A little sidetracked...

Wow, I am sorry it has been a loooong time since I have made a post. I have been a little busy chasing around a toddler! Let the tantrums begin! I've had quite a bit on my mind lately. but I will not bore with all that stress. However, I am in a little better place now. Anywho, hubby comes home in 2 weeks!!! I cannot wait. It's going to be a little weird, though. Kaily and I have gotten into our daily routine, so it might be thrown off a bit with a man in the house! ;) I plan to cook, bake, cook, lounge around, and cook some more for awesome hubby! He's been stuck with eating cafeteria and fast food for the last three months. So, I am sure he is ready for some REAL food!

Zach and I were talking tonight on the phone. I was updating him on how much Kaily has grown up these past three months. She is sooooo smart! Maybe I think she's smart bc she's SUPPOSED to be doing these things, but I like to think she is just talented and gifted in the head! ;) We traveled down to Richmond on Monday so Kaily could be fitted for her new leg. It was exciting because her new leg means she is walking some!!! She is walking all over the house (with the help of the walker). I am so proud of her!

So, not a whole lot is going on in the Ramage household. We are jut waiting for daddy/hubby to come home!!! Can't wait!

Walking 101

Comfort food for less calories, u betcha!

So, I just bought Roco Dispirito's new cook book called, "Now Eat This!" I love love love it! It's all about comfort foods and making them less in calories. For instance, instead of using whole cream, it may use Greek yogurt. Below is a recipe for BROWNIES that are 52 calories!! YUM!

Calories BEFORE: 1,500, AFTER: 53...Fat BEFORE: 70g, AFTER: 1.6g, Fiber: 3g

Ingredients: nonstick cooking spray, 1 1/2 c. canned black beans (rinsed and drained), 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 TBS espresso powder, 3/4 c. egg substitute, 2 TBS low-calorie sugar free chocolate syrup (Walden Farms), 2 TBS reduced fat sour cream, 1 TBS unsalted butter (melted), 24 packets (84 g) Truvia or 8 tablespoons granulated Splenda, 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350, spray 8x8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the beans, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and egg substitute in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth (about 2 min) and scrape down the bowl halfway through.

Add choc syrup, sour cream, butter, Truvia, and vanilla. Process until all ingredients are combined (1 min.)

Pour the batter into the baking dish, smooth top, bake for 28-30 min (turn dish halfway through). Toothpick will come out clean with soft batter clinging to it.

Let brownies cool completely in backing dish on a wire rack. Then cut into 12 squares and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

You can eat dirt, I won't tell Daddy!

Have you ever had one of those days where NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING keeps your child happy! That was my day. It all started because I used a Swiffer Wet Jet. Kaily is a very sensitive little girl. She hates loud noises (well, any noise for that matter). As most of you who have used a Swiffer Wet Jet, the only hint of a noise that it makes is when you push the button once or twice to spray some goooood stuff on the floor. Well, to Kaily it could have been a rock concert blaring in her ear! This started the day of H-E-double hockey sticks for me! She cried and cried and cried and cried until I finally finished mopping and had to hold her with her blankey, a stuffed animal, her sucking her thumb, and me kissing her foreheard until she felt loved again. Now, I know what you are thinking, don't give in to her tantrums. TRUST ME, I very rarely do. As I mentioned, I finished my cleaning and then showed the child some love. But my goodness, seriously Boo Bear?! Then, of course, the rest of the day consisted of her following mommy everywhere. I had two conference calls today and THANK GOD I was able to push the mute button. This was the kind of day where if your daughter is eating dirt, LET HER! If she has stopped crying and is actually enjoying the dirt, LET HER EAT IT! ;) (I'm kidding of course, OR AM I?)!

The destruction of Boo Bear...





I am also back on my Weight Watcher's diet. It's been going pretty well. I feel like I am on Boo Bear's diet. Seriously, why is it so easy for me to give my child all the veggies and fruits in the world (and she loves 'em), but I would rather eat junk!? But, to know Boo Bear is eating tons of veggies and fruit with me, feels good! haha. I made a nice, healthy snack (kuddos from Samster Mommy blog). It was very easy to make...sour cream (8 oz) and hald a pack of Lipton Ranch dry mix.

What makes my day...after 5:00 PM!

Well, there are actually two best times of the day that I love. The first is around 7 AM when Boo Bear wakes up! I absolutely love when I wake up to Boo talking in bed. Zach and I like to refer to this as her "quiet time." Very rarely, will Boo Bear wake up crying in the morning. There has been times when I have woken up and heard Boo Bear talking in her crib for an hour. She thoroughly enjoys her quiet time. Anyhow, when I actually do go down to get Boo Bear, I love the smile that comes across her face! Little kids are like puppy dogs: you can walk out of the room a million times and come back in, they still get excited to see you! :) Yup, I compared my daughter to a puppy. The ritual for Boo Bear in the morning is to give me a big smile, throw all her stuffed animals out of the crib, stand up, and then drop to her hands/knees and do laps around the crib until I catch her. She is such a goof. But, this time of the day is a moment I cherish!

The second time is when I hear my phone ring sometime after 5 PM but usually before 7 PM. This ladies and gentlemen, is when the hubby calls. I get that giddy, school girl feeling when I see that hubby is calling. It truly makes my day when I get to talk with Zachary. With him being down in GA for three months, he doesn't get to text or talk on the phone until he is off work. Most people I know can talk with their spouse during the day at some point. Zach is not allowed to do so while training. Also, being home with a 16 month old child and myself, it's nice to chat with an adult at the end of the day. I probably overwhelm Zachary sometimes because I have so much to say, but I can't help it! You try being around a child all day long talking gibberish! I am so proud of my hubby for supporting our family and going into the line of work that he is. I love you, hubby, and thanks for the calls! ;)

For that special sweetie in your life (mine: Zachary)!

For the bundles (makes 4):
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon whipping cream
8 chocolate drops (recommended: Hershey's kisses)
8 miniature chocolate candy bars

For the chocolate sauce (melt in a small saucepan on the stove):
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces milk chocolate, broken into small pieces

Sweetened whipped cream, optional
Fresh strawberries, sliced, for garnish
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Car nap does not count!

If you are a mom, then you know what I am talking about when it comes to car naps. Boo Bear is on a pretty decent schedule of taking about a two hour nap each day. She usually eats lunch at 11 and then nap time at 12. Well, today was a different story. Boo and I headed out to go grocery shopping at 10 AM. I was done by 11:15. Within five minutes of being in the car, Boo Bear was out cold (drool and all)! I kept trying to talk to her to wake her up because I knew what this meant for mommy's afternoon...NO TWO HOUR NAP this afternoon. Boo Bear seems to think that a 15 minute power nap in the car counts as her nap for the day! So, right now...she is sitting in her crib jabbering away for the last hour. If only that trip to the grocery store was a little bit shorter. Perhaps I could have kept her entertained long enough to get home, feed her lunch, and put her in bed for that two hour nap. It's amazing how much moms really rely on that nap for the day. Now, I think of all the stuff I wanted to get done while she was sleeping, but now I can't. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. This mommy has learned her lesson about grocery shopping right before nappy time. :) These are the photos I took when I decided to surrender to the 16 month old BEAR!