Let's try this again.

I've been wanting to blog for quite some time. I have good intentions and then, well, I just don't. Josh is supposed to be making me a custom .com but he's busy and I'm tired of waiting. We all know patience is a virtue that I don't possess. Let's play catch up.

Cohen is now 16 months. Already? He's currently getting his bottom molars and is a cranky beast. He doesn't want up, he doesn't want down, he doesn't want to play, blah blah blah. Cranky toddlers suck. He likes to eat, follow me around, and play with Pierre.

Ellie is going to be 3 in two months. Again, already? She's a typical middle child, full of sass and energy, snuggles and smiles. She's pretty cute, especially when she's not throwing a fit. She enjoys following Emme around, whining, "helping" me cook, and snuggling.

Emme just turned 5. She had her birthday party at a gymnastics studio and all the kids had a blast. I made her some super cute rainbow cupcakes.

We decided to combine birthday gifts for the girls this year and we went with a swing set. They have (had) so. much. stuff. and didn't want to play with any of it. We bagged up 3 trash bags of toys and decided no mas. They get to keep the "classics" like their doll house, kitchen, books and puzzles but other than that, it's all gone. Can I get an "Amen!"? Josh is being slowly killed by the swing set assembly but it should be done Friday, just in time for a nice weekend to stick them outside. Em is finishing her last year of preschool at St. Matthew's. She absolutely loves it and so do we. It was a good switch for us, no doubt. She's learned so much and has made a few really great friends. I'm excited to send El there next year. I enroll Em in Kindergarten in just a few weeks, I'm not sure I'm ready to let her go. I'm not ready for her to lose her innocence. Not to mention, I'm not ready to have to watch shows like iCarly and Hannah Montana.

I've been enjoying some great new recipes lately. Have I ever mentioned how much I love food? Well, I do. A lot. Here are some great things I've made this week.

Braised chicken thighs and mashed cannellini beans. This meal was superb. I think next time I'll make a slurry and thicken the braising liquid. I'll also double the beans- they were the perfect accompaniment.

BBQ Beef Shepherd's Pie. I made this for us and some friends that just had a baby. I really enjoy this dish because it's hearty, comforting, and has BBQ sauce. I live in Kansas City so loving BBQ sauce is a requirement. I served this with a fresh spinach salad.

Southwest Sloppy Joes w/ honey lime coleslaw. Ummm...yeah. Delish. And easy. I don't put the black beans in my sloppy joes because Em detests beans so I serve them as a side, jazzed up with some cumin, chili powder, garlic and onion powder, and salt and pepper.

I also made a yummy mushroom risotto last night. I made some extras to make into risotto cakes this weekend. You just take your leftover risotto, add some egg, cheese, a few more herbs, coat in panko and pan fry. Risotto is so darn cheap and can turn into such a decadent meal. I highly recommend 'er!

Well, I've got the girls set up at the kitchen table with bowls and assorted ingredients letting them "cook" so I'd better balance the budget while they're occupied.