Picnic in the Mountains - 2013 Family Photos

This past October we were beyond lucky to get sweet Jen Herem to photograph our little family again. Last time we had barely become a family of four, and I treasure the photos she captured at our home. This go around we soaked up a beautiful fall evening in the mountains with a little picnic. Jen had her work cut out for her...Ava was wasn't feeling well (a lot sicker than I thought) and Brooks decided to fall asleep on the drive there and woke up with his grumpy pants on. But even with our two littles not feeling so hot, Jen got some beautiful images! Love this little family of mine.  

To see more of Jen's work go here.

Gingerbread Cookies & Buttercream Frosting

Apparently I chose to miss the wrong BUNCO night, because me friend Shay served these gingerbread cookies and they were a hit! ;) So much so that everyone was asking about the recipe and she was sweet enough to share. Thank you Shay! Another friend of hers passed it on to her from a Cutler's Cookie baking class (where do I sign up for that?!), and considering that I had a not-so-great gingerbread cookie baking session earlier this week, I was giddy when these turned out! They are delicious! Christmas in your mouth. :) I just changed a couple minor things, which I noted below. So, happy gingerbread baking! Love this time of year. And I loved getting to make the dough while wearing my sweet Ava...then baked/frosting them while she and brother slept. It was a good sunday indeed. xo

GINGERBREAD COOKIES & BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
(Similar to Cutler's)
1 cup butter (I used salted)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt (I didn't add any)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ginger
1 1/4 teaspoon cloves (I used Allspice (1 1/2 teaspoons) because I didn't have ground cloves)
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I used 1 teaspoon)
4 1/2 cups cake flour (more if needed, so it's not too sticky)
** (if you don't have cake flour you can make your own by replacing 2 Tablespoons of flour for every cup with cornstarch and sifting well...but I use cake flour often, as it's called for in my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, so I advise stocking up:)
***Update with the replacement cake flour...I tried it today and it was definitely not the same. It may have just been me, but I made two batches of dough, one with Soft Silk cake flour, and one with the sifted flour/cornstarch and it was much more dry. So use cake flour if at all possible! :)

First cream butter and sugar (I did it in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment). Add the egg and molasses and stir until combined. In a seperate bowl mix dry ingredients together and gradually stir into the molasses mixture with a spoon. (It becomes a good workout toward the end;) Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours. Chilling the dough makes it easier to handle if rolling dough out to make cut out cookies. *** When ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge then preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop the dough, using an ice cream or large cookie scoop (unless you're using cookie cutters...then you would flour your surface, roll and cut...keep them thick so they stay nice and soft!). Drop dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 6 per sheet. I used a cup and pressed them down just a bit.  Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Cookies are done when top is crackled and middle no longer looks wet or shiny. Don't overbake, as they'll continue to cook even after they are out of the oven.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
1 cup butter, room temperature (I used salted)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
few tablespoons milk, optional

Beat the butter and the powdered sugar together until smooth (I used my mixer with the whisk attachement, but a hand mizer would work too). Add vanilla and beat well. Add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is at desired consistency (I added 3 tablespoons to mine). Continue beating until smooth. Making sure the cookies are completely cooled, frost them and ENJOY! The mo' frosting the betta' ;)

Guest Post: Healthy Christmas Snack

It's old news that I am definitely one to take advantage of any chance I get to play with my food. ;) I've seen fruit and vegetable Christmas trees before, served at holiday parties, and they're always a big hit. But I thought, why not make a simple version that my little boy could take part in making? We did it, and as I had hoped, it was a hit--even for our little party of 2! I shared the details over on my lovely friend Lindsay's blog, here! Deer Lindsay is such a charming spot in blogland...take a look and try not to smile at the gorgeous photos of her sweet family, and her beautiful and honest words that accompany them. xo

Brooks was pretty proud. :)

Dear Brooks,

Today it snowed. And it snowed and snowed. Felt like we were living in a giant snow globe and we kind of loved it. :) While Ava slept, you and I headed out, per your request, to "play snowball fight like ELF"...oh, bring it on. ;) Wish I could have captured video of our sheniangans! But considering that I finally took my phone out with us capture some fun in all that powder (we've loved the snow the last couple weeks!) I'll call it good.

Watching you, sweet boy, try to catch snowflakes on your tongue, stomp through knee-deep snow, making and throwing snowballs in your batman gloves that are too big for your little hands, and then reminding you where your pockets were so you could warm up those hands that you said were "so wet and so code" were just a few moments that made my mama heart smile. And after you decided even your hat was "wet and code", we came inside to soak gingerbread cookies in milk, and it topped off our afternoon pretty nicely. We've had some pretty great mom-and-Brooks afternoons lately, and I treasure them. I treasure you.

Love you forever Brooks! And I'm so excited for our white Christmas next week!

Love,

Mom

Guest Post: DIY Paper Fan Photo Ornaments

I shared a Christmas-y post over at Whipperberry! Anyone still doing Christmas crafting? I think I'll be doing it all month and I'm okay with that. :) Go here to see how I made our Paper Fan Photo Ornaments. I'm excited to make a few more each year and collect cherished, winter memories.xo

Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries Vol. IV: Culture

Dear Ava,

This is the first of a set of letters, a bit different from others I've written you, in that these will hold my feelings and hopes for you based on specific prompts (this first one is culture) that the lovely ladies of Sakura Bloom have given me. :) Their incredible slings have made for the sweetest of memories with you, my little love. When I wear you, we have the same perspective of the things around us and I love it! Our perspectives won't always align though, and I'm okay with that, because we are individuals. But I hope we'll always trust and share with each other.

Aves, as women we are part of a subculture...and it is awesome. Well, at least you can make it awesome. I believe it is what we put into it, that determines what we can gain from this great culture of womanhood. You're my baby girl now, curious and innocent and lovely. As you grow older you will discover that the world wants so badly to define what a girl and woman should be and how she should act. They'll have grueling expectations and call for perfection--whatever that is. But as women we have a responsibility to embrace each other, to lift each other and encourage each other in our beautiful "imperfections" and differences!

From sisters in the same house, to friends in your neighborhood, to strangers you'll meet when you travel and explore new places...I hope throughout your life you'll be lucky enough to know women that embrace their individual gifts and who respect others for doing the same. We all see and do things differently, but our hearts are oh-so similar. Our hearts long for love and acceptance. Ava girl, you have a chance--every day of your life--to make a difference. You are a daughter of God, an incredible Heavenly Father, who loves you unconditionally. And each woman you meet is loved by Him too, which makes you sisters. So be kind to them. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and have faith in them. Look at them through His eyes. I promise that when you do, your heart will grow and make room for the most incredible relationships that will bless your life. There is nothing quite like the bond of a sisterhood.

I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have the chance to raise you, sweet daughter. Before I know it you'll be a woman out on your own, making your beautiful mark on the world. So for now, I'll just soak up the naps you sometimes take on my chest as my sling holds you snug. Wearing you, with our hearts as close as they can be, is a privilege.

I love you sweet girl. Never forget that.

Love,
Mom

** I'm wearing Ava in a Simple Linen sling, in silver. Thanks to my sweet Adam for taking these pictures as we wandered around lovely Park City on Thanksgiving. :)