I should be in bed, but.....

I keep thinking about babybee's shots on Wednesday, which are a short notice appointment given the limited times available to get them done. I wish the doctor could do them instead of heading to the health unit. I agonize over the uncomfortable feeling and general pain that it puts my little peanut in:( Yes, I cry every time, and am in NO way ashamed of it. It causes me to lose sleep and as much as I try, I cannot seem to put it on the back-burner. These are the things that keep me from a good nights sleep. Last night I was awake until the wee hours of the morning. I was so tired that I physically hurt, and yet, I could not fall asleep! I need to worry less, but now that I am a Mommy I am certain I will just keep worrying more;)

Vegetable medley pasta and sauce

1 lb. medium shell pasta
2 cans italian style stewed tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion shopped
4 cloves garlic smashed
2 stalks celery diced
2 carrots shredded
1 medium zucchini sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 chopped bell peppers
1 palm full fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste

In large skillet, over medium high heat saute olive oil, onion, garlic and celery until onions become translucent and caramelize. Add mushrooms, peppers and carrot, and cook for about 4 minutes then add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes and serve over your favorite pasta. I like shells for this because they hold the sauce perfectly:)

A fantastic cinnamon dolce latte, no fuss

Okay, so we are a HUGE coffee drinking family. Even babybee likes a taste of black coffee:) I love a good latte or a cup of sweet and creamy dark roast. DaddyBee likes everything iced, no hot drinks for him, even in winter! We were craving some Starbucks, but have been diligently tightening our pocket-books and I came up with the idea to do cinnamon dolces at home without the $10 bottle of syrup. They were super yummy!

4 shots fresh-brewed espresso
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon
2 packets splenda (or your fave sweetener)
1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional)
your milk of choice

Stir the sugar/sweeteners and cinnamon into the espresso, prepare your steamed milk with or without vanilla, (and ice for iced drinks) and mix to your liking! Remember, the trick with iced coffees is to pour the espresso over ice and stir well BEFORE adding the milk! This will ensure that there is no bitterness:)

Try pairing it with some of my cake-mix cookies. I would recommend a devil`s food mix with semi-sweet chips and pecans! Or a spice mix with butterscotch chips and almonds:)

Babybee's first haircut

Yup, did it last night after her bath. I think I did a pretty good job too:) She actually stayed pretty still and didn't complain about any of it. She is such a good girl!

On another note, she hasn't stopped talking since May long weekend! She has begun forming small sentences, usually 3 or 4 words, and surprised me by recognizing over half the alphabet and numbers 1-10!!!! I was so amazed:)She is going to be a smart little girl. She even understands sarcasm, and uses it far too often, lol:)

Easy Cake mix cookies, that won't taste "cakey" :)

This recipe yields a soft centered cookie with a crispy, delicious outside. MMMMMMMMM..... Yummy! I fudged around with a few other recipes and finally found what works the best for me.

1 box of your favorite cake mix, without pudding in the mix
1 large egg or 1 small and the yolk of another
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup softened butter
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine until thoroughly moistened. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes. You can add up to 1 1/2 cups of extras like chopped nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, coconut, candies, chopped candy bars. Your imagination is the limit!