Resolutions

2015...Already?!? How can this be. With the start of the new year, it always makes me think of a clean slate. Which then makes me think about cleaning/organizing. Which is something I really need to get a handle on at our house. The stuff is starting to take over and some of it I couldn't even tell you was here. Lets face it, it's probably closer to half! I'm pretty sure there are still a couple boxes that are unpacked from when we moved in 3 years ago.

So resolution #1: Organize more this year. I know, I know, super cliche right. 

Well then you will LOVE me when I tell that resolution #2 for me is start exercising. Something, anything to get my body moving a little more each day. My plan is to start going back to the gym (sadly it's been like 2 years) and start running again. And if you're not thrilled with my resolutions so far, just think of the poor people at the gym. The ones that have been working out all year and now have to deal with the influx of people just like me that make a resolution to start working out.

Resolution #3 and the one that I hope to work on the most this year. Stop yelling so much. My kids can be a handful and daily it gets the better of me and I end up yelling. I don't want to be remembered as "the yeller!" So far I have done pretty good with this. Which is amazing due to the fact that I have all 3 kids home during Christmas break and it is FREEZING outside!

#4, not a resolution, but something I want to continue is my Project 365. I plan to do a digital one this year, so we will see how that goes. I do love the feel of actually scrapbooking paper, so the digital version may be difficult for me at first.

In light of #1, I am starting in my closet. This is a long overdue project and one that I have been wanting to deal with for a while. I have way to many clothes that I don't wear, yet I can't seem to get rid of, because I might wear it. Sound familiar? I know I'm not the only one. 

We have a very large closet in our bedroom and so I was able to move all of my clothes away from the spot I typically keep them. Once an item gets washed and worn, it will move back to the spot where I keep them. I'm starting with 3 months and I am going to see where that gets me, I may give it 6. Hopefully after that time I will be able to clean out all that I don't wear. *Exception: It is cold and winter here now, so any tank tops and capris/shorts are exempt from my initial purge and will face the  same wrath in the summer months!

This is where my clothes will go once worn!

 

And as you can see, I have ROYGBIVed my closet! I highly recommend it to everyone! I find I spend far less time looking for clothes in the morning when I can just go straight to that color. Before the one thing I was looking for always seemed to get lost, sandwiched between two other items of completely different color, so I would skip right past it. 

Wish me luck on my resolutions!

25 Days of Baking: Day 25

Can you believe it. I made it 25 days! I have too many treats to imagine and have gained a few pounds I'm sure! But the fact that I kept up with it, makes me happy.

On a side note, Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to ME!!! Yup it's my birthday! In honor of that and the fact that Santa came I opted for an easy out today.

Santa Brownie Hats

• Boxed brownie mix (whichever one floats your boat)
• Strawberries
• Buttercream frosting (I posted this yesterday)

Directions

1. Mix brownie mix as directed on the box.
2. Scoop into mini muffin tins. You will have extra, so you can either make another batch or like me, just put the remainder of the mix into a 9x9 pan and bake.
3. When baking the mini muffin tin, set the oven to the temp on the box, but then only cook for half the time. I believe mine cooked for about 18 min. and they were perfect.
4. Once cooled, pipe frosting onto the top of the brownie cup.
5. Cut the top off of a strawberry and stick into the frosting.
6. Pipe a small dot of frosting onto the top of the strawberry and you are done!

Easy peasy and great treat for Christmas Day. Thanks for following along these last 25 days. I plan to keep up with this blog by adding crafts, recipes and random things I think up!

25 Days of Baking: Day 24

Happy Christmas Eve to all! Can you believe it?!? I'm not sure it feels like it should really be Christmas Eve? There is a little snow where we are spending Christmas, but not the norm. I'm sure that it's helping it any!

Today's treat is sugar cookies. This recipe came from a friend from schools mom. It is the best I have ever had. She used to make all her kids AMAZING valentine cookies to bring to school as their valentines. They were always impressive and so good. I now try to make them for my kids friends, but man they are a lot of work! But so worth it.

Sugar Cookies

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 large eggs

Directions

1. Sift flour, salt and soda together.
2. Cream remaining ingredients together; add dry ingredients. 
3. Dough can be used at once without chilling.
4. Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Buttercream Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 2 Tbls milk

Directions

1. Cream butter, shortening and vanilla.
2. Add sugar 1 cup at a time and cream together.
3. Add milk.
4. Mix until it is the right consistency you want.If too runny add more powdered sugar. If to hard add more milk.

I love sugar cookies! If I could have them in my house all the time I would. I love to frost them. Sometimes with this buttercream frosting recipe and other times with a recipe that allows for a little more decoration. I am slowly working on my cookie skills.

The pictures today are lacking, but with the craziness of the holidays it is just going to have to do.

25 Days of Baking: Day 23

When I think of the holidays (and that's any major holiday) at our house growing up we ALWAYS had rolls! The recipe came from my Grandma. I can remember living on these for days during the holidays while running around my grandmothers house with the cousins. I have very found memories of those times!

I have tried to continue this tradition even when we don't make it make home. It's something that I want my kids to remember growing up as well! And just like us, they have free reign on them when we make them.

Grandma Berry's Homemade Rolls

Group 1

 ~1 pkg yeast
~1/4 cup warm water

 Mix together

Group 2

~3/4 cup milk - scalded

~1/2 cup shortening

~1/2 cup sugar

Mix together

Group 3

~3 beaten eggs

1. Mix 1, 2 & 3 with 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups flour

2. Let Raise

3. Once it has risen, take half the dough. Flour a large cutting board or even the counter. Roll dough into a larger rectangle shape. 

4.Spread butter over the entire surface of dough. Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon.

5. You will then fold the dough in 3rds. Fold the bottom up 2/3 of the way. Next take the top and fold down to line up with the bottom.

6. You will then slice the dough about 1 inch thick. Twist the dough and place on a cookie sheet to bake.

7. Bake at 375 for 8 min.

Unfrosted rolls are best to eat warm and right out of the oven!

Frosting

~1/3 cup soft butter

~3 cups powdered sugar

~1 1/2 teas vanilla

~2 Tbls milk

Blend butter and sugar together. Stir in vanilla and milk; beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency. Spread on cooled rolls.

These are amazing, they do take some time to make so plan accordingly.  We love these so much, that we typically double the batch to have enough for everyone.

25 Days of Baking: Day 22

So this was made yesterday, but due to my little one being sick, and a very sleepless night the night before, I was exhausted. The thought of staying up to write a blog post, already had me wanting to cry. So I decided to not stress and just post two today!

So my treat for yesterday is Layered Jello. This is a family favorite (especially my husband). This recipe came from a good friend of mine from school. Her mom would make these (not Christmas colored) for birthdays and other occasions that required treats. Everyone loved them!!!

Layered Jello

• 6 packages of sugar free jello. (I used red and green for these ones)
• 6 packages of Knox Gelatine
• Vanilla yogurt (the original recipe calls for plain yogurt, but I don't care to eat just plain yogurt, there is always some left over. So I buy Vanilla)

 Directions

1. Boil 1 cup of water. Add boiling water to 1 package of jello and 1 package of knox in a bowl. Stir until dissolved.
2. Pour half of the mixture into another bowl. 
3. To 1 of the halves add 1/3 cup yogurt. Stir together. 
4. Pour this half into a 9x13 pan. Place in the refrigerator to solidify. Only takes a few minutes.
5. Add 3 Tbls cold water to the other half of the jello mixture. Add this to the pan and refrigerate.
6. Continue this process with the other 5 packages of jello and Knox.

This may be a little tedious, but it really isn't hard to do, and it looks very impressive! I remember as a child trying to peel each layer apart and enjoying them. Now go make some and enjoy!

25 Days of Baking: Day 21

Day 21, I almost can't believe it! Can it really be this close to Christmas already?!? Shockingly we have no snow here, so it's making it hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. On the plus side, we haven't had to break out the snow blower yet!

Today I decided to make Turtles. I do love these, but once again, I have never made them before. I searched online for a good recipe, but I couldn't find one that I liked. Scratch that I did find one I thought I would like (the photos look like exactly what I wanted), but the recipe really wasn't complete. So in the end I combined a few and just made my own.

Homemade Turtles

• 2 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 25 caramel squares, unwrapped
• 1/8 cup cream
• 8oz. milk chocolate (I bought the Ghirardelli Chocolate bars)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange pecans in a single layer, toast in oven until fragrant, about 10 min. Remove from oven. On a separate rimmed baking sheet arrange about 3 pecans together, making sure to overlap them some to keep the caramel from going right through the middle. Make about 18 clusters. 
2. Take 1/4 cup of pecans and finely chop them. Set aside to use for sprinkling on top of finished clusters.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, add the caramels and cream and heat for 3 minutes. Make sure to stir every 30 seconds.
4. Spoon enough caramel sauce over the pecan clusters to cover most of them in each cluster.
5. In a microwave safe bowl, break up chocolate and heat to melt it. I heated it for 15 seconds at a time until melted.
6. Spoon chocolate onto each cluster. More is always better! But make sure you have enough for each.
7. Sprinkle each turtle with chopped pecan halves before the chocolate sets.
8. Place tray in fridge to harden.

These were very easy to make and so delicious. I know these will be made again! They would also be a very easy gift to whip up when you need something! Whoever you give them to will be so impressed by all the work that went into them and how amazing they look, when really it took no time at all.

25 Days of Baking: Day 20

Today was a little crazy, we started out our day taking our daughter to the doctor to be diagnosed with croup. Just what the holiday needs. She is a trooper and it hasn't slowed her down any. This evening we did our little families Christmas, complete with a drive through the park with lights. In the midst of all that I did find time to make today's treat, toffee.

I found the recipe at damndelicious.net. I don't think I have ever had toffee with almonds in it, so I did find this a little strange, but upon further research, a lot of recipes include almonds. Who knew. 

Toffee 

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Spread almonds in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes; set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar vanilla and salt over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted and mixture is almond brown in color, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Immediately spread the hot caramel mixture evenly over the almonds. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. After 1-2 minutes, spread the chocolate chips in an even layer until smooth. Sprinkle with pecans.
5. Let cool completely, about 2 hours. Break into pieces.

I chose to not put the pecans on top, and unfortunately I don't think I cooked the caramel mixture long enough. Even after a visit to the fridge it is still gooey. Plus the color seems a little off. I guess you live and learn right. I will be trying another recipe I found again sometime soon, as I do LOVE toffee, so it's a little disappointing that this isn't really what it should be.