Tori’s Writing Hole

My cookie adventures didn’t end with macaroons. On Tuesday, Julia and I went over to Nana’s house to make gingerbread men (and trees and deformed looking puppies). The baking went surprisingly well, considering my failings with all things gingerbread. In fact, I have been known to fail at those gingerbread house kits with the premade pieces - miserably.

We made the dough, a lighter colored and lighter tasting gingerbread than I’m used to, following Paula Deen’s recipe from the Food Network seen here: Gingerbread Boys and Girls. We didn’t mod the recipe at all, except to sub light brown sugar, and while the flavor was ok, it really didn’t SING gingerbread to me.

Nevertheless, we had fun. Julia cut out her first cookies, as well as decorating them and eating them! She’s so not only 2.5…

She’s also doing well with potty training, although she will defiantly use the Pull-Up as a defecation or urination station if she decides to test boundaries. Ah, toddlerhood.

Here’s some pics of our escapade:

Technorati Tags: baking, gingerbread, toddler, family

Tired. Snow, and the driveway imported from the Swiss Alps has taken its toll. Not to mention the sinus infection and just the general Tori sick. But it’s cookie time, and I must oblige. So far this year I’ve baked some biscotti (Cinnamon Pecan), my always-loved Molasses Cookies and Spritz cookies made with the “time saving” automatic cookie press. I wanted to make something different so I went with Coconut Macaroons.

I’ve actually never made Coconut Macaroons before, although I love them. They are tasty and good. Easy too, although sticky to handle and mold. Here’s the recipe I used at Allrecipes: Coconut Macaroons III. I subbed out 1/2 tsp almond extract (so that’s 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond) and drizzled them with melted 60% cacao Ghirardelli chocolate chips. I also used a cookie disher to form them, so I made smaller, bite sized macaroons.

Aside from that, all the presents are wrapped, the stockings are hung and I am spent. Santa can come right now, I just need a nap. More snow you say? Evil, evil time of year.

Technorati Tags: baking, macaroons, snow

Well, she did it. Tinkle in the the toilet. I was amazed, Stephen was overjoyed, Julia got a bunch of stickers. And then… nothing. We tried big girl panties, which led to a trail of urine on hardwood. Now we’re in the “get cold when wet” Pull-ups. This whole thing is so tough. How do you explain the feeling of having to urinate to another person? Or crap? We go in, she sits on the Dora™ potty seat, and just… sits. And sings. Or wants to read. But definitely doesn’t want to pee.

I thought it would just happen, but damn, I want to just resign myself to laying in a stock of ever increasing sizes of diapers, up to Depends. I’ll just have the “special” kid. Sure, wiping 15 year old butt isn’t what I planned on when I had a kid, but hey, if it’s what I have to do…

Technorati Tags: diapers, potty training

Christmas… it’s time to officially go bug-nuts. Or at least, stress my brains and body out completely. Been trying to keep up with life but I feel so clichéd and just tired with the whole season. I got my presents purchased, cards written and sent, and tiny 4′ tree decorated and placed in the corner. But, ugh.

I started to use Twitter - but I’m not so sure. I think I’m using it as a giant pity party, like a tiny snippet blog where I can moan to others about how my life’s no good. Maybe I’m using it wrong. I’ll have to regroup. Or maybe I do need a place to whine. Eh, we’ll see.

My health’s been poopy - that’s right, poopy. Doctor’s going to use me as a pharmacological experiment again, I’ll be starting Lyrica, another anticonvulsant cum drug for everything that’s been approved for use as a pain management tool for fibromyalgia. Mood stabilizer too. I’m sure it will make me tired and generally unhappy at the beginning, but hopefully it will do something other than make me regret I’ve tried it.

Oh yeah, I have cold hands. Always. Forced air heat is dry, intermittent, too hot when it’s on and not warm at all when not running. Thus - cold hands.

For later - I’ve baked two holiday cookies so far this year, spritz and molasses. More to come.

Technorati Tags: twitter, fibromyalgia, life, cold hands