The Sweetest Things

Today I am grateful for the sweetest things.  It was General Conference for church, meaning that the leaders of the church speak worldwide to all interested about revelations and guidance for the Church and individuals.  I was humbly reminded that I need to be grateful for what I have instead of griping, complaining, and blaming.

I know I may be biased, but I am quite convinced that these two definitely qualify as the sweetest things:

Of course, moments like this also have to qualify:

In case this wasn't already sweet enough, NJ and I decided to create something sweet for Daddy to snack on during and after conference.  Using whatever was on hand, we created pretty scrumptious Peanut Butter Crunchies.

Peanut Butter Crunchies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup almonds (I used whole, but chopped would probably be better)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat together the peanut butter and coconut oil.  Cream the butter/oil mixture with the sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Add the baking soda and flour.  Once combined, add coconut, chips, and almonds.  Dough will be very thick.  Form into balls and bake on a cookie sheet (I prefer parchment paper to greased sheets) at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

These cookies do not flatten much but they are super moist and chewy.  The almonds add a nice crunch with chocolatey surprises.  NJ also felt the need to throw a whole Hersheys Kiss into one of the cookies, which Daddy was very happy about.  I hope these can become one of your sweetest things as well!

 So, today and everyday, let us be grateful for what we have.  I know that I am grateful for today and all of my sweetest things.

Almond Joy Cookies

What makes you smile?

There are a lot of things that bring a smile to my face.  Unicorns and rainbows.  My family.  Monkeys. Chocolate.  Puppies, kittens, and penguins. Church.  Board and card games.  Reading.  Singing and dancing.  Thunderstorms.  Fresh fruit.  Baking and cooking.  Music.  Etc. etc. etc.

Lately, the stress of job hunting and deciding where our family is going to live has made that smile a little less exuberant.  So, thankfully I had a weekend chock full of one of my favorite activities: watching NJ and her cousins play and interact.  This weekend we had all four cousins from my side of the family together for general laughter and shenanigans.  The kids ranged from 17 months to five years old; so, you can imagine the cuteness that ensued.

The other bonus was some extra time with my brother, sister, and mom.  Never mind the fact that I lost my voice and have been rendered a partial mute (nothing could ever completely stop me from attempting to talk).  This was a family fun weekend for the books.

Seeing these joyful faces reminded me of a cookie I made up not to long ago but never got to post.  So, here it is, my reinvention of an Almond Joy candy bar in cookie form.  If you are like my husband and not a huge fan of almond extract, you may want to just double the vanilla and skip the almond (for more a Mounds taste I guess).

Almond Joy Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup ground, chopped, or slivered almonds (depending on your texture preference)
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup coconut
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instruction

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Blend the butter and shortening well.  Cream the butter mixture with the sugars.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.  Add the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour.  Add the almonds, oatmeal, and coconut.  Gently mix the chocolate chips in.  

Drop by teaspoons or tablespoons on greased cookie sheets or parchment paper (I personally love the parchment).  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Spread joy with your Almond Joy Cookies!

Happy Pi(e) Day!

Happy Pi Day everyone!  I hope you were able to celebrate this wonderful mathematical gem with a slice of pie.  We may have gone a little overboard with pie today, if that is possible.  We have the missionaries from our church over for dinner every week.  I usually ask their requests for any food they have been missing or wanting.  This week they wanted breakfast for dinner.  Of course, then I realized that today was also Pi Day; so, I decided to meld the two.  Thus, we ended up with a menu full of breakfast pies.

We had breakfast pizza pie, breakfast pie complete with a potato hash brown crust and egg frittata topping, cinnamon roll pie, quiche pie, and my husband's favorite, coconut cream pie, for dessert.  Me oh my, what a lot of pi(e)!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

NJ and I love to cook and bake.  There is nothing better after a long day of story time, playing, dancing, and general craziness than coming home and whipping together a batch of cookies.  I am a huge proponent for getting kids in the kitchen and helping prepare the food they eat.  NJ has been my kitchen helper since before she could walk, propping up in her stroller or bouncer with a measuring cup and spoon.  Now, she enjoys the thrills of turning on the mixer, pouring ingredients into the bowl, and even cracking an egg or two.

We were on the lookout for a new cookie to invent, when we ran across a forgotten bag of Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits in our freezer.  Thus, the Peanut Butter Oatmeal Toffee Cookies were born.  These turned out somewhat crunchy/crispy on the outside with quite a bit of soft chewiness (my favorite).  I think I might alter the recipe a little bit later to give a slightly puffier cookie, but otherwise, these get an "A" rating for yumminess.  Even people who do not like butterscotch chips (a.k.a. my mom) enjoyed these.  They would easily be modified with any of your favorite stir ins, too (I'm thinking Nutella instead of peanut butter, chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips would all be amazing!).

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

Yield:  About 3 dozen cookies, depending on size

Time:  25 minutes prep, 8 minutes bake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (creamy may be substituted)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 egg 

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions::

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Whip together the shortening and peanut butter.  Add the sugars until creamy.  Add the milk, vanilla, and egg.  Once well combined, add in the flour, baking soda, and salt (you may want to pre-combine the dry ingredients if you are worried about getting an even distribution).  Once combined, add in the oatmeal at low speed.  Fold in or slowly mix the toffee bits and butterscotch chips.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoon or tablespoon fulls on a prepared cookie pan (I prefer parchment paper over cooking spray) leaving space for cookie expansion.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool slightly, remove from the cookie sheet, and enjoy!  

Tic Tac Toe

I am the Primary Music Leader for my church, basically meaning I get to lead fun music and games with the kids ages 3-11 each Sunday at church.  While I adore being with the kids, it can be challenging thinking of new and fun ideas to keep such a range of kids entertained and invested while still hopefully having something sink in.

I thought today's activity went exceptionally well at both intriguing the kids and helping teach some gospel principles.  The added bonus was it was easy to put together and was easily modified for different age groups.  What was this wonderful activity?  Gospel Tic Tac Toe.

Here is how we played:  I split the kids into two teams.  For each team's turn, I would ask them a question pertaining to the song we were learning or some gospel principle I wanted them to know.  For example, we are learning the song, "I Stand All Amazed," so I asked the younger kids "What is something we can do to show love and appreciation for God?"  I asked the older kids to explain the atonement, using the song as an aid.  If the team was able to accurately answer the question (which I tried to make sure they could do), they got to place a marker on the Tic Tac Toe board trying to make three in a row.  Then, they got to pick the next practice or wiggle song for us to sing.  We continued in this pattern taking turns until Tic Tac Toe was made or there was a draw.

That is it.  Simple but effective.

On a completely different note but saying "draw" reminded me of it, NJ had a lot of fun drawing on the white board today.  This has become one of her favorite activities.  She for some reason is incredibly partial to the board versus paper.  Opening, closing, and organizing markers has lately taken hold as one of her favorite activities.  She is a regular DaVinci in the making.

Happy Birthday Boys!

NJ and I were invited to a birthday party today for a set of twins.  These rambunctious boys turned two and partied with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse style. With an abundance of 3 and under year-olds, the party was high on energy, food, and fun.

In honor of the big event, NJ and I decided to create some Mickey themed treats.  These treats were pretty basic to make but exceptionally cute for such an occasion.  All we did for these treats was make a batch of your favorite krispie treats using Cocoa Pebbles or Cocoa Krispies.  Instead of putting the krispies directly in a pan, mold them into flat balls with two rounds on the top to  look like a Mickey Mouse head.  I found the mixing and shaping of the krispies to be a lot cleaner wearing disposable gloves sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

We then melted down a little less than 1/2 bag of red melting chocolates (we used Wilton, but I'm sure any would work.  Or even take white chocolate and use red food coloring) and dipped the Mickey treats in them.  We used a spoon to spread and smooth any spots in the chocolate.  Finally, we finished off with Mickey's white buttons by cutting mini marshmallows in half and placing them on the chocolate before they dried.

Walaa!  Super easy but cute and yummy Mickey Mouse Clubhouse treats.  

 From NJ and me, Happy Birthday, boys!

Read This: The Way of Kings

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.  Have you read this yet?  No?!  Here you go:  The Way of Kings  You must.  This is the first of a new series by Brandon Sanderson that gives all new meaning to the word, "epic".  I am a pretty avid reader and will typically try almost anything.  I like anything from Pride and Prejudice to Harry Potter to God's Bits of Wood. I am a huge critic finding minor flaws in almost everything I read.  Yet, The Way of Kings has a new place in my heart.  It is an imaginative tale that has new discoveries and wonders each time you read and ponder it.  Have I mentioned you should read this book?

I actually haven't read the book for a few months but plan on rereading now.  So, why the sudden onslaught of exuberant promoting?  Book two was released today (or two days ago through Google)!  Words of Radiance is here!  While I have not yet read it, I am rushing this post simply so I have more time to read!

So, seriously, go out and read this book.  If you are looking for honor and war, deceit and cunning, heroines or heroes, mysticism, politics, and everything in between, I bet this book will have what you want.

Happy Reading!

A Week With No Phone

I have an unnatural ability to injure if not destroy electronics.  I am the person warranties were created for.  My family has even joked that if a computer or phone company wanted to save money on warranties, all they would have to do is hire me to touch the electronic.  If it survives my touch, nothing will break it.

It is not that I do anything bad to electronics either.  For example, my last phone had an Otter Box cover, which are supposedly almost indestructible.  I actually really love the Otter Box and highly recommend them.  I have one for my iPad, too.  I know people who have dropped their phones from the second story of a building onto concrete and had their phone survive the fall with this case on.  Me?  I tossed my phone onto a desk from less than a two inch incline and had my screen shatter while in the case.

Now, of course, after buying a Samsung Galaxy 4 on Black Friday, only a matter of months later I have a phone that will not charge or turn on.  It has been having difficulties since day one with holding a charge and freezing.  Until my phone can be replaced, I am rendered sans phone.

I would be a much happier camper if I haven't become so reliant upon my phone for taking amazing pictures like this:

I would like to say that at least not having a phone can be a bonus because I am forced to focus my attention on my daughter.  However, I am finding that I rarely used my phone for anything but NJ (i.e. pictures - see above).  So, life goes on and I have been forced to rediscover my digital camera.  Now, I just pray I don't have car trouble or get lost without my phone or Google Maps to guide me!

So, in this time of broken phones, I must self reflect.  "Hi.  My name is Nicole, and I am a camera picture addict."

Phew.  With that off my chest, I need to know, what would you do with a week sans phone?

BFF's

Because of my nature, when I think of famous, memorable friendships, I am reminded of a bunch of Disney movies.  Todd and Copper, Mike and Sully, Woody and Buzz, Simba and Nala...No matter your friendship preference, the fact remains that life is better with friends.

We currently live only five minutes away from my brother and his family.  Luckily for us, that means we are also only five minutes away from cousin Katherine.  Being only a year and a half apart in age, NJ and Katherine tend to be pretty inseparable.  I never thought I would have the privilege of knowing such beautiful, strong-willed, and brilliant young ladies.  Additionally, there is nothing better than seeing the sheer joy and excitement in their faces every time they get together.

Another wonderful thing I wonder if others notice or agree with is how much easier parenting seems to be with good friends involved.  NJ goes from being somewhat clingy and high maintenance to completely independent and active whenever her cousins and friends make an appearance.  They teach each other and genuinely enjoy one another's company.  Who would have thought that perhaps the best gift a little girl can have is a good friend, and in this case, a cousin.  (I should note that she is also great friends with other cousins, but Katherine happens to be the closest at the moment).  

 A lot of fun and shenanigans can happen when these two get together.  After all, look at the hair aftermath of a good play date!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Confession:  While I love the idea of Dr. Seuss, I am actually not a huge fan of his work.  I really enjoy certain books like "Green Eggs and Ham", but I have issues with his reliance upon made up words to rhyme.  Trust me that with a background in linguistics that I understand much of our modern language was and is developed through authors' inventions of new words; however, Dr. Seuss heavily uses the nonsensical.  It is not the invention such as Shakespeare's "up" and "stairs"= upstairs.  On the other hand, I am happy to celebrate anyone who can inspire young people and scholars to read and enjoy literacy.  So, kudos Dr. Seuss!

Phew, I'm glad to have that off my chest.  Being that today is Dr. Seuss Day, I felt the need to celebrate.  After all, NJ and I are always looking for any excuse we can find to bake, cook, and get messy together.  I saw a posting on Pinterest a long time ago for a Dr. Seuss inspired cookie that was bright, colorful, and wacky.  Since I did not have this pin or recipe exactly, I decided to create my own.

I did not feel like using copious amounts of food coloring to get the vibrant colors I so desired; so, I decided to try creating a Jello cookie.  Warning: these cookies are sweet, but the look is worth it!  I may experiment around with sugar levels to better fit my tastes.

Bonus:  The dough is shockingly similar to playdough making it a great recipe for kids to help with!

Dr. Seuss Jello Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs lemon juice
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 (3oz) pkgs jello (any flavors)
Rainbow Jimmies or Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the butter and shortening together until fluffy.  Add the sugar and beat until creamy.  Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon juice, and beat until combined.  Add the flour and baking powder mixing well.

Divide the dough into four sections.  Mix one package of jello into each section until the dough is fully colored.  (The colors will become more vibrant with baking).  Roll 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch snakes of each color dough.  Then take one roll of each color and gently roll together into one large tube.  Continue rolling the tube until it is about 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick depending on your preference.

For spiral cookies, take each tube of combined colors and roll into a spiral from the inside out.  
For "tye-dyed cookies": cut 1/4 inch slices of the cookie tube out and arrange on a baking sheet in your desired shape.

Optional:  Roll the edges or tops of the cookies in sprinkles.

Place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper on top of cookie sheets.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes until cookies are set but not brown.  Cool and enjoy!  

Vegetable Chicken Pasta

Vegetable Chicken Pasta

This is a meal I actually made about three months ago when my dad dropped off a bunch of fresh yellow squash and tomatoes from his garden.  I am all about cooking seasonally and with what is on hand.  I don’t often follow recipes perfectly, improvising as I see fit.  Naturally then, I don’t often write recipes with exact measurements.  For this pasta, as with many of my other meals, add and take away ingredients and measurements to fit your own preferences (most of the measurements are guesses in this anyways!)  Perhaps the most important thing is also to use whatever vegetables and things are fresh and in season rather than forcing flavor out of unnatural produce.  I hope you enjoy!

Vegetable Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb pasta; any shape (12 oz is also enough)

½ lb chicken, cubed (or more to taste)

1 medium onion, sliced

2 medium zucchini, sliced (I used four paddy pan zucchini)

3 or 4 medium carrots, coined (I used orange and yellow)

1 large green bell pepper, large diced

½ lb cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (or whatever is on hand)

1 small bunch scallions, large diced

1 cup chicken bouillon (I use Better than Bouillon)

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 or 5 dried red chili peppers (or more to taste)

Fresh or dried basil

Fresh or dried parsley

Salt and pepper to season

Parmesan or other fresh shredded cheese, optional

Instructions

Prepare the pasta according to the box instructions or your preference reserving the pasta water.  Cube the chicken into ½ inch to 1 inch pieces, and cook in a sprayed or oiled skillet over medium high heat.  Season with salt and pepper (I used garlic salt).

After browning the chicken, add the onions, and cook until barely translucent.  Add vegetables through the tomatoes.  (I usually do all of my cutting and chopping while heating the last add in which gives about the right cook time for each.)

Add the garlic and three to five whole dried chili peppers.  Crush in at least one pepper and more to taste.  The more heat you want, the more crushed peppers you should add.  (I should add a warning here that my husband will not eat the whole peppers, but I will.  Know your heat tolerance.  With only one or two peppers crushed in, even my 10 month old daughter finds this mild enough.)

Add about a cup worth of chicken bouillon using the reserved pasta water as the mix in.  (I am sure chicken stock would work, too, or any bouillon you have on hand as long as you still season to taste.)  Stir in about 2 tbs soy sauce and 2 tbs lemon juice.  I never measure but just pour until it “looks right”.  If you do not use the pasta water, you may want to add corn starch or flour as a thickener.  Otherwise, heat through until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through. (This shouldn’t take very long at this point.)

Stir in the pasta.  You may not use the entire box depending on how many vegetables and things you like in the mix.  If you need more sauce, simply add more bouillon, soy sauce, lemon juice, etc to your liking.  Turn off the heat and add the chopped scallions, basil, and parsley.  Serve hot.  You may also enjoy sprinkling some shredded parmesan or more herbs on the top.

As I said, this recipe is very much alterable to your tastes.  If there aren’t zucchini in season, don’t worry!  Grab some broccoli, asparagus, or whatever else might look good.  Spinach or kale also works great.  Just use whatever healthy dosage of veggies and seasonings you like.  Sorry that none of my measurements are exact.  I never actually pull out a single measuring spoon or cup during this cooking process.  Use your best judgment, and add/take away as you see fit.  Enjoy!

Nobody Likes Being Sick

My little girl (NJ) came down with croup this last week.  Other parents out there will likely attest to grief of croup as a result of the puppy dog eyes and horse cough.  In addition, I didn't feel so great myself with a sore throat, runny nose, sleep deprivation, and body aches.

As a result, the true question is, how do you entertain a sick child, especially when feeling under the weather yourself?  This epic question is emphasized when the illness stretches multiple days.

One solution is of course reading stories easily allowing a child to stay in bed or cuddled snuggly with Mommy.  The only draw back being the sore throat that may ensue.  In my efforts to appease NJ in her week of aches and pains, I wrote her a get well poem.  So, without further ado (though this line in itself is further pause), my ode to NJ  in efforts to make her feel a little better while sick:

Nobody Likes Being SIck

Nobody likes being sick.

It is nature’s worst kind of trick.

It all started with a simple cough

And kept on going until it felt like my nose might fall off.

I have to stay home all day

While all of my friends go out to play.

I miss out on my favorite treats,

And everyone else gets to dance to different beats

Nobody likes being sick.

It makes time slow down with every tick.

Dad takes my temperature which is no fun

When all I want to do is run.

I sniff and snuff and sneeze and wheeze.

I cry out, “Make me feel better, please!”

Just when I think I am over my cold and flu,

I let out another great big ACHOOO!

Nobody likes being sick.

I hope I can get over this quick.

My head hurts, and my sight is blurry.

Everything seems to be in a flurry.

I itch and scratch and moan and groan.

Sometimes I feel like I am turning to stone.

I do not like all this tummy trouble.

Being sick quite deflates my bubble.

Nobody likes being sick.

I hope the doctor does not give me a needle prick.

My mom makes me take yucky medicine.

Though, I do not so mind the green colored gelatin.

My eyes are puffy, and my nose is runny.

This being sick is just not funny.

Hot or cold?  I cannot decide!

I feel achy and icky I must confide.

Nobody likes being sick.

I have scabs and owies that I want to pick.

I sit and watch TV or nap.

My body moves like it is full of sap.

It is terrible and boring feeling so put out

When all you want to do is explore about.

Some people send bright colored balloons.

They are attached to cards that say, “Feel better soon!”

Nobody likes being sick.

I sure could use an energy kick.

My dog stays dutifully by my side

While I dream of going on a nice bike ride.

Yes, nobody likes being sick.

But maybe while I am, I can have some ice cream to lick.

Hopefully I feel better soon.

Some rest and good broth may help improve my tune.

Nobody likes being sick.

I wish I could give this illness a good flick.

But luckily my fever begins to drop.

And all of these funny red bumps start to pop.

Slowly my mood begins to rise.

I give out a few cheerful cries.

And lickity split, before I know it,

My fever is gone, and I do show it!

Nobody likes being sick,

And now that I am better I give a jaunty kick.

Feel better!