What a funny Little munchkin I have . . .

First, she picks out this dress to wear today and won't be persuaded to wear anything but this....pretty sassy for a Thursday, I must say.

Then she decides to wear these shoes and helps herself again. Wrong feet, wrong toes...how is that even comfortable....? Atta girl though...start a new trend.

Tonight she was asking me where she got her bum bum and I told her Heavenly Father and also mommy and daddy. That probably confused her. I am not prepared to answer a child intelligently.

The discussion progressed as I was trying to explain that her bum was special and for her only and that is why we call it part of our"privates" b/c we are n't supposed to show it to everyone (I know...that is the pot calling the kettle black... but I am a changed woman...no more mooning . . . post baby butt) . She then said"Like my boobies--- do you want to see them?".

I don't know how to get through to a 2 1/2 year old.

This is when the ol instruction manual would come in handy.

McCall got dressed down to watch Barney. Apparently in order to have the most viewing pleasure she needs to be sprawled out in the buff on Mommys bed, surrounded by carebears, eating popcorn.

This is the life.

I wish I was 2.

So.... as Little and I were unloading groceries from the car (okay . . . that isn't a true statement...I had about 8 bags and was screaming for McCall to get out of the car before everything defrosted...she wasn't exactly "helping") she told me that she wanted to watch Little Mermaid and eat popcorn. When we got into the house I told her that if she ate a hot dog she could do that... and I went out to get the next load. . . .

As I am cramming as many bags as possible on my arms Little comes walking out of the house pretty somberly. She comes up to me and says "I am afraid of the light". Hmmm, okay?..... "What?", I ask ...she says again "I am afraid of the light". I just assume that she was trying to go to the bathroom and had a hard time finding the switch (this is a weekly occurrence and is usually onset by a looming bedtime and stalling tactics), so I say "You are afraid of the dark?" She says "I am afraid of the blue light".

I figure she is jibber jabbering as two year olds do and continue in with my bags before I lose all circulation. Immediately as I step into the house I smell the smoke. I do a mental checklist of what it could be... (I don't iron..so that's not it, I don't curl my hair, so that's not it...what could it be?!) and as I get closer to the kitchen I realize that she has started the microwave... the same microwave that was housing the metal pan of delicious peanut butter brownies I was hiding from her. ARGH!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOooooOOOOOoooOOOOooooooooooo!!!!

So looking over the crime scene this is what I surmise: In the 1-3 minutes I was back and forth from the car she took a bag of popcorn, intent on helping herself since mommy was occupied and had set restrictions on her popcorn consumption.... climbed up on top of the counter, covered the length of the countertops, scooted across the stove and hit a few buttons on the microwave in her attempt to get it open (plus she really likes to hit buttons) ((I am assuming she couldn't get the door open as there was no bag of popcorn inside it)). I am also assuming the "blue light" to which she was referring was probably the fireball that happened right after the tin foil and metal pan interacted with the microwaves..... There is a 3 inch scorch mark across the back of the microwave and burn marks all over the pan and burn holes thru the foil.

The brownies are goners.

*sob*

Smoke damage.

Little....I am so glad you were not hurt in a microwave explosion...but did you have to kill the brownies?!!! I wonder what the insurance company would say if I filed a claim for them?... Don't worry....I did make her eat a hotdog and we had a little "discussion" about not climbing on the counters and playing with the microwave. I have to give her props though for being so independent. The girl wanted some popcorn.

The poor brownies...they never saw it coming.

***** R.I.P *****

Peanut Butter Brownies with hidden chocolate chip cookie deliciousness.

6/6/08-6/7/08

You will be missed (but not by my thighs and mom belly).

Another recipe email I sent out. . . BLONDIES . . . McCall thinks that they are named after her hair...we make Brownies a lot and I told her we were making blondies instead and she said "Like my hair". Fair enough.

Also a "Little" baking side note... those of you who witnessed can attest that it was adorable....I let Little help me bake and cook whenever it isn't too much of a hassle.....so last week up in McCall, ID the Dame sister-in-laws were in the kitchen and Cristi let my McCall help out with the cupcakes she was making. She handed me the eggs so that I could crack and Little could mix them and while I was cracking the first one Little decided to help out with two of them and cracked them both- one handed- no less!!! She got just a few egg shells in (probably the same amount I did on my first one handed attempt)...but she was eager to do it and try something new. Keeping your kids involved does make a difference and gets them excited about trying new things. Plus I am hoping I am grooming a little baker so that I have lots of baked goods in my future :)


BLONDIES WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Preheat over to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan with butter.
Yield- 2 dozen bars
Start to finish: 4 mins prep, plus approx 20-30 mins baking time and 20 minutes cooling.

2 Sticks butter (1 cup)
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 large eggs
1 cup chocolate chips (I use milk choc....insert whatever floats your boat here...semi, toffee, peanut butter, cranberries and white chocolate....)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional..I opted out this time)

Melt the butter and pour in the brown sugar. Stir well. Add the baking powder, salt and vanilla, stirring until completely incorporated. Stir in the flour, again stirring until it is well mixed.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them then add to batter and stir with a spoon until they are completely incorporated. Stir in choc chips.

Spread the batter in pan. It will be stiff and sticky. You may have to spread it to the edges ...but don't worry about getting it exactly even as the batter will spread as it bakes.
Bake until the top begins to get golder brown and the blondies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan...about 20-30 mins (It seems like mine took longer in the oven I used... so keep your eyes on them..I had to put mine back in). Do not overbake. COOL for at least 20 minutes. They will set up better. Cut into small squares and store in an airtight container or cover well with plastic wrap. These bars freeze well and improve in flavor after the first day.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CARE. . . .(if you don't... I suggest not reading the following...if you do..I suggest not reading it as well).
Dietary info
Per blondie: 216 calories (41 % from fat), 10 g fat (6 g saturated), 38 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 31 g carbs, 1 g dietary fiber, 59 mg sodium.