3 Wheels

Our little man has been impatiently waiting for the nicer weather so that he could get out and use his bikes. He has mastered the art of pedaling and has taken his trike out for a 1/3 mile ride already!

We promised him that once he learned to pedal he would be allowed to ride the bigger bike he got from his Me-Mom and Pop-Pop. He has anxiously awaited Alexa being big enough to ride in the back. Since he mastered pedaling we let him take Alexa for a spin. They were both delighted! I hear that he gave his cousin Nonah a ride this afternoon too, although I don't have the pictures to prove it! Way to work those three wheels buddy!

Look who's walking' now...Finally!!!

It only took 15 1/2 months but she is finally walking!!!

In the middle of my workout this afternoon it occurred to me that Alexa was toddling all around me not holding on to anything! I quick grabbed the video camera and captured those first few steps she's been practicing for months!

These pictures were from the other day when I was hoping the nice day would entice her to start walking around. A girl's gotta have her shades!

Baking is bliss

At least in this house it is. If I'm feeling stressed, overwhelmed, happy, excited, etc, I bake. There is something deeply satisfying about it to me. Our little man is my partner in crime. He's quick to grab a beater when it needs licking or a bowl needs scraping!
We're showing off our aprons in the picture above. My mom made me an apron for Christmas (at my request). I actually got it the beginning of December so that I could use it through the whole Christmas season. Chase watched me put it on frequently and sadly remarked at lunch one day that he didn't have an apron like me. I told him to ask Nee Nee and he did at the first chance he got. Mom found "Cars" themed material perfectly suited to a boy and got to work. Now we bake in our aprons, side by side.

A tip for baking. Did you know that you can cut the sugar in your baking recipes by 1/4 to 1/2 without it affecting the taste? I've cut the sugar in a bunch of my cookie recipes by half and we still love the way they taste! Since I'm a diabetic the less sugar/carbs in the recipe the better for me and everyone benefits from less sugar intake.

He's a master at cleaning up. Just don't ask him to stop playing in the bubbles or a major temper tantrum will ensue! :-)

Another baking tip before I go...Since we have a serious egg allergy in our family I am always looking for new substitutes for eggs. The latest one I tried was ground flax seed. I used it for the doughnuts we made a few weeks ago and in the chocolate chip cookies you see above. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed mixed with a quarter cup of water for one egg in a recipe. I like to bring the water to a simmer and then stir in the flax seed. I keep stirring until the mixture becomes almost like the consistency of egg whites. You can use this substitute for up to three eggs in a recipe. After that the eggs perform a necessary function. You lose the cholesterol from the eggs and up the protein and fiber in your cookies by substituting so it's usually a win-win situation! Flax seed is a strong binder however, so whatever shape your cookies are in when you drop them onto the tray they will retain that shape when baked. I recommend with cookies that you press them flat with a glass so they are more round and not too dense.

Out with the Old

(Ugh, I haven't liked them (glasses) since the day I got them!)

And in with the new!

What do you think? I love them! Finally have a pair of glasses that I feel "fit" me!