Comfort.

So, I got behind.  Life got in the way, and mostly, I got lazy :)  Here's my attempt to somewhat catch-up in the Blogtember challenge.

(Friday, September 20):  React to this term: comfort. 

1. Pajamas....  Flannel ones that you can wear all day on Sunday, with fuzzy socks to match. I just snagged these on sale for $20 from Target.

Target

2. Coffee....  In the morning, before anyone else is awake and it is still somewhat dark outside.  My favorite coffee from Trader Joe's, black.

3. Rainy Days.... when you can spend them inside baking cookies. My favorite cookie? Betty Crocker's simple recipe for Monster Cookies.

via

4. Being HOME.

via

At the Moment.

:: Obsessing over...

spring accessories. 

Scarf and Sandals: Gap.

Essie Spring 2013.

:: Working on... 

I need to get back into taking daily Instagram pictures.  I got out of it when we went on vacation and have dropped the ball since then.  The pictures aren't always exciting, but I don't take ANY pictures without that motivation.  I really do enjoy having some photos to look back on. Goal this week- participate in FMSPhotoaDay.  

via

:: Thinking about...

what colors to paint our new place. I'm thinking soft airy whites, grays and maybe that silver sage in the bathroom.  

Restoration Hardware Silver Sage. via

Restoration Hardware White Collection. via

Martha Stewart Fossil.

If only I could copy and paste my "For the Home" Pinterest Board into my new place!

:: Anticipating...

my birthday! Not that I have any plans, but still. And, MOVING!

:: Listening to...

silence.  It's amazing.  I'm hoping it starts raining soon so I have an excuse to spend this a good part of this day locked up reading some good books too.

:: Munching on... 

Planning to make these blueberry muffins today.  They're made with greek yogurt.  Crossing my fingers they hit the spot!

:: Thankful for...

oh gee, just everything. And, I love spring.

What I'm Loving Lately.

Sitting here on this Christmas Eve Eve with a full day ahead with no solid plans.  Slept in, gym checked off for the day, gingerbread cookies in the oven, pot roast in the crock pot and a quiet house.  Is this a joke?

1. Snow. Kansas had it's first snow of the season this week.  There is something about a fresh snow that is just magical.

2. Cooking... well, baking.  So far this holiday I've baked sugar cookies (twice!), brownie trifle, gingerbread cookies and pumpkin muffins.  Savoring the sweet stuff for reals.

3. Amazon.  This year I bought a bunch of gifts online.  I don't know why I haven't done this before... shipped straight to your door and it comes in a box?  I know I'm a little late on this game, but it's a good one.

4. Christmas Cards.  It's so fun to get pretty cards, especially the ones with photos in the REAL mail.  Next year I'll have to steal one of these clever ideas to keep them displayed.

1/2/3

5. Winter Break. My break started one day early this year because of a snow day.  And although I was happy for the snow, I was actually sad to miss the last day before winter break!  Not only were the kids going to be so excited, but the faculty had some sweet holiday plans for that day, too.  Oh well, I got lots of wrapping done, as well as some extra time with my mama. 

6. Family. Speaking of mama, she's recovering from a little surgery this week.  I am so thankful for excellent nurses and doctors, and for good news before the holiday. We have lots of fun plans ahead these next few days. J's family has lots of babies that I'll get to snuggle with all day tomorrow, and my family will all be together for Christmas Day.  I can't wait to catch up with everyone.  It really is the best time of the year.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

-m

Food.

We've been trying some new recipes up in this house.

1. Cilantro Pasta Salad.

• 1/2 Bag Bowtie Pasta, cooked
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 bottle Cilantro Dressing (Trader Joe's)
• 4 chicken breasts, boiled, shredded
• 1/2 cup gorgonzolla cheese crumbles
• salt and pepper to taste

2. Peanut Butter Cranberry Granola.

• 10 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups honey
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups coconut
• 1/2 cup flax seed
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

3. Spinach Meatball Pizza.

• Trader Joe's Spinach and Garlic Pre-Made Pizza Dough
• Marinara
• Trader Joe's Sundried Tomato Chicken Meatballs 
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup mushrooms, cooked
• 1 TBS sundried tomatos
• 1 8oz. package of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Enjoy! 

-m

Cookies.

So I was hanging out with her one afternoon where I was offered one of these cookies.  I immediately asked for the reciepe.  Turns out she was trying out a recipe that another one of our friends is having as a part of her wedding favors!  Needless to say, these are delish.

I started off intending to follow the recipe exactly.  Well, with only one egg in my fridge, I had to change routes.  I halved the recipe, and also made some adjustments:

• Added 1 cup extra coconut
• Added 1/2 cup extra rice crispies
• Added 1/4 cup flax seed
• Added about 1/2 cup oats
• Used Organic Sugar instead of white
• Used unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened

I ended up with some dough that pretty much falls apart in your hands, but the cookies taste delish! Even with halving the recipe, I ended up with almost 30 cookies.

Enjoy!
-m

Cupcakes To-Go.

To celebrate the end of a great season, I made these for my Cheer gals. After much thought about how I could travel with individual cupcakes, this is what I came up with.  These are the giant cupcakes, so a clear cup wouldn't work.  Target saved the day with these clear bowls (harder to come by than you would think!)  I hole-punched the edges of the bowls, then secured them with ribbon.  Crossing my fingers that they make it to the girls without toppling over!

-m

Strawberry Fudge.

This took be about 3 minutes to make, and that included opening the chocolate chip bag and the frosting contaniner, that's right, there's two ingredients.  SIMPLE.  And that's how I like it.  Bonus, it's delish.  Recipe found here.  

Enjoy!

-m

Homeade Butterfingers.

I stumbled across this recipe where I find most of my inspiration: pinterest. With just 3 ingredients, I knew I couldn't go wrong.  Although the recipe called for individually dipped "bars", I opted for the lazy-man's version.  If you're seeking a healthly snack... stop reading here. :)

Ingredients:
1 bag candy corn
1 jar peanut butter
1 bag chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Microwave the candy corn in 30 second intervals until melted.
2. Add peanut butter.
3. Spread on pan and top with melted chocolate.
4. Optional: Sprinkle with some sea salt.
5. NOT Optional: Eat while warm.

Enjoy!
-m

Fail.

So... there's no hiding it. 

I've taken a hiatus :) I wish I had a good excuse, but really, I just haven't had much to say.

I did take a road trip to Colorado for a family wedding.  It really was as beautiful as this picture makes it seem, but you could also smell and feel the beauty.  

You'll forgive me for being a slacker, right? ..... I made pie!

I made these for a girls night last weekend.  So. Easy.  I bought pie filling and pie crusts, then cut them up and baked them in a muffin pan so they'd be the perfect size for one. Yum.

Enjoy!
-m

Lemon Blueberry Scones

I printed this recipe a LONG time ago, and just now got around to making these scones.

This was my first attempt at scones, and these definitely didn't dissapoint.  The best part? Super easy to make. They'll also be great to freeze and reheat for a weekend morning.

Or midnight snack.

Sorry for the poor iPhone pics.  My camera is MIA. I really need to work on the photography aspect, but you get the idea :)

Enjoy!
-m