If you visited me

If you visited me, I would probably do something lame like serve chocolate kisses from a plastic ice cream dish. It's not fancy or showy, but really, would you complain?

If you popped in on me right now, you would notice that...

1. We have the air conditioning off, so it's a bit sticky.

2. School supplies are everywhere.

3. Little Weirdo is confined to the kitchen because of his pee-pee issues.

4. Mr. Cool is conked out on a pile of people blankets because he got so much fresh air this afternoon.

5. My pizza pans are still soaking from last night. 

6. One of my drummer boys is practicing. WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU.

7. We have a collection of miniature flash lights on our hutch. I don't know where they came from.

8. I have chicken "brining" aka thawing for supper tonight.

9. I baked yesterday and could offer you a blondie and/or a sugar cookie bar...with icing!

10.  My husband's project is on the coffee table. It involves poster board and sheet metal. I nod a lot but don't really understand what he's doing.

11. We have baby gates and no baby. We are nervous about Mr. Cool using stairs. Even though his back legs are better now, we block off risky areas.

12. Beagles love to bark. Sorry again about the noise.

I know a lot of bloggers lead you to believe they have it all together. I really doubt it. I have NEVER hit that magical day when motherhood, home decor, fashion, and cuisine meshed beautifully. Heck, most of the time I can't even master one of those. 

But that's OK.

We aren't perfect and don't care to be. It's more fun to be messy and noisy.

Whoever started these competitions about having the best (fill in the blank) or the most enviable (fill in the blank) or the cleanest...or prettiest...or most effective (fill in the blanks), well, that person is a great big meanie. 

The whole mindset of perfection has contributed to women distancing themselves from one another. It's a sad, sad shame. 

We need to get over it. Those big meanies can just go wash mini blinds all day.

What do you think?

Caramel crackers

When I was a new bride, my grandma taught me this recipe.
She and I were just hanging out and we wanted something sweet. 

It's easy, fast and cheap! 

Caramel Crackers

Ingredients:
One sleeve plus a little more Saltine crackers
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 bag chocolate chips
Chopped nuts, if desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line crackers in a buttered jelly roll pan.
In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar.
Heat to boiling.
Turn heat down and continue boiling for 1 to 2 minutes. 
Pour mixture over crackers.
Bake for 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Spread the chocolate chips so the heat melts them.
Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.
Score and refrigerate until firm.

You could even omit the chocolate for a true caramel taste.

Have a lovely day!







This was shared on:
Mad in Crafts
The Prairie Homestead
Flour Me with Love
Adventures of a DIY Mom
Growing Home Blog
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Life with the Crust Cut Off 

Cake mix cookies

Have you ever made cake mix cookies? 

So very easy.

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:
One box of cake mix
One stick of butter
One egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until cookies are a little golden.

Options:
Before baking, add chocolate chips or roll dough in flax seeds, nuts or sprinkles.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Have a lovely day!

Pink and yellow

I don't know what it is lately about pink and yellow. I just love them so. 

When I made birthday cookies for a friend the other day, I had to go with my new favorite color scheme.

Mr. Cool seems to share the fondness. 

He was all over these fabric scraps.

 Now he's fancy:

I'm gonna live here when I grow up:

Have you been going through a color mood lately?

Lemon bars--pucker up!

These lemon bars were so easy to make and the ingredients are usually on hand.

Everyone really liked them so I'll serve them again and again!

Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 sticks of butter, softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

Topping:
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
6 Tablespoons lemon juice (I used the kind in the big green bottle)

Later:
A sprinkling of powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan.
Mix the ingredients for the crust and press into the pan.
Bake for 15 minutes (it won't look all-the-way done yet).
Allow crust to cool slightly.
Mix the ingredients for the filling and pour on top of the crust.
Bake for 25 minutes. 
Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.

Everybody pucker!

This post was shared on:
Growing Home Blog
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Life with the Crust Cut Off

Sugar cookie bars. No big whoop.

These bars are quick to make and use ingredients you probably have on hand. 

Sugar Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (or 1 cup of butter-flavor shortening)
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Naked sugar cookie bars.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a jelly roll pan.
3. Cream butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix.
5. Combine dry ingredients. 
6. Mix dry ingredients into wet dough.
7. Spread mixture into the jelly roll pan.
8. Bake for 18 minutes.
9. Cool.
10. Ice with a glaze made of powdered sugar, water and vanilla. (Tint the glaze if you like...and add sprinkles!)

Peanut butter bars for lazy people

 Maybe you are familiar with ESP peanut butter cookies? 

ESP peanut butter cookies

E = one egg

S = one cup sugar

P = one cup peanut butter

Mix. Roll into walnut-sized balls.

Make criss-crosses with a fork in the traditional way.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Let cool on cookie sheet. They will firm as they cool.

Could it get any easier?

Oh yes.

Peanut butter bars.

Double the ingredients:

two eggs

two cups sugar

two cups peanut butter

Dump the whole thing into an ungreased jelly roll pan. Pat out evenly.

Make criss-crosses on the whole pan all at once.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes.

If you want some glimmer, sprinkle the whole pan with sugar.

Let cool.

Are you lazy, too?

Well, we better get this sloth out of our systems soon.

Next week is Thanksgiving and we'll have to move it, move it, move it!