I Want to Marry You Cookies

It's fun to find a new cookie recipe you can try our for the holidays.  If you are still looking for one that's not all fancy schmancy but tastes wonderful, I have a great one  Introducing the "I want to Marry You" cookies from this blog.  I found them by scrolling through Pinterest and they did not disappoint.

The recipe made enough to fill these two containers for our cookie exchange at work, plus another container for the neighbors!

I Want to Marry You cookies 

      

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1 egg, plus one extra egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup uncooked rolled (or old fashioned) oats - not quick oats.
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup white chocolate chips, extra for garnishing, if desired*
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, extra for garnishing, if desired*
• 1 cup roughly chopped, toasted pecans, extra for garnishing, if desired*

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until melted. Remove from the heat.
2. Add the brown sugar and whited sugar and stir until sugars are incorporated and smooth. Chill the mixture for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the refrigerator and stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
4. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and cinnamon and mix together.
5. Stir in the white chocolate chips, chocolate chips and pecans.
6. Roll by hand into medium-size balls or use a scoop, and place on sheet pans. If desired, tuck extra chips and pecans over tops of dough mounds for a lovely appearance.*
7. Chill, on sheet pan for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool for several minutes on pan, then transfer to cooling rack.

*Here is where mine differed.  I froze the dough til the day I was going to bake.  Then thawed it, cut it with a knife into "cubes" and baked them at 350 for 11 minutes.  

Mine look a lot less like a Pinterest pin and more like something that came out of your neighbor's oven.

I admit it was odd to melt the butter and sugar, but the resulting butterscotchy taste to the dough was wonderful.  To package up the neighbor's cookies, I used the liner of a cereal box to help keep them fresh in the container.  I just filled the bag then folded down the excess into the container.

Then, once again, I will freeze them, as the neighbors will not be home until Saturday.  

At which point their cookies may or not inspire a marriage proposal, but I'm pretty sure they will enjoy them!

Gina

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Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios

Tiny simple Christmas tour at our house, 2015

Welcome!

Let's take a tiny tour of Camp Rustown.

 

 Simple.

I love it all.

Gina

5 thing Friday - Eating out, beautiful Texas, more ornaments, band concert, dishwasher

I have discovered that Happy Hour makes us considerably more happy than it should.  

Recently, we went as a family to Happy Hour after our photo shoot.  Two of the six enjoyed a soda, and all of us enjoyed the queso bar.  My new favorite thing ever is the Mexican Martini.  

 They were happier in real life than they appeared in these pics.  

People who think it's never Fall here, probably don't live here.  True, it's very mild, and as I type its much like Spring outside, though we are days away from Christmas.

 On a recent Sunday Hubby and I went to a wine party at Driftwood Estates.  Beautiful weather, great live music, fabulous scenery, tasty snacks, and great wine were enjoyed.  We had a wonderful afternoon.

 I added about 48 more ornaments to the tree.  I'm done now, promise.

The Winter Concert at the high school.  My kid is always the one looking away from me.  Their group played Chanukah is Here, Sun Cycles, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.  It was a long evening but a great end to the fall semester.  Hooray for finals ending and winter break beginning!

A new dishwasher was purchased for Camp Rustown.  The old one sits sadly in the garage awaiting the next Big Trash Day.

Hubby and I have enjoyed two days off together, filled with Christmas shopping, eating breakfast out, and his office Christmas party for tonight. This morning we ate a plate of migas here.  Followed by me sluggishly trying to get my Friday chores done. 

Gina

New family photo

Something fun, a little bit different.  Thanks to Scout who works as a photographer - and thanks to all of my peeps who thought it important enough to be at the right place and the right time - no small feat nowadays!

Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.-Brad Henry

This year's hot chocolate bar is open!

This is the third or fourth year I have put together this little arrangement in the kitchen.  Not only does it make the kitchen a little cozier, but it's such a treat for anyone who wants a warm cup of sweet something on a cold day.

Last year I used items I found at Dollar Tree.  I used the same big round tray from years' past - this one was $2 from Academy. 

I found various mason jars and a decorative jar for mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and those melting candy cane sticks. (you can find those at Target and they are great in hot drinks!)

 I found this mix at Trader Joe's - sounds delightful.

The Girl bought some instant hot chocolate at Thanksgiving, so I added that, plus the Pumpkin Spice Kahlua I got for my birthday. One of our many Christmas mugs from over the years holds stirring spoons.

We have a lot of Christmas mugs - some of them date back to when my kids were in elementary school.  My peeps have all loved coffee and hot chocolate.

My late MIL sent us this Santa years ago - last year he held greenery, but I usually put candy canes in him, just for fun!

I cleared a big spot on the coffee counter, under the soft glow of a lamp.

Gina

5 thing Friday - corks, jeans, tree skirt, beans, and people I love

Hubby and I enjoy us some wine.

So much so that we have one of these vases filled halfway.  Guess it's time to see what crafts I can make with a billion wine corks.

 Size 12.  yes, ma'am.  I can wear them, and wear them I have.  I have spent a lot of time this week not focusing on myself, but that is temporary.  

The girl was a HUGE help to me in getting the kids' tree set up and all of the ornaments out and ready on Thanksgiving Friday.  She greatly admired the burlap tree skirt I made a couple Christmases ago.  So I offered to make her one.

Hers is simple, not ruffly - I ran out of time and fabric.  But lookee at this sparkly burlap I found at Hob Lob.  So pretty!  I sent it to her along with some sewing repairs that she left here.  In return she sent me a Blueray DVD player we bought her last birthday.  Seems she no longer needs it since she has a fancy schmancy TV.  Our second Wii died, so it is much appreciated for Netflix viewing.

However, halfway through the tree skirt, the iron died.  This is like the third one that's died in as many years.  Hello, recycle bin, meet iron.

 A pot of beans with spiral sliced ham scraps smells like love itself.  Add garlic toast and you may as well have died and gone to heaven.  I made pumpkin bars, too, because all things pumpkin are on clearance.

 People I love.  Must. Remind. Myself.  Even when they act bad.

 Or irritating. Or silly.

 Our kids have gotten a half glass of wine every year at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day since way back when.  We all toast each other and have it with our meal and no one acts the fool.  'Cause that's how you learn how to fit things into your growing up life.

Gina

6 thing Monday - yards, cast iron cooking, sweet potatoes, schtuff, cake, candles

The view from my front porch on a recent morning.  Everything is still green and beautiful.  The rain sure has helped the front yard.  The backyard is a grass-less wasteland.  So let's just focus on the front yard.  In the Spring I will work on the back.

I've been using my cast iron pan more and more.  I roasted a pork tenderloin surrounded by chunks of pumpkin, garlic, and onion that was outta this world!  I also used it for my pan of cornbread. It's nice and seasoned now, so it cooks things beautifully.  Better than pyrex!

I bought some purple sweet potatoes from Trader Joe's then forgot to cook them, so I just baked them up one morning, thinking I would freeze them for Thanksgiving.  Then I peeled them and they were pale yellow.  Tasted the same and all, but I still bought more from HEB because they are ridiculously cheap this time of year.  We'll have the orange ones on Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean these will go to waste.  Sweet potatoes are my favorite thing ever.

 I "sold back" some PTO at work and bought myself a new purse for everyday.  I like tote styles as they can hold everything and generally have more pockets inside.

I also got some Converse.  Do they look silly on me?  Maybe.  However, they are wider than Keds and my toenail will not poke a hole through the top of the tennie; an annoying feature of Keds.  Happy Birthday month to me!

The middle of November is Radiologic Technology Week.  We got fed half to death at work, and I still managed to do well on my diet.  I made a cake for everyone on that Tuesday - I might have sampled it for breakfast.  Chocolate Cherry Fudge - it was the bomb.

Last year I couldn't get cinnamon pinecones I desperately needed wanted.  As soon as I saw them out at Michael's I grabbed a bag and made a little candle plate for the den.  Candles and this time of year just go together.  

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Gina