Cough gasp sputter wheeze

That's my immune system trying to get rid of evil clinging germies. I think we're all finally close to being healthy again. We all got some form of the flu and passed it around and kept each other up at night coughing. So all I've been up to is trying to keep thing running on very little sleep and a sore throat. But I think that's all really going away now. Good thing too because when I have days and days of no energy my temper gets real short and the kids get real crabby and bored with their cranky-pants-pulled-up to-her-armpits mama; it doesn't make for a good cycle. So off to bed with me.

My sister in law came over today with my niece and we baked Valentines Cookies together. I'm so happy to find a roll out cookie recipe I like, because I have a mob of cookie cutters (a herd?) and yet can't stand sugar cookies. Really when I'm making cookies I want them to be chocolate chip, but those won't work so well with the cutters. Anyhow, the following recipe is pretty tasty and as an added bonus there are no eggs in it- perhaps a good thing when the 16 month old is eating her share raw.

(From My Big Back Yard Magazine)

Heart-y Cookies- preheat oven to 350F

• 1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda (I live at high altitude and used a tiny smidge less than this)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 1/3 Cup Milk

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, Butter and Milk and mix well. Form dough into a ball and refrigerate for an hour (or we made it into two disks and froze it for about 15 minutes). Roll out dough 'til it's about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your cookies and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool before decorating.



James and his cousin Elizabeth taking a little break from eating the cookie toppings.


Leland after he (Doh! Gahhk! Yeuhhhk! Bleck!) tried a Strawberry.



Butterfly, Cat, Dog, Caterpillar or Bug, Fish?, and Heart

Heart and Arrow Valentines

I'm pleased with these- they may get to the recipients a bit late, but they're darn cute. I wrote instructions for making them, just click on the picture below.

Valentines

Menus

ETA- Husby quite sick all week. Plans pretty much went out the window.

Leland wasn't able to tolerate me eating dairy for about the first six months of his life (the dairy proteins pass into the breast milk and can be hard for some babies to digest). Now it doesn't seem to be affecting him so much; I feel like I have a whole new world of foods available again. I am happy he showed me I can live without dairy though- that stretched my cooking in a good way.

• Monday- Chicken breast with sauteed onions, mashed cauliflower, cut up avocado (never did make that soup, or the cauliflower) Onion Soup
• Tuesday- Bacon wrapped pork chops broccoli, rice more Soup
• Wednesday-Roast whole chicken, salad, rice
• Thursday- Dinner at brother's house, or left overs
• Friday- Salad with sliced chicken left overs
• Saturday-BBQ chicken pizza, sliced veggies Chicken Enchiladas
• Sunday-Baked Manicotti- Husby saw them make this and has been requesting it, might be fun to make together. Also Salad Took the kids and had dinner at my Grandma's

Breakfasts- Breakfast sandwiches with bacon, cereal, yogurt with jam, eggs and toast

Lunches and snacks- Leftovers- from this week and from the freezer, veggies with dip, fruit, crackers and cheese, PB&J on tortillas

Other food related tasks- Seriously, I'm gonna make that pie. Meat for this week is defrosting already, Check with Sister-in-law about Thursday, Figure out what I need for the Manicotti

Menus for this week

• Monday- Ham, Potatoes, Salad Totally forgot about the ham until way too late, ate frozen pizza with ham and pineapple instead
• Tuesday-Savory Bread pudding, "Mashed" Cauliflower (Forgot the ham again) Brats, Apples, Salad
• Wednesday-Brats, Apples, Broccoli Ham, Potatoes, Apples
• Thursday-Quiche Left over Ham and whatnot
• Friday- Dinner at friends house
• Saturday-French Onion soup Dinner at Mom's house
• Sunday-Roast Chicken, Something green Things from the freezer
  
  Breaskfasts- Cereal, Eggs, Yogurt & Jam ETA: and Breakfast Sandwiches, mmmm
  
  Lunches and Snacks- Sandwiches, Quesadillas, Left-overs ETA: Also celery with peanut butter. alot...may wish to think up new snack ideas before we all tire of this one.
  
  Other Food related Tasks- Must bake that pie that I owe Husby, Defrost Chicken midweek, prepare for roasting on Saturday using Cooks Illustrated directions ETA: Note that none of this happened. M. probably thinks I will never bake the pie. I will have to bake it and write a blog entry about why it is that I owe him this pie in the first place.