Ahhhh I'm melllllting

I'll admit it, pinterest has the most fabulous ideas for fun baking adventures.

I saw these cookies on pinterest and decided to try my hand at making my own little spin on them; and I think they turned out rather fabulous.

Behold my melted snowman snickerdoodle cookies.

Pinterest recommended store bought sugar cookie recipes but I don't make anything out of a box and I really wanted some snickerdoodles so I decided to try, and they turned out just as well.

We'll see if they make it all the way over to Chris and if he agrees with cuteness factor.

Basically after I let the cookies cool off I iced them, not very pretty since it's supposed to look like they are melting.

Then I used jumbo marshmallows and sprayed a plated with cooking spray and microwave the marshmallows for 30 seconds.  Just long enough for them to start to puff but not double in size.  When I took them out, I sprayed my fingers with cooking spray before taking the marshmallows off of the plate.

Then I place them on top of the icing and pushed down so they look a little flattened, as if they are melting.

Next, I just decorated as I wished.

**Please ignore the piping arm...I stuck my thumb in it right before I took the picture so I messed up his arm.

But here's a picture of the snowman, grinch and reindeer all together :)

Reindeer Cookies

If these aren't the cutest Christmas cookies I've ever seen, then I don't know what are!

(I saw these on pinteret and altered it a little bit and decided to to make them with a peanut butter cookie because I love peanut butter)

Adorable!

I made these adorable festive cookies using a delicious peanut butter cookie recipe that I found online (a new favorite...much creamy than my other one!), mini chocolate covered pretzels and M&M's.

I used mostly red M&M's for the noses and any color for the eyes. The eyes in the pictures are brown but any color looked cute, I like the blue a lot as well :)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

*3/4 cup peanut butter

*1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

*1/2 cup shortening

*3 tablespoons milk

*1 tablespoon vanilla

*1 egg

*1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

*3/4 teaspoon baking soda

*3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 375°F.

*Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.

*In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

*Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown. 

*Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose. 

*Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 



You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch

I have found a new favorite cookie of this holiday season.

Behold my masterpiece...

Ahhhhh! Isn't it the best Christmas cookie ever?

Ok so it's not your usual holiday cookie, but i LOVE it!

I think it came out adorable.

And so grinch-like.

So basically I used a sugar cookie recipe and then the wilton comfort grip cookie cutter mold in the SANTA shape.

Next, I made a batch of wilton buttercream icing which I used for the coloring.

I used the kelly green icing dye color for the bottom half of the grinch and the the no taste red dye for the top half.

Next, I piped the furry part of his hat with a star tip.

I used the golden yellow colored dye for his eyes, which I kind of made into upward,slanted shape to give them that evil eye look.

Finally, I piped the lining of his face with a small circular tip.  I made the lines of his face based on a picture I was looking at and then just went from there.

I have to say,  for my first time making any type of character, I think I did a pretty decent job.

 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving.

A day to be thankful for everything that you have been blessed with amd remember that you are luckier than others in life.

I am so thankful to have a husband who loves me more than I ever thought was even imaginable.
Who loves me through everything, even on our bad days.

Who has shown me the true meaning of love.
I'm lucky to be able to lucky such a selfless man.

A man who is willing to give up his family time and his holidays so that other men and women can be with theirs.

Even though it's hard, I couldn't be any prouder of him.

I'm thankful for a strong and supportive family who stands behind me and believes in everything I do.

Without them, I would not be the person I am today.

I'm thankful for my true best friends who have stuck by me through the good and the bad times.

Who have made me realize that real friendships don't need to be the kind that have to be seen everyday.

I'm thankful for every lemon that life has thrown my way because it has made me the women that I am today. 

And without challenges, life would be boring and easy.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas



A day off from work and I baked. ALL. DAY.

Ahhh. I just love to bake. and decorate. and make cute little things.

These were my first Christmas cookies of the season and I think they turned out fabulous.

It also helps that I have icing bags, tips and icing colors to make the decorating look a lot better.

Obviously, those are just a couple of them, but I adore them.

I used the Wilton Comfort Grip Cookie Cutters.

I also used a new sugar cookie recipe that turned out amazing.

They're soft, chewy and very tasteful.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

*1/2 cup butter

*1/2 cup shortening

*1 cup sugar

*1 egg

*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*1 teaspoon almond extract

*2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

*1/2 teaspoon baking powder

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

*In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
*Add egg and vanilla and almond; mix well.
*Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
*Shape into 1-in. balls.  Place on greased baking sheet; flatten with a glass. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

**I only cooked mine for exactly 10 minutes and they came out perfectly.  Also, I added the almond extract to the recipe.  Feel free to take it out of the recipe but I think it adds great flavor to the cookies.  Another thing,  if you are going to use this recipe for cut out cookies, I would strongly suggest freezing the dough for out 20 minutes or so before you start to roll it out.



Cupcake Pops

Cupcake Pops

I have these super adorable snowman cupcake MOLDS that I got last year.

They are in STORAGE. Kind of like everything else I own. haha.

So i went off I went on the hunt for some other cute Christmas themed, cupcake MOLDS.

Which I could not find. ANYWHERE.

Instead, all I could find were cupcake pop molds.

So, I gave up my dream of making my adorable snowpeople cupcakes again this year.

And I relented to making cupcake pops.

After much pouting, I have to admit.

Because those darn snowpeople were so cute!

Anyways, this is the mold I used.

It's a wilton mold; I'm a fan of Wilton products.

So, you have to be careful when filling up the cavities because if you fill them up too much, they get way too puffy and they don't deflat.

Also, you have to make sure that the lollipop stick is completly covered because if it isn't covered all the way, when it done baking the cupcake will swivel around on the stick.

As you can tell, I went out and bought new icing bags and new decorating tips so these are much prettier than my pathetic attempt at thanksgiving cookies :)

I also got a new box of Wilton icing colors, which makes decorating so much easier.

Anyways, I baked red velvet cupcakes, which I have posted the recipe on my blog in the past.

I have found that when you are doing decorating such as I did in the above picture, buttercream icing is the easiest to work with.
I like the Wilton Buttercream Icing Recipe.

It's a stiffer icing which makes decorating easier.

I've also found that when I'm decorating, to get the icing to appear perfectly even and smooth I dip my knife in a bowl of warm water and then the icing that works the best.

A little tip that my mom taught me :)

Wilton Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup shortening

*1/2 cup softened butter

*1 teaspoon vanilla

* 4 cups confectioner's sugar

*2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

*In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.

*Add vanilla.

*Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.

*Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

*Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.For all of you who are dying to see, here are the snowpeople from last year :)



Halfway

EEEEEKKKKKK!!!

We've made it to the halfway(ish) mark of this deployment.

FINALLY.

I can only hope that these next three months go by quicker than these past three months did

because...

I want my husband back.

I want him here in Florida with me.

I want to do so many things with him.

But mostly because I miss the heck out of him, day in and day out.

Especially with the holidays right around the corner.

Especially since I've moved here.

Deployments were a little easier for me when I was back in Virginia, surrounded by my friends.

This deployment has been so hard.

Maybe it's because we are newlyweds and there are so many things we should be doing.

Being separated by war is not what I had in mind during the first year of our marriage.

But hey, when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.

And that's what we've done.
We've made the best of a icky situation and remained strong.

But at the end of the day, when I lay down, all I really want is my husband laying next to me.

So, I cross my fingers that these next few months fly by quickly.



Water for Elephants: The Movie

Lead Actress: Reese Witherspoon
Lead Actor: Rob Pattinson

I hate when movies are based on books and fall so far apart from the storyline of the book.  This was not one of them.  It stayed pretty close to the plot of the book and the end result was fabulous.  The cast was wonderful and delivered the story wonderfully providing the viewers with an in depth look at circus life in the 1930s.  Although, I have to admit, being the animal lover that I am, a couple scenes Rosie that were incredibly hard for me to watch.  Which I think might have been an underlying political statement for the way circus animal were and still are treated to this day.  Overall, this movie is a terrific, must see movie for everyone in the family.

Water For Elephants

Water for Elephants

By: Sara Gruen

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.  Set in the circus world circa 1932 tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

I personally loved this book. It was one of the best books I've read in a very long time.  It come highly recommended to me and did not disappoint me in the least.  I think the most important aspect of books is feeling whether you could actually see the events on page come to life in your mind. In reading Water for Elephants in less than one day, I found that happened to me. I love how the author authentically researched the circus to add in non-fiction details that really intrigue the reader.

A highly enjoyable, well-researched, somewhat romantic read that brings to life the era of the traveling circus and small town America during the Depression.   

Siiiigh

I was a competitive gymnast for a majority of my life...12.5 years to be exact.

I have tumbled on and off since giving it up. (Not by choice by the way.)

I have been teaching for the past 4 years.

In addition, I taught while I was in high school.

I think this gives me somewhat knowledge on the subject.

I hate that people seem to think I have absolutely no idea about gymnastics.

I have been hired in both my gymnastics positions due to my background and ability to teach.

I ran the gymnastics program at my former job with little to no supervision for 4 years with no complaints.

That right there says a lot about my skills and abilities to not only teaching but also in dealing with parents and children.

If you are unsure about my background in gymnastics, ask me.

Don't just assume this is my first gymnastics job and I know nothing.

It's extremely insulting.
Why are people so annoying.
Get off your power trip.

So Heartwarming :)))

Watch this video and I  dare you not to get teary eyed.

It won't happed.

Unless you are a total scroge with a cold heart.

It's just that much of a heart warming video.

Definitely makes you warm and tingly all over.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Bruins-surprise-serviceman-8217-s-parent?urn=nhl-wp17324

ahhhh, so sweet :)

Acorn Treats

These are very simple to make and they are super cute.

They're good for any type of fall party, not just Thanksgiving!

Ingrediants:

*Peanut Butter

*Hersey Kisses (unwrapped)

*Bite Sized Nutter Butters

* Chocolate Chips

Directions:

*Dip one side of the  Nutter Butter in peanut butter

*Stick it the flat side of a Hersey Kiss

* Dip the flat side of the chocolate chip in the peanut butter and stick it the to top of the nutter butter

Football Cookies

Chris is a HUGE football fan.

One of his favorite things to do on Thanksgiving is watch football...just like 95% of males.

So since he can't be here to watch this thanksgiving I figured I'd send him these...

Again, pardon my piping; all my tips and icing bags are still in storage so i was working by hand and with toothpicks!

 To make these I made a simple chocolate cookie.

I wanted to make a whoopie like cookie but I was afraid too much icing, and it being too hot would equal a disaster.  Meaning, it might go bad by the time it actually got to him, so I'll save those for when he actually gets home.



Ingredients:

*1 cup of all-purpose flour

*1/4 cup of cocoa powder

*1/2 tsp of baking powder

*1/2 tsp of baking soda

*1 dash of salt

*1 cup of sugar

*1 beaten egg

*1 tsp of vanilla extract

*5 Tbsp of melted butter

*1/2 cup of melted chocolate semi-sweet morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
2. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
3. Mix the sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract and the beaten egg until creamy
4. Mix in creamy mixture from step 4 into the melted semi-sweet chocolate morsels
5. Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients little by little
6. Form into 1 inch round balls and place on a cookie sheet evenly spread apart
7. Bake in oven for 12 minutes or until done.
8. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Turkey Cookies

I wanted to send Chris a little taste of Thanksgiving while he's overseas, and since I can't very well send him a turkey and all the fixings that make for a turkey day dinner.

So after a little research (aka pinterest) I found a cookie that looked like these.

After making a few alterations of my own to make them last a little longer and send better, this is what I got.

Not my best work, since my icing bag and tips are in storage but they'll do. :)



Basically I started with a sugar cookie recipe from scratch...

Ingrediants

*1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
*1 cup butter or margarine, softened
*1 egg
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*1/2 tsp almond extract
*2 1/2 cups flour
*1 tsp baking soda
*1 tsp cream of tartar
Directions
*Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
* Add egg, vanill and almond extrat and beat until well mixed
* Add flour, baking soda and cream of tartar
* Roll into circular 1/2 balls
* Place in a preheated 375 oven and bake for 7 to 8 minutes



I am grateful

I am grateful for everything that I have been given in this life.

I have a husband who loves me and would absolutely anything to see me smile.

I have a husband who I adore more life itself.

I have found a love that is true to the core.

I have found a love that is honest and real.

I have found a love that is rare and sparkles like a diamond in the rough.

I am grateful for everything that I have been given in this life.

I have a handful of true, real friendships.

The kind of friends I can call in the middle of the night if I need them and know that they'll be there for me and not care what time it is.

The kind of friends that no matter how long it's been since the last time we've seen each other, we pick up right where we left off like no time has passed.

The kinds of friends who are more like sisters than friends.

The kinds of friends my children will grow up to know as their "aunts" because that's how close we are.

I have truly learned the value of the saying " it's better to have a handful of true friends, than a ton of acquaintance."

I am grateful for everything I have been given in this life.

I have a truly wonderful family.

I have a brother and a sister who are two of my best friends.

I have two wonderful parents who raised me to be a kind, considerate, thoughtful, polite adult.

They raised me the right way, and for that I am very thankful.

I have a strong family behind me in everything I do.

I have a family who will be there for me no matter what the circumstances may be.

I believe in strong family relationships.



I am grateful for everything I have been given in this life.

I am blessed with two loving, adorable, sometimes crazy cats.

They have two very different personalities but I love them both to pieces.

My life would be so boring without them, they provide us with so much entertainment.

They love us unconditionally.

And we love them unconditionally.

I know how much I've been blessed with in my life.

Not a day goes by that I don't remember that and I'm not thankful.

I thank my lucky stars each and every day for all that I've been given.

Florida Pictures

A random collection of pictures I've taken since I've moved to Florida

Siesta Key Beach

Welcome Home flowers from my Hubby :)

Halloween goodies I baked for Chris

 Beautiful Beach Day!

Me and Marsh catching some rays by the pool

Marshmellow decided to take a little snooze in the flower pot

Fall Chocolate Chip Muffins

The girls sleeping one sunny morning

 Back to the propsal site :)

All tucked in for bed

Helpful Article

I found this article online a couple days ago and I was reading it I found it really helpful to those who don't often send care packages overseas or going through their first deployment.

So, I figured I would share.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Community/Cooks-Who-Care/The-Strength-Behind-The-Strong

Basically, that link will lead you to the article regarding tips for sending packages overseas.

But, there is a link within the article that will lead you to her website, which is all about staying connected with and supporting your loved ones while they are serving our wonderful country.