Homemade Graham Crackers, Now These are the Real Deal

I feel like my whole life I have been living a lie.  These so-called crackers that come in a box advertising such flavors as "honey" and "cinnamon" are sooooo misleading.  I can't even properly describe the difference.  What I do know is that once you try a homemade graham cracker, you will realize that those things from that box you once thought we're graham crackers are nothing more that cinnamon and sugar sprinkled corrugated cardboard squares.  Seriously.  Your world is about to be turned upside down.  Make these, you will see!

I made these for the kids' snack day back in November.  I found they were plenty sweet, but if you want them extra dessert-y, you can sprinkle them with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before baking.  Also, to make them fall-themed, I used a leaf cookie cutter.  You can cut them into any shape you want, including just using a knife or pizza cutter to make the traditional squares.

Homemade Graham Crackers

Makes ~24 (but it really depends on what size you cut them to)

105 cals / 4g fat / 17g carbs / 2g protein

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup plus 1 TB milk (or water)

2 tsp vanilla

1.  Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor or mixer.  Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture, pulsing until blended in and the mixture resembles coarse corn meal.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine milk, honey, and vanilla. Pour into flour mixture and mix until dough comes together (it will still be very sticky).  Sprinkle wax paper or plastic wrap with flour, and turn dough out onto wrap.  Pat into an even disk using floured hands, wrap up tightly and chill for at least 20 minutes. 

3.  Heat oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Remove dough from fridge and roll out onto a really generously floured surface until thin (~1/8 to 1/4 inch thick).  Cut into desired shape, place on prepared baking sheet and prick with a pick or a fork to get the "traditional" holes.  Bake u tip golden, 15-18 minutes.  You can continue to re-roll and cut any of the leftover scrap dough until it is all used up.

Party Time...L & J Turn 4

I thought I would do a quick re-cap of the kids' 4th birthday party.  For whatever reason, they both insisted on a golf theme.  I was pushing for a circus theme, but whatever....it wasn't my day, so I went with it.

For activities, we had a decorate-your-own golf visor station.  My niece and J especially looked spectacular in theirs.

B built a mini-golf course in the backyard.  The weather sucked and it was freezing, so it didn't get as much play as it should have, but I still think it turned out friggin' adorable.

And of course no party would be complete without a bounce house....

My favorite part is always the food (B did the streamer wall...didn't he do a great job?).

For this party I served:

Terra Chips

Pita Chips with Spinach Dip

Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Horseradish Cream and Rolls

Poached Salmon with Tarragon-Herb Mayonnaise

Hot Dogs

Sugar Snap Peas with Orange, Mint, and Goat Cheese

Orzo Pasta Salad

Fruit Salad

(If you want a recipe for any of this stuff, just let me know.  I am more than happy to share.)

And to finish it all off...the cakes and these adorable sugar cookies we handed out as favors.

J's cake was banana layer cake with chocolate hazelnut buttercream filling and vanilla swiss meringue buttercream frosting and L's cake was cherry chip layer cake with cherry chip buttercream filling and cherry swiss meringue buttercream frosting (pink, pink, pink!).

When all is said and done, I think it turned out great (despite the weather) and I actually really liked the golf theme idea.  These kids are geniuses.

And I leave you with these adorable photos....

Snack Time: Toddler-Approved

Mostly on this blog I share what we eat for dinner. To switch things up a bit I thought I would share some things we typically eat throughout the rest of the day.

Here are some healthy snack ideas that the kids (and myself) love to munch on...that is, when we aren't chowing down on Cheez Its, fruit snacks, and bunny grahams.

First, our all-time favorite snack: Avocado Toast (we have this for lunch a lot as well). Toasted Ezekiel bread spread with 1/4 a mashed avocado and sprinkled with a little salt.

Next up: Behold! The power of the vegetable box! If I told my kids we were going to just snack on celery and broccoli they would probably run away screaming. But if I put a variety of veggies into a Tupperware container, set it on the table and call it our "appetizer" they inhale it like it is a plate of bacon (or cookies?). I don't know what the deal is...maybe the variety, maybe the fancy name? What I do know, is that it is pure magic. Sometimes I make a dip (1 packet ranch seasoning, 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese), or we have it with hummus, or just plain. We like carrots, celery, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, and cucumbers.

Another household favorite is chips and salsa. I usually get the baked Tostitos, although I will branch out and buy the natural blue corn chips every now and then. L especially loves her salsa.

And of course, the dairy segment. You cant be a proper 'Sconnie without a fridge full of dairy snacks. The kids lovelovelove cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and cheese sticks.

Other items not pictured are: wasabi soy almonds (they are awesome), popcorn, cashews, pretzel rods dipped in peanut butter, and any type of fruit they can get their hands on (I like to keep a bunch washed and/or cut in the fridge so it is easy to grab).

Or...you could just go all-out and throw yourselves a fancy tea party. For those days when you are feeling really top drawer.

OOTD: Cozy

I wore this the other night when I took the kids out to a super fancy dinner (Culver's....that's how we roll). It was kid's night, which basically meant it was crowded.  And that there were clowns there doing face painting and balloons.

P.S. Our Culver's is better than your Culver's. Seriously. Check out these faces:

Christmas Pocohontas and Santa Batman

And check out this new necklace I got, an early Christmas present from B (dogeared gold infinity necklace). Love that guy.

OOTD: The Miracle Headband

Here it is again: sweater, jeans, boots. Nothing new. Be prepared to see this sweater a lot, I am constantly reaching for it.  I need to buy less Target crap and pick up more things like this.

There is one thing I really want to discuss here, and that is how awesome headbands are. I sported this look when I took the kids to Kringle's Kingdom one night when B was out of town. We needed to get out of the house and do something fun. I hadn't showered in 2 days, and I don't even want to admit how many days it had been since I washed my hair (more than 5). Things got hectic! Needless to say, I looked a wreck. This is where the magic of the headband comes in...some dry shampoo, a bun, and a large sparkly head decal and I am looking semi-human again. It was a Christmas miracle!

Does anyone else have a favorite last minute trick to go from looking like a zombie to somewhat presentable?

P.S.  I took a shower and washed my hair the next day.  I am not always fillthy.

Hi Bowser!  Headband courtesy of my sister, from S Korea.

And just for fun, a picture of the kids.  Being cute and enjoying the wonder of Christmas.

OOTD: Dinner in the City

I wore this to meet my grandparents for dinner in the city (great photobomb, Bowser!).  I don't get to see them often because they live so far away, but they were in town for a conference and we managed to find some time to meet up.

I am a big fan of sweater dresses, just dressy enough without looking like you are trying too hard, and always classic (so I can wear them for more than one season).

Oh, and they don't show your armpit sweat when you are stressed out because said drive to the city took twice as long as it should have with lots of traffic that then resulted in your carsick-prone daughter vomiting all over herself and your car. Or something like that.

In the end, we made it with enough time to enjoy our dinner and our visit, and vomit wipes up easy enough.

Room Mom Extraordinaire

Check out these peanut-free treats I made for J and L's school Halloween party. I totally bullied the real room mom into letting me help. But hey, I had a vision.

Some cute treats, a game or two, and a ghost luminary craft. I think these 3 year-olds are in for a good time.

"Jack-o-Lantern" and "Frankenstein" marshmallow pops, "Witch Finger" pretzel rods, and "Mummy" juice boxes.

A Trip to the Grocery Store: What's In My Cart

Not the most exciting post, but something to share....and we all have to do it.  I will admit that grocery shopping is SOOOOO much easier now that the kids have pre-school. I plan my trips so that I only have to go to the store once every week and a half or so. I am not a couponer at all, I know I could save a lot of money if I tried, but I don't have the energy or time to devote to that sort of thing, and honestly, there are not usually coupons for the things I buy when I want them. Besides, I have things I would rather do, like stay up-to-date on TMZ current events.  So groceries make up a big part of our monthly budget.

I always meal plan dinners. (Breakfasts and lunches are up for grabs). Every week I pick ~7 meals to make.

I start my list with the staples I get every single time. Then I add all the ingredients I will need to make the planned meals. Next I add things we might need for breakfasts and lunches and anything else. Finally, I re-write my list to organize it by aisle. I always start in the produce section, then meats, dairy, and then the inner aisles. This helps me get in and out of the store quickly. And I am a pathetic creature of habit.

The staples:
2 gallons 2% milk, 1 gallon skim milk
Whole Wheat Bread
Instant Brown Rice
Amy's Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup ( the kids looooove this)
Pita Chips
Hummus
Medium Fresh Salsa (L's favorite)
Baked Tostitos
Greek Yogurts
Busch's Reduced Sodium Black Beans
Lots and lots of fruit
Jimmy Dean pre-cooked turkey sausage patties
Avocados (J's favorite)
1 1/2 dozen eggs
Deans Low Fat Cottage Cheese (it is the only brand I will eat)
Simply Apple juice

For this trip the planned meals were:
Chicken Fajitas, Mexican Rice, Beans
Chicken Piccata, Asparagus
Shepherds Pie, Salad
Mediterranian Pasta
Swedish Meatballs, Egg Noodles, Carrots, Cranberry Sauce (Ikea cafeteria craving??)
Fried Eggs, Toast, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Chicken Tikka Masala, Green Beans, Rice

And just for fun, I threw in some pink "sleeping beauty" roses for L. She is obsessed. And they were on sale.

Getting Dressed

Woah, check it out. Something besides jeans/tank/cardigan. Although a cardigan is still involved, but that happens when you are self-conscious about your fat arms. This is a summer dress that is really easy to transition through the fall. And a gratuitous pic of the kiddos.  (Seriously, how cute are they?)

Dress - Anthropologie, Cardigan and Belt - Target, Boots and Tights- no clue

Mommy's "Special" Drink

Today was one of those days where I was in need of some serious medication.  You know, when you try to go out in public and something happens to convince you that demon-spawn from the 7th level of hell have taken over your children's bodies?

After the kids' gymnastics class I stopped at the mall because I am in serious need of a pair of jeans that somehow will magically result in less of a muffin top. We barely get through the doors and my son, J, turns into a demon. Running all over the place, screaming, darting through racks, etc. I finally catch him, and because he knows he is in BIG trouble, he starts crying. Then because he is crying, my daughter L starts crying.  We are in ultimate toddler meltdown.  Less than 5 minutes in and I am walking out the door dragging two screaming 3 year olds behind me, completely pissed off and embarrassed. And no jeans.

I manage to make it the rest of the day without pulling out my hair, but by the time B gets home I seriously need to unwind.

So I turn to my special drink that is only for mommies (which is what I tell L so she will stop asking me to try it), boxed wine. Yes, wine in a box with a pour spout.

I have had the opportunity to sample several types of boxed wine (because I am klassy like that), and so far, the Target brand Pinot Noir is hands-down my favorite. The box keeps the wine nice and fresh, which comes in handy when you are not a huge drinker. And the pour spout is so convenient!

A few glasses and relaxing on the couch while B gives the kids a shower and gets them ready for bed does the trick. I am ready to face another day, muffin top jeans and all.