collins cooking: An honest talk...with an awesome sugar cookie recipe on the side!

It has been waaay too long since I have written! I was pregnant with our second little angel, Wynn (who just turned 4 months yesterday!), and I had Hyperemesis Gravidarum throughout my ENTIRE pregnancy. If you don't know much about 'HG' it is extreme nausea and vomiting in pregnancy that only affects .2-.5% of all pregnant women..and no it is NOT morning sickness! My favorite quote on comparing HG to morning sickness comes from Dr Jennifer Ashton (host and obgyn on The Doctors TV show): "This (HG) is like morning sickness like a hurricane is a little bit of rain."

I was in and out of the hospital throughout my pregnancy and even had to stay 10 consecutive days at one point. It was rough. beyond rough..especially dealing with being so sick and trying to still take care of a toddler. But now I have a precious little baby, and I'm so grateful he is here!

When Wynn was born, he was having about 10 bms (poops) a day while we were still in the hospital. yikes. When we got home, those increased to about 15-17 a day and were..well..bc we are about to talk food..lets just say they were far from normal. Anyway, he cried a ton and also became covered in rashes. My pediatrician told me to go ahead and cut egg, soy, and dairy out of my diet. I was REALLY hoping that would solve things but he then started having bloody diapers just like Collins even after cutting those foods out. Our ped thinks Wynn has allergies and a fat intolerance like Collins, so I am now on that diet and things are much better. They are definitely far from perfect-I won't get into details- but his skin now looks awesome, he is gaining tons of weight, and cries less. Wynn has horrible reflux (projectile) like Collins still and other issues still lingering, so I hope we can figure those out, but for now I am grateful for progress.

and now..

But through being grateful, if I'm honest, I'm still really struggling. Its really tough to be a mom to a 4.5 year old who is really on the go, has food and environmental allergies and a fat intolerance, and wants a ton of attention, a baby that that has the same dietary issues, is still crying a lot, who still wants to nurse every 2.5 hrs, is having a ton of relux, blowouts-omg the laundry, and now I'M back on the diet of no egg, soy, dairy, pork, beef, peanut, cashew, etc, and trying to cook all the time.

I feel like I just can't "get it together" these days. Wynn is four months old, I still haven't written most of my thank you notes from my BABY SHOWER (embarrassing), I haven't even started on birth announcements (maybe I'll send them out with his first birthday invite? lol), I look like I rolled out of bed most days..and probably smell like spit up, I have very little patience with Collins and my husband, my house is a WRECK (no exaggeration), I keep forgetting everything- calling people back, replying to messages, dates, you name it.

I see moms that just have these great pregnancies, have their babies who have zero issues and they skip right back into life..and honestly its tough to see sometimes! While I am happy for them, it is so incredibly hard not to allow the devil into my mind and feel jealous at times..or even angry! But, I am choosing to be grateful (90 percent of the time ;) ). I'm grateful for this little lovie that I'm holding as I type, I'm grateful for my sassy and smart four year old, and for husband that loves me. I also have to say a HUGE HUGE thank you to my good friends. I am beyond grateful for their support through all of this- visits in the hospital and always checking on me and helping me during my pregnancy, always checking on Wynn since he has arrived, helping me, supporting me..wow. I am blown away by them and will never be able to thank them enough!
I'm choosing to focus on what is going RIGHT, choosing to focus on our many blessings, focus on how amazing it is that Wynn and Collins are as healthy as they are! Its a choice. Its a daily moment by moment choice. And we all have that choice..no matter what we are dealing with. You choose anger, or you choose joy. You chose resentment or you choose forgiveness. You choose gratitude or you choose to be ungrateful.

NOW! Since I haven't written in so long, I have so many recipes I haven't posted..so hopefully I can get to those sooner than later..but today, Let's talk about something SWEET!...like...COOKIES!!

Are you Dairy free, Egg free, Soy Free..or Vegan? These cookies cover all the bases, and no matter what diet you are on they taste great!! Husband and kid approved :)

SUGAR COOKIES with POWDERED SUGAR ICING

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup of Earth Balance butter (we use soy free), softened
2 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer powder mixed with 4 Tablespoons of warm water
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp butter extract (check label to be dairy free)
1/4 tsp almond extract
plastic wrap

Icing:

2 Tablespoons of almond milk or non dairy milk of choice (I prefer original silk almond)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Stir egg replacer powder and warm water in a small bowl or mug.

In a large bowl, mix both sugars, butter, egg mixture, and extracts together. Now add in remaining ingredients- baking soda, flour, cream of tartar. Your dough will be slightly crumbly but you should be able to shape it with your hands. Separate dough into 3 large balls..or blobs ha. wrap them in plastic wrap and flatten slightly. Put dough in the fridge for 2 hrs.

When you are ready to bake the cookies- preheat oven to 350. Take out one section of dough out at the time (you don't want the dough to sit out and get warm). lightly flour your counter top. Rub a small amount of safflower oil (or veg oil) or spray with allergy safe cooking spray. Roll out dough and cut into shapes. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet (I highly recommend using a silpat liner, but you can also just grease your pan). you could add sprinkles at this point if you arent using icing. Bake for 7-8 min or until edges are slightly brown. Cookies will not be brown on the top. The cookies harden over the next few minutes after removed from the oven.

Icing: simply stir together all ingredients, and feel free to add allergy safe food dye to color them. Spread on cooled cookies. Store in the refrigerator.

before they are baked..