My New Year's Baby!

My new year's baby is no longer a baby! He turns fourteen this week!
In a way it's hard to believe so much time has passed. I remember the night he was born like
it was yesterday! I remember how strange it felt to leave the hospital with something so little and new. I didn't want anything to happen to him. It seemed unnatural to go out into the cold with such a fragile 'package'. The nurses just looked at me and said, "you'll be fine".
It wasn't so much me that I was worried about. It was the rest of the world--I couldn't control other drivers or the weather or any other danger that might cross our path on the ride home.
I have had two other children since then and I have to say it has gotten easier for me each time.
Although sometimes I still have the same worries. Now that he has grown and wants more freedom it's still not so much him that I worry about but what he might encounter when he heads out.
He has decided he wants to have a bunch of friends sleepover to celebrate his birthday. That will be a piece of cake. All I will need to do is clear out some space for them all to sleep and make sure I bake him a cake, some cookies and stock my fridge with sodas. Oh ya, and I will probably need to make sure I have an extra gallon or two of milk on hand.

Having Power Vs. Power-less!

Our electricity cut out last night from the storm around 8 p.m. and didn't come on today until around 2p.m. I had prepared myself for the worst since I'd been hearing so many horror stories about power being out around New England for days on end.
I gathered all my warm blankets, candles and flash-lights. I pulled out our propane stove from camping and put on a pot of coffee and made the kids grilled cheeses for lunch. We took all the items from our refrigerator and put them in coolers on the back porch.
We made numerous fires in the fire-place. Since I didn't know when or if the power would be coming back on I made everyone's bed with extra blankets early this morning so that when or if the house was without power everyone would at least have a warm comfortable place to go.
We planned to play board games by the oil lamp.
I suppose I managed it well because in all seriousness we weren't without power for that long- a night and a morning and into an afternoon.
I did manage to sneak upstairs throughout the day to wrap the rest of my christmas gifts.
My only regret is that I wanted to bake some banana bread with some very ripe bananas that are sitting on my counter but without having power I could not use my oven to bake the bread.

What a Difference a Week Makes & Baking Queen!

Remember the Abba song from the 70's, Dancing Queen? I feel like the 'Baking Queen' lately with the many delicious things I have been making for the holidays.
This week it's gift baskets for my husband's boss and their office.
I am also making these incredible sugar cookie balls with fresh chopped pecans and this amazing treat where you wrap cookie dough around a chocolate 'kiss' then roll it in flakes of coconut!
A week ago, I mentioned it was 14 degrees. Today it is in the 50's! I snuck in a walk in between baking sheets!
Feel free to order a half dozen of each of the cookies mentioned above at $12.95 (2 bags with six of each wrapped in cellophane bags and tied with a pretty ribbon).
And of course, calories not included for Christmas!

Mother, Daughter Projects & Winter

My daughter Bella is no longer a baby. She hasn't been for quite a while. In my heart what I remember most about her is the many nights I held her, changed her and fed her. Now that she is a 'teen' I find I am lucky if I can steal even a hug.
We are in the middle of putting together gift baskets filled with a sample of dreamy island cookies, cranberry biscotti and sugar cookies for old friends. We have chosen a number of mom's to send them to. Mother and daugther's in Dallas, TX that she and I have shared friendships with. It's been a great way for me to spend time with her. She is a good baker.
Hopefully, the Christmas cookie tins will leave Cape Cod by the end of the week and head South.
It has been freezing on the Cape. Maybe she and I can squeeze in there too and head south ourselves--it's a lot warmer there. As the kids left for school Monday morning our temperature gauge read-14 degrees!

Prudence Pie & Celebrating Birthday's

We went to my mom's last week to share our Thanksgiving meal. We had a good time.
Naturally, we all ate more than we needed to and the kids got to play a game or two with their grandmother.
My only regret of going there was that I didn't really get any leftovers of my own.
On Sunday I decided to cook a turkey with all it's fixings so that I could enjoy the many leftovers.
I think I have done well to utilize the 'bird'. You could say I have been prudent.
On Sunday there was the traditional turkey meal. On Monday I made a Turkey Soup and served it with grilled cheese sandwiches. On Tuesday I made Turkey Enchilada's.
I chopped the turkey fine and sauteed it with garlic and olive oil before rolling it with cheese and tortilla's then placed them in a baking dish and topped with a spicy red enchilada sauce. I baked it for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Later today I may see if there is enough left to bake a turkey and vegetable pie to freeze for a later date.
As for celebrating, today is my husband's birthday. The kids and I have decided to take him to an early dinner at Cafe Vilaggio--a fancy Italian restaurant in town. We saw in the paper that they have $9.99 early bird specials during the week. You could call us cheap--but I'd like to think of it as simply being prudent!