Ok, so I've been busy but I swear I will probably, . . . maybe . . . get all the cookies made by
...Christmas...
Anyway! My sister introduced me to these wonderful sugar cookies,
almost exactly like Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
so here are those...
Faux Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
6 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, at room temp.
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups sour cream
1. In medium bowl whisk 5 cups of the flour, the baking soda, and the baking powder together and then set the bowl aside
2. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time
3. Add the vanilla and sour cream and stir until combined
4. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined. The dough needs to be the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour). Divide the dough into two sections
5. Flatten the dough into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight
(Note: When I made these I only had two eggs so I substituted the last egg for 2 tablespoons mayo. I also split up the dough into smaller portions and refrigerated it for a few hours. They still turned out great.)
Preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool
The next cookie my be considered cheating but...
I bought some chilled cookie dough from the store.
They are really easy. all you have to do is bake them.
They are super good for a quick, sweet treat.
Note: Mine turn out best if I put a piece of tin foil on the sheet first.
Make sure the dull side of the foil is facing up, if not then the cookies burn
Without a doubt Gingerbread Cookies are my favorite.
This year I made them from the Betty Crocker cookie mix,
they turned out great but...
...nothing beats homemade
Gingerbread Men
Homemade version
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
Directions:
Cream shortening and sugar. Sift flour with salt, soda and spices. Blend flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with molasses and water. Chill at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with large 6-8 inch gingerbread men cookie cutters. Lift onto lightly greased cookie sheet with broad spatula.
Bake above oven center for about 12 minutes or until cookies spring back lightly in center. Do not overcook, they won't stay soft. Remove from sheets. Cool on wire racks. Makes 10 men 6-8 inches tall.
OR...
...you can use a Betty Crocker cookie mix.
This is faster and much easier.
Note: I noticed my cookie mix dough looked a bit dry so I added an extra table spoon of water.
Then I just worked it to a good texture on a floured surface.
I made these for the first time only a few weeks ago.
.
(Sometime in my childhood I had the unfortunate luck of eating one that tasted like soap)
.
so I'd never wanted to eat another one after that.
Then one day I had half a bag of Hershey's Kisses to get rid of
so I decided to give it a try
...and they were amazing!
The warm, heavenly goodness of melty chocolate wrapped in gooey peanut butter!
If you are feeling the holiday blues
make a batch of these cookies,
maybe pair it with hot cocoa and a movie,
and you'll be golden
.
.
.
.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar
Directions
1 Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2 Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each
cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 4 dozen cookies.
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
2 Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
Note: I used some random chocolate chips I found in my kitchen and chopped up mint Hershey's Kisses. Everyone thought they turned out great!
My list of 21 things I want to do before I turn 21 (next year...oh yeah.)
Usually these sort of lists go by decades but I decided (especially since I’m turning 20 in less than 4 month) to extend this list until I’m 21. So I decided to look online for lists of things to do before you turn 21.
Some of the lists had some good ideas (‘get a drivers license’ ‘learn to bake’ ‘take a road trip’).
Other had not so good ideas (‘get wasted’ ‘get a tattoo’ ‘date a bunch of boys at once’) …seriously? Those are some great ambitions right there. So I decided I don’t need someone else telling me what I ‘should’ do before I turn 21. I can just make my own list. (duh!)
So, I took in consideration that some of them are good ideas but basically everything on the list comes from what I’ve always wanted to do.
What I want to do before I turn 21:
1. Walking the entire Centennial Trail (in one day…I will accept biking as an alternative but I have wanted to walk the entire trail since my friend Heidi did it awhile back.)
2. See over 10 musicals (sadly, I realized I have only seen about five and that just wont do. Some of my siblings have seen musicals in Europe so I would accept seeing a musical play in Europe as have seeing 2 plays in the states.)
3. Go to Warped Tour (I’ve been to over 7 concerts…which is a lot for me and I don’t plan on going to very many more. However, before I retire my concert going years I would love to go to a Warped Tour with my favorite bands.)
4. Finish my AA (I am currently (roughly) 15 credits from getting my AA.)
5. Get a job in phlebotomy
6. See the Atlantic ocean (I was close once)
7. See/be on the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, EiffelTower, Tower of Pisa, Coliseum (sp?), Old Faithful, and Golden GateBridge (I’ve seen the latter but wasn’t able to be physically on it. =/ )
8. Go surfing (despite my fear of water I have ALWAYS wanted to go surfing)
9. Get my drivers license (definitely) and learn to drive a stick (yup)
10. Get a real ceiling and real walls in my room! (Currently I have a make-shift ceiling of boards…with a lot of gaps and wood paneling walls …with a bunch of holes. So I would really like to dry-wall the entire thing…paint it and what not.)
11. Learn another language (this one is probably the least realistic one on here because I’m not talking about Spanish. I want to learn Latin or Portuguese.)
12. Get a canvas and paint my own picture (and hang it on my new walls!)
13. See a movie at a drive-in theatre
14. Read 100 books/novels (starting now with Count of Monte Cristo = 1)
15. Watch every episode of every Star Trek (I know I'm a nerd but when aliens attack and only the people who can pass a Star Trek trivia challenge get spared from a horrible death... you'll be sorry ;)
16. Drive to Seattle to get some Turkish Delight (sooo good + there are some good memories for me there)
17. Finish writing my book (and be certain of it enough to let my dad read it…yikes!)
18. Be full vegetarian for at LEAST a month (no...*sniff*...chicken)
19. Abstain (courteously) from fast food, candy, and soda for at LEAST a month (hahaha….ok I lied. THIS is the most unrealistic one on here)
20. Get and IPod, Zune, or MP3 (something that plays music)
21. ****************
If you have ideas for Number 21 please tell me. I have some but I’d like some suggestions.
For everything else (there's MasterCard? jk) I'll keep you informed on how I do. =)
The Conspirator (release 2010) is a drama based around the trial of Mary Surratt, a woman charged as a co-conspirator to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The movie stars James McAvoy as Frederick Aiken and Robin Wright as Mary Surratt and co-stars Justin Long, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, and Alexis Bledel (and more.)
The Interest:
What initially interested me in this movie was my interest in the Lincoln assassination (which aspired after a very long and thorough essay and presentation I gave on the subject in college.) At first I thought the movie would be centered on the conviction and capture of John Wilkes Booth (the man who shot Lincoln.) But ten minutes into the movie when Booth was already caught and killed I became confused…what was the movie about then?
The Conclusion:
If you have researched Lincoln’s assassination you will have realized the movie cannot end too happily. The pressure and loyalty (or lack-there-of) exhibited by Aiken (Mary Surratt’s controversial Northern lawyer) were only vaguely expressed during the film, only brief scenes here and there. Normally that would not be enough but McAvoy’s performance enhanced the frustration and stress Aiken was feeling without digging too deep into his own life. The movie ended less than happy. Surratt is hung despite the determined efforts of Aiken and no one “changes there mind” about her afterwards.
However, Aiken himself experiences a mild change of heart. At the beginning of the movie he feels anger and hatred toward Mary Surratt and repeatedly refuses to defend her on the account he believes she is guilty. At the end he realizes the prejudice and unjust actions being taken against her during her trial and becomes sympathetic. The movie gives a good glimpse into the life of a Southerner in the North after the war.
The Rating:
Over-all, based on the performance of the actors, the plot, and the fact that I would absolutely watch this movie again I would give The Conspirator 3 ½ to 4 stars and suggest it to anyone who likes historical drama and bitter battles between doing bad things for good reasons and doing good things for bad reasons.
Here’s the brief scoop on my life up to this point.
At the end of April my long term boyfriend left for a two year mission to Brazil. For those of you who don’t know this means I cannot talk, see or email him…snail mail only. Never fear. We are both doing well and its sort of (I said sort of) refreshing to return to the old ways of hand writing letters…oh yeah, I said it…old!
The beginning of May I started attending Horizon Medical Institute to study phlebotomy. Recently (like two weeks ago) I took my final and passed with a 93% so I am now officially certified to be a phlebotomist.
Hopefully, the 23rd of August I will be able to take a national test and be nationally certified as well. This will just look very good on my resume.
My oldest sister had her third child and only baby boy last week. Connor Michael, he is adorable and the sweetest little boy you could imagine, pictures will soon follow.
Also, I changed the look and name of my blog. Le Blogueur is The Blogger in French (not too hard to figure out.) I am simply playing around with different names and styles so stay tuned…
Mariners vs. Braves tickets at Safeco Field (each): $10
All you can drink soda: $11
Screaming for your team so loud the people in front of you relocate to different seats: Priceless
Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Seattle with my mom and two sisters. We left at with the hopes of arriving around . My other sister, her husband, a friend and his girlfriend had already arrived in Seattle from Portland and were planning on meeting up with us once we arrived.
With only two short stops in Ritzville and Cle Elum we arrived in Seattle about twelve thirty. First off, we had to pull over because the GPS was being a psycho and kept giving us directions before we'd input a destination. Finally, when we got it working, we still drove around the winding streets of Seattle attempting to locate
Pike Street. A few slight rights (swight wights) later we finally found
Pike Streetbut no parking. So we drove around for awhile trying to find somewhere to park. Finally, we found a place but it was pretty far from the market. So we walked...and walked...and walked.
On the way up to the market we crossed the street, right before a car turned. From behind us we heard some yelling and turned around just in time to see a bike get side swiped by the turning car. The biker simply yelled (he sounded somewhat Scottish) "signal a bit earlier!" while the drive got out, apologized and made sure the bike was alright. Neither was very angry, which was slightly strange but interesting at the same time.
Finally we arrived at Pike Street Market, met up with the rest of our group, and after briefly walking around headed to lunch at one of the markets little restaurants.
My sandwich was pretty tasty although it shouldn't have taken almost an hour to make. After lunch we split up and two of my sisters went to move their cars. My group decided to see the famous Gum Wall. After denying a bribe to lick the wall my little sister and I made out mark and stuck our gum on it. It was...magical.
Finally, we walked to Safeco where we were going to watch a Mariners vs. Braves baseball game. All decked out in our Braves jerseys I was certain we would get some glares from the locals. Yet, the whole day we would get people coming up to us and saying "go Braves" or something of the sort. Some people would joke about how we were wearing the wrong colors but no one said anything mean (save Nic and Josh). This too was something interesting.
When the game started it was very apparent we were out numbered. A family full of small kids was sitting behind us, all wearing Mariners apparel. A couple sat in front of us (big mistake) and they too were for the Mariners. You couldn't expect different in Seattle. However, two rows down there were a group of four who too were rooting for the Braves.
We were loud before the game so once it started our volume only amplified. In the beginning (I believe the 3rd inning) Brian McCann scored a homerun single putting our team in the lead.
Soon after the Mariners too scored a run making us tied.
We could tell the couple in front of us weren't pleased with how loud we were cheering for the Braves. Shortly after the seventh inning they were gone. They'd probably relocated to quieter seats. If you're coming to a game you'll have to expect the obnoxiously loud people. Not long after that our Braves fans two rows ahead relocated as well (I'd like to think it wasn't because of us). By the bottom of the eight inning the Braves were ahead by two, thanks to McCann and Freddie, and the two rows directly in front of us were empty.
Needless to say, by the ninth when Mariners were up to bat with two strikes we were a bit excited.
We didn't get back into Spokane until but it was totally worth it to see the Braves win and be with more of my family.
So, the moral of this story. If you go to a sporting event and you want the people in front of you to leave, just bring the Steen girls. (One of them has to be Tiffany because we all get louder when she's around and she can be the most obnoxious.)
All you do is add 1/4 cup of any Betty Crocker Cake Mix to 1/8 cup of water.
Mix it in a microwave safe bowl and add any filler or topping.
In this one, I added mini chocolate chips as my filler and carmel sauce as my topping.
Next, microwave for about a minute (but check it after 50 seconds just in case.)
When its done, leave it in the microwave for a few moments. . . . wouldn't want it to pop in your face.
(Not that it would. Its just, after the re-fried bean incident I am leery of hot things popping in my face.)
Now its done and you have an easy, delicious, warm, gooey, mini cake just for you! Best part is it is so easy to make another one for every member of your family!
Note: I totally stole this from my sister on her blog. You can find her recipe and pictures here.
So... this is what my kitchen looked like on Tuesday morning.
Pretty bad eh?
Well I decided to con my little sister into helping me deep clean it.
It took a few good hours and A LOT of elbow grease but we did it!
First: We cleared off all the counters and table (plus the table and oven that's 6 surfaces)
Second: We picked up all of the stuff off the floor. (that pile of orange is nasty towels and rags)
Third: Kenna (and Ella) scrubbed down the surfaces/windows/oven while I washed dishes (I should add that our dishwasher only works as a drying rack so all those had to be done by hand. . . . my hand)
Fourth: We pulled off all the plants and pulled out the table and swept and mopped the whole floor
Fifth: We cleaned out SOME of the cupboards (just some)
This is the end result.
Make sue to flip back and forth from the end result to the starting result
so you can get the full effect. (btw: the corner to the right of the pic with the table
had some nasty, sticky stuff on the ground. my shoe almost stuck to the floor!)
The wall behind the oven was splatter painted red with pasta sauce.
With 4 adults, one minor, constant stream of children and other siblings coming through this kitchen is great at getting messy very easily. But I have to say, it looks and feels a whole lot bigger when its clean!
1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans, if using.
3. Drop dough onto baking sheet. (I used my cookie scoop!)
4. Bake in a 400° oven until cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center (break one open to check), 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.
5. With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Note: For the longest time my oven has refused to bake cookies correctly so bound and determined to get this recipe right I only baked two cookies at a time until I found the right cooking time. Note 2: If you do not want to bake all the dough at once then scoop the dough onto a cooled and prepared baking sheet. Stick the baking sheet in the freezer until the dough is firm. Take the sheet out, remove dough and place in large freezer safe Ziploc bag. Return to freezer. This way you can take them out and bake as many as you desire.
