Another Christmas Post

Yeah, this is kind of (kind of?!?!) late, and I am not one to feel the urge to show the world every little thing I receive, but it is a blogging tradition, and really, what else do I have to blab about? With that, I bring you my first ever "what Santa brought me" post. In January.

First of all, I GOT A CAMERA!! I could end this post right now and be a very happy camper. It's  a Nikon Coolpix in plum, which is very nice. I still need a memory card, but I've already had fun with it, and can't wait to get my greedy little clutches on a memory card.

Next up, an Ulta gift card for $50, which became an Urban Decay Sustainable shadow palette, two Organix 3 piece travel sets (love the Brazilian Ever Straight set), which were BOGO free, and I still have $10 left. The palette was half price, and let me tell you, there is nothing I love more than using a gift card during a sale.

My niece, Mady, let me know that the gift from her (and my brother), was picked out, purchased, and possibly even wrapped solely by her lonesome. Not bad for a 5 year old. I was told well before time, that it was picked (by my brother) because I "will never grow up." I guessed that it was a stuffed animal by examining the box. It's a stuffed Hello Kitty, and she looks like she's dressed to flamenco dance. She and my pink poodle-y HK will live in my crafts room, as soon as it's cleared and ready. And thank you Moosy and George, I love it! 

From the sister, I got one of those nail stamping kits, which has led to me cussing when my favorite design won't stamp properly. And perusing Amazon for Cheeky plates. And even more polish. She also gave me a peacock themed pad, which is adorable and living in my purse. I can never have too many pens or pads.

Also among my loot, were fuzzy pajamas (soooooooo so so good), underthings, half a set of the taco bowl molds (other half went to Kaemae), the Sweet on Paris BBW spray, and a Christmas scent warmer. Even though we didn't have it on December 25, I think I would vote to plan the next one out this way again. We had a huge breakfast, watched tv, opened presents, and made pizzas. I'm not really big on change, and that especially extends to holidays, but this change wasn't so bad. And I'm already planning for the next one :)

Sugar Cookies....Sort of

Madalyn came to visit today, which was a perfect reason to make cookies. She's been waiting to make them since Christmas, about two years ago, and is all about being in charge of frosting. Or sprinkles, she isn't picky. She is also dying to decorate a gingerbread house, which, should stars, space-time continuums and schedules align, we should hopefully do this December.

As Katie (my sister) and I have had plans to make tons of Christmas cookies practically since birth, we tend to go a little overboard buying supplies every holiday season. "Red and green sprinkles? Yes, please!" "Multi-colored sanding sugars? Don't mind if I do!" "Edible glitter?!?! Where can we find this greatest invention of the last 1200 years?" This extends to cookie mixes. We have quite a few. So many, one might think we are rolling in dough (*snicker*) every weekend, cookies up to at least our ankles. Truth is, they are pretty much just taking up prime cabinet real estate. Enter Mady.

Now, our grand cookie plans would have been much, much grander if A) there had been any clean, unoccupied counter space in the kitchen at the time and B) my parents ever kept real butter in the fridge. I have to work with what I've got, because I'm pretty sure it's in the Bible, if you promise to make cookies with a 4 year old, and then don't, you're going to hell. I'm not an expert, but if it's also a meme, it must be true. Right? Armed with our pack of sugar cookie mix, we headed to the fridge to make our fortunes cookies. I have seen many times on Pinterest, in magazines, and just online in general, you can substitute healthy things for fats/eggs in baking. I have used applesauce in brownies previously, to pretty decent results (unless your name is Brian and you have a sugar problem), so I decided today was the day I use Greek yogurt to replace butter. And now that I think about it, I think yogurt might be one of the suggestions to replace eggs, not butter, and these cookies call for butter, not eggs, so possible oops on my part. But what is baking without throwing a little caution to the wind, and throwing a little yogurt into your cookie dough? I'm not entirely sure. Ignore the rhetorical lady on the laptop.

Yogurt Sugar Cookies
1 package Betty Crocker Sugar cookie mix (the smaller package, possibly also labeled "snack size")
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used honey Greek, Greek Gods brand)
2 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (or use tinfoil without it) and drop by rough tablespoon sized blobbys (trust me, they will be blobbys! This is not a firm, roll-out-and-cut kind of dough!) Add sprinkles, if desired. Bake 8-10 minutes. Et voila, sugar cookies. Sort of. Yield varies.

One day, I will have a nicer camera. But I love how festive the sprinkles are and how they pair nicely with the plate. Kind of reminds me of the circus. But way nicer, no animals were harmed during the making of these cookies. Except Ralph. His tail got in the way of my foot. Sorry, Ralphie!

Note the biscuit-like texture. The too-brown bottom. The unpolished sausage fingers. 

Verdict? If you are looking for a pretty cookie, move along, bub. If you are looking for the next taste sensation, take a hike. If you want a cookie that is also kind of like a biscuit, in that it is light and fluffy, and not super sweet, welcome home! You are among friends. I would also say they have a somewhat toothsome bite. These cookies remind me a little of those frosted sugar cookies you can get at any Wal Mart- they are light, soft, slightly dense somehow, but not as crumbly (not that those WMSCs are crumbly, just slightly more so than these.) They do get way browner on the bottoms than the tops, which led my mom to claim they were under baked. I think she's ready for Shady Pines, she claims everything is either undercooked, under baked, still mooing, not enough mayo...it's never right. But she also never cooks, so I'm curious where her frame of reference hails from. I would make these again if I had no butter but did have yogurt. If you have ever dreamed that you, too, could have a cookie that was also like a biscuit (and you aren't confusing American and British versions of the word) then try these! A pretty decent little cookie for when you kind of feel like having a cookie. Sort of.

Pretty Nifty Books #1, Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars

I love this book. Which might be amusing to some, as it is marketed to grandmas, and I am merely an aunt. The official title may actually even be "Grandma's Bag of Tricks: Toad Cottages..." Now, I DO have somewhat granny taste in some things, such as clothing, hobbies, clip art and such, so books are no different.

Image from Amazon. Obviously. 

The author, Sharon Lovejoy, is a grandmother, has written quite a few books about gardening (my favorite being "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots," which is for kids, but I tend to like kiddish things!) but you need not be a child, a grandmother, or even an accomplished gardener to enjoy her books. My nieces are currently 4 years and almost 2 months, and I know I will get a lot of use out of this book, at least from the eldest, Madalyn, who loves being outside. Kaitlyn has a while to make up her mind regarding the great outdoors :)

With chapters ranging from setting up your house for kids, learning about nature, cooking, gardening and things to do on rainy days, there is no shortage of "things to do" within this book. Best of all, you need not have tons of money to do them. You needn't also be a grandparent or live in the country- I think some things could be adapted, for instance, if you have no room to garden, but do have access to a farmer's market, voila, instant garden. Nature walks can happen in city parks. Your imagination is the only limit.

The book is currently on Amazon going for $10.97, but I found my copy at B-A-M for a whopping $3.97, on one of those clearance tables. And don't forget to check your local library! I also wholeheartedly recommend "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots," and will say I look forward to building a Sunflower house, solely because of that book.

Summer So Far

Unemployment, relationship woes, non-working vehicle- so this is my summer. Let me clarify: April, I quit my job because my ovaries are bitchfaces. May, I broke up with the fiance and then convinced him we should reconsider the break. We are back together. My car overheated and stopped working on my way home from Lafayette, and hopefully will be repaired soon. I waited almost 2 months for my dad to come take a look. Mechanic dad is, in my imagination, as good as doctor dad or dentist dad or carpenter dad. If he were "mechanic-I'll never make spaghetti again in my life-here's some money for all the years you never got an allowance, aka 'all of your childhood'-I quit watching Fox News because fear mongering and lies are not cool-I have a magic box that makes appear before you any food you could ever want" dad, well, I might have to move back home. But I hate spaghetti. And Fox News. But I love my dad, and can usually count on him to maybe not agree with my food/social oddities, but understand them, because he's pretty much the same. Hell, I had to get it somewhere. I will say this- he is very odd where cheese is concerned. I am the same way with my fruits and veggies, so perhaps I should not go "ok, weirdo," next time he's all "how can you eat THAT <points to slice of Swiss cheese I'm shoving into my face gap> straight from the fridge? At least melt it first!" Ok, weirdo.

Perhaps the second biggest thing of the season for me is Pinterest. I have become a pinning fool. I'm also considering starting a Dirty and Girly Pin page, but then I would get even less done, and I have to sleep at some point. Someone mentioned if they were paid to pin, they'd be rich. I'm approaching that faux income bracket quickly myself. I think I'm over 600. If one received five dollars per pin, that'd be 3,000 dollars. I'm willing to sign up for this. Other things I am considering are a mobile beauty service (I watch too much Jerseylicious. And I would need to go to beauty school. But it's a goal!) and possibly start working towards a degree in Pre K-3 education. It is hard to get a teaching job in this area, however. And I doubt "opening a homeschool" counts or is even a good idea. But since I was about 4, I claimed I would teach kindergarten during the school year, cut hair during the summer. I keep going back to those two, possibly because Vet school is 8 years total. And I would like to finish before I'm 40.

The biggest of all.....my newest niece! Kaitlyn Elizabeth, born July 8. She was not due to meet us until August 4, but she decided earlier was better. Hopefully she keeps that in her little bag of virtues; my mother is late to everything but work and dessert. This has somewhat trickled down to my sister and me. The day we show up to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner before everyone has eaten is record-shattering. Kaitlyn, our little early bird, is also the first July baby in a while for the family. She is sweet, calm, smiley, intrigued by whatever may be going on around her, and completely photogenic. I don't say this as any sort of bitchy remark, but babies are not generally a pretty lot. Unless you find raisins and aliens pretty. There are plenty of cute babies, and I can think of one gorgeous baby (to whom I am also related, my little Brookey, sweet west-coast cousin) but Kaitlyn, she is so pretty.

And don't tell me I'm biased, this kid is clearly ready to take the world by storm. After her nap.

I am allegedly starting a new job soon, so I plan to blow most of my income on getting out of debt. And nail polish. And on the Nyx website. And books. And magazines. And probably cheese. Now I intend to look forward to fall, and hoping that it's going to be a cool one. A frigid one.
Praying for a September blizzard,
-C