dear cons,
you know i love you.
you know i want you.
i miss you somethin fierce....
but right now, we just can't be together.
so hang in there my pretties.
one day, someday very soon when the snow has gone & it's not so cold....
xoxo
you can go direct to the pattern for the norwegian sweet baby cap or ravel it here.
now, once i get a little baby head inside the cap, it'll be even cuter ☺i'm not gonna lie to ya - we make a lot of cookies at our house.
so i decided a while back to try different cookies each week (if possible) and share them on the blog.
i'm a bit behind in posting, but a few weeks ago they tore these up...
ranger cookies
1 c. shortening*
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. oats
2 c. cornflakes
1 c. coconut
(i added some nestle white chips just for the hey)
cream shortening & sugars, add eggs and vanilla. mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. stir in oats, flakes & coconut last. mold into walnut sized balls. bake on cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. remove from sheets before completely cooled to prevent sticking. makes about 5 dozen.
*if you know me at all, you know i'm not a proponant of shortening. it's transfats personified. i don't do transfats if i can help it. having said that, i haven't yet tried this recipe with butter,but next time i will and i'll try to share the results.
well, if you read my goals post back in january, you know about just a few things i'm working on.
i thought i'd give an update, just for accountability's sake, mind you.
i am laughing more. really.
we've watched this movie a couple of times in the past several weeks.
everyone loves it & has their favorite lines.
and, i'm singing & dancing around the house quite a bit. this is striking fear into the hearts of the younguns. the name "aunt jill" is brought up over & over when i do this... whyever would that be?
we're making fun of just about anything we can, even a few things i really shouldn't mention. suffice it to say "we're laughing with you, not at you" has been stated more than once.
this past weekend we broke out a new game.
this game is truly 'good for a few laughs'. you get to read cards with crazy questions like "would you rather eat a hair sandwich or an earwax omelet" and you have to choose, then the other players guess what you chose & so on & so forth....
one of the questions posed to my husband was "would you rather have to sleep in a bed with a full cup of cracker crumbs & a full cup of sand poured inside, or have to walk around all day, everyday, with grape jelly in your shoes?" to which my 10 year old says "that's easy, i do that (the sleep in bed with sand part) pretty much every day all summer long!"
so true, so true.... we had a good laugh over that one.
now, about hanging pictures. i'm trying. i really am. i framed one, purchased a mat for another frame & they're all lying around here someplace, but i'm trying to gather a few other pictures to hang in groups. so far, nothing's on the walls, but i'm making progress.
and more art. i have an art project in the works for this week. we will be studying the work of wassily kandinsky.
i have tried several different approaches to projects & one of my favorites it to take a master/classic and work around their style. hopefully i will have photos to post here showing all of our masterpieces.
as for the vacation...
still working on that one☺
and i have realized that if i'm going to do better & be better, i need to pick one or two specifics & hit them hard. it's too vague to just try to be better & almost overwhelming. so this goal in itself has a whole set of mini goals that need to be put down on paper.
i'll keep you posted....
i've come to the realization that god uses this child to work on many of my issues...
this is my laundry room. i'm proud to say it's navy blue....
with cute bead-board inlaid cabinet doors & a sweet set of front loading appliances....
but most of all, today it's CLEAN!
seriously, it doesn't take much to make my day☺
*lest ye think i'm a slob, i just hadn't seen the countertops or the top of my washer & dryer for awhile. i have issues with flat surfaces!
i like these cookies....
i don't know about you, but i'm always searching for the ever elusive "thick, chewy oatmeal raisin cookie" and by george, i think i've found the answer: chill that dough!
i'm starting to put 2 & 2 together and i think that butter, when chilled bakes "up" much nicer as opposed to falling flat & spreading out when soft. i'll be testing this theory the next time i make my regular old chocolate chip cookies.
ok people.
these are just reeeally yummy.
really.
seriously.
they are one guilty pleasure.
and by the way...they're yummy.
and see that metal spoon? that's not a little serving spoon. that's a commercial grade big ole spoon.
so that's not some wee little dumpling.
that's a biggun.
uh-huh☺
look at all that gooey stuff.
that's the technical term...."gooey stuff".
my recipe is a golden oldie from the 1961 better homes and gardens red & white checkered cookbook.
i love that cookbook.
they will have to "pry it from my cold dead fingers" when i die.
*$50 imaginary dollars to the first person who can name the movie that quote is from
i seriously could not live without this cookbook. i coveted my mothers for many years until we ventured upon finding me one of my own.
so without further ado....
apple dumplings
3 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. shortening
4 Tbs. butter
sugar & cinnamon
3/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbs. butter
8 apples, peeled & cored
mix flour, baking powder & salt. cut in shortening with pastry blender. add milk & stir with fork till dough forms. peel & core apples (cut in halves). roll out dough in 2 parts. make a large circle/square from each and cut into 4 pcs. (8 pcs. total). place 1/2 apple on each dough section. place 1/2 Tbs. (this is the 4 Tbs.) butter inside apple, heavily sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon. top with 2nd half of apple, turn up on bottom end of apple, pour some more sugar over top of apple. wrap up dough around apple completely. do this for all 8 apples, placing them in 9x13" baking dish. in small saucepan, combine water & sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, bringing to a boil. remove from heat & add 3 Tbs. butter. pour over dumplings, sprinkle with a little sugar & cinnamon over top of dumplings. bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes until apples are tender.
now go on & make 'em.... i know you want to!
one of my most recent projects was these smooshy socks for my bff's birthday.
*hey cheryl! i'm wearing your socks again☺
this pattern is from getting started knitting socks by ann budd. i highly recommend it if you want to start knitting socks. it covers it all & the patterns are very straightforward & leave no question unturned. i like that in a pattern/book☺
i think i love the yummy yummy smooshy & can't wait to make a pair for myself.
friday night i made these cookies on a whim. they were very good!
they were gone in short order (the recipe made just shy of 4 dozen).
a couple of modifications i made:
we enjoyed both the chewy & cruchy variety. try it & see what you like best☺
