The Toughest Job

There are some days you want to rip your hair out. The screaming doesn't stop. The tantrums continue for longer than they should. A nap doesn't happen.

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Then are there days filled with laughter and sunshine. You play, run, explore the backyard, watch the leaves fall off the trees. These are the days you'll remember.

Yesterday was not one of those days. It was a hard day. I'm going to blame it on teething because I have nothing else to blame. I swear her teeth take FOREVER to come in. Her top right tooth is almost all the way out (am I the only one with a fifteen month old with three teeth!?) but her left one is taking it's sweet ol' time. I know she's in pain.

Distraction is really the only way to get her through it. At night, Tyenol lends a hand. We went to story time, out for a walk, and to run errands. You might think I'm crazy to take a screaming teething child out in public but it actually seems to help. She likes to people watch and "help" me shop. She also likes being in the car (thankfully) and since she was refusing to take a nap I knew she'd eventually fall asleep in the car. I grab a book to take with me so I have something to do in the car because I can't take her out of her car seat once she falls asleep. She's not one of those babies who will go back to sleep if you wake her. So in the car I wait and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Yep, sometimes being a Mom is hard. You have to take a breath and count to ten. You have to drink lots of coffee. But then you have to think of all the wonderful things that happen every day. Her face lighting up every morning when I come to take her out of her crib. Hearing her say a new word. Watching her learn imaginative play. Following close behind as she learned how to walk. These moments I take in and breathe in deeply, because I never want to forget.

Baby, you are a handful sometimes. But you are so worth it.

My Top Ten Favorites of 2011

So I'm behind with my New Year wrap up post. With all the unpacking, cleaning, and decluttering I've done this week I'm finally making my way back into the blog world. Reunited, I hope!

In 2011 I received and discovered lots of new things. A waffle maker, ice cream maker, bbq grill, and a new found love for butternut squash and biscoff spread.

My favorite posts from 2011 are in no particular order. Some of these posts didn't get the praise I feel like they deserved, like this egg and bacon salad.

 So simple yet so delicious.

I fell in love with biscoff spread and made lots of cookies.

We were also obsessed with homemade strawberry ice cream.

Everyone devoured this frozen peanut butter pie. 



I can't imagine making a better burger than these.

A cheesy side dish I pair with chicken, steak, and pork chops.

I dreamed about my first roast chicken for days.



This slow-cooker orange chicken was one of my most popular posts.



The only pancake recipe you'll ever need.

My favorite cookie recipe- oatmeal chocolate chip.



What are your cooking goals for 2012?

Features, Food, and a CAR!

First off, I'm horrible and should have thanked It's a Keeper and Cupcake Apothecary  for featuring my recipes last week.

These lemon sugar cookies were in the top six at Cupcake Apothecary.

The buttermilk pork chops (also known as the ruler of all pork chops) was featured at It's a Keeper.

I can't thank these ladies enough! This was my first time being featured anywhere and they both so happened to be in the same week! I'm so honored. :)

What else is new? I made this AMAZING hamburger Tuesday night.

Caramelized onions, swiss cheese, lettuce, and spicy mayo. OMG, so good! Yes yes, I will share.

And then....on Wednesday night, we bought a CAR!!

I don't think you understand. We've only had one car since moving to Michigan. We used to have two cars, but they both went kaput. Literally. So we lived with one car that my parents so graciously gave us and whenever the hubby needed to be on campus, we dealt with odd drop off and pick ups, with me getting to work early, staying later, begging for rides (thanks neighbor!!) and calling cabs. Needless to say this is a HUGE stress reliever, as the hubby will begin rotations next week and will work all sorts of weird hours. One car wasn't going to cut it. This is going to be life-changing!

Alrighty folks, you've been updated on the This Woman Cooks! household. Thanks for reading. :)