Motherhood II

There are so many disciplines in being a parent besides the obvious ones like getting up in the night and putting up with the noise during the day. And almost the hardest of all is learning to be a well of affection and not a fountain, to show them we love them, not when we feel like it, but when they do.

--Nan Fairbrother

My two cozy girls

Two scarfs, down the hatch! Two happy girls. One jealous boy (not shown).

The best chocolate chip cookie

I really think warm chocolate chip cookies are the best dessert out there. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I'd rather have a fresh strawberry pie or a smooth and rich cheesecake, but I am always up for a chocolate chip cookie. The New York Times has a great article about this classic cookie. Read it here.

I, like my family before me, have always been a follower of the classic Toll House recipe. But I think I'll give this one a try, especially the tips on how to make them.


2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.


1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

MaLM - Meal planning

Make a list Monday -- My meal planning of joy and love and organization

This plan has been rattling around in my head for some time. I'm going to try it this week. The plan is to assign each day a food category so when Thursday comes around, I'll be able to pick a dinner without so much stress. I really am terrible at planning meals. I hope this helps.

Sunday-- I don't cook, we piece and pick to keep things low key
Monday-- crock pot meal or soup (so I can work, work, work all day and have dinner planned from the beginning)
Tuesday-- Matt's night (recently Matt and I have worked out Tuesdays so that he makes dinner and I get the whole night off to do what I will, in or out and about. Love it! This is by far the best meal category.
Wednesday-- Mexican
Thursday-- Italian (We do love pasta)
Friday-- kids meal (Matt and I try to eat out on a date each Friday)
Saturday-- free day, lets eat whatever (I may change this to the meat night, we'll see)

I am torn about this schedule. I toyed with the idea of a meat night or new recipe night. I'll try this for a while though. What categories would you use?

Life makes us sing

Does life make you sing? I hope so. My husband makes my life sing, and luckily, he sings to me, too. He's left another little love note at My Wife Rules. Go be inspired. Oh, and don't believe everything he says about me.

5 months of Charity

Oh, what a sweet girl we have! She has definitely lived up to her name and given us nothing but love and smiles and the occasional explosion of poop. Is that part of Charity? It seems it is, and I'll take it.

Nie Nie in the New York Times

I've been reading the Nie Nie Dialogues since she was a guest mom on Design Mom. Since her recent accident, her blog neighborhood has rallied around her and her husband to raise money and send prayers for their recovery.

The New York Times wrote a great article about the blessings that blogging can bring about. Imagine, good people uniting and loving and bring more light into the world. The light will shine on Stephanie and her family, but it shines on us too, and brightens all mankind. Because light and love don't differentiate, they just enrich and warm.

Take a minute to read it here.