I am acutely aware that next year R will embark on full-day school and my one-on-one time with him will be greatly diminished. And while that is just a part of life, and I am okay with it, I created a fun tradition this school year that has become one of my favorite parts of the week.
Each Monday and Wednesday morning, while G is at his Mom's Morning Out program for a couple of hours, R and I have what we have deemed "Special Mommy/R_____ Time." This is when R and I do things that are, quite frankly, just easier to do without a 3 year old helper. (And for the record, G and I have "Special Mommy/G_____ Time" every afternoon when R is at kindergarten)
Yesterday while G was at school, R and I decorated some Easter Cookies. For the first time, I tried a new Royal Icing recipe, and I was thrilled with the results:
I am not sure why, but I had never tried making Royal Icing prior to Monday.
But making Royal Icing couldn't be easier (one egg white's worth will give you enough icing for about 3 dozen cookies):
1. Crack an egg white into a bowl*.
2. Add a cup or two of powdered sugar.
3. Mix well with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
4. Add more powdered sugar until you get a thick, but not too thick mixture.
5. Oops. You added too much powdered sugar. Now what? Add a few teaspoons of water. Thin it out until you get a the right consistency, (you can alternatively add more sugar if needed).
6. Take a plastic bag and place it in a small cup and pull the bag over the sides of the cup:
8. Close the plastic bag and cut a small (think 1/8" or less) hole in a corner:
9. Give a bag to your sweet pea, and let the creative juices flow:
10. Voila! Cookie Time:
A memorable Special Mommy/R_____ Time to be sure-
SPC
*Raw eggs--yeah, I know, you aren't supposed to eat them. You can either get pasteurized eggs, heat the egg whites over a double boiler until they reach 160 degrees or use meringue powder instead of raw eggs.