Men In Trees
In a strange twist of events, there has been an abundance of testosterone in our house today.
As an undercurrent to our day was the growing anticipation of the Civil War football game this evening. For those out of our great state, this is the annual college football showdown between Oregon State and the University of Oregon.
Yes, Beavers versus Ducks. The whole Beaver Snuggie thing from yesterday makes a lot more sense now. (On a side note, I’m looking for a University of South Carolina Gamecock drink koozie, so I can have a Cock Koozie to go with my Beaver Snuggie).
I started out my day with a man-sized run (thirty whole minutes) and a Hulk of a smoothie.
- handful of spinach
- 1 T. Living Harvest hemp protein powder
- 1/2 a banana
- frozen peaches
- frozen strawberries
- 1/2 c. almond milk
- 1/2 c. water
- stevia
It put some hair on my concave chest.
Our activity for the day was our annual Christmas tradition: baking Gingerbread Men to hang on our tree.
Last year was the first year that Gigi was really involved, and this year I was excited for both girls to share in the manly ritual.
I made over our recipe to make it vegan and was thrilled with how tasty these men turned out (like Matthew McConaughy, Ryan Reynolds, Joel McHale and Pea Daddy tasty).
Who’s ready to bake?
Let’s try again, I said, “Who’s ready to BAKE?!?”
That’s the best I was going to get.
Gingerbread Men
- 2 T. canola oil
- 3 T. unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 c. organic sugar
- 1/2 c. NuNaturals Stevia Baking blend (or just use total of 3/4 c. organic sugar)
- 1/4 c. molasses
- 1/4 c. almond milk
- 2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 1 1/2 t. ground ginger
Beat oil, applesauce, stevia and sugar together until well combined. Incorporate molasses and almond milk and set aside.
Sift all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet and mix well, but do not over mix.
Transfer dough to plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Use the 30 minutes to don cheap polyester ball gowns and have a tea party (this was the girliest thing we did all day. I belched to make it feel more manly).
After 30 minutes, we preheated the oven to 350 degrees and rolled out the dough on a floured board. We then cut out our men and decorated them.
In my attempt to be as non-Kate Gosselin-like as possible, I let the girls each decorate their own man for eating.
Gigi’s turned out quite well.
Lulu’s…well, hers looked like the Mucinex blob got hit with some serious antibiotics.
Don’t forget to lick your spatula.
We then put the men in the oven for 8 minutes. If you want to hang your men (and not just for having selective listening, leaving beard shavings in the sink and constantly adjusting “the boys”), use a toothpick to poke a small hole in the top before baking.
We decorated ours with a simple icing made from water and confectioner’s sugar and then ran some red ribbon through them.
Our men looked great in their new place.
As a warning, you may not want to make these if you have dogs or kids. We’ve had two delicious casualties thus far.
I tried to surprise Gigi by making her a Gingergirl.
Unfortunately, it turned out looking more like Mrs. Doubtfire.
“Oooh, you wicked wicked monkey!”
After cleaning up one mess (not very manly, I admit), we made another one! I got to work on the perfect meal to go with a football game: chili!
I made the Sweet Potato Lentil Chili from ED&BV, with a man-sized salad, of course.
The best chili I have ever made, hands down. Even Gigi, who generally won’t go near chili with a ten foot tutu was scooping it up on crackers and shoveling it in.
Just like a man.
After dinner, we opened a package that Daddy got in the mail today. At first I though it might be for me, but then I saw who it was from.
I tease Daddy for liking Tommy Bahama so much. I call it an “old man” store. It’s okay, it makes me feel like a Playboy playmate. I’m getting him a captain’s hat for Christmas.
I knew Daddy had a gift card and about all you can afford to get at the “old man” store with a $50 giftcard is a t-shirt. I asked if it was a Big Johnson shirt (remember those horrid things?!).
Not too far off.
Well, we are about to start the football game, so it’s about time for me to get my bikini on and go jump on the trampoline! Good night!
I love gingerbead men, but I love gingerbread houses even more. Now I want to make some, but I don’t have the proper equipment
Have a great Friday!
I was driving up I-5 today and thought of you…I wonder what MamaPea and the little peas were doing today. Gingerbread men I should have thought of.
I watched the game..the Beavers just couldn’t get there
“hers looked like the Mucinex blob got hit with some serious antibiotics.” LMAO
What a lovely day you had baking cookies, how awesome!!! I just may have a raw gingerbread recipe I developed in Sept. up my sleeve that I’ve been waiting to unveil. This weekend. Til then, looking at these G’Men of yours is lovely! And I could easily tweak out wheat flour with an almond/oat mix I’m sure and GF it. Love the lack of eggs or dairy, yay!
And another reason I love you….you basically trial/make recipes from ED & BV that in my skimming of the book, I overlook. I skip all chapters of entrees. I go to dressings, dips, baked goods. And never actually have made any of them. I just have the book and read recipes….I know…strange! I love how you are an Entree Girl and help me see what things would look like if I broke down and made them
Nitey nite Mama Pea
Looks like another great day in the Pea household! I am DEFINITELY going to try your awesome looking gingerbread recipe, it sounds simple and delicious. Although mine definitely won’t be going on our tree. With four dogs that is a disaster just waiting to happen!
I just love those gingerbread men! What an awesome tradition. Something the girls will absolutely hand down to their own girls and do…sooooo sweet!
I haven’t tried the ED&BV Chili yet, but I definitely will. With temps still in the 80s, chili hasn’t been the first thing that comes to mind at dinner. Think face plant in a bowl of cold icecream and then slather it alll over your body. Coconut icecream that is.
aww we made our gingerbread cookies two days ago but i definitely wanna try ur recipe even tho ours came out great, we used earth balance in ours and egg replacer and ur recipe looks a lot healthier! I wish we had a tree in our apartment to hang them up (no danger of pets or kids eating them, tho maybe some hungry college students
lol)! as usual ur pics are so cute! have a fun manly sports filled weekend!
I love your cookies. And I love how excited LuLu was to bake them…hahaha.
Those rivial games are the best. Hope you guys enjoyed!
I have to tell you how beautiful you and your girls are. I love seeing the pictures of you and your girls together. Everytime I read your posts, it makes me so anxious to have children of my own. You are so inspiring!
Not many mom’s will take the day to make Gingerbread Men with their kids, let alone all of the other wonderful investments you do. Truly amazing woman you are!
Have a great day.
Hey there! I’m a longtime reader (from your previous blog!) and just think you are hi-lar-ious. I Love reading your blog everyday because you keep me laughing and make me think raising a happy and healthy family someday is possible! The side note about the USC Gamecocks had me cracking up because being from Cola. SC, Cocks are all over the place…ha! It’s ridiculous that grown men have no problem wearing shirts that say cocks across the front or that girls will happily wear booty shorts with it written across the back. strange. Let me know if you want a koozie though–I can make it happen!
les go ducks! (Fer my dad, fer my dad, hay now!)
gingerbreaaaaaaaaaad! do the girls try to eat them off the tree? i would.
and i dont even like gingerbread cookies thaaaaaaaaat much. i mean, i do with ……….. nevermind.
ANOTHER BAM BAM DINNER. I really need to come on over and have you cook me food. life would be sooooooooooo much easier. you would = the magical “food pill” that makes decision time a breeze. ya know ya know?!
kisses misses.
Those gingerbreads are awesome and I love the girl time you had on such a MANLY day haha!! Those tea parties are awesome as well. You have so much energy
ohh my the sweet potato chili sounds fantastic! i made pumpkin chili the other week which was great, but this sounds so comforting with the large pieces of sweet potato!!
your kids are ADORABLEEE and so are thsoe gingerbread men, even though one does look like the mucinex guy!
Dirty mama
I saw the game was good!
Those gingerbread men are so cute you decorating skills are perfect… and Lulu wins most creative! I could see where they wouldn’t last a day here though! The dang dog ate 5 vegan cupcakes yesterday that I was using for school right off the darn counter OUT of the muffin tin w/o knocking it over? Talent right there.
And Daddy needs some girl help shopping that shirt is ummmm interesting. Although my dad is currently sporting holey overalls and the brightest gold shirt you can have and see be legal.
my friend’s 60 year old WHITE (caucasian is what i mean) DAD wears TB also hahahahahah. You can tell daddy pea that. BTW that chili looks too good. LIKE…TOO GOOD. And yes…I remember the big johnson shirts…don’t get me started on the “big dog” shirts.
1. looks like there was an intense discussion going on at the tea party. oh how i wish i could shadow around the pea residence just for a day.
2. is it just me or does gigi not only look like pea daddy cloned her, but they also make the same facial expressions. mama pea, do you feel cheated? all of the hard work you contributed and he gets all of the credit;-). i’m guessing she probably has a lot of your personality.
3. lulu – she cracks me up at how serious she seems, at such a young age. did she ever get in the baking mood? i just love her. she’s hilarious.
4. line of the day, “Use the 30 minutes to don cheap polyester ball gowns and have a tea party (this was the girliest thing we did all day. I belched to make it feel more manly).” LOL! you belched to make it more manly?! LOL!!!
I was wondering about the Beavers and Ducks thing. At first I thought it was a joke from the movie “Bandits” remember that?
Love the Gingerbread men. And pretty much everything you guys do all the time.
“It put some hair on my concave chest.”- I laughed out loud at this one and my mom looked at me funny from the other room
I will be making those cookies this year! They sound delicious!
That chili sounds wondeful! I will have to make that too as there is SNOW on the ground right now. What?!
Dang woman! Check out those guns! What are you doing for those bad boys?
Love that you made gingerbread men–that is on my list for this weekend. Maybe an idea for next time–instead of applesauce, I usually use canned pumpkin. They end up extra holiday-y and delicious. xoxo
Love the gingerbread men for the tree! I don’t think they would last until Christmas at my house!!
My daughter just read this post with me and she thinks (as I do) that your girls are the cutest ever! Too bad we live SO far away or you’d likely have a babysitter for life!!!
I love a great recipe success. I would say that everything I cook is good, but rarely is it GREAT. I want to start cooking more GREAT meals.
And I absolutely adore your tree and the little gingerbread men!
those big johnson shirts. wow.
i now know what josh is getting for christmas.
After this, “Cock Cozy to go with my Beaver Snuggie” you are going to have even weirder search engine terms.
Gigi looks so proud in her gingerbread picture – so cute!!
That is such a cute idea! And the mucinex blob hahaha
Damn, thats one mean looking beaver.
Your tree is loverly and the gingerbread men look good on it.
I really want to buy ed&bv but the stupid book store never has it! Is it only available on amazon or something??
Love the gingerbread man on the tree…he looks so professional! Sweet potato chili, I think I need to try that ASAP.
Those Gingerbread men (and women!) are SO cute. Adorable. I love Lulu’s mucinex blob LOL.
I <3 your gingerbread men. I wonder how long they will last on the tree?
Hehehe loved the pics your girls made for Caitlin!!!
Woa amazing looking smoothie and BICEPS!
I’d love for you to check out my blog – giveaway coming and workout songs!
http://katiechangesforkatie.blogspot.com/
Katie
I agree – best chili recipe EVER! I’ve made it quite a few times and it is always met with smiles.
Love those gingerbread men!
I love the Mrs. Doubtfire cookie!
Lulu’s cookie is hilarious and priceless
I don’t know what kind of weird sign it is to see the Mcsinex man in TWO blog posts today…
http://mealsandmoves.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/search-terms-and-a-giveaway/
Should I play the lotto or something today?!
Not to be creepy but you have the most enviable arms! Not too buff but totally defined and toned. I think I have said that before, which does make it creepy. Do you lift heavy or light? I am new to strength training and heavy weights still scare me, even though I should know better :/
Lulu’s “ready to bake” face looks like me this morning. NO energy
Hi Lara! Thanks so much. That picture of me was from last year, and I was actually working with a trainer at that time. I’d like to think my arms look the same now
I lift three to four times a week using medium weights. If I do my own routine (bicep curls, hammer curls, bench, tricep pressbacks, etc.), I use 10 lb. dumbbells. If I do a Jillian DVD, I use 5s. I think a lot of it is just genetic, though. My arms tone up pretty easily. Other areas…not so much.
Hi Mama Pea! Thanks so much for the gingerbread man recipe and the idea for using them as ornaments on the tree. This is my husband and my first Xmas together and we have absolutely nooooo ornaments… edible ones will just have to do for this year
On a side note, us folk down here in beaver territory (heehee) are not too happy about the turnout of last night’s game… maybe now Walgreen’s will sell the orange snuggie at a discount
I need to get my hands on ED&BV asap! Seriously, do they even make a recipe that isn’t amazing… and I have sweet potatoes and lentils just WAITING to be used!
Love the gingerbread people. So cute!
oh mama, you know id be there in a flash…i would love to watch gigi and lulu host some kickass fashion shows and living room dance parties. I mean I do those on a reg basis and I am 22. I think we would be bff’s for life.
love u mama,
Lolomon
Mama Pea… found your blog from CCV and am excited to have landed! I was just thinking about what I could make for dinner tonight and then… you had it… that chili from ED&BV is perfect! Love the pictures and nice to blog with you
Gigi’s dramatics KILL me. I’m sure I was just like that as a kid, and my mother would just roll her eyes and sneak off to take a nap. The fan is too much!
We rooted for the Ducks only because my brother went there for 6 years, and we knew he wasn’t even watching. There was also Pro football on – WTH?
You know you can also make inedible gingie men with 1/2 cinnamon, 1/2 applesauce – but seems like a waste (unless you’re like me and can’t have edible cookies on the tree for fear of eating them all with a side of tinsel noodles).
I love that first picture of LuLu! And the chili looks amazing!
Man, I want to come over and play. And make gingerbread men. And eat chili with sweet potatoes. I’ll bring my bikini for later.
Oh, Tommy Bahama. Visions of pink polos and loafers with no socks and vermouth at happy hour flash before my eyes.
Please tell me that the cozy/snuggie side note was SUPPOSED to be dirty…if not, I’m a bit ashamed of myself….
Love the Gingerbread men (and woman), so cute!! And delicious
your gingerbread men are so cute – we always put red ribbon bows on our tree. love it. and gigi’s man-shoveling eating ways.
rah rah rah for oregon…wait, which one are we cheering for?
yay for gingerbread men…best part? the dough is no risk and can be eaten in mass quantities. love it.
this comment is rando. its friday. get me outta work.
love ya!
I read your post this morning and I didn’t have time to comment, but I think I enjoyed it just as much the second time. The first part about the Beavers, Ducks and wanting a Cock Cozy still has me laughing…I love your little innuendos.
No one can say vegetarians can’t put on muscle – check out your guns!!
The Musinex gingerbread man was also classic – you’re a crack up…
Have a good night – TGIF!!
I love that tradition. I think I’m going to plan to do that as part of our sunday afternoon together for just me and Hunni. We have to practice our gingerbread men making skills before we have kiddos to do it with
The men are adorable. The tree is sexy (and getting sexier by the day). And Comment #43 totally just made me realize HEY, SHE’S RIGHT, YOU CAN EAT THE COOKIE DOUGH SAFELY!
I feel like making these just so I can eat the cookie dough raw. Do I have problems? Maybe. Do I want to be juvenilely rebellious? Definitely.
DAMN look at them guns in that picture where you’re holding the pan!
also, instead of molasses in the recipe do you think i could use maple syrup?
just wanted to pass along some saturday information…. growing up in alaska was EXACTLY like the men in trees show… 20 people in the whole town who intimately know each others lives and meet up every single day at the local bar. and inevitable someone gets amnesia.
yeah, i might have watched that show a little too much…
hey mama pea! i’m a long time reader and it make me so happy when my google reader shows there’s a new post from you! anyways i made the gingerbread cookies and they are amazing! thanks for sharing the recipe