FunFetti Cookies

Adapted from  Averie Cooks recipe.

What you need:

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg (room temperature)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (sifted)

2 tsp corn starch

3/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

3/4 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.

Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, mix until just combined, scrape down sides as you go.

Add the sprinkles and beat momentarily to incorporate, less then 1 minute or fold in by hand.

Scoop batter onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 8 minutes or until edges and tops are set, they should not turn golden or brown.  

DO NOT bake more than 9 minutes.

Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling.

Then ENJOY!

The Whole Family

     So while we were on Spring Break down in Texas, my mom wanted us to all get together, our immediate family, my in-laws, and my sister's family to take some pictures.  The last time we did that was back in 2008!  Since then, our family has expanded, my sister got married and we officially welcomed my brother-in-law Brandon, and two little additions joined our family as well, my Kinley girl, and my adorable nephew Camden.  We are only missing my hubby's sister's family, who live in Alabama.  Can't wait to get some of these pictures printed and put up around the house!

Wow, look how young everyone is! 

Liam wasn't even 1 year old yet!

Having fun & being silly!

My immediate family!

My beautiful family

with mom & dad

PapPaw & MeeMaw with their grand babies!

with the in-laws

Flashback from 2008!

Papa & Nana with their grand babies!

My sister's family

with mom and dad

Three Generations

Just the girls...

Just the boys....

       I'm so glad we did these! I was planning on having some family pictures taken this summer, but now I don't have to.  I can finally fill one of my frames on the wall that has been hanging there without a picture FOR-EV-ER! YAY!

Home, Sweet Home

     Hi everyone, we just got back from our wonderful trip to Texas for Liam's Spring Break! We had so much fun and did so many fun exciting activities! I can't wait to show you, but for now, I'm gonna take it easy after a long drive home, unwind a bit, then later start the unpacking.  I still need to upload and edit the many pictures I took.  So for now, I'll just say hello there and see you real soon!

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe from Desserts for Breakfast

What you need:

Cupcakes-

3 cups sugar

3 cups all purpose flour (sifted)

1 cup and 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

3 eggs, slightly beaten (room temperature)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1 1/2 cup hot coffee

** Frosting- 

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

8 oz unsweetened chocolate (finely chopped)

12 TBsp unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

**The cupcake recipe makes A LOT of cupcakes, so I doubled the Frosting recipe.**

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, four, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mix to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, vegetable oil, and milk; stir to mix.

Then, with mixer on low, pour wet mixture into the dry mixture; mix on low until evenly distributed.

Pour the hot coffee into the batter and mix on medium low until smooth, the batter will be soupy.

Divide the batter between the cupcake liners.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out cleanly.

Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks.

For the frosting

In a saucepan, bring the sugar and heavy cream to a boil over medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the cream and sugar for 6 minutes.

Be careful not to let the saucepan overflow.

Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate and butter until they have completely melted.

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Let the frosting cool completely, whisking every now and then during cooling.

To speed up the process, place in the freezer (really fast), or in the refrigerator (fast) for awhile, whisking every now and then until frosting is spreadable or can be piped.

Spread or pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes.

Garnish with chocolate sprinkles then ENJOY!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Cupcake recipe from Get Sweet Smart

 Frosting recipe adapted from Audrey's

What you need:

Cupcakes-

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (sifted)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

8 TBsp unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs (room temperature)

2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

seeds from 1 vanilla bean

1 1/4 cups milk (room temperature)

Frosting-

1 tub of mascarpone

1 cup of powdered sugar (sifted)

seeds of half of a vanilla bean

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups of whipping cream

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Line two muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.

In a small bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Slowly add eggs one at a time until combined.

Add vanilla and vanilla bean seeds to milk.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat with mixer until well combined.

Then at 1/3 milk and mix throughly.

Repeat with remaining ingredients, scraping bowl as needed.

Scoop batter into prepared pans and bake 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes completely on wire racks before frosting.

To make the frosting:

Combine the mascarpone and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Add the vanilla beans, vanilla extract, and whipping cream.

Whip at medium-high speed until cream turns into a whipped cream consistency.

DO NOT over whip the mixture.

Spread or pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Garnish with white sprinkles then ENJOY!

Taking a little Spring Break

       Since we didn't get to go home (Texas) for the Christmas holidays, I planned on packing up the family and heading there for Liam's Spring Break, which starts as soon as he gets home from school!  That means I have been packing suitcases and checking off lists all week, the car will be loaded, snacks packed the night before so we can leave bright and early the next morning!  So with that, I will be away from the laptop so I can focus on making lots of fun memories, which I will make sure to take pictures of, so I can share when we get back.  So, in the meantime, have a great week and see ya when we get back!

Lemon Blueberry Cookies

Adapted from original recipe on Pia Recipes

What you need:

3 1/4 cups cake flour (sifted)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 eggs (room temperature)

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla extract

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (washed and dried)

1 cup white chocolate chips

How to make it:

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beat after each addition.

Add in vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mix until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients into the batter.

Then carefully fold in the white chocolate chips and blueberries.

Allow dough to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Scoop out dough onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 11-14 minutes, until bottoms are slightly golden brown and the edge should NOT be brown.

Take out let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Then ENJOY!

Bourbon Pecan Pralines

Recipe from Taste of Home

What you need: 1/4 cup unsalted butter (cubed) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup pecan halves (toasted) 1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted) 1 TBsp bourbon How to make them: Grease two baking sheets, set aside. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in the sugars, then cream, cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until candy thermometer reads 236˚ (soft-ball stage), about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the pecans halves, chopped pecans, and bourbon. Immediately drop by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Let stand until pralines are set up and no longer glossy. ENJOY!

Joyeux Mardi Gras!

     So Mardi Gras has been going on for awhile, but I usually just celebrate it with the kiddos on Fat Tuesday.  It's a day with beads, masks, purple, green and gold, yummy food, and festive treats!  I usually make the traditional Red Beans & Rice, Gumbo, Dirty Rice, Okra, yadda yadda.... but this year I wanted to do something a little different.  So, I went on Pinterest and found some yummy new recipes to try out on the family.  They are awesome and got the thumbs up!  These were definitely blog worthy!

Here's the Mardi Gras lunch I came up with for Liam 

Purple, green & yellow Gold Fish,

PB&J with sanding sugars,

Grapes & Apricots,

and a King Cake Bar (I made)

While Liam was in school, Kinley and I dressed up!

For dinner I made some finger lickin' Cajun BBQ Shrimp

and some Bacon Collard Greens!

For dessert we enjoyed some King Cake Bars

and Bourbon Pecan Pralines!

Hope you had a fun festive Mardi Gras....

now that we filled ourselves on Fat Tuesday, it's time to fast for Ash Wednesday for Lent!

Top of the Mornin' to You

     Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, so why not dress the kiddos up in green and some leprechaun hats to take some pictures?  That's exactly what I did!  My babies are growing up so fast, gotta take as many pictures as I can!  So here's my little models.....