Chocolate candy cookies

The kids and I were looking for something fun to do together and baking usually ends up being the activity of choice.  I looked in my pantry and found a bag of our favorite chocolate candies.  On it was this recipe and it turned out great.  

Chocolate candy cookies

Adapted from Mars Brand

Ingredients:

1 cup butter- soften to room temperature

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate candies (we used milk chocolate M&Ms)

Directions:

Cream butter and sugars well.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt slowly into the butter mixture, mix until combined.  Fold in the chocolate candies- if you don't fold they will be crushed by the stand mixers power.  Chill the dough for 1 hour.  (we didn't and they were fine, but if you have the time it would be good too. )  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place dropped cookies onto a parchment lined cookies sheet 2 inches apart.  Bake for 11 minutes.  

The ultimate light and fluffy vanilla frosting

I found this recipe over the weekend and love it!  The frosting turns out so light and fluffy you want to keep going back for more.  I love how simple the recipe is and how all the ingredients are already in your pantry.

This recipe makes enough for 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
food coloring is optional

Directions
In your stand mixer beat the butter for 2-3 minutes or until pale and creamy.  Add powdered sugar and salt, mix on low until combined, then turn up the speed to medium and beat for another 2-3 minutes.  Add vanilla and beat for an additional 3 minutes.  You are now ready for the food coloring.  I would suggest adding the coloring one drop at a time since the color will darken with time.  I did not have a pastry bag so I put my frosting into a gallon sized bag and cut off the bottom to make a hole for piping into the cupcake.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Personalize your space

My mother and I were out shopping a few years ago and saw some adorable window curtains, only problem, they were very over priced.  We looked at the curtains more closely and discovered they were a simple white curtain with store bought ribbon sewn around the edges.  I was able to find some plain white curtains and some ribbon that match perfectly with the bed set I had for my daughter.  Here is a tutorial of what I did to personalize curtains.

First purchase curtains in a neutral color, I did white because it will be simple to change whenever I need to.  Then find some wide gross grain ribbon I would suggest at least 2 inches in the color of your choice.  I did green polka dot. Measure the length of your curtain from top to bottom and across the bottom.

Next sew the ribbon 1 inch from the edge along the side and bottom of the curtain.

I decided to sew the corner by stopping the vertical ribbon high enough for the bottom horizontal ribbon to be 1 inch from the bottom.

Because our house is west facing it can get REALLY hot, one way to help this is by purchasing curtains with black out material already attached or go to your local fabric store and purchase black out material.  I had to do the later.  It was simple to attach.

Lay your curtain on the ground all spread out, right side down.  Lay your black out material over top right side up.  Pin the material in place along the top and down the sides, trimming the black out material to the size of the curtain.  Next sew the black out material along the top first and then down each side.

And there you go, simple personalized curtains that keep out both the heat and the sun.  Enjoy

Kid friendly sloppy joes

Normally kids are the picky eaters, well in my family I am the picky eater.  I have never been a huge fan of meat, but I love this recipe.  The flavors that develop so quickly are yummy and I love that a home cooked dinner can be ready in 30 minutes

Home made sloppy joes

Hamburger buns (8)
1 lb Hamburger
1 14 oz can of chicken gumbo soup
1 cup ketchup
2 tbs mustard
2 tbs brown sugar
1/8 tsp worcestershire sauce

Brown and drain the hamburger.  Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer on med-low for 15 minutes to develop flavors.  Serve with homemade baked french fries or coleslaw.

Band wagon

So I decided to join the band wagon blog and didn't have to think hard about what I am passionate about-sewing, specifically quilting.  A few years ago I received a baby quilt for my second child.  I looked at it in amazement and thought, "I can do that."  So I convinced my amazing husband that I needed a sewing machine.  He then surprised me several months later with a great machine, it isn't fancy, but it has met all my needs so far.  Through trial and error I have gained a lot of quilting knowledge and skills.  I love learning new techniques and new patterns, but what I love best is the expression on someones face when they receive a quilt and love it as much as I do.