It’s Official
We are homeowners!
Week 19 Photos
Sammy has been quite confused by the state of our house this week. The stacks of boxes and his empty shelves. And, most noticeably, his missing birds mobile. We reassured him, though, that the birds have already migrated to our new house.
Meals have gotten interesting as we attempt to clean out our refrigerator. Our favorite so far: a big ‘ole frittata.
I took a solo road trip on Friday morning. It was … rejuvenating.
Our big eater had his first taste of blackberries on Saturday. He loved them, but his white t-shirt and our laminate floor did not.
And, finally, I had the most lovely Mother’s Day weekend. A trip to State College for apricot wheat beer and coconut chip ice cream. A Sunday brunch of crepes with nutella and bananas. A new silver latte spoon and a set of cobalt blue chewbeads. And a hike to Chimney Rocks Park for a final view of the town we’ve called home for the past two years. I love my little family, and I’m looking forward to the adventures ahead!
On Mother’s Day
It was impossible for me to fully appreciate my own mother before I became a mother myself. The sacrifices she’s made. The guidance she’s given. The unconditional love she’s provided. I thank you, Mom, today and every day for being the kind of mother I strive to be.
And, sweet Samuel, I thank you today and every day for making me a mother. My heart is bigger and my life is fuller because of you.
Thank you to my mother-in-law for bringing my dear husband into this world. For raising him to be gentle and generous — qualities I hope to inspire in our son.
And to our grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and friends — thank you for helping to guide me through my first eight months of motherhood. Wishing every mother out there the happiest of days!
Splish Splash
Last night we made a clean-out-the-fridge fritatta. Then we washed the frying pan and the dishes and packed them — along with our spatulas and stemware and serving platters — into big boxes and labeled them “kitchen.” It should come as no surprise, really, that almost half of our boxes are labeled “kitchen.”
So for the next six days we plan to dine out and eat cereal and delivery pizza. Which means no new recipes until we are moved and settled into our new home. Which means I’ll share Sammy stories instead!
This video was taken almost two months ago, but Nick still sings this song every night during bath time. And, if anything, Sam’s smiles have only gotten bigger when he hears Daddy’s voice.
Tuesday Things
This is happening.
And so is this.
Needless to say, we have a busy week ahead of us. Ten days to moving day!
Week 18 Photos
For Your Cinco de Mayo
Our weekend will likely involve a lot of packing and stacking boxes. But I hope to break for at least one of these festive recipes. ¡Salud!
1. Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs
2. Guacamole
3. Corn, Tomatoes, and Black Bean Salad
4. Tequila Lime Chicken
5. Sangria
6. Key Lime Cupcakes
Fudgy Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
(Thank you all SO much for your sweet comments on yesterday’s post!)
Want to know how confident I was that Nick would get into CMU? I baked this decadent and celebration-worthy dessert before he received confirmation of his acceptance.
Thankfully, he got the good news at 3:30pm, just as I finished spreading peanut butter frosting onto these fudgy homemade brownies. Because Nick loves brownies, but this occasion called for something a bit more special than a boxed recipe. And what’s more special than melted chocolate, three types of sugar, and creamy peanut butter?
Congratulations, Nick! Thanks, as always, for giving us a reason to indulge.
Fudgy Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes 24 brownies.
Ingredients for Brownies
-
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Ingredients for Frosting
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup + 1 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with tinfoil, letting the foil hang over the edges. Coat foil with non-stick spray.
- Place chocolate, butter, and espresso powder into a heat proof glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water, about 2-3 inches deep. (Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the simmering water.) Melt chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally, then remove the glass bowl from atop the pan and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until mixture is pale in color and thick. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in dry ingredients.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then lift brownies from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Unless you’re using a glass pan, then remove immediately.)
- For Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, peanut butter, powder sugar, salt, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread onto cooled brownies and enjoy! Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
(Adapted from Fork vs. Spoon)
Big Things
We’ve been waiting for this day for weeks. Why? Because Nick took the GMAT in December, applied to Carnegie Mellon University in January, interviewed in March, and … found out this morning that he was accepted into the part-time MBA program! To say that I’m proud of my husband would be an understatement. (And of course he requested his favorite German meal to celebrate tonight.)
Since Nick will be attending classes in Pittsburgh twice each week beginning this fall, we made the decision months ago that we would like to be closer to the city. So guess what.
We bought a house!
(Yes, that’s Nick carrying Sam up the driveway that he can’t wait to shovel this winter. And the front lawn? He’ll certainly get a workout pushing the mower up and down that hill.)
We looked at almost a dozen houses and fell in love with the one on the cul de sac. The one with a spacious kitchen and a gorgeous master suite. The one with the backyard that’s big enough for a garden and a swing set and a little boy to chase his puppy.
We put an offer on it just hours after seeing it, and it was accepted the next morning. When you know, you know, right?
We’ve spent the past few weeks shuffling, signing, and faxing paperwork to make this happen. Fast. As in we close on May 17th, and the movers arrive on May 18th.
I see lots of boxes in our future. Bubble wrap and packing tape. Followed by paint chips and furniture shopping and cocktails on the patio. Our patio. Let the fun begin!
Photo a Day – Weeks 16 and 17
I got a bit bored with the #photoadayapril prompts, but I’m still going to take (at least) a photo a day. Some with the iPhone. Some with the Rebel. Mostly of Sam. Enjoy.
