#BundtBakers: Mint

December 18, 2014December 12, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 25 Comments

Let the countdown begin! We are ONE WEEK away from Christmas people! To celebrate I have a beautiful bundt for #BundtBakers today. #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month’s theme is mint and our happy host is Laura of The Spiced Life.

Because it is only festive, I chose peppermint. The flavor of the popular holiday treat – the candy cane! And to dress it up, I used my fabulous star bundt pan. Who says stars are only fitting for Independence Day?!

This bundt is coming with me tonight to an ornament exchange party. Which means I didn’t bake this beauty until yesterday. That is the latest I’ve ever baked my bundt! As you know, the month I hosted (October’s caramel theme) I was cutting it close thanks to a tactical error in reading calendars. At least this time my “procrastination” had a purpose.

And of course, I can’t bring something to a party without first tasting it myself. So I can tell you that this cake tastes exactly like a candy cane. And because I just had to photograph the inside of this cake, I can confidently take it to the party knowing that it even looks like a candy cane!

Candy Cane Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C vegetable oil
1 3/4 C sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk
red food coloring
3/4 C white chocolate chips
3 tbsp heavy cream
3/4 C powdered sugar
2 candy canes, crushed (optional)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil and sugar. Mix in eggs one at a time until incorporated. Mix in both extracts.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Mix in 1/2 of the buttermilk. Repeat with another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the last of the buttermilk, and ending with the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
Put 2 C of the batter into a separate bowl and color with food coloring.
Pour 1/2 of the white batter into the bundt pan, top with the red batter, and finish with the rest of the white batter.
Bake 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool in bundt pan before removing to a cooling rack.
Make the glaze: In a double boiler, melt white chocolate with heavy cream. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar. Glaze cake. Top cake with crushed candy canes, if desired.

*This recipe is adapted from Anna at http://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/2013/12/21/peppermint-candy-cane-bundt-cake-recipe/*

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. All recipes and photographs can be found on our individual blogs, on our Pinterest board, and the #bundtbakers homepage.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Mint Chocolate Truffle Bundt from Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Creme de menthe butter bundt from Jane at Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Double Mint Mountain Bundt Cake from Laura at Baking in Pyjamas

Bundt cake with chocolate glaze and mint frosting from Aisha at La cocina de Aisha

Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake from Rebekah at Making Miracles

Peppermint Cappuccino Cake from Renee at Magnolia Days

Mini Minty Bundt Cakes from Linda at Brunch with Joy

Fudgy Peppermint Bundt from Wendy at A Day in the LIfe on the Farm

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake from Andrea at Adventures In All Things Food

Chocolate bundt cake with peppermint dark chocolate ganache from Tux at Brooklyn Homemaker

Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake from Cassie at Cassie’s Kitchen

Chocolate Mint Bundt Cake from Mara at Box of Stolen Socks

Double Chocolate and Mint Cheesecake Bundt Cake from Samantha at Un Mordisco Un Pecado

Peppermint Mocha Pound Cake Bundt from Tanya at DessertStalking Blog

Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cake from Mara at I love Bundt Cakes

Candy Cane Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake from Patricia at Patty’s Cake

Candy Cane Bundt Cake w/a Chocolate Ganache Drizzle from Teri at The Freshman Cook

Peppermint Whipped Cream Pound Cake with Shaved Mint Chocolate from Laura at The Spiced Life

Peppermint Patty Bundt Cake from Julie at Eat, Drink, Be Mighty

Peppermint Candy Bundt from Margaret at Tea and Scones

Mint Tea Mini Bundts from Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Candy Cane Cup Bundt Cake from Lauren at From Gate to Plate

Orange and Mint Bundt bread from Jelena at A Kingdom For a Cake

recreatedbysrc

SRC: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

December 15, 2014December 14, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 33 Comments

With the holidays the Secret Recipe Club takes a break the last two Mondays of December and first two Mondays of January. But that didn’t stop 60 of us from partaking in a virtual cookie swap – SRC style. That means we kept to our “secret santa” style assignments but mixed up the groups and limited recipe selection to cookies only! As luck of the draw would have it, I was assigned a blog I’ve already had for a normal SRC reveal day – The More Than Occasional Baker.

During my August post we were busy with just having moved from Florida to Ohio and I followed her tutorial for homemade vanilla extract. And now I get to put it to use! (I mean, I’ve been using it, it’s already half gone!) But I get to use it in one of her recipes!

As can be expected from the more than occasional baker Ros, there were plenty of cookie recipes to pick from. Her Double Chocolate Cookies look addicting and her Leftover Frosting Cookies intriguing. I ultimately decided to go with her Oat and Cranberry Cookies. (I did substitute raisins as that’s what I had in the pantry.)

I had to convert the ingredient list and grew nervous when the mixture I was looking at in my stand mixer resembled granola. I frantically looked back over the recipe and realized I forgot the eggs! I don’t recommend adding eggs last, but luckily the cookies still turned out! I got 3 dozen large cookies from this recipe.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
4 C old fashioned oats
1 C raisins

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter with both sugars. When fluffy, add eggs one at at time until incorporated.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to wet ingredients in two batches, mixing until combined.
Mix in the oats and raisins.
Spoon dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. (Because of my egg mishap I had to press the dough together with my hands before placing on cookie sheet.) Bake 15 minutes, until golden. Let cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

*This recipe is adapted from Ros at http://themorethanoccasionalbaker.blogspot.com/2011/11/oat-and-cranberry-cookie.html *

To see the other bloggers who participated in the Secret Recipe Club Cookie Carnival this month click here:

Chicharrones de Pollo

December 14, 2014December 14, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Today is my dad’s birthday! And that means he gets to be front and center on the blog today.

I have no shame in admitting that I am a Daddy’s Girl. Just talking to my dad on the phone can make me homesick. I could pull out every positive adjective from the dictionary to describe my father. He is a very successful man who never once puts family second behind work. He travels a lot for his job and growing up we really only saw him on the weekends, but I never felt deserted. My dad knows how much I appreciate everything he has done for our family, I tell him in every Father’s Day and Birthday card. Yes, I’m one of those softies who just can’t buy the funny card – no matter how fitting.

Wedding photography by Cher Hanna

My dad’s birthday dinner is typically pierogi. It’s the test batch before Christmas Eve. With pierogi already on the blog Dad got free reign on the recipe I should post today. He asked for Chicharrones de pollo. Of course I couldn’t say no.

My father’s family is from the Dominican Republic, my dad was the first born in the states. So really this was a perfect dish to feature today. I don’t make Dominican food nor have I ever really eaten it. Dominican food is very similar to Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine. I didn’t know if he had a recipe in mind and when I asked he pointed me in the direction of my aunt to get his mom’s recipe. But, of course my grandmother didn’t write down the recipe! So I found a couple versions of this classic Dominican dish and followed my aunt’s advice. I looked at the ratios of the ingredients in the marinade to adjust the quantity and added some seasonings. My aunt uses Ranchero Sazon de Criollo in her recipe but I don’t have that Dominican all-purpose seasoning on hand, so I had to compromise. I spent hours trying to find the ingredient list for this spice blend but had zero luck. Both of the recipes I used for inspiration put paprika in the flour – a step my aunt doesn’t do. But, because I don’t have Ranchero Sazon de Criollo I figured it’d help give it some more of the flavors I was missing.

Never having eaten Chicharrones de Pollo (at least that I’m aware of) I don’t know if my flavors were right, but I do know they were delicious. And funnily enough, the smell of the marinade made me think of my grandmother, the aroma was very comforting, so I knew I was at least on a good path. This fried chicken has a thin, perfectly crispy coating and a very bright flavor. I will definitely be looking for more Dominican recipes to add to my repertoire. I served the chicharrones with rice and beans.

Chicharrones de Pollo

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
8 tbsp lime juice (100 mL, between 1/3 – 1/2 C)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt, divided use
1 1/4 lb chicken breast, cubed
1 C flour
1 tsp paprika
vegetable oil, for frying

Steps:

In a small bowl whisk together Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Place in a plastic bag with the cubed chicken. Let marinate overnight.
Fill a high sided skillet with 2-3″ vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Test oil temperature by tossing in a pinch of flour, if it sizzles you’re good to go!
In a shallow bowl mix flour, paprika, and 1/2 tsp salt.
Gently shake excess marinade off chicken and toss in flour mixture. Knock off excess flour.
Fry chicken in hot oil in batches of 10-12 pieces for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook another 1-2 minutes, until nuggets are golden brown. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

And I can’t write a post about my father without using his tag line: Do your best.

DIY Design Board

December 12, 2014December 14, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Today I am going to show you how you can make your very own design board. This simple DIY only takes minutes to do and is very cost effective. Sure, you could use a cork board, but finding one large enough for quilting can cost as much as $20 per square foot!

In Florida my mother-in-law created a temporary design board for me by simply hanging some flannel on the wall. She sewed some lightweight plastic rings at the top of the fabric and hung them on the wall. This design board worked great! But the version I have now is more multi-purpose-friendly and still temporary. I can now stick pins into it, allowing me to pin up papers or even piles of fabric squares. (The blocks below are part of Old Glory, or will be if I ever finish it!)

Here’s what you need:

Foam board insulation, cut to desired wall size
Flannel fabric, cut to foam board size plus 3″ overhang on all four sides (remember, you’ll want a neutral color so it won’t clash with your projects)
Stapler*
Duct tape*
Command strips (optional)

*If you have a staple gun you won’t need the duct tape

Here’s what you do:

Lay your flannel on a flat surface and place your foam board insulation in the center of it, words up.
Tightly fold the flannel around the board and staple in place. Reinforce with duct tape.
To hang on the wall use command strips for a temporary design board, or nail in place.

Bacon and Corn Stuffed Shells

December 10, 2014January 2, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

The pantry and fridge in our home has been pretty empty since Thanksgiving. Before the holiday the only food items on the shopping list were those required for my Thanksgiving contributions. And for the cookies that needed to be made as soon as we returned. I provided 107 cookies for a Cookie Drive for the local unaccompanied airmen who will be spending the holidays without their families. The cookies were due on the 3rd so December 1st and 2nd was Operation Cookie in my kitchen. Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing the recipes later this month!

I’ve also been slowed down with a wonderful December cold – which I have unfortunately passed on to my 5 month old. He’s taking it like a champ though and it’s not slowing him down.

And to top it all off my car’s check engine light came on before Thanksgiving and is finally awaiting its “doctor appointment”. Which means I have no means of going to the grocery store. I don’t think Sparrow appreciates the cold.

So I found myself brainstorming what I could possibly do with whatever I had in the fridge. I had some bacon, I had my staple of corn in the freezer, and I always have onions, there was some ricotta cheese left over from the twice baked sweet potatoes, and I had plenty of heavy cream. I also thought I had some jumbo pasta shells so that’s the direction I went. I still had to have Stuart hit the grocery store for a couple finishing ingredients (like more jumbo pasta shells, 7 wasn’t going to cut it, and Parmesan cheese) along with groceries for the rest of the week.

This recipe, I am proud to say, is a Lauren original. And one that turned out quite well, if I say so myself! Loaded with cheese and cream it doesn’t exactly fit on a diet plan, but it’s a wonderful comfort food dish. This filling would also be great in ravioli for a quicker meal. Serve these shells with a side salad for a complete meal. The filling stuffed 14 shells perfectly, and we had 2 left over. So I’d say it feeds 2-3.

Bacon and Corn Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

4 strips center cut bacon, chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C chicken stock (or white wine if you have it)
1 1/3 C heavy cream
14 jumbo pasta shells
1 C whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 C frozen corn, thawed
1/4 C + 1/3 C shredded Parmesan cheese, divided use
1 egg, beaten

Steps:

Cook bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When crispy, remove to a paper towel lined plate. Saute onion in bacon grease until translucent. Season with S+P. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 60 seconds. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock (or wine), scrapping up delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a bubble and let reduce, about 3 minutes. Slowly add in the heavy cream, whisking. Reduce the heat and let simmer 7-10 minutes, until reduced. Stir occasionally to prevent from burning.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Prepare the filling: In a bowl combine ricotta, corn, 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, and cooked bacon. Season to taste with S+P. Stir in 1 egg.
Spoon a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Spoon the filling into the shells when cool enough to handle and place in the casserole dish. Top shells with sauce, reserving 1/2 C for serving and/or leftovers.
Bake shells for 20 minutes. Top with remaining Paremsan and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

December 8, 2014December 20, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 13 Comments

Happy Cupcake Day everyone!

Okay, so it’s not REALLY cupcake day.

That’s NEXT Monday.

But 25 other bloggers and I are celebrating a week early.

Coleen of The Redhead Baker set this party up and I’m happy to have found this group. If only for the excuse to make some cupcakes. (Cupcakes I sent to Stuart’s Crossfit gym for their monthly potluck. Eh, they’ve burned enough calories to not feel guilty about eating a cupcake or three, right?) I put one of these cupcakes in Stuart’s lunch and the first words out of his mouth when he got home were “That cupcake might be the best thing you’ve ever baked!”

I decided to stay with the season we’re still technically in – Fall – and make Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting. This sweet dessert is a play on the beloved sweet potato casserole that honestly might as well be placed at the dessert table during Thanksgiving. As a bonus, if you’re still in that pumpkin craze feel free to swap the sweet potato for pumpkin, I’m sure it’d be equally delicious.

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients for Cupcakes:

1/2 C mashed cooked sweet potato
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 1/3 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C canola oil
1 1/4 C flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients for Frosting:

1 stick butter, softened
1 container (7.5 oz) marshmallow cream
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 15 cupcake molds with cupcake liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sweet potato, butter, and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Mix in buttermilk, vanilla extract, and canola oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add to wet ingredients in two batches, mixing until combined.
Fill cupcake molds with batter. Bake 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Allow cupcakes to rest in mold for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Make frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter with marshmallow cream until combined. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.
When cupcakes have cooled, frost with the marshmallow frosting.

*This recipe is modified from Erin at http://www.imperialsugar.com/recipes/desserts/cupcakes/Sweet-Potato-Cupcakes-with-Marshmallow-Frosting*

Check out all of these other awesome cupcakes:

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes by The Redhead Baker

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes by The Cooking Actress

Vanilla Candy Cane Cupcakes by Noshing With The Nolands

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Nerds Cupcakes by Amy’s Confectionery Adventures

Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes by NinjaBaker

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Candied Butter Pecan Frosting by From Gate to Plate

Dark Chocolate Rum Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream by Lemony Thyme

Gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting by Eva Bakes

Cranberry Apple Cupcakes by The Pajama Chef

Almond Joy Cupcakes by Our Eating Habits

Buttered Rum Cupcakes by Adventures in All Things Food

Maple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Cone Head Cupcakes with Ice Cream Frosting by The Spiffy Cookie

Candied Buddha’s Hand-Eggnog Cupcakes by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Almond Joy Cupcakes by Food Lust People Love

Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting for 2 by Kate’s Recipe Box

Cranberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Peppermint Patty Cupcakes by Comfortably Domestic

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Biscoff Marshmallow Buttercream by Making Miracles

Chocolate Cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting by {i love} my disorganized life

Lemon Cupcakes by Miss Information

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes by Kosher Kitchen

Peppermint Cream Cookie Cupcakes by Take a Bite out of Boca

Cupcake Christmas Wreath by Lick the Spoon

Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

December 5, 2014December 7, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Did you know that your slow cooker can be used for more than just pulled pork, Chinese take-out at home, and tailgating cheese dips? It can also be used to have warm and comforting beverages ready for you after an evening in the cold.

For Thanksgiving we went to Alabama to spend the holiday weekend with my in-laws. On Black Friday we had intended to go walking through a Christmas light display downtown. Because it was a chilly night my mother-in-law whipped up a batch of hot chocolate so we could warm up when we returned.

We never did go check out the lights, though. We got wrapped up in a very competitive game of Harry Potter Uno. (Side note: Can you believe this deck of cards is now over $60!?)

But we did still get to enjoy some home made hot chocolate!

Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 C heavy cream
6 C milk
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 C cocoa powder
2/3 C hot water

Steps:

Place condensed milk, heavy cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in slow cooker.
In a large mug or measuring glass, whisk together cocoa powder and hot water. Add to slow cooker.
Cook on LOW 3 hours.

*This recipe is adapted from Melissa at http://www.number-2-pencil.com/2013/12/14/slow-cooker-hot-cocoa/*

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

#FoodieExtravaganza: Eggnog

December 3, 2014December 8, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 21 Comments

This month’s #FoodieExtravaganza is celebrating Eggnog! The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient into recipes to share with you. For December, I don’t think our host Alexis of We Like to Learn as We Go could have picked a more perfect ingredient!

I am pretty sensitive to nutmeg, so I’ve never been a huge fan of eggnog. I think though that my increased baking endeavors have helped me get used to it. My mom’s stuffing is a simple bread, egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and every year I try it and every year I can’t get past the nutmeg. But this year I enjoyed it! Hooray for growing up.

But back to the eggnog. I have no doubt that the brand of eggnog makes all the difference. For this challenge I bought the generic Target brand and loved it!

These cookies are absolutely divine. They really do melt in your mouth and are better than store bought. I garnished half of the cookies with cinnamon and half with nutmeg. I have some more frosting leftover and plan to make another half batch of cookies to use it up!

Eggnog Cookies

Ingredients for the cookies:

3/4 C room temperature butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp rum extract
1/2 C eggnog
2 1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients for the frosting:

1/2 C room temperature butter
1/2 tsp rum extract
3 tbsp eggnog
3 C powdered sugar

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter with both sugars until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time until combined. Mix in both extracts and eggnog.
In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add dry ingredients to the stand mixer in two batches and mix until combined.
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Let cool five minutes on cookie sheets and transfer to cooling rack.
Make frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Mix in rum extract, eggnog, and powdered sugar. If needed, add up to a total of 5 tbsp eggnog. Frost cookies once completely cooled and garnish with sprinkling of nutmeg or cinnamon.

*This recipe is adapted from Jaclyn at http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/11/melt-mouth-eggnog-cookies/*

Be sure to check out these other festive eggnog recipes:

Gingerbread Eggnog Cookies – A Day in the Life on the Farm

Nutty Nog Caramels – Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Eggnog Rice Pudding – The Joyful Foodie

Peppermint Eggnog Hot Chocolate – Trial and Eater

Eggnog Chocolate Chip Cake – Fearlessly Creative Mamas

Fruity Eggnog Bread Pudding – Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Chewy Eggnog Cookies – We Like to Learn as We Go

Eggnog Waffles and Syrup – Making Miracles

Eggnog Pound Cake with Eggnog Glaze – Food Lust People Love

Eggnog Kringel – Passion Kneaded

Banana Chocolate Chip Eggnog Coffee Cake – The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Eggnog Cupcakes – Baking in Pyjamas

No-Bake Eggnog Cookies – Rhubarb and Honey

Eggnog Mexican Flan – Pantry Friendly Cooking

Eggnog Fudge – Mrs. Penguin

Eggnog Creme Brulee – The Freshman Cook

Tuesday Tattles #3

December 2, 2014December 1, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

I didn’t have a lot to add in month four so I have combined months four and five in one Tuesday Tattles post. A lot of the month three items are still going strong! My little man even enjoys the removable visual toy bar now.

Tomorrow my son will be five months old. That’s almost half a year old. I think this is his last month as a “newborn”. Where does the time go?!

In these past couple of months the little guy hit a growth spurt at double his birth weight he finally outgrew 0-3 month clothes and even some 3-6 month clothing is a little on the small side. Developmentally he has skyrocketed too, overnight he went from hating tummy time to rolling over and moving around the floor like he owns the place. The days of leaving him in the corner of the couch unaccompanied are over.

Infant Newborn-to-Toddler Bath

Bath time is a fun experience for the little guy and still a stressful experience for mommy. My fear of accidentally drowning my child keeps my confidence at bay. I keep one hand on him at all times. The tub comes with a “sling” that baby can lay on, keeping his head above the water. This sling helps ease my fears, and as soon as I see big smiles and splashing feet the stress gives way to enjoying bath time.

Bath time can also be a life saver when nothing else works. One afternoon I was blindsided by a constantly screaming child who could not be comforted. After an hour, exhausted, I called my mom and followed her advice: I first stripped him naked to make sure nothing was poking him, scratching him, and there weren’t hairs or strings wrapped around extremities. It was too cold and rainy to go for a walk so I got the bath ready. As soon as I got him in the bath tub the crying stopped. Relieved I watched him kick his feet. I extended this bath time as long as I possibly could – until it got too cold.

Hooded Towels

The bath leads me to favorite item number two. The hooded towel. Why? Because there isn’t anything cuter than a clean, wet baby wrapped in a hooded towel!

Infant Nail Clippers

Clipping baby fingernails isn’t one of those things I’d considered having to do before having a baby. I knew it was a necessary evil, but it’s simply not something you think of preparing for. And prepare for it you must! The first nail trimming is the most stressful moment for a new mom. I pushed the experience back and used a nail file until I could see that those tiny fingernails had broken away from the tender nail tip. And once those nails come away they grow faster than weeds! I highly encourage you to wait until nap time for that baby manicure. These infant nail clippers have a larger easy grip handle and some even have magnifying glasses!

Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether

Pre-teething began as soon as my little guy turned three months old. The classic Sophie was the first toy I gave him to slobber all over. Friends of ours even gifted him the the teething ring version, which he also loves. Honestly, he’ll chew on anything he can get his hands on, but with these I know he’s chewing on a safe and trusted toy.

Dr. Seuss’s ABC

This book is a family favorite. When I was little my mom would read this book to us. She even had it memorized so that when my brother and I got fussy in the car she could recite it to us. The magic that happens when you read this book aloud soothes babies. While I don’t yet have this book memorized, I’ve got most of it and have used it to calm a tired baby when humming fails.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Round up: Thanksgiving Leftovers

November 28, 2014November 22, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

This week I’ve been showing you ways to mix up your Thanksgiving leftover routine. Today you’re probably still very excited about the feast and will happily reheat your meal as is, or even enjoy the classic cold turkey sandwich. Here we’ll be sprucing up a grilled cheese with some turkey, creamed onions, and green apple; maybe some cranberry sauce will join the party too!