For those that know me well, you know that:
1. I LOOOOOOVE cookies! They are a major weakness, and I try not to keep them around the house because I would eat tons of them every day. And...
2. I love pumpkin! I love pumpkin pie, I love pumpkin ice cream, I love pumpkin muffins, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin cheesecake, and pretty much pumpkin anything!
So...in light of these two loves, I made soft-baked pumpkin cookies for the first time over Christmas. Ummm....they were kinda fantastic. You should make them yourself....
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze (recipe follows)
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets. COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Drizzle Glaze over cookies.
FOR GLAZE:COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.
Monday, January 25, 2010
A bit of a girl-crush...
Thanks to a tip from my friend Carol, several months ago I stumbled upon The Pioneer Woman. She's amazing. She's good at everything. Photography, writing, ranching, and most of all, cooking. Her blog, is fantastic. And when I say fantastic, I really, really mean fantastic! And she's funny and seems nice, and I just like her...even if I have never met her.
So, for a pre-Christmas gift from work, I received a giftcard to Barnes and Noble. I used part of it to buy some supplies for my co-wokers. (Everyone needs a new AP Stylebook.) And with part of the remaining money, I bought the Pioneer Woman's cooking book. AMAZING! Great, simple recipes, beautiful pictures, and step-by-step instructions.
The first recipe I tried was the flat apple pie. I tested it on my family, and, of course, they loved it! Its basically the same ingredients as a regular apple pie, but instead of baking it in a pie dish with a top and bottom layer, you bake it on a cookie sheet with an oversized bottom crust that folds over the top. Its a rather rustic looking and pretty pie. And like I said, the family loved it!!!
I recommend checking out the cookbook sometime. Its a great addition to any cook's library, and I plan on making quite good use of it! And if you want to follow the Pioneer Woman, you can find her at
http://thepioneerwoman.com/
http://twitter.com/thepioneerwoman
So, for a pre-Christmas gift from work, I received a giftcard to Barnes and Noble. I used part of it to buy some supplies for my co-wokers. (Everyone needs a new AP Stylebook.) And with part of the remaining money, I bought the Pioneer Woman's cooking book. AMAZING! Great, simple recipes, beautiful pictures, and step-by-step instructions.
The first recipe I tried was the flat apple pie. I tested it on my family, and, of course, they loved it! Its basically the same ingredients as a regular apple pie, but instead of baking it in a pie dish with a top and bottom layer, you bake it on a cookie sheet with an oversized bottom crust that folds over the top. Its a rather rustic looking and pretty pie. And like I said, the family loved it!!!
I recommend checking out the cookbook sometime. Its a great addition to any cook's library, and I plan on making quite good use of it! And if you want to follow the Pioneer Woman, you can find her at
http://thepioneerwoman.com/
http://twitter.com/thepioneerwoman
Christmas Flashback
So...I am a major slacker when it comes to blogging. But...I've been busy, and the computer situation at home is a bit sticky. Blah, blah, blah.
Christmas is always a lot of fun for me and the family because not only do we not have to work/go to school, we get to spend lots of time at home in the kitchen. This year Will was old enough to participate in a few activities, so I found a cute cooking project on the Pillsbury Web site to do with him.
Ingredients:
*Pre-made gingerbread or sugar cookie dough
Red & green M&M's
mini-pretzels
* You can make your own cookie dough, but store bought was way easy!
Directions:
1. Dust pastry sheet or cutting board with flour. Roll out cookie dough in a retangular shape.
2. Slice cookie dough in triangles to form reindeer heads.
3. Place pretzles on two corners for ears.
4. Place 2 green M&M's for eyes and one red M&M's for a nose.
5. Bake according to directions on cookie pack. Usually at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes.
Will had a great time making cookies with Aunt Sheri. And Aunt Sheri had a great time in the kitchen with her favorite nephew. All in all, it was a great Christmas project with the family.
PS - Not telling you which tray I decorated and which one Will did! : )
Christmas is always a lot of fun for me and the family because not only do we not have to work/go to school, we get to spend lots of time at home in the kitchen. This year Will was old enough to participate in a few activities, so I found a cute cooking project on the Pillsbury Web site to do with him.
Ingredients:
*Pre-made gingerbread or sugar cookie dough
Red & green M&M's
mini-pretzels
* You can make your own cookie dough, but store bought was way easy!
Directions:
1. Dust pastry sheet or cutting board with flour. Roll out cookie dough in a retangular shape.
2. Slice cookie dough in triangles to form reindeer heads.3. Place pretzles on two corners for ears.
4. Place 2 green M&M's for eyes and one red M&M's for a nose.
5. Bake according to directions on cookie pack. Usually at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes.Will had a great time making cookies with Aunt Sheri. And Aunt Sheri had a great time in the kitchen with her favorite nephew. All in all, it was a great Christmas project with the family.
PS - Not telling you which tray I decorated and which one Will did! : )
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Where, oh where, has this little blogger gone...
Oh where, oh where can she be?
Truthfully, I have been on sabbatical. Okay, not really. Maybe mentally. Well, at least mentally for two or three weeks. So where I have really been?
Between the last post and December 18th I was extremely busy and/or extremely sick. Trying to wrap up the fall semester and catching stomach virus and bad cold. Trust me...the stomach virus will put a halt on any cooking and/or blogging about cooking.
After December 18th I started Christmas break. Lots of shopping, lots of baking, cleaning, watching movies, chasing the nephew, cuddling the niece...Two solid weeks of R&R for this weary PR gal.
Then, I've been back at work at least physically, but not so much mentally, for the last 5 days. (Okay, we had a snow day yesterday and I watched 3 movies with a friend. But I did work 4 days this week.)
Needless to say, I haven't just been sitting on my butt the last month. Okay, so some of the time I was sitting on my butt. But I really haven't been not cooking. In fact, I've been cooking quite a bit! I've made:
1. Flat apple pie from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook
2. Reindeer gingerbread cookies with my nephew
3. My vegetable soup
4. Pumpkin cookies
5. Chocolate banana empanadas (Which I don't think turned out that great, but my family swore they liked them. Maybe they were just being nice.)
6. Oreo balls
and probably more....
I will blog the essentials, along with pictures of some of our baking activities. I have to say, my nephew is quite the cook. He loves helping Aunt Sheri and Nana in the kitchen, and I love sharing one of my passions with him.
So, for now, I leave you with a non-foodie update on why I haven't blogged. Hopefully I will get a few of the recipes/adventures up this weekend.
Happy cooking!
Truthfully, I have been on sabbatical. Okay, not really. Maybe mentally. Well, at least mentally for two or three weeks. So where I have really been?
Between the last post and December 18th I was extremely busy and/or extremely sick. Trying to wrap up the fall semester and catching stomach virus and bad cold. Trust me...the stomach virus will put a halt on any cooking and/or blogging about cooking.
After December 18th I started Christmas break. Lots of shopping, lots of baking, cleaning, watching movies, chasing the nephew, cuddling the niece...Two solid weeks of R&R for this weary PR gal.
Then, I've been back at work at least physically, but not so much mentally, for the last 5 days. (Okay, we had a snow day yesterday and I watched 3 movies with a friend. But I did work 4 days this week.)
Needless to say, I haven't just been sitting on my butt the last month. Okay, so some of the time I was sitting on my butt. But I really haven't been not cooking. In fact, I've been cooking quite a bit! I've made:
1. Flat apple pie from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook
2. Reindeer gingerbread cookies with my nephew
3. My vegetable soup
4. Pumpkin cookies
5. Chocolate banana empanadas (Which I don't think turned out that great, but my family swore they liked them. Maybe they were just being nice.)
6. Oreo balls
and probably more....
I will blog the essentials, along with pictures of some of our baking activities. I have to say, my nephew is quite the cook. He loves helping Aunt Sheri and Nana in the kitchen, and I love sharing one of my passions with him.
So, for now, I leave you with a non-foodie update on why I haven't blogged. Hopefully I will get a few of the recipes/adventures up this weekend.
Happy cooking!
Friday, December 18, 2009
The meaning of Christmas
So many times I feel like I get bogged down in just making it to Christmas to really sit down and think about the meaning behind the holiday. We spend so much time preparing our homes and lives, but tend to forget about our hearts. However, there is one song out of all the thousands of Christmas songs out there that makes me pause and think about why we celebrate.
The song, Joseph's Lullaby by MercyMe, is a simple ballad from the perspective of the man who raised Jesus. He was not his biological father, but he did serve in the role of an earthly father while Christ was growing up. Everytime I hear this song I think about Jesus as a baby. He was fully God and fully man. He was tiny and vunerable, but could command the earth and the winds. He cried, coulnd't walk or crawl, yet he was, from the beginning, God.
The words of this song move me, especially when I look at my niece and nephew and see them growing each day. Christ had to grow up just like the rest of us, and didn't even begin his ministry until he was a year older than I am now. He went through life just like us so that he could be sacrificed for the sins of the world. To think of how he came here, as a tiny, fragile baby is so humbling to me. Why would God lower himself to that? Because he loves us and wants to save us. It is all so amazing!
Anyway, read the words below, then watch the video I found on YouTube with scenes from The Nativity Story and The Passion of the Christ. Picture our very big, very powerful God as a baby, and remember this is why we celebrate this holiday. (Even though, as Daisy pointed out on Bones last week, Jesus was most likely born during the spring because that's when the census was taken. We celebrate now because it was to counter a pagan holiday.)
Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head
Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?
Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace
I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child
Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You'll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight
The song, Joseph's Lullaby by MercyMe, is a simple ballad from the perspective of the man who raised Jesus. He was not his biological father, but he did serve in the role of an earthly father while Christ was growing up. Everytime I hear this song I think about Jesus as a baby. He was fully God and fully man. He was tiny and vunerable, but could command the earth and the winds. He cried, coulnd't walk or crawl, yet he was, from the beginning, God.
The words of this song move me, especially when I look at my niece and nephew and see them growing each day. Christ had to grow up just like the rest of us, and didn't even begin his ministry until he was a year older than I am now. He went through life just like us so that he could be sacrificed for the sins of the world. To think of how he came here, as a tiny, fragile baby is so humbling to me. Why would God lower himself to that? Because he loves us and wants to save us. It is all so amazing!
Anyway, read the words below, then watch the video I found on YouTube with scenes from The Nativity Story and The Passion of the Christ. Picture our very big, very powerful God as a baby, and remember this is why we celebrate this holiday. (Even though, as Daisy pointed out on Bones last week, Jesus was most likely born during the spring because that's when the census was taken. We celebrate now because it was to counter a pagan holiday.)
Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head
Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?
Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace
I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child
Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You'll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight
Thursday, December 17, 2009
dancin babies....
Below is the 5th most watched video on YouTube in 2009. Why is it December 17th and I am JUST NOW SEEING THIS????
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....
Most Watched YouTube videos (Global):
1. Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent (120+ million views)
2. David After Dentist (37+ million views)
3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance (33+ million views)
4. New Moon Movie Trailer (31+ million views)
5. Evian Roller Babies (27+ million views)
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....
Most Watched YouTube videos (Global):
1. Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent (120+ million views)
2. David After Dentist (37+ million views)
3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance (33+ million views)
4. New Moon Movie Trailer (31+ million views)
5. Evian Roller Babies (27+ million views)
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