Valentine's Day and a BEFORE video

Hello and Happy New Year!!  I hope you enjoyed your holiday season.  Ours was filled with family, friends, fun and some good doses of rest too! Last week, we closed escrow on a commercial building in downtown McMinnville.  We are super excited to move the studio downtown and expand the retail side of the business!!  I will share more as the shop space progresses, but I shot this little video right after we picked up the keys.  As you can see, the building needs a little help, but we love a good Fixer Upper!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcgjxYT2c_Q&feature=share[/embed]

The girls are at such a fun age.  I have enjoyed every season, but I am really enjoying all of the activities that we can do together!!  Yesterday we baked some brownies and decided to cut them into heart shapes and decorate them for Valentine's Day.  Such a simple activity but we had so much fun....then of course we had a little 'milk and brownie' movie night and enjoyed our sweets.

The brownies were a box mix, my favorite!  So easy, and so good!  Once the brownies cooled, we just used a heart shaped cookie cutter, sprayed it with oil and cute our hearts.  We sprinkled on a little powdered sugar and the girl decorated their hearts with these sweet little heart shaped candies.  Cold milk with cute straws and we were ready to cozy in and watch a few episodes of Madeline ;-)

And that cute tea towel in photo, that's one of the many cute tea towels I will have for sale at the new shop.  I just received my shipment and they are all DARLING.   I now have one of each color in my kitchen ;-)

Have a lovely weekend, and go bake some brownies!!!  Your family will love you (even more) for it!!!

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES || a sweet treat recipe

Since pumpkin is the go-to ingredient right now, we are baking anything and everything pumpkin!  Last night the girls and I made a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  They were so soft and cake like, I had to share the recipe!!

My girls love to bake.  It always takes a little longer, and they make a bigger mess than I might, but I love that time that we have together!  Plus, it's created this desire in them to want to create and experiment in the kitchen.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Fold in chocolate chips. 
2. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4 dozen. 

*This recipe is adapted from Taste of Living

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD || a sweet recipe

The other day the girls "got" to join me for a color consultation.  Typically they play with Grandma when I meet with clients, but that wasn't going to work, so they tagged along.  My client was SO sweet.  She turned what could have been a totally draining morning (shushing and nagging little girls while trying to be professional and have a meeting) and turned it into a fun and productive time.  A great reminder of how I want to treat those around me!  When we headed out into the alley way to look at all of the different colors she had tried painting on the building, she started to snap some photos of the girls.  This one is my favorite!

That evening, the girls and I decided to do some baking.  It seems fitting to bake all things pumpkin in October, so we started our baking spree off with pumpkin chocolate chip bread.

This is a new recipe (to me) and the bread turned out so good!

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD

2 loaves

3 cups flour 
2 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp baking soda 
1 tsp baking soda 
4 eggs 
2 cups sugar 
2 cups canned pumpkin 
1 1/2 cups canola oil

Preheat oven to 350. 
In stand-up mixer, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Gradually add in dry ingredients until just combined.  Pour in chocolate chips. 
Pour evenly into two greased loaf pans (4x8). Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. 
Slice and serve.  It also freezes really well!

 Enjoy!!

M & M monster cookies || a sweet recipe

We go through a lot of cookies in our home!  I love to bake them and we all love to eat them ;-)  Plus, I love having them on hand to give away! I usually default to making chocolate chip cookies, but I do love a good monster cookie!  I have posted my monster cookie recipe before, and I love that you can throw any treat into the dough and they taste yummy!  Today we added mini M & M's and chocolate chips...yummy!!

MONSTER COOKIE RECIPE::

Pre-heat oven to 325.

Mix 1 cup butter softened, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup packed brown sugar.

Add 2 eggs and 1 ½ tsp vanilla, mix blend.

In separate bowl: mix 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt.

Combine all ingredients and then ADD:

2 cups choc chips, 2 cups mini M & M's, and 3 cups quick oatmeal.

Mix all ingredients by hand and drop large, rounded spoonfuls onto baking sheets.

Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes.

Take them out before they fully cooked.

Enjoy!!

CHOCOLATE CHUNK & TOFFEE MONSTER COOKIE || recipe

No matter how buys life gets, I don't want my family to feel that they are not a priority.  I enjoy, but also work hard at, making our home a cozy, safe and loving place.  There is just something about baking cookies for my babies and sweet husband!  All the smells and tastes are what makes Home for our families….let them enjoy it!

Here is the recipe.  Your family will love you for  baking these….I promise!

CHOCOLATE CHUNK AND TOFFEE MONSTER COOKIE::

Pre-heat oven to 325.

Blend 1 cup butter softened, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup packed brown sugar, blend until smooth (about 2-3 minutes)

Add 2 eggs and 1 ½ tsp vanilla, blend.

In separate bowl: mix 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt.

Combine all ingredients and then ADD in 2 cups chocolate chunks, 2 cups toffee bits, and 3 cups quick oatmeal.

Mix all ingredients by hand and bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes. Take them out before they fully cooked and let them rest on the cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

house updates + thanksgiving treats

I am sure enjoying these days leading up to Thanksgiving, it's one of my favorite holidays!  We are really trying to wrap up some projects around our home before the first of the year.  Come January, we both have some larger work projects and it would sure be nice to have some things finished around here ;-) You know how I showed pictures of our painted kitchen cabinets a couple of weeks ago?  Well, the blue that I painted my little office area just wasn't working for me.  I tried to like it, but I couldn't.  So, one afternoon I just started re- painting it and I am much happier.  It isn't permanent, but now I don't cringe every time I look at it!  I painted the desk with Chalk Paint® {OLD WHITE} and I painted the office chair with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint {KITCHEN SCALE}.  I lightly sanded the chair to distress it, and added a little antiquing wax to darken it.

Matt finished modifying the basement entertainment center and now it's my turn to paint it!  It will take me a while, but I love to see things starting to change in the basement!  Carpet for the play room is scheduled for December 16th, so we now have a deadline...

And the barn is progressing!  Siding and roofing should happen within the next two weeks!  We keep changing material selections and colors, it really is such a process to build and remodel.  Having an endless budget would make it a lot more fun, but we don't, so we are trying to make smart decisions and still have a barn that has a bit of character.

And here is the neighbor's barn across the street, I love it!  So fun to get to view both barns out of our windows!!

And we are celebrating Thanksgiving with Matt's family.  I really love Thanksgiving and the slow paced day of reflecting on all we are thankful for.  We have some intense family situations on Matt's side and mine, but still so much to be thankful for!  Our contribution for the feast is home made rolls and then these fun sweet treats...

favorite pumpkin pie recipe

seven layer bars

acorn treats

Wishing you a blessed and memorable Thanksgiving with family and friends!

xoxo

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

When Fall rolls around, I love everything 'pumpkin' and 'spice'.  I wanted to make some cupcakes and was going to resort to spiced cupcakes, but decided to add a 'Fall" twist with frosting instead.  We ended up with chocolate cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting….perfectly chocolate with just a hint of spice!

When I make cupcakes, I usually use a box mix-just being honest.  I love the texture and you can't beat the ease of adding a handful of ingredients and turning on the mixer!  I almost always have cream cheese on hand, so these little babies took no time at all!  Below is the recipe, if you can even call it that…..Enjoy!!

RECIPE

Chocolate Fudge cake mix-prepare cupcakes per box instructions.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting-

8 oz. package of cream cheese, room temp.

1/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temp.

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. of vanilla

2-3 cups of powered sugar, depending on desired consistency.  

With a hand held, or stand mixer, mix cream cheese and butter together until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Garnish with dried cranberries or anything else that sounds good!

MONSTER COOKIES || a sweet treat recipe

This weekend my sweet hubby pressure washed the garage roof for me.  It's a really steep roof, and it was really dirty, so it was a really big deal to me.

I love to pressure wash!  It's instant gratification....from yucky to clean, in just a matter of minutes.  Matt won't let me get up on a ladder to pressure wash {he is smart man}.  By the time he got the harness, his big ladder, and had pressure washed the roof, the afternoon was gone.  He spent his entire weekend afternoon doing a yucky chore for me.  Such a sweet man.  Anyways, I made sure to have cookies baking in the oven when he walked in the door.

They may be our new favorite cookie.  And we LOVE our chocolate chip cookies around here.

There is something so special about the yummy smells coming from the kitchen.  Bread, cookies, dinner, whatever is cooking, it just makes a home cozy.

Go bake these cookies soon.  Your family, especially your sweet little babies, will love you for these!!

There is something about warm, baked goodness.  It makes hearts happy and makes your home a little extra cozy and sweet.

These cookies take less than 5 minutes to make, and the oven does the rest of the work.  Make them today, and maybe give away half because they make a big batch...and who doesn't love fresh cookies?!?

MONSTER COOKIE RECIPE::

Pre-heat oven to 325.

Mix 1 cup butter softened, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup packed brown sugar.

Add 2 eggs and 1 ½ tsp vanilla, mix blend.

In separate bowl: mix 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt.

Combine all ingredients and then ADD:

1 cup choc chips, 1 cup walnuts(or pecans), 1 cup peanut butter chips, and 3 cups quick oatmeal.

Mix all ingredients by hand and drop large, rounded spoonfuls onto baking sheets.

Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes.

Take them out before they fully cooked.

Enjoy!!

BOSTOM CREAM PIE CUTIES || mine aren't so 'cute' but they taste really good

Last Friday night we came home from a friend's house to find a little plate of these Boston Cream Pie Cuties at our front door.  My mom had made some for a friend and dropped a few extra by.  Would you believe that my tummy was still quite full from dinner AND dessert and I managed to have two of these cuties??  They are so good!

I made a batch a few days ago and that was a bad decision!  Mine don't look nearly as cute as my mom's did, but these little cuties taste soooo good!  Hopefully you have better self control than I do ;-)  Either way, here is the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg.  (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup  cold milk

1-1/2 cups  thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

1 pkg.  (4 oz.) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

DIRECTIONS

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter and bake as directed on package for 20 cupcakes. Cool completely.

BEAT pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, use serrated knife to cut cupcakes horizontally in half. Whisk 1/2 cup COOL WHIP into pudding; spoon onto bottom halves of cupcakes, using about 1 Tbsp. for each. Cover with cupcake tops.

MICROWAVE remaining COOL WHIP and chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until blended. Let stand 15 min.; spread onto cupcakes. Refrigerate 15 min.

TIPS::

ONLY MAKE 20 CUPCAKES (instead of 24)

HOW TO CUT CUPCAKES IN HALF~Use a serrated knife to easily cut the cupcakes in half.

SPECIAL EXTRA~Serve frosted cupcakes in colorful paper muffin cups.

Enjoy!!!

A LITTLE UPDATE || and a sweet treat recipe

So sorry for the leave of absence last week!

It was a busy week with design clients, getting the cottage ready for a long term guest, and life with my two little ladies and one big man!  But, I thought I would post a few photos of the latest happenings here at our home.  And a cream puff recipe that is so easy, you will want to whip up a batch 'just because'!

I finally ordered furniture for the living room!  We have about 4 weeks until it arrives so I am hoping to have the living room painted and ready when the furniture arrives.

Matt is patching cracks and repairing an old ceiling leak.  The bonus of living with a contractor who is also a perfectionist…..the cracks get fixed before painting.

I am more of a 'i-just-want-paint-in-the-walls' kind of girl. I would have this room painted during one nap time.  Now, it wouldn't look nearly AS  good, but I would feel good about having paint on the walls.  Matt's approach is more along the lines of….puddy every hole, patch + texture every crack, cut in perfectly, paint the ceiling…..you get the picture.  I am slowly {after almost 12 years of marriage} learning that his approach is actually better than mine and always results in a great finished product.  So, the living room may actually take me closer to 4 weeks to paint ;-)

There are some built-ins in the hallway.  They provide excellent storage!  They all had brass knobs that were in great shape.  I painted the knobs black and I love how a simple change can make such a big impact!

See what I mean??

The bedrooms are all connected by this great {long} hallway.  I have been busy touching up paint, caulking and scrubbing.

Won't this hall look beautiful with all of our new black doors?!?  Matt is ordering the doors this week, I will keep you posted!  Matt replaced the lights for me and it instantly changed the look and feel of the hallway.

Here it is now with the new lights, painted hardware and some plates on the walls.

I am working on some family photos to hang on another wall in the hallway.

So, as you can see, the list of projects is pretty long.  But, we love having little projects and we really love our new home!

Now, to keep my sweet husband going with the list of projects seems too long, I often bake him something sweet.  A couple of weeks ago I made a batch of chocolate cream puffs.  A friend reminded me how easy {and tasty} they are, so I found an old recipe I had and give them a try.  Sure thing….they are so good!!

Chocolate Cream Puffs

Ingredients

1 cup water 1/2 cup butter (one cube) 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 large eggs Bavarian pastry cream Melting chocolate

Directions

1. Mix the dough.  In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, place one cup of water and one stick (1/2 cup) of butter.  After the butter is melted, turn off heat and add one cup all-purpose flour all at once.  Stir until the dough forms a ball and flour is absorbed.
2. Place dough ball in your stand-type mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until the dough starts to cool, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the eggs all at once and mix on low speed until the dough absorbs the eggs and the dough becomes very sticky. This will take about 8 to10 minutes.
3. Bake the cream puffs.  With a large spoon or ice cream scoop (1/4 cup), spoon mounds of evenly spaced dough onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350 degrees for another 10 minutes. You can also use a small cookie scoop as shown in the pictures. You'll just need to lower the baking time to 15 minutes at 400 degrees and then turn down to 350 for another 7 minutes.
4. Fill the cream puffs with Bavarian cream.  If you are using a scratch recipe, make a horizontal slit in the edge of each cream puff and slip a large spoonful of cream into each cream puff.  If you are using professional Bavarian cream, insert the tip of the plastic bag into the edge of each cream puff and squeeze.

Melt the chocolate.  Melt your chocolate in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until melted.  Do not overheat the chocolate.  You can either dip the tops of the cream puffs into the chocolate or spoon chocolate over the cream puffs.  Let the chocolate set before serving.

Enjoy!

GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREAT || a made up snow day treat

Day #6 of snow.

It's beautiful!  We haven't gotten cabin fever yet.  Probably because we are all fighting colds and just wanting to lay low and relax.

Yesterday we were running low on groceries, and activities.  So, we made GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREATS. A wing-it-figure-it-out-as-you-go-can't-have-many-ingredients kind of treat.  We love them….especially frozen!

The recipe is very technical.  Your 3 year old will feel very confident in their culinary skills after making this!

Open 1 sleeve of graham crackers.  Line them on a baking sheet.

Melt butter and brown sugar.  Pour over graham crackers and top with sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, whatever your heart desires!

Fun, easy and they definitely satisfy the sweet tooth craving!

GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREAT

Ingredients ::

1 sleeve of graham crackers

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

assorted toppings {sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc.}

Directions ::

Spread graham crackers on baking sheet.  Melt butter and brown sugar in microwave for 4-6 minutes.  Stir every 2 minutes.  {this will be hot!!}  Pour over graham crackers and top with topping.  Wait 1 hour, or until topping has hardened.  Break into bite size pieces.  Store in airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK OAT BARS :: a {very easy} sweet treat recipe

Tomorrow afternoon I am hosting a Chalk Paint® class.    I really enjoy teaching classes.  It's an excuse to meet new people and get our creative juices flowing.  I like providing refreshments, even if I am the only one eating them ;-)

For tomorrow's class, I am having sliced apples, this yummy dip and tasty, dark chocolate chunk oat bars.  I made them last night and they are sooooooo good, especially warm and right out of the oven!!

I love to keep sweet treats around for me and my little family.  I usually we have sweets that are sweetened with honey, made with oats, and so on.  I try to go for a bit more wholesome than a traditional chocolate chip cookie. {I do love me some chocolate chip cookies!}

These fit the bill perfectly!

Healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars  (original recipe)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 18 bars

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted (if need you may sub canola oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)  ** I didn't have dark chocolate, I used 1 cup of dark chocolate chips and 1/2 of a hershey bar.**

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or line with foil or parchment papper.
3. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, melted coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and beat until combined and the dough holds together (the dough will seem oily, this is good). Mix in about 1 cup of the dark chocolate chunks.
4. Turn half the batter out into prepared pan, pushing the dough into pan. Sprinkle on the remaining dark chocolate chunks and then place the remaining half of the dough over the chunks. Some of the chunks will most likely be sticking out, that is fine. Don't worry about it looking perfect. If desired you may even add more chocolate to the top.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, just do not over bake.  Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!!

SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES :: a sweet treat recipe

Soft Ginger Bread Cookies  ||  a winter treat

I have tried numerous ginger bread cookie recipes over the years.  I finally found a keeper!!  I promise, you will love these cookies!  You might even do a happy dance when you realize how easy they are!

Last night I baked the cookies while we enjoyed spending time with my in-laws.  This morning, both girls were up earlier than usual, so we decided to frost and decorate the rest of our gingerbread cookies.

When we move, I will definitely miss our huge island!  It's the perfect spot for both girls to sit and help in the kitchen.

I have really been working on letting go of the inner-perfectionist in me, at least when it comes to activities with the girls.  I don't want them to feel like they can never measure up.  I want them to be brave, and try new things, even if at first, they fail.  And I definitely want to be their biggest cheer-leader, not a nagging voice in their ear!

I want them to enjoy spending time with me, and doing activities with me.

So, when it comes to working in the kitchen, I give Addilyn her own cookies to decorate, or bread to roll into a ball, or her own cheese to grade.  She enjoys helping in the kitchen, and I can relax and not hover over her the entire time.  It's a win-win ;-)

So, back to the cookies.

We baked them last night and frosted a hand full of them after they had completely cooled.  That's the trick, don't try to frost them when they are still warm, I promise you will be disappointed and maybe even frustrated (I know that from personal experience).

I prefer mine with a tall glass of cold milk.

 Although, in the morning, I am sure I will prefer my little gingerbread man with a hot cup of coffee!

The frosting has a hint of lemon, a perfect accompaniment to the gingerbread.

These can be made any time of year, but they sure make the best little gingerbread men!!

Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Lemon Frosting

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature 
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 yolk
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup additional sugar for rolling

Lemon Frosting ~  Add the juice of one lemon, and 1 tsp. of lemon zest to a mixing bowl.  Add 3-4 cups of powered sugar and mix (with a mixer) until the frosting is smooth.  Add more powered sugar to achieve the desired consistency.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
3. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and sugar together for 2 minutes.
4. Add in molasses and mix until incorporated.
5. Beat in egg plus additional yolk, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Mix until smooth.
6. Turn mixer to low and add in flour until dough comes together.
7. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or longer.
8. Roll dough and cut into desired shapes.
9. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are golden.
10. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Once cooled, frost with lemon frosting.

Notes

Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days….and enjoy!!!

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL NO BAKE BARS AND CHRISTMAS AT THE STUDIO

I started decorating the front porch of the design studio the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Of course I had my two little helpers, so I wanted to keep it really simple.

I had 3 objectives…..decorate quickly, use what I already have,  make it pretty!

I filled old buckets with various fresh cut greens.

I love using fresh greens!  They smell amazing, they are naturally beautiful, and most of the time they are free!

I made the wreath with fir and cedar branches from the back garden.

I love using Chalk Boards to decorate with!  A simple little Christmas message on the Chalk Board and we are set.

I forgot to turn on the market lights for the picture!  They are so fun at night.

Two freshly cut trees, boxes with burlap ribbon and pine cones and a few red ornaments….all things I had laying around.  Well, not the freshly cut trees, but you know what I mean ;-)  I bought the large basket from my dear neighbor a few months ago, it provided just the right amount of height for one of the trees.

It's simple but festive.

****

The other day I 'pinned' NO BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL BARS.

I love 'no bake' because they hardly take any effort.

If you are in the mood for an easy chocolate treat, you have got to make these!

Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Bars

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (you could also substitute butter)
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, raisins, or dried cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove. {Watch this closely. Mine started to burn!}

Remove from heat once it’s melted together and add in the oats, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, nuts/raisins, and vanilla. Stir together until the chocolate is completely melted.

Pour into a greased 9×13 pan and cool in the fridge. If you’d like thicker bars, you can pour the mixture into a smaller pan.

When the mixture is hardened, cut into bars and eat. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Recipe adapted slightly from I Hear Exercise Will Kill You.

Have a great day, and tomorrow I will show you a master bathroom design I am working on for a client!

A LITTLE OF THIS AND THAT

I have been pretty busy with various design jobs, but not really any jobs that make for good 'before and after' photos.  Offices, bathrooms, material selections, etc., spaces or things that just don't photograph well.  Matt has been busy with drawing plans and various jobs that just don't photograph well either! But, in the next few months I will have some great photos to share with you!!

So today, I just have a little of this and that…..

My goal for the next month is to paint all of the random pieces that I have been collecting, but haven't taken the time to paint.

I must be craving some blue in my life! This morning I realized that the pieces I have been painting over the last few days are all blue.

I have also been working on painting cabinet doors with Chalk Paint®.  It really helps to have a big chunk of color when deciding on what color to use for a project!

My little helper!

I made Pioneer Woman's pretzel turtles this morning.  They are REALLY good!  Mine don't look as pretty as her's, but they sure taste good!

They are perfect little treats for delivering with Christmas cards.

I need to give them away because I am afraid I will eat them all!

We carry DASH & ALBERT rugs at the Studio….I love them!

I am going to use this rug in Addilyn's new bedroom.  I am also going to move the dresser from the master bedroom into her bedroom.  Don't you love the green dresser next to the rug?!? So fun!

I am going to paint Addilyn's bed and night stand 'SCANDINAVIAN PINK'.  I think it will be a fun pop of color!  Pictures coming soon!

Until then, have a great week!!

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS :: a holiday treat

 

I thought I would share my cookie contribution for the cookie exchange tonight.

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS.

The website I found the recipe from has much prettier pictures, but they sure taste good!!

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS

****

Ingredients

• {batter}
• 1 box devils food cake
• 1 egg
• 1 stick of butter softened
• {frosting}
• 1 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 TB milk, or heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint extract
• Andi's crushed peppermints

Instructions

1. Combine egg and butter in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Pour in devil's food cake and mix until the batter is smooth (about 2 min). Roll dough into a ball and push flat onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Remove to cooling rack and allow cookies to completely cool.
2. For frosting: Mix together butter. Next add milk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Then slowly add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Frost one cookie on the BOTTOM and then sandwich another cookie on top. I like to use a lot of frosting (make sure it's coming out the sides). Then dip the sides of the cookie into crushed peppermint andis.

Enjoy!!!!!  I prefer mine with a tall glass of cold milk ;-)

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS :: a holiday treat

 

I thought I would share my cookie contribution for the cookie exchange tonight.

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS.

The website I found the recipe from has much prettier pictures, but they sure taste good!!

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS

****

Ingredients

• {batter}
• 1 box devils food cake
• 1 egg
• 1 stick of butter softened
• {frosting}
• 1 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 TB milk, or heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint extract
• Andi's crushed peppermints

Instructions

1. Combine egg and butter in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Pour in devil's food cake and mix until the batter is smooth (about 2 min). Roll dough into a ball and push flat onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Remove to cooling rack and allow cookies to completely cool.
2. For frosting: Mix together butter. Next add milk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Then slowly add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Frost one cookie on the BOTTOM and then sandwich another cookie on top. I like to use a lot of frosting (make sure it's coming out the sides). Then dip the sides of the cookie into crushed peppermint andis.

Enjoy!!!!!  I prefer mine with a tall glass of cold milk ;-)

PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM :: a sweet {FALL} treat + some gratitude

So, I have two things for you on this fine Tuesday afternoon....

#1~ the best pumpkin pie ice cream EVER,

and #2 ~ a little note on gratitude.

I found a great blog via Pinterest.  I pinned the kitchen, and then enjoying looking through the blog.  She just wrote a post titled '20 little attitudes for gratitude.'   And since I am really working towards focusing on being thankful this holiday season, I was inspired to write my own 20-little-attitudes-for-gratitude.  Maybe it will inspire you to write your own list?!?

20 Little Attitudes of Gratitude

1. Mind your manners. Say please, thank you and excuse me.
2. Smile when you see your friends and family, look them in the eyes when you are talking.
3. Always take the time to listen.
4. Notice when others do kind things for you, show gratitude by action or words.
5. Gives hugs and kisses freely through out the day.
6. Extend grace.
7. Don’t worry about tomorrow. No ounce of worry can change a thing about tomorrow.  Be grateful for right now.
8. Create gratitude journals to keep track of daily blessings.
9. Encourage strangers with a smile.
10. Leave love notes in unexpected places like lunch boxes and under pillows.
11. Encourage someone with a compliment.
12. Instead of complaining, verbalize what you are thankful for.
13. Bake extra of everything, strive to always give away a freshly baked treat.
14. Remember to thank God for blessings each day.
15. Surprise your family (or friends) with little gifts or treats to show you thought of them.
16. No grumbling about minor annoyances around the house.
17. Do special things to cherish time with your family.
18. Reflect on happy memories regularly. Make inspiration boards of special times.
19. Always remember, no one is perfect, have grace with yourself.
20. Be grateful you have a house to clean.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.” –Melodie Beatty

One of the many things I am grateful for, is my awesome ice cream maker.  It is sooooo easy to make ice cream with this little guy.  Seriously.  It's the best!

This ice cream is really rich.  I think it would also make a great ice cream pie filling....maybe a graham cracker crust?  I will try it and let you know!

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree or 1-3/4 cups homemade cooked pumpkin puree, well-draiined
• 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Place pumpkin puree into a strainer lined with cheesecloth for 15 minutes to drain any excess water.Gently heat heavy cream and brown sugar until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan, stirring often. Add pumpkin puree and spices.  Do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.

Pour mixture into ice cream machine as per your machine's instructions.

Enjoy!!

CINNAMON + VANILLA CHIP SCONES :: a sweet breakfast recipe

This morning I asked Addilyn what she wanted for breakfast.

'Scones, eggs and a little bacon'.

Awwww, a girl after my own heart.

I LOVE making breakfast on the weekends.  And even more than that, I love that my little sweet pea enjoys helping in the kitchen.  My vote was for pumpkin-chocolate chip scones, but I was vetoed, the  cinnamon-vanilla chip scones won,   2-1.  Fair and square.

These scones have just the right amount of spice and sweetness.  A little dash of allspice makes this a "fall/winter" scone in my book.

I was tempted to make a spiced-vanilla glaze, but I stuck with the good -ole powdered sugar glaze.  Next time, I am going to add some vanilla bean and spices to the glaze.   I will let you know how that turns out ;-)

Try making these soon, your family will think you are the greatest!

Cinnamon + Vanilla Chip Scones

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

pinch of allspice

1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup white, vanilla chips

1/2-3/4 whole milk

1 egg, for egg wash

for glaze: 1 tablespoon melted butter, add 1-2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk.

Sift together the dry ingredients and work the butter in until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add in the chips and toss together. Slowly add the milk until the dough just comes together. Roll the dough out into a square that is approximately 1 inch thick. Cut into triangles and brush with egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Let scones cool completely and then drizzle with glaze.

Enjoy!!

PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE :: a sweet treat recipe

I thought I would share one of the easiest dessert recipes E.V.E.R.  Most of the desserts I make are easy, I don't do complicated!  Takes too much time, and I would rather be spending my time eating the desserts instead of baking them ;-)

If you have never heard of dump cake before, it was a recipe that became popular in the 80′s by church cookbooks and potlucks.  You basically dump a few cans of fruit in a pan, cover it with cake mix and butter and bake it.

This is the same idea, only I used pumpkin instead of fruit!

Pumpkin Dump Cake

 Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
• 1 10 oz can Evaporated Milk
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
• 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans
• 1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

How to Make

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking/baking spray
3. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
4. Pour into your prepared pan.
5. Sprinkle your entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
6. Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

** serve with sweetened whip cream or ice cream, I served mine with my vanilla honey ice cream **