Merry Christmas from the Gills!

Merry Christmas! 

Just a bit of what I've learned in the first 5 months with baby Z

Hey Friend!
It's been 4 months ish since I last posted.
Things have been busy but beautiful.

Zephaniah is such a wonderful addition and blessing to our family.

Zeph and Daddy at the Pumpkin Patch

Its been so fun to watch him grow and change.
And to see how we are changing because of him! Michael and I have totally different priorities now that Zeph is here, but we love our lives and couldn't go back.
Zephaniah is so much fun. He'll be 6 months old on December 28th, while we are in Michigan celebrating my sister and her fiance's wedding!
He's starting laughing and smiling, and really noticing the people (and dogs) around him. He LOVES Bosley and thinks that when the dog whines its the funniest thing ever!

Zephaniah has started to sit up on his own and is really into playing with his toys....and by playing either eating them OR banging them against the table or floor to make loud noises. 

Its so crazy though because even 12 weeks ago he was just starting to smile and now he's so entertaining and into talking to people. He loves Facetime with my family, and likes to 'talk' to them and show off his new skills.

He recognizes voices from the phone too. 

1 week old Zeph with Mom and Grandma 

Grandparents!

Most parents already know this but it truly is amazing how fast things change. 

I'm so thankful that we have the means and technology to easily capture these wonderful stages he's been going through because it seems like a blink and he's learned something new.

So happy with our cloth diaper and handmade booties!

We're cloth diapering, but usually only at home. It has been going well. I really love our FuzziBunz and the routine of washing and what not is pretty easy, especially since I only work one or two days a week. We have a HE washer so it took a little trial and error to get the right system down for us. If you have questions at all about that let me know in the comments and I can answer you there!

They are so soft and his fluffy bum is so stinkin' cute with those colorful diapers!

I would totally recommend for a mom to try cloth.

This is Zeph's 'really Mom?' face

I feel like recently we've really been getting into a good rhythm with being parents. Don't get me wrong, sometimes that boy cries and we have NO IDEA why and have to just try to calm him down.

Those times are getting less frequent because we've reached the place where we see what he likes, when he's getting tired, how to talk to and soothe him, how to make him laugh or distract him....and because Zeph is a little older and probably a little more used to being out in this big world. 

He's started taking longer, more restful naps....thank God! And really I think it was my not reading his cues properly that took us so long to get to this place where he's sleeping well. 

Now though he gets sleep-I can usually shower during the day (hurray!) and work on some other projects!

Its really so much fun to get to know this little guy.

Here's just a little list of the things we've learned over the that 5 1/2 months.

*when the baby is a newborn, sleep when he sleeps. For real-your house will be messy but baby doesn't care. Sleep!

You'll be happier and have more patience with that sweet hysterically crying baby when you've had an hour nap!

*Freeze up some meals-more than you think. Even after you've recovered from birth, having a quick meal is great for days when the baby has been a hot mess and is having an epic meltdown....right at dinner time....read: the first 3 months of sweet baby Z's life

.

*Swings are life savers. At least for us it was. Babies love to rock and sway, and a swing can keep going for hours after your arms would give out. Craigslist has them for 1/2 off! Get the cradle swing that is soft and you can wash the lining!

*Use that smart phone to your advantage. Track feedings w/apps, take photos and make movies of your little bundle of joy....even when all they do is lay there and stare at their own hand. Because in just a couple of weeks it will be so hard to remember those days where all they did was lay and look at their own hand. Plus grandparents love that stuff. Create a YouTube channel and load that puppy up!

*Baby-wearing is awesome! There are a ton of places that list all the benefits of babywearing.

We were fortunate enough to have my cousin gift us a Moby wrap and we used gift cards to purchase an Ergo! So great for handsfree baby-soothing. If Zeph was having a rough time I'd throw him on and walk around in circles around the house if I couldn't leave-taking big exaggerated steps (think lunges) and all the swaying would put him to sleep. The dog though was a little confused and followed us around....so we had a parade of three going on for a while! 

*People have opinions about every aspect of baby raising, from diapers to sleep training, to clothing....seriously like almost everything. But, these opinions are always super strong and it's not "oh we disagree, ok" its more like "we disagree and if you don't change your mind you will damage your baby for life!" 

Its craziness. Ask the opinions of people you respect and that won't be haters if you don't take it. 

And find a pediatrician you can ask questions and get honest responses. I asked my Dr. about vaccines and she sent me home w/her copy of a book to read to make an informed choice. I respect that.

Newborn baby love

I make no promises of posting on a regular basis, but I'd like to so keep an eye open for some more updates! 

so I had a baby

So about two months ago I had a baby!
Ta Da!
Isn't he beautiful?
Ohmigoodness.
So....I thought I would write out my birth experience, for you to read.....and in all honesty for me to remember.
I'll try to not make it too gross.

So Baby Gill was over due by 5 days, and I was not very happy about that...it was HOT HOT HOT in Boise and I was super swollen and grumpy pants.
Mr. Gill, Bosley and I had been taking lots of walks trying to get things started to no avail.
At my post-due date appointment with my midwife I was told I needed to have an ultrasound to make sure he was doing ok-that it was very routine.
The appointment was on Thursday June 27th at 12:15pm.
At the ultrasound the tech was telling Mr. Gill and I that the baby looked really good, but that we would probably be having the baby that day or the next because she couldn't see any amniotic fluid....which is bad fyi.
So we went straight to Labor and Delivery where we were admitted and I got hooked up the saline fluids, a Penicillin drip and continuous monitoring.....because its high risk to have "no amniotic fluid" so I had to wear a strap around my *HUGE* belly the entire time until the baby was born.
Mr. Gill and his sister Heather were at the hospital with me from pretty much the beginning of the process.
We decided to try to manually induce labor, by inserting a balloon to mimic the head pushing on the cervix....and that started some contractions BUT they went away after a couple of hours.
They make you wait 12 hours after the balloon to try something new so we spent the night at the hospital all hooked up but going nowhere.
The next morning (Friday) at about 6 am they started the Pitocin drip. I don't remember the name of my nurse that day but she was awesome. She had three kids (a set of twin she delivered on Pitocin w/out pain relief) and we knew mutual people. She is a believer and was just very encouraging.
Everything was going well, I was having contractions but not really feeling much of anything. The baby was looking really good on the monitor but my belly was so big that it felt like every time I moved the nurse had to come in and adjust the do-dads.
I had lunch, we watched videos, took walks and around 4 or so in the afternoon I started "feeling" the contractions. I was checked and dilated to about 4 1/2 cm.
So we kept walking and trying to get things going. A couple of hours later they checked me again and I was at 6 cm and as they were checking I had a big contraction and my water broke....even though I had "no" amniotic fluid....explain that one to me.
Anyway after that things got VERY real. It was like in an instant I felt like my entire body was contracting.
I'm pretty sure I told Mr. Gill and Heather I was going to die several times.
So-here's where I'm going to skip over some kinda gross details about what my body was doing for the sake of people like-my Dad. If you want details of the crazy things that were coming out of my body let me know-if you've had a baby you can relate.
Mr. Gill and Heather were awesome though during the rough contractions, helping me stay focused and not screaming like a crazy woman the whole time....I only did that at the end.
I'm so thankful to have had them both there with me to get me through those crazy intense couple of hours.
I was in BIG labor from about 6pm (I think) until 11pm when Baby Z made his arrival.
I pushed for about 20 minutes and almost broke Mr. Gill's arm in half. He was up by my head-thank goodness. Those last couple of pushes I remember screaming like a crazy woman. I hope the other moms to be in the rooms next to me weren't scared!

Moments after being born 

I was on my hands and knees on the bed-so it required acrobatics to get turned around the see my baby boy, but it was like instant relief once he was out!










Mr. Gill cut the cord (even though he wasn't planning on it-the Midwife kinda just made him)....and he was fine. It felt like almost right after he was born I got the shakes, and had them for at least an hour. They said it was from all the adrenaline in my system after delivery....I believe it because that whole thing was the most intense/physical process I'd EVER been through.

about 12 hours after being born

Baby Z wasn't too vocal right away so they had to get him stimulated into crying, but I did get to hold him right away. He was just so beautiful. He also had a low temperature so he had to be under the heat lamp for a while too.
He was super chill the first couple days after coming into the world.
I think he was just taking it all in.

Mom get me out of here!

He no longer has that problem. This boy gets LOUD!

The rest of these pictures are from a *photo shoot* I did in when he was about 5 weeks old. 

Which is when he started SMILING!

So far being a Mom has been so fun. Exhausting but fun.
I'd trade sleep for his sweet face any day!

I'm sure my posting will be just as sporadic but hopefully more fun as I give updates about baby Z, being parents and all the fun that follows!
:)

*Jenny

5 Days and Counting

Hello Blog friends! Its been a while. 

We're here in the home stretch of baby-making. My due date is this coming Saturday!!! The means baby Gill could come tomorrow.....or, he could come on the 4th of July. Here's hoping he comes a little bit before Independence Day. 

37 weeks

Today also marks the second week I've been home from work. I think the wonderful women I work with could tell that my swollen ankles and painful wrists needed an early break so they let me start my 'maternity leave' early. And can I tell you how WONDERFUL it is to not be working right now? 

I am just not sure how women work up until the day they deliver. I wasn't getting anything done in preparation for baby when I was working-I'd come home so tired, and our evenings tend to be a little bit over-scheduled.....so sleep was always the priority. 

Anyway while I was working all the time-Bosley started to have a hard time. I think a large part of the problem was the fact we were gone all day and so tired at night he didn't get much exercise OR attention....and then there was the issue of all these new things coming into our home, that from his little puppy eyes-looked like they should be toys for him.

So, he took it upon himself to "play" with these new toys one afternoon while I was at work.

Bosley the Destroyer of worlds

Yea-that is a picture of the destruction. In case you can't tell what's shredded there its a WHOLE package of disposable diapers, an outfit including shoes, linky toys, a blanket and a stuffed animal.
This wasn't the first time either although it was the largest massacre of baby stuff.
I came home from work tired, swollen and hungry. I waddled into the living room to see the Boz, sitting there amongst the carnage, wagging his tail all ready to play.
I just started crying.....called Mr. Gill and told him I think we might have to give Bosley up because his hunger for diapers has become too much for me to handle.
I'm pretty sure Mr. Gill rolled his eyes and thought to himself-seriously? But he could tell I was very upset because of the angry/crying/yelling at the dog on the other end of the phone and tried to logically talk to me about how Boz behaves when people are actually around, which is slightly sneaky-but not malicious or even really very naughty.
Which was needed because I wasn't being fair to the dog and I may have been a *little* hormonal.
These last few weeks have been MUCH better with Boz though.

Happy Dog

We've been spending our mornings outside in the backyard, and taking lots of walks around the neighborhood. 

We've also been hanging out at a local park that has foothills and a pond, so Bosley can swim and I can climb up and down flights of stairs (rumor has it that helps the baby move into the right position for labor). He's been happier, and so have I. 

We aren't scared of how he'll react to the baby, although we are for sure anticipating a little bit of jealousy.....maybe a couple more chewings of baby things. 

But like my mom mentioned to me after that last massacre.....its only a matter of time before Bosley and baby Gill are a team; tearing up all my stuff. ;)

So here we are just waiting. I'll try to keep taking pictures of how things go and maybe even post pictures of the nursery before the baby comes!

*Jenny

Photo Dump!

So it's been several months since I've posted. Um, 3 months to be exact. And, I'd say I'm sorry but-ya know....we're just living life. Here is a just a quick photo run-down of what's been happening the last 3 months.

In late Janurary we found out we're having a boy!

Our lemon tree produced several big lemons-and I made Lemon Bars!

The recipe is on my Pinterest page-OHMIGOODNESS! SO GOOD!

Bosley got a cut on his little paw and then had to wear the cone of shame until it healed....since he spent all day licking the cut and making it worse....poor puppy. Except his bumbling around w/the cone was SO funny. I mean, SO funny. hehe




This is some fabric I picked out for baby. How stinkin' cute is that? I haven't actually MADE anything with it but, its going to be something beautiful.
























This photo is from the very end of March. I was only 27 weeks-but guess what? I was measuring more like I was 33 weeks. He's going to be a BIG baby.

My parents bought us a BEAUTIFUL crib that I adore. Bosley has been practicing protectively watching over the crib like a big brother should.
Actually he just wanted to be w/Michael as he was putting it together which meant he was practically in the crib as it was being assembled.

And last but not least the Michael Gill and Friends Band had a show just last week! It was super fun and they are going to start recording!

That's a mini-glimpse into what's been going on w/the Gills.
Have a good Wednesday friends!

Hello friend

Hello Blog Friends! Happy 2013! So, it's been over 2 months since I've honestly even thought about putting a post up here....but I have a very reasonable excuse. I'm PREGNANT! I'm a little over 4 months along, and so super excited it's kinda crazy. Let me tell you though, they aren't joking about mind-numbing fatigue that accompanies the first trimester or so. I still sleep like 8-9...or 10 hours a night and then take a nap most afternoons. Making a baby is apparently tiring work. So, there's that. I'll be sure to give updates regularly about how things are going. So far, so good....the baby is about the size of an avocado and is apparently hungry because in the last week or so I can't seem to stop eating. We have a few adventures ahead of us this year. Mr. Gill and I have made a resolution to work on the house. Well, mostly Mr. Gill has made that resolution since he'll be doing most of the work, but I totally support him in that choice. The first project is to put a light/vent into the ceiling of the bathroom. I don't think I've posted any pictures of the bathroom on the blog....and for a good reason....it's totally gross. It has safety handles in the shower, molding caulk all round the tub and a general sense of grodiness that I can't get rid of no matter how much I scrub that room. This was supposed to be a simple project, but apparently our house has crazy wiring and tall attic that has made this project a little more, um....let's say delicate than we anticipated. So, we've been living with a hole in the ceiling for about a week, with hopes that this weekend we'll (we being Mr. Gill and Mr. Gill Senior) knock it out. I'll try to take pictures of the process just so y'all can join in the fun. Anyone else working on any fun projects for the new year? I actually have a couple of things I'll be trying....like getting a handle of our out of control budget/non-budget, prepping our spare bedroom for baby-land and being more purposeful with my interactions...(with friends, co-workers, etc). I also want to read some good books. I feel like it's been years since I've read a really good book. Any suggestions? My library card has only seen baby books the last 4 months...we need a change of pace! Here's to a new year and the clean slate! *Jenny G

EmWrites about Hospitality

Hey Friends!
I was invited to guest post over at my good friend Emily Miller's blog today!
Emily is a close friend I made while living in the great city of Chicago, and has taught me many things including a reverance for Patron Saints.
She is a newlywed that blogs over at EmMillerWrites, writes for Start Marriage Right and The Chicago Sun-times! 
Over on her blog she has been doing a FANTASTIC series on Hospitality called You're Welcome.
This series has a lot of awesome stuff about being hospitable and why being hospitable is important so go check it out!
Also-Emily is in general really fun and witty....so take some time to check out her blog in full.
Don't worry-she gave me permission to let you blog stalk her!

Have a good weekend!

That one time

So remember that one time when I told you that my husband was in a band, and that band was going to have a concert?


Well-that totally happened!


Like, two months ago..... :)


But I have PROOF!

It was the best ever having a concert in our backyard. 

We had over 80 friends and family come by and we even got to meet some new neighbors! 

Soon there will be a song clip up of the show.....but Mr. Gill is in charge of making that happen-as it will be showcasing his band. 

One last thing:

I LOVE Fall and all the joys that come with it, like watching my nephews play in the leaves!

Truffles!

Truffles.

Cookie Dough Truffles.

Seriously, these are SO SO good.

AND Bonus-if you can make chocolate chip cookies-you can totally make these!

I first found this recipe on the blog Love and Olive Oil a couple of years ago when I was looking for a sweet treat to bring to a function but I didn't want to bake.

The only modification I've made to the recipe is to add a little bit of espresso powder, because all chocolate chip cookie things are better with coffee!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Yield: 3-4 dozen
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz dark chocolate candy coating

Directions:

Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set.

These are great to just have in your freezer to pull out when guests are over.....if you can resist the tempation of having them in your house!

*Jenny G

I'll poke your eyes out

You know how sometimes you want something SO MUCH you rip right into it and then something unexpected happens?

Yea, I don't think that's what happened here. 

I'm pretty sure the Boz wanted to tear out this toy's eyes.

My terror of a puppy. 

Getting Crafty

When Mr. Gill and I moved into our new home last winter, we were not very discriminate on which room would be our bedroom.
In all honesty we just choose the room that 'seemed' to be the biggest.
So we set up our bedroom in the room that has a window that faces the entry-way of our neighbors house. There are some privacy shrubbery so they can't just peer into our windows during their comings and goings.....BUT they have a huge flood light.
A flood light they like to turn on as soon as it goes dark and it STAYS ON ALL NIGHT!
Because of this we now have the *UGLY* beige black out curtains in our room.
Very not my style but....I think I have found a solution to this issue.

No-Sew Roman Shades

This is a photo of my kitchen window (notice the pots hanging) not my bedroom.
I found this tutorial on pinterest, and knew I wanted to try it in my kitchen, mostly because I already had the tools.
This fabric is adorable and the bright cherries really work in this space.

How this works is you take a cheap-o plastic blind-ours came w/the house, remove all the slats (blinds?) from the ropes except for just a few.
The slats you keep on will be where the shade folds up when you pull the string.

Then you measure out your fabric to cover the blinds, glue your seams, glue the fabric to the slats...being careful to not glue the rope down so it can move freely.

The tutorial has step by step instructions.

I was able to complete this project for FREE! I already had the blinds, fabric and glue so all I needed was a little time and patience....


But... I'm not going to lie to you, friends.
This project is EASY but I was probably not as diligent with the measuring/cutting as I should have been....just because it's no-sew does not = lazy face.
So, next time I would be more careful how I glue down my seams to make sure they match exactly. This one has a little over hang you can see on the photo above.....and I'm not going to show you a picture of this but the bottom is not exactly even (:o) but, it works.

I am REALLY excited to try this idea in our light filled nightmare of a bedroom. I'm thinking I can use the ugly blackout curtains as the base for these roman shades w/a super cute fabric adhered on top?
I will try this as soon as the air conditioner unit finds a new home not in my window.....but that might take a while as Boise has been in a heat wave for the last couple of months.

I can't wait to make our bedroom reflect more of our style, and what a great way to do that w/out spending loads of cash.

So if you are looking for an easy and cheap way to update your windows here you go!

*Jenny G

The Library and a Burger Bun Recipe

On my 30 before 30 list I wrote that I wanted to get "good" at baking.

Well....I don't necessarily think this qualifies as being "good" at baking but seriously two of the best bread concoctions come out of my oven in the last few days.

Firstly, I made a recipe out of Peter Reinhart's artisan breads every day.

Yea, I'm the girl that checks cookbooks out of the library....so what?

Anyway this recipe for ciabatta bread is the BOMB! And pretty easy....the hardest part is thinking about it the night before you want the bread since it must chill in the fridge overnight.

If you are interested in making something other than sandwich loaf, check this book out....seriously....from your library :)

The OTHER thing I made were homemade hamburger buns!

RIGHT? Who does that?
A girl looking for an excuse to bake that's who.....but these were for real the best ever.
They really taste similar to the onion buns you get at the grocery only WAY better.

See all those yummy topping? Garlic salt, dried onions and flax seed!

I found the recipe at www.Chezus.com a neat blog I like to follow for fun cocktail ideas and stumbled across these!
I pinned it for later (of course) and the other day I had no idea what to have for dinner but we had some burgers. Homemade buns make burgers special-that's the truth.

I followed the recipe almost exactly, only altering the flour (I substituted 1 cup whole wheat) and my toppings.

Chez Us homemade buns

1 packet active-dry yeast (about 1 tablespoon) 1/2 cup warm water 1/2 cup warm whole milk 1 large egg 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 cups all-purpose flour egg wash – 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon of each:  toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion (or any seeds/toppings you like) 1 teaspoon maldon salt In the mixing bowl of your mixer, add the yeast into the warm water.  Stir.  Let it sit until dissolved.  In a separate bowl, stir the warm milk, with the egg, sugar, and salt.  Mix well.  Add the melted butter.  Stir again to mix well.  Add mixture to the yeast. Put the dough hook onto your mixer and stir the mixture well.  Add the flour, one cup at a time and mix well after each addition.  About 3 minutes.  Continue kneading at low speed for 8 minutes.  The dough will be smooth and spring back when touched.  Remove the dough from the mixer bowl, and lightly oil it.  Return the dough to the mixing bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a couple dish towels.  Put into a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk;  about 60 minutes. While the dough is rising combine the seeds with the onion and garlic as well as the salt.  Set aside. Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto the flour.  Lightly knead for a couple minutes with your hands.  Divide the dough into 8 pieces, they will be about 3 ounces each.  Shape each into a tight ball.  Transfer the balls to a baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchment paper.  Let them rise in a warm place (I like to slide into an over that was gently heated for a couple minutes.  Turn the heat off) and let the dough rise until they are puffy and about the size of a burger patty.  About 40 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.  Lightly brush the tops with the egg wash.  Gently sprinkle with the seed/onion mixture.  Bake the buns for 17 minutes or until golden.  Let the buns cool to room temperature before serving.  Serve.  Eat. *Jenny G

The Krill

So we've been busy as bees around here!

I've been crafting again and I'll have something fun to show you that I copied off of Pinterest (aren't all the best things copied off Pinterest?) probably next week because-let's just be real people.
I don't post every third day.

Anywho, another fun thing we've been working hard on are the plans we have for our Labor Day Weekend!

PS-did you know Labor Day Weekend 2012 is in less than a month!

We are hosting a backyard concert!!


Oh yes we are!

Mr. Gill has formed a band called Michael Gill & The Krill and they are going to play in our backyard.

I know, it seems kind of silly but we are super excited about it for lots of reasons but I'll just list a couple here for you.
1. Mr. Gill has to practice his own songs, making him more comfortable with his stuff.
2. He's invited some of his friends (and family) to be in the band with him, making it exponentially MORE awesome.
3. Its a great reason to have a party and this girl likes parties! Especially parties that bring people together that won't often get together. Mr. Gill's parents are moving to Idaho in like a day and this is the perfect situation for them to get acquainted with our friends and neighbors.
4. Our good friends have also formed a band named Chase, The Fox and they will be opening up the show! How great is that?

This is the *poster* I made for the event. When I say poster really I mean a photo that I added text to....because I have a VERY limited understanding of Photoshop. 

What are YOUR plans for Labor Day Weekend?

*Jenny G

Sunday Breakfast

So Mr. Gill and I usually try to take some time to have a nice breakfast on Sundays for a couple of reasons.
1. Usually Saturdays are busy and having a slow morning doesn't work out well
2. Church is in the evenings for us so we are able to chill out in the am.

This morning we had whole wheat biscuits and eggs w/Mr. Gill's fancy sauce.

The biscuits came together SUPER quick and made a bunch so we have plenty for the quick mornings during the week.

The recipe comes from The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook my mom gave me when I moved out, which I have referenced many times in the years I've been cooking for myself!

Biscuits Supreme

2 c flour (we used whole wheat but it calls for all-purpose)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (we omitted)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening
2/3 c milk

Pre-heat oven to 450* and stir together all dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add in milk. Stir until dough just comes together and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently for 10-12 strokes. Roll to a 1/2 inch thickness and cut w/biscuit cutter (or the top of a drinking glass).

Bake on un-greased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes.

Makes 10-12 biscuits.

Top w/homemade jam or a creamy bechamel sauce and fried egg.
Pour yourself some coffee and enjoy w/your favorite person!

*Jenny G

A whole stick of butter

You may or may not have noticed but I am a terribly inconsistent person. 

There are a few things I do regularly. 

Sleep. I've got that one down.

Eat. I really enjoy that one. 

But blogging.....apparently not. 

Sorry :/

But...you're HERE.....

Reading anyway even if I don't post daily.....or weekly....sometimes I even go a month. 

:/ 

There have been a few fun things that have happened in since our last chat. 

1. My little sister Laura came to visit! 

We had a stupid awesome time floating the Boise River, having her lead me through Nike Trainer and not being able to walk the rest of the day, and marathon out of nowhere shopping spree. 

Sidenote: Laura is probably my favoritest person to go shopping with because she's honest and has a HIGH sense of fashion and most of all she can talk me into trying things on I love but would have NEVER picked out for myself.

2. The day after my sister left to go home to Michigan, my sister in law went into labor and had her first child! I was there for the birth and it was awesome.....and slightly terrifying....but mostly incredible. 

I've never seen a human come out of a human before.....and I thought I knew what to expect, but I was literally in awe of what I saw.....absolutely incredible. 

Last thing I have to say about this is-Men are wimps. I can't imagine a dude doing anything like that.

3. The Boz and I have been spending quite a bit of time together!

Believe me, he's still a puppy-but he's been mellowing out quite a bit. 

We've been exercising him more, and I think the high heat here in Boise is making him in general more tired.

He's a pretty happy dog, and even though he ate a WHOLE STICK OF BUTTER that I set out to make cookies with today-I still love him.

Hopefully next time we sit down to talk I'll have a recipe up for you!

Have a good weekend!

*Jenny G

Easy as Pie

Baking a pie.

Sounds easy right?

Well. 

Maybe. 

ok-here's the story. I was given a bunch of rhubarb recently and I though-GOODNESS! I'll make a couple of strawberry rhubarb pies, one for Mr. Gill (his favorite) and one for our neighbor....since we're still new to the neighborhood and have yet to bribe people to like us. 

But things got complicated for several reasons.

1. I froze the rhubarb.

apparently rhubarb doesn't really like to be frozen, as a stalk that is-it was kinda mushy and gross....which made it hard to cut through.......so-don't freeze rhubarb.

Maybe it would survive better if you pre-chopped then freeze? I dunno. 

2. I tried a new pie crust recipe that boasted making enough for several pies.....when attempting to give away a pie just DON'T try something new. 

The crust was um.....kinda not good.....i'm not going to even tell you what recipe I tried because-well-it was edible but we've all had not so great crust so why share sometime less than awesome right? 

3. I didn't have a pie plate!

I've lent it out and forgot about it until I'm all strawberry rhubarbed up and have (not-so-awesome) pie crust coming out of my ears.

So I being my inventive self used a cake pan from the dollar store that I don't actually bake cakes in because-well......bakeware from the dollar store just doesn't really cut it does it?

so I made only one, and Mr. Gill ate it. 

and our neighbors still think we're slightly shady since we haven't yet had a pie.

The inside of the pie was pretty awesome. I used this recipe from Deb over at Smitten Kitchen!

I'm sure if you have a pie plate AND use her recipe for crust or any other tried and tested crust recipe it would be a wonderful pie to share for the 4th of July! What is more American than Strawberry Rhubarb Pie? 

Well...

Apple Pie 

but those aren't quite in season yet-but berries are so head over to Deb's blog and try this recipe out.

*Jenny G