12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies - Week 1

This week I made Peanut Butter Sealed with a Kiss cookies!  These cookies look great and freeze well!!
Here is the recipe I used:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 9 oz package chocolate kisses unwrapped

Preheat the oven to 375.  Cream the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla extract.  Wisk together flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly combine flour mixture with peanut butter mixture.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll them in the white sugar.  Place on parchment paper on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven.  Press chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 3 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes about 24 cookies.

Now who wants to come do my dishes??  :)

Christmas on the brain!!

I know it isn't even October yet but man, I have Christmas on the brain!!  All the prep for the Cookie exchange, I guess!  I have thought back to Christmases past and cherished old memories....like the one of Santa putting presents under the tree in his red bikini briefs...um, thanks dad!! LOL  Seriously though, Christmas has been a treasured time for me, like most.  A time for family gatherings and the smells of baking.  Last Christmas was a little tough but I hope to leave it in the past.

This Christmas will be the first where my kids don't rush in and wake me at 4 am, so it will be a little different.  However, I plan on making Christmas Eve extra special for my kids!!  On Christmas, you may find me volunteering somewhere or maybe at the movie theater(that would be a first)!

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?  Do you plan on starting new traditions?

Fishing....

Fish Lake, Washington

When I was a little girl my grandpa started taking me fishing.  I think I was three when I became his favorite fishing buddy!  We spent so much time on the lake and camping at places near rivers.  I had my own special cooler for soda and I got to bring my favorite snacks.  I remember being so impatient to catch fish.  I would cast out and reel it in then start again!!  LOL over and over cast reel cast reel!  It is a wonder I ever caught anything.    While I was fishing with my son a couple weeks ago, I remembered that I would lean over and tug on my grandpa's line to make him think he got a fish!  LOL  Some of my most treasured memories are those of fishing with my grandpa!  

Cookie Blog Hop

I am so excited to take part it this blog hop Hosted by Meal Planning Magic!!  It will be my first!!  I have been wanting to try something like this!!  There is still space available if you would like to join!!

Here is how it will work: each participant will post a Christmas cookie or candy every Thursday for 12 weeks!!  So far there are about 26 bloggers participating....that is a whole lot of cookies and candy!!

I can't wait to see what everybody comes up with!!  :)

Planning

When I was young, I thought I had a plan.....as I got into high school I forgot about "the plan" and took a new path.  From that moment forward I have not had much of a plan and have not been very organized....sometimes I plan this or that .... sometimes I organize one area or one thing in my life....
Slowly, I have been becoming more planned out and organized about things....it has taken some time but I am getting there!  LOL  Today, I plan meals and stick to the plan, I have binders for couponing, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and (ugh) unemployment!  I am finding that these things help me more than I thought they would!

One day I just realized I had to do something (so I could find those important papers that I needed)!

How do you keep your chaos organized?