Post Potty Training Meltdown Update!! Wooo!

Let's just pretend that I didn't freak out last week about potty training Melia... this week something just clicked and she is wearing big girl undies that she loves and is going potty in the toilet almost 100% during the day.

WooHOo!!

Now I guess we have to work on holding it at night, the only problem is that Melia has a night time routine where when she is told to go to bed she asks for water and drinks about a gallon! Haha I guess I'll just let her have a sip from now on.

The most exciting part is that I don't have to buy anymore diapers from now on!! Yay!
This is for you Grandma and Grandpa...now you won't have to worry about changing diapers when she comes to stay with you in May :)

Homeade Girl Scout Cookies

I Love March...because that's when I get to eat these...

But here's the problem, I've already bought some...but sadly they're gone already - but the craving is still there but how am I not surprised? But it's OK, I 'll admit to it. I have no willpower whatsoever when it comes to Thin Mints or Lemonades or Samoas. I could eat a whole box of those suckers in one sitting. And I know I'm not the only one...

And I've tried to have Bryce hide them...but I find them.

And I've tried to freeze them in "correct" portions...but I eat them. All.

So obviously I have a problem but I'm OK with that.

I've looked for Girl Scouts left and right but they have seemed to have deserted Yucaipa and left us hanging onto an unhappy cookie free existence. Now as much as I want to support the GS troops, a girl's gotta look out for herself and her wants and needs. And since I know what I want, and I know what I need, here is what I plan to do!
And while your at it check out Baking Bites because it's super and I love it and it's what you should do.

Homemade Samoas
Cookies

1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.

While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Note: These cookies are fairly time consuming to make, but if you take your time and have fun with them, the results will be worth it. That said, if you want something a little bit quicker, try baking a batch of Samoas Bars instead, which require no rolling and cutting of the dough!

Homemade Thin Mints
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp peppermint extract

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick - if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp - and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread very much, so you can put them quite close together.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Coating
10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt on high power in the microwave, stirring every 45-60 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating.
Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.

Makes 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Potty Training for Dummies

Tips...advice...I am looking for some! I feel like I have NO idea what I'm doing...

Melia started using the potty about 6 months ago Id just stick her on there to get aquainted with it and she would occasionally go poop when I caught her in her "poop stance". She has gotton alot better at it but there is no consistancy what- so -ever and it's making me want to pull- my -hair out!!
Some days are better then others, Melia will tell me she has to go potty, but only if she's running around naked. If she has panties or clothes on she'll just pee where ever...ugh!!
It doesn't bother her to actually go on the toilet, but it's just trying to get her to tell me. Other {bad} days consist of me wiping pee off the floor, thank goodness for wood flooring!!
She is going through a really defiant stage where everything is NO or MINE so maybe I should wait until she's more willing? Should I do Pull-ups, or just let her run around with no bottoms on? What are my other options? Or maybe she's not ready yet...But I sure am. Any tips puh-leeeease!
Thanks!

Ma- Ma -Ma -Maui

Yes! Thank you to those who guessed... we are going to Maui the end of May. Also Miranda is fantastic and I love her. She shared this video with me... My only wish is that Ben and Jack would have waited for me to get there before filming this. They are absolutely my most two favorite guys in the world. :) love love love love

Ten more weeks!

This is where I'll be...
anybody dare to guess where???

We Seriously {heart} Disneyland

It seems since we've acquired these passes we have become somewhat obsessed with going to Disneyland. Bryce is off school this week for Spring Break so you know we jumped on that opportunity to visit the happiest place on earth! It was a little cold but you know that's what keeps the crowds away - better for us anyways! We spent most the day in California Adventure, which is still foreign to both of us since we haven't been there before. We did go to the tortilla factory and I had the BEST tortilla I've ever had in my whole flipping life! I think I'll go get a birthday pin next time just so I can get my hands on a whole stack of those babies haha.

A quick break for a fam picture

Oh crap! Then there was the Bugs Life show... for those who have seen it you know exactly what Im talking about! I was scared watching it, but poor Melia couldn't handle it after the first "explosion". That show was wiggity wack jack!

This was us before the show with our bug goggles... before all the horror...and bug wedgies...ew! that part freaked me out the most!!

My two loves

In the Bugs Life park


I think Bryce and I have the most fun on these kids rides haha...poor Melia smacked her head on this one!

Playing in the bumper cars - Melia is crazy! She was really getting into the crashing part...Hmm I don't know if that should scare me or not haha

Melia was cracking up the whole time we were on Autotopia, I let her drive completely so we were banging around the track the whole time.
We let Melia go and touch the "magic Disneyland ball". Honestly I have no clue what it is or what its for but all the parents were taking pics of their kids rolling it so I figured eh -why not join them!

The carousel is Melia's favorite ride by far. She is definitely her mother's child - her eyes get all Chinesey when she smiles.

Yep...we seriously {heart} Disneyland!

Still in my Pj's

Yep, this is me...typing away in the middle of the afternoon...in my pj's :) I am still exhausted from all of the craziness that happened last night at the "tryouts". It left me feeling a little disappointed in the whole selection process (only about 60 random people got to participate in playing out of 3000+ people) But oh well that's show biz I guess!

We got to the Casino a little after 4:30 pm and waited...and waited...and waited until 9 pm where we all got to stand some more in a room where 20 people in our group of 1000 got randomly chosen to solve some puzzles. Do I wish it would have been me or one of my friends to get called up there?? Well heck ya... but unfortunately it didn't turn out that way. It was pretty fun once we got up there though. The host was such a ham and he got everyone pumped up and screaming. It was fun to hang out with Kristen and her mom and Connie, without them I would have probably not been so thrilled about the waiting. My only hope now is that the host guy said they'll pick more random names out of the drum when they get back to LA to come audition down there with the finalists of last night.

I know it's pretty far fetched but I am keeping my fingers crossed!!

This was the first time we got to sit down after HOURS of standing

The stage

The coveted yellow wristband

One of the lucky devils that actually got to go up there

This was an after we didn't get chosen picture, I think it's pretty self explanatory

So for now I think I'll just stick to solving the puzzles in the comfort of my home. :)