December 13, 2012
Dinner. Dishwashing. Christmas cookies. And … cue the chaos!
My days were going something like this:
Hold baby on hip and collect bowls one-handed. Perform world record juggling act that will never be recorded.
Switch baby to other hip and get ingredients from the pantry. Take two trips because I can’t carry them all at once.
Put baby in bouncy seat to rummage through freezer.
Soothe baby’s crying. Back to the freezer. Pick baby back up.
Attempt to hold baby while cracking eggs into bowl. Wipe up spilled egg.
Hold baby and bowl with one hand while stirring with other. Wipe up spilled batter.
Put baby down to spoon doughballs onto cookie sheets. Put baby’s binky back in about eighty-seven times.
And on. And on. Cookie baking was quickly becoming a world-class mess. And dinner prep was taking forever and it was just quesadillas!
I needed a new recipe for cooking with a baby in the house!
I was missing the main ingredient – my baby carrier!
So simple. Put baby in the Ergo.
Use two hands to collect ingredients! Mix batter. Sprinkle quesadillas with cheese and shredded chicken.
Talk to baby while reading recipes, spooning batter into pans, and rinsing dirty dishes!
I do, however, put baby down to put pans into the oven or grill my quesadillas.
Best of all, my baby watches as I prepare a variety of dishes, talking him through each one. Who knows if he will develop a wider taste palette, or an interest in culinary arts from early exposure?
Whatever the case, time with a calm baby and a speedy dinner on the table – delicious! (Not to mention those cookies I smell!).
Cut Out Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Directions:
I do, however, put baby down to put pans into the oven or grill my quesadillas.
Best of all, my baby watches as I prepare a variety of dishes, talking him through each one. Who knows if he will develop a wider taste palette, or an interest in culinary arts from early exposure?
Whatever the case, time with a calm baby and a speedy dinner on the table – delicious! (Not to mention those cookies I smell!).
Cut Out Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Directions:
- Cream sugar and butter with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Blend in eggs and extract until mixture looks grainy
- Beat in 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt until well blended. Gradually add remaining flour.
- Beat on low until soft dough forms.
- Divide into 3 discs, wrap with plastic. Refrigerate 2 hours OR until dough is firm.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Working with one disc at a time place on lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/8 inch.
- Cut out with cookie cutters. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet, 1 inch apart.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Decorate with sprinkles or egg wash as desired.
- Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies set. Remove and cool completely.