Babyface's Favorite Breakfast

Babyface is a hungry, hungry hippo in the morning.  Breakfast is always his biggest meal of the day.  Peanut butter pumpkin oatmeal is a great, warm breakfast that sneaks in a serving of veggies and sticks to his ribs.  The recipe below makes a big enough batch that he can eat it for several breakfasts.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 cup of old fashioned oats

1/3-1/2 can of canned pumpkin (plain, not pie pumpkin)

2 c milk

2-3 big spoonfulls of peanut butter

Put milk, pumpkin, and peanut butter in pot and heat on high. When the mixture starts to boil, toss in the oats and immediately turn the heat down to medium/low.  Watch it closely because once the milk gets hot, it boils fast, and if you're not quick with the oats, it will boil over.  Give it a good stir to make sure everything is mixed up.  Set the timer for five minutes, stirring occasionally.  After the five minutes are up, remove from heat. 

When I'm making it in advance, I put into a glass bowl and after it's cooled down some, I put the lid on it and put in the fridge.  When I make it for Babyface in the morning, I spread it across a plate so it can cool enough that he can eat it.  Sometimes I stick the plate in the freezer for a minute or two and that does the trick.  The plate pictured above is almost one serving of Babyface's breakfast.  

2 Ingredient Chocolate Croissants

I wish you could smell the sweet, bready, chocolatey goodness that wafts from my kitchen.  Oh, it's amazing.  I made this batch this chilly autumn morning for another family and they were in for a delicious breakfast.  I intentionally didn't make any for My Heart's Desire or me, a decision that has proven unpopular. 

Chocolate Croissants are a great addition to brunch and a yummy holiday breakfast. I made them one Christmas morning and there were a big hit.

They are so easy and fast to make.  It only takes 16 minutes total and 13 of those minutes are baking.  However, they aren't as good as leftovers.  Okay, without further ado.

2 Ingredient Chocolate Croissants

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls (8 rolls)
Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  While the oven is heating, unroll crescent rolls into 8 triangles (this is how they come).

Sprinkle the dough liberally with chocolate chips and roll up. Bring the edges around to the front.  Put them on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment if you have it, or greased if you don't.

Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden brown.  Accept compliments.

Today I am grateful for falling leaves, a quick morning rain in the drizzle, a support system, my BFF, My Heart's Desire slow-cooked turkey chili yesterday for dinner tonight, the library, the way Babyface smells after a bath (My Heart's Desire sometimes calls him Old Dirty Neck), all of our appliances work, bargains, gas in my car, and that while I don't have every thing I want, I have everything I need.

2012 Goals: Fourth Quarter

My plan for goals 2012 was to have quarterly goals.  I had first quarter goals and second quarter goals but for the third quarter I was goal-less.  I don't want to end the year with a whimper so I'm coming up with some fourth quarter goals.  It's somewhat daunting to consider adding more things to my things to do list but I've also been in a bit of a rut. These are also goals I think I can achieve before the last day of the year.

Here are my goals for October—December:

Writing
1) Participate in my writer's group.  The last time we had a meeting on the books I had to reschedule it.  We have one scheduled now and I am going to show up with bells on. We have been meeting since the first summer after graduate school, that's eight years now.

Healthy
2) My trainer has strongly suggested that I track my food and workouts in an online tracker.  My goals is to do it at least five times a week. She always says the only way to change something is first to bring your attention to it.

Romance
3) My Heart's Desire and I will go on dates at least once a month.  It takes some doing and scheduling to make happen but it can be done.  We went to a lovely wedding in September and it was nice to get dressed up and celebrate love.  Oh, and be a little silly.

Community Service
4) Usually My Heart's Desire and I participate in sorting food for my church's Thanksgiving food drive providing meals for hungry families.  I'm not sure we can work it out this year but I do want our family to be of service somehow.

Parenting
5) I'm continuing to take the parenting classes with Babyface at the hippie school.  Some of the other babies and moms have been in the class since last fall and it's really wonderful to see how they change and grow.  I've also bought several books at our teacher's recommendations.  Now, I want to actually read at least two of them.

Easy like Sunday morning

This morning I woke up at 5:30 because it was ch-ch-chilly in the house.  I tiptoed over to the thermostat and put the heat on, then climbed back in bed.  I was going to lay down for a minute then find my glasses and read when lo and behold I fell back to sleep.  I heard Babyface at around 7:30 (yesterday he got up for me at 6:30) and My Heart's Desire took care of him.  I slept and slept until after 8am!  This, for me, is amazing!  I haven't slept past 6:30 in months.  I felt like a whole new (and happier) person!

Babyface and I have colds so our usual weekend activities like long walks outside, fun time at the park and a few errands were discarded for lounging in our jammies.  Now he's taking his afternoon nap and I am making fresh bread in the breadmaker I scored at my church's rummage sale last hour super sale of everything you can carry for $20.  I made out like a bandit and we'll see how good this bread is.  Next I want to bake cinnamon bread to make French Toast.  This autumn has been a bit fickle but cool temperatures will soon be here to stay.

Today I am grateful for hot water, Babyface's zerberts, beautiful weather, falling leaves, regional accents, getting a kick out of Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette, tried and true recipes, sneaking in a nap, a nice chat with my mom, my soft, super-comfy maternity capri sweatpants, a fancy pedicure to look forward to, mulling, thrift store/rummage sale treasures that brighten up the house, finishing a magazine, keeping a sense of humor, priorities, appreciating our big TV (My Heart's Desire bought it a year and a half ago and I still think of it as the new TV), early 90's comedies, the smell of clean laundry, making lists, good friends, and every day is a new beginning.