Since I've started working, I've found myself often tempted to make a beeline to the Starbucks located upstairs from the store where I work during every break opportunity. Since I am NOT a coffee drinker, there is only ONE beverage I drink from Starbucks: Hot Chocolate. And it's the best hot chocolate ever. I always order it "extra hot" -- which seems a bit redundant since it's already a hot beverage, but I like it super-duper, burn-the-taste-buds-off-your-tongue hot. And they're happy to oblige. And it's good. VERY good. Maybe too good, considering the number of trips I've made over there to quench this craving.
I've tried to duplicate Starbucks hot chocolate at home. I bought a milk frother thingy. No dice. I bought a nuggin' espresso machine just to steam the milk. Notsomuch. I've struck out with every attempt to duplicate this deliciousness.
Until now.
Enter the Starbucks Hot Chocolate recipe I found online over the weekend. OhMyGoodness. I never thought it'd actually be possible to duplicate the exact yumminess of Starbucks hot chocolate! But this recipe sure enough does! It is SO good. And SO easy. And SO good.
Without further ado, let me share this recipe with you.
Starbucks Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
whipped cream (optional)
Directions
Combine the water, cocoa, and sugar in a 16-ounce microwave-safe pitcher, such as a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Zap the mixture on high for 30 seconds, or until hot. Stir well to create chocolate syrup.
Add the milk to the chocolate syrup and microwave the mixture for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until hot. Add the vanilla and pour the drink into a 16-ounce coffee mug. Serve with whipped cream on top.
Make one 16-ounce (grande size) serving.
Seriously, if you're a hot chocolate connoisseur, you owe it to yourself to make a mug-full of this amazing recipe immediately! You will NOT be disappointed!
It's the little things that make me happy. I finally ditched my massive Otterbox iPhone case for a fun, cute lil new one:
Now, this case really isn't "me," but my girl likes pink/purple and my boy is all about monkeys. So from that perspective, ya, I guess this case really IS "me."
LO had soccer practice again tonight, and this time mommy remembered to bring the good camera! Enjoy!
Such determination!
I just love the way it looks like this little teammate of hers is checking out her mad soccer skills!
Just another day on the soccer field...
Look at her go! She's really getting into this soccer stuff! And she's having fun, too!
Run, LO! Dribble that ball! ((at least I think that's what they call this in soccer))
The team played a scrimmage against each other and they all had to put on these ginormous jerseys. I just love how animated this girl of mine is! Haha!
Finally time to lose those over-sized jerseys!
Whoops! Jerseys back on! Run, LO! Run!
I'm sorry, but I can't help but see an actual soccer player in my daughter's little 4-year-old body. She just looks like she knows what she's doing out there!
Of course this handsome little fella had to get into the soccer action... Love him so!
Okay, so here I am again posting another "update" blog post because I've just been too darn busy to post here more regularly. I'm so sorry! But as it probably is with your busy life, too, things have been non-stop for us lately! I can barely catch my breath! I'm squeezing in a few spare moments to put up this post while also doing laundry, creating a new website, fielding calls about an event I'm planning this weekend for 250 people in Charleston, and 1,200 other things I can't begin to describe at this very moment. My brain cells are running on empty so I'll keep this short n' sweet.
Here's what my lovely kiddos have been up to recently.
Chase and I went to a park to play while LO was at school. It was an epic fail though, because it was about 30 minutes away from our house and, lo and behold, CLOSED for remodeling when we got there. I was totally bummed. But Chase and I wandered the baseball fields and Frisbee golf course for a while so it didn't feel like such a loss. He's so cute. :)
LO starting playing her first ever "organized" team sport: SOCCER! She's super excited about it, and I'm really glad she'll have a chance to run off the overwhelming excess amount of energy she somehow stores up each day. Here she is trying on her soccer stuff.
She had her first practice Monday night. As you can see, Chase wasn't to be left out of the spotlight. He showed us he has some mad soccer skills as well. See?
Now for the fun stuff -- the videos!!! Here's a short clip of LO practicing with her team. If you ask me, she's got a little bit of an athelete in her!
This one is hilarious! You gotta watch it full screen and keep your eye on LO. The whole team has to run to the pile of balls on the opposite end of their field and bring them back to the coach. The first one back gets to be the "helper" at Wednesday's practice. LO got a late start (she's almost NEVER paying attention), but seems to be making up ground. She grabs her ball, turns to run back and <> she gets knocked down by another avid ball-seeker. But she picks herself up and gallops runs back as instructed. Precious!
I was at our local Costco today picking up some bottled water for our big Palmetto Hearts reunion event this weekend. I had to bring my momma with me because she's a current Costco member. I, however, am a former Costco member. I realized after our 2 hours in Costco why my husband didn't want to renew our membership. That durn store is DANGEROUS! Let's just say a vat o' goldfish, more gummy vitamins than any human should require, a toy storage/organizer, jumbo Mr. Potato Head, 2 books and a 2T monkey outfit later, we were finally ready to leave the store. I now understand that it wasn't the $50 annual membership fee that hubs wasn't wanting to keep paying... it was the minimum $150 Costco shopping sprees he was wanting to eliminate. Ooops!
But let me at least attest to the fact that I didn't go crazy-overboard. Case in point? The most adorable, BIGGEST stuffed Mickey Mouse I've ever seen! Even LO was in love with it at first sight.
In the meantime, Chase was sporting around on a Lightening McQueen ride-on toy.
That is, until he saw his glorious, larger-than-life friend, Mickey Mouse. OhMyWord! This child for whatever reason has fallen head over heels in love with Mickey Mouse! So much, in fact, that I'm 99.9% sure his 2nd birthday next month will have a Mickey Mouse theme. He hugged Mickey. He kissed Mickey. It was unbearably sweet! But did I purchase the almost $40 stuffed animal? Nooooooo! As much as it killed me, I left Mickey there with his other Clubhouse friends... vowing to somehow figure out a way to get that guy to show up at Chase's birthday party in his gift stash! ((ahem... family? friends? anyone?)) :)
Last weekend we surprised the kids with a trip to see Sesame Street Live. We took LO when she was about 1 1/2, so we thought Chase would really enjoy it, too. He LOVES "cookie" and "melmo" so off we went for a fun morning out with the kids!
As you can see, Chase wasn't too sure about those larger-than-life furry monsters.
But he quickly found the show to be quite enjoyable!
LO was having a great time, too1
We were in the 2nd row on the floor in front of the stage, so the view was awesome!
Our Sesame Street friends!
Life is much better with a little Elmo to chew on during the performance...
Yay!
Big Bird!
Wow! This show is even MORE fun when there's FOOD involved! Yum!
Our new friends!
Confetti and streamers after the big finale. LO loved it!
So there. That's a tiny glimpse into what we've been up to over the past few weeks. Of course LO's started K4 a few weeks ago, and I'm the Room Coordinator for her class. Lots of volunteer stuff to organize. And I'm apparently her soccer team's Manager, which really just means the organized person who sends email reminders to parents about games and jersey colors. And I'm working on a new website for Palmetto Hearts. And I'm coordinating our Palmetto Hearts Pediatric Cardiology Reunion in Charleston this weekend. And I started my part-time job a few weeks ago. And I've got Chase's 2nd birthday party to start putting together. And did I mention I'm also forming a CHD Support Group for the families in my area? And somebody is still supposed to do the laundry, cleaning and cooking around the house. Oh, was that supposed to be me? ((sigh)) Our cupboards are so bare it's not even funny. Guess I'd better get back to work!
Thanks for your patience and continued blog support! Sorry I've been so lame lately, but I hope I'll do better soon! :)
These are BY FAR the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies on the planet! They are soft, moist, chewy and incredibly delicious! And the bet part is they are healthy! There's only 2 Tbsp. of butter in the entire recipe! I know, right?!
Seriously. These things are the best. They keep for days, assuming they last that long. My kids loved them. Hubs loved them. I loved them. But keep in mind they are only "healthy" if you avoid eating half a dozen in one sitting, which -- believe me -- isn't as easy as it sounds.
Enjoy!
Photo from www.davidlebovitz.com
Photo from www.davidlebovitz.com
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
About 36 cookies Adapted from Nick Malgieri’s book, Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs (HarperCollins).
Ingredients:
1 cup flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup dark raisins (or dried cranberries)
2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, foil, or silicone mats
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set the rack on the lower and upper thirds of the oven.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the brown sugar, then the egg, applesauce, and vanilla.
Stir in the dry ingredients, then the oats and raisins.
Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons 2-inches apart on the baking sheets and use a fork to gently flatten the dough.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they “look dull on the surface but are moist and soft,” according to Nick. Rotate baking sheets during baking for even heating.
(I made mine bigger, so whatever size you make them, just bake them until they look as directed by Nick.)
Storage: Once cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Chase had a follow-up appointment with ENT yesterday and everything looked great! We go back in 6 months for another follow-up. He's talking a LOT more and it's so exciting! On a side note, my precious heart boy got KICKED OUT OF THE MUSC CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ATRIUM yesterday! That's right! Apparently it's only for INPATIENT families, which we were never aware of. I can totally see the need to limit exposure to germs for the inpatient kids who are using the Atrium, and not wanting families "off the street" like us to be in there with them. But it was so sad to have to drag Chase out of there while we were killing time before his ENT appointment. Poor kid. But we had fun outside instead. :)
LO is loving her K4 class! I'm really excited to see what she learns this year and how prepared she'll be for Kindergarten next Fall.
I'm serving as the Room Coordinator for LO's K4 class. This means I'm the one coordinating all the volunteers we need for field trips, special snacks, parties, etc. I wanted to do it so I'd have a chance to meet the other parents and hopefully make some connections so LO can have play dates with her new friends outside of her M-W-F school schedule. I'm hoping I haven't taken on too much, though. We had a meeting for all Room Coordinators last Friday and I got a massive notebook with LOTS of information in it. It was kind of overwhelming! And this Friday, there's a volunteer kickoff for all the parents to attend and I'll be manning our classroom's table, providing information to parents about volunteer opportunities, etc. Hopefully we'll have a great turnout!
I'm still serving on the Palmetto Hearts board as the VP of Community Programs. We had a heart family gathering at a local indoor playground/inflatables place on Sunday. I hate I wasn't able to be there, but we had lots of heart families come out and they had a great time! We had all of our families bring items to donate to a local children's shelter, so I look forward to meeting needs in our community on behalf of Palmetto Hearts! The major thing taking up my time here is planning our annual Pediatric Cardiology Reunion, which is less than a month away!!! There are LOTS of little details to take care of (now that the big stuff is all scheduled and in place), and it's slightly overwhelming! I've never attended one of our reunions so it's kind of scary planning an event I've never attended! Haha! I'm sure it'll all come together fabulously, though.
I'm in the process of making a bootable OS X 10.7 disc for my software collection. Obviously totally random and useless information (for most of you), but I'm pretty excited about it! Especially after my latest hard drive failure, including the replacement of the cable that connects the hard drive to the logic board.
I'm also in the process of clearing out an external 1TB hard drive to use as my Time Machine back-up. I haven't backed up my new hard drive and it's been almost 3 weeks or so since I installed it. ACK! This is one of those must-get-done things that always seems to land at the bottom of my To Do List. Not today! I'm hoping to be all good and ready for an overnight Time Machine backup of this hard drive tonight. Yay! for data backups!!! :)
Chase just walked by and really stinks. I guess I ought to take care of that... BeRightBack!
Whew! That was nasty!
I'm working on the design and management of two different websites in my "spare" time. For free, of course. Haha! Actually, I guess they are both considered "ministry opportunities" since they are for my church. I really enjoy doing that kind of thing, mostly because I can squeeze in the work in between the rest of life. :)
Who's in charge of the laundry around here? And why are there dishes piled up in the kitchen? Oh, wait... I guess that's me! I hate being so busy and preoccupied that I can't take care of my house as well as I like to. Hubs is awesome and has been a HUGE help, but it makes me feel so bad when I can't stay on top of the laundry, dishes, bathroom cleaning, floors, etc. Plus it just gives me a headache to look around and see a zillion things that I should have on my To Do List but they aren't on the list at all! Yikes!
I guess another thing that has kept me busy is my new part-time job! I started last Friday with 3 days of training and have another 3 days of training this week. I'm really excited about this opportunity and can't wait to get started "officially!" It's nice that we have the flexibility to allow me to work part-time while hubs has his full-time job and we won't require any help with the kids. That was the most important thing to me. It wouldn't be worth it to me to have a part-time job if it meant we had to arrange to have other people take care of my kids for me. No way! Raising my kids is my #1 job and biggest priority! So I'm super stoked that this is working out and can't wait to see where it leads! Yay!
Have I mentioned I'm patiently awaiting the arrival of my newest niece? She was due to join us on August 18th but is taking her sweet time. She WILL be here by Friday, though, so I'm super excited!! I can't wait to meet her!
I guess that's about it for now. As you can see, it's been a busy few weeks around here! Blogging has taken a back seat to life, so I apologize to those of you who actually read my blog and keep up with us. I'll try to do better -- I promise!!!
Maybe I can get some new pics of the kids up here soon, too... I just love pictures of my kids!
Well, my big 4-year-old girl started K4 this morning! I can hardly believe it! She's turning into such a big, beautiful, smart, compassionate young lady! I'm so very proud of her! She was really excited to start her day today and kept pushing me along ("Time to go, Mommy!").
Of course I took her picture before we left. She was so excited to wear her new purple sequin shirt from Target. So beautiful!
1st Day of K4 (2011)!
Compare this one to last year!
1st Day of 3-year-old Preschool (2010)
Here she is in the car on our way to school. We had a great conversation on the way there while sitting through the traffic. She recited the Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Christian Flag, and spelled her first, middle and last name. Guess she was brushing up on her skills! :)
Here she was in the car last year before we got out of the car to go to her first day of preschool.
On our way to 3-year-old preschool (2010).
This year she was stylin' big time! I wanted to get a pic before she got out of the car and she insisted on putting on her shades first. The sun was shining right in her face, so I don't blame her. She's so stinkin' cute!
She pretty much dragged me through the main mall area towards her classroom. We were able to stop and see her teacher from last year before heading into her class, and she was SUPER excited about that! We got into her class, washed her hands, and she headed straight for the train table (imagine my surprise. not.). I had to convince her to sit down with the rest of her class and play with Play-Doh like she was supposed to be doing. :)
And of course, my favorite picture of her standing outside of her classroom from last year!
2010
I can't wait to hear all about her first day of K4! I know she's gonna have a great time! There were at least 4 boys from her class from last year that are in her K4 class, so I know it'll be nice for her to see some familiar faces. She's gonna do great!
Now mommy and Chase are off to enjoy some quality mommy-son time. I see a walk around the neighborhood and some 1st-day-of-school-gift shopping in our future! :)
Chase and I were having fun last night and I couldn't help but nab a video of this. It's PROOF that he actually CAN talk! He never wants to do it on demand, especially for his Speech Therapist. So I figured at least this way I can prove without a doubt that the boy CAN and WILL speak! Yay! He just has to WANT to do it. :)
We had a great time in Hilton Head for our family vacation last weekend! I promised some pics, so here ya go!
These first two were taken before we left for vacation and quite honestly, I have no idea what Chase was eating. But these pics are too cute not to share! :)
Handsome boy!
Now before we could leave for vacation, I had to address Chase's crazy hair. It was getting too long in the back and around the ears, so I bought some hair scissors from Amazon and gave it my best shot. This was my first time ever cutting anybody's hair. I found he would sit still and let me work if I kept juice and cheese puffs nearby and a movie playing for entertainment. Here's the before:
And the after! You can see he made good use of those cheese puffs. I'm not super happy with my first cut, but I'm sure I'll do better with more practice.
Now on to the beach! I'm pretty sure this was Chase's first attempt at walking in sand. We had him walk from the car, over the boardwalk and through the sand in 100 degree heat and he was quite the little champ! I started to feel bad for him as he waded through the sand so after I put the load of stuff I was carrying down at our spot, I went back and carried him the rest of the way. It was so stinkin' hot and his poor little cheeks were so pink!
Someone nearby found a crab, so we let them use our bucket as his temporary home. The kids were taking a look at it and of course Chase wanted to touch it. Daddy stopped him before the crab could get him!
LO having fun on the beach.
BIG ocean. Little girl.
Daddy and Chase heading to the water.
Our little aqua boy loved the ocean!
See?
LO was happy and content playing in the sand. She wasn't too consumed with playing in the water.
This was about as far out as she'd venture into the water.
Silly little boy!
He had the time of his life!
Time to play in the sand!
Probably watching his sister playing a few yards away.
Cutie pie!
I love my little man in a hat! Such a cutie!
As per usual, LO got lost coming back from the water and didn't know where we were. We watched her look around for a bit before finally catching her eye and waiving her over. :)
Mmmmm! Snack time!
My pretty girl!
Where's Chase? PEEK-A-BOO!
Little stud muffin.
Playing in the sand some more!
The sign near the lagoon off our back porch...
I'm pretty sure this is the ONLY picture I got of the kids TOGETHER during our vacation. And of course like a total loser, I didn't get a SINGLE FAMILY PHOTO of all of us together. Lame.
