sticky buns! yum!

i'm just lovin' my new kitchenaid mixer!  i finally had time friday to make these...

it's one of my all-time favorite recipes--sticky buns.  but without a stand mixer, it was a lot harder to mix up the dough.  my hand mixer just couldn't quite do it properly.  that's why i hadn't made these since before cj was born!  i'm so glad to have the right tool for the job now!  only problem is yummy baked goods like these aren't good for people who are trying to lose weight and not gain more. 

they sure were delicious though!

Happy Valentine's Day! (recipe included)

I hope your Valentine's Day has been as lovely and fun as mine! 

My hubby and I did a little shopping together this weekend.  While we were at Sears to return a shirt I had purchased that ended up being a tad too big, he "hunted" for a certain item I've been wanting for quite a few years...

Can I just say I was so surprised?!  And isn't the red a fun color?  I shall always remember that he gave it to me for Valentine's Day!  ♥ 

So, I tried out my new KitchenAid today and made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies. Yummy!

If you're like me and you like your chocolate chip cookies to be just a little bit crispy on the outside but nice and chewy on the inside, you'll want to try this recipe for sure!   

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies   Yields about 24 cookies
1 egg
1/2 cup shortening (or butter)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I substitute milk chocolate chips and my hubby loves 'em!)

Set the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Grease the cookie sheets (or use parchment paper...much easier).
In a small bowl, beat egg until light and foamy. Set aside.  (My KitchenAid hand mixer got used for this recipe too!  Didn't want to hurt it's feelings after almost 13 years of it being my only mixer!)
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar.  Add beaten egg, vanilla and water.  Beat until smooth and creamy.
Sift together flour, soda and salt.
Stir half the dry ingredients into batter. Then stir in the other half until all the flour is blended into the batter.  (I just added it gradually and mixed the batter until it was all blended together.)
Stir the chocolate chips into the batter.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto greased (parchment lined) cookie sheet.
Bake about 12 minutes.  Cool on wire rack. 

A double batch works really well.  ENJOY!

So I had thought that my new KitchenAid mixer was all I was getting.  I mean, really!  It's a VERY NICE GIFT!  But no.  My wonderful husband had also ordered me a Kindle.  He brought it home today at lunch--handed the box to me with the mail--and I could see it had been opened so I popped the box open and I believe the words that left my mouth were "No WAY!  You're SICK!"  I guess that what ya get when you really surprise me.  LOL! 

I spent the afternoon learning how to use it. (No school today! Mommy wants to play!) I already have a bunch of free books including The Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock.  It's the first in a wonderful series that I've read and own in paper format too.  How fun to get it free for my Kindle too! Next I need to figure out how to download PDF files to it and maybe MP3s too.  I'm just so happy, I could burst!

My poor, dear, hubby didn't have such a great day though.  He's sick.  Poor guy!  I put him to bed early and I hope he's feeling better by morning.  He even has a low-grade fever.  Not very fun.  I wish I could make him feel better with a hug and a kiss, but I tried...it didn't work. 

Get well, my love!  And thank you, again, for the wonderful gifts this Valentine's Day!  I love you.

a little this, a little that.

i see that i haven't posted anything here for a while.  not much to say, i guess.  i've been busy knitting, crocheting, and doing a little designing too for my soon-to-open Etsy shop.  it's taking me longer than i had hoped to get it all organized, but i'm just a few small steps away from actually posting items in my shop!  if you've been following my knitting blog here, you already know that. 

it's an amazingly warm day today.  35 degrees.  that's nearly unheard of up here in the northern minnesota tundra for early february.  i'm sure it'll cool back down soon though.  it usually does.  but for now, the snow is melting off the rooftops and is, i believe, the perfect wetness for packing.  which means my boys are going to go outside and play this afternoon.  and maybe even try to make a snowman!  this could be their only chance to make one this winter since our snow is usually like a powder of fine ice crystals that won't stick together.

i will probably stay indoors myself (unless the kiddos convince me that they NEED me to help them make a snowman) and work on a little housework and then maybe i'll have a little time to work on one of my knitting projects this afternoon too.

speaking of knitting projects, i'm very close to finishing a lightweight sweater that i'm making for myself--my first-ever adult-sized sweater.  {yes, i still make time to knit stuff for myself too!} i've been working on this one, off and on, since june.  it's a beautiful wrap sweater with some lace details that look like bubbles--hence the name of the pattern:  soap bubble wrap!  i can't wait to see how this looks/fits when it's done!  i think i'm to the point of seaming it, so unless sewing the seams in mattress stitch gives me fits {which wouldn't be a first} i should be able to finish it sunday. 

hopefully, i'll be able to get it done before the super bowl.  'cuz i'll probably be too busy watching the game--and commercials--to focus on seaming properly.  i'll have to work on something easy that doesn't take a lot of concentration during the game.  as a loyal Packers fan, i must say i'm hoping for a really good game against the Steelers {and that the Pack wins, of course}! 

have a great weekend everyone! 
enjoy the game on sunday! 
and, of course:
Go PACK Go!

funny guy

"I'm a good guy!  See my guns!" 

that's what cj told his daddy tonight as he was playing with his transformer car toy. 
for some reason, i find that to be quite a profound {funny & cute too!} 4-year-old-boy statement. 

yikes!

have i really not posted anything here since december 20? 

let me just say a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all right now!  

guess i've gotten so busy over HERE that i haven't spent time keeping up with all the regular family updates. 

Christmas was lovely.  we started a new tradition--opening our gifts as a family on Christmas Eve morning (instead of at night after church service).  that way we had all day to enjoy our new stuff.  we didn't make it to service due to the weird times they were scheduled for (5pm = mealtime and 11pm = sleeptime), but we made time to read through the story of Jesus' birth and talked about it a little before we opened gifts.  i sort of missed going to church on Christmas Eve, but we had a fun day together as a family.

the boys opening our "family gift"--new games for the Wii

we opened the gifts in our stockings first thing Christmas day.  then the rest of the day was spent with extended family--in the morning we had brunch with T's family at his sister's place.  it was a nice being able to get together and spend a little time together.  we enjoyed the rest of Christmas day with my parents.  more gifts needed opening and Mom put on a huge feast as usual.  and of course, the guys had to watch a little football.  at least i think that's what they watched.  i happily spent time working on a sweater i started back in june. (i've committed to no "work knitting" on Sundays or holidays--just like a real job, ya know!)

anyways, for New Years we have a tradition that my mom and dad take the kiddos and give us a much needed end-of-year break.  (not that they don't give us a bunch of breaks like this throughout the year as well, but it's nice!)  the boys play games, watch movies and stay up late.  this year, bubba got to invite one of his cousins to spend the night there too.  the boys are close in age and had fun ringing in the new year together.  i hear they had doughnuts at midnight.  as for T and me, we spent new years catching up on some shows we hadn't had time to watch, played a few games, and watching a movie too.  stayed up late, and slept in the next morning.  it was nice.

now life is nearly back to normal.  except for the craziness of trying to get my business up and running.  but it's coming together, slowly.  right now, i'm hoping to have stuff for sale in my Etsy shop by mid-january.