First Snow

It's been snowing for a few days, and since we missed the first snowstorm here, this was Noelle's first experience with the white stuff.  I took her outside to see it:

The snowflakes were melting on her chubby little cheeks.  Oh, I am the luckiest.  

She woke up this morning with a stuffy nose and cough:(  We are just focusing on staying warm today!

Guess it's officially Wintertime with a baby!  

You Should Make This Today.

Another one of my mom's recipes that I'm making for book club tonight...  Mmmmmmmm...


White Bean Dip

3 cloves garlic
3 cans (15 oz/can) white beans, drained
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/3 c. olive oil
2 1/4 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. chili powder
Salt and Pepper to taste.


Throw it all in a food processor and process until smooth:)

Serve with pita chips and veggies.  Carrot sticks and bell peppers are my favorites.

*Additional note #1: Garnish with cilantro if you want.
*Additional note #2: You can use any white beans.  I use Great Northern usually but sometimes some Garbanzo.

5 Months Old

We celebrated Noelle's 5 month birthday this past weekend.  She is adorable and I feel like she is HUGE all of a sudden.  And she is made of 100 percent milk.  Weird.  

She is rolling around, laughing, doing high pitched screams, trying to grab anything in front of her, sleeping pretty well (some glitches due to trying to wean from the swaddle), and, after working very hard on their relationship, loving her daddy.  

We celebrated her birthday by going to baby hour at the library.  It was baby signs day, and while Noelle did not actually do any sign language, she couldn't stop smiling the whole time, and she was in some sort of I-just-spent-half-an-hour-with-twelve-other-babies-and-there-were-amazing-toys-and-so-much-to-look-at-induced high.  I took these pics right after and she was so exhausted but so happy lol:  

I don't know who's more excited for Baby Hour at the library next week- me or her.  Probably me:)  

Anyway, here are some exciting pics from her fifth month of life.  She sure is a cutie.  Pause button, anyone?

You Should Make This Today.

So, the kitchen is my favorite room in the home.  I could cook, bake, and eat all day long.  I love food.  So maybe every once in a while, I'll put my favorite recipes on here.  They will probably usually often be dessert.  :)

I made this yesterday in celebration of finding a 2 quart dish that I forgot I owned. It's kind of like finding that random 5 dollar bill in your pocket.

You really should make this today:

Baked Chocolate Pudding

8 ounces chocolate chips
2 c. cream
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
4 eggs
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 325.  Get out your blender and put the chocolate chips in.  Via microwave or stovetop (I prefer microwave), scald the cream.  Pour the scalded cream over the chocolate chips.  Blend.  Add the sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time while the blender is whirling.  Add the salt and vanilla and whirl until smooth and shiny (just for a minute).  Pour into a 2 quart or larger baking dish.  Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick comes out pudding-y instead of liquid-y.  :)

This recipe reminds me SOOO much of my momma. 

It makes about 6 servings.  It's VERY rich and just a few spoonfuls a person in a small ramekin would be enough.  If you want to make it pretty- it's yummy with a dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry or raspberry.  I always eat it warm, but it's just as good room temperature or cold. 

Helen's 95th

While Cheyenne was having its first winter snow storm, we headed to sunny SoCal to celebrate Paul's Grandma's 95th birthday.  Helen is still beautiful and sharp as a tack:

Noelle got to see Grandpa Dan again:

We made a trip to Mount Baldy and Noelle and I both had our first experience on a ski lift.  On top of Mount Baldy, Noelle decided it was the perfect place to poop all over herself.  So she went up Mt Baldy in one outfit, and down in another haha.  

 Noelle loved meeting Grandma Helen, and we also got to meet and spend a lot of time with Paul's cousins Stephanie and Leigh and their families, and Dan's cousin Nancy.  Oh, it was SO fun!  And Noelle got lots of fun attention.  Here is the big par-tay on Sunday:  

Happy birthday to Helen!