Happy Birthday Wee One

A year ago today, our smallest one was born.

If you know me, you already know the story. Two days before our scheduled induction, we found out our insurance didn't cover the anesthesiologist, which means he did not cover the happy drugs. After a lot of worrying and crying, I put on my big girl panties (quite literally) and decided to just do the labor natural. To make a long story short, I did it.

When it was all said and done, he was here.

I know is it corny and cliche, but time really does fly by. They go from the above, to this...

before you know it. 

Now he can:

stand by himself

walk 3-4 steps

climb stairs

say, Momma, Dadda

eat everything in sight

play "there he is" our version of peek a boo

survive without nursing (mom's favorite)

Happy, happy birthday littlest man of ours.

Weekend of Carnivals and a Popcorn Birthday Cake

I think I might just sleep ALL this week. Oh I wish! What a weekend. We started with this fun little school volunteer project:

15 games signs

1 large clown

600 small pennant cut out, then stapled to endless feet of yarn

6 words made up of 29 letters hand painted no there is still no ink in my printer

sign up sheets

rolls of tape

and two days of volunteering later...

the school carnival is done. I may not be signing up for this next year I am just saying. AND the worst thing is, that I was in charge of taking pictures of the carnival for the school yearbook, so guess who didn't take pictures of her own kids...oh yeah that is me. Haha. 

With one carnival done, it was time for another. A MUCH better and more worthwhile one. 

Yesterday we had a family celebration for our littlest man's first birthday..which technically is tomorrow, he won't know.

We had a sweet little carnival themed birthday. 

We had polka dots, cake, cotton candy, hot dogs, nachos, all our carnival favorites. Our little man even had his own thing of popcorn, in cake form.

Popcorn Birthday Cake

This cake was my favorite part. I LOVE homemade marshmallow fondant. SO easy peasy to make AND it actually tastes good. Quick recipe...

Easy Peasy Marshmallow Fondant

this is a half recipe

1 10 oz bag of large marshmallows

2-3 TBS of water

4 cups of powdered sugar

1/2 cup shortening

Melt marshmallows and water in a large bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Stir every interval. It will take about 2 and a half minutes. When the marshmallows are melted, stir in 3 cups of powdered sugar and stir until hard to stir. Shortening up the counter, and LIBERALLY shortening up your hands...yes it will feel GROSS. Dump the marshmallows on the counter and knead in the rest of the powdered sugar. Keep kneading until it is a firm, smooth ball. 5-7 minutes. You can use right away, but it will be a little firmer if you wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for a couple hours. 

Use gel food coloring and then use this for just about anything...AND it tastes GREAT.

I didn't want to make two cakes, so I made these cupcakes for the rest of us. Oh and by the way, they look cute, but I have learned that you shouldn't put the cotton candy on until right before serving...the frosting melts the cotton candy and that is not quite as cute.

Now the important stuff. Our little man...after all this was all for him.

What did he think of his little birthday celebration?

I am pretty sure he LOVED it.

What's not to like...cotton candy, good. Frosting, good. Cake, GOOD.

He had so much fun with the cake that we had to wash his clothes right away, which lead to glorious diaper time. Check out his belly full of cake.

I wasn't kidding when I said I might just sleep this whole week. BUT if you are lucky, I will remember to post this birthday hat how-to.

Baked Potatoes in Roll Form

I promised you a recipe, but first things first. Today I have to take this sweet face in for a minor procedure. After almost a year, we are saying good-bye to his weepy, goopy eye. So long clogged tear duct. While I know this is a less than minute long procedure and is done in the office...I almost cry with the thought of him all swaddled up and super angry having it done. Wish me luck and courage all my blogging mommy friends...

Now that I have said weepy and goopy and ruined your appetite for all food...lets give you a recipe.

Last week at our monthly cooking club the theme was Irish or Green. I had an inkling that there would be some green deserts. While I love myself some dessert, I was feeling more in a bread mood. To be honest I was really craving the Baked Potato Bread from Great Harvest...yum love it. Since I probably shouldn't bring store bought bread to a cooking club, I searched for a recipe.

Alas, I couldn't find one. I did find a recipe for Potato Sour Cream Bread and then turned it into this delightful Baked Potato Roll recipe...yes there is bacon involved. PS the Irish component of my recipe is the fact that they are POTATO rolls...stretching it? I think not!

Baked Potato Rolls

Ingredients:

 4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp 

1 egg

2 1/2 tsp yeast

1/2 cup chopped chives

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup bacon pieces (you can cook bacon and crumble it, but save yourself the work and just buy real bacon pieces, the ones in the salad isle).

6 cups bread flour

Cut up peeled red potatoes. Boil until tender. Strain out water and put in large bowl, while HOT. Add in sour cream, milk, and butter. Mash together.Tricky part, you want your mixture to be about 110 degrees (just like you would have warm water be in a bread recipe). Add in egg, instant yeast, and chives. Add in two cups of bread flour, stir until ingredients are all incorporated and mixture is smooth. Set aside for about 10 minutes.Add in salt, cheddar cheese, and bacon, then slowly add in the rest of the flour, at 1/2 a cup at a time. After a couple of cups of flour, the mixture will get hard to mix in the bowl. Turn out on floured surface and add remaining flour, mixing it on floured surface. Knead dough for about 10 minutes till the dough is smooth and elastic. Oil a large bowl and add in the dough, turning in the bowl making sure to coat all sides. Cover and allow to rest for one hour.

After the dough has risen, pour onto counter. Punch it down. Cut dough in 20-24 equal pieces, depends on how big you want your rolls. Shape into rolls. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rise for another hour. Once it has risen the second time, sprinkle flour over the tops and place in a preheated 375 degree oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and butter tops. Let cool on wire rack.

Serve with soup. Or heck just slap some more butter on it and call it good.

Hi My Name is Larissa, I am a Volunteeraholic, among other things...

Remember 30 seconds ago, okay a little longer, when I was complaining that blogger had malfunctioned leaving me pleading for help...

Okay, so I malfunctioned. My apologies to blogger, you did nothing wrong. It was silly, impatient me. ALL me. If you are curious, I had somehow been stuck on the edit html format in posting, so of course I couldn't post any pictures....duh.

To be honest, I blame it on all of this...

I am up to my elbow in painting. I think I have a problem. I can't seem to say no to volunteering for stuff. I think of my sweet little man at his sweet little school and I feel inclined to help. SO when did helping turn into doing all the decoration for a carnival?  Couldn't I have just baked a cake? I am just saying, next year, please someone remind me of this very moment!

So all you other over-achieving mommas who can't seem to say no to volunteering for stuff...ya' want to form a support group. I sure could use it.

Houston, We Have A Problem

So I had a post all ready to go this morning, with a very witty title I might add. Photos taken. Photos fixed in photoshop. Witty dialog soon to ensue.

AND then blogger happened.

I do not claim to be technologically savvy, never have been, never will be.

What is going on with this thing? The posting set up is all wack-a-doodle. I can't even upload a picture.

I have heard that sometimes you can reach a limit with blogger...oh know have I crossed such a line??? Or is this simply a glitch in the system that will work itself out and I am lacking patience....

...or is this a way to remind me that I have other things that need to get done today, and that I should not be sitting here giving myself an ulcer over blogger.

Um...yeah, it is probably that. Off I go to finish my project for Cole's school, tackle the pile of laundry, make my bed, wash some dishes, and clean some toilets.

Thank You Blogger for reminding me I have other responsibilities today.

PS If anyone has any clue what is happening, feel free to shoot me some advice. Me and my ulcer appreciate it.