Christmas Morning breakfast

I've posted this recipe for French Toast Bread Pudding before, but it struck me as the perfect Christmas Eve project. Make it the day/night before, and just pop it in the oven when you wake up. I'll either make this or Sausage Pinwheels--we will see if I make it to the grocery. 

Ingredients
serves 4-6

4 cups (about 8 slices) bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (whole wheat would be least sinful, but use whatever you have on hand)
4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
zest of 1 orange (or splash of OJ if you don't have an orange on hand)
powdered sugar for garnish, if desired

Lightly spray an 8x8 dish with cooking spray.

Add the bread to the dish. With a standing or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and bananas until smooth. Add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the milk, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and zest, and mix until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. **If you don't have overnight, it works fine to make it in the morning and let it sit at room temperature for a while until most of the liquid is soaked up**

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If bread mixture has been refrigerated, remove from fridge and let sit at room temp for about 15 minutes. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until center is set and a knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Sift powdered sugar over top, if using. Cut/scoop and serve. You can use more maple syrup, but it might not be necessary.

We had a rough night

...to put it mildly. 

We've already watched Elf and are on the second showing of the Grinch (screen time rules go out the window with sickies), but I think the fever has broken. 

Mostly I just needed to share the hair photos, because wow. 

Technical Difficulties

My apologies for this unexpected and extended hiatus. I have a number of half-completed posts just waiting to go out. However, my computer has become so temperamental and sluggish that it is impossible for me to upload pictures or make any other worthwhile edits.

I'll work on putting up some easy updates in the short-term, and I'm working on the larger computer issue in the long term. Everything is fine on our end; nothing is new, but I just wanted to post a little update.

Hope everyone is happy and well!

Once Upon A Wednesday Dreary

It was cold and rainy. He woke up early (abolish Daylight Savings Time). If it's possible to wake up on the wrong side of the crib, it was so. 

C was concerned about the rain, so he made sure Dada had a jacket. Then, obviously, C had to have a jacket. Over his mumpmin apron, which was over his jammies. Don't forget the hat. Don't forget we also definitely weren't going outside in any form.

(flour mustache from cookie mix that was definitely not licked up off the disgusting floor)

By 9am, we had already exhausted my emergency activity: Cookies (a/k/a "meex it up!"). Hence the apron.

I bundled him up--in real clothes--and we made the haul to Costco. I needed a few things, especially cheap gas, but thought it would also be a good activity. Already lots of Christmas stuff to see. 

Except when I got to the Costco gas station, I realized I didn't have my wallet. There was no way to get home and back before nap. I said a lot of bad words in my head so the toddler did not repeat them. 

I found an emergency cash stash in the glove compartment (OH MY GOD PRAISE THE BABY JESUS. Past-me was so smart. You should do this). It was enough to get what we needed, but I couldn't get gas without my membership card. Crossed my fingers we made it home. 

Sans membership card or any legitimate form of identification, I had to beg my way into the warehouse and answer a series of This Is Your Life quiz questions about my account to prove that I was, in fact, me (fun fact: Jenn Brown is still my 'domestic partner' on my account from when we were roommates in DC. Jenn, if they have Costco in Asia, you're good). Fortunately, I remembered this--trick question!--and passed their quiz. I'm glad they take their security so seriously...I imagine so many people want to take a toddler out in the rain to impersonate me and buy 36-pound bags of Pirate's Booty.

BUT I did score the above DVD of Polar Express ("Po' Spress") for 8 bucks, hoping it would come in handy on our car ride to Louisville this weekend. It did. 

Later, back at home and after a nap, I had a really special makeup helper. Frida Kahlo does Hockey Guy. 

I was maybe never more ready for a little Wine Wednesday come dinner time. 

It happens to all of us, mamas. Tomorrow is another day. xo

Halloween 2014

If you've been following along, you know that the original costume option was a no-go.

We came up with a replacement costume, but I kept the offending wee ooo wee ooo. I was putting it our bag as a backup costume for Brooks, who decided this week that he wanted to be anything BUT a dragon.

On a whim, I decided to offer the coat to C. Lo and behold...

But it didn't last long.

We'd been invited over to play and eat dinner with Georgia and Brooks before heading out into the candy-fueled wilderness. There's this great little area by "Jo-ja howse" where they close off the streets to cars and everyone just runs amok.

We plunked jammed the kids in our Tailgate Wagon and headed out.

please note that it was impossible to get a photo in which all 3 were still and looking at the camera

the stick makes it a costume

They stayed in the wagon for a while, and we were able to stick to houses where we could basically pull them right up and do a drive-thru candy grab. But then they figured out that they could get out and walk, and our pace slowed waaaayyyy down. 

Mr. C sort of got the candy thing, but was a little weirded out by going up to people's doors (I get it, kid. This is a weird holiday). And some of the houses were a little scary for the wee ones. His main trick-or-treating approach consisted of going into people's yards and checking out their decorations ("Yights!")

He was also pretty wowed by the police cars blocking off the streets and the "police bikes" riding around, so all in all I think it hit most of his interests. 

While we saw many, many firefighters, there was only ONE hockey guy.

Except for that big kid dressed as Shea Weber, but that was a cool costume. 

Something to which he can aspire.

Happy Halloween from the whole team!

xo

I'm Sorry, But I Must Insist

on sitting in the "beeg chair," even though my head barely clears the counter...

on wearing my fox hat at breakfast...

on doing stick-ERS with a woodland companion and buttered-toast hands...

(deer not pictured, but you can see his shadow on the paper)

Lots of opinions on this Halloween morning. 

More spooky fun to come!

October Fun

To avoid killing everyone with seasonal overload, I thought I'd condense several of our fun fall adventures into one post...

Riding choo-choo with Yaya at Georgia's birthday party! He loved the choo-choo but REALLY loved the bounce house.

Painting pumpkins at Georgia's.

Hazmat suits provided by Mary H. #ppe

 Decorating pumpkin cookies at Georgia's (girlfriend's got it goin' on)

Mr. C mainly dipped his paintbrush in the frosting and ate it

should have kept on those hazmat suits

The big house got spooky!

Making pumpkin bread.

it's shaped like pumpkins. It's like so meta.

This is not fall-related (other than perhaps the hockey jersey), but this kid is bro-in' out so hard.

Halloween foam stickers were 30% off at Target and a huge hit. I was running a Halloween decoration sweatshop. The kid churned them out.

Football birthday party!

more bounce house

next up...Halloween week! ("ticka treet!")