Peppermint Oreo Truffles

Yield: 36

Ingredients

• 36 Oreos (NOT Doublestuff)
• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 16 oz. vanilla almond bark or candy melts
• 1/4 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies, for decorating

Directions

• Set a long sheet of wax paper over a cookie sheet, set aside. Place 36 Oreos in a food processor and pulse until finely crushed (alternately if you don't own a food processor you can place Oreos in a large Ziploc bag, seal bag and crush with a rolling pin until finely crushed). Pour crushed Oreos into a mixing bowl. In separate mixing bow blend together cream cheese and peppermint extract. Add cream cheese mixture to crushed Oreos and using a the back of a spoon, stir mixture while pressing it along the bottom of the bowl, until well combine and evenly moistened. Scoop mixture out and form into 1 inch balls (if you happen to have a kitchen scale, they should be about 16 grams each) then align on prepared cookie sheet. Place truffles in freezer for 10 minutes.
• Melt almond bark according to directions on package. Remove truffles from freezer and dip in melted chocolate and evenly coat then allow excess chocolate to run off (I barely made it with 16 oz. of the melted bark but you may need a little more). Return to baking sheet, immediately sprinkle tops with crushed candy canes then allow chocolate to set. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Gingerbread Cupcakes w/Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time:  20 minutes 

Cook Time:  25 minutes 

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves 22

INGREDIENTS 

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons molasses

4 eggs, at room temperature 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

for the frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2-4 tablespoons heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside. 

2. In a another, large bowl cream together butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add molasses, beat until combined. Add eggs, beating after each until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Gradually mix in flour mixture until combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each ¾ full. Bake about 25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the muffin tins for about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

4. When cupcakes are completely cooled, prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth. Gradually mix in powdered sugar. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of heavy cream as needed to thin the frosting to a spreadable consistency. Spread on cooled cupcakes. (see note) Store in airtight container.

NOTE

**For the frosting, the above recipe is for enough frosting to spread on each of the cupcakes. If you want to pipe the frosting, double the recipe and when adding the heavy cream, add less than you would to spread the frosting. The shape holds up better when the frosting is thicker. Also, before piping the frosting, it may help to allow the frosting to set up for a few minutes and "dry out" a bit. This will help it hold it's piped shape. 

Six month stats (P)

Presley is six months old!

Oh no. This is where time starts flying. These last 6 months have flown, and they're only going to go quicker from here. Our little sweet P turned 6 months old last Sunday (11/15). I'm over a week late in posting! AH! I hate to say it, but I blame it on the holidays. 

Here's what our sweet P has been up to:

- She kinda rolls. She can roll from her back to her stomach, but that's it. And even at that, she's pretty lazy about it. She just don't care. 

- No teeth. Super drooly, but no teeth. 

- Tries to look around at everyone while being changed; Especially her big sister.

- She sleeps in the nursery now & does great! I feel selfish for wanting to keep her in our room longer. Her & Jovi do really well at keeping each other company. 

- Holds her feet when being changed, making it nearly impossible to change the kid. 

- Eats anything. She thinks all things are food. Seriously. 

- Speaking of food, she eats rice cereal like a champ, and we just recently started on veggies. Girl can't get enough!

- She is the noisiest eater ever & slurps so so so loud.

- Eats 6 ounces every 3 hours.

- Can sit up if propped up against the corner of the couch, but no so much when it comes to sitting on her own on the floor. 

- Loves trying to sit up. Like, if I put her in her car seat, she'll try to sit up & pull herself up. 

- Still loves her Mamaroo swing, but is getting quite long and wide for it. 

- Has so many wrinkles on her nakey baby back. She looks like a puppy dog! In fact, she has this fat roll right above her bum crack and it's the cutest.

- She thinks momma's funny. She thinks dadda's funny too, but mainly momma. (At least someone does).

- She's pretty lazy. Actually, I'd say more content than lazy.

- She weighs 17 lbs. 9.5 oz (74th percentile), is 26 inches long (50th percentile), and has a head that's 42.7 cm (61st percentile). She's doing great! 

Homemade Oreos

Cookie:

1 Devil's Food cake mix
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
2 eggs

Filling:

4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 1/2 c. powder sugar
1/4 c. butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla

Bake @ 375 for 7-9 min.

Makes about 15 Oreos

Five month stats (P)

Presley is five months old!

Here's what she's up to:

- She growls when wants to be heard.
- Has discovered her voice & won't let us forget it. 
- Loves the Bumbo now, but just like with all things (in moderation). 
- Still loves kisses. I swear, she'll never get sick of them (I hope).
- Is consistently eating 6 ounces every 3 hours on the dot.
- Does the funniest thing… She takes a nap @7pm (an hour before her bed time). It's the weirdest thing!
- Loves (and I mean LOVES) her big sister, Jovi. 
- REALLY likes kicking in the bath tub. 
- Still sleeps in our room (mainly because I'm not ready to move her to the nursery, and because we haven't moved Jovi to a big girl bed).
- Sleeps real well (from 8pm-7am) every day. Not a light sleeper either. 
- Sucks in her bottom lip ever so cute, when talking. 
- Likes laying on the living room floor, watching movies. 
- Holds onto more toys, rattles, and teething rings now. (Seriously, her pack & play is FILLED w/those). 
- She doesn't really do much. I haven't decided if she's a lazy baby, or a content baby. 
- She has to have the blanket pulled up by her face, whenever she sleeps. It's so sweet. 
- Likes her stroller & being pushed in it for walks. 
- Isn't fond of the sun. 
- And can put herself to sleep, if she has her pacifier in her mouth. 

Cascade Springs

Four month stats (P)

Presley is four months old!

Miss P turned four months old yesterday (Tuesday, 09/15). Here's her latest & greatest:

- She coos and laughs. Just a little bit, but it's the sweetest little noise.

- Has rolls on her thighs (but what's new), and is getting wrist rolls!

- Loves to suck on her hands, and anyone else's for that manner.

- Wants to roll over; Especially while on the floor, watching TV

- Enjoys the Mamaroo swing & kicks and kicks her feet. She really gets going if you move the swing right in front of the TV (this girl is a future couch potato).

- Has some stellar burps!

- Isn't too fond of the Bumbo. I imagine it has something to do w/the reflux? Too much pressure on the tummy maybe?

- Really likes bath time. Maybe it has something to do w/the fact that we put her in the ACTUAL bath tub now, and not her infant bath anymore.

- She really likes kisses. And I mean a lot. Like, doesn't mind at all.

- Has to be snuggled before going to bed for the night. Day time naps are okay, but I guess the evening time is just too long for her to be away from me. And I'm okay w/that.

- Loves snuggles. Still.

- Can usually fall asleep on her own (during day time naps), but pulls the blanket up over her face.

- Is more interactive w/Jovi now.

- Holds onto rattles and toys.

- Loves when people come over to her & pay attention to her sweet little face. Seriously, she gets so giddy & the biggest smile on her face & squeals.

- Eats 6 ounces every 2 1/2-3 hrs. but could probably drink a little more and be okay w/it.
- And she weighs 14 pounds 3.5 ounces (44th percentile), is 25 inches long (64th percentile), and has a head that is in the 60th percentile (41.2 cm). Doctor said she's super strong & holds her head up well, and is growing progressively, just as she should be. 

Utah State Fair

Last night we took the girls to the Utah State Fair in Salt Lake City.

I had so much fun! Probably more fun than Jovi!

It was so neat watching how excited she got over EVERYTHING. And I mean EVERYTHING.

She loved the animals, music, lights, and people.

Presley was real calm in the stroller, the majority of the time.

She probably thought the lights were mesmerizing & was on scensory overload.

Either way, we enjoyed fair food & walking around.

Most of these pictures are from looking at the animals (rabbits, goats, sheep/lambs, chickens, turkeys, roosters, and cows).

The cows were Jovi's favorite. She loved them & was moo-ing the whole time.

We also took her on the carousel & she was ooh-ing and awe-ing the whole time then too!

Horses

The other day, I took the girls on a walk w/our neighbor (Hayden & Deanna).

Hayden and Jovi are BFFs and always have play dates together.

They were both so excited for a walk AND to see the horses.

These horses are always out in the field (s) by our house.

Deanna brought carrots, to feed the horses, and Jovi loved it!

Presley just slept in the stroller the majority of the time, but Jovi and Hayden got to touch the horses.

Jovi was excited (from far away), but when the horses car running  up to the fence, she changed her mind.

Here are a few favorite shots:

Three month stats (P)

Presley is three months old!

I'm almost on time hahaha P turned three months on Saturday (08/15) and is getting so big!

Here's what she's been up to:

- Grabs onto momma's hair LOTS and pulls out a ton.

- Stops crying pretty quickly, as soon as she gets picked up.

- Sleeps throughout the night!!!! (She usually lays down around 9pm and doesn't wake up until about 5 or 6am)

- Is eating 5 ounces every 2-3 hours.

- Broke free of the velcro swaddle!!! That's a huge accomplishment, as she had to be swaddled at ALL times or else she'd cry. (I still swaddle her LOSELY at night when she goes to sleep though. Just with a regular blanket).

- Started giggling! She gets a kick out of her big sister & thinks the world of her… You can tell. She'll look at her and just smile. And Jovi LOVES getting a reaction out of her. It's so sweet watching them together. I don't know which one I enjoy watching more!!! Ha

- Did I mention she loves smiling?!?! Oh boy. She'll give anyone who pays attention to her, a grin.

- She tells stories. And boy are they STORIES! She just coos and coos. I could listen to it all day.

- Has discovered her hands & constantly has them in her mouth.

- She still does this sighing thing (that she's been doing since she was first born). Except she does it all the time now. What a damsel in distress we have on our hands! Seriously, it's so dramatic, but it never gets old.

- Slobbers & drools a ton.

- Does relatively well at tummy time (with the help of a boppy pillow on the floor). She tries to push up on her toes/knees too.

- Loves watching TV and will demand it while standing up w/her.

- Is getting better at standing on someone's lap.

- Starting to fill in w/her cute little (or big) baby rolls.

- Does spitty bubbles.

- Farts. A lot.

- Veracious eater. 

- Likes to pull her pacifier out all the time. And then gets mad about it. Cuz ya know… It's our fault.

- Loves it when dadda kisses her tummy.

- Really enjoys bath time now. Except for when you dry her off. Yeah, she hates that part.

- Has tried pulling herself up, on more than one occasion.

- She has really good voice recognition & follows really well. ie- When someone (my mom) is talking, she'll stare intently at them.

- Had a successful ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) evaluation. Her pediatrician recommended we see a specialist, since she had a raspy cry; However the ENT specialist scoped her & said everything looked great, and that the raspy cry should only be temporary. (Pediatrician was afraid there might have been damage to her tonsils from being intabated in the NICU for the 4-5 days). Looks like the raspyness should ease up the older she gets & once she's eating solids. It's mainly from the reflux & that should lighten up within time & once she starts on the rice cereal. 

- And she is very much so a momma's girl. Still. She'll discover the coolness of her dad one day. 

I (unfortunately) don't have any height/weight measurements for this post, but definitely will for her four month update, as she & Jovi both have check ups then :)

Presley's Baby Blessing

A couple weekends ago, we had the opportunity to bless our little Presley.

(There weren't any other baby blessings, since we didn't do it on a Fast Sunday.)

Presley wore the same dress that both Jovi and I wore on our blessing days!!!

What a simple & special day it was.

We had less people attend this time & it was just perfect.

Her dad said some very sweet, special words that I will never forget.

Thank you to everyone who came, traveled (near & far), and all who helped.

It was a bit toasty, being the middle of summer, but we got some special pictures.

Here are a few of the favorites:

Nana & Grandpa

Grammy & Papa Joe

Uncle Austin, Auntie Kelsey and Auntie Courtney

All the women!

Gigi, Nana, Jovi, Presley, Momma, Grammy, and Great Grandma 

All the men (in the family) who were part of the circle

We want to thank everyone who came out for the blessing; Especially those who traveled out of state.

We only had family travel from California this time. It was nice.

We had such a nice time visiting w/those we don't get to see too often. 

Special thanks to those who were worthy enough to be part of the circle. Thank you, thank you. Such a sweet, special time. 

Circle: Our bishop (Bishop Marshall), my dad (Russ), my brother (Austin), Jake's dad (Papa Joe), Brian Thompson (my childhood best friend's husband), and Corbin (friend & co-worker).

There were many others who were invited to be part of the circle, but were not able to make it (for whatever reason).

I cannot stop thinking about how special & sweet this day was. 

That is exactly how I would describe our precious baby girl, too. 

Presley June, your dad and I love you very very much & hope you are able to bring those around you, closer to Christ. 

Jake, thank you (again) for being the worthy Priesthood holder that you are, so you could bless both our daughters.