Where's Missy

We know all about the Where's Waldo books. Here's a spin off of that....

I was taking some pictures of a bouquet of roses when I noticed something in the background. Let's see if you can see it.

Yep, that's a cat and apparently she likes roses too.

Ahhh, they smell so good.

And they're pretty too.

Tiny Bubbles....Big Fun

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be three years old again?

A jar of bubbles + a little wind = a lot of fun

It's moments like these that makes me love being a mom.

Great Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been making chocolate chip cookies forever. I've tried dozens of recipes that have been good but I could never find that one special recipe that produced the perfect cookie. I like my cookies a little chewy, a little puffy, and chock full of oatmeal.

While I am a daring cook, I'm not very daring when it comes to baking. Baking is more science than art and sometimes over tweaking a recipe can yield unwanted results. That being said, I've tweaked and worked this cookie recipe until I found just the right combination of ingredients. It's really become my go to recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. Bake a batch today you won't regret it.



Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
  
• 1/4 c. peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
• 3 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. hot water
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 3/4 c. old fashioned oatmeal (yes, that 3 and 3/4 cups) (not instant or quick cooking oatmeal)
• 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 - 1 cup bittersweet/dark chocolate chips (alternately you could use white chocolate or peanut butter chips)

1. Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl and set aside.
2. Cream together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. With mixer running stir in vanilla, hot water, flour mixture and oatmeal and mix until combined.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonful on to an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until the middle is set and the edges start to brown.

Let rest on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container. These keep well for about 4 days and the freeze very well.

Makes 6-7 dozen.

Note: I like to pull these out just before they are completely baked, they finish baking on the pan while they are resting for a minute or two.

Another note: I use medium sized dough scoop instead of a spoon. If you have one, it works really nice because the cookies are roughly all the same size and there's no mess getting the dough off the spoon.

Banana Bread

There is something about Banana Bread that makes the world a better place. I don't know if it's the simplicity, the aroma of it baking, or the nostalgia of it but I love this bread.



I love because it's my Grandma's recipe and I loved her crazy. I love it because it reminds me of her. I love it because when I'm thinking of her and would give anything to have a moment with her all I have to do is make this bread and I feel like she's right there with me.

My Grandma was a great cook and she made amazing quick breads; banana, apple, strawberry, rhubarb, and many others. I miss her everyday but am so thankful that I have wonderful memories that I can reflect upon and great recipes that I can make that remind me of her.

Ingredients: Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla, Bananas, and Nuts

Combine the dry ingredients.

Cream the butter, add the sugar, and cream the butter and sugar together.

Add the eggs and vanilla and combine. Mash the bananas.

Stir in the bananas. Fold in the dry ingredients and nuts. Pour in to a greased bread loaf pan.

Sprinkle with vanilla sugar and bake.
Let cool for about 15 minutes and then remove from pan to continue cooling.

That's it, really simple and VERY delicious! Make a loaf today.


Mary Ann Eng's Banana Bread (with a little bit of me thrown in)

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 large, VERY ripe, bananas; mashed
1 c. walnuts (optional)
Vanilla Sugar for sprinkling (optional)*

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside dry ingredients. Cream butter. Add sugar. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and combine until thoroughly mixed. Stir in mashed bananas. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts.

Pour in to a well greased (I used the butter wrapper) 9x5x3 loaf pan and sprinkle with vanilla sugar (if using).

Bake in a 340 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 15 - 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

*Here's my "spin" on this recipe. Once the batter in neatly in the pan I like to sprinkle the top with a little vanilla sugar. It gives the bread a wonderful, sweet crust. I'm sure there are several recipes on the Internet on how to make your own but I find it easiest to use already made. If your looking for some really good pre-made vanilla sugar check out Penzey's. They have LOTS of fun things!

Vanilla Cupcakes...AKA Cupcakes Baby

Oh...hello.

I love easy recipes.
I really love easy recipes that are quick.
I really really love easy, quick recipes that also taste great.

I've used several, more fussy, vanilla cupcake recipes and while they're great sometimes you need quick and fabulous instead of fussy and fabulous. This recipe is just that. It's quick, easy, and the cupcakes are dense, moist, and delicious.

Vanilla Cupcakes: adapted from The Cupcake Deck by Elinor Klivans

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce *
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. non-fat plain yogurt **

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin tin cups with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray.

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg, egg yolk, and sugar until thickened and lightened, about 3 minutes.
3. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the applesauce and vanilla. Stir in the yogurt until no white streaks remain. Mix in the flour mixture until the batter is smooth. Do not over mix.
4. Fill each liner with a scant 1/4 c. batter, to about 1/2 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cupcakes from the pan onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

* The original recipe calls for 1/2 c. oil. I find that applesauce works great and it saves a lot of fat and calories.

** The original recipe calls for 1/2 c. sour cream. I didn't have any so I used yogurt. Using the fat free or light version of either plain yogurt or sour cream is another great way to save fat and calories.

Frosting:

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temp.
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 Tbsp. milk

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy.
2. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the powdered sugar, and vanilla together with 3 tbsp. milk and mix to combine, adding the additional tbsp. of milk if needed.
3. Increase speed to medium and beat to form a creamy, spreadable frosting.

Frost cupcakes as desired using a spatula or piping bag. Sprinkle the frosting with colored sugar, nonpareils, sprinkles, candies, or whatever tickles your fancy.

My Replacements

Part 1: Lola
Until the age of 14 1/2 my family consisted of my parents, my two younger sisters, and me. My parents referred to my sisters and me as "the girls". They'd "take the girls to the mall", or "pick up the girls", or "buy the girls" this and that. After my brother was born that changed and we all became "the kids."

Having 4 children, each 5 years apart, means that my parents had kids in the house for a very long time. My brother graduated from high school a couple years ago, headed off to college, and left my parents with an "empty nest". Around that same time my parents beloved dog Millie died. Good ole Mildred, she was a sweet dog. Her passing really brought a sense of emptiness to the house.

Enter Lola. Lola became the new house Princess. She's spoiled rotten and completely and utterly adores my mom and dad. And speaking of my dad, he thinks Lola's pretty okay too. AKA, it's his fault she thinks she's the princess.


Part 2: Lexi
My friend Turtle got a real bad case of empty nest syndrome when her last birdie "flew the coop" and she decided that she'd get an inside dog for the first time. Having only had outside dogs Turtle soon came to realize having a small dog was a completely different story. Long story short she came to the very difficult conclusion that she'd have to find a new home for the dog; she just didn't have the time necessary to give it all of the attention it needed.

I mentioned this to my parents and they offered to give this dog a home. Lola would benefit from a friend and hey, what's one more?

Enter Lexi.
Now I mentioned before that Lola is the princess but let's get one thing clear; every princess has a queen and the queen, my friends, is Lexi.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Lola and Lexi, otherwise referred by my parents as "the girls". (Hmmm, seems like I've heard that somewhere before)

Lola and Lexi; the house queen and princess, the dynamic duo.
My replacements.