molasses kringles

I know this may be a little late in the game to share, but I have a Christmas radio station that is to die for! Please go here and download it quick-only a few days left to love up the Christmas tunes, and these are some real gems!

Also of note, I have been whipping up a constant supply of molasses cookies to share with others/consume at an unholy rate. My good friend shared the recipe with me years ago and I just reinstated it as my favorite this season. I think you should make a batch or two of these and see if you have the will power to give them away-I won't think any less of you if you don't.

Molasses Crinkles

*3/4 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2-1/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

Preheat oven to 375º. Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Add egg and molasses and mix well. Blend in sifted dry ingredients. Chill dough in refrigerator. Roll chilled dough into balls the size of large walnuts; roll in sugar. Place 3 inches apart on a lightly-greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or just until set (but not hard); cool on a wire rack. Makes 4 dozen cookies. *Note: Instead of using 3/4 cup shortening, I use 50% shortening and 50% butter for a better consistency.

Lastly let it be known that I have a very good husband. What you see here is a plate of fresh from the oven cookies that he patiently waited to partake of. I just knew they would look good on a bed of moss next to a white reindeer. You were thinking that too? Well, that's why we're friends.

It is so sad. Matt and I don't even have a tree. We decided to do things a bit different this year and not do presents for each other. (Which is not why we don't have a tree, no good excuse for that besides being busy.) I have wavered about being committed to this-and I had to beg Matt to tell me honestly if he had gotten me anything. (We all know there is nothing worse than the no present deal and then that someone still gets you something-and you have nothing for them! eep!)

We did get our christmas decor out though and loved looking at our ornaments from last year. We really enjoyed making them-creative projects we can do together make us so darn giddy! Matt being his usual amazing self went to work making a DIY video of these ornaments-now I love them even more!

four eyes

We feel blessed to be working on little movies for some fantastic people.

count your blessings instead of sheep

White christmas. check.

Holiday treats from our favorite bakery. check.

The BEST hot chocolate I have ever had the pleasure of sipping. check.

All of these festivities were enjoyed with friends-which of course makes everything better.

p.s. There is a possibility that I will be able to start violin lessons in January. I am beyond excited!

a day in the life

Picture this:

you are sitting in a room wallpapered with horses and fantastically colored barns. Already good, right? It gets better. You dress your beautiful blonde babies in full knit outfits and stunning hats. Ribbons to you. (I am hoping as such a wise mother you have also procured one of those hats for yourself.) To top it off you and your sweet baby get to treat yourself to a yummy yulelog cake. A cake topped with deer and mushrooms mind you.

(images found here, here and here)

thanksgiving

I have never had a food assignment for Thanksgiving before, but this year I became a "responsible adult" and was asked to bring the pies. It is no secret my affinity for pie making runs quite deep-but let it be known-there is a difference between leisurely whipping up a pie vs. making pies for a dinner that orbits around the very existence of these tasty treats.

Needless to say these pies were a labor of love and a test of my temper (of which some may say I failed) but in the end they turned out as flaky and scrumptious as one could hope. Also worth noting, my family had a splits contests in the which many Thanksgiving-dinner-stuffed adults tested how low they could go. Low I tell you, surprisingly low.

Along with Thanksgiving one Father Walker celebrated his birthday and we all gathered to watch old home videos and marvel at his Bieber hair-do long before Bieber was a twinkle in his mama's eye. So good.

Oh, and don't forget the honeyboys. We get all sorts of giddy when we go to bakeries and order their signature sweet. We decided as we munched on our men (me head first and Matt feet first) that when we are old we will take our grandchildren to this very bakery and get them honeyboys. They will love us for it-because I love my grandparents for doing just that.

all for myself

Love this song. Love the man who wrote this song. Double love the man who made the video for the song.

little house on the cake stand

Matt and I went shopping on Friday and realized the world has started to celebrate Christmas,
like it or not.

We tried to resist, tried to scoff at the premature cheer, and then there we were buying a holiday cottage cake pan. There we were loading up our ipods with christmas music and baking to the sounds of Bing and the smells of nutmeg. At least brussels sprouts, to my knowledge, have no holiday ties.

Good thing we had the cookie to keep us grounded. Don't worry Thanksgiving-we haven't given up on you quite yet.