Sweet Somethings: Chewy Gingerbread

I get SO MANY compliments on these little beauties. They stay deliciously chewy and freeze really well. If you end up bringing them somewhere as a sweet treat, be sure to bring a few copies of the recipe! You can find the original here.

You will Need:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, and cream together butter & sugar. Then beat in the rest of the "wet"ingredients.
2. Gradually stir the "dry" ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in a bit of sugar, flatten slightly, and place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
   

Easy peasy, and super delish.
Enjoy with Egg Nog or a Hot Toddy :)

Put a Cap on It

Preparations are almost complete, and Christmas vacation started a few days early.
Bliss.
Now to just sit back, relax, and let the holiday festivities unfold in front of me.
I love this time of year.
I can't wait to see family and friends, and enjoy the food, the gifts, and the fun.

knit cap - H&M (2009); knit vest - Dynamite (2009); necklace - F21 (2011);
tee - Dynamite (2010); skinnies - Smart Set (2010); boots - Thrifted (2008)

Ways I've Worn this Blue Knit Vest

Sweet Somethings: Cranberry Walnut Biscotti

With Christmas only days away I've kicked my holiday baking into high gear!

This was my first attempt at biscotti and it was actually surprisingly simple.

You will need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts (or any nut you'd like!)

Directions:

• You start by mixing the oil and the sugar together until you get a really creamy paste... I don't know if anyone's ever made pizzelle, but it kind of looks like that. Add the rest of your "wet" ingredients and mix well.
• Next add your flour, salt, and baking powder. I like to "beat" my mixture with a fork. The dough is REALLY soft and I hate trying to un-stick it from the egg beaters.
• Then add your dried fruit and nuts. I chose cranberries & walnuts, but you could use just about anything. You could even throw a little lemon or orange zest in there for some extra fruitiness!

• When you're done mixing in your deliciousness, you're going to form two logs on a parchment lined baking sheet (about 2" wide by 12" long). Don't forget to wet your hands with COLD water, otherwise the batter sticks to you like mad.

• Bake at 300F for about 35 minutes, or until your logs are lightly browned on top.
• Let them cool down for about 15 minutes, then cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4" slices. If you DON'T wait, your biscotti will turn into a crumbly mess - be warned!
• Put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the sides are browned as well...

And voila! Yummy biscotti that you're not paying $2 a piece for!

Six More Sleeps!

Can you believe Christmas is less than a week away? The month has just flown by!
Fortunately for me, I'm done all my shopping and only have baking left to do...
Unfortunately for me, my uncle will fly in from Atlanta this week and insist we do some last minute shopping on the 24th.
I pretend that this annoys me, but after 10 years of doing of tradition, if it didn't happen, I'd probably end up disappointed.

sunnies - Michael Kors (2011 - thanks Christine!); cardigan - Smart Set (2010);
necklace - Stella & Dot; dress - Dynamite (2010); skinnies - Gap (2010); boots - Sirens (2010)

Church Time

Last night I went to mass for Santa Lucia patron Saint of the Blind.
Now I'm not a religious person - I like to think of myself as more of a spiritual individual - but I did enjoy myself. My young cousins on the other hand did not.
It reminded me so much of when I was younger and dragged to church every Sunday with my mother. I hated it. And it probably has something to do with my current dislike of organized religion. But this got me thinking about time.

When you're young, time seems to stretch on forever. You can't wait for the next day to come and you feel like it always takes an eternity to get here. Maybe that accounts for why they find church so excruciatingly long? As an adult on the other hand, time just flies. There are never enough hours in a day to accomplish everything you plan to, and you dread the next day and the additional tasks it will bring. The hour one spent in church is nothing more than a blip at this point and seems far less boring. You listen to the stories, and the time passes quickly, rendering it far more tolerable.
Does that make sense?

What I wore to church last night...

Blouse - Vintage (mine since 2008); skirt - Smart Set (2010);
tights - Hue (2010); boots - Spring (2011)

You can check out my challenge progress here.