Go-Go Mommy

Friday's Findings

Instead of the old "Photo Friday", I decided it was time to expand the category so I can include more than just photos.  Please feel free to comment and share your own "findings" every Friday!

Today's Find: Sweet Pea can now participate in jokes!

While sitting next to each other in the shopping cart at Costco:

Poppy:  Why did the elf run out of the kitchen?

Sweet Pea:  (Shrugging shoulders with hands raised and palms up) I don't know. 

(Said in absolutely the sweetest, cutest, baby voice you could ever imagine.)

Poppy:  Because the recipe said "crack one egg and beat it"!

(Followed by belly-shaking laughter by both girls..)

And somehow, it remained funny the next 8 times it was repeated:)!

National Chocolate Cake Day

January 27th is National Chocolate Cake Day... need I say more?  Visit this page to review some fun ways to celebrate as you homeschool your children or if you just want a fun picture to color on the computer - I had a blast with it!

http://allrecipes.com/Feeling creative?  Go to one of my new favorite sites called All Recipes.  You'll find hundreds of chocolate cake recipes from real people.  You'll even find reviews and star-ratings for each recipe so you can get a variety of opinions on whatever recipe you are thinking of trying.  Some reviewers even tell how they changed the recipe which is inspiring too.  I could spend hours reading about all the yummy recipes on this site but if you don't have the time (and with Poppy and Sweet Pea I never do) here's a link to the top 20 chocolate cake recipes.

If you don't feel like messing up the kitchen or don't have time to run out for ingredients, why not treat yourself and head to your favorite bakery to pick up a little chocolate cake today?  While I no longer live near Cupertino, CA, I must say that if I did, tomorrow would definitely include a detour to La Patisserie on Stevens Creek Boulevard.  You could ask my mother-in-law (who, by the way makes the most incredible carrot cake on the planet) that this is a bakery that is head and shoulders above the rest.  Whenever my in-laws come into town, we seem to find some reason to have something to celebrate just so we have an excuse to stop by and pick up one of their most popular cakes which just happens to be entirely make of chocolate.  I'm talking chocolate cake, chocolate icing, chocolate filling...what could be better?!  I know, maybe their individual desserts....

Whatever your chocolate cake obsession, enjoy and happy Chocolate Cake Day!

Ode to Cheerios

Some time back I remember

a day in late November

when every moment I seemed to be

a Cheerio Pick-Up Club member.

As I wandered through the market with my pack

and pulled items from shelves and off of the rack

a stray Cheerio or two I would see

as the items I tried neatly to stack.

Thus causing me to bend over and place

the strays in my pocket with untold grace

before someone might see the debris

and show a scowl on an unforgiving face.

These strays stayed stray a week or more

as I left them in my coat pocket by the door

and hurried to unpack my groceries

to make dinner for our party of four.

Much later on another day

when the banshees were screaming and raising hay

when my nerves pricked raw clearly 

left me sore and for sanity I pray.

The sun was warm, the weather bright

and that jacket I left a fortnight

was in my hand for the laundry 

when I reached in and pulled out a heartwarming sight.

Those Cheerios dropped so long ago

lay in my hand like a forgotten beaux

their beauty bright with days I'll miss

when my little ones will too soon grow and go.

Princess Sweet Pea Update

Our trip to Michigan for the holidays was a little long and pretty cold, but very beneficial for Sweet Pea.  Although still "the shy one" of the two (it's hard not to be considered shy when compared to our outgoing Poppy), she really blossomed when it came to her vocabulary.  In fact, now that we are home again I'm wondering how I will get a word in edgewise once the two of them get going!

Her latest vocabulary:

"Ah do"  still means "excuse me."

"Soup, soup" when pointing at the tv translates into "I'd like to watch Ratatouille."

"Ciderellellella"  is, of course, "Cinderella"

"Ohhhweee" is reserved for when she thinks something is really great.

Everything else is pretty much normal:  requests like "park slide, park slide"  (she's a fast talker so most requests come in doubles), "milk or juice, milk or juice"  and the never ending "mama, mama, mama".  

And my MIL says that she still has a very "dirty laugh": the conspiratorial kind that just makes you want to join in too.  I love you Sweet Pea!

The Foodie Is Back!

While at Whole Foods the other day, I found a very interesting and valuable freebie: a wonderful guide called "Edible East Bay."  It's published seasonally and the Fall/Winter 2008 edition that I picked up had a great sauteed turnip and bosc pear recipe that I tried and just had to share.  Just check out Barbara Kosbar's article; "What's In Season? Root Vegetables".

Simply put, sliced turnips and pears are sauteed in butter with some sliced shallots.  Then salt and pepper are added with walnuts and a squeeze of lemon.  Thank you Barbara Kobsar for the awesome recipe!  Very yummy!  Hope you like it too.

Any root veggie recipes to share this season?  I'd love to try them.