Fun Stuff

We had a few birthdays this month. Some of you already know that two of my girls share a birthday, 5 years apart. Lauren and Nelly were both born on March 4th, so this year Lauren is 8 and Nelly is 3. Part of being 3 means you have to visit the dentist for the first time. Possibly not a fun visit for most 3 year olds, and certainly a nervous experience for Mom, even though I've been through it 4 times now. Some things you just don't get better at. Anyway, any apprehension I might have been feeling was completely unwarranted. Not only did Nelly do perfect, she was treated like a Royal Princess! She's been asking to go back! Here's the low-down....

First of all, she was presented with these ADORABLE sunglasses to wear during the cleaning.
I couldn't help myself. She looked SO cute!!
....and, because she can get away with it, she picked her nose for the dentist...
All in all, though, I thought she did so well. They gave her lots of fun loot to bring home afterward including a Cinderella electric toothbrush! No wonder she wants to go back!

On to the birthday party! My niece, Jaylin, also turned 3 at the end of January. We didn't get to celebrate with her then, though. So, we had all three princesses together to make it extra special.
Grandma got the cupcakes from a local bakery.
Ready,..... Set,........
...BLOW!!!!
Lauren blew hers out, too.

And Nelly got a new Princess bike for her birthday. She and Owen have been racing down the sidewalk and having a great time.

This is Two for One Tuesday, I guess, because I've got two recipes to post. One is a yummy cookie recipe that was shared with me by my friend, KK. I don't think she'll mind if I post it here. If you like coconut, you'll love these.

The second is a recipe of my own for buttermilk flatbread, shown here wrapped around chicken salad. The flatbread can be used for lots of different things. My kids love it as a pizza crust, but I also like to use it to make sandwiches. The dough can also be made into rolls if you'd prefer not to finish it into flatbread. I guess you could say it's a very versatile recipe. This recipe has been written for use with a bread machine, but you could make it by hand, if you prefer. Enjoy!!

Coconut Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

4 tsp. baking powder

2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3 c. shredded coconut

1/2 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix all ingredients together (mixture will be on the dry side, but should hold together). Shape into balls and flatten on the cookie sheet (cookies will retain whatever shape they're made into). Bake 8-10 minutes.

Buttermilk Flatbread

2/3 c. water

1/2 c. buttermilk

1/4 c. butter

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp. yeast

3/4 c. flour

In a microwave safe bowl, combine water, buttermilk and butter. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir mixture until butter melts. Whisk in egg, salt, baking powder, sugar, oil and yeast. Pour mixture into bread machine pan and allow it to sit for 10 minutes to let the yeast begin working. Add flour and start machine on "dough" cycle. When dough is finished, remove it from the pan and make into about 8-10 balls (slightly larger than a golf ball). Using a little flour and a rolling pin, roll each ball into a circle about 1/4" thick. Heat a cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet over med/high heat. DO NOT GREASE SKILLET. Place rolled dough circles (one at a time) in hot skillet and cook on each side until they are lightly browned and puffy. Keep warm and use immediately, or cool and keep for use later.

**Optional Rolls**

Instead of flattening and cooking each dough ball, just place them in a greased baking dish, cover and rise about 30 minutes and bake in oven at 350* for 20-25 minutes.