Cookie Sunday Batch #3: Chocolate Caramel Cookies

We are well on our way with our Cookie Sunday!  The kids are loving it.  We talked about what the different sized meant and how to level off cups.  And best of all we made cookies!

This week they picked Chocolate Caramel Cookies.  These are another one of my childhood favorites that my mom used to only make at Christmastime to give out to other people.  They are really good- if you like caramel and you like chocolate you will LOVE these cookies!

Chocolate Caramel Cookies
1 c. butter softened
1 c. + 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. chopped pecans
13 oz. pkg Rolo candies (I only found 11 oz. pkg but it still works)

Cream butter, 1 c. sugar, and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.  Combine flour, cocoa, and soda; add to creamed mixture and beat just until combined.  Stir in 1/2 c. pecans.  Shape dough by tablespoons around each candy.  In small bowl combine remaining pecans and sugar; dip each cookie halfway.  Place with nut side up on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375 for 7-10 mins. until top is slightly cracked.  Cool for 3 mins, remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes about 5 dozen (depending on how big your cookies are and how many rolos you have)

We ended up making about 4 1/2 dozen and had some rolo candies left over (the kids kept eating them of course too).  The kids made them pretty large- which for these cookies means they were about the size of regular cookies.  Normally these are kinda small.  And we didn't have any pecans and lots of sugar makes me sick so we opted out of the sugar topping.

These also freeze well so you can make them when you have time before and then just thaw to give away/ eat.  The dough is really good- try it with a reeses pb cup or other candy to see how it tastes!

Enjoy!

Why I've Been Slow

I have not had the time to do a lot of crafting.  Why you ask?  Is it because I have 3 young boys who go to 2 different schools, are involved in before school band and orchestra, after school chess club and ice skating, and have tutoring 2 times a week?  Well, no.  Is it because my husband has a more demanding position at church now that takes him away a lot and he is working on his PE so he is studying and taking classes almost every night? No.  It is because of this....

Yup, we're expecting a baby.  May 2015.  This is how I announced it:  (it's a little gruesome so you might want to not go any further if that stuff grosses you out)

So not only have I not been able to eat sugar (ACK!) I am so tired.  One of these days I'll have time to do more crafts right?  Hahahaha yeah right. ;)

Cookie Sunday: Batch #2

Ummmm chocolate chips cookies!  Sometimes I just have to have them.  I have a great recipe (that I have memorized) for single serving chocolate chip cookie that I make after the kids go to bed I'll have to share sometime.  But meanwhile, these glorious cookies just beg to be eaten.

This is by far my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It tastes just like a coffee shop cookie.  It is REALLY good.  It is from my brother's friend from high school that could just whip this up perfectly EVERY TIME.  That being said it is also the hardest cookie recipe I own.  I'll put some tips after the recipe.

Kasey's Cookies
soften cube butter (1/2 c.)
Add: 1/2 c. sugar
         1 egg
         3/4 c. brown sugar
        2 tsp. vanilla
Mix well
Add: 2 c. flour
         1/2 tsp. salt
         1 tsp. baking soda
Add slowly: 12 oz chocolate chips
Bake in preheated 375 oven for 8-10 mins.


Okay, so very important- the butter has to be softened.  Like kept on the counter 1/2 a day soft.  Or else it just. won't. work.  The batter is really thick and not very moist and when I've tried microwaving the butter to soften it- it doesn't work.

Also, be sure to mix at the end so that the batter sticks together.  I've read that you mix the egg and sugar mixture to make great cookies, but I'm so afraid to overmix and I've failed at this recipe so many times I wouldn't try it for this one.

I use a papered chef scoop for the cookies- both the medium and large work well.  I really want to try and make the gigantic size ones like at the coffee shop so that it feels real legit but I dunno- use an ice cream scoop for that?  I'm not in the know for how to do that.  I'll have to check pintrest lol.

Bon appetit!  It really is REALLY good!  Everyone I've made these cookies for LOVES them.  Some people say it tastes just like cookie dough.  So give it a try and enjoy!

Cookie Sunday

The boys and I have decided that Sunday should be official "Cookie Day" and we should bake a different type of cookie each week.  Sounds yummy to me!

For this week we made Chocolate Waffle Cookies which is a favorite of mine from when I was a child.  These unique cookies are very simple to mix and cook- and if uses a waffle iron so no heating up your house or cookie sheets to clean :)

We just ate them plain, but it you want to fancy them up add some strawberries and whipped cream and you have a very delicious eye catching dessert!  They definitely taste better warm.

Waffle Cookies:
1/2 c. melted butter
3/4c. sugar
2 beaten eggs
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients (I like to wisk the butter, eggs, and cocoa together so there are no coco clumps and then add the rest).  Drop by tsp. ful in each section of a pre-heated waffle iron and bake for 50 seconds.  (I just use the light sensor on my waffle iron to see when they are done). Lift off with fork.  Eat while warm.


I have to say I am very picky about my cocoa powder!  This is the only stuff I will use:

Trust me- good cocoa powder does make a difference!
Enjoy!

Picture My Life Tags

I have become an absolute fan of the pocket pages cards!  Since I am an avid Close To My Heart customer I use their Picture My Life cards for A LOT OF THINGS!!  They make crafting so super easy!

I have a Family Home Evening plaque that keeps track of who is in charge of what.  (we try to weekly get together as a family and learn gospel topics, have fun, and address any problems we're having)  For the looooooogest time I didn't have a tag for my youngest so he was just the "empty space".  Did I mention he is 4?  Mom fail!  I got the idea to use the PML cards and snap! after 10 minutes I had completely updated our FHE plaque with up-to-date pictures of ALL the people in our family.  Score!

I used the Avonlea cards and some ribbon I got from Scrapfest (so sad they aren't doing it anymore!!!).  I just printed some pictures from our computer since I'll have to update them fairly often.  So much cuter than the boring off-white tags I had that just had names on them!!!

These would be perfect for gift tags or even holiday ornaments on a little decor tree or Christmas tree!

And if you're interested in the FHE board- it's just a piece of wood painted black with vinyl lettering and masonry nails (they have the rectangle tips instead of round) that we made when I lived in Cali before we had any kids.  I changed one the spots to say Activity and I just printed the same font (papyrus I think) in a black box and mod-podged it on.  You can't even tell!

8 Cards for Under $2!!!

I went to Target.  I haven't been there in a long time because I usually only go shopping when I need something.  And I hate taking my 4 yr old to Target.  So after needing to go for like 2 weeks I finally got there.  They are the best place to print out collage prints if you want smaller pictures to fit the 3x4 size for the pocket pages in scrapbooking or and smaller size print.  And you know what I did?  I ended up spending way too much time and money and ended up late picking the 4 yr old up at preschool.  Guess it's a good thing I don't go too often eh?

This is what I found at Target that got me so excited:

Pretty cards and washi tape!  Best off it was in the $1 section AND I had a cartwheel app coupon for 20% off!  So both of these cost $0.80. Yup.  Great find!

I challenged myself to create these 8 cards using only what I had on hand and I ended up using some Picture My Life cards making it waaaaaay too easy to make some amazing cards.  Even if you don't have the same supplies as I do, you can totally use any pocket page cards to create your own beautiful cards- and I'm sure you have tons of leftover supplies just like me you can use!  

Baby cards are the cards I run out of faster than any other!  This one turned out beautifully and I can't wait to hand it out.

Supplies: 
Paper Fundamentals Basics Assort. (CTMH)
Chalk It Up paper (CTMH)
B is for Baby stamp set (CTMH)
Ivy Land Assort. (CTMH)
glitter gems-pink (CTMH)
Card & Washi tape (Target)
Liquid glass (on the heart on the carriage) (CTMH)

This is one made with the pocket pages card.  It is actually horizontal and I just cut it to keep the camera.  Way easy!

Supplies:
Avonlea Picture My Life card (CTMH)
Midtown Cork shapes (CTMH)
Chalk It Up Assort. (CTMH)
Ariana Assort. (CTMH)
Card & Washi tape (Target)

Graduation cards are good to stock up on too!  And with how cheap this was to make you won't feel so bad stashing some cash inside too.

Supplies:
Dimensional Elements- Stars (CTMH)
Chalk It Up Picture My Life card (CTMH)
Card & pink washi tape (Target)
finger washi tape (Hobby Lobby)

To make this one I actually used 2 pocket pages cards.  Close To My Heart (CTMH) gives you multiples of the same card and this was the same design- I just cut the stars from the back of one card and used a multiple card for the saying on the front.

Supplies:
Chalk It Up Picture My Life cards (CTMH)
Sequins Assort. (CTMH)
Bitty Sparkles (for inside the sequins) (CTMH)
Sparkles flourishes (I cut them up so they would be smaller and fit on the card) (CTMH)
Card (Target)

This is a great card to use your alphabet stamp set and leftover alphabet stickers!

Supplies:
Chalk It Up Picture My Life card (CTMH)
Chocolate alphabet large stamp set (CTMH)
Bitty sparkles (CTMH)
Black and white polka dot washi tape (SMASH)
Card (Target)

This can easily use ANY sentiment stamp or sticker with a bunch of washi tape behind it!

Supplies:

B is for Baby stamp set (CTMH)

sparkles 

silver glitter trim (CTMH)

Yellow triangle & gray and white polka dot washi tape (CTMH)

Mustache washi tape (Hobby Lobby)

Card (Target)

This card is more traditional using paper ontop of the pre-printed card- but little enough that you can just use any scraps you have hanging around.

Supplies:

Sarita paper (CTMH)

Sarita wooden Assort. (CTMH)

Say It In Style stamp set (CTMH)

Woodgrain washi tape (CTMH)

Mustache washi tape (Hobby Lobby)

Durables triangle studs (CTMH)

And what do you do with leftover stickers?  Group them on a pre-printed card with some ribbon and you are set!

Supplies:

Outdoor denim Chevron ribbon (CTMH)

Splendor My Stickease stickers (CTMH)

As you can tell I have a lot of CTMH stuff- I used to sell their product.  Some of it is dis-continued but some is still available and my mom sells it so if you are interested you can stop by her site: http://kruisinkristie.ctmh.com/

Where has the time gone?

I have to be very honest- I have not been crafty at all lately!  Since we got back from our trip and now school has started it's been hard to do the projects I have in my mind :)

I just got my photos that were from summer:

This is about 300 photos from just June and July!

Then I want to use this

and some already made scrapbook pages from this:

you can purchase the guide for 3 2-page layouts HERE

Hopefully I will have more fun projects to show you soon!