baking cheek to cheek

B and I love to bake together. It's rare, sweet time we spend together, just the two of us, while R is napping. He sits on the counter so we can be eye to eye + cheek to cheek. We most often make muffins or "donuts" (Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious Doughnuts have been a hit with both boys and their friends since their debut at B's first birthday party. Did you know that all you really need to be a super cool toddler mom is a mini donut pan?!).

LOVE

Lately we've been experimenting with granola bars. We've tried a few recipes now, but the best by far have been from one of my favorite food bloggers, Kelley Epstein at Mountain Mama Cooks (I made a modified version of her Puff Pastry Wrapped Turkey Burger Sliders the other night...OMG. That's all I'm saying for now). We've made her Chewy Granola Bars a few times now and they're always delish + easily modified to suit just about everyone's taste. This time we tried the Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars. I went to 5 stores looking for the cinnamon chips called for in the recipe to no avail, so I had to carry on without them. Next time I think I'll have to just order some because I have a feeling they're the hidden gem in this recipe + B would love them.

T-rex was a big help.

Recipe:

1 2/3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (her recipe calls for oat flour, which we'll try next time)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup cinnamon chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs melted butter
3 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs almond butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, raisins, almonds + cinnamon chips
In a small bowl, combine vanilla, honey, olive oil, melted butter, brown sugar + almond butter
Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until evenly combined
Press mixture into a 9x9 baking pan that has been greased + lined with parchment paper
Bake for 20 minutes or so
Let cool completely before cutting into squares or rocket ships or whatever shape you want
Store in an airtight container or wrap individually + freeze
Nuzzle your baking partner + share the yummy granola love

Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars

banana oat smoothie

B calls this the "sugar smoothie" because it's deceptively sweet + delicious and because it includes a dash of maple syrup. It does taste much more like dessert than a healthy snack, but it's filled with protein and nutrients. It's a hearty way to fill up little bellies mid-morning to help keep them happy until lunch. Bottoms up, sugar. xo

Modified from Martha Stewart's Pear, Oat, Cinnamon and Ginger Shake recipe, which is also yum.

Banana Oat Smoothie
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (or plain if you want to skip the sugar)
1 large banana or 2 small ones (or 1 pear)
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 heaping tbs almond butter
1 tsp maple syrup
a few shakes of cinnamon
1 tbs ground flax seed
a couple handfuls of ice
blend well + serve with a kiss on the head

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just like that

We've been talking + drawing + measuring + planning + remeasuring + redrawing for months. Then just like that, once you say "go," the change is super quick + so dramatic. Of course, there are still miles to go, but it's incredibly gratifying to see concrete progress and know instantly that you made the right choice. The house feels so good.

The root of most of our issues with the layout of the house can be blamed on this thing...

This monolith was on the chopping block from the second we walked into the house. It's blocking the flow, the light + probably the chi or something. It's certainly easy enough to knock over. BUT, this little gem housed the only pantry and coat/utility closet. Ugh. So the bulk of our redesign was focused on relocating those two seemingly minor, but very important amenities. We restructured the staircase to make space in the front for a closet + bench seat.  It also creates a proper entry so you aren't welcomed into our home by a long, steep staircase that works equally well as a bobsled track. The pantry will be in the awesome addition we're putting on the kitchen. Problem solved. The demolition of the "thing" and restructuring of the stairs was quick work and so gratifying to see. We were nearly in tears. It's coming along. It's real. We might actually live in "the new house" someday... xo

Without the "thing," the space is wide open. Just the way we like it.

Monday \ Wednesday \ Friday. Just like that.

inspiration: master bath

I hope to someday be able to go into the bathroom by myself. These days, it's about 70/30 I'd say + since I'm about to have another potty trainer, I don't have high hopes for any privacy in the near future. R often has to sit in my lap if he's having a serious mama day. TMI, I know, but we're friends, right? Here's our master bath's "before" glamor shot...

Pretty, huh? Even if I don't have many Calgon moments, I want my bathroom to feel serene and luxurious and decidedly kid-free. No whimsy here. Just clean lines, bright whites, rich woods and marble. Aaaah, take me away... xo

1. Love the drawers on this vanity, via Pinterest. /  2. Carrara marble, via Houzz / 3. Gray subway tile, via Houzz. / 4. Lush organic towels, West Elm. / 5. Absolutely love this walnut vanity, via Houzz. / 6. More Carrara marble, via Simply Seleta. / 7. Nice hardware, via Lonny. / 8. Gorgeous subway tile, via Lonny. / 9. Twig wall hooks, via Etsy.

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homemade granola bars

Tomorrow is D-Day. The contractor is going to start moving in on the house, digging the foundation for the addition and taking down the old staircase to make space for the new one. I'm giddy with the anticipation of seeing this thing actually begin to take shape. We've been thinking about it and talking about it for so long, it's hard to believe it's finally going to be under way. I just can't wait to see it blossom.

In order to try to maintain the peace with our new neighbors while the workmen are buzzing about next to their fences, the boys and I made some granola bars this morning to bring over as a peace offering. We wrote a sweet note letting them know what to anticipate as far as scope and timing. I'm hoping they like the granola bars as much as all of my boys do and that their chewy goodness is enough to forgive us for disrupting their lovely neighborhood for the next 90 days.

The granola bar recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs, Mountain Mama Cooks. Kelley Epstein is a personal chef + mama in Park City, UT and I love every recipe of hers I've tried (not to mention her writing). I’ve been making her Banana Oat Pancakes on heavy rotation and I've been meaning to try the Korean Flank Steak Tacos from her Taco Tuesday series. These Chewy Granola Bars are the easiest and best I've ever made. We substituted raisins for the dried cherries because my boys prefer them. We also used only vanilla extract because I didn't have any almond. You could put any combination of nuts + dried fruit in them depending on your taste and I'm sure they'd be amazing every time. Just don't skimp on the honey.

via Kelley Epstein, Mountain Mama Cooks

Recipe:

1 2/3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Butter a 9×9 baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Place the mixture onto the prepared baking pan and pat down firmly.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.
I cut bars into squares (resulting in 12 bars) and wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them in either the fridge or freezer. Let bars come to room temperature before eating.

via Kelley Epstein, Mountain Mama Cooks

Our special delivery for the neighbors. Cards by my favorite letter-presser, Bird Dog Press.

I'm going to try her Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars next, though I'm not sure where to get cinnamon chips... I'll let you know how they turn out. xo