Wood Looks Good and updates

There is no reason a new floor could deliver this much self esteem—but it has.  I love the  Burnt Sugar!  Here’s the last board being nailed in.

Monica, do you remember this bird you brought me back from Brasil for Christmas a few years back? 

Benjamin found it and named it.  Burk, I think.  I keep calling it Looney because we had a bird just like this growing up.  So here are some shots of what the wood looks like—kind of.  This camera lens has, the spots, not the floor.  The far right is more natural light.  With the cabinets, it’s a go!  Trim will be put up on Saturday, another one day hallelujah!

PS.  New born Luke Thomas Sutton.  Pulled an awwwwe right out of me.  Yea Vanessa, He’s so cute.        An induction date , the 9th, if I haven’t had my newest pod by then.  I have this glorious vision of waking up on Sunday Morning, the 7th, and instead of going to church, driving to the hospital and having a baby.  Of course I’d have to be in labor do do that, send Sabbath birth vibes this way.   

Updates

Pregnancy:  I’ve got about three weeks to go!  YEA!  I discovered Zantac which has tamed the heart burn.  I can eat chunky peanut butter on toast for lunch every day again!  I’m in the uniform phase with clothes now.  Only a select few tops and bottoms have made the cut (still fit) so that’s all I wear.  No name decided on yet, —I’m hanging on to weird ones like Ace, Mitchell and Hal.  They’ve all been voted down.   

Birthday:  Thank You for all the wonderful birthday wishes on face book and phone calls.  I truly love birthdays just for the unabashed smiles and thoughts from everyone.   Dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack where I prepared nothing, coaxed no one to eat and cleaned up nothing, Birthday Bliss.  Oh and also Cold Stone.  

Milestones: From my fourth lazy attempt, Stuart is now toilet trained.  Miracle. 

Kids:  Addie, Ben, and Paige started school, around 9 weeks ago.  Addie in 3rd grade, Ben in 1st, and  Paige and I doing a co-op preschool.  It was rough finding the school groove but we got it about 3 weeks ago; just in time to go off track.  Now we’ll be running around town doing all fall duty activities for the next three weeks and if all goes according to plan, I’ll have this baby on November 5th and send them back to school on the 8th.   Sisters:  A few weeks ago I hosted a shower for my baby sister Donna, who is expecting a wee girl three weeks after me.   Vanessa and Sharon and all the sister in laws came to town to celebrate.   Here’s the cool part: Vanessa just had her baby, yesterday, Luke Thomas Sutton.  This Mair baby will come in three weeks and then the Hawkins kid will come three weeks after that.   Three cousins all with in 6 weeks.  Cousins your age make get togethers wonderful.   Another tidbit—Donna is a gem, she lives in the sticks and works in the dirt.  After the shower we had a fashion show with a couple boxes of hand-me-down maternity duds.  Donna, being hip, cool and properly geared for all her outdoor adventures came away with a haul.  She also looked, well, maternal.  Now I’ve had the maternal look down since 7th grade, and Donna’s joining rank—not to stress Donna, you’re still hip, cool, and properly geared for the last 6 weeks.  Sigh.  

Flooring:  Remember my new year’s resolution?  A new kitchen floor?  It might just happen.  I found a guy on KSL.com selling hickory.  It’s what I’ve always like.  It’s rustic—some what distressed and named Burnt Sugar.  Can I go wrong with Burnt Sugar?  Another guy off KSL is even going to lay it.  Hallelujah.  

If it happens (the wood was accidentally shipped back east) I’ll do a post with my decision making journey for any one who might be debating flooring, with pictures.  

Off  to decide Halloween costumes in grandma’s basement. 

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes, Butter Chicken, Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

All these recipes have been my Achilles heel for this pregnancy.  They are all from Tasty Kitchen.  They are all WONDERFUL.  Click through the links to see pictures and read reviews.  For my birthday dinner I’ll be eating Butter Chicken and Cheesecake; resting my head in the food and only coming up for air as needed.         

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons White Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla

In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk. Whisk well to make sure everything is combined.

In separate large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, corn syurp, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium/low heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides.

Serve warm with icing drizzled over the top.

Maple Icing Syrup

• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• Dash Of Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
• ¼ cups Whole Milk (more If Needed)

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more milk as needed.

Butter Chicken

• 4 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut Into Bite Sized Pieces)
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
• ¼ teaspoons Cumin
• ¼ teaspoons Cardamom
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• ¼ cups Butter
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 pint Whipping Cream
• 1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
• 2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.

Sauté the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream (I have used light cream or half-and-half also) and cilantro just before serving over Basmati rice.

Note: this is a little spicy, but you can cut back on the cayenne if you want.

You Rock My World Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

• 28 whole Oreos
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• 6 ounces, fluid Semisweet Baking Chocolate
• 4 packages (8 Oz) Cream Cheese
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ¼ cups Cocoa Powder
• 4 whole Eggs, Brought To Room Temperature
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Smash oreos into crumbs, mix with 1 Tbsp. sugar and melted butter, press into 9″ springform pan.

Bake crust at 350 for 7 minutes, let cool. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees.

Once cream cheese has come to room temperature, beat with sugar until completely smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl often. Mix in vanilla.

Set aside 2 cups cream cheese mixture. In a small bowl, melt baking chocolate until smooth and let cool. To the remainder of the batter, add melted baking chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour chocolate batter over crust. Dollop spoonfuls of white batter on top. Swirl batter with a knife or spatula, creating a nice swirly effect. Tap cheesecake on counter lightly to help batter settle.

Set a roaster pan full of hot water on the bottom rack of oven. Place cheesecake over water on top rack. Bake cake for up to an hour, or until cheesecake is set. Turn off oven, and let the cheesecake set for one hour still in the oven!  Loosen cake from sides of spring form pan with a knife–this helps prevent cracking. Allow cake to cool for a couple more hours.

Prepare ganache: Heat together 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup heavy cream, beat till smooth. Decorate top of cheesecake.