes, until the mixture is creamy colored. Mix the yeast mixture with flour, sugar, salt, garlic powder and canola oil, and knead until combined (a few minutes, not even 5). Let the dough rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the dough has risen, pinch off a handful and roll it out into a long strand. Set aside. Repeat with the rest of the dough, about 6 times. Once all the strands are rolled out, pick up the first one and stretch it out again (the gluten will have relaxed and it should stretch further now). Twist it into a pretzel shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with silipat or cooking spray. Repeat with the rest of the strands.

Dissolve baking soda into hot water and stir until dissolved. Quickly dip each rolled pretzel into the mixture and place it back on the baking sheet. Sprinkle all the pretzels with sea salt, to your preference. Bake for about 8 minutes, until pretzels have browned.

Big Easy Beignet

2012-01-26T22:15:00.000-05:00

I don't remember the first time I had a Beignet but I do remember where it came from (La Provence Bakery) and I remember instantly falling in love. It was literally the best $2.75 I had spent on something edible in a long time. This version is baked as opposed to fried and that makes a difference. While this version was delicious, there's just something special about a fried beignet. Also, I think frying would have made it easier for the dipping-in-cinnamon-sugar part because I had to go back and brush butter on my baked beignet before sprinkling cinnamon-sugar on them in order to get the sugar to stick. Otherwise, perhaps sprinkling them with the sugar before baking would have made more sense.

Big Easy Beignet
Source: Sugar Plum
Makes 6 beignet

1/3 cup warm milk (not hot)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons oil, divided use
3 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Whisk together milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and allow to sit for 10 minutes, or until slightly bubbly.

Add egg, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt, and mix until well combined. Add flour and mix on medium speed for 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm area for 1-1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Brush a cookie sheet with 2 teaspoons oil. On a clean work surface, pat dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, and slice into 6 equal squares. Transfer squares to oiled cookie sheet. Lightly cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush dough squares with additional 2 teaspoons oil. Bake 10 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. Dip beignet into cinnamon sugar mixture.

Easy Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls

2012-01-19T10:43:00.000-05:00

I made these Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls last week and I wish I would have the energy or desire to make them this week because they are the perfect sweet treat to ease the sadness by appealing to the taste buds. They are simply lovely and make you feel all kinds of warm inside. My favorite part of making these rolls was having Cati help me along the way. I love how now when I get into the kitchen to bake, she asks for the stairs so she can be level with the counter.

Thank you to all those who reached out to me yesterday. Perla's passing has been hard but I'm doing well and there have been no tears so far today (yesterday I was a red eye, puffy mess though). Explaining to Cati what happened was probably the hardest thing I had to do as a mother. I tried to explain to her where Perla was in a way she would understand so now Perla went bye bye and night night with Baby Jesus and Perla is with the "luna, sol, y estrellas" (moon, sun, and stars). I don't know how much she really gets, it's such an abstract thing to explain. This morning she asked for Perla twice. First, when I told her Perla was bye bye, Cati responded with "Perla abajo" or "Perla downstairs" because she's used to Perla being downstairs waiting for us to come down to have breakfast. I tried my Baby Jesus--luna-sol-estrella explanation. Once downstairs, I guess reality dawned on her and she said, in a voice thisclose to tears, "Perla night night."Again, my explanation and she repeated it back to me. This is part of the adjustment and I'm proud I didn't break down in tears.

Easy Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls
Source: Sugar Plum
Yields 12 rolls

1/4 cup warm water (not hot)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons
1 large egg
1/3 cup low fat sour cream + 2 tablespoons, divided use
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided use
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together water, yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl; allow to sit 5 minutes. Stir in additional 2 tablespoons sugar, egg, 1/3 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon melted butter, baking powder and salt until well combined. Stir in flour until well combined and a dough ball forms. Lightly cover bowl and allow dough to rise in a warm area for 45 minutes.

Roll dough out into a thin rectangle on a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top. Roll dough up and slice into 12 equal pieces. Place on a large greased cookie sheet. Lightly cover and allow dough to rise in a warm area for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush cinnamon rolls with remaining 1/2 tablespoon melted butter. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer rolls to a wire rack or serving platter.

To make the glaze, mix together remaining 2 tablespoons sour cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until well combined. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls.

Night Night Perla

2012-01-18T08:50:00.003-05:00

The past day and half has been tough. The past 8 hours have been agonizing. I sit here trying to write this post but the tears are making it hard. Perla is gone. If you have a pet you absolutely adore, make sure to give them a big hug and kiss as soon as you can. If you aren't a pet person then just ignore this post.

Perla was my dog for 16.5 years. She was my friend, my confidante, my sweet, sweet companion. I had her for more than half of my life. She went through puberty, dating, moving, marrying, and having a child with me. She was a constant in the midst of a life that was sometimes everything but. Although her barking would annoy me and having to clean up pee every morning was something that aggravated me, I loved her immensely. These were the little annoyances I dealt with because I had her to remind me of what it felt like to be loved unconditionally. She was my dog and she knew it.

Monday night I noticed that her bruising was back. Alex checked her Sunday and she was bruise-free. I gave her steroid in hopes that it would kick start the healing process like it had done so many times in the past. This time, her body resisted, the bruising got worse and she spent all of yesterday being lethargic. She ate, peed, and pooped but was lethargic. I debated taking her to the vet because I secretly thought this was it and because I didn't want to make whatever time she had left be spent in a vet's office doing things that hurt and made her uncomfortable. At night, I couldn't sleep because, again, I felt like this was it. I read my book and kept telling myself, "the next chapter is short so I'll read it and then go to bed." Sometime between 12:30am and 1:00am Perla threw up and peed on herself. I woke Alex and asked him to help me clean. As he cleaned the floor, I cleaned Perla. She was a weak little thing in my arms. Her 10lb body was limp and just hung down from my arms. She was still and I couldn't feel her heart and I asked Alex if she was dead. Her jerking movements proved she was still alive, but just barely. We sat on the floor with her, petted her, told her how much we loved her and that it was ok to go. And she did. Even after she was gone we just kept petting and crying and hoping that her life here with us was as good as it could have been.

I knew I didn't want Cati to wake up and find Perla so at 2:00am I made calls to find out where we could cremate her. We didn't want the ashes and I knew I didn't want to bury her in our backyard. Just the thought of digging a hole, putting her in it, and throwing dirt on her seemed so morbid, especially since this is just our starter home. I drove to the other side of town to a 24-hour vet and there they took her away from me like she wasn't the most special dog in the world. My goodbye was short but I had been saying goodbye all day long.

Perla was just too old. There's only so much her body could take. As weird as it sounds, I couldn't have asked for a better death for her. She wasn't in pain and she went on her own terms with us stroking her soft, curly poodle hair. I'm happy she passed at home instead of at a vet's office and that it was natural versus us making the decision to put her down.

Today begins the struggle. The struggle of going from is to was, of going from living in the present to living in memories. There will be no more barking Perla excited to see me come home. No more beds or little reminders of her physical presence in our home. She had a good life. There were multiple points in her life where I'm sure others would have put her down or given her up. She had plenty of health issues and despite it all she went with us to Boston, came back to Miami, and got to spend nearly 2 years with Cati. That last part is what hurts the most: how do I explain to Cati that Perla is never coming back? I deflected her questions this morning because I have no control over my tears and I don't want Cati to worry but what do I say to her when she realizes she hasn't seen Perla or that she won't be seeing her? How do we make it through a bedtime routine that included giving Perla a kiss? How do we make it through Cati purposefully dropping food so Perla could eat? I just ache all over at the thought.

Now it's finding a new normal. Now it's about being thankful for the time we did have, for feeling lucky enough to have had such a great dog. I will always love Perla, I just can't believe she is actually really gone. I go from feeling guilty (could we have treated her better?) to feeling relieved (at least she died at home and is in a better place) to feeling sad, like there's hole in my heart. Like Alex said this morning, today just feels like a bad dream, one that spilled over from the night and into reality.

Right now, though, I am so thankful for Cati. She is the one thing that will force me to move on. I want a happy daughter and that means I need to be happy. To do that I need to focus on the happy moments, the happy memories, and the imprint of happiness that has been left on my soul as a result of having Perla by my side for as long as I did. She was a good dog and I just hope that she's up in doggy heaven thinking that I was just as good of an owner.

PS Sorry this is so long and sorry if it's all disjointed. I don't have it in me to go back, read, and correct.

Lessons for my Daughters {A Draft}

2012-01-15T19:46:00.000-05:00

This post was initially written LAST April. I thought about deleting it but I think it's important to publish it just so my daughters can have the reminder that I am human and that I am constantly trying to figure out who I am. I will be their guide through life but I don't have a guide book. I don't have all the answers because I'm still trying to come up with the answers myself.

Our garage got flooded this past weekend. It was both a blessing and a curse. Curse because a lot of things got wet and now the musty, humid smell in our garage has magnified. Blessing because it forced me to organize all the boxes and containers Lovingly referred to as Narnia by a close friend because just like the closet in the Narnia books that transport you to another world, my garage does the same thing. I went back to middle school and my old soccer uniform, high school and my drama club days, college and my old ZTA days, and my recently departed Boston days.

What got me wasn't so much how much time has passed but how easily time could be fragmented into people, places, and things. I relived different phases of my life every time I organized a new a box. Every memory preserved perfectly in each box. Then I was reminded of my naiveness in thinking that particular phase would always last. Friendships I thought would last for always have ended. Memories of those people shoved back into their boxes to be forgotten until the next cleaning and the next time I am ready to let go of these physical reminders.

If there is one thing I learned it's that friends come and go. Either because the friendship has run its course or ended on bad terms. Sometimes it takes life intervening and changing you to help you reconnect with some from the past. Sometimes it takes you realizing that in the frienship dynamic you give more than you receive. Sometimes it takes accepting that what brought you together as friends was limited to a particular phase and its time to let go. And sometimes the reality is that common ground isn't enough to sustain a friendship where the parties are inherently different from one another.

Then there is the ugly business of looking into yourself and seeing how you have changed as a friend. Right now, at this very minute, I am the worst kind of friend. The kind of friend who doesn't know how to feel about certain friendships and yet spends hours obsessing about them. The type of friend who is needy and gets upset when her friends aren't available as she is and yet avoids contact because she hates feeling so needy. The type of friend who gets upset about things that are said and done and yet doesn't confront to let the person know she was hurt.

Cati is 14 months and I'm still trying to figure out who I am as a person and how motherhood fits in it all. Motherhood has made me whole outlook change and it's a daily struggle reconciling that with the things that haven't changed.

Peppermint Cupcakes

2012-01-11T20:26:00.006-05:00

I made these cupcakes a few weeks ago as part of the holiday treats I gave away. At this point, these cupcakes are perfect for using up all those leftover candy canes or for getting one last taste of the holiday season. I couldn't find what I wanted so I decided to alter a recipe I've tried before. The peppermint flavor in the cupcakes is really subtle; almost like you are breathing in the essence of peppermint versus being smacked across the face with peppermint flavor.

Peppermint Cupcakes
Slightly Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Yields 12 cupcakes

1 cup plus 2 Tbsps cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 plus 2 Tbsps buttermilk
2 large egg whites
3/4 cups sugar
4 Tbsps unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/3 to 1/2 cup of frosting (I used this frosting)
1/3 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake cavities with cupcake liners. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg whites.

Cream together sugar, butter, and peppermint extract in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture. Beat well after each addition and, after the last addition of flour, continue to beat the batter for another 2 minutes.

Divide the batter among the cupcake cavities. Place in oven and baker for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.

Using a knife, frost cupcakes with a thin layer of frosting. Dip cupcakes in crushed candy canes.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes

2012-01-10T14:08:00.002-05:00

It may seem like forever since I actually baked anything but I promise that's not the case. The reality is that I have been lazy about uploading pictures. I have a few recipes to share with you and I'm going to start with sharing the best thing I've made recently: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes. I have always been fascinated by the use of mayonnaise in baking. I love to slather the stuff on my sandwiches but was skeptical as to how the flavor would translate into a baked good. Let me just come out and say that it translates very, very well. These cupcakes were beyond delicious. By far the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had. They were better the next day. The cupcakes were so fudgy and rich in chocolate flavor that I didn't even bother with icing them (confession: I prefer my cupcakes with little or no frosting); we ate them as is or with a scoop of ice cream. This is now my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe and would work perfectly with your favorite frosting recipe.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes
Source: Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey
Yields 24 cupcakes

2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mayonnaise (not low-fat)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups boiling water

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and beat with an electric mixer set at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in mayonnaise and vanilla just until combined. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in half of the flour mixture just until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half of the boiling water and beat at a very low speed just until the batter is smooth, 5 to 10 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just until combined, 5 to 10 seconds longer. Beat in the remaining water. The batter will be somewhat thin.

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost.

Serve and enjoy.

Guest Post: Gluten-Free Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

2012-01-09T10:18:00.002-05:00

Eating gluten-free can be a challenge at times. If you're new to things, it can take some getting used to. However, there is no reason that a gluten-free lifestyle should mean boring meals or difficult recipes. This blubbery corn muffin recipe is easy to do and very versatile. Change out the blueberries for cranberries and add two extra tablespoons of sugar, or replace the blueberries with three fourths of a cut of raspberries (my personal favorite). Make these fresh and delicious muffins for a tasty gluten-free breakfast or save them for an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons tapioca flour (plus 2 more tablespoons for dusting the pan)
1 and ¼ cups finely ground yellow cornmeal (the finer the ground, the more moist and tender
your muffins will be)
2/3 cup while rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 and ½ teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
4 large eggs
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries (around 5 ounces)

For equipment, you will need a muffin pan with 12 cups

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and position the rack in the lower third of your oven. This will ensure that your muffins are evenly cooked and that the tops do not burn. Butter the muffin pan and lightly dust each space with tapioca flour, brushing off any excess flour that is on the pan.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all of the dry ingredients, including the tapioca flour, cornmeal, rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, in a medium sized bowl mix together the butter, milk, maple syrup, and four eggs.

With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the already mixed wet ingredients into the mixed dry ingredients. Continue to mix these components until everything is fully combined. Now, gently fold the blueberries (or whatever other berry you chose) into the mixture.

Now fill each muffin cup (after it has been buttered and dusted with flour) with batter until they are each about ¾ of the way full. Place in preheated oven and bake until tops are domed up and feel springy when you touch them (obviously use caution touching hot muffin tops). Stick a toothpick in the center of a muffin and see if it comes out clean without any batter residue. If the toothpick is clean, your muffins are likely ready. The baking time should be around 15 minutes, but can vary depending on your individual oven. Let muffins cool in the pan for at least five minutes and then remove from pan.

Enjoy!

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Many Weeks in Mommyhood

2012-01-04T21:35:00.001-05:00

There is a whole lot of nesting going on around our house. Whether it's prepping for Baby D or just tired of living in the same mess day in and day out, we are finally doing something to make the house more comfortable and usable. I was going through a little phase of not liking our house and living arrangements because of all the stuff. Sentimentality of holding on to certain things has gone out the door as I endeavor to declutter our house. In the past two weeks I have gone through almost everything we own and set aside things for donation, I have made space for Baby D in our shared closet in Cati's room, Alex moved a bookcase in Cati's room to make space for Baby D's crib, and Alex, my glorious husband, has listened and acted on my every desire, especially the most painful one: clearing out the backyard. I don't think you can understand how much work this entails because my house is literally located in the middle of a jungle with all the overgrown and unmaintained plants. Clearing out the backyard has opened up at least SEVEN feet of space and now there is more sunlight and future space for Cati to have an outdoor play area and for Alex to have his dream of a fire pit. I freaking love it. Here are before and after pictures:

Before

After

It doesn't look like much now but I'm really excited about the projects we have planned for our yard and I'm looking forward to finally being able to use our backyard for something more than just Perla's bathroom.

Other than making space for Baby D and changes around the house, here are Cati's fun developments over the last few weeks:

Cheeseburger! It's always the random things that stick and one day I said "cheeseburger!" to try to get Cati to look at the camera and smile. Now she not only thinks that the camera is called "cheeseburger" but she also thinks the process of taking a picture is called "cheeseburger."

Empathy. It's so amazing how social we humans are. Cati is becoming increasingly empathic and aware of the emotions of others. If I hurt myself, she gets really concerned and even starts to cry if I'm not quick enough in telling her I'm fine.

Mira! This one just cracks me up. Everything is "mira!" ("look!") and Cati is constantly trying to show us things.

Skipping. I lie. This one cracks me up the most. Out of nowhere, Cati started skipping and now she does it all the time. She likes for us to skip with her so she'll usually start and then say "mommy bouncy" or "daddy bouncy" so we can skip with her.

Imagination. Cati seriously leaves me in awe with her imagination. It's so pure and knows no bounds. My favorite use of imagination is when she grabs a crayon, puts it in one of her stuffed animal's hands, and pretends like the stuffed animal is coloring. She'll even tell the animal what to draw.

Nightingale. Cati LOVES to sing. She will sing at random and she makes up songs. She's made up songs for Perla, her grandmother, and us. It's so cute to hear her bust out in song.

Here are the fun developments with Baby D:

Space Maker. Like I said earlier, space is being made for Baby D. It makes it more real that she's going to be here soon now that space is being made for her. I still can't believe she's going to be born this year.

VBAC is a Go. I've been given the all clear to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). The only thing my doctor told me is that I absolutely must go into labor on my own so I'm hoping Baby D cooperates. I really wish I could be ok with the thought of a planned, repeat c-section but I'm not and I really, really wish people would stop assuming I'm having a planned c-section. We've hired the best doula around to help with labor and delivery so the I feel I've done everything I can to prepare for a vaginal birth. We'll see how things go once I start laboring and once I get admitted to the hospital.

Big or Small. I have been getting a lot of comments lately about how pregnant I look. I've been told my face is starting to swell, that I look huge, that I look small, that I look like I'm going to give birth to a small baby. I don't know how I think I look other than round. I don't feel like I look huge but I don't feel like I look small either. All I know is that my belly finally reaches out farther than my boobs and that's saying something. Here's a recent picture of the belly:

Note: I actually sent this picture to Alex with the subject line of "is this really big to you?" I should have known better. To Alex, and most men it seems, a big pregnant wife is a source of pride.

We're four days in January and all I can think about is, "holy cow, I'm going to be a mom of two this year!!"

2011/2012

2012-01-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

And that's it. It's 2012 and 2011 is officially a thing of the past. I'm sure it's going to take me a few days to get used to writing that out. I can honestly say 2011 was a good year; a lot happened and a lot didn't happen. There were new beginnings, new memories, and, of course, there were sad things and losses in life and friendships. I didn't meet my goal to read 52 books in 52 weeks, but I did realize that I could handle going back to school. That right there was a huge boost to my ego. In 2011 we celebrated four years of marriage and Cati's first birthday. We saw an explosion of growth and imagination in Cati and realized that despite feeling so blessed and fulfilled, we wanted more. Talk about greedy, but God must have thought wanting more was OK and he sent us Baby D. All things considered, life really couldn't have been better in 2011.

The new year brings with it so many hopes. As with anything new and unknown, the expectations are high and the hope is for things to somehow work themselves out. This will be a huge year for our family. Cati will turn two, Baby D will be born, and Alex will begin the interviewing process for fellowship. The date for the next big move is inching closer and it's exciting to think of the possibilities.

Nearing the end of the year was filled with mixed emotions for me. 2012 is the year of Baby D's birth, something I wanted to both keep at a distance and draw nearer. There's excitement and fear, happiness and apprehension all bottled up in the birth of one little person. So many questions, with the biggest and most pressing being "how much will things change?" As the due date nears, I find myself looking at Cati and feeling overwhelmed with guilt. She is so precious and perfect and wonderful; will a sibling take that away from her? I know it won't but emotions get the better of me and I wonder if it is really, truly possible to feel so madly in love with two separate beings. So while I want this pregnancy to slow down, I also want Baby D to be here so I can finally know what and how to feel.

So with all that, I welcome you 2012. I welcome whatever ride you are going to send me on. All I want is to survive and to be able to love as fully and devotedly as I did in 2011. A little more patience would also be a good thing. And for you, dear readers, I wish you the best in 2012. May it bring you health, happiness, and enough new beginnings and memories to make 2012 worthwhile.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T13:21:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I'm posting about our Christmas. I especially can't believe that I am posting about our Christmas on the last day of the year. When did the holidays come and go? This year was nice and it was fun seeing how much more Cati actually understood. Last year she didn't get the decorations, traditions, or gifts. This year she was better able to understand things even though the meaning was still something she didn't quite get. One thing she definitely understood were gifts! As soon as she found out a gift was for her, she would open it. Her favorite things to say were "Cati regalo" ("Cati gift") and "regalo mas" ("more gifts").

My new favorite picture: candy cane face

From us, Cati got a few books and some clothes. I've been in major declutter mode so I didn't want to get her any toys that would take up a lot of space or toys that had a lot of parts. She got a few toys from others in the family, but those have all been hidden and I'll be taking them out once the new baby gets here so Cati has something new and entertaining to play with.

Other than that, gift giving this year was all about giving meaningful (aka functional) gifts. We spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my in-laws' house so the weekend was very extended-family-filled. Thankfully Alex managed to get both days off so we were able to get some quality family time in there.

My favorite part of the Christmas weekend was honestly us three (five including Perla and Baby D) being together and doing our own small family traditions of reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas," making cookies for Santa, having a special waffle breakfast, and opening gifts in Christmas pajamas. With Alex's work schedule, these are the moments I live for. I would easily do without all the gifts, decorations, food, celebrating with extended family, if we could just get more time with Alex.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T13:52:00.000-05:00

May today be filled with love, blessings, and lots of delicious food! Merry and Happy Christmas from my family to yours...

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

2011-12-22T20:10:00.001-05:00

This Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt is the other fudge I made in addition to the chocolate peppermint fudge I posted about yesterday. Like I said in yesterday's post, I found this one harder to work with because the fudge started melting as I was cutting it. I let it sit in the fridge overnight so I don't know what happened. At least, it's a really tasty bit of fudge and it is ridiculously creamy.

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt
Source: Cookin' Canuck

Butter, for greasing pan
1 (14 oz. ) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz. high-quality bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate chips
1 cup Nutella, room temperature
3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Sea salt, approximately 1/2 tsp

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides.

In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate chips, Nutella, and butter.

Form a double-boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be low enough that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spread the top smooth with a spatula, and sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours.

Run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the fudge out. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil.

Makes approximately 50 3/4-inch squares.

Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

2011-12-21T17:30:00.002-05:00

I've been a little bit on a mad dash to get some holiday baking done before this weekend. I thought I would have more trouble getting things done with Cati at home this week, but she has been so helpful. She likes to pull the step ladder up to the counter and watch what I'm doing. Today she even helped me pour flour into the bowl! She'll be a little baker in no time!

One of the things that I made that I have been wanting to try is fudge. For some reason, I thought it would be difficult to make but it's actually pretty easy. You just need to act fast when moving the warm fudge into the pan. I made two types (second type coming tomorrow) and, of the two, this one was easier to work with and tasted more like the fudge that I'm used to getting at the store. This fudge is very chocolaty and, as is the case with fudge, I was all set with one slice. I topped mine with crushed candy canes to give it more of a holiday feel and that was enough to peppermint flavor to balance out of the chocolate flavor.

Chocolate Fudge
Source: Baked Bree
Yields about 30 2x2 squares

2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter
1 cup cream
3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
sprinkles (optional)
crushed peppermint (optional)

Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside.

Add the sugar, salt, butter, cream, and marshmallows to a large saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the marshmallows and butter begin to melt, about 5 minutes.

Once the marshmallows have melted, bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. It will begin to brown and will bubble all over the place. Take the pan off of the heat.

Add the chocolate chips and vanilla.

Mix it all together until the chocolate has melted and everything is nice and smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with desired toppings and let sit at room temperature for 3 hours before you slice.

Pumpkin Waffles

2011-12-20T22:13:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness it has been a while since I posted anything food-related. If you aren't into parenting or kids the blog has been pretty boring lately. Sorry! To make up for it, I'm sharing an amazing pumpkin waffles recipe. It's so amazing I highly recommend you make it this weekend. I used to think I didn't like pumpkin but I am totally reformed and love everything pumpkin. The pumpkin flavoring is subtle in these pancakes but pumpkin and spices makes for a killer combination. Cati was a huge fan, which is always a wonderful compliment.

Pumpkin Waffles
by The Girl Who Ate Everything

Yields around 8 waffles

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs (separate yolks from the whites)
1 ½ cup milk
1 cup pure canned pumpkin (I used homemade puree)
¾ cup (12 tablespoons) butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

Next, separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. *If you have a stand mixer, you can start beating your egg whites while you prepare the rest of the batter (or just beat them later with a hand mixer). Beat egg whites until they form peaks. Reserve for later.

In a separate bowl, add the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add the dry mixture slowly until incorporated using a mixer.

If you haven't already, take the egg whites and beat with a mixer until they form peaks. Fold beaten egg whites gently into the pumpkin batter. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour batter into waffle iron and cook according to waffle iron instructions.

My Girls

2011-12-19T20:34:00.000-05:00

It's official! WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER GIRL!!! It took this baby long enough to show the goods but she finally did and it was a shot that left zero doubt as to the sex. I can't even begin to tell you how happy we are. My gut had been telling me that we were having a girl so my track record for guessing the sex is perfect (I thought Cati was a girl too). Either sex would have been a blessing, but we both really wanted another girl. Neither of us feels like we are missing out by not having a boy and neither of us feels the need to try for a boy. We have both decided this is it for us and, no, it has nothing to do with finances (sorry grandparents!). It has more to do with lifestyle and the fact that Alex will never have a "normal" job and will never be able to be around as much as he or I want. Anyway, how cute is Baby D?

I think she looks so different from Cati but she looks 100% like a baby. I can't believe there is another person growing inside me and she looks like that! She's all squished but it looks like she's going to have full lips as well and maybe even my chin (I'm hoping this kid looks like me!). I can't wait to meet her and see the differences between her and Cati.

As for my lovely, oldest child...she has been acting so weird the past few weeks. I've mentioned how she's not a fan of school anymore and last Friday she actually cried when I dropped her off. My heart seriously broke and I felt like such a bad mother. In addition to that, she's been having trouble sleeping at night. For the past few days, as long as I put her to sleep, she sleeps through the night just fine. If someone else puts her to sleep, she wakes up multiple times crying and won't go back to sleep until someone goes into the room and rocks her in the chair for a little bit. Is this separation anxiety? Can she sense the pregnancy? Is this a stage? something that happens the closer a child gets to two? Either way, I'm baffled by this sudden change and actually a little scared of how much more will change once Baby D is here. I guess the only positive here is that I'm not sleeping through the night either so it's not like Cati waking up is a real disturbance. I just feel bad for her :(

Speaking of school, how adorable and hilarious is her first school picture? I giggle every time I look at it. The girl has so much hair and I love it!

I'm going to have two daughters. That's a lot of estrogen and I pray for Alex's survival. I also pray for future boyfriends because Alex and his friends are already plotting how to scare boys away.

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-13T13:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, not really because it is beyond hot here in Miami but "Winter Wonderland" is my favorite holiday song and we are definitely in the holiday spirit around here. We bought our Christmas tree last week and Cati had so much fun helping us pick it out. How tiny does she look in this picture?

Minus the outside, our house is all decorated. Cati has been surprisingly good with everything and doesn't really touch or play with any of the decorations. She loves to turn on the Christmas tree lights so our tree is lit as long as she is home. She has also become quite obsessed with our snowman. This snowman is out year-round but she seems to have only realized it. The day we put up the tree, she spent the entire time dancing with and carrying the snowman around the house. The snowman has gotten more action in the past two weeks than he has gotten in the entire year we have owned him.

This past weekend we took Cati to see Santa and the little booger freaked out on us. She was completely fine the entire time we were there and would even exclaim "Santa!" but the minute it was our turn in line, she had a meltdown. She refused to go near Santa. We ended up doing a family picture and, even with Alex holding her, she was still freaking out. She liked Santa just enough for him to give her a candy cane and then she was out of there.

I suckered one of my good friends into coming over and taking a picture of us for the holiday card. With Alex's schedule being so hectic I knew it would be almost impossible to set up a professional portrait session. We ended up taking a picture in front of our tree and I love the way it came out. I won't share the card just yet since I only put them in the mail yesterday but I will share the family picture I used and two other pictures I just love.

I can't believe Christmas is next weekend! I'm looking forward to celebrating it with Cati and I am super duper thankful Alex managed to get the weekend off. I know this isn't something I can expect every year so I'm thankful that he'll have it off in a year where Cati actually has some understanding of the holiday.

This Week in Mommyhood

2011-12-12T14:27:00.000-05:00

I am done with school! Woo hoo! It feels so good to be done. This semester was so much fun and I learned a lot but I am definitely glad for the break. I'm so proud of myself for being able to tackle school and even more proud to know that mommyhood hasn't completely killed off all my intellectual brain cells. Now I get a full month of enjoying Cati once again instead of feeling like I am dumping her on school so I can get school work done or study for a test and I get a full month of being able to relax enough to enjoy the pregnancy.

Here are Cati's developments over the last two weeks:

Language Plus. It's so hard for me to keep track of everything Cati says. She is definitely in that repeat-everything stage but what really impresses me is how much she actually retains. I love that she knows what animals are and that she says "beep beep" or "excuse me" when something's in her way. I love how she tells me when something is stuck and I especially love to hear her make up songs. Most favorite though has to be the fact that I can have full blown conversations with her. This is definitely the best stage.

Holiday Spirit. This goes along with her language and emphasizes how quickly she learns things. Cati has Santa, nutcracker, snowman, candy cane, and jingle bells as part of her vocabulary.

School No. I don't consider this a setback but it kind of breaks my heart a little when Cati says "School no" in the mornings. Before I would ask her about school and she would immediately run to the door, but now she actually says no to school and refuses to get up from her chair in the mornings. Once at school she's fine and she doesn't cry, but it's getting her to school that's turned into a bit of a struggle.

Bye Bye Bottle. Cati was still getting a bottle of milk before bedtime. That was the only bottle she was getting the entire day and I had been wanting to stop, but with school and me being away two nights a week I felt like there was too much inconsistency to make a change that big. My last class was Thursday and Friday was the first night of a new bedtime routine of us reading a book while she drank milk from a sippy cup, then brushing of teeth, and me rocking her for a few minutes before putting her in bed. The transition has been pretty smooth although she does ask for "leche" once I start rocking her. She does toss and turn and even cries a little but she puts herself to sleep and manages to sleep through the night. I'm still trying to tweak the bedtime routine to minimize tears but Cati already knows she's drinking out of a sippy cup and she'll walk to the bookshelf to pick out a few books for us to read.

Here are Baby D's development's over the last two weeks:

Comfort Zone. Over the last two weeks I have really grown into the pregnancy. My back isn't hurting as much and I'm not feeling as uncomfortable as before. This seems completely ironic to me seeing as I am currently in the third trimester and nearing the end of the pregnancy. I feel like my body has approached this pregnancy backwards and I'm kind of hoping that's the case because it would be nice to finish things off comfortably.

Looking Like a Boy. We still don't know the sex and I am hoping the baby is kind and gives us a great shot at the next ultrasound. What's been interesting though is the amount of people who think it's a boy. Apparently I look like I'm carrying a boy (whatever that means). Now I am dying to know the sex! I still think I look the same as when I was pregnant with Cati but who knows?

Like I said earlier, I am looking forward to this break from school. I missed Cati so much and I missed having patience for Alex. I'm hoping that not having to worry about school will help me relax and enjoy life a little more.

Apple Cake

2011-12-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

Like I've said before, I am really loving this fall season and find myself craving fall flavors. I dream of all things pumpkin and apple flavored and I would love it if my home smelled like cinnamon sugar baking. I came across this Apple Coffee Cake recipe recently and jumped on the chance to make it. I, however, left out the caramel sauce because I wanted something less sweet and truer to that apple flavor I was wanting. The cake itself was light but packed a flavorful punch thanks in part to the ginger and tart apples. Upon eating it, Alex first asked if I put ginger in the cake so a little goes a long way with this cake.

In general, this is a pretty cake to look at and a delicious one to snack on. I don't think the cake even lasted a day in our house.

Apple Coffee Cake
Source: The Baker Chick

1/4 cup melted butter 
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs 
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, or some all-purpose, some whole wheat 
2 tsp. cinnamon 
1 tsp. ground ginger 
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2-3 apples, unpeeled and sliced 

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 10″ tube pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars until sandy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add about a third to the butter mixture and whisk together just until blended. (as the batter gets thicker you may need to change to a wooden spoon.) Add half the sour cream, another third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the sour cream, and the rest of the dry ingredients, stirring by hand just until combined.

Arrange a layer of sliced apples onto the bottom of the pan. Scrape the batter into the pan on top of the apples. Add the rest of the apples onto the surface of the batter, arranging them however you like – they will shrink as they cook, so feel free to place them tightly together.

Waffles for Breakfast

2011-12-01T13:29:00.000-05:00

Whenever Alex is actually home on a weekend morning he requests waffles. Waffles are his favorite breakfast item and because he rarely gets to have breakfast with us, I always comply with his request. I'll be honest and say that while I enjoy eating waffles, I hate making them. They use up too many bowls so early in the morning! This recipe, however, is worth all the work. It's your simple, basic waffle, but it's so perfect for a lazy morning. Cati especially loved the waffles (although she couldn't decide if mine tasted better or if hers did) so I consider this recipe a hit.

Wonderful Waffles
Source: Nicola on allrecipes.com
Serves 4

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1-1/3 cups buttermilk
2 egg whites

Directions
This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 6 waffles.

Preheat waffle iron. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Blend in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.

Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray, or lightly brush with oil. Ladle the batter onto preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Kahlua Brownie Balls

2011-11-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

I've been a bit of a mad woman lately because this is a busy school week for me and Cati is sick yet again. She didn't go to school on Monday and seemed better but after going to school yesterday she got bad again so I'm just going to keep her home so she can rest and be contained. Is it silly to say that I was afraid of being at home with her all day again? I thought I "forgot" how to do it but I haven't and that's a good thing because Baby D will be throwing me back into things in no time.

Anyway, here is the last of the brownies I baked for my friend. In addition to making something everyone, especially kids, could eat, I wanted to make something for the adults. This recipe was so easy to put together and I will admit to adding extra Kahlua because I wanted the brownie balls to really have the Kahlua flavor. I will also admit to eating about 1/2 teaspoon worth to taste test. These things were a hit at the party and I can't wait to make them at a time I can actually enjoy them!

Kahlua Brownie Balls
Source: The Brownie Project

¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine the butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high power for 30 seconds. Stir, then heat for another 30 seconds. Stir again, and allow the residual heat to finish melting the chocolate. If necessary, heat again in 20 second increments until the chocolate is just about melted. Stir until smooth.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the brown sugar and vanilla. Add the salt and flour, and mix gently using a rubber spatula just until the flour is absorbed. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes clean from the middle, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove brownies from the oven and allow to cool completely. Break up the brownies into small pieces and put them in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the Kahlua – and continue mixing until it all comes together – about a minute. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls, roll in sanding sugar and chill until firm, about 2 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

This Week in Mommyhood

2011-11-28T20:41:00.001-05:00

I have not been good with these weekly mommyhood posts. I am hoping once school ends in two (!!!) weeks I'll be able to get back to all those things I have been neglecting. So much has happened in the last couple of weeks too. Cati is just an explosion of development and every day is more and more fun than the last. She is such a sponge right now and I just love being able to have conversations with her. Worst of all is the nagging guilt of not wanting to start all over again with Baby D. This is more a reflection of me than it is of the baby because I am seriously dreading the newborn stage and the potential of feeling the same way I did when Cati was a newborn. I feel like I have reached my groove as a mother and I am enjoying this parenting thing so much that I am afraid of how much things will change with a newborn. Suffice it to say that bittersweet has come to mean something new and different as a mother to a toddler expecting another baby.

Anyway, here are Cati's developments over the last two weeks:

Home. Nothing makes you feel like you really have made a home until your toddler knows your house as home and calls it such.

Hide-and-Seek Game. One day we were driving home and I gave Cati my gym ID to play with. All of a sudden and on her own initiative, she hid the ID under her thigh, said "donde esta?" (where is it?), and then grabbed the ID and said "ai esta!" (there it is). Now she loves hiding things and reproducing them. It's the funnest game to play.

Baby animals. Cati has always loved animals but now she is able to grasp the differences between adult animals and baby animals. If you ask her what a baby wau wau is she will respond with puppy and if you ask her what a baby gato is she will respond with kitten.

Numbers, Letters, and Colors, Oh My! Cati is becoming increasingly interested in numbers, colors, and letters. She understands the number two and what it means for there to be two things. She knows the colors black, white, purple, yellow, and orange but gets confused with green, red, and blue. O seems to be her favorite letter and is starting to understand the letters in Cati.

Viene and Trabajando. Cati loves to ask about different people in the family and likes to know if they are either coming or working.

Babe! This is just plain cute: whenever I'm on the phone with Alex, Cati yells out babe. She calls him daddy and papi but when it's me communicating with him, she knows he's called babe.

Order and Organization. It's amazing how much Cati pays attention to the things around her. She knows the place of things and likes things to be in there place. For example, I was doing laundry this past week and was sorting the clothes in the hallway. Cati saw the clothes out of the hamper, said "sucio," and then grabbed the clothes and put them back in the hamper.

Transportation. Cati is obsessed with buses and planes (avion). She points them out whenever we see them.

Holiday Spirit. I'm trying to get Cati to recognize the holiday things and so far she's got Santa and Snowman down. Can't wait for Christmas this year!

Healthy Mama. I will never worry about being dehydrated because Cati is very aware of my drinking habits. She will literally grab my water bottle, hand it to me, and say "Mama se" (mama thirsty) until I drink water.

Here are Baby D's developments over the past two weeks:

Unknown Sex. Still don't know the sex but the heart beat at my last check up was in the 150s.

Baby Bumpin'. The belly is definitely out. My belly button is out and there is no denying I'm pregnant. The good thing is that the only maternity clothes I've been wearing are tops because my jeans still fit. Woo hoo!

Rolling Round the Belly. The baby still moves a lot less than Cati but the movements have gotten more pronounced lately. It's so weird to feel another baby rolling around inside me.

Glucose Test. Ahh the dreaded glucose test. My doctor gave me the window to do the test and I figured it would be best to it before the Thanksgiving feasting. I am hoping I don't have to do the 3-hour test like I did with Cati. Too bad I went into the test having drank a glass of OJ and eaten pumpkin waffles for breakfast.

Name Game. Our boy name is picked out. That's the easy one because it's Alex's grandfather's name. I thought we had the girl name picked out until I found out Alex couldn't remember the spelling of the name and the pronunciation changes based on the spelling (huge hint here for those playing the name game). Spelling is huge for me, thus why Cati is Catarina and not Katarina (or Caterina or Katerina) so I was just a teensy bit upset Alex didn't remember after all the thought I put into the name. To be fair, he likes whatever name I like but it still bothered me to think that maybe the reason he forgot the spelling was because he didn't really like the name to begin with. As it stands, either I'm the only one that knows what we are naming this child if it's a girl or the baby is just going to be called Baby D.

And just for fun here are recent belly comparison pictures. I think, if anything, the belly is a little smaller this time around.

Baby D

Cati

I've done a better job of keeping track of things so I'm hoping I'm able to continue doing so over the next few weeks as things speed up and wind down.

Thanks & Giving

2011-11-25T20:39:00.001-05:00

There is so much to be thankful for this year. I try to be mindful of everything I have to be thankful for each day, but Thanksgiving is a day where all that thankfulness is heightened because the mood is always jovial, the food delicious, and the company special. This year I was surrounded by more family than I was last year and everyone took time out to spend a few hours together despite hectic work schedules and multiple dining commitments.

We did Thanksgiving at our house again this year and it was two days of cooking for me. The overall meal came together perfectly, but everything was cooked in such bits and pieces because I didn't want Cati to feel neglected. It always amazes me (1) how much longer things take when you have a kid and (2) how good it feels when you are able to accomplish something big when you have a kid. Thanksgiving is literally the only time of the year that I will cook and cook and cook without complaint. It's my favorite holiday and I just love that it means coming together as a family over good food.

The menu this year was cinnamon rolls for breakfast, turkey and gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cornbread casserole, dinner rolls, stuffing, HoneyBaked ham, green bean casserole (my mother-in-law), crumb cake, pumpkin flan (Abuela), bread pudding (Alex's aunt), and an apple cider sangria that was supposedly delicious. The meal was beyond words delicious and everyone's favorite thing was the turkey (thank God!). Cati paid me the biggest compliment by eating a ton of turkey and liking my cornbread casserole.

I can't believe our little threesome will be a foursome this time next year. It's fun to think about the three Thanksgivings we've had in our house: I was pregnant with Cati our first Thanksgiving, Cati was with us for our second Thanksgiving, and this year we have both Cati and a baby on the way.

And with all that said, I am thankful for my life and all the people in it. I am thankful for the husband who works his butt off every single day to provide for us, the daughter who fills me with unconditional love, the baby-on-the-way who reminds me of the beauty of life one nudge and roll at a time, the dog whose heart is still ticking 16.5 years later, the family who supports me and loves my little family, and the friends who like me for me even when I parade around Miami wearing Cati's hair bows.

I hope each and every one of you had a great Thanksgiving and were able to fill up on food and love.

Twix Caramel Brownies

2011-11-17T13:18:00.002-05:00

These Twix Caramel Brownies were the second type of brownie I made for my friend. While people were fans of the Cookie Dough Brownies, I was a huge fan of these brownies. The combination of chocolate and caramel was simply divine. By far, the best non-traditional brownies I have ever had.

Twix Caramel Brownies
Source: Two Peas and Their Pod
Yields 24 brownies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped Twix candy bars
1/3 cup caramel sauce (I used my favorite sauce, minus the nuts)

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Place butter in medium saucepan on the stove. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; stir until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; stir until combined. Stir in Twix candy bar chunks. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Drizzle caramel evenly over the brownies. Using a toothpick, swirl caramel into brownies. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool brownies completely in pan on a wire rack. Once cool, cut into squares and serve.

Cookie Dough Brownies

2011-11-16T21:49:00.000-05:00

There's nothing better than baking for a friend. There's especially nothing better than baking for a friend who also loves to bake. I offered to bake brownies for my friend's kids' birthday and I thought I was a little exaggerated with baking four different kinds of brownies (other recipes coming soon), but then I got to her house and helped her set up of the dessert table. This was no regular table, it wasn't even a dessert buffet. It was a dessert feast. Every inch of the table was covered with decadent desserts. I have never seen so many sweets in one place before. This was definitely my kind of heaven:

Back to these brownies. Of all the brownies I made these seem to have been the most popular. How could they not with the brownie-cookie dough combination, right? When I first made the "cookie dough" I wasn't sold on it actually tasting like cookie dough but after some chilling time, the flavor was spot on. I was so impressed! The brownie was chewy but what I really liked best is that this is the type of dessert you can store in the fridge with no fears about it getting hard. On the other hand, the cookie dough holds up better and the brownie gets very fudgy. And how cute was Cati at the party? I love her so much!

Cookie Dough Brownies
Source: Beantown Baker

Yields: 24 brownies

Brownies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Cookie Dough:
3 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
9 tbsp milk
3 cups flour
3 cups regular chocolate chips

Prepare Brownies:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat briefly, just until it's hot, but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, if you've heated it in a saucepan. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla.

Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth.

Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool completely on a rack.

For cookie dough:
Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk. With mixer on low, add flour and mix until well combined. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

To assemble:
Spread the cookie dough onto the cooled brownies. Chill the brownies until the cookie dough is firm. Cut into bars and serve.