I was super flattered to be asked to do a giveaway on Kate Williams Design's Blog this week. I love her cute fun stuff, and I love it when people WIN COOKIES! So, head over there and win some Oatmeal Cream Pies, yo!
On an entirely unrelated note, Harper turned 18 months over the weekend. I have been looking forward to this mark ever since her first birthday. The thing about first birthdays are that they are stressful, or, at least, it was for me. I wanted everything to be just right, fun, big and exciting. And it was, but it was also a lot of work, running around, melt downs, missed naps and so on.
18 months was going to be different. It is not a birthday, at all. It was going to be easy, relaxed and mellow. It was. Skylar worked late, so it was just Harper and me. It was days after she turned 18 months, so even less of an event. I forgot to get her a present, which was going to be the best part. Any-who, the present could come later, because I had something just as exciting: Homemade Mac and Cheese!
Right on. I plopped her in front of Noggin all afternoon while I slaved away in the kitchen making homemade mac and cheese, from scratch, for the first time. Oh, but I did not stop there, where I should have. I added whole wheat bread crumbs and summer squash to make it healthy, thereby ruining her already not very promising 18 Months and a Couple of Days Diner.
She is politely trying to block this diner out of her memory in the last photo. The evening was somewhat salvaged with an apple crisp.
Fiberlishious!
To cheer her up, we went in the backyard to play before bath time. The siren call of children playing came lofting threw the bushes, and before I could stop her, she was in their yard. Harper made a new neighbor friend! He is 4. Yes, an older man, but they play together great. She stayed out almost an hour past her bedtime, party girl, and he gave her is old car! It is a Little Tykes car, and it red. What amazingly dreamy neighbors. Awe, you gotta love this place sometimes.
What? She didn't like the mac n cheese? That is the first that I've heard you say that she actually REFUSED to eat something! If you have lots more, you can always bring it over on Thursday :)
Posted by: Sherryl Mascarinas | August 31, 2009 at 07:35 PM
What was the recipe you used for the mac and cheese? I have always appreciate a good homemade (and healthy) dish! Thanks :)
Posted by: Abby | September 01, 2009 at 08:39 AM
Sherryl, right! Normally she eats everything in sight. Both Skylar and I thought it was good, maybe a little like church food, but good. I think she is just a mac and cheese purist.
Abby, I use Elton Brown's recipe, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html. It seemed to have less butter than other recipes. I added the veggies & subed whole wheat breadcrumbs, but next time I won't mess with the original.
Posted by: Mary | September 01, 2009 at 09:10 AM
Happy UnBirthday Harper!!! Ellis had his a few weeks ago. He misses Harper a lot, I'm pretty sure. He seems to, anyway. He also has that sweet red car from a neighbor. It is sweet. He says, Vroom.
Posted by: Jen | September 02, 2009 at 06:20 AM
Happy UnBirthday Ellis! They should 'drive' their cars to visit each other. Maybe they could meet some where half way, like Niagara Falls! They might get there in time for their 2nd birthday.
Posted by: Mary | September 03, 2009 at 06:01 PM