She Approves!!

Hey there!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend =]]. Well, miss Rileybear wanted everyone to know that she tried Mamabear's Chocolate Cookies and they are uh-mazing!!

"I loves COOKIES!! =]]"

"Mama, can I please has another cookie?!"

"Mama, gimme cookies NAO!!!"

Oh, my little cookie monster =]]. I'm such a lucky mommy, hehe.
Well, Hubsie and I did a little cooking tonight and we wanted to share a macaroni recipe we tried tonight!

Hubsie's Creamy Mac'N'Cheese Bake

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon powdered mustard
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 large egg
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper

Topping:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
3. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
4. Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
5. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Mmmm, so yummy!! I hope you all enjoy! Make sure to try those chocolate cookies, or the cookie monster will come and get you!! BWAAHAHAHA...lol.
Until next time!!

- mamabear

I LOVE Baking =]]

So it's been a while since I shared a recipe on here, especially one that I actually made myself! So today I decided I wanted to make cookies, so here we go! A pretty basic and easy to make chocolate cookie recipe that you will LOVE! =]] Enjoy!

Mamabear's Chocolate Cookies

Dough chilled & sliced

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• White Sanding sugar, for garnish

Dough rolled to ball & dusted *optional

Finished result! Yum Yum!!

1. In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream together with a hand mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until combined. In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until incorporated.
2. Roll the dough into 2 logs that are about 2-inches high and 1-foot long. Wrap them in waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. 
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Once thoroughly chilled, slice the cookies into 1/2-inch thick rounds and cover with sanding sugar. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
   **Note** I rolled my slices into balls and they were a lot flufflier. If you bake the cookie slices they come out with a 'gingersnap' type shape and consistancy.
5. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
   **Note** I dusted the cookies with confectioners sugar after they had cooled a bit as well as before they were baked.

Well I hope everyone enjoys this recipe!! It turned out uh-mazing for me!! Can't wait for Hubsie to try them when he gets home =]]

Until next time!!

- mamabear

The Goofball!!

Things have been a little hectic lately so I haven't been able to get much cooking, baking, or -obviously- blogging done! I'm sorry!! But I wanted to share these pictures I took today of my goofy little munchkin =]]

hahaha, enjoy!!

- mamabear

It's Official!!

We are one little happy family =]]

- mamabear

I do's!!!

Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. My mind has been all flustered since grampa passed away. It's starting to get better now though! Well, today I am getting married!! I know I always call Hubsie..well...Hubsie..but we aren't officially married yet lol, so after today I will be calling him the right thing :PP. He is my best friend and a wonderful father to our daughter. I couldn't ask for a more amazing man to share the rest of my life with. I wake up every morning and fall in love with him all over again. He's a butthead and can be lazy and messy from time to time, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He may not be perfect to everyone else but he's perfect for me =]].
I'm getting sooo nervous about this, lol. Even it not being a ceremony or anything, it's still nerve racking!! By the end of today...I'm going to have a different last name...and be starting the rest of my life with the one I love =]].
My parents are going to be watching Riley for the weekend and they bought us a 'romance package' at a nice hotel downtown for Saturday night. Now THAT is exciting =]] Mommy gets a well deserved break and daddy, well...yeah he will be there too :PP.

Here's to the rest of our lives =]]

Until next time!!

- mamabear

Happy Mother's Day!

Well today is my first mother's day! I'm sooo blessed to have my little angel in my life, she is the most wonderful thing in the whole world. Even before she was born she was the best thing that could ever happen to me. I hope she knows how much I love her!!

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful and beautiful Mother. She has been the best mother anyone could ask for, I truly hope you know how much I love you and am thankful to have you in my life -- as a mother and a best friend.

How do I tell you, from this daughter
Oh mother of mine, who couldn't have worked harder
To make my life, as best as could be
How much your loved, for loving me

Things you wanted, so many times
You put aside, to help me and mine
Even when I was growing up
A back you never turned, a door you never shut

How do I tell you, how much this means
Oh mother of mine, who always beams
With a loving heart, with open arms
Caring for all, with all your charms

You made life, so very good
For me you did, all you could
You cared for me, through all bad times
Your loved so much, oh mother of mine 

 - Betty Halverson 

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, and expecting. Thank you for everything you do. You are loved more than you know.

& special Happy Mother's Day wishes to my grandmother, she is going through a very hard time right now. 

- mamabear  

You Will Be Missed

My grandfather, the best grandfather in the world =]], passed away May 5th. He was a great man, probably the greatest man I will ever know. I am so glad he won't be hurting anymore. He finally made it home =]].

I love you and miss you so much, grandpa. I'm glad you're home and I hope you're telling my daddy how beautiful his granddaughter is =]]. Can't wait to see you again some day.

- mamabear

The Girls!

I haven't posted anything in a few days because I've been so busy! I'm starting to plan our wedding and whatnot so I get so caught up in all that and forget what I mean to do :PP.
Rileybear and I don't have a whole bunch of pictures together so I decided we should take some today so here is one of them!!

Enjoy!! I will try to post some more here soon.
Until then!!

- mamabear