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RAINY DAY CHOCO OATMEAL COOKIES

I'm finally off from work... and of course the forecast is RAIN 3/5 days and 70s ALL WEEK. So much for my beach plans! What better way to kick off the staycation than baking cookies on a rainy day! I had no eggs in the house, and I also wanted to sneak in some oatmeal into the cookies without actually tasting them... but I only had old fashioned rolled oats. Luckily rolled oats can be used for ANYTHING.

I ended up moving the mixer to the floor because we don't have enough counter space for my helper to be helpful!

RECIPE

1 cup of butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups oat

1 bag of chocolate chips

- beat butter, sugars & vanilla until light and fluffy

- add flour, salt

- dissolve baking soda in boiling water and mix

- add oat and choco chips

- preheat to 350 and bake 10-12 minutes. (uncreased sheet- this recipe is basically all butter anyway!)

- cool before moving cookies

Always my #1 helper

Emilia is amazed at the kitchen-aid. Honestly, so am I!

Adding choco chips

eating cookie dough!! Benefits of eggless dough!

Soft, chewy chocolatey deliciousness!!

Spring Cleaning

It's been awhile since I've last posted. My longest break yet! It's been busy and I haven't had the energy after the kids went to sleep to post. I've had a few days off from work and Im almost re-energized! The weather in NYC has been HOT this week (over 90 degrees!!) and so spring may well be over, but not before some cleaning!! 

We took all our duplos, plastic kitchen foods, cars and mini figures- mostly paw patrol- and threw them into the bathtub. Henry had so much fun helping. Then we took our free and clear DISH SOAP and squeezed it into the tub. Henry mixed it all up with his hands! Even Emilia helped. Then I drained the tub, rinsed the toys and laid them out on towels to dry. 

SUPER EASY, SUPER CLEAN. and I'll feel a little less guilty when Emilia puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. 

Henry was so excited to throw all his toys in the tub

Henry mixing the soap with his hands

How to treat PLUGGED DUCTS

Ive been looking forward to throwing away my breast pump (or donating it) for 10 months!! I thought the day was ALMOST here.. until I got a plugged duct!!! TWICE in ONE WEEK!!! I didn't even know it was possible to get a plugged late 10 months into nursing. I had Mastitis when baby girl was 2 weeks old, so my BIGGEST FEAR was the plugged ducts progressing to MASTITIS.

• The first plugged duct involved the outer top quadrant, which has the most ducts and the most milk production. Im not exactly sure what caused the plugged duct. Most likely causes for me may be increased time between feedings/pump or lying on my stomach. Other causes include tight clothing, tight bra, trauma. 
• TREATMENT 1 : Hot showers, heat before nursing, pumping after nursing,  using electric toothbrush or clarisonic to break up clots, lecithin pills, hydration, motrin 600mg every 6 hours. Dangle nursing really helped as well. Changing the position of baby for each nursing session helped also.

5 days later..........

• plugged duct was in the inner top quadrant. I tried everything that I did before but nothing worked. My nipple was starting to hurt so I examined my nipple and saw a MILK BLEB (white bubble around an area where I can USUALLy express milk).
• TREATMENT 2 :  Pop the bleb! I washed a sharp tweezer with soap and hot water and popped the white bubble ( Doesn't hurt!) and milk just starting coming out. I washed my nipple with soap and water and then pumped to relieve my plugged duct.  Relief came RIGHT AWAY!!

I have a love/hate relationship with BREASTFEEDING. Clogged ducts can affect milk supply, so I guess this may be the road to weaning! *fingers crossed* but c'mon, How can I say NO to this sweet face???