Large but in charge!

Valentine's day - showing mommy the love!



35 weeks - 3 weeks to go, since being induced on the 15th of March! (I only wore the heels for the picture! Ha!)

So a quick update of the Jaggi household:

John leaves for Florida (Disney World) for 5 days - while his very pregnant wife deals with all the household. We don't have anything ready, and I mean NOTHING ready for our sweet #3 baby. So this weekend I am hoping to pull out all my baby stuff, do tons of laundry and clean. We will see how much this tired body of mine will let me do. As for names, our poor baby is nameless. We can't decide or like each others ideas. If we let the kids name her, she would be Princess (Izzie's) or Elliott (Matthew's). They crack me up!

Matthew has just finished up his Spanish classes (don't know how much he learned, but hey it was fun) and will start soccer on Thursdays. He is very excited for this, as I am to get all his wiggles out. He is doing well in school and the last few weeks he has been bring home 100% on all his spelling tests. Yes, spelling tests in kindergarten.

Isabel has been in high demand for birthday parties, almost one every week lately, but loving it. She is such a sweet little thing, always my big helper because she knows the baby takes everything out of me. She is excited to be a big sister!

Buttery Crisp XXL Chocolate Chip Cookie

(by picky palate)

Okay so I needed a cookie today - really I only needed one! Try it so easy and yum!

Buttery Crisp XXL Chocolate Chip Cookie


2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons beaten egg

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place butter and sugars into a medium mixing bowl, beat with spoon(yes spoon it takes like 1 minute, unless you have a 3 year old stirring then, 1 minute for her and 1 for you) until well combined. Add beaten egg and vanilla, mixing to combine. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Stir a couple times, then add chocolate chips, stirring to combine. Scoop dough into the middle of your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until baked through. Let cool for on baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing. (It taked really good when it was cooked well, no doughy middles for this cookie!)

25 CLEVER IDEAS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

I got this from my cuz in Utah-of course this comes out of UT! But this is some ingenious ideas - why didn't I think of this????? Enjoy!





Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone / iPod in a bowl – the concave shape
Amplifies the music.




Overhaul your linen cupboard – store bed linen sets inside one of their own
Pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.




Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.



Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40
(also works on walls).



Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.



Hull strawberries easily using a straw.


Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.





Gutter garden: Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.





Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.




Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila –
You have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

Sugar Cookie Bowls Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon No Color Almond Extract

Makes:

12 bowls.


Instructions:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the outside of each bowl cavity of Ice Cream Cookie Bowl Pan with vegetable pan spray.


Step 2

In medium bowl, combine flour and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition.


Step 3

Roll out dough on generously-floured surface to 1/8 in. thickness. Cut 4-1/2 in. circles from dough.. Drape one circle over each bowl cavity of pan, pressing to form smooth surface.


Step 4

Bake 11-13 minutes or until cookie cups are firm and golden brown. Cool on pan on cooling rack 10 minutes. Loosen bottom edges of cookies from pan using small spatula. Carefully remove cups from pan and cool completely. Wash, dry and spray pan; repeat with remaining dough.






Win friends at breakfast with this heart-shaped egg tutorial. Aww shucks!




Brilliant space-saver: install a tension rod
to hang your spray bottles. Genius!





Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and
Cheaper than the packet stuff.



Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones – so much more fun and easier for kids
To eat. Definitely doing this!



Bread tags make the perfect-sized cord labels.




A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to
Make them tip-resistant.







Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.




Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily –
Who knew?.




A tip for holiday packing. Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles
Rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel!






Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby
Pins (and tweezers and clippers) behind a vanity door.




For those who can't stand the scrunching and bunching: how to perfectly
Fold a fitted sheet.






Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.





Gotcha! Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum
Hose.





Look up! Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling,
Rather than cluttering up the floor.





Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Ideas for all the preg-os out there

I found this article and thought these sounded good. I haven't tried any yet, but want to!

3 perfect pregnancy breakfasts


Breakfast is more important than ever when you're pregnant. Your body and baby need energy after hours of not eating. These quick and easy breakfast ideas from Nicole Britvan, a dietitian at Kaiser Permanente Outpatient Nutrition Clinic in San Francisco, have a healthy mix of protein and other nutrients.

• Fruity Protein Smoothie Mix 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder with 1 cup nonfat milk, 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, half a banana, and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Add ice for desired consistency. Serve with 1 or 2 slices of whole-wheat toast spread with low-sugar jam.

• Yogurt and Fruit Mix 1 cup low-fat yogurt with 1/2 cup of berries, 1/4 cup of low-fat granola, and 1/4 cup almonds or walnuts.

• Breakfast Burrito Scramble together 1 egg and 2 egg whites. Place inside 1 heated whole-wheat flour tortilla and top with salsa or tomatoes, 1 slice low-fat cheese or low-fat veggie sausage or turkey bacon. Serve with 1 cup strawberries.

Late Thanksgiving post

I made this for Thanksgiving, well one of our desserts for Thanksgiving. We had 5 pies and this (we had 22 people). And this won hands down. Everyone loved it and enjoyed every bite. The crazy thing is, it looks like a hard recipe, but it was pretty easy. Try it, it will become one of your favorites! I know I need to make it again, I only had one slice of it!

*Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used half bittersweet, half semisweet)
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Mousse:
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, separated at room temperature
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped finely (it is important the chocolate for this mousse layer is chopped finely or it won’t melt completely when added to the warm egg yolks)
1/2 cup sugar

Topping:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 cups fresh raspberries

DIRECTIONS:

For cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan; dust with sugar. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt, then flour. Pour batter into the springform pan. Bake until cake just rises in center (tester inserted into center will not come out clean), 30-35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack (the center of the cake may fall slightly). Cover and chill while making mousse.

For mousse:
Melt butter in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk yolks, 1/4 cup cream and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into bowl with melted butter. Whisk constantly over simmering water until thermometer registers 150°F, about 6 minutes (mixture may appear broken – mine did not but it was very thick like custard or pudding). Remove from over water; add chocolate and stir to melt. Set aside. Beat egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar and a pinch of cornstarch in large bowl to medium-stiff peaks. Whisk 1/4 of beaten egg white mixture into warm chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining egg white mixture. Pour mousse over the cooled cake in pan; smooth top. Chill torte until mousse is set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
Run sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen torte. Release pan sides. Transfer torte to platter. Using electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup cream and powdered sugar in medium bowl until peaks form. Spread whipped cream over torte. Top whipped cream with raspberries.

Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are so good! I made them today...hard to stop eating but they are kind-of good for you!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies by kitchen café


*Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ¼ cups butter
3 eggs
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups white wheat flour
2 ½ cups oats
2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in dry ingredients and mix well, then stir in chocolate chips. Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of cookie dough onto greased (or lined) baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

5 months now....."Damn......this is good."

I have been the worst blogger lately. Well, I do have a good excuse. This pregnancy has been so hard! I have been sicker than ever, but now at 20 weeks I am feeling more like myself, no more meds and no more puking! That was the longest 5 months of my life. I really didn't do anything, I laid on the couch, didn't cook and made myself pick up the house and took my kids to school. So nothing to brag about, so no blogging.

So we are having a sweet baby girl, no name yet but we talk about it a lot. Matthew says, Bella or Elliot. Izzie says to name her Princess. I like Lily, and John doesn't. But still thinking and we have plenty of time-March (middle).

I do have a funny story about Matthew -

The other day I cooked dinner, nothing exciting, probably leftovers. But we were all sitting at the table eating and Matthew picked up his food, took a bite:

Matthew: "Damn." "Damn, this is good."

John and I looked at each other and said,

"Excuse me? What did you say?"

Matthew-again: "Damn, this is good."

That is what we thought we heard and John says, very nicely. "We don't say that word Matthew."

Matthew: "ok"

John (jokes) blames me for his swearing - HA! I laugh! Right!