Some of My Favorite Things

{Sunday}

It's a balmy 28 degrees here today, and I just cleaned my mirrors and windows with club soda and a lint free cloth. Works great.

My mom's Pyrex bowl {my favorite} is being used to bake bread.  

I have been using this tin container (for bread flour) for a decade.

My favorite green glass measuring cup takes up residence in the flour.

A geranium in bloom! I brought it indoors for the winter and it has started blooming. Spring is just around the corner.

I use this when I forget to wear gardening gloves :-)

I found this on AOL this morning....

We will paint flowers on the snow to get us through this long winter in New York!

Sweet gerber daisies from my son for Valentine's Day.

I made a few of these mason jar vases for our upcoming Key West dinner party to warm up our friends :-)

MacKenzie-Childs has done it again.

I ADORE these new cupcake containers.

Yes please!!!

Sweet, sweet paper napkins ;-)  I think I'll be tucking one in my lunch tote from time to time. 

I love this idea. Three of my friends and I will be sharing our travels with the "Traveling Tote Series."  {soon}

Thank you for stopping by! I am joining Share Your Cup Thursday.

xo

Debbie

Happy Valentine's Day

 I am still swooning over these heart shaped sugar cookies with my favorite Magnolia Bakery buttercream frosting that I make every Valentine's day. If I could keep only one buttercream recipe, this would be it. Every time we go to New York City, I have to stop at the Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake ;-)

World Famous Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies with Magnolia Bakery Buttercream Frosting

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups vegetable shortening

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg, beaten

3 1/3 cups cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

  

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375°.

2) In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and shortening using an electric mixer.

 3) Mix on slow speed 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4) Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.

5) Slowly add vanilla and beaten egg while mixing.

6) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not overmix.

 7) Scoop with an ice-cream scoop if decorating with sugar only

8) Place directly on cookie sheet.

9) Bake at 375° for 9-10 minutes. Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, the edges do not brown.

If making cut out cookies form dough in to two balls, chill dough in refrigerator for at least two hours covered.

Roll out dough on floured surface and cut out cookies with desired shaped cookie cutters.

Place directly on cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 9-10 minutes. Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, the edges do not brown.

Decorate with Buttercream Frosting or Sugar (See recipe below).

Magnolia Bakery Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Thank you so much to all of you who have sent kind condolences on my mother's passing. It is truly appreciated. My creative spirit will be back soon.

I am joining Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday.

xxoo

Debbie

A January Wedding

[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]

BY E. E. CUMMINGS

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

We attended a beautiful January wedding (East Coast) for my cousin's son, and even though it was my first January wedding, I hope it won't be my last. Loved everything about it, and the temperature in the room at the reception felt tropical. LOL I think they wanted to make sure the bride was warm. 

Loved the bride's pine cone wedding bouquet! Don't worry, she didn't didn't toss it ;o)

My cousin's daughter made the wedding cake, and I loved the bride and groom topper made of pine cones. 

The winter white candles and pine branches made a stunning centerpiece for each table. 

Thank you for stopping by!

xo

Debbie

Remembering

Remembering

a wonderful mom

is like counting the stars--

just when you think

you've found all the reasons

to thank God for her,

your realize you've just begun.

Holley Gerth

Words cannot express my loss, but the beautiful memories of my mom throughout the years and knowing how much I did for her when she needed me the most, have brought me much comfort. Mom suffered from Parkinson's and is now in a better place.

My loving and beautiful mom passed away on January 22 at age 78. Mom needed me most the last two years of her life, and my memory will always be etched with the fun things we did. Each Tuesday, we picked her up for dinner and brought her to our home (al fresco dinners on our deck were the best), on Thursdays I took mom to choir practice and on Sundays we explored antique stores, thrift shops, photographed owls, visited friends and relatives, relaxed at our camp and the list goes on.

My Mother's advice will always be etched in my heart.

What's the best advice you've ever received from your mom?

My mom told me to always look for the sunshine in my life and count the blessings.

Taught me respect.
Stay close to the Lord and everything will be alright.

Live.laugh.love

And the Golden Rule was very popular in our household....

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

I fell in love with this recipe on Bake at 350 blog last year. It may have had something to do with the two jars of Trader Joe's cookie butter that I had in my pantry and wanted to use. These Speculoos and Chocolate Button Cookies ended up being one of mom's favorites, and every time I make these I will think of her.

If you try these cookies, I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do. I am looking forward to getting back to blogging soon.

xo

Debbie

Warm and Fuzzy Thoughts for 2015

Happy New Year!

I hope you find this time of year as restorative as we do. Winter is the time we step back and take a cleansing breath before our gardening chores start in spring. 

I'm taking the next month to enjoy some winter activities. 

Once the excitement of the holidays has passed, we can fill our lives with simple activities. Take a walk outdoors in the winter to get fresh air and sunshine (if we are lucky).

Develop a good schedule and stick with it. We have been walking at 5:30 every morning before work, and have stuck with it for four months and will continue.

Maybe squeeze in a movie, and dinners and get togethers with friends and family.

Keep warm, keep busy, keep happy. My dear friends, thank you for your visits in 2014. My wish is that 2015 will be a good year.

Debbie