Celebrating my best friend Molly

Ms. Molly Kay

So today marks my best friend's birthday. She's joined the club 30. Let me tell you about this woman, I've known her for almost 10 years and she's inspires me so much to be a better person. She's a mother of 3 currently till next spring when number 4 comes into the world (totally can't wait!!). She was a military wife and is from Alaska. Now I've called her a liar a few times because somethings just seem to odd to be true. Like she's from Alaska, yes i said she was a liar about being from Alaska because no one lives there, her parents still do and they are just as awesome! Then there was her and her sister's names... Milly, Molly,and Mally... REALLY that is their names. All so awesome too.

So when I got pregnant there was no question who would be my child godmother, Molly. She's perfect for the job. Now she's moved from Alaska with her family to the lower 48(a vocab word she taught me), but has  yet to meet her little goddaughter because we've been busy and we've got a lot of people yet to meet little miss. So a few weeks ago i thought of a great way to get her some awesome photos and a thoughtful gift from Little miss. We made a book, it was so cute I'm going to show it off on here as today is her birthday!

Mommy and Lotte Make Molly a Birthday Cake

Mommy wanted to make Molly a cake and I wanted to help here's is our story.

Here is our wonderful cake, you don't need to see how we made it.

I needed to add my special touch.

Now to check it to see if it's been poisoned and make sure it taste just right, I know you feel the love from this move.

Hmm, not sure if this is just right....

Hey I may have to taste a little more okay??

See there is still LOTS for you, Molly.

This maybe better if i really put my heart into trying it.

Hmm, maybe it needs more sugar.

 I'm working on this now give me a some time.

 Hmmmmm, still working....

I just may have this worked out... one sec..

 What? Do I have something on my face let me wipe it.

 Did I get it??

Now? Oh well, I'm going to just finish what's on my fingers.

Let me just grab a little more....

This cake may not be half bad but I don't think you'll want it. It will be old by the time you get it.

I'm going to "help" you eat this Molly because I'm that nice.

REALLY!! It's me being nice.

Besides it's a new facial, it will make me have baby smooth skin.

You should really try this....

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Oops, I think mommy's going to be a little upset. I've been eating your cake.

Sorry Molly it was your birthday cake BUT....

I just helped eat it, really it was help not stealing.

Ohh more cake on my table. YUM!!

Man, I think this is going to go right to my hips.

So that's our story and we're glad to share it as Molly is a wonderful person and the world is a better place with her here. More to come this weekend.

Take Lotte out to the ball game

It's September and it's a crazy time in our lives here in Lotte's world, with Halloween just around the corner, Football starting and last but by no means the least baseball post season coming up. Baseball is something very important to all of us here. I remember as a child going with my family as a family at times to see the South Bend White Sox and even getting to see Bo Jackson play for them. Chocolate daddy grew up seeing the Brewers with his family, his "other" family and Evan, his best friend and Lotte's Godfather. So when we got pregnant last year we knew we were going to have a baseball fan but we didn't think it would be like this....

Lotte LOVES baseball more then anything, at just a few months old she would be taken away by her uncle Jimmy to go watch the game and she watches. It's truly the cutest thing to see ever.  So July 4th with her godfather and Chocolate daddy's other family we took Lotte to her 1st live brewer game. We were in the middle of teething and  it was really warm so we went not sure how long we were going to be there but we went and stayed till the 8th with Lotte only sleeping a little during the game because she was watching more then anything.

So come game number 2 we went with Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Laurel, for some super cuteness, and found out when the Brewers mess up Lotte will rip them a new one as she was going off in her special baby talk. This time she made it thur the whole game and only slept about 1 inning during the game.

Lotte and Uncle Jimmy watching the game on Sept. 8th

That brings up to tonight's game, Chocolate Daddy won 2 Club level tickets to the game off the radio(woohoo RIGHT!!??!!)! We had a week to plan/wait till to game so Little miss got a new hair bow and tutu to pay tribute to old school Brewers due to the last time the Brewers won the division was back in 1982 when they wore Blue and Gold. Now she's got 2 Brewers tutus and i think she loves them both and looks too cute in everything.

Get to today game day, lots to get done before we can go watch the game. I get Little Miss hooked up to her Jackson Pollock site and get to working on making a few things for the game and the week only to come back and catch her RED HANDED doing things she's not suppose to. She's one smart 7 month old! 

That's not JACKSON POLLOCK!!!!

Caught ya!!

  So like I said, We didn't think she'd be that into baseball. She even made sure to take an extra long second nap so she'd be awake most of the game as well as a quick nap while we were waiting to get in and for everything to start.

Watching sports makes for great learning because we use it to help with the whole clapping thing and hope she doesn't learn the whole swearing thing I sometimes do when someone does something dumb!

Her full outfit to show off her support of her team. 

Little Miss with mommy and Chocolate Daddy (like i said not chocolate at all)

Someone's upset they were asked to look at the camera while Fielder was up to bat.

Lotte should of been up for power fan but that didn't happen she was robbed! We (me and Chocolate daddy) laugh because we see people who bring kids and then bring things like a portable dvd player or headphones so the kids can play on mommy or daddy's phones. To us that's Crazy because baseball is so much fun to do as a family and a great way to teach kids things like "guess the swear word the coach just yelled at the umpire". No really Miller Park has some great things for kids to do besides watch the game.  

Fighting sleep to watch the game because the Brewers were down by 1

Fielder Hit a homer and that was all she wrote till it was time for mommy and daddy to leave.

She had a ball in the end!

 With a baseball fan like Lotte it's hard not to love the game and she knows when to be happy and when to cry.  We hope she'll be able to see and root for her team in the World Series but only time will tell. And for those that didn't know Brewer won 6-4 over the Pirates.


Be sure to check back Thursday for a special post for Little Miss's wonderful surprise for her Godmother and Sunday for some tips on going Apple picking and maybe a recipe for something yummy and apple delicious!!

I hate beer but I love cooking and baking with it

So today while planning dinner, I've come to having some type of bread with it. Be it a type of banana bread, lemon raspberry(also known as Crack to friends) bread, just something to add to dinner and tonight with my chicken noodle soup I thought this hearty bread would be perfect with it and it was! I do want to Start out with stating my Co-baker was a little mean with her wooden spoon. Also learned don't take the spoon away!

I will bite you like I'm biting this spoon!

 Ingredients:


3 Cups Flour
3 Teaspoons baking powder
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Bottle of Leinenkugel's Red Lager
1 Stick of butter (a 1/2 cup if that makes you feel better)

 When you have everything it should look like this:

This makes yummy!

So a few things, I'll start with the flour, some say sifted flour makes better bread but I don't buy that.. all you do is sifted and then mash it all back together. I mix all my dry stuff and then use a whisk to "mix" my dry stuff and it does the same as a sifter but doesn't kill your hand or take 10 minutes! haha! Oh and my whisk is special because it sucks if you use it on eggs it can be seen here:

Eggs are my friends i can not beat them.

So I guess i've went over step one mix your dry stuff in a bowl but mix it really good otherwise you'll have sweet spots that don't taste yummy if the sugar isn't mixed to awesomeness.

Next we go to the beer. Now i said before i hate beer and i really really do. So i have to explain i am very picky on what i'll cook with and i've been around the block with different beers to cook with they all suck but Leinenkugel's. No they don't pay me to say that and yes i've meet the brothers and been to the brewery (totally awesome you should GO!!). I've tried different beers and some people are all I don't have Leinenkugel's in my area. I really want to say Liar but some places won't carry all of them but they are available most of the time by request. So the reason i love Lienenkugel's for cooking and baking is because it has a good beer flavor and it keeps it during the cooking and baking process. Crack it open and dump it in the dry mix.

i taste like beer always and forever!

So Now is the time to mix all that up. it's going to be lumpy and not pretty. You won't have dry lumps in it but it's still not pretty. There are two different ways you can bake this, 1 is 1 regular loaf or 3 mini loafs. I prefer mini loafs because i care to share with people. So on to the pans, you do need to grease them before placing dough in them, your choice in butter or cooking spray, I've done both and it's the same either way to me. then they should look like this with dough in them :

I feel naked!

That's better!

 Now you've got what looks like wonderfulness in a pan but it's not there just yet you need to add the Butter!! I always use salted butter it saves from adding it earlier. now you can pre-melt the butter i don't. i cut it and lay it on top so it can melt into as it cooks. You also need to have these on a baking sheet to get drips.

 Now you want to place these in a preheated oven at 375 to bake. A regular Loaf needs about 50 minutes and 3 mini loafs for 45 minutes. when you pull them out let them cool for about 10 minutes then flip out and enjoy. This is a bread that's amazing warm or if it's cooled completely it works well with cheese spreads and balls.

You wish you were eating me you know it!

So this ends Post number 2. Hope you like it. As a side Note if you like Lotte's Bow it's from her shop. Feel free to shop in there. It's paired with a headband so it will stay on her little head .

Fresh Blog with a fresh recipe for Pumpkin Cider Bread

So I'm starting this Blog to show off some of the yummy things I make for my family and friends. I'm going to work on this Blog between playing mommy and wife. Due to starting this Blog last minute I'm unable to post pictures with this Recipe but i swear it's wonderful and amazing. So you get a picture of  my Little Miss, also known as Lotte.

 

Little Miss monkeying around.

Now on to the Recipe  this is a great fall treat and makes the home smell like the season. I got this recipe a few years back and with all recipes i've gotten and used i'm made some changes. so here we go:


Pumpkin Cider Bread

Ingredients:
 2 cups brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree (canned works fine)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 cup of cider 
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup craisins 
1 cup walnuts (can be left out but does add a little something something)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while you mix everything up.
Combine brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, apple sauce and cider. Add to it your dry ingredients and mix it up. When it is all well mixed add then add craisins and walnuts. I personally make 4 mini loafs so I can share them with friends and family but this can make 2 regular loafs. You do need to grease the pans before placing mixture in them. bake for 40 minutes for mini loafs and 50 for regular. Cool them in the pans to room temperature. 


A note on the whole cool to room temp thing isn't a have to as you'll hear along the way my husband is a fan of burning himself by eat warm fresh from the oven baked goods.