oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

i made cookies today- like i need these: i found this recipe online...
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks of butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
dash of nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups oats (regular, not quick cooking)
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugar very well. Add eggs, vanilla, and syrup; beat well. Sift together flour, soda, seasonings, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture. Mix in oats, chips, and nuts. Scoop large balls of dough (about 2 tblsp) onto a greased cookie sheet and freeze until firm. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 and remove dough from freezer (this keeps them from spreading too much). Arrange on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for about 12 minutes-14 minutes. Cool 1 minute on pans and then remove to wire rack.

yum!
God Bless

RE Appt

sooo: our RE appt went well! he already had all of our medical info faxed over so he asked us some basic questions & then wanted to look at my charts. he said they were "text book" so i was pretty stoked about that. he also told brandon that his SA results "were'nt all that bad" so that made him happy. after being nice and putting us at ease he sent us over to his nurse to set up all the testing. SO- within the next 3 weeks if my FP shows, we will have to do the following:
me:
1. basic bloodwork (done)
2. cd3 bloodword
3. ultrasound
4. HSG (eek)
brandon:
1. basic bloodwork (done)
2. SA #2

we both took care of the basic b/w yesterday so we're good to go with that. brandon has to set up his next SA within the next two weeks & if/when my FP shows up i will have to call on cd1 to set up the cd3 b/w, ultrasound & HSG. sounds like a blast! after all the testing comes back, we'll head back to the RE for a follow up visit & go from there! i'm pretty excited to have a plan- i expressed that to brandon but i think it upset him because he feels like i've given up hope of us just getting pregnant "naturally". i tried to explain that, that is not what i mean, but i don't know if he get's it. it's already been 11 cycles & it hasn't happened yet, so yes, getting a course of action DOES excite me! and no, i don't "count" on getting pregnant anymore- it sucks too much getting FP every month like clockwork. that is not to say that i don't want it to just happen- but i'd rather forge ahead with treatments & get pregnant than wait around for it to just "happen". but i guess i don't really expect him to understand my views on it either because neither of us are in each other's shoes. we're in the same boat, but at totally different ends. we're both for "it" happening, but we each deal with how it might have to happen a little differently. meh- the end result will make us both happy though, so i try not to sweat it.

so yes- that's what's up & all in all, i'm happy. i think this getting pregnant thing could very well happen to us within the next couple months!

p.s. my cake was a HUGE success! yay!

happy sunday

I made a birthday cake today- tomorrow is a co-worker's b-day and since it was my b-day was last, i have to provide the cake this time around. i don't mind at all, because of my love for baking and this particular co-worker. she is the sweetest, quirkiest, craziest lady ever. she's also a new grandmother, so while i have to listen to accounts of her grandaughter's latest accomplishments, (i.e. blinking, smiling, pooping) i still love her. sooo, when i was told she like chocolate cake with chocolate icing went to work. in the end, this was the result:

i'm pretty excited about it- i don't really like chocolate on chocolate but i taste tested some and i think it's gonna be a hit. even brandon tried it and he dislikes chocolate on chocolate even more than i, and he said it was good. so i'm pleased. unfortunately i won't get to see any of the reactions to it because i have my RE appt tomorrow at 2p.m. and that's when we usually "do" the birthday stuff. booo- but it's a small price to pay for some answers to our childless life!!!

so yeah- i'm pretty stoked about our appt and i hope we get some answers or testing scheduled at least. i'm hoping to be knocked up within the next month- ha! we shall see. ah well- i'm off.

God Bless

valentines day cupcakes

thanks to pmarie i came home & made two different valentine cupcakes:


#1 - buttercream(ish) frosting

this recipe was the much easier & healthier of the two. i'm excited to try them tomorrow!









#2 - cream cheese frosting

these ones came out awesome! they were a little more time consuming and rather fattening but SUPER yummy!

i'm pretty excited to send them off with my husband to work tomorrow. i hope they go over well!

in other news: despite the shitty weather, the hubby had his SA today- needless to say it was a little uncomfortable for him, but it's done and we'll have the results tomorrow!!!
::fingers crossed::
amen!

happy birthday to me!

i'm 24 today! i feel so old- meh! mr. bird did well with my present this year:

it's perfect- i don't usually even like pink but it works well with the brown- so, me likey! good job honey, mwah! i <3 it!

hmmm- so we went to church & then panera & then coldstone & then came home. he watched the pro bowl (GOD what i would give to be in hawaii right now) & i made some mini chocolate chip muffins:

Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons buttermilk (if buttermilk is unavailable, you may use regular whole milk)

1/2 cup semisweet miniature chocolate chips

Instructions:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Line a mini muffin pan with 18 (1 3/4-inch) mini muffin cup liners. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 3. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and buttermilk, and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients; scrape down the bowl as necessary. By hand, gently stir in the chocolate chips. 4. Divide batter evenly between lined muffin cups. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let stand in pans for 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 2 dozen mini muffins.

they're good- just the perfect size for popping into your mouth & feeling bad 10 minutes later after you've eaten 3+. awesome.

in other news: the mr. is going to get his SA this week & we have an appt. with the RE next monday- i'm pretty stoked- maybe we can finally get knocked up! i'm also slated to ovulate on the 14th soooo- we'll see! please God!!!

ok i'm off to watch the grammys- ciao

thank you God for another year- i'm so grateful to be alive. thank you!

<3

breakfast at the birds

this morning i made cornmeal banana pankcakes. they were pretty good:

Cornmeal Banana Pancakes:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/8 tsp salt (pinch)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbls sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbls oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 bananas sliced (optional)


Directions: sift together dry ingredients in a small bowl- wisk in the wet ingredients (minus the bananas) heat up a griddle or non-stick pan & add butter- pour batter into pan to desired pancake size- when the pancake just starts to bubble place desired amount of banana slices on top of pancake and flip. cook till firm (an addtl 1 -2 min) and transfer to plate. serve w/butter or maple syrup or whatever you eat pancakes with! enjoy.
makes about 8 medium sized pankcakes

in other news- my FP started yesterday (a good 3 days early giving me a 9 day LP this month) so i was pretty bummed. but i'm better now & my husband is going to call his dr. on monday & ask for a SA. If we're not pregnant by march then i will call my OB & we're going to start clomid & possibly an IUI cycle (depending on SA results) i thin if all goes well we can be pregnant by march or april. considering that i was planing on already having a child by that time it's a little disheartening. but all in God's time.

have a great superbowl sunday. GO GIANTS!

bummer

well i thought i might have a shot this month at getting knocked up (we mananged to squeeze in sex once before i ovulted despite the traveling) but now, i doubt it. all signs point to my FP (fucking period). it sucks wicked bad this month because on top of finding out last month that friends of ours are pregnant(and shouldn't be) i just found out yesterday that a friend of mine is pregnant again too (almost the EXACT same situation as my other friends except that they're not married & only hate each other sometimes) either way- they all have 3 kids already & are beyond poor. what the FUCK!? this is insanely unfair. i try not to bitch too much but this is really killing me.

ugh- whatever. i have to go to work & it's supposed to be a shitty day weather wise & then i have to babysit 3 beautiful little girls tonight (one highlite of my day, but still a cruel reminder of what i can't have) blah.

God Bless