Tasty Tuesday is my way of helping other moms (and dads too!) to come up with some new recipes. I feature anything from main dishes to desserts. I love to cook, and love to eat even more...but I also love to share. Sometimes the recipes are an Mamma original, and sometimes they are totally stollen. Today's is ripped off from Paula Deen on the food network. She is not know for waist friendly foods, but they sure are delisious. This one is no exception. Today it's Mexican Wedding Cookies. These are the most buttery, melt in your mouth, little bites of bliss this side of heaven! I made these for Andy's holiday party. Double batch. Nary one cookie left. Yep, they are that good.
Ingredients (for single batch) 1 Cup butter- room temperature 1/2 Cup Powdered sugar (plus some for coating) 1 Tsp Vanilla 1 3/4 Cups Flour (plus more for dusting hands) 1 Cup pecans- finely chopped
Cooking Instructions: Heat oven to 275 With an electric mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar, on low, until smooth. Beat in vanilla, gradually add flour on low speed and mix until smooth. Mix in pecans with a spatula. Flour hands and shape spoonfulls of the dough into crescents (I just rolled it into balls).
Bake for 40 minutes and remove from oven. When cooled slightly, but still warm, roll in powdered sugar and transfer to a wire rack to cool. That's it!
I am considering making more of these bad boys for our family Christmas Eve get together. Afterall, we are having Mexican food ;)
Five Question Friday time. For the rules on how to play along go see Mama M. 1. Would you ever vacation alone? Is there any other way? Really the answer is absolutely. But I never have. 2. Do you go the speed limit? Isn't that just a guideline anyway? I guess it depends, I do a lot of the time...within like 5mph. Every now and again, I will look at the ole' speedometer, and say "Holy crap! Good thing there's no cop near me." 3. Why did you start blogging/following blogs? Started because I always read MckMama's blog, and was inspired to do my own. I figured I had enough to share that it would be fun. As for following others, I usually do it because I feel a connection, like I can somehow relate to that person. There have been a couple of ocassions when someone has followed me, and politely suggested that I follow in return. Not my favorite way, but I have, and mostly with good results. 4. Where do you shop for yourself? I like New York and Co. for a lot of things. For jeans, you can't beat the Gap. Oh, did you mean where do I shop for myself now that I am a haus frau? Hmmm. Target's nice. Sigh. 5. What was the song that you danced your first dance with your spouse to at your wedding...or...what song would you like your first dance to be to? At our wedding, which was truly the most splendid experience...and I am not being sarcastic, we danced to "I Love You" by the Climax Blues Band. Never heard it? Click the song title, and listen up...it's awesome and fit us so well.
This week, as always, I am also answering Tamara's Fill in the Blank question. This week's is:
For my birthday, the one dessert I want to enjoy the most is:________
Impossible to answer. Truly, I love all things dessert. So, really just about anything will do. But if it's going to be cake, it has to have buttercream frosting, or it can just go home!
There you have it my friends. Feel like playing along? I say go for it? Don't feel like it? Well, then how about some answers in the comments right here?
Recently I traveled to Maine to assist another photographer with a wedding there. Well, I traveled to Providence, stayed in Massachusetts and shot the wedding in Maine to be precise. I posted some of the photos I took both here and on my Facebook fan page.
I had a small layover both ways in Chicago. While waiting there on the way out, I received a text message from my husband that he and my son threw away his last pacifier. I did what any self respecting mother would do. I cried. There in the airport, for all around me to see. Tears streamed down my cheeks at the thought of my baby...simply not being a baby anymore.
Now, I admit...I allowed him to have the pacifier far longer than I should have (he'll be three at the end of August). But what can I say? When it comes to this little man, I'm as soft as butter left out on a warm day.
Warning: Blog operator's brain on fritz...so don't expect much. This post is a bunch of odds and ends, hence the title.
First and foremost, I am excited to share the fact that I do have a few after pictures to share. Remember this post where I bared my deepest and dirtiest? If you didn't read it, you may want to now. Guaranteed to make you feel better about yourself in five seconds flat however long it takes you to read the post (but read this one first, because it has some cool stuff). So here are the pictures.
My bedroom floor after and before. Big exhale.
Nightstand after and before. Better light in the after!
Here's one that wasn't in the last post because I had already shown so much, that I thought enough was enough. Anyway, this was/is one of my dressers. My room now is one place that no longer causes me extra tension.
Moving on...in doing my cleaning, I came across some books that I have either, never used or used gently. I no longer have a need for them, and would like to know if any of you are interested in any or all of them. If so, please leave me a comment of which book you'd like. I will let them go on a first come, first served basis. ***This is not a giveaway*** Just wanted to see if anyone here wants them before I take them to the used book store. All I ask of those that are interested is that you kindly pay for shipping, you may have the book(s) for free. They are:
The Everything Pregnancy Book, and Dr. Sears Fussy Baby Book.
This one is Kids Create. Its arts and crafts for 3-9 year olds. We have never used it, and sadly I am just not that crafty. But there looks to be some fun things for kiddos to make with moms and dads.
Last thing I have is a wedding scrapbook. Never used at all. I had already started a different one when I received this as a gift.
Okay, there is one more thing I want to show you all. I mentioned a while back that one of my favorite gifts for Christmas was a fantastic necklace from Lisa Leonard. It is really awesome. It has all three of my kiddos names on it, it's silver (and I'm a silver kinda gal), and it goes with cute dresses or jeans! So awesome.
I may or may not be hosting a giveaway really soon. It may or may not have to do with Lisa Leonard! So stay tuned.
Julie at The Peanut Gallery...exit here, who has wiggled her way securely into my heart, has awarded me with the Honest Scrap award. Thank you, friend. Since I began blogging, this was probably the one and only award I hoped to receive but never did...until now, of course. Now that I've got it (and I am really excited to finally have this one), I am hanging up the old "award" hat. I think they are fun, and I love it when others think of me...but at the risk of sounding like a major ingrate, I can't find the time to do the posts for them anymore. All the crazy linking, standing on your head, picking your nose, winking your left eye, and singing the Star Spangled Banner all at the same time is just a bit much for me.
So with this one I have to list 10 honest things about me. Honest? Darn it...there has to be a catch, right? I kid. I'm nothing if not honest. Anyway, here goes:
1. When I was younger I wanted to be a doctor. As I got older, I didn't want to do the school. As I got even older, I regreted not doing the school. Unfortunately, in college I didn't have the foresight which would have enabled me to see beyond my days of bars and boys. Seriously, I wasn't all that bad...pretty mild in comparison to many. In any case, I am quite happy to be where I am today. Can't imagine what my life would be otherwise.
2. I have eaten some really strange things in my life. As a child in particular. Among those things are dog food and fish food. Don't even ask.
3. I once peed in a flower bed in a public place. Again, don't ask.
4. My favorite number is 13, and my favorite colors are blue and yellow. In fact, our wedding colors were blue and yellow! Love, love, love it.
5. The one place in the world to which I want to travel over any other, is Russia. I am hugely fascinated with their culture. I would even like to learn the language. I actually know a few words and phrases. When I was fresh out of college and living in Dever, Co. I met some people from Russia. They became good friends, and thus my desire to learn more about their culture was spawned. Kak Dela?
6. I am currently struggling over whether or not we should change my blog tag line to "eight" little feet. Leaning toward keeping it six.
7. I cry at commercials. I never used to do that. I used to pick on my mom because she does it. Then I had kids, and my hormones went haywire, and never worked themselves back to their original state. Sigh. Now I am as sentimental as they come.
8. The blogs I love reading the most are those that write about "real" things. Things like their struggles in day to day life. The joy over their family, kids, etc. Humor over things to which we can all relate, and those that have great photography.
9. Like Julie said...I love music. I agree with her so much. A song can bring you back to a place in time quicker than anything else. I can instantly feel how I felt then, smell things I smelled then. It's amazing. Led Zepplin is one group in particular that brings back a lot of memories that are near and dear to my heart.
10. With me, what you see is what you get. Sometimes that's great, and sometimes it's not. My husband often accuses me of lacking the "filter" that others have which enables them to say things nicely. He says I can be abrasive. To his credit, he is not the only person who has said this about me. I'm perfectly okay with it. Better, I think, that you know where you stand with me. There is no wondering over what's going on in my head. Well, that last part may not be true. I mean, come on...how can you not wonder what goes on inside the head of someone who eats dog food and pees in public flower beds?
Now, I am going to pass along my last award.
The Empress at Good Day Regular People is, without question, an amazing writer. She has her heart in her blog, and I never feel bad about having spent some time "with her." If you haven't, you should go check her out and be sure to tell her I sent you!
Heide at From 3 to 5 is such a fun person. She's funny. I feel like I "get her." What I like most about her is the feeling that she doesn't put on aires. She is who she is, and is a joy because of it.
Three more...hang with me.
Kate, at Kate's Life. I love her heart. She is just an honest to goodness "real" person. I think she radiates warmth, and I like the way she shows genuine care for others.
Melis at The Zookeeper's Diary. She was one of my first favorites. Still is. When she sits down to "put it out there," she really does. Again, she is full of heart and honest, and has moved me to tears several times.
Finally, last but not least.
Sonora at Twinfinity. Sonora was on the verge of giving up blogging when I found her. I think she actually found me first, but I am so happy she did. And I am even happier she decided to stick with the crazy thing. I enjoy reading her posts which are riddled with funny and endearing stories.
Please, if I passed this to you, don't feel obligated to do anything with it. Chuck it if it pleases you, but I chose you because I honestly think you deserve it.
Sunday I had the anxiety pleasure of photographing a wedding. Yikes! Who the heck do I think I am? Well, to be fair, I did tell her I wasn’t so sure I was the right person for the job, but she wanted me to do it. Careful what you wish for?
It was an amazing experience, and the whole thing was very relaxed. Truly a great “getting your feet wet” sort of experience. However, there were some very specific challenges. For one, the ceremony was at 1:10pm in bright sun, with no shade. Not exactly a recipe for photographic success.
Now for the fun task of sorting through over one thousand pictures, painstakingly trying to weed out the losers, editing the keepers (and I am a novice at best with editing), and getting them to the bride. Sigh. Here might be a fun place to mention that after spending at least 6 hours on editing these babies, I was looking at a couple today when Addyson yanked the power on my Mac. Gone. All the editing, poof…just gone. It corrupted that particular catalog in my Lightroom. I have all the originals, but all that work. **tears running down face…bald patches on head…fifty lashes on Addyson’s (oh, right…that last one is not true at all)** I think I lacked the energy to really be mad about it.
Okay…moving on. I’m sure a few pictures are in order. So without anymore fanfare, here they are…
First if you haven't entered to win a fantastic nursing cover, please do so here.
I just finished getting my assignment together for the photography class I am taking. It's Saturday night (as I write this), and Keely sent me the questions ahead of time so I could get this post done. Isn't she swell? I think so. Why not head to her blog after reading this to see what others answered to the following questions? Heck...while you're at it, copy and paste the questions to play along. Just remember to link back to Keely :)
1. Would you rather bungee jump or sky dive? Really? Hmmm...would I rather plunge to my death via faulty parachute or faulty rope? Guess I'd say parachute. It would probably most resemble the feeling of flying, and because I fly in my dreams I'd love to see what it's like in real life.
2. When using a public restroom to you squat over the seat or sit? Always hover. Never sit. YUCK! As gross as this is, I even use my forearm as a barrier between the seat and my daughter's butt when I take her to the bathroom in public. I can scrub my arm, not so easy to do with her butt.
3. Favorite flower? Tulip or calla lilly or tulip...I can't decide. I love them both...had both in my wedding.
4. Pedicure or manicure? There once was a woman who actually had time for this sort of thing. Where did she go? 5. How many siblings do you have? One fabulous brother. Three years younger than I.
6. Do you pee in the shower? (gasp!) Gasp? What do you mean gasp?
7. Bikini, tankini, or one piece? Hazmat suit, thank you very much.
8. Where do you hate to shop at, but go there anyway? The grocery store.
Inquiring minds want to know...what are your answers? Leave 'em here or post and link 'er up!
Hey, Keely…don’t count me out yet! I know it’s late, but I thought I’d jump in with Keely’s Getting to Know You Sunday. You still can too. I know she’ll have ya. Just answer the following questions and link up.
1. The most expensive thing hanging in my closet is...? My wedding dress. Does it count if it’s actually preserved in a box? It’s still in my closet. Second to that would be my breast pump. Yep…I’m all about the glam.
2. Have you ever played a team sport? Of course! Softball, swimming and track. I’m a firm believer in team sports, and will encourage all of my kids to join one as well.
3. If you were a bug, what kind would you be? A dragonfly. Not just any dragonfly...a blue and yellow one. So colorful, and they can fly ;)
4. Where on your body is the worst place to get sunburned? (thanks Ian ) Any place is bad. But the shoulders have got to be the most painful with the need for a bra and all.
5. Are you happy? Mostly, yes. I certainly have my days though.
6. People are always abbreviating..are there any abbreviations that make your skin crawl when people use them? Not that I pay attention to. Unless you are talking about lol and stuff like that. In that case, all of those, most of the time. There are some people who use them (like Rose from We Live in a Zoo), and it doesn’t bother me in the least. Not sure what that’s all about. I guess because when she uses them…it’s actually in a place that I could really imagine her laughing out loud.
7. Do you love where you live..or could you live anywhere? I don’t love where I live, and I could probably live anywhere. IF…it weren’t for my family. I really like being close to them, so it would be hard for me to live elsewhere for that reason.
8. What, if any, extreme measures do you go to to keep yourself from overeating when you're full? None. Maybe that’s the problem. I’d love to see your answers too. Be sure to link up, or just leave a few right here.
