Holiday Baking …

Friday, December 23, 2011

100 lbs. Flour … P
50 lbs. Sugar … P
30 sticks Butter … P
3 gallons Vanilla Extract … P
5 dozen Eggs … P
1 box Baking Soda … P
1 bottle Cream of Tartar … P
1 cup of Salt … P
25 lbs. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips … P
10 lbs. Andes Creme-de-Menthe Baking Chips … P
5 cans Condensed Milk … P
A bunch of bowls … P
A couple of handfuls of spatulas … P
1 Electric Mixer … P
4 Cookie Sheets … P
Parchment Paper … P
Cooling Racks … P
Wax Paper … P
Lots of cute packaging materials … P

Whew!  And I thought Christmas presents were expensive!  The amounts are definitely an over-exaggeration, but golly-geesh, holiday baking takes a lot of stuff! 

It’s been a few years since we’ve embarked on this holiday tradition, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it.  We started out slow … two cookies and some fudge … all recipes found in Blogland and Pinterest.

Of all my children, only one has taken an interest in anything “kitchen.”  They all love the food that comes from it, but our youngest is usually right in the middle of helping to prepare it … and the messier, the better!

Allow me to introduce you to “Little “P,” as his school-friends affectionately call him.  He just turned 12 and loves to help me in the kitchen. 

Little P In the Kitchen

There are many years that I’ve attempted to make fudge. 
It never, ever worked. 
Ever. 
Until this year. 

One of my favorite blogs is V & Co.   Vanessa always brings a smile to my face when I read about their down-to-earth craziness.  She also has great tutorials, and every now and then, a great recipe.  Last week she posted this …

V & Co. 3 Minute 3 Ingredient Mint Fudge

How could I resist! 
Oh.my.gosh … super-dee-duper easy.
Like wham … bam … done.
I sprinkled some crushed cane pieces on top to add a festive touch.
Sinfully delicious.
Click on her picture above for the recipe.

3 Minute 3 Ingredient Mint Fudge 

We also made two different cookies …

Dropped Cracked Sugar Cookies

Dropped Cracked Sugar Cookiesrecipe from AllRecipes.com

My dear friend Jennifer from Sugar Pink Boutique sent me this recipe.  They came out really moist and chewy and are delicious!  I added the red sugar and the rainbow non-pareils for a festive touch.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookiesrecipe from Mother Thyme

These are to.die.for.  We can’t stop eating them!  Jennifer blogs over at Mother Thyme and has a ton of fantastic recipes.  I’ll definitely be trying some more of her recipes soon.

So … did you do any holiday baking this year?

Linking up to:

Sugar Pink Boutique Friday Fun Link-Up Party!

In the Beginning ...

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Welcome! I am so excited to start my new blog!

I'm looking forward to having a special place to share everything I'm passionate about ... life, family, inspiration, adventure, quilting, crafting, and fun!

I look forward to getting to know each and every one who passes this way ...