Mommy's Little Helper

What started out to be a nice Friday morning has turned into a dreary grey and rainy afternoon. So instead of telling you about the nice sunny walk to the playground I had intended on making, I am going to tell you about the rainy but somewhat productive week we had. Yet, this post may not be as productive as I had hoped as my 13 month old is currently discovering trouble and destruction at my feet. Frankly he is not being as helpful (Mr. I do not want to nap) as he was earlier in the week.  I guess Mommy's little helper has his on and off days too.

To start off, we tried the 3 new recipes we had planned on this week. This weeks recipe trials were a lot better than the previous week. Our slow cooker Indian chicken was divine with a  dollop of yogurt on the side. It called for chicken thighs ( like the last recipe did), but I am curious if I could have used chicken breast instead? Would it dry up too much in the slow cooker? The second meal to temp our taste buds was little modification to our classic salmon with barbecue sauce standard. The recipe called for Halibut but we decided to use salmon. The Aioli was spicy but tasty. In fact so spicey that it made our lips tingle. Finally last night ( on the  Thursday night cooking with Mom and O circus show) we made banana cupcakes with gnache icing. I loved the fluffy warm banana cupcakes that emerged from my oven, but really was indifferent about the icing. For future cooking events with the little man I will need to remember that the blender is scary and causes tears and the hand mixer does not appear to be that enjoyable as well.  A pasta meal and soup meal are on the list next week. I am not so sure about the soup...I hope it is not another dud. 

I tacked a few more jobs in the basement this week. These jobs were very small but at least it was something. I started getting rid of old magazines. I started with Real Simple. I forgot how much I did like this magazine. It has simple recipes ( although not always appealing) fun cleaning ideas, lots of different ideas for using common household tools, and more.  It also always starts out the issue with a quote. As a former quote alcoholic I thought I would share the 3 new quotes I saved from the 3 magazines I have re-viewed and since recycled. 

~It is not the tragedies that kill us, it's the messes -?

~Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most use-less; peacocks and lilies for instance. -John Ruskin

~What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finally my little and big helper tackled a few crooks and crannies in our house this week.  O is fantastic at moving the crumbs around the floor with his new sweeping skills. He is also very talented at putting things away in boxes and containers for me, and really box will do in O land. So on this note, you all can envision me searching for items that O has put away from me. 

Now if only O could help me decide if Mommy should be a fake highlighted blonde or a closer to natural brunette. I wonder if O would like Mommy with a new hair colour, and how much work would it be it maintain. So scary.  But if you look at the attached picture I am half way there.  Oh silly decisions. Have a great night! 

PS. For lots more pictures (clearer and closer up) check out the gallery at the end of each month.