Pins to projects -- Cookies!

So, we had an awesome MNI last night for BaltimoreMommies.com. It was a recipe throwdown and I was trying to think of something fun to bring.

I pinned this recipe from my cousin's wife's cooking blog

http://shaunasever.com/2009/12/in-for-it.html

They are chocolate peanut butter crumble bars.

Here is a picture of mine... Not as pretty as hers, but still pretty tasty.

I cut them smaller than she did and should have let them rest longer, but I didn't have time. Oh well...

Pins to projects -- FAIL!

So, one of my friends pinned these awesome looking "Dried in the Oven Strawberries." My kids love strawberries, so I figured I'd try it.

Here is a link to the article: http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/dried-strawberries-ruscalleda/

Mine didn't turn out ANYTHING like that.

Those pitiful looking ones are mine.

Here are the blogger's

Can you say "Big Fat Failure?"

Oh well... I get to audition for Jeopardy in April, so I'm still happy :)

I'm crazy

For those of you who are my friends on Facebook or are on BaltimoreMommies, this is just me being redundant and crazy again...

I've been running for a few months now. I started with the Couch to 5K program and have moved onto the Bridge to 10K. I can easily run 40 minutes without stopping after 10 weeks or so. I'm going to do a 5K in April. I don't think it will be a problem.

My husband's cousin is a crazy triathlete. She does stuff all the time. She talked me into doing this 200-mile 12-person relay thing in the Fall called Ragnar. I told her I would. I think I'm nuts. Hold me accountable!

A "Pinned" Project -- Taco Cupcakes

My friend Amber has a neat blog found here http://www.thebinkertation.com/. Every Sunday, she blogs about the things she has "Pinned" and then completed. She invites her friends and subscribers to share their own "Pins to Projects", so here is my first one.

I'm always looking for new and interesting recipes. Not necessarily healthy ones, but interesting ones that I think my kids will eat. I found this recipe for "Taco Cupcakes" and decided to try it this week: http://bricelife-gabrielle.blogspot.com/2012/01/taco-cupcakes.html

Here is the picture from her blog

I made mine without the cheese dip and I used undrained seasoned black beans in mine. I also made 12 rather than 8, a good thing since my husband ate 5 of them. They didn't get as crispy as I thought they would, but that can be remedied by pre-baking the bottom level wonton wrapper for a minute or two first.

Here are mine out of the oven

Here is the finished one I gave my 3 year old

And here is said 3-year old with a mouthful of green beans (seriously, like 20)

Hopefully, I will complete another project I pinned this week... or at least complete one that doesn't involve my ab workout or stretches.

Homemade Snowflake Window Clings

I thought I would try and make a craft with my 3-year old, so I got the idea to make snowflake window clings.

Here is what you need

• 1 cookie sheet
• Large piece of paper
• Waxed paper
• 1 large marker
• Silver fabric (puffy) paint

First use the marker and draw snowflake shapes on the piece of paper. It's best to keep them small and compact

Then put the paper on a cookie sheet for stability and put the waxed paper on top so you can see the pictures through.

Then using your glitter puffy paint, trace the pictures.

Let them dry for at least 12 hours or until completely dry. Then carefully peel the shapes from the waxed paper and you have homemade window clings!

Those are two of mine and here is the one my 3-year old made

Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding

Extended breastfeeding is considered anything past one year. Obviously, I've hit that mark and surpassed it with both of my boys. I'm sure outside of a few in my BaltimoreMommies.com and La Leche League social circles, people think I'm nuts for continuing past a year.

Well, the World Health Organizations recommends that children be breastfed until they are THREE. Yeah, that isn't a joke... They recommend three.

Babies' brains almost triple in size from birth to two years. Breastmilk provides a good supply of DHA, which will help my child's brain develop better. He's already a smarty-pants ;) Breastmilk also contains IGA, which helps keeps kids from getting sick by coating their intestinal lining. Yeah, I know... my kids have been sick for almost a month. Milk Dud got a milk version of the thing his older brother had. I blame my breastmilk ;) Breastfeeding helps their teeth align properly and helps with obesity when kids get older. It also provides significant amounts of nutrients to their diet.

Guess what, it benefits me, too. A study showed that for every year a woman breastfeeds, she reduces her breast cancer risk by 4.6%. It also reduces your risk of ovarian, uterine and endometrial cancers. My risk of osteoporosis is reduced as well. Type 2 diabetes risks are lower, so maybe I will even out the fact that I'm at increased risk for it due to my gestational diabetes.

So, don't ask me why I am still nursing. I just am :)

Almost past where I got last time

I nursed my oldest son until he was just about 17-months old. I only weaned him because I was pregnant again and nursing made my nausea worse. Milk Dud will be 17-months in 9 days. Although he has cut down to 4-6 times a day, he shows no signs of weaning. I've offered him a cup of milk, and he often doesn't want it and responds "NOOOOO... Mommy milk!"

I love nursing, but part of me really would like to have my body back. I've been pregnant, nursing or both for the past 4 years. I would really like to get to take medicine without having to look it up in Lact Med. We have all been sick in this house for almost a month, and I have had to limit my cough syrup consumption to bedtime so that I don't hurt my milk supply too much.

I love the bond it has given me with my boys. There is nothing like it. I would really like some cheerleading for the child-led weaning, though.