Sugar Cookie Bars

Yum!!  At first I wasn't sure about these . . . but they're pretty good . . . and they're kind of addicting in a way.  I think after the first time I just didn't have any more so I wouldn't keep eating more:)

Sugar Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

1 Tbsp sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 recipe vanilla frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 13″ x 9″ baking dish, set aside. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy about 3-4 minutes. Stir in egg and egg white. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until blended. Slowly add dry mixture and stir until well combine. With buttered hands, gently press (so gently almost patting) mixture into buttered baking dish. Bake 16 – 19 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and edges are lightly golden. Cool completely, then frost and cut into squares.

Vanilla Frosting

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 Tbsp half and half

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Several drop food coloring (optional)

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together butter and powdered sugar and half and half until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and salt. Add in food optional food coloring and mix until well blended.

Lately . . . What's Been Happening Around Here

A post with a conglomeration of things I've been doing lately - some crafts, some organizing, etc.

I've did a bit of scrapbooking lately.  

One day I just kind of felt like doing it so I took out my supplies and made a few cards.

I also made a scrapbook page of Hunter using a picture I took at school in my black & white film photography class.

We noticed our closet shelf was sitting empty and that it would work perfectly to stick all our boots up there . . . especially since we're not going to be wearing them in the summer anyways!

I got a desk as an early birthday present, and I'm enjoying having it:)  You can read a story about the desk here.  There's also another project I want to do . . . remake a lampshade for my lamp:)  I really like the lamp post thing, but I don't like the lampshade, so I need to get that done sometime.

Speaking of pictures I took at school in my film photography class, I finally decided to hang some of them up so I could actually see them, rather than having them stuck away in a binder:)

And Tara (and Bronwyn & Morgan) FINALLY got a bed . . . it's probably a little more comfortable than sleeping on the floor:)  It does kind of need a new bed set for that size of bed though .. and a bed skirt:)

Have a wonderful day, everyone!!

Campfire Potatoes

Campfire Potatoes.  We've had these a lot over the years, especially in the summer time.  They're delicious (well . . . obviously . . there's BACON in them:)) and fairly simple to make . . . probably especially if you don't have a huge family you're making them for!  We serve these potatoes with BBQ chicken a lot of the time (as we did this time).

Start by cutting up the bacon into small pieces and cooking it up in a frying pan. (Keep all that bacon grease in there!!)

Once the bacon is all cooked up, add potatoes cut up into small cubes, along with a bit of garlic powder and salt, and also season salt.  

Cook and stir as needed over medium heat until potatoes are tender.  Add any more seasoning if the potatoes need it.  You can also cover the frying pan between stirring it.

And finally, enjoy!! 

Have a wonderful day, everyone!!

Cinnamon Roll Bites

These turned out really good!  They were best fresh, but they didn't really taste like a cinnamon roll if that's what you wanted.  Leftovers, they actually tasted like a cinnamon roll as a bite sized piece!  They were good just room temperature, or warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave.

Cinnamon Roll Bites

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 & 1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup {1 stick} salted butter, melted

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar and let sit until frothy.  Add the salt and vegetable oil and mix well.  In a large bowl, mix yeast mixture and about 2 cups of flour.  Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough starts to pull away from sides and is no longer sticky.  Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise for one hour, until doubled in size. {Or if you're doing this the night before, just place it in the refrigerator and go to bed.}

Preheat oven to 375°F. Punch down dough and knead on a floured surface until smooth again; set aside.  In a small bowl, combine sugars and cinnamon.  Place butter in another small bowl.
Rip off small pieces of dough {I used like a quarter size} and roll into a ball.  Dip the ball in the butter and then roll it around in the sugar mixture; place on a greased cookie sheet.  Repeat steps 12 & 13 until you fill your cookie sheet up and then bake for 10-12 minutes.  Do this until all the dough is gone.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla until smooth.  Use a spoon to drizzle your frosting over the cinnamon roll bites.  Serve warm.

Homemade Nutter Butters

Homemade Nutter Butters

Cookies:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
approx 1/3 cup extra sugar for rolling 

Filling:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

Cookies:
In a large bowl with mixer beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds on medium-high speed. Lower mixer to medium and add eggs and vanilla continuing to mix until combined. Turn mixer to low and add in flour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°
Form chilled dough first into 1 inch balls and then form into a log shape. Roll the log-shaped dough in extra granulated sugar and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Using a fork press down on cookie creating a criss-cross pattern. Pinch the center to create the peanut shape.
Bake for 6-8 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on baking sheet 2-3 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling.

Filling:
In a large bowl beat butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Slowly add in your powdered sugar and turn mixer speed up to medium and beat until filling is smooth. Add your milk, one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling onto the bottom of one of the peanut butter cookies and then top with another cookie to create sandwich.

*******

These were quite delicious:)

Spring Blog Sale!!

Email me at ajcrazies@gmail.com or comment on this post if you'd like any of these things, which I have left from our spring bazaar.  Shipping will be extra.

Diaper Bag - $35

Diaper Bag - $35

Cross-Body Bag - $16

Little Girl Ruched Center Bag - $8

Tea-dyed Long sleeve baby onesies w/ Lace - size 3-6 months - $5.25 each

Hot Pad - $4.00

Hot Pad - $4.00

Hot Pad - $4.00

Hot Pad - $4.00

Hot Pad - $4.00

(Camera SOLD) Bird Key Chains - $3.00 each

"Good-bye" is not Forever

Pappa & Grandma w/ Hunter in May of 2008 - they looked so happy in this picture:)



Memories pouring back.  Pappa coming out to the van after Saturday night sauna to knock on our window's, telling us good-bye.  Grandma always feeding us with her yummy treats and giving us juice after sauna.  Of staying the night and making our very own package of jello and perhaps going to the book store.  Going for supper and eating a delicious meal Grandma had prepared.  Playing "stiff" with Pappa - it was hard, but so much fun!  Pappa doing stuff out in the woods, keeping the trails we ran around and played on nice and clean.  Bringing Pappa & Grandma to Centerville on Sunday morning's so he could preach there.  What a beautiful testimony of earthly love they have left us - they had a love that lasted for many years and grew - and you could see the love they had for each other!  And the testimony they left of our Heavenly Father's love - and now they are both together in Heaven, kneeling at the feet of Jesus, at the the throne of God.  Together forever with each other and God, and with many who have gone on before.  And all the pains and cares of this world are gone - they are no longer in physical pain and are enjoying the peace that surrounds them there, all earthly cares forgotten and singing forever with Jesus!  How beautiful it is!  Grandma can see again - her eyes have been made whole.  Pappa no longer needs dialysis - he is made whole.  They are both made whole - all their frailness and hardships are gone.  And while it yet is hard for us here left below - "Good-bye" is not forever . . . Someday we can join them on the eternal shore's of glory and we will never have to say "Good-bye" again.  How beautiful it is!

Grandma joined Pappa in eternal glory early this morning.