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Carrot Cake and the Best Cream Cheese Frosting
So, I know that carrot cake is not the most exciting dessert you could make, but it seems to be a crowd favorite. Honestly, I think it has to do with the cream cheese frosting, because there is no better frosting out there! You can’t go wrong with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. This last week was a particularly rough one in our home. My husband is working longer hours, Olivia has perfected the tantrum, and I have taken on one too many projects, one of which was a dessert for my boss’s birthday. Thankfully, he’s a huge fan of carrot cake, which is a relatively easy recipe…
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Rose Crusted Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Ever since the Christmas holiday, I’ve been in pie recovery mode. But spring is officially here, and that means rhubarb is, too! Just the thought of a strawberry rhubarb pie makes me want to dig out my pie dishes and start baking!!! If you haven’t tasted rhubarb before it’s a lot like celery, but while celery is flavorless, rhubarb actually tastes horrible if eaten raw. However, if it’s baked in a pie with a fruit like strawberries it’s the perfect combination of tart and sweet. Strawberry rhubarb is a quick and easy recipe. Also, since it’s spring I decided to add these beautiful pie crust roses that are…
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These Are a Few of our Favorite Things (and not!) for Baby
When I was pregnant with Olivia I felt really overwhelmed by all the baby products out there. I remember going to Babies”R”Us with my husband and only completing half of our registry before having to leave from the overwhelming anxiety I felt. The baby product industry is a billion-dollar business, and the sheer amount of options and brands you can find for one single item (and there is a product for everything) is mind boggling. I will say I went a little over the top with everything for Olivia’s nursery and her impending arrival. I mean, I bought her a rocking bear from Pottery Barn Kids that she has yet…
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Spiced Chai Biscotti
If I’m going to Starbucks more often than not I’m ordering a Chai Latte. I love the flavors of all the different spices paired with the creaminess of the milk. Unfortunately, since my gallbladder surgery two years ago I have developed an intolerance to dairy products, so I don’t get to enjoy lattes as much as I used to. To be totally honest though I haven’t cut all dairy out of my life. I mean, my love of cheese is just too strong! I came across a recipe for Spiced Chai Biscotti from Tastes Lovely, and a huge bonus is that it’s dairy free!!! It also happens to be the easiest biscotti recipe…
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Olivia’s Storytime Favorites…
One of my biggest hopes for Olivia is that she grows up with a love for literature. This is probably because I love to read so much and was always encouraged by my parents to pick up a book. Thankfully Olivia has quite the collection of books already, and I hope to keep growing that collection over the years. While she doesn’t quite understand stories yet, she loves listening to me read to her and is very enthusiastic about turning the pages. She has even taken a few bites out of the pages, which I’m hoping is an early sign that she just can’t get enough of her books. Fingers…
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Sugar Cookie Lemon Bars
I’m a huge fan of lemons, so much so that you can find a few in my fridge at any given time. I use them when I cook, and I always keep a pitcher of lemon water in my fridge, so you’ll be surprised to hear I don’t bake with them. For some reason my love of lemons ends at dessert, and in all honesty I’m pretty disappointed when I find out a dessert is lemon flavored. Don’t worry – I’m well aware that this is pretty weird. Well, this week my coworker asked if I would bake some type of lemon dessert for her birthday. Of course I wasn’t…
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A Look Back At Easter…
Well, despite our mock Easter egg hunt for Olivia, she ended up only being interested in the “real thing” for about four or five eggs. Her first egg hunt was set up in the front yard of my parents’ house, and despite the beautiful eggs my Mom bought, Olivia only had eyes for a small stuffed bunny and the neighbor’s black lab. She constantly called out “dog?”, hoping he’d join her. Thankfully we were able to grab a family picture or two before she was completely over it and ready to eat! I would like to say she was more interested in her second egg hunt, but unfortunately she was…
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A Little About Me…
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Peanut Butter Pupcakes
To say I’m an ‘extra’ dog mom would be pretty accurate. I have painted portraits of my dogs hanging in my daughter’s nursery. I have been known to sleep in the most uncomfortable positions, just so I don’t disturb their sleep. You should see them, they look like little angels when they are all curled up! I also make them homemade all-natural dog treats, because the internet has scared me with the stories about the ingredients that are going into dog food and treats. Naturally, I made homemade pupcakes to celebrate Teddy’s Gotcha Day! What’s a gotcha day? Basically, it’s a celebration of the day you adopted your pet. Because…
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Favorite Places in Denver for Kids Under Three
It can be tough to find fun, age appropriate places to take your baby or toddler for outings, but discovering new spots to check out with Olivia is one of my favorite things! There are so many neighborhood parks and hiking trails near where we live, but sometimes it’s nice to change up the routine. While there are a lot of options for kids of preschool age or older, I’m never sure what age is the appropriate time for those. So, I compiled a short list of places in Denver (where we live) that we’ve taken Olivia that she’s really enjoyed. And I’m always looking for new suggestions! Storytime at…
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Easter Basket Ideas For Babies and Toddlers
If you’ve known me for longer than a minute than you know I get a little crazy about the holidays. I hate to use the word crazy, but in this case it’s warranted. My friends, family and husband have had to reel me back in a few times from going way over the top with my plans and decorations. I mean, renting a live reindeer for a Christmas party does not sound absurd to me in the slightest. Side note: If you are person who has done this, message me! I want to be best friends! Last Easter Olivia was not even five months old and I already wanted to…
