S'mores on a Stick

It's summertime!  That means sun, fun, and s'mores!  We were invited to a "Very Merry Unbrithday" party this week, and needed to bring a fancy treat to share.  Little Guy loves s'mores, but they're not exactly a fancy - or tidy type of treat for boys and girls who are dressed their best.  I came across a picture of s'mores  on a stick and thought, "Perfect!"

The recipe is pretty self explanatory, but for those of you who like a step by step, here you go:

You'll need:

chocolate chips
graham crackers
marshmallows
lollipop sticks
a graham cracker masher (we used Little Guy's brute strength, but you'll have to settle for your own elbow grease or a food processor)
parchment paper
baking cups (optional)

Melt chocolate.

Dip your sticks into the melted chocolate and then insert into marshmallows. This will help keep the sticks stuck in the marshmallows.

Now, you can either dip your marshmallows into the melted chocolate to coat, or use a spatula to spread the chocolate (I found the second option to be much easier - my marshmallows kept getting stuck in the chocolate when I tried the dip method).

Finish up by dipping the chocolate covered marshmallows into the graham cracker crumbs and placing on parchment paper to harden.

We placed our S.O.S.'s on festive baking cups before traying them up for the party.

P.S. The kiddos gobbled them up at the tea party!  Score!

You can find this post linked up on
What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Share it Link Party
Tell Me Tuesday
Feature Friday

0

Pregnancy: Week 20 - Halfway!

This Week:
We're halfway there!!  Yippee!
Baby is about the size of a banana.
He's also producing meconium - fun stuff...

Movement:  Baby is seriously going to be an acrobat or a kick boxer.  He moves all the time.  I've even been woken up by him in the morning!

Exciting News: We got another ultrasound this week!  Baby's head was way down low - which is why I've been feeling so heavy.  We also got to hear confirmation that baby is doing well, we still seem to be pretty much spot on with our due date, and everything looks great.

Not so exciting news:  The ultrasound place we went to - although beautiful, and big - was a disappointment.    They gave us 8 photos of our little one on a disk, and they were pretty much awful.  Example:

 

 I mean, yes, I can make out what they are of (with the assistance of the tech's captioning), but compared to our first ultrasound and to the ultrasounds we received when I was pregnant with Little Guy, these were just a bit disappointing.

Feeling:  Huge.  Already.  I haven't gained nearly what I'd gained by this time with Little Guy, but I started out bigger, and I just feel so huge.  I can't imagine how I'll be feeling in a few more months.

Noticed:  That shaving my legs, tying my shoes, and painting my toes is getting a bit more difficult.  It's not like this thing is squishy.  Baby makes a big, hard ball of a belly that you can't really compress when you bend over.

The Cutest Thing:  Little Guy is really into this pregnancy.  He asks me everyday what week I'm in, or if I've moved on to the next week.  He's always including "his baby brother" when he talks about our family, and kisses my belly all the time. It's the sweetest thing.

Missing:  Lying on my belly.  Or on my back (you can't be flat on your back when you're pregnant because it restricts blood flow through a major vein and can be dangerous).  Especially at the beach... You can't really say, "I'll lay out on my back" because no, you won't.  Then you can't say, "Well, I'll lay out on my belly to tan my back" because again, no, you won't.  You will stand up or you will sit in a chair so your shoulders, the tops of your thighs, and your feel get burned.  *Ahem....I guess you've gathered this happened to me.  Oh well.  I'm still thankful to be able to go to the beach.

Cravings:  Meh.  Not really anything as long as I have something cold to drink.

0

This is My Work

I just finished reading Gap Creek by Robert Morgan.  I'd read it before, years ago, and something compelled me to find it and read it again.
The tagline is "The Story of a Marriage," but it's much more than that.  It's a story of struggle, of coming of age, of hardships, of loss, and of life.  When I came upon the scene where the main character goes into labor, I thought, "Here it is.  This is what I was meant to find by rereading this book."

This is my work, I thought.  This is the work only I can do.  This is work meant for me from the beginning of time.  And this is work leading through me in an endless chain of people all the way to the end of time.  Other women have done their work down the course of the years, and now it's my turn .  There's nothing to do but take hold of the pain and wrestle with it.  It was not a choice to give in.

~ Gap Creek

Not only in labor, but as a mother, as a wife, and as a woman this applies to me.

To all of us.

We are all here to do our work.

It may not always be pleasant - at times even painful, but it is ours, nonetheless and our only choice is to take hold of it.

I've found that much more often than not, the reward overshadows the struggle.

2

Weekending

 

 

This weekend (the first weekend of summer vacation for us) was filled with play. Filled with relaxation and with nature.  Filled with a ten dollar styrofoam airplane that has brought much joy to our little family.   

This weekend was filled with love.  

*How was your weekend? 

0

Pregnancy: Week 18

This week:

Baby is the size of a bell pepper.

Baby weights about 7 ounces.

Compare:  Here's a pic of me at 18 weeks with Little Guy.

Cravings:  Not much.  I had almost no appetite during this week and had to force myself to eat something at meal times.

Morning Sickness:  Yes.  Can you believe it?  For just one day I couldn't keep anything down until late in the evening, when I managed to fall asleep with a little cup of applesauce in my belly.

Weight Gain:  I had an appointment with my midwife during the last day of my 18th week and I'd gained 11 pounds.  That's the only time I find out my weight since we don't (and don't want to) own a scale.

Medical Issues:  During my appointment, my protein levels came back low - most likely due to my barely eating all week and then not keeping anything down the day before.  Easily correctable.  The midwife also said she'd like me to take a B complex in addition to my Prenatal vitamin.

Exercise:  Still walking 3 miles in the mornings, although sometimes it's difficult when baby is pushing on my bladder.

Belly Button:  Still an innie.

Baby Measurements:  At my 18wk 6 day appointment, my uterus measured 20 weeks.  Much better than the almost 4 weeks ahead I'd seemed to measure during the last visit.

Baby Movement:  I feel this little one kicking pretty frequently now.  Especially when I have a moment to sit and relax (ie. mealtimes, or at night before bed).

1