Tuesday, December 30, 2014

A Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Welcome everyone to our final Blog Hop of 2014!! I can't believe this year is almost over. This has by far been the best year of my life. Hub and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary, I got to parasail for the first time, it's my last year in my twenties, and most importantly we found out we're pregnant!! 

 Knowing I'm going to be a mom is the best feeling in the entire world. It's indescribable. I can't wait to finally meet her and love her and hug her and smell that beautiful little head of hers! I'm not even mad I can't partake in champagne this New Years. But I can still check out all that you've been up to! Now show me what you got!

 Happy New Year!
Thank you for ringing in the New Year with us!
Welcome to the final Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop of 2014!

When we last partied together,  you shared 421 awesome posts with us. The most viewed was hugely popular with 23 views.  It was Diane's slow cooker green bean casserole! She has found a way to free up space in our ovens by preparing this delicious dish in a slow cooker, instead! Diane is a GENIUS! Now, everybody, go to her post and pin this so you have the recipe for your next big dinner party. 
Most Viewed
#slowcooker #greenbeans #sidedishes

Very Popular
You LOVED These Too...

 Love this party?

 Simple Guidelines: 
  • Please follow our host and co-hosts in as many ways possible (social media links below) 
  • PLEASE TWEET THIS PARTY !!!!  We want everyone to know about it!
  • Add as many of your family-friendly posts as you would like, no giveaways please.
  • Visit three or more others. Let them know you've been there!
  • When you are PINNING, remember to do it from the original post. ♥
  • If you are new, be sure to let us know in the comments so that we can follow you back. ♥
  • Thanks for joining us!
Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop on Ducks 'n a Row

Follow our hosts a little bit every week --soon you will have them all!

Sinea of Ducks 'n a Row  (host)

Carrie of A Mother’s Shadow

CD of CD's Country Living

Diane of Recipes For Our Daily Bread

Elie from Chocolates and Crockpots

Libby and Rachel of Two Keck Girls

Janine from Confessions Of  A Mommyaholic  

Kim of 2JustByou

Lynn from Turnips 2 Tangerines

Alexis of Mom2MyCrazy2

Nicole and Susan of Flavors By Four







2 comments:

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

A Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

This week we have a very special Christmas Roundup coming to you from all your lovely Wonderful Wednesday Hosts! Check out these amazing holiday recipes you and your loved ones are sure to enjoy. If you're in need of any last minute cookie recipes check out a few of my favorites!
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

And from all of us at the Hop to all of you we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

 The 
Wonderful Wednesday Blogs 
wish you a very 
Merry Christmas 
and 
Wonderful, Blessed New Year! 

collection of holiday posts

All of our party hosts are taking a much-needed break this week to celebrate the holiday with our families ... but we will be back next week to ring in the new year with a great party! In the meantime, please enjoy this Holiday Roundup featuring something special from each of our 11 hosting blogs. 

Janine

Carrie

Elie


Lynn


C.D.

Libby & Rachel 

Nicole & Susan


Kim



Diane



Sinea


Alexis


See you next week! ♥


No comments:

Monday, December 22, 2014

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Hey Y'all and Happy Monday! Are you off this week enjoying your holidays to the fullest? Hub is still working, but he's off next week! I can't wait to spend some quality time with him. I'm still teaching Zumba, but he won't miss me too much for an hour or two :)

This Christmas season is a little different for us. It's our last year where it's just the two of us. The last year we get to have our gifts be for us and can sleep in late and make big unhealthy breakfasts and watch bad movies together. Don't get me wrong, all I am looking forward to is spoiling the crap out of this little girl. And I'd rather have healthy well-balanced breakfasts the rest of my life instead of sausage and gravy biscuits with a side of bacon and cinnamon rolls if it meant I had my daughter with me. But this year we don't, so this year we're really going to enjoy our last year of it just being "us".

One of the things I've been taking full advantage of is baking. I know next year (and probably every year after that) this time of year will be crazy and I'll have a little wobbly booty to worry about. So I'm grabbing the opportunity to bake like a fool while I still can. I recently shared one of my favorite cookie recipes, and I'm back again to share another. Today are these delicious Christmas Sugar Cookies!
These cookies are so chewy and bursting with flavor. My secret? Almond extract! Ok, so its not that big of a secret, but it definitely puts these cookies over the top! Best part about these cookies? There is zero chill time. So fast!
I think Santa will be so excited to see these waiting for him in just a few nights! Ahhh I love this time of year so much. Everything is so red and green and holly and jolly! Awesome!

Ingredients:
2 3/4 Cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract (I just did a quick pour)
Red and Green sprinkles

 Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line your baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper. Get your cooling racks out. Combine the red and green sprinkles in a small bowl. Set aside.

 In another small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

 In your mixer cream together the butter and sugar using the beater attachment on medium speed until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla and almond extract.

 Turn the speed down to low and gradually add in the dry ingredients.

 Roll into tablespoon size balls and roll the ball in the sprinkles. Place on the baking sheet about an inch apart and bake for 8 minutes. 

 Be sure to take them out at 8 minutes and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to the cooling racks.

 Grab a huge glass of milk (or hot chocolate) and try not to eat all 4 dozen in one sitting :)
So what are you looking forward to the most this season? I can't wait for tons of time with all of my family, amazing food, cuddle time on the couch with Hub, and most of all praising God and thanking Him for the ultimate sacrifice he made by giving us the gift of his only son all those years ago. 

Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!
No comments:

Saturday, December 20, 2014

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Hey Y'all! Happy final days til Christmas Day to ya! Are you done shopping yet?! I'm so proud of myself! I am totally done shopping, I have all the gifts wrapped, and I've been baking like a fool. All that and I had to move out of my house for a week! Luckily, I still was able to get everything done with many days to spare. Now I get to sit back, relax with my preggo feet up, and make hot chocolate to drink while watching Polar Express with my Hubby :)

 Those are my plans for this evening. Cuddling up with a warm blanket and a big mug of homemade hot chocolate! Hub and the pup next to me and Tom Hanks' soothing voice in my living room teaching me the meanings of Christmas. Aaaa...bliss! Oh, not to mention the huge plate of Christmas cookies in my pregnant lap. 

 I've made six varieties and more than ten dozen cookies over the past few days. I'm pregnant, no judging! I've used everything from apples and almond extract to white chocolate and sprinkles. I really can't decide which one is my favorite because they are all so amazing. I'll spend the next few days showing you (and devouring) these great recipes for you to enjoy during the holidays. 

 Today I start with a gem that came to me from my best friend's mom I affectionately call Mama T! White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies!
These things are so incredibly chewy and bursting with tons of flavor! I can't get enough of them. There may be a few more steps than normal for cookies, but they are totally worth it!
Ingredients:
3/4 Cup butter, room temperature
3/4 Cup dark brown sugar*
1/4 Cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 Cups flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 Cup (105oz) dried cranberries (I used Ocean Spray Craisins)

 Directions:
In your KitchenAid using the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy. Might take a minute or two.

 Add in the egg and vanilla. Make sure it's really mixed in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to.

 In a separate bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.

 Add the dry to the wet mix while the mixer is on low speed. Once combined, stir in the chips and cranberries with a wooden spoon.

 Cover the bowl with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for one hour (up to over night, but I just did an hour).

 Remove the cookies and allow them to sit out for about 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

 Use a cookie scoop to form balls of dough. It might be a little crumbly, so work the dough in your hands before placing on the baking sheet. 

 Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the edges barely start to turn a golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

 *If you don't have dark brown sugar, but do have light brown sugar and molasses, mix together 1 Cup of light brown sugar and 1 tbsp molasses with a fork. 

 **Don't drop dough on warm cookie sheets. Let the sheets cool completely between batches.

 Again, this is just one of the many kinds I have made recently, but they don't last long in this house! They are delicious! I'll be back soon to share another cookie favorite of mine. Happy Holidays!

Thanks for stopping by!
No comments:

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

A Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Well we are FINALLY back in our home after being shacked up in a hotel for over a week! I just got done unpacking everything and have a mountain high pile of laundry to do. While I catch up on all that, I want to also catch up on what you've been up to! Come back soon to see my yummy Christmas cookie recipes! 

 Welcome to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop #103!

Last week's party was so much fun and so popular!
LOTS of views!
Here at the posts that our readers visited the most...
Editor's Pick

Christmas Crafts

Love this party?

 Simple Guidelines: 
  • Please follow our host and co-hosts in as many ways possible (social media links below) 
  • PLEASE TWEET THIS PARTY !!!!  We want everyone to know about it!
  • Add as many of your family-friendly posts as you would like, no giveaways please.
  • Visit three or more others. Let them know you've been there!
  • When you are PINNING, remember to do it from the original post. ♥
  • If you are new, be sure to let us know in the comments so that we can follow you back. ♥
  • Thanks for joining us!

Follow our hosts a little bit every week --soon you will have them all!

Sinea of Ducks 'n a Row  (host)

Diane of Recipes For Our Daily Bread

Elie from Chocolates and Crockpots

Libby and Rachel of Two Keck Girls

Janine from Confessions Of  A Mommyaholic  

 Kim of 2JustByou

Lynn from Turnips 2 Tangerines

Alexis of Mom2MyCrazy2

Nicole and Susan of Flavors By Four

Carrie of A Mother’s Shadow

CD of CD's Country Living

1 comment:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)