Recipe: Triple Chocolate Bunt Cake

 

Because you have not had enough sweets over the holiday weekend right??

Well, in my personal opinion, you an NEVER have too much chocolate...

NEVER

 

Here is a simple recipe for

Triple Chocolate Bunt Cake

 

(or as my son calls it "butt cake")

 

What you'll need:

1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)

1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix

3 tablespoons baking cocoa

1-3/4 cups milk

2 eggs

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips ( or peanut butter chips!)

Confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cake and pudding mixes, cocoa, milk and eggs. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Ok I am going to tell you what, I DESPISE the word M-O-I-S-T

 

(shutters ugh)

 

But this cake warrants using this awful word lol

You almost don't even need milk with it!

 

 

Enjoy!

XOXOXO Heather





over the loooong weekend....

The Thanksgiving holiday was filled with:

Weird Viruses

My son came down with some rouge virus were he the only symptoms that he had, 

were a high fever and lethargy.

Didn't even last 48 hours, and then he was mostly fine.

I talked to some girlfriends of mine, and they told me that their kids have gotten all sorts of viruses and this was perfectly normal.....still it was really strange because it came on in a matter of hours

and left just as quick lol

...Some quality time with the hubster...

Lions, Tigers......

...and bears oh my!!!

 ...First times.....

 ....For cotton candy!!

 And deliciously decadent dinners!! ( seriously I am pretty sure I grew another butt cheek this weekend)

.....on Thanksgiving night,we received our first visit from Santa's "Elf on the shelf"

We came home to find him hiding in the curtains! My son named him "Christmas winter"

Once we explained to him that the elf was a magical friend of Santa, sent by the man himself to keep an eye on him and report any good and bad behavior to Santa.......my son gave him the stink eye....

Every morning we find him in a new position....

And every morning, my son asks 

"why is HE up there???"

Either my son thinks that we are completely full of crap or he just knows that he is being watched and is not very fond of the little elf lol....

 the little guy got hungry one night and helped himself to my sons snacks!

Mostly he just sits and watches and listens.

Funny part is, have never seen a child look at a toy with so much disdain LOL

We also did alot of baking!

Stay tuned to two new recipes this week!

Hope you all had a very blessed thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

 

I want to wish everyone a very very

Happy Thanksgiving.

I will be away form my blog tomorrow

so that I may fully enjoy time with my family.

 

Eat lots of Turkey

Take Lots of naps

Watch lots of movies....

 

And be thankful for what you have people.

Even if it is not much....

Be grateful....

Be Kind.....

And express love

 

xoxoxo Heather

Recipe: Squash Apple Soup

(Photo Credit)

 

 

Hey there...

Wanna make some Squash Apple Soup?

Sure you do.

Why you ask? Because it is freaking DE-Licious!!

And incredibly simple.

Check it out!

Simple Squash Apple Soup:

 

You need:

1 large butternut squash

 

2 small or 1 large organic apples (any kind will do, i use either green or Fuji)

2 small or one large onion

Beef, chicken or Veggie broth about 3 cups

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

 

(Optional)

2 stalks of celery

2 large carrots

 

Directions:

Chop up all ingredients ( the smaller the better)

Put chopped up veggies and olive oil in a pan and saute veggies for about 5 minutes.

Add Broth

Cook until all veggies are soft.

 

Let cool

 

Put soup into a blender and blend on high until pureed

 

Put pureed soup back into a clean pot.

 

Heat on low, add any spices that you wish, I personally love allspice, nutmeg and Cinnamon, but ginger would also work very well.

 

Also on a side note:

Leave the skins on the apples (peel the squash obviously)

The skin is where the nutrients are people!

 

I find that this soup is creamy just on its own, I don't even add salt, but you can personalize it and jazz it up to your liking!

 

Enjoy!

XOXOXOXO

Heather

 



Let it go......

Throughout most of my adult life, I have tried to simplify things, to make things easier to just RELAX.

Relaxing isn't second nature to me.....like at ALL. I have been a nervous

stress case since I was a wee one. ( therapy anyone?)

 

I'm a constant worrier and my emotions are easily manipulated by the emotions of others.

This, in once sense, is good, it makes me responsive to peoples emotions, I can sense things.

I can in turn be supportive when needed.

 

But I wish I could turn that sensitivity down sometimes, 

I read way too much into other peoples emotions.

if I'm at work and I call my husband and he is having a bad day, he may sound stressed and then I take it personally, I know that 99.9 % of the time it is not ME making him that way, but it sets me off into a tizzy of worry. ( Omg what did I do wrong?)

 

Or say my boss is in a bad mood and says a quick strained "hi" in the break room, i immediately think "wow what did i do? OMG is she going to fire me?"

It's insane really!

 

I waste entirely too much time worrying about other peoples problems.

In turn I make myself nuts.

 

So today I had an Epiphany of sorts,

I was doing my usual workout session at the gym, I was cooling down and walking around the track,

running through all my worries of the day.

When it hit me...

What if.....

I just let it go.......Just let it all go.... not worry about any of it.

Really what WOULD happen? Let things work themselves out,quit pushing my way through life.

..let the universe unfold as it should, and meet it with no resistance.....

 

So I let go.........

and the release I felt was IMMENSE!!!

and for the next 5 minutes i could concentrate on myself!

..until I started freaking out again over this that and the other.

But the point here is, it is a start.

I feel like so often I force my way through life,

trying to control every single little thing that I could think  of,

to force it the way that I think it should be.

 

Well that's not life, Life is what happens when you are busy with everything else.

I don't generally like to make resolutions, but this year I may try to be more flowing, just go with it.

 

Life is too short to waste it on constant worry.

It's a new day.

xoxoxox Heather

 



Friday 5

Wow, there goes another week!

Ever had a week where looking back, it seems to have gone quickly in hindsight, but when youre in the thick of it every day feels like it should be the day ahead? ( Like Monday should be a tues)

Must be the holidays :/

Anyways, without further delay..

The Friday 5!

 

1. Going out this weekend for Thai with my neighbor, I'm so excited because the husband doesnt like Thai so I rarely feast on it, but I have been dreaming of Thai coconut chicken soup! 2. I have been obsessed lately with the thought of making homemade marshmallows! I didn't realize how easy they were! I can't wait to make some and put them in a steamy cup of chocolaty goodness! 3. Are these not the cutest things ever??? 4. I will admit I LOVE MARTHA STEWART STUFF, but she is just pushing the envelope of awesomeness with these chalkboard labels for Staples, I will be ALL OVER THIS for crafting season! You get like 4 labels for 4 bucks! 5. Pretty Obsessed with these guys latley.

Have an awesome weekend!

xoxoxox

Heather

Pushing and Pulling

Ok, I need to really get something out that has been weighing on my mind lately.

As my son gets older, my husband and I find we are thinking more and more about having another child.

Usually this isn’t something that I would tell the world, but I am actively seeking advice on this and hoping that someone else reads it and realizes that they aren’t alone.

My husband has a brother and I have two half sisters, for the most of my young years I was basically a single child because my sisters were grown up and lived in another house.

This is probably what made me a bit of a loner, (I prefer the solace of time alone than with others)

My husband has always had that built in playmate and confidant in his brother.

 

We are starting to realize that we do not want my son to be alone in this crazy world and giving him a sibling would be a good idea, plus my internal clock is ticking again….BIG TIME.

But……

Here are the issues that I am having with all of this:

-I work full time, I have to until we get some big bills paid down (including a huge loan for the degree I never use) Going back to work with my son was AWFUL, leaving him was almost unbearable.

We couldn’t afford day care, so we had my mother in law watch him 4 days a week and then a friend came to the house to watch him one day a week. He will be in school by the time this would happen, so day care for him wouldn’t be an issue. Day care for the baby WOULD be an issue because my other in law just isn’t up to the task anymore.

-it would be FEASIBLE to stop working and stay home and raise the kids….but honestly….that SCARES me. Blame it on my strong work ethic; I have worked since I was 12! Not having a job SCARES ME! Not to mention that I hold the insurance because my husbands small business cannot afford it. I have 6 years vested in my job, I work with awesome people and it would pain me to leave. But, at the same time I just couldn’t go through having to leave a little one at home to be raised by someone else.

I do run several small side projects that could bring in a little extra income to help,

( I sell Avon, Have a jewelry store on etsy and of course this blog ,which currently is not written for the purpose of making money)

Not having my own money…..freaks me out.

-My last pregnancy was SUPER BAD,I mean BAAADD people, I had hip dysplasia and was on crutches for the last 4 months of my pregnancy because I couldn’t walk, and months of therapy afterwards.

But on the other side of things, I remember all the good things about my pregnancy and the day that my little guy was born, and I long for that feeling all over again, when I look into his cute little face now a days, a lot of my worries seem to fade and I think, maybe I can make this work. Maybe as parents this is the type of sacrifices that we need to make. In a perfect world, I would get all my big bills paid off, quit my job, have another child, raise them both, then when they got older I would go back to school ( I would love to go into cosmetology)then I could work part time and eventually full time maybe.

But I keep double guessing myself, keep wondering if I could actually pull that all off.

 

I know I am not the first person to feel the push and pull between being a mother and working for a living. I know there are plenty of women out there who balance both!

I guess my question is, am I being selfish here?

Ugh so much to think about……and at 34 I don’t have a lot of time to think about it lol.

Any Advice?

Thanks for listening

Xoxoxoxo

Homemade dog treats

Thursday nights are "mommy and me" nights in our house.

My husband is usually at a club meeting and it gives me some personal time with my little man.

He LOVES to help me bake, so this week we decided to make some treats for the pooch.

(God knows MY thighs don't need anymore treats this month)

I have had this reciped for quite sometime, but haven't made them in years.

I need to make them more often because my dog LOVES THEM.

 

Here is the recipe:

 



You Will Need:

1. 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1 1/2 cups white flour
3. 1/2 cup peanut butter (all-natural or organic)
4. 1 cup water 
2 tablespoons oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Combine oil, and peanut butter and water. Add flour, one cup at a time, forming a dough. Knead dough into firm ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.

• Roll out onto a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters (we prefer feet and dog bones)
• Stick those babies in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (kind of depends on your oven)
• Obviously most dogs love peanut butter, and the oil is great for their coat, I used Olive Oil, but you can use whatever kind you like.

 hydration is VERY important when making them :)

My son told me to hold up some dough and smile LOL

 

 MMMM Peanut Butter Yummies

 

I just LOVE the look on Starskys face, like,"you ARE going to give that to me.....RIGHT???!!!!"

 

He must have had about 6 of them by the time the night was finished lol.

 

Enjoy!

XOXOXO

Heather



The Friday 5

1.Really loving this girls style, check her out here 2.Totally in love with this bracelet, and pretty much anything else that she makes! 3. oooh Yes please!! 4. SWOOON 5. One day this will go on sale and BE MINE!

 

 

Got anything exciting going on for the weekend?

I get to clean the oven, WHOOHOO!!! I know "slow down there Heather"

 

xoxoxox

Heather

Grab My Button!

 

 

Hi everyone! I finally got my blog button up!

 

If you would like to swap with me, I would love to meet you!

 

Just send me an email at hhoman33@gmail.com an introduce yourself! Either send me the link to your blog, or the code for your button! I will display your button on the right side of my blog :)

It will be fun and free way to advertise eachothers blogs!

Post election, fresh air and "unplugging"

Woohoo! IT'S OVER!

 

Well, here it is November 7th, and I am SO GLAD the election is over,

I hate election season, people just get downright nasty, nasty commercials pop up everywhere

and the longer the weeks run up to the election day, the more malicious the ads become.

 

They even put the stupid ads on You Tube and you HAVE to watch them or you wont be able to watch whatever video it was that you clicked on.

If my kid wants to watch a kids show on you tube, he should not have to sit through a two minute attack ad about one candidate or the other, for goodness sakes he is three!!

 

We even lost a few friends this election, which sucks because politics are stupid,

and losing Friends over politics is asinine.

 

At any rate, it felt real good to turn off the radio this morning and just put some music on,

I blasted The Black Keys all the way to work and it felt darn good!

 

Feeling Toxic

 

I don't know if it is because I was sick for like a month with some sort of cold and other crud, or what but I feel just toxic lately, I need to do a good cleanse and pick up my morning yoga routine again.

I have an appointment with my Chiropractor today, and honestly I'm real excited about that, time to get myself back in order!

 

Unplugging

 

I read a really great article here about how valuable time is and how much we waste it doing meaningless things,i mean think about how much time we spend looking at computers and sitting and working and checking facebook ect.

 

Last night, my son was watching a video and I was half paying attention,

 just flipping through facebook and checking emails.

When suddenly my son reached over and closes my lap top and said "close it mommy"

That made me sad lol

But it also woke  me up, I mean I use a computer all day at work, why the heck was I on it while I was at home? Why didn't I take that precious time to spend it with my little guy?

 

I agreed with him and we played for the remainder of the evening.

 

Today I decided that I needed to go outside for a walk on my break, it is cold, but the sun is out.

We have not seen the sun here in Cleveland for WEEKS.

 

I put on my boots, headed outside and went for a walk in the field near my work place, taking in deep breaths of fresh cool air, leaving my iphone in my pocket, spending 15 minutes just......being.

 

 

There is something very "freeing" about unplugging from the world.

Disconnecting, even for alittle bit from all the chaos.

 

Here is to moving on and detoxifying!

 

xoxoxo

Heather



6 ways to clean healthier!

 

 

 

 

Whether you are looking to save money, or if you are just looking for non toxic ways to clean, 

the following recipes work exceptionally well,

and most of this stuff you probably already have in your own kitchen! 

 

Bathroom Cleaner: ( this has to be my favorite because it works SO WELL)

 

1/4 cup of Dawn Dish washing liquid

1/4 cup of White Vinegar

 

Throw it in a spray bottle and shake vigorously

Spray on the bathtub, toilet, sink, stainless steel, shower doors, anywhere that you need to clean and disinfect, it is also EXCELLENT for removing soap scum! I like to let it sit for about 5 minutes or so.

You can also make larger quantities if you would like, just mix equal parts.

Acidic Vinegar acts as disinfectant and the Dish Liquid helps cuts grime..

 

Wood Cleaner:

1/4 cup of white vinegar or Fresh Lemon Juice

2 to three tablespoons of Olive Oil per 1/4 cup of Vinegar or Lemon Juice

Spray on , wipe off, the Acid in the vinegar ( or Lemon Juice) helps lift the dirt

The olive oil conditions the wood

You can also add a few drops of essential oils for fragrance.

 

Glass Cleaner:

1 cup rubbing alcohol

1 cup water1 tablespoon vinegar

Spray on and wipe off

The rubbing alcohol and vinegar are fast evaporating leaving a steak free shine!


Gentle Abrasives:
Got a real tough mess? Try creating a paste out of water and baking soda ( add essential oil if desired)
rub onto the mess and let it sit for a few minutes. You can also use coarse sea salt.
Then Scrub again and rinse.

Deodorize drains and Garbage disposals:
Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, add 1 cup of hot vinegar and plug the drain.
it will foam up and deodorize the drain while lifting away dirt.
If you are doing this to a garbage disposal, Run the disposal afterward with hot water and lemon rinds for a deeper clean.


Deodorize Rooms
Place a small bowl of vinegar ( a small bowl of cheap vodka works as well) up on a mantle or on the shelf of a room that you want deodorize. You can also place a bowl full of baking soda in the room to absorb any foul odors.


So by now I am sure your asking "wont my house smell like vinegar from using it in all these recipes?"
ANSWER: Yes and no, vinegar is a natural deodorizer,initially yes it will smell like vinegar but the scent will not last. That is also why I recommend using fresh lemon juice if you REALLY can't handle the smell of vinegar.

My husband HATES the smell of vinegar and can totally tell even is I use a little bit of it. But if the smell lasted too long he would let me know. I think the pro's of healthier cleaning outweigh the cons of the smell of the vinegar.

Give these a try and let me know what you think!
These are just recipes that have worked for me over the years. Please share any other natural clenaing recipes that you love to use! I would love to hear about them.
Happy Cleaning!
xoxo Heather



Finally...Halloween!

Well,thanks to Hurricane Sandy,

We finally got to do our trick or treating last night.

Most of the people on our street are old farts and not really into giving out candy,

but the street in back of ours? Well that's the party street!! lol

A couple of the neighbors dressed up which I think is really sweet 

 (even considering those who dress up to pass out candy do not even have children!)

One women goes so far as to play creepy music and and have a bonfire in her front yard

and dress up as a witch, she also hand makes little treat bags for everyone.

 

I really love the sense of community that we have in Berea, even in tough times,

Everyone pulls together to make it fun for the little ones.

 

We even saw a family we were not familiar with, they have been living in a hotel since the hurricane knocked out their power, They had a three year old son and didn't want him to miss out on all the goodies so they brought him to our neighborhood to Trick or Treat. It really broke my heart to hear that they had to live in a hotel. But that they still tried to make a nice Halloween for their little guy.

Like I said before we are SO much better off than people that got hit in New Jersey and New York, but in little old Ohio, we just aren't use to mother nature creating quite so much destruction.

We are dealing with it the best way that we can.

And we are so blessed to live int he community that we do:)

The little mans little Girlfriend

 

My little guy dressed as a "Blues Clue" and His Pumpkintastic Girl Friend!

Some pretty stellar pumpkins

The little mans, Land of Loot!

(about an hour later this kid was passed out on the couch form exhaustion LOL)

 

xoxoxo

Heather



Parental Guilt

Lately, I have felt more and more guilty about not spending as much time with my son as I would like to.
It's a problem many working mothers face, whether you work in the home or outside the home, it is often tough to find a work family life balance.

I have worked almost four years on accomplishing this balance, just when I think I have it all figured out, something triggers the guilt inside of me, and I feel as if I am concentrating too much on housework that needs to be done, or being to selfish in wanting some time to myself, or my god sometimes just too pee for 2 minutes without an audience.

The other day as I was doing my usual routine of cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, my son ( who had asked me umpteen times to play cars with him while I was making dinner), hopped up on a kitchen chair, rolled up his sleeves and and said "mom I have alot of work to do, I am going to do the dishes"
While this was endearingly sweet, it bothered me, I thought, if children emulate us, then is this all that he is seeing? Me constantly cleaning? In ten years when he is much older, will I kick myself for not playing with him enough?

The answer is yes, but at the same time, how do you draw a line between what NEEDS to be done and what can be done later?

My wonderful husband helps out alot, more so than most husbands that I know, and for that I am grateful. But at the end of the day, running a  household and rearing a child takes alot of work and organization. I envy the people who have multiple children, I am afraid that I may never figure out how to balance things that well.

I'm sure we all think that we are bad mothers at one time or another, we yell we lose our cool, we do something "selfish" we "screw up" and undoubtedly "ruin our children for life" ,parenting is a journey of growth.

I'm going to try and just B R E A T H E

Know that I am doing the best that I can possibly do, and that as women, mothers, caretakers, nurturers, maids, booger wipers, tear wipers, wives, employees, ect. that we fricking ROCK and that we handle ALOT on a daily basis. And I think that we should be proud of that :)

So if you're a mom, and you are feeling that inevitable guilt that sometimes rears it's ugly head, know IT'S OK, YOU'RE SO NOT ALONE. Relax, step back, take stock, maybe you are doing too much, and if you are, take 15 minutes to get down on the floor and pay cars, or have an impromptu dance party, or tea party. The dishes CAN wait for 15 minutes I promise ( unfortunately the don't do themselves)

They are only young once, enjoy it.......at least that is what i am going to concentrate on :)
Tell me what you think.
XOXO Heather

Ermagerhd!!! Black Friday!!!

So yeah, I am one of those nutty people that go out on black Friday.

Before you judge, hear me out,

I am not one of those crazies that get up at 4am to get a sale.
I wake up when I wake up (usually around 7 because I have a three year old)
Go to Starbucks, grab a cup of Joe......and I'm off.
I do it more for a "mommies day out alone" than anything really.
By the time I get to the mall, it is not quite as packed and there are still some sales left.

The reason I am going out this year is partially selfish, I need a new pair of black riding boots.:)
So aside from Christmas, Black Friday is one of my favorite unofficial holidays!

Just for a laugh, check out these awesome visions of Black Fridays past!

OMG Really????

This would be me :)

SO what about you? Are you going out today??
See any great sales?
xoxoxoxo
Heather




Homemade Apple Chips!

Love apple chips, but don't have a dehydrator?

No Problem!!

You can use your oven! Yes I'm serious!

 

Here is what you'll need

Several small apples, or a few large ones

(I like to use Honeycrisp or Gala)

Cookie Sheets

Spray oil

Cinnamon

 

Preheat your oven to 200 Degrees

Slice your apples thin, I used my mothers old Mark Four Super Slicer

from the 70's WOOHOO Retro!!

Spray your cookie sheet with spray oil

Lay the apple slices on the cookie sheets in neat rows but don't let them touch

Then, I like to sprinkle cinnamon on them and rub it in with my finger ( a clean one obviously)

Now pop those bad boys in in the oven! But keep an eye on them,some will cook faster than others.

As they brown you may choose to either flip them over or take them out entirely.

I happen to like mine a little browner so I leave them in longer. They will not usually be crispy until you let them cool for a bit, so don't be alarmed if they are browned but still seem soft.

 

 These are delicious!!! And they make the house smell sooooooo freaking good! I also read that you can do this same process with Bananas to make banana chips, but I have yet to test that out.

So for now.........

Enjoy falls perfect food,slightly roasted and lightly crispy.

 

XOXO

Heather

 

 

 

 



Happy Halloween

We cannot officially trick or treat until Sunday because of the bad weather. But here is what I wore to work today. And our nifty blues clues pumpkin we carved :) Happy Halloween!

Hurricane Sandy

I think Monday was one of the worst nights I have ever had.

The power went on and off about 12 times, before finally cutting off at 3am completely,

Me my husband and my little guy were all cuddling unders tons of blankets in

 our bed trying to keep warm.

 

Hurricanes have never mattered much to me, I live in Cleveland, Ohio and I always thought we were safely nestled away from being too effected by storms like these.

But this storm was huge, and nasty and relentless.

 

I awoke at 3am and couldn't fall back to sleep with the howl of the wind, I stayed awake watching the

flashes from blown transformers as they exploded one by one.

I kept thinking "wow if it's this bad here, I can't imagine how bad it is on the east coast"

My heart just went out to those poor people.

 

We woke up to a cold, dark house, the little guy didn't really handle it well,

Neighbors tree down

apartment near us

We hopped in the car and decided to see if ANYONE had light, at least we would be warm.

We found that the city right near us did have sparse electricity in areas, and a Bob Evans was open.

(YAY WARM FOOD AND COFFEE)

 

We warmed up in there for about an hour and a half. Then headed back home,

we saw alot downed trees and flooding rivers on the way home, see roaring rushing waters like that just make you realize how powerful mother nature can get.

 

Eventually our lights returned as well as the heat, I obviously did not go to work because we had a downed tree in the yard, and I really didn't want to risk driving in the bad weather anyways.

Once the power went on, the little guy and I made cupcakes and spent the rest of the day laying around with my hubby :)

So ready to get back to normal.

Hope you are all safe

xoxoxox

Heather