Friday, February 29

Thursday, February 28

Wednesday, February 27

Tuesday, February 26

11!

11!

Today Edmund is 11! I can't believe it has been 11 years already. Happy Birthday, Edmund. We love you.

11 Things About Me
by Edmund

1. I play the Alto Saxophone. I started in 4th grade but I got put in the 5th grade band because I was good. Now we are in Texas and I'm still in the band but I have to play the recorder. Everyone does.

2. I want to be an astronomer when I grow up.

3. My favorite football team is the Patriots. I wasn't happy when they lost the Super Bowl. My friends sometimes tease me about liking the Patriots because they all like the Dallas Cowboys.

4. My favorite baseball team is the Yankees. Topher and my Dad like the Yankees, too but my Mom and Chaz like the Red Sox.

5. I have a lot of friends. I miss my friends in Connecticut, though.

6. I like to play outside. I ride my bike and skateboard a lot and I am learning to ride a RipStik. My friend has one that he lets me borrow.

7. I have my own email address. My mom won't let me tell it to people though.

8. My best subject in school is English. My favorite subject is Science. School is boring sometimes, though.

9. I really like Star Wars. I don't have a favorite movie because I like them all but my favorite character is Anakin Skywalker.

10. I like to build with Legos. I have some Star Wars Legos that are just mine and a bunch of regular Legos that I share with my brothers. I thought we had a lot until I went to my friend's house. He has a LOT!

11. I collect baseball cards. I have 3 binders full and a bunch that are in a box. I sort them by team and the teams are sorted by league. Each league has it's own binder. I also have a binder for minor league teams.

Cookie of the Week

Cookie of the Week (8)


It's Edmund's birthday week so he go to pick this week's cookie. There was no question as to what his choice would be - his favorite Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars. Oh so very rich but oh so very very good! Definitely a favorite of ours.

The recipe comes from one of Ina Garten's books (I just love her! I really want to be her friend) but you can find it here. I'm too busy eating to type up the recipe.

Monday, February 25

Sunday, February 24

Friday, February 22

Thursday, February 21

Wednesday, February 20

Cookie of the Week

Cookie of the Week (7)

Another week, another cookie. I have fond memories of some grocery store coconut cookies. Little white rectangles with rows of ridges across the top. I'm not sure when I had them last and I can't even remember what they are called. I haven't been able to stop thinking about them, though.

I found a recipe for Coconut Icebox cookies and it sounded like it might fit the bill. They are not exactly what I was imaging but they are close. Actually they are very good, especially with a cup of tea. (but then again, aren't all cookies great with a cup of tea?)

I had to make a couple of very minor changes to the recipe. The first batch in to the oven where HUGE! So big, in fact, they took almost twice the time to cook. The rest of the cookies were made smaller which I think is better anyway. I also found the dough too soft to slice from the refrigerator but just right out of the freezer. Minor changes.

Coconut Icebox Cookies

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 c melted shortening
4 c grated coconut
5 1/2 c cake flour, sifted
1 Tbls baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Combine eggs, sugar, melted shortening, and coconut in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture, combining well.

Press dough in to a 8x8 pan lined with wax paper. Cover and refrigerate overnight (place in the freezer). Turn dough out and slice in to 3 logs (slice these in half again - 1.5ish x 8 inches). Cut in 1/4 inch slices and place on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake 400º for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Day 20

Day 20

Tuesday, February 19

Monday, February 18

Sunday, February 17

Day 17

Day 17

(4:30pm - exhausted from a sleep over last night)

Saturday, February 16

Day 16

Day 16


Bread recipe from SouleMama, adapted to be made by hand.

Friday, February 15

Thursday, February 14

Day 14

Day 14

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 13

Tuesday, February 12

Cookie of the Week

Cookie Cutters

With it being Valentine's week, I really wanted to use my heart cookie cutters for this week's Cookie of the Week. I had big plans, too. I was dreaming of little heart shaped butter cookies filled with raspberry jam. However, my cookie cutters just weren't the right size for that. I had a really hard time thinking past what I wanted to make to figure out what I was going to make. (this is often a problem for me)

I found a recipe for Old English Crisps - or as I like to call them, Butter and Honey Cookies - and thought I'd give them a try. I like the simplicity of the recipe. There aren't a lot of ingredients. I also like that they are sweetened by honey. I thought this would be something just a little different. The cookies smelled wonderful while baking. You could really smell the honey! They are flaky and tender and they remind me of a good pie crust. (Except with honey!)

The only problem I have with this recipe is that it doesn't make a lot. Most of the time my cookie jar is nearly full. Today it is only about a third of the way filled. We'll have to show a little restraint in our cookie gobbling eating this week, I suppose.

Cookie of the Week (6)

Old English Crisps

3 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold butter (cut up)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup honey

Sift the flour and salt in to a large bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the cream and honey to form a stiff dough. Divide the dough in half and press each in to a disk. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300º. Roll dough disk out on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut with cookie cutters and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until all dough is used. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden.

Day 12

Day 12

Monday, February 11

Sunday, February 10

Saturday, February 9

Friday, February 8

Thursday, February 7

Wednesday, February 6

Tuesday, February 5

Monday, February 4

Sunday, February 3

Cookie of the Week

Cookie of the Week (5)

It's that time again! It's time for another cookie of the week. Last week's cookie was a little late in getting made so the cookie jar is still pretty well stocked. This week we decided to make a pan of brownies instead. I used the Moosewood Fudge Brownie recipe from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. The brownies are good but they are dense and cake-like instead of fudgy and a little gooey (which is what we were hoping for). Chris says they remind him a little of the cake part of a Devil Dog. They just need a little dollop of whipped cream.

I suppose this is the start of a new project - the quest for the perfect brownie recipe. Yep, because I need to eat a ton of brownies! Maybe the Great Brownie Experiment needs to be a sporadic one. Anyone have a good brownie recipe?

Day 3

Day 3

Saturday, February 2

Day 2

Day 2

In a house full of boys, there is always a Nerf Dart stuck on something - or someone!

Friday, February 1

Day 1

Day 1

February Photos

I haven't really been feeling that inspired lately to take any pictures. I've really enjoyed looking at other "everyday photos" but my camera still sits unused. I think part of it is that I am just not used to the light we have in this house and I have had a little trouble getting used to it.

I really love going back and looking at these. What better way to get used to my new surroundings than a little photo project! (It should also help to get me out and about a little more, too). So I will be repeating last year's February Photo Project - a photo a day of the everyday during the month of February.

I'm really looking forward to it! (and I'll be reading this birthday gift for a little help.)


Check out these everyday photos:

Mom's World
Six One Way and the corresponding Flickr pool
3191
Simply Breakfast
SouleMama's - 30 Days of Everyday