


And the shot they insisted I take to put on my blog:




And the shot they insisted I take to put on my blog:


Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint (these were Perry's faves)
taken from allrecipes.com
1 1/2 c flour
1/3 c baking cocoa (or grind baking chocolate pieces in the blender like I did to get 1/3 c of powder cause I didn't check my ingredients list before I began--I digress)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
Combine the above in a small bowl.
Melt 1 c. semi-sweet morsels in saucepan, stirring constantly until smooth.
Beat 1 c. granuated sugar, 1/3 c. peanut butter, 1/3 c. softened butter, and 1 1/2 t vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.
Beat in melted chocolate.
Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in remaining package of semi-sweet morsels.
Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Shape dough into 1 1/2" balls; press thumb into tops and fill with 1/2 t peanut butter.
Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at 350--until sides are set but centers are slightly soft.
Cool on wire racks.
Sugar Cookie Cut-outs (the kids' faves)
my Godmother's mother's recipe
3/4 c. butter softened (can be part shortening, but I never have this on hand)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t lemon extract
Beat above until creamy.
In separate bowl combine 2 1/2 c flour, 1 t baking powder, 1 t salt. Blend into the butter/sugar mixture.
Chill dough overnight.
Roll dough to 1/8" thick and cut with cookie cutters and decorate with sprinkles (hence the boys' favorite cookies). Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes until golden but not browned.
Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
from Land-O-Lakes Holiday cookbook
2/3 c sugar



Today marked the first real snow of the season. After the boys got off to school, Maddox asked if he could go out to play in the snow, something he never did last year. Despite the cleaning I had to do to get ready for a family party this weekend, there was no way I could turn down his precious request. So geared in snowpants, boots, mittens, hats, and coats we trudged out into the one inch of snow. He had a ball and I got some great shots: 








Yikes! My parents are still without power nearly 24 hours later. My sister purchased a pricey generator to replace their lost power.
I can't help but think, "it could be worse." What else can you say at times like these.



Before we left the mall we saw this adorable display set up in Macy's. The boys set right to work writing letters to Santa:
Logan's Letter:



Isn't it beautiful?: the shape, the proportion, the fullness, the green-ness, the abscence of needles on the floor, the missing ten gallon pot of water leaking onto the rug. Yes, we have gone fake this year. And, no, I will not be missing the daily vacuuming of needles scattered all over the rug and throughout the house, the waking in the middle of the night because I have forgotten to water the tree, and the scent? What scent? Our trees always died within the first week anyway--there was never any scent. They make a candle for that stuff anyway. I am not at all regretting going fake. And I ask you, do these look like the branches of a fake tree?

For more details and info on an upcoming class, check out Life Made Creations.
