Life happened

Wow - I haven't had a post since the end of May - I guess life happened. Since May 31st - School ended Tennis lessons started (coaching 4 hours of tennis a day) Found out I was (still am) pregnant Bought a house Went to Alaska for 2 weeks Started school again High school tennis Sold a house Moved - and since - have been painting, unpacking, etc) Throughout all this though, I have managed to bake a few cookies. I determined I need to make 52 batches a year in order to finish my little project year within my 12 year deadline. I'm a little behind my quota - I don't know why, it's not like I've been too busy. I just finished batch 45 today - I need to bake 7 more batches by October 20th to make my 52 - I can do it, right? So to catch up: #38 Frosted Fudge Brownies (6/10/12) These received a 5 and a 4 from Mike and me respectively. I think the title pretty much sums up what they are like - Fudgey brownies with chocolate frosting on it. #39 Crisp Graham cookies (6/14/2012) Another girls cabin weekend - yay! Basically an M and M cookie made with sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and cracker crumbs. While I was at the cabin, Mike was in Indiana visiting family. It was just three days before that we had confirmed that I was pregnant - he had to wait until the end of the weekend to tell his family the news. However, these cookies that I sent were a hit. Now I was off to the cabin with my best friends and I had to try to keep it a secret - yeah, that didn't work. Everybody was just hanging out, and someone said - okay - time for shots and got them ready. I said, no I'm good - I tried to be sly and nonchalant - didn't feel like drinking, etc - but Tanell said "What, are you pregnant?" I said the line that Mike told me to say - "Well, I'm married and that could always be a possibility". However, Tanell kept on me and said don't give me any of that - are you pregnant?" I said, "maybe, maybe not" - It wasn't long before I confessed. #40 No Bake Fudgy Oat Cookies (7/2/12) It was a hot hot summer. It's not so fun to turn the oven on when it is hot. So - no bake cookies. This is a chocolate oatmeal cookie - the same cookie that my Mom made a lot when I was growing up.. I brought them up to the cabin and mom happened to have made her version. We put them head to head - the verdict - they're pretty much the same. My version has some coconut in it - her's does not. Still, tasted the same. #41 Beach Blanket Sugar Cookies (7/2/12) These are so simple - but made for so much fun. It's a sugar cookie that I rolled out into a rectangle shape that I just cut into smaller rectangles. The cookie is done - until you give it to the kids. It's their job to decorate the cookie with different colored frosting. Big hit 4th of July weekend with the nieces and nephews. Cris - my sister in law - frosted a cookie for her youngest son (20 month old Oscar). The video of Oscar eating this cookie is priceless - my description won't do it justice, but I'll try. Oscar was about ready to fall asleep. Cris gave him the cookie and he just stared at it (it was covered in yellow frosting) - he didn't look to sure about it. He kind of tentatively took a bite, and then he dug in. By the end of this cookie, he had yellow frosting on his face, his stomach, his hands and his hair (which now stood up in all directions). I would say Oscar would rate this cookie a 5 - Mike and I gave it a 3 - I guess we're a little over just needing frosting on a cookie to make it great. #42 Potato Chip Cookies (7/17/12) Another activity I participate in during the summer is the co-ed softball team. We're the Larson Dental team - a team full of 20 (mostly 30) something people that all grew up together from our old neighborhood. We had a potluck on our last game so of course I brought cookies. This cookie is at it says - made from potato chips but with the addition of butterscotch chips - so naturally Mike rated this a 5, me, only a 3. Mike's favorite thing ever is butterscotch (and he loves chips too, soooo...). #43 Chippy Blonde Brownies Made these at the cabin for Labor Day weekend. It's really just easier to make bars at the cabin than cookies - the cabin is not set up well for a major baking project. The only problem was this recipe called for an 11 x 7 pan - one I didn't have nor could I find (even at Target). I used the 9 x 13 pan and went with it. It made the brownies kind of thin though - they might have been better in the correct pan. They only received a fair rating from everyone. However, on the way home from the cabin we stopped at the Outlet Mall where at the kitchen store, I found an 11 x 7 pan - which is great because a lot of the brownie recipes call for that size. #44 Pudding Sugar Cookies (9/6/12) This is the last batch I made at the old house - in that new marvelous kitchen that my dad built for me. Alas, it had to come. If you've been reading my blogs, you know about my family and their hobbies. These cookies were made for yet another roofing project - this time at sister Sarah's house. I originally was supposed to be ground crew this weekend, but this was the first weekend we could be in the new house - so Mike and I worked on painting all weekend (all the ceilings done and 4 rooms painted - including the faux finished massive living room). Anyways, to contribute I did what I could and provided snacks for the work crew. A box of pudding mix is actually included in this recipe - apparently any flavor can be used, however lemon was suggested - so that's what I used. It's a great summer cookie - very light and crunchy. I didn't love it, but it was strangely addicting. #45 Butterscotch Snickerdoodles (9/30/12) So with all the stuff that's been happening in my life, I've needed help. I don't know if I would've been able to handle the move and selling the house and everything without my dad and Uncle Reid. While Mike and I were in Alaska, they fixed up all the little things that needed to be done before we listed the house. Then after we got back, they moved 2/3 of our stuff into storage so that our house could be properly "staged". Then when it came time to move, they only had 1 weekend in September available to help (unfortunately it was the weekend that Mike had a weekend long bachelor party to go to - and their was no way Mike and I'd be able to move everything on our own) - so my 62 year old dad and 64 or 65 year old Uncle moved all of our stuff on their own to the new house. So I think I owe them a bit of a thank you. My dad likes snicker doodle cookies and likes butterscotch - so this recipe sounded perfect. I'm not sure how they'll like them, as I just made them today - but unfortunately Mike only gave them a 3 and he loves butterscotch and likes snicker doodle cookies.