• 10 lbs potatoes, peeled
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2-1/2 cups flour 

1. Dice and cover peeled potatoes with water and cook until done. 
2. Push the potatoes through a potato ricer (this is like a large sieve) and it will make the potatoes into little elongated rice looking pieces. 
3. Mix the butter, cream, salt and sugar into the diced potatoes. 
4. Let all this cool to room temperature, then mix the flour into the potato mixture and form a 2  1/2″ diameter roll on a lightly floured surface.
5. Cut the roll into 1/2″ thick slices and shape into balls
6. Flatten balls with a flour covered rolling pin, to about an 1/8″ thick and 8″ round disk. You are trying to go pretty thin here like a crepe.
7. Cook on a very hot (400*) griddle until slight puffy bubbles have formed and they are brown spotted on each side. 
8. Place the cooked lefse between towels to keep warm and soft while you make more stupendous (10) lefse. 

{Written by: The Mama}

Okay so I’ve been putting in my fair share of Pinterest surfing hours; I’m sure most of you can relate. I kept coming across cute pins for dry erase calendars – most made from paint chips. Well my husband has been asking that we put up a calendar for a while now, and I really could not bring myself to buy an ugly store-bought calendar. Queue the Pinterest project. I had a fairly large print (24″x28″) that my mom had given me with the perfect frame for the project. The print is actually really cool but I think it needs an updated frame, like a chunky dark wooden one.

I measured my frame and went to work planning the execution. I may have over thought this part, but I wanted to make sure it looked even and nice in the end.

After the OCD planning it was time to start browsing the Silhouette store for the shapes I wanted to use. From there I landed on a green and black color scheme; this will be hanging in our kitchen and our accent color is apple green. I ran to Michael’s craft store for my papers and thought I would be using a poster board for the background…..but a few different stores I went to do not make poster boards in 24×28 only 22×28. I was kind of crushed. I didn’t want to have to piece anything together and have ugly seams.

Then the hubs suggested I use fabric. BRILLIANT! I flipped the existing print over (which was mounted to a board inside the frame) and wrapped the fabric around it. The fabric we picked almost didn’t work, the polka dot print was very bold, I ended up having to add an additional layer of sheer white fabric over top to make it a little more subtle.

Once that was resolved I cut all of my shapes out with my Silhouette Cameo. Side note: If you are new to your Silhouette, be sure that you adjust the actual blade in your machine not just the cut settings on your computer. I totally forgot that and wasted a bunch of paper because it wasn’t cutting through all the way (totally lame, I know). Also, be sure your blade is placed all the way into the cartridge and locked down (this was a bit of advice from my mom). And now for a glimpse into the glamorous life of living in a tiny rental condo, my living room floor craft room….

I played around a bit with placement and had originally intended to use a ruler to lay every square, but I’m impatient so I eyeballed it.

I used double sided tape to attach the larger pieces on and an extra strength Elmer’s gluestick for the smaller pieces. The black boarder between the calendar and “notes” section was ribbon.

My husband helped reassemble the frame and I love it! We can write on the glass and keep all of our appointments and our work out schedule perfectly on track.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 3,800 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 6 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We will be playing hookie from blogland until after the New Year. I have managed to swing a much-needed vacation away from work until January 2nd. I am spending as much of my free time taking in all the is so wonderful about the time of year. Baking, playing in the snow, making memories with my daughters and enjoying the company of all my family. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Years.

{Jen}

Allow me to introduce you to some of the easiest tastiest cookies you can make. I originally found the recipe here. I took these to our potluck at work and they received tons of praise.

Ingredients:

• 1 Box Cake Mix – Any Flavor (I used Spice Cake)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Container Cool Whip Lite
• Powdered Sugar

Directions

1. Beat together slightly thawed cool whip with 2 eggs until thoroughly combined. Stir in cake mix. Mixture will be thick.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350*
4. Take rounded tablespoons of dough and roll in powdered sugar until coated.
5. Place on cookie sheet lined with silicon mat or parchment paper.
6. Bake for 9-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Makes 4 dozen.

The spice cake gives it a nice holiday taste. These will come out so delicious and soft baked it will be hard to eat any less than at least 3. Bonus – call it healthy since we are replacing oil and butter with Lite Cool Whip.

{Jen}

• Chocolate kisses
• Frozen flat pie dough, thawed
• 1 Egg white whisked w/ 1 Tbsp. water
• Sugar

Recipe from the Picky Palate. 

 

All you do is lay out your pie dough, I recommend rolling it a little thinner than it comes from the store, like 1/8 of an inch,  the thinner the better.

Then I used a biscuit cutter and cut out circles until I was out of crust. I placed an (unwrapped-yeah, I know, you would think I wouldn’t have to say that- but just to be safe) kiss in the center.

Then dipped my fingers in water and pinched up the sides using my wet finger to help the dough stick. You want to be sure they are pinched well, as they will puff a little as they cook and if they aren’t pinched well they will just open up and lay flat. 

Mix the egg white with the tbsp of water and brush your little pinch pies.

Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 350* for between 16-18 minutes. Watch them, as the egg wash and sugar will want to make the edges darken just like a real pie.

 

Made about 24

 

These are super fabulous and great with a big cold glass of milk. My husband ate 6 at lunch today!

 

{Susi}

Okay, so I’m cheap. Like really cheap. Don’t judge, I just have a hard time spending hard-earned money. One thing I have been dreading to buy is new bathroom towels. The ones we have now aren’t terribly worn, or frayed, no holes. But they have the funk. You know what I’m talking about. They smell nice coming out of the dryer but the minute you start drying off with it out of the shower you smell that strange mildewy smell. This would not do. My husband wanted to just buy new ones, but decent towels can be upwards of $8-10 each. Not exactly a small purchase.

I had seen some tips floating around Pinterest about de-funking (yes, that’s a word) towels. I thought, hey, why not?

So simple.

Wash a full load of towels with hot water and 1 cup of white vinegar. Follow with a second wash with hot water and 1/2 cup baking soda.

Worked like a charm. Fresh, soft, stink-free towels. And my wallet is happy

{Jen}

BREAD:
1-1/2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

LEMON SYRUP:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

LEMON GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×5″ loaf pan, dust with flour, and tap out excess.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, and oil.

• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. In a separate bowl mix the blueberries with the 1 tbsp of flour and then gently fold them into the mixed batter.

• Pour the batter into the pan and bake 50-55 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

• While the loaf is cooling, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar is dissolved, and then continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf and brush with the lemon syrup. Continue to brush the loaf until all of the syrup is added.
• To make the lemon glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice and pour over the top of the loaf. Let the lemon glaze harden before serving.