Category Archives: Food

At home, Blog, Food, Photography

My favorite holiday, or anyday, cookie

Posted on by Amanda Jackson

I have a confession to make. I am a serious cookie-holic.  Don’t feel bad though, I am kind of proud of it 😉

Because of my addiction, I consider myself to be a cookie connoisseur of sorts. If you want to know about good cookies, I am the lady to ask.

Last year I came upon a recipe for Holiday Snowballs and I became infatuated. I made them a few times last Christmas, and at least 10 times this season so I think I have finally made the last adjustment to perfection.

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Aren’t they beautiful!!??!! I actually took all of these beauties to our master seamstress Jessi’s holiday party and I didn’t even cry when I had to share them. I am proud of that too 😉

The recipe said to dust them in powdered sugar (so they look like snowballs) but this year I found that rolling them in sparkly sugar makes them look like jewels, which seems ever better.

So  here it is, my all time favorite cookie recipe:

Snowballs (aka super yummy shortbread cookies)

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks butter) softened

3/4 c. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

3 cups all purpose flour

1 bag Nestle white morsels

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I like them with pecans)

Preheat oven to 375.

Beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Slowly add the flour. Stir in morsels and nuts.

Then roll balls the size of your palm (roll in colored sugar if making them look like jewels is your bag) and put on cookie sheet and bake for exactly 12 minutes or until the tops are light brown.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar (if you didn’t roll them in sugar) and wait patiently for them to cool. They taste way better cool.

 

Tadda! Meet the best cookie you will ever eat.

Noah made them with milk chocolate chips and they rocked. They were super rich, but if you make them small they are great with a cup of coffee.

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking of other things I could put in these babies, that’s when I finally had to talk to a professional about my obsession. lol.  I think that they would be amazing with walnuts and semi-sweet chips or even with no chips at all.

If you try this, let me know! I’d love to hear if anyone else thinks they are as good as I do. I like them so much I’d marry them, but don’t tell Dan!

At home, Blog, Food, The babes

A week in the life….

Posted on by Amanda Jackson

This week was pretty eventful. We had our first snow of the winter:

Of course I was at work when the precipitation hit. This picture was from a few hours after it all stopped.  Just to highlight what it is like to live in the dessert, all schools were canceled the next morning, government jobs were on 2 hour delays.  I had to drive home that morning at 7am, and to my avail the roads were practically clear. By 10am the snow was almost gone, but I was so glad that school had been canceled. I mean the kids might have had to wear their jackets and they may of had a whole lot of fun having a snow ball fight or building a snow person.  Who would have wanted that??!!?? So silly.

Having Noah home mad Auggie super happy though. I think he is all ready to get up on those fat little legs and run around with Noah.  Here he is trying, well succeeding, in escaping his car seat:

He didn’t even cry when he hit the floor. This one is all boy.

Noah lost another tooth this week. Out of boredom on that wintry snow day he pulled another one from his face. Soon I don’t know how this child will chew! He is totally goofy, I cannot imagine what kind of mayhem he and Auggie are going to get into together!

As for me, I finally got my new table delivered! Yahoo! It is absolutely gorgeous:

And my friend Doug is coming to take my piano in a few days so I have even more room for this beast of a set. It seats 8 and is 5′ x 5′ square. I totally negotiated the price, but even then I think I will still be buying one chair a pay check for the next 3 months or so. We started with 4 thanks to Allissa  and her school financial aid.  If the government only knew what they were paying for!

I am sort of sad about the piano, but that tells me that it is time for it to go. I really hate having attachments to material things and I have held onto this piano forever now! Kdphoto064

As you can see it is a beauty, but I have no idea why I have owned it for 3 years and moved it 3 times.  I tried to learn to play when I first acquired it, but that experience only magnified something I already knew about myself: I am musically stunted. I have no rhythm, music notes do not translate into anything in my brain and my coordination is that of a small child. With that said, I am so happy to see this beautiful instrument go to a good home,and so glad to get more room for what I like most, eating and socializing.

Not tying to learn to play the piano leaves me more time for this:

And really what is better.  (Photo by Noah. Amanda’s makeup still in the bathroom cabinet.)

At home, Blog, Food, Friends, Sew Sew Sew, The babes, Work

Self Portrait, Age 26

Posted on by Amanda Jackson

In the wake of my 26th birthday (Sat, yahoo!) I have flown  into reflection mode.  How things have changed this year. If I would have made predications based on my state this time last year, I would have said that the year was going to be horrible.

Au contrer mon ami.

If all the years in my life were in competition for who was the best thus far, 2007 would win. Here is why:

1. Auggie was born.

I cried an awful lot last December. I had the baby blues somthing bad and no puppy or $500 esspresso machine or new furniture could make it stop. I really tried to bandaid it though.

In January I found out that I was pregnant.  Next to my wedding day, this was the happiest day of my life.

It literally feels like a miricle that Auggie, only one short year later, is here— flesh and blood here. I didn’t think that he existed, not this year or any year. And not only has he made an appreance, but he is amazing. He is perfect. He is all mine.

2. I quit smoking.

Woohoo! I will live to be a very  tawdry version of myself and damn my skin will look good.  More importanly, I will be around to teach the grandkids about the importance of drinking good coffee, creating every day, and the power in buying handmade.

Oh, and I get to see Dan as an old man. he he.

3.  I fell in love with my husband all over again.

Wasn’t sure that we were going to make it through the first year of marriage, but we did it and are way more crazy about each other than ever before. No pain no gain, eh?

He lets me be me. And he like me too. Couldn’t get any better than that.

4. We moved into an amazing house and got really cool jobs.

Love the new pad– there is so much room for all of us now. I must point out that the decorator was impecable. 🙂

Both Dan and I work as editors, he during the day and I at night. It works out perfectly. Noah and Auggie always have one of us home and what can I say, I like the night life.

5. I fell in love with sewing all over again.

I create, therefore I am. Anyway, that is what I tell myself for validation. It had just been so long and it felt so unbelievely good the first time I pulled something off my machine that was real. I always defined myself as an artist but I had to re-evaluate after I hadn’t created any art in months. I thought that I had lost myself. It is really fantastic seeing that part of me come back to life.

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6. Lastly, and maybe most importanly, I am so healthy now. And I am sure that it is due to the 5 forementioned things that I have to be happy about.

Now I shall leave you with this:

“There are some days when I think I’m going to die from an overdose of satisfaction.”

~Salvador Dali

At home, Blog, Food, Friends, Sew Sew Sew

Mimi Pink Apron to the rescue

Posted on by Amanda Jackson

My UPS delivery guy made me so happy yesterday. I finally broke down and ordered these books for myself, I’m sure you all recognize them. I can’t wait to make myself a pair of Amy’s PJ pants. I am dreaming of a weekend wearing these pants exclusively, drinking lots of warm drinks and reading by the fireplace.

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Besides that, I want to work on perfecting my apron pattern. So far it’s looking good, but there are a few changes to make yet. I love how the fabrics are coming together, its really like  a birth every time i finish one.

I’m not much of a cook so I am using mine to catch all the thread and fibers that I am endlessly pulling from my clothes. And the pocket is perfect for holding my very loved, absolutely beautiful  new Gingher thread snips.

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I’m so excited to show this to the girls on Sunday, we are getting together to bake Christmas cookies.  I might have declined the invitation since I’ve had to cut dairy from my diet (baby Auggie can’t handle the proteins in the milk) but somehow getting to wear the apron makes my missing-out-on-holiday-yummies-sadness all better. An apron band-aid of sorts.