Brownies!

This morning I decided to do something with Eddie while Edith was napping instead of cleaning or working on some other project.  I thought that since it was cool(er) and rainy out, we could bake something and we haven't had brownies in a while . . . I looked through several cookbooks, including an all brownie one, but I couldn't find one that I really wanted to make.  I was finally ready to make one from the cookbook that I am baking my way through with my BFF, but I didn't have any unsweetened chocolate in the house.  So instead I combined two recipes, which I guess means I came up with one of my own.  I really like brownie recipes that call for cocoa because I always have that in the house, but rarely do I ever have the correct combination of semi-sweet, bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate in the house!  I really liked how they came out and Eddie does too!  We'll see what Uncas thinks tonight.  But either way this recipe is a keeper for me!

Yummy in Your Tummy Brownies - by Summer and Eddie Nimz

1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups of sugar
1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder
4 eggs
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of cocoa
1 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on two sides. Spray lightly with cooking spray - set aside.

Melt butter (I used the microwave). Cool slightly.  In a small dish dissolve the espresso powder with the vanilla.  Add sugar and the vanilla/espresso mixture to the butter and whisk well.  Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.  Sift dry ingredients together. Add to sugar mixture using a flexible spatula.  Add chocolate chips and stir well.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes.  Brownies should be set.  Cool on wire rack.  Lift foil out of pan and on to a cutting board.  This makes a 9x13 pan of brownies. Some people might get 36 brownies and some may get only 24, but if you only get 6, I won't judge.  It's up to you on how big you want to make them!

Adapted from You Made That Dessert and Hershey's Best Brownies recipe

Happy 2nd Birthday!

I had really wanted to put a post up yesterday for Eddie's second birthday, but it just didn't happen.  Not that I want to point any fingers, but someone in our family (Edith) may have decided to go on a sleeping strike the night before Saturday which made for a very tired Mama. But I figured that this post is better late than never!  And consider this a warning - it's a very long post!

Today my sweet little guy turns two!  We've been practicing, so when people ask how old he is, he says "I am TWO!" It's so cute to hear him exclaim it!  We are also working on him holding up two fingers, but that's a tough one.

Really in the past couple of weeks I have notice how much he is a little boy versus toddler.  I just look at him and I amazed at how much he has grown.  And not just physically, but his understanding and comprehension never ceases to amaze me either!

I thought I would do an update on Eddie since he's two and it's been awhile.

Let's start with his interests - Eddie is into everything related to trucks.  In particular garbage trucks - he loves Tuesday which happens to be garbage day.  He also enjoys playing with his fire truck, his blue truck from Auntie Lisa, his big truck from JoJo and Grandpa Ron, the cheap ones I've picked up here and there - big or small. He also likes to play with the worker that goes in the truck (he basically has one worker that goes on all the trucks).

In addition to his trucks, he also loves the kitchen and helping Mama out in there.  Well, and Daddy too.  Every morning he helps Uncas make his coffee.  Eddie has a stool that he uses to stand next to me while I am baking or cooking.  He also likes to cook us stuff downstairs in his kitchen.

I would say that his other big interest are his books.  He loves to be read to and he is starting to read them to himself - or at the very least sit and look at them.  I sometimes ask him to read me a book.  It's fun to hear him tell me the story. His favorite books would be his garbage truck book and his truck book, although he also likes Goodnight Moon and I Love You Stinky Face for when he goes to bed.

Even though he is really into trucks and stuff, he also has really taken to playing with a couple of Edith's dolls.  BabyDoll (that's what he named her when I asked what baby doll's name was) giggles when you press her belly.  She likes to watch tv with him and he sometimes like to change her diaper. The other doll, Josie (I think he named her after our friends' daughter) is a little tiny doll and he likes to play with her as well.  It's funny to watch him mimic things that we do with him in everyday life with the dolls.

Eddie likes songs and has always loved to be sung to.  He is now starting to sing songs himself.  He likes Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Wheels on the Bus. He also likes the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme.

Eddie is really starting to pick out letters and from the most random places.  He can recognize if there are letters on sign, a shirt, and the keyboard on my computer to name a few places. He can also recite the alphabet, although some parts are more jumbled and hard to understand. I must confess that part of the reason why he understands the letters so well are probably from watching the tv show Super Why.

Eddie really does well with Edith.  Lately he's been a little rougher, but she's getting bigger and can handle a little bit more.  He shares very well with her - especially given the fact that usually anything he is playing with, she wants.  Sometimes he'll give up the toy no problem, other times he'll whine, and sometimes he'll yell "SHARE".  Because he yells that, I know he understands the concept of sharing.  He does a good job of taking turns. And sometimes he'll offer Edith a turn without a prompt.

Overall he is still a great eater.  Uncas and I joke that we have have no idea what he'll eat.  In some ways I think he is getting better.  Last year he couldn't be bothered with veggies, but now he'll eat them very willingly and even ask for seconds.  Just this week he ate a cheeseburger for the first time - in the past, he wouldn't even eat ground beef, except if it had taco seasoning.  Usually he'll try things at least once.  We had some issues a few months ago where he would refuse to even try stuff, but lately he's been much better.  He also loves his sweet stuff.  He doesn't get dessert all the time, but when offered, he never refuses it.

We've been taking lots of trips to the park over the past couple of weeks since the weather has been insanely nice. I was shocked at how much better he is at climbing and playing on the playground.  He loves going down all slides and of course he loves the swings too.

We decided to not really have a party for him this weekend.  Instead his Grandma JoJo, Grandpa Ron and Papa (Uncas' dad) all came to visit.  And my parents brought his cousin Saffron as well.  We had a very fun time. And it didn't hurt that the weather here was amazing! Here are some pictures of the fun-filled weekend.

Cookies!

Swinging with Saffron

Dinosaur cake (and proud Mama)

Edith starting the celebrating early. If she looks tired, it's because she was up half the night!

Party Hats and Beads for Everyone!

Eddie trying to hold up two fingers!

Saffron playing hopscotch

Edith giving Grandpa the look

Grandpa with Edith and Eddie

Edith practicing clapping

Singing happy Birthday

Even though we practiced, Daddy had to help blow out the candles

Yummy cake!

Sorry little sis, no cake for you!

Big Bear from Papa!

Our little drummer boy

Garbage truck and tractor - what more could a little boy ask for?

Saffy and Edith

Wordless Wednesday

He's a big boy now!

Fur-baby Friday

Enjoying the sunny day!

Wordless Wednesday

Came out of the kitchen on Monday morning to find this! She looks pretty proud of herself!

Playing Together

I love watching Eddie and Edie play together.  They are interacting more and more all the time.  Some days are better than others, especially since Edie wants everything that Eddie has.  Most days Eddie is pretty patient, but there are times when he doesn't like or want to share with her.  On Monday they were being cute together, so decided to take a little movie.





Please ignore the butt-scratching at the end of the video . . . boys

Weekend Recap

It's that time of the year when you start getting a little stir-crazy from the winter. Even though it's been pretty mild this year, I am still longing for the warmer weather so we can get out of the house.  This past week I snagged some pictures of the kids:

Eddie on his stool in the kitchen and Edith wanting to be on the stool too!

Eddie's favorite past time - trying on different shoes and in this photo - Mama's boots

Sammy walking and falling into "Lake Nimz"

Edith loves drinking out of Eddie's water cup

"I'm a big girl - I can drink from a straw!"

 This weekend we had a really fun and relaxing weekend as a family.  Saturday morning we had swimming and then we all took a nap in the afternoon.  Saturday evening we had some friends over for dinner.  This morning I got up with the kids, so Daddy could sleep in and then I took a late morning nap when Edith did (although, I slept longer!) Then while the kids were napping this afternoon, Uncas and I sat on the couch with our computers and watched bad tv.  It was so much fun!  After naptime we took the kids to the mall, so Eddie could take a little train ride.  He had a blast!

Waiting for the train

Very happy little boy