walk with us

bake along with me

2009-12-16T05:12:00-06:00

Saturday was devoted to baking. If you follow me on Twitter or are a facebook friend, you got to see photos of the finished products as they came out of the oven. I had a couple requests for recipes, so I thought I'd share it all here again. Caveat -- they are photos taken with my cell phone, and I'm just linking to recipes. I just want to share today.

That's grocery shopping loot, part 1. There was also a part 2, 3 and 4. I didn't have a list of what I wanted to make, so I just grabbed what I thought I could use in something.

Recipe #1 was Peanut Blossoms. My mom used to make these when I was a kid, and I wanted to recreate that. I used a recipe I found on the Hershey's website. It was awful. The cookies were crumbly, and frankly, this was not a good start to my cooking day. I almost gave up and just sat and watched TV all day.

Items number 2 and 3 were much better. I made M&M Dream Bars, which are Mykiah's favorite holiday cookies, and Hello Dollies (without the coconut). I hadn't planned to make the Hello Dollies, but when I realized I had the ingredients sitting around, I put them together quickly. Actually, Brady put them together quickly. He was a great sous chef.

My 4th item of the day was Chocolate Crinkles. I actually have no idea how these tasted. I just wanted them to look pretty. They always look so nice on a cookie tray.

While waiting for the crinkle dough to cool, the boys and I made some white chocolate party mix. This recipe goes way back with my family, and I can't imagine the holidays without it. P.S. That's actually a link to my recipe, and I didn't use the vanilla chips and oil. I just melted some white almond bark.

While I was mixing that up, my boys asked if I'd make them some ranch pretzels. Not really holidays food, but you've got to have some savory with your sweet, right?

Once again I managed to mess up the doubling of the Best Ever M&M Cookie recipe. This time it wasn't my fault, though. I asked Brady to do the math for me, and he shorted me a cup of flour. Which got fixed, but not until the 3rd cookie sheet went in the oven.

A super easy but fun addition to my holiday baking was chocolate dipped rice krispie treats. I made a double batch of rice krispie treats, spread them in a 9x13 pan (so they were nice and thick), and put them in the fridge to harden. Later, Dan melted some dark almond bark while I cut the treats into squares. I then dipped the top of the treats into the almond bark, and my head Sprinkler (i.e. Brady) put sprinkles on top. These were easy, fun, and they'll look great on a cookie tray.

My last cookie for the day was a new variety of Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies. My father-in-law loves my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, but I am always in search of the *best* recipe. I think I found it. Unbelievably, I went through my entire baking day without tasting any of the goodies. Until these. I had to try the new recipe, right? These were total yum. There were so many flavors layered into this cookie. It was perfection. To make them unbelievable, add a cup of finely chopped pecans to the batter. Unreal.

I was not done. Not by a long shot. On Sunday morning, I made my favorite large batch cookies with a variety of chips... peanut butter, butterscotch, chunks, semisweet and M&Ms. Plus walnuts.

Last, but not least in my husband's eyes, were the peanut clusters. Melt a package of almond bark. Add a bunch of dry roasted peanuts. Scoop by the spoonful onto waxed paper. Yum.

I wanted to get all these recipes up in case anyone was planning a baking day this weekend. If you try some, let me know. I love to hear it.

As for me, my freezer is full. I will be sharing my goodies with anyone who would like some. I don't bake to feed my family, but to feed my spirit. I'm filling up.

status update and a coupon code

2009-12-14T05:40:00-06:00

Life as my family knows it was changed last Friday. I can't continue to blog and pretend that I am the same person I was Thursday night when I went to bed. I used to spend big chunks of my time coming up with blog posts so that every morning, my readers would wake up and have a new post from me.

That's just not going to happen through the end of this year. I was already planning to take an extended break between Christmas and New Year's, but I have to say that blog posts from now until January 4th will be sporadic. If I have something I want to share, I'll share it. If not, I'm taking a day off, and know that I'm with my family, where I need to be.

I love my blog readers so much that I couldn't just let you go with that, however. I wanted to pass along this great coupon. My favorite Etsy seller, This Handmade Life, is running a special coupon just for my blog readers. Type "MissKim" in the notes to seller as you checkout, and you'll get your shipping charge refunded to you via Paypal. So...

Free Shipping with "MissKim"!

*Free shipping offer is good through 12/31/09* These journals are so amazing. I'm still plugging away on my journal, and will continue to share it with you towards the end of each week.

Just to remind you, here's a sample of the goodies in Jodi's shop:

In the meantime, have a blessed holiday. I love you all.

Christmas journal update

2009-12-11T05:59:00-06:00

Actually kept up with the first week of Journal Your Christmas prompts, journalled daily, took a photo every day. Saturday morning I sent them to Walmart to be printed and picked them up on our weekly shopping trip. Home, trim photos, apply adhesive and I'm caught up.

Thought I'd share what I've got, starting with Day One. First a wide shot of the entire double page spread, then a close up of the journaling. Don't know about you, but I'm nosy and like to read the journaling without squinting.

Day Two:

Day Three:

Day Four:

Day Five:

Day 6:

my christmas list

2009-12-10T05:48:00-06:00

It's a bit ridiculous for me to make a Christmas list, because hey, I buy my own gifts and I know exactly what I'm getting. I was thinking, though, that I should start to dream a little. What would I want if I could have anything?

1. To vacation here next summer:

That's the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando. I'd really like to go to Universal Studios in 2010. I had this whole plan for how 2010 would be a huge vacation year... we have several big milestones to celebrate. However, we did Disneyland last year, and my son is balking at flying again so soon. My husband really wants to go to Branson. So I will wait. I suppose.

2. For Mykiah to get her braces off. She really doesn't mind them, but I hate the every-six-week early morning trips to the ortho, and I just think she'll be so much happier with them off. We go back on Jan. 7, so maybe I'll get my wish granted as a New Year's wish.

3. Stretched canvases of our last two sets of family pictures. They are soooooooo expensive, but I love the look of stretched canvas.

4. Some kind of funky spiral-bound journal. I have this idea that I want to journal my vacations this year... including memorabilia, and really writing. I am loving Journal Your Christmas so much that I want to use the same ideas to capture our trips.

5. You know what I'd really like? If I'm going to Branson anyway, and it's pretty certain I will, I'd love to see a show there really rock out. Dan's dying for someone to break into a little Bon Jovi. I'd be satisfied with the Haygoods putting Come On Eileen back into the show.

6. A cleaning lady. All she would have to do is mop the kitchen, mop the bathrooms and clean the tubs and toilets. I can do the rest of it. I hate those jobs more than anything in the entire world.

7. No more headaches. I'm ready for these to leave. Permanently. Wish I could just have a headectomy.

OK, so some of my wishes aren't possible. A girl can dream, right?

10 Things I'm Loving

2009-12-09T05:03:00-06:00

Yeah, it's Wednesday. Too much going on, and not enough blog posts. Here's my latest.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Mykiah asked me to order this from a Scholastic book order. She read it, then said, "Mom, why don't you read this?" So I picked it up. Didn't put it down until I was finished. Then snagged the second book in the trilogy from her, before she had gotten past Chapter 1. Now I have to wait until next August for the final book?!? I don't think it's possible. The Hunger Games is set in a post-rebellion North America, and the basic plot is that every year, 2 teens from each "district" are sent to play a survival game in the Capitol. The only way to win is to kill all the other competitors. It's action packed and gripping. Being made into a movie, too. It'll be an amazing movie.

2. Chocolate covered rice krispie treats

From Flickr.

These are going to be the newest addition to my holiday cookie tray. All I need is the right Christmas sprinkles....

3. Straight No Chaser

What an amazing group and their Christmas music makes me swoon.

4. This pumpkin. I was prowling the Internet the other day, and I just thought it was the funnest thing ever.

5. Button Trees.

From Flickr.

I'd make one this year but I can't find the right colors of buttons. I also think I've used up my crafty supply for 2009. It's at the top of the list for next Christmas, though.

6. Dark Chocolate Reese's

Just one word: Yum.

7. Weekend Jeans from Old Navy.

These are all Kellie's fault. At least I think it's Kellie's fault. Someone on the SSD message board was talking about them, and I decided to try them. I could live in them. Would, except I have to work and the distressing makes them not quite appropriate for work. I ordered 2 pair initially, then two more when they were on sale for $15/pair Black Friday.

8. Jakob.

I usually root for the underdog in any competition (I'm Team Jacob when it comes to Twilight, even though I know how it all ends), but I am loving Jakob on So You Think You Can Dance. He moves my soul, just watching him dance.

9. Diet Cherry Limeade. Sonic Happy Hour.

10. Toy Boy. He's going to go zooming around the big wide world soon. Zooming and zooming.

recipe: Dan's Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies

2009-12-08T05:49:00-06:00

Thanksgiving weekend, Dan got a hankering for some chocolate chip and walnut cookies. "Only chocolate chips and walnuts. Don't be throwing any onions or anything else in there."

OK, so he's figured out that when he's not looking I throw dehydrated onions or onion powder in almost everything. And I thought I was being so sly.

I don't have a regular old chocolate chip cookie recipe. The ones I really like make a gazillion cookies, and we didn't need that many.

I altered a recipe I found in one of my mom's many church cookbooks, and the result was pretty darn good.

Here's me in the kitchen:

And here's the recipe:

Dan's Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 package (4.5 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 pkg (14 oz?) semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix both sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and pudding mix. Batter will be stiff. Add nuts and chips. Drop by rounded spoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

To download this recipe in a printable version, click here: Download Danscookies

it's beginning to look a lot like...

2009-12-07T05:39:00-06:00

A few weekends ago, I had to run to Walmart very early on a Sunday morning because no one had thought to tell me that my dog was out of food. This simply won't do, and since the closer grocery store doesn't open until 7 am, I had to leave at o-dark thirty to go get the pupper his gravy train.

Since I was at the Mart anyway, I thought I might as well pick up a new Christmas tree. And when I say it's black, I don't mean it's decorated with black ornaments. The ornaments are aqua and red. The tree itself is black.

It's breathtaking.

Some daylight close ups:

And some more of our holiday decorations:

I actually made this rag garland. I'm pretty proud of it.

And a few more night shots:

I'm so in love with it all...

We have a winner!

2009-12-05T11:59:04-06:00

Last night after I got home from work, but before I left for the staff party, I did a quick Random.org pick for the winner:

The winner was:

Jessica, I've sent your name and address to Jodi. She'll be shipping it to you soon!

make a wish

2009-12-04T05:09:00-06:00

On Thanksgiving Day, all Chesney wanted to know was if we had the wishbone yet. When my mom and I found it, we called for Ches, who called for her cousin Liv, and they came running.

Olivia wished for $100 and 100 Webkinz. Ches kept her wish private. Let the games begin.

It was a bit slippery.

Eventually, Chesney was the victor.

Don't you love the look of eternal hopefulness on my dog's face?

On the way home from Grammy's, Ches told us that she had wished for everyone to have a good Thanksgiving.

Wish granted.

Recipe: Kiah's Deviled Eggs

2009-12-03T05:13:00-06:00

So it has become tradition for Mykiah to make deviled eggs when my family gets together. For Thanksgiving, these weren't served with dinner, but were a treat that evening when people were putting together turkey sandwiches. Or, you know, eating Rice Chex. Kathy.

So here's the girl making her specialty, using my mom's recipe:

Kiah's Deviled Eggs

6 eggs
2 tbsp mayo
1 ½ tsp grated onion (or dehydrated onion flakes)
1 ½ tsp sweet pickle relish
½ tsp spicy mustard
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp pepper

Hard boil eggs. Cool. Peel and cut eggs in half.

Remove yolk from eggs and put into a medium bowl. Mix yolk with the above ingredients (well, except the eggs).

Here's what that looks like, premixing.

Spoon mixture back into the eggs. Serve cold.

My mom actually has a cool Pampered Chef deviled egg server (that I bought her for a gift... cuz I'm cool like that). Here's how they look before I get ahold of them:

It's funny. I never ate eggs until I was pregnant with Brady. Now I'm picky about my eggs, but I definitely crave them at times. These eggs are totally cravable.

Download in printable form here: Download Kiahsdeviledeggs