If you haven’t caught on yet, I really like being in my kitchen. I spend a great majority of my time in there – experimenting, baking, burning, spilling, etc. I have several kitchen tools that I really love….and I have a really long list of kitchen tools that I would like to love – as I have extra money here and there, I buy something and remove it from the list. And yet, my list doesn’t seem to get any shorter. Hmmmm. Last year I gave you my five of my favorite kitchen tools – so this year I’m going to do it again. [Read more…]
Archives for December 2011
These are a Few of my Favorite……Children’s Toys
Here’s something you might not know about me……I don’t like toys with batteries. Something about buying batteries for toys just makes me want to go insane. And most of those battery operated toys are loud and, dare I say – annoying. Lest you think I’m a hypocrite, Annie does have some toys with batteries – an Elmo remote control, Violet the talking dog (I think it’s a dog), and Limbo Elmo. Do you sense a theme around here? Anyway, a few toys I don’t mind – but Annie’s toys for the most part are NOT ELECTRONIC. I don’t want her to have electronic toys. I want her to embrace her creativity and play with simple things…..and guess what? She prefers toys WITHOUT all the pomp and circumstance. So, today I’ll share my top 5 favorite toys for Annie……keep in mind, she’s 2 ½.
Confession – She does have some toys that Barry and I just never put the batteries in. Uhhh, oops? 😉 [Read more…]
Meal Plan for 12/13-12/19
- Tuesday (12/13)
-Breakfast: Sweet Potato Oatmeal, fruit
-Lunch: Leftovers
-Dinner: Grilled PB and Honey Sandwiches, carrots, apples
- Wednesday (12/14)
-Breakfast: Banana Flax Muffins, kefir smoothies
-Lunch: Sandwiches, fruit, chips
-Dinner: Tuna Pasta Salad, crackers, fruit [Read more…]
10 Frugal and Practical Ideas for Christmas Stocking Fillers for Children and Adults
I’m a fun gift giver…..when someone gets a gift from me, they know it probably won’t require batteries or dusting. Stockings are my favorite part of Annie’s Christmas gift. I KNOW I have more fun stuffing it than she does opening it. Who doesn’t get excited to find a light up toothbrush at Target for $1.07? I wish someone would put a light up toothbrush in MY stocking. The best part is, when the batteries run out in the toothbrush you can just give it to the dog for a chew toy. At least that’s what Christy from The Simple Homemaker does. More bang for your buck! [Read more…]
Marriage and Money: His Money and Her Money
It is common practice among married couples to keep separate checking/savings accounts and then separate out the bills in some agreed-upon manner and operate the household finances that way. They’ll divide things up where he pays the mortgage and his car payment, while she pays her car payment, the electricity and the groceries…or something like that. This concept has never made sense to me, but people will fight and argue until they’re blue in the face that this is the right way to operate a household budget. I believe it is a dangerous way to manage your household finances for many reasons. I wanted to use this post to talk about four reasons separate accounts are a bad idea: [Read more…]
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Let’s end this cookie series with a bang, what do you say? Chocolate Sugar Cookies. Why not also check out these Chocolate Shipped Cookies baskets for delivery here? These are a delightful, soft, slightly sweet cookie….almost like a brownie in consistency. But I will NOT call them brownie cookies due to the strict guidelines that Barry places on brownies, which you read about yesterday. If you’re looking for a super sweet cookie, this is not the one for you….the sweetness is about the same as a muffin – not like a Great American Cookie Company cookie sugar-coma. [Read more…] |
Crock Pot Sour Cream Cake Brownies with PB Frosting
Just because we’re having a cookie series doesn’t mean I can skip Fix and Forget Friday…..it just means I have to make cookies IN the crock pot. Brownies and bar cookies always rank really high on my list – especially if they’re gooey in the middle. It is really easy to make brownies in the crock pot – as long as you remember to set a timer and don’t run off and start doing things upstairs where you can’t hear the timer. Ahem. [Read more…] |
Chocolate Granola Cookies
These cookies sorta happened by accident. I was trying to make a different cookie (not sure what kind that was either) and I ended up saying, “Hey! Let me see if I can make these taste like granola.” And guess what….I did. I think brownies were invented by accident too. I’m a culinary genius. *Cough* Anyway, these cookies are soooooooooooo good. They’re not your typical type of cookie. They’ve got a bit of crunch to them, and they are a tad bit crumbly – just like granola. Bingo! [Read more…] |
Pumpkin Chip Cookies
Are you tired of cookies yet? Because I’m not! And I’m the one eating all of these….okay, so only part of them – most of them are going into the freezer for gifts……but several are making their way into my tummy (I lost count). Who’s counting anyway? Leave me alone, gosh! ;-)These get a 10 out of 10 from me. They rank right up there with Oatmeal Raisin cookies…..probably because they sorta taste like Oatmeal Raisin cookies, but different. The same, but different. Got it? [Read more…] |
Peanutty PB Cookies
Peanut butter cookies are my Daddy’s favorite. I really should make them more often…..but I have this problem – I eat them. Admitting it is the first step in getting well. However if loving cookies is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. Can I get an amen? These are delightfully peanutty….a tad less sweet than most other cookies since I used natural peanut butter with no added sweeteners. I actually like them better than the overly sweet version. It means they pair well with ice cream. Barry says they taste VERY peanutty….hence the name. Let’s bake! [Read more…] |