The Ry Guy Report: 7 Months

Weight  18.25 lbs

Length  25.75 inches

Milestones 

• Learning object permanence
• Teething
• Showing signs of separation anxiety
• Sits unsupported
• Eating first foods
• Spins himself in a circle when placed on his tummy (no forward motion yet)

Likes

• Eating!
• Variety
• The piano
• Sitting up
• Being with Mommy
• Chewing on his thumb

Dislikes

• Sleeping
• Not being able to see Mommy
• Sitting still
• Having his face wiped

The Quotable Ry Guy I thought for sure he said Mama a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard it since. Wishful thinking, I guess. He mostly just squeals, hums, or babbles.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

I love me a good cupcake! What I don't love is cupcake remorse. You know, that "Crud.... how many minutes of cardio do I have to do to work that off?" kind of remorse.

What's a cupcake loving, cardio loathing girl to do?  Work smarter, not harder.

Ok, so I'll be the first to admit, this recipe is not calorie free, fat free, sugar free or taste free. Or anything free for that matter. You will probably still need to do cardio to burn it off.

BUT, it's a healthier, more "real food" alternative if you're looking for a sweet treat. And man alive, does it deliver!

The recipe below is for just the cupcake part. You can frost it with your personal fave. I am in love with German Buttercream (shown here), so if you'd like to give that a try, pop over to my recipage to get the scoop on my Cinnamon Brown Sugar German Buttercream.

I also decided to go all fancy-schmancy and garnish these puppies with some cinnamon sugared pecans. Pretty easy. I tweaked this recipe here for those. (Just did the topping, swapped coconut oil for butter.) Impressive taste and presentation for practically no work. Gotta love that.

Don't you just want to dive in?

Cupcake remorse optional.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

by Raye

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 22-25 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert pumpkin cupcake fall winter

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Ingredients (15 cupcakes)

• 3/4 c. cake flour (or all purpose flour)
• 3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 c. pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 c. organic whole cane sugar, sucanat or free flowing brown sugar
• 3/4 c. coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin cups with paper liners or grease well.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
• In a large bowl, cream together coconut oil (in solid state) and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternately with the pumpkin, beginning and ending with the pumpkin.
• Divide batter equally between muffin cups, filling each cup approximately 3/4 full.
• Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.
• Cool completely before icing. Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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Stuffing a Thrifty Stocking

We decided to do stocking stuffers for our family Christmas gathering this year.  This is the first time since I've been married that 1.) we're celebrating the holidays with family instead of hither and yon in some hotel room, and 2.) we're doing stockings.

Typically, stocking stuffers at my house growing up consisted of CANDY, a few fun items, and a few practical items (think toothbrush, chapstick, etc.).  M's family was the same way. But, now we're all grown up and can't rely on lifesaver books (remember those?!), chocolate coins, and candy canes to fill up the stockings.

Although, I wouldn't be opposed to candy... hint, hint!

Here's a few suggestions for stuffing a thrifty stocking:

1. Check out the Dollar Store
 They often have nice items for (you guessed it!) $1.  Our Dollar Tree offers brand name cosmetics, bath salts, fuzzy socks, and travel size hair products, as well as a few craft supplies (such as stickers, ribbon, die cuts, and stamp pads).

The Ry Guy Report: 6 Months

Weight 17.25 lbs

Length 25.5 inches

Milestones

• Rolled over from tummy to back on Nov. 22!
• Sits up pretty well on his own, but still wobbly and falls over sometimes.
• Teething like crazy.
• Chews on everything in sight.
• Can play on his tummy for longer periods of time now.

Likes

• To sit up in his high chair seat and interact with the family at the dinner table (or play with his toys).
• Grabbing for everything within (or close to) his reach.
• Drooling.
• Squealing with glee.
• Bathtime.

Dislikes

• His last nap of the day.
• Teething.
• Strangers in hats.

The Quotable Ry Guy  "[ear piercing shriek] or [belly laugh]".  "Hmmmm... [blurble]".

"This one's for me, right?"

 

30 Before 30 Update: November 2013 Edition

How was November for you? Jam-slammed busy? No? Mine was.  Seemed like there were a million things to do! And December promises to be busy as well, although we are endeavoring to have as simple a holiday season as possible.  Still working toward my 30 Before 30 goals!

Anyway, I did manage to cook up some new recipes and even did an overhaul on an old family favorite, whole berry cranberry sauce.  One step closer to completing my Recipe File Makeover.  I do have to concede that there are a few recipes that I may not be able to overhaul, but it's a work in progress.  I ate it all before I thought about forgot to take a picture, but I plan to make it again for Christmas and you'll hear ALL about it then.  3 down, a million and a half or so to go. Ok, not that many, but still quite a few.

We're having fun with Turkey Day leftovers, like these Cranberry Crumb Cups. YUMMMM. Pics are still forthcoming, and I'm still having issues with uploading my nutrition facts label, but working on it, I promise!

I've also been practicing the piano just about every day, for at least a few minutes, while Ry Guy plays solo with some toys.  He's getting better at amusing himself, but for now, that means 15 minutes or so for me to do something that doesn't involve me holding him.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

Great news for all you readers out there searching for an allergen-friendly dessert for the holidays.  Look no further! I made this awesome Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake this year for Thanksgiving.  It's egg-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.

I spent a good bit of time looking for an egg-free cheesecake recipe, only to find that most of them either used cashews (a bit pricey) or tofu (soy is a no-no for me) as fillers. Grrr... So, then I found this egg-free cheesecake recipe and was inspired to make it my own.

Who knew you don't really need eggs, wheat, tofu or cashews to make an amazing cheesecake with a really great cheesecake texture?  News to me.  But, trust me, it's totally possible.

And totally delicious.

Walnut Oat Pie Crust Recipe (Gluten-Free!)

Planning to cook for a gluten-free somebody this holiday season? I don't know about you, but I love me a good pie. Bummer for those who can't have the gluten in the pie crust (or the filling)...it makes baking a little trickier.

Here's a solution: Walnut Oat Pie Crust.

It's really simple to throw together and really reminds me of a graham cracker crust, both in texture and taste.  It's definitely less sweet than a traditional graham cracker crust and actually, kind of tastes like a granola bar...now that I think about it...