sweets and treats …

Thanks to all you sweeties who left birthday wishes here, on Facebook, in emails and more.   You girls really made my day!   It was a great but busy weekend – football, birthdays, and softball, going out with friends, and lots of fun stuff.    Not too much to share here, just some birthday treats – a mint chocolate cupcake, because I don’t usually bake myself a cake for my birthday – so this post will be a little random.  I did bake for my dad the next day – a red velvet cake with cinnamon flavored frosting.  Yum!  It’s lighter than cream cheese frosting, and really tasty. 

I’ve given up my diet coke addiction, but every once in a while, you really want one.   These little mini-bottles are so cute and hit the spot just right.   Have you seen them?  I think they’re adorable. 

Has anyone ever asked you what is the one food you would choose if you were on a desert island?  For me, it would be tomatoes.  Definitely.   YUM!   This one was the very last one from my dad’s garden this year, and he gave it to his tomato-loving girl.   (Thanks Dad!)

 

He also brought me the last of his beautiful Dahlias from his garden.  (Isn’t my dad the best?)  I hope your week is sweet and full of treats!

Best,

Stephanie

apple picking …

Few things say fall to me like apple picking, farm stands, and pumpkins.   On a recent drive upstate, we got all three … a lot of pictures here – enjoy!   And have a great weekend!  (I’ll be celebrating my birthday with family this weekend, and there will be cake!)

Best,

Stephanie

sugar cookies

By now, I think we all have a favorite sugar cookie recipe.  But sometimes, you need on that really holds it’s shape, especially with fancier cookie cutters.  It’s even more important if you top your cookies with fondant, like these, since you need the shapes to match up just right.  When you do, this is the best recipe for the job.  If your cookies are 3 inches or so, you get about 3 dozen cookies.  The smaller or bigger your cookie, the more or less you get.  Enjoy!

Best,

Stephanie

Sugar Cookies

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup of sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1.   Preheat your oven to 350  degrees Fahrenheit

2.   Sift flour with baking powder and set aside

3.   In an electric mixer cream butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.   Don’t overdo it. 

4.  Add the egg and the vanilla and beat for one more minute.   The ingredients should be completely combined when you’re done. 

5.  Add half the flour, and mix until just incorporated.   Then add remaining flour, and mix until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.

6.  Put the dough on a piece of parchment paper, and knead it for a minute or so. 

7.  Place it in a plastic bag, seal it tightly, and refrigerate it for at least an hour.   (The dough will hold up pretty well overnight in the fridge but you may have to let it sit 5 minutes to be able to roll it, depending on how cold your fridge is. )

8.  Roll out the dough on parchment paper so that you don’t need to add more flour.  This keeps the cookies nice and soft.

9.  Roll the dough out until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick. 

(these Rolling Pin guides are a lifesaver for rolling dough evenly)

10.  Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Because they don’t really spread, you can place them fairly close together, but make sure you have enough room to get your spatula in there to lift them. 

11.   Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the cookies are a light golden brown.  Do not over-bake them.  They’ll continue to cook for a bit after you take them out, so keep a good eye on them.

12.  Place cookies on a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. 

That’s it! 

 

fireworks

Hello, friends!  Sorry to have been MIA for so long.  I got a flu shot last week and have had flu symptoms since about 2 days later.  Kind of defeats the purpose of getting the shot, but what can you do?  Since I’ve been out of it, I haven’t taken any photos, but I still have some I haven’t shared.   First up, the fireworks I took at the fair a couple of weeks back.   There is just something about fireworks that makes my heart go pitter pat.  Hope you’ve all been doing well.

Best,
Stephanie

 

fall fun …

Hello there!  I hope you’re all off to a great start this week.  Our kids were off for Columbus Day yesterday, but we still had a busy day starting with another football game, and some projects we’re working on around here. 

I’ll be posting more here during the week, but in the meantime, some of the fair shots from last weekend.   You know how I love the Ferris Wheel, right?   

And just a couple of quick snippets: 

If you’re interested, Facebook finally created it’s own app for the iPad and iPhone.  It’s only been a day, but so far I like it.  

Also, Donna Hay has issued it’s first on-line issue for the iPad, and it’s free right now.  I think they did a great job.  One neat thing they did is you can either look at a recipe as a whole, or click through one step at a time as you prepare it.   It’s beautifully photographed, and since it’s free, why not check it out? 

Finally, this weekend on Long Island is the Oyster Festival.  I’ll be there, if any of you local girls want to try to meet up.  

Best,
Stephanie

football

Around here, fall means football.  As I mentioned in my last post, it was a great game this weekend.  Number 77 is my guy.   Chosen as Player of the Week by his coaches this week.   (Not too proud, am I?)  I was never really into football before, but all that changes when it’s your kid out there.   And boy does he love it!

The field was muddy and the weather kept changing, but they kept going for the win.

 This face right here?  I think you can tell how happy he was, even though he was exhausted. 

It was the best way to start the weekend.

Hope you’re all having a great week!

Best,

Stephanie

hello October!

Hello friends!   Happy October to everyone.   I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.   If I were going to rate my weekend, I’d have to give it an “F”.   Not because it wasn’t terrific, but because it was Full of Football, Fall, Fairs, Fireworks, Family, Friends and Fun.   We had a blast – we enjoyed the rides, danced, had dinner with a great crew, went upstate for a drive, went apple picking and to a country farm stand that had the most amazing baked breads and pies you could imagine.  It was an altogether delicious weekend, and I can’t wait to share all the pictures with you soon.

Have a great week!

Best,
Stephanie