Vanilla Bean Angel Pillows {recipe}



These are very light and flavored with vanilla sugar... so yummy.

I believe I got this recipe from my MIL, and I think she read it in a Taste of Home magazine.

 

Here's what you need:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

1 cup cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup vanilla sugar (make ahead a few weeks)

 

Preheat oven 350 degrees

 

In food processor, combine:

flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, & salt.



Cover and pulse until combined.

Scrape pulp from vanilla bean

and add to the mixture...

 



Then add the cold butter to the mixture

Cover and process several times, until the dough begins to cling.. stopping once to scrape down sides.

Gather mixture into a ball

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.

Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

 

Bake 12 min, or until edges began to brown.

Transfer to rack to cool for about 5 min.

 

Place vanilla sugar in a bowl





 

While cookies are still warm, but NOT hot.. roll gently in the vanilla sugar to coat

Cool again on rack

If you try to roll the cookies when they are still hot...

this is what happens.. crackage.. (is that a word? ha)

The recipe makes about 28.

They are light and fluffy and smothered in sugar and yummy vanilla bean flecks

Whole Wheat Flour Sugar Cookies

I re-vamped a regular Sugar Cookie recipe on accident yesterday.

I didnt have any regular flour at ALL..

 

All I had was this.. White Whole Wheat Flour.

So I used it instead and was hoping my cookies didnt turn out tasting like chalky wheat.

 

They didnt.. they are so good!

 

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 cup butter softened

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

granulated sugar for dusting.

Mix powdered sugar , butter, egg, vanilla and almond until combined and smooth.

Mix in flour gradually & baking soda.

 

Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

 

When ready to bake - heat oven to 375

 

Roll

Cut

Sprinkle with Sugar

Bake for about 7-8 minutes

MMM!!!

WILW - Last Wed in Aug!!

I'll start out with a sweet...

 

Reese's PB Pudding Cookies

If you like cookies that taste 1/2 done and really gooey.. and you love Peanut Butter.. then hurry up and make these!

 

 

 

Sister helped me make them while brother took a solid 2.5 hour nap..

 Yes yes it does happen every now and then!

 We shared with Gram too...

They are soo good.. I keep sneaking them as I walk through the kitchen..

 Speaking of walks..

This is what we do now.. we walk/rollerblade to Starbucks lately.. Sissy gets her "cow milk" Horizon Vanilla milk... and/or water..

 and sometimes a little treat.

 I was also loving that we found a new park this week.

The good old parks we visit needed a break...

And it was a super toddler friendly park with small slides, baby swings.. yeay!!

 And I was loving that it was a little cooler this week so I busted out the slow cooker and we had burrito bowls with honey cornbread one night... so good. We eat this meal at least once a week around here..



Momma's Got a Brand New Ride & Recipe {BEST Oatmeal Cookies!}

Shortly after Andrew was born, we started going places as a family of four. No where exciting mind you, since the little guy is/was pretty unpredictable. But we started to see how small my car was after we packed in two carseats, strollers, diaper bags, grocery bags, ... you get where Im going. So we started car shopping.

We considered another Toyota.. but the Highlander wasnt much bigger.

And we want to travel soon to Ohio to see Mathew's family, and our friends, etc.

So last week Momma got a new car..

An Acadia. Looks like the one pictured below, but in White.

I really like it. I've only driven it a handful of times, but as far as space goes..ITS HUGE compared to my old Rav4. It's a really good size, 3 rows of seats, and big enough that I can crawl back into the 2nd or 3rd row if I needed to (for long car trips)

This post is a little all over the place, but last week I found an AMAZING Chewy Gooey Oatmeal Cookie Recipe from Allrecipes.com

I paired it with my new favorite Buttercream Frosting Recipe from Williams Sonoma.

Its called the "quick buttercream recipe" and its really really good..

Recipe: http://http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chewy-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies/

The only thing I changed was I used about 1/2 the amount of chocolate chips, and I used mini chips.

And I used Chopped Hazelnuts, because I didnt have any Walnuts

The batter was equally as good as the cookies.
I scooped them out fairly large, and they really spread out when they bake.
This recipe's a keeper!

Panera Toffee Nut Cookies {Recipe}

Oh Panera.. I love you.

I have many favorites at Panera.. Asiago Cheese Bagels, Sierra Turkey Sandwich, Any Smoothie, Hazelnut Coffee, Broccoli Cheese Soup... and I could go on..

Recently when I was there I tried their Toffee Nut Cookie.

I never met a cookie I didnt like at Panera.

I was sitting around this weekend and decided to Google a recipe for the Toffee Nut Cookie...

And I found one HERE.

It is delicious.. Not EXACTLY the same as ooey gooey Panera.. but it is pretty darn close!

And even better, all I had to buy were the Bits O Brickle Heath Bar Bits.

I like my cookies soft and gooey.. so I watched them extra close..

They turned out so yummy.. crunchy around the outside and gooey on ths inside.

And they spread... so allow enough room...

Success... This should curb my craving for a while.. and at $1.89 for ONE.. I was feeling a bit guilty.. ha! I plan on having a few tomorrow with my morning coffee..

Blessed Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday 2011!

{He has RISEN!}

We got up bright and early

(I was hoping peanut would sleep in till at LEAST 7:30.. ok I'll take 7:10

(Most of her basket is in my carry on bag/diaper bag seen below)

But I pulled some things out that she could open on the morning, for tradition's sake!

Holding her new Barbie.. should i say very FIRST Barbie..
{she kind of didnt care about the Barbie.. which I was glad I didnt pack her then!}


Daddy made some eggs and hashbrowns and we got all pretty for Sunday Mass at 9:30.

She was so well behaved in Church, considering it was standing room only.. She had fun looking at all the "keeeds" in their Easter best.


{on our way to Church}

She wore an adorable "smocked"style romper with a sweet white sweater..

After that we came home, ate some lunch,

and Momma made a list (daily ritual for me) for what to bring to GiGi's house later..

My Mom had us all over, along with my two Aunts for a Traditional Easter Dinner.

My Grandma Betty Jane used to have Easter at her house when I was growing up, and Mom went to the famous "market" that everyone around here goes to for Easter and got all the traditional foods for the occasion. It was so yummy, and beautiful.

{Chruscki, Butter Lamb, Easter Bread, Chocolates}

Some of the traditions are a Butter Lamb, Easter Bread, Ham of course, we had a huge spread.. rosemary roasted veggies, potatoes au gratin, yummy fresh bread and traditional mustard used..

And.. This YUMMY smoked sausage.

And I was on dessert duty....

{Cut Out Cookies & Lemon Mousse Torte}


{Eating her Easter dinner...and wanting to be "done"}
Gigi's house is so fun for her.. she never sits still for long..
Here's one reason why..


Fat Kitty...

She's no spring chicken.. so this could be her last Easter.. sad.. Samantha loves her .. just such a sweet cat.. she lets her do anything to her..

{SJ and Gigi}

I told you she doesnt sit still EVER!

We played, ate, drank, laughed and even talked to my sis via Skype





It was a great Easter!!
Im enjoying reading about all of yours as well

Im busy packing away for our vacay in a few days! So if you dont hear from me... I'm at the beach!

I am bringing a journal, and plan to write in it the "old fashioned way" and I will document everything day by day when I get back.

Cradle, Cookies, Coloring and Cousins

Jusr a little weekend update.

Friday it was sooo cold and windy, seriously when you were outside and the wind hit your face it felt like 0 degrees... but it was also sunny and pretty... does that make sense?

Anyways, the sun is what motivated me to do so much... I was getting started on laundry, working, and I found a cradle for sale locally, and went to take a look. I am NOT pregnant.. nor trying to be right now.... but in the maybe near future we're thinking about it.

Once I saw this, I had to get it, and it was a GREAT deal. Some of these antique old oak cribs go for $200! .. and I got this one for under $35.



It may not look like much, but I have big plans. My goal is to make custom crib bedding myself. I have an old sewing machine that was given to me by a sweet neighbor, and I really really want to learn how to sew, and then embroider as well.

After I picked up my little cradle, I came home, and made these,



a little treat for Samantha after she woke up from her nap... Ok ok .. they're for Momma and Daddy too.. how can you resist Funfetti cookies?

Just as I was making them, we.. I mean Samantha got a Valentine package from her fairy godmother, Auntie!!

She got an adorable outfit, a preschool workbook, and some new valentine books! She loved everyting.

Thank you so much Auntie, we love everything, you spoil your Godddaughter!
She loves her Preschool workbook, and got right to work at some coloring activities. ha!

Today we had to keep little miss inside again.. too cold to play.

Momma did some painting, and I am close to finishing 2 art orders I've been working on. Daddy kept up with the shoveling, and we did some laundry.

This evening Grammy, Momma and Sam went to my cousin Kim's house. She has 3 kids, but they are older now, but she still has a lot of toys.. so Samantha was having fun. She especially loved their staircase, and was going up and down about 100 times.. She passed out COLD when we got home.. ha!


Hope everyone is having a good weekend as well!
Until next time!

Joelle