peanut blossoms

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet. It's a favorite from HOME. Better late than never.

PB & Chocolate- a match made in heaven!

Peanut Blossoms 
Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter
1 c. PB
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
2 t. vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour, sifted
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2- 10 oz. packages of chocolate kisses or stars (like my mom used)

Directions:
1. Cream sugars, butter, and PB. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla.
2. Sift dry ingredients together than add to PB mixture.
3. Shape dough into balls and roll in sugar. Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes.
4. Remove from oven when golden brown, cool 2 minutes then top with a chocolate candy.

Yield: 6+ dozen

{mkc} orange sweet rolls

It is my family's Christmas morning tradition to have Orange Rolls as part of our breakfast. I generally use this recipe, but thought I'd give this one a try. They were yummy, although I didn't quite get the "twist" technique down.

Recipe & Photo from- Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Orange Sweet Rolls

Yield: Makes 12-14 rolls/twists

Note: as with all yeast doughs, I never use the flour amount called for in the recipe as a hard fast rule (unless a weight measure is given and then I pull out my kitchen scale). Because humidity, temperature, altitude and a multitude of other factors can impact how much flour you need in your yeast doughs, I always judge when to quit adding flour by the texture and look and feel of the dough rather than how much flour I’ve added compared to the recipe. This tutorial on yeast may help identify how a perfectly floured dough should be.

Ingredients

Dough:
• ¾ cup buttermilk, warm (I pour the buttermilk in a glass liquid measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on 50% power)
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 3 large eggs
• 4 ¼ cups (21 ¼ ounces) flour
• ¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces) sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
Orange Filling:
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• Grated orange rind/zest from two large oranges (reserving 1/2 teaspoon grated rind for the glaze below)
Orange Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice from about 1 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind/zest reserved from the filling above

Directions

1. For the dough, whisk the warmed buttermilk and butter together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 4 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook (or you can use a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or electric handheld mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and eggs and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium speed and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (knead for 15-18 minutes by hand). If after 5 minutes of kneading, the dough is still overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but has a slight tacky feel when pressed between your fingertips. (See this tutorial for a visual.)
2. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover the top tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, around 2 to 2 ½ hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
3. For the filling, combine all the filling ingredients (reserving 1/2 teaspoon orange zest for the glaze) in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter (I use my trusty roul’pat for this step) and press it into about a 16 by 12-inch rectangle (if you have doubled the recipe, split the dough in half and roll out one half at a time). Gently brush the filling mixture over the rectangle, using an offset spatula or rubber spatula.
5. Lift the longest edge closest to you and begin rolling the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam closed and roll the log so it is seam side down. Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 12 evenly sized rolls,more or less. You can slice them thinner or thicker as you like. For a traditional cinnamon-roll-look, arrange the rolls cut side down on a lined or lightly greased baking pan. If you want to try the twist method (see the pictures below), one at a time grab each sliced roll and holding on to either end simultaneously pull and twist the roll into a figure eight and place it on the prepared pan. Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
6. Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden on top and cooked through. While the rolls are baking, mix together the glaze ingredients. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.

italian sodas

These little drinks have become our family FAVORITE for any celebration (New Year's Eve, OF COURSE!), or for just no reason at all. :)

They're super simple and non-alcoholic so anybody can have one! My MOM taught me how to make these (not sure where she learned to make them), and now I'm teaching everyone else. :)

Picture from Our Best Bites

Here's how I do it: 
Italian Sodas


Ingredients:
Red Solo cup-type Cups
Bendy straws
Ice
Club Soda
Torani flavored syrup (near the coffee)
Half & Half
Readi Whip

Directions:
1. Fill your cup half full of ice. Pour club soda in to JUST ABOVE half full. Pour flavoring long enough for you to say "glug glug" (that's how I measure it JUST right). Give a splash of half & half (probably 1-2 T.). Stir.
2. Once it's all incorporated get out the Readi Whip and give it a swirl. Place your straw in the middle of the cream and serve to your eager guests. ENJOY!

I recently found this post from Our Best Bites of how to do your own Italian Soda Bar. Check it out! She also gives her own version of making Italian Sodas.

{obb} easy Reindeer cookies

Our Best Bites is one of my FAVORITE cooking blogs to follow. They posted this little treat and I thought it looked cute and simple, yet tasty, so we tried it out!

Easy Reindeer Cookies

Ingredients:
Nutter Butter cookies
M&Ms
Pretzels
Frosting or pre-made cookie icing, if you're taking the EASY way out ;)

Here's our "cookie making station". The big kids loved doing this ALL by themselves.

Looks good! Nice job!

Christmas playlists

I thought it'd be fun to document what WE are listening to this holiday season to help get us in the Christmas Spirit.

Here's whats playing on our playlists in the car and around our house-

PTXmas (digital download)- NEW FAVORITE!

Michael Buble-Let it Snow & MB Christmas albums

Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites

Chipmunks Christmas

The Polar Express (digital download)- a MUST for our new holiday tradition

These are some favorites from Christmases past-
Statler brothers Christmas- a MUST as Daddy was growing up ;)

Mariah Carey
Celine Dion

Harry Connick Jr.

O Christmas tree munch mix

I was excited to try this SUPER EASY snack mix. No melting chocolate or other toppings, just mix and done!

It has a nice mix of sweet and salty and the whole family really liked it!

(I couldn't find the Christmas tree candy corns so I used on Sweet Tart Gummy Trees instead. Still yummy!)

a couple of my new favorite apps

In an effort to be more thankful for ALL of the MANY blessings I am so richly blessed with, I downloaded the free version of "Gratitude365". I started back in August and I think after you use it for a month or put in a certain # of gratitudes you are prompted to buy the full version for a couple dollars if you'd like to continue using the app.  I have really enjoyed using it!  You can add a picture to your gratitudes and the write about it, which I really like! This is what my gratitudes from Sept looks like.

Or here's the list view of it.  As of today, I've  documented 44 days and 64 gratitudes. Pretty cool way to keep track of ALL your thankful for!

I've uploaded this Blogger app (which I use to write my blog) on a couple different occasions. I'm finally getting onboard with it. The reason I haven't stuck with it in the past is that I can't "do it all" from this app on my phone. But I'm now realizing I can get pieces of it done here and that helps my blog progress.

So my new system for blogging is this: upload my pictures directly from my phone to my blogger app. Then I use my Blogger app on my iPad to edit the post! Then when I have time I log in on y computer and finalize my posts, along with adding any hyperlinks (sadly this feature is not available for the phone or iPad versions) then I publish my post!

It may see like a drawn out process but for a busy mom, it works for me.  I usually only have a few spare moments here and there so this works out well.

Anyway I just wanted to post these apps I really like using so I document it in my upcoming blog book. (Yay for volume 4!)

Christmas cookies with Grandma

{12.14.13} Grandma invited all her grand kids over to make Christmas cookies together again this year!

Here is Alivia, Grandma and Jackson rolling out and cutting the sand tart cookies.

An overhead shot of Jackson and Grandma hard at work.

Here are the 5 big cousins rolling the peppermint patty balls in sugar. Looks like they're having fun!

Levi did a good job rolling his cookie out too! And look at this sweet face he gave me when I said "cheese!" ;)

Our tally at the end of our hard work was about 12 dozen various cookies and 7-8 dozen peppermint patties, which we split 4 ways, thankfully. ;)

We made:
Grandma's Sand Tarts
Peppermint Pinwheels
Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Chocolate Chipper (M&M) Champs, and
Easy Christmas Peppermint Patties

We had such a fun morning together (grownups and kids alike) and we played and visited well into the afternoon. It was just so nice being together, then the snow started and broke our party up. Good thing Christmas is coming soon so we can get together again!

candy cane kiss cookies

I only post new recipes if I like them and will be making them again. This new recipe made the cut!

Recipe & Photo from Our Best Bites

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 tsp peppermint extract*
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
48 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped (one 10 ounce bag)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.
3. To prevent cookies from flattening out, refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes.  Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until just set, but centers are still soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to cooling rack.  Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss.  Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

*Note: peppermint extract is NOT the same as peppermint OIL, which is MUCH stronger. We learned that the hard way when we made our Peppermint Patties and used 1 t. of oil  when it called for 1 t. of extract. BIG difference! We probably only needed a few drops of oil for the amount of extract needed. Don't make that mistake! Too much mint!

Snapshots of mommy

We live in a very technologically-savvy world these days and we feel it's important for our kids to have an early start in it.  One of the ways we encourage these skills is with cool learning games on our phones and iPad. One such feature that I LOVE is the camera built-into my phone and iPad.

Levi was playing with my phone one day and took these pictures of me. I'm happy he did! I'm usually the photographer, and the curse of being the photographer is that YOU aren't in the pictures, even if you WERE there too!

I must say he did a pretty good job. Thanks for the pictures Levi!

I like this one. A candid "working" moment.

A silly mommy moment, too rarely seen, but I think I'm getting better about it. :?

Cute abstract angle and shot. Daddy says he LOVES it when I make this face. "It's classic (me)."

A silly grumpy face.

Graham cracker houses

{11.30.13} Our cousins invited us up for some afternoon fun making graham cracker houses and just being together, which is always a fun time!

Check out their delicious confections! From left to right: Jackson's longhouse, Isaac & Elisabeth's, Levi's, Andrew's and Alivia's on the end with the gummy bear walls. ;) Tasty!

Here's a close-up of Jackson's & Alivia's. (Levi promptly started eating the candy off of his house almost as soon as he'd put it on, so there wasn't much of a house to photograph.)