mint chocolate chip cookies

I realized the other day that I haven't posted a recipe in a long long time!  What is up with that?  I am fixing that little issue today.  Right now in fact.

If you love chocolate and if you love mint, these little babies are for you.  These are some of my very very favorite cookies!  They are so yummy and so easy to whip up a batch.  They are also perfect for any holiday cookie exchanges you may have coming up in the next few months.  I promise you people will be asking for your recipe.  Also, this is a family recipe, how cool is that??

Look at me try to be all artsy fartsy with my pictures.  Are you proud?  I was!!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: (these are in groups to make it a little easier)

Group one:

• 2/3 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Group two:

• 2 large eggs**
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 package melted milk chocolate chips

Group three:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 package mint chocolate chips

Instructions: 

Blend together group one.  In a separate bowl, beat group two (I melt the chips in a glass measuring cup in the microwave with 30 second bursts, mixing between each one.  Then I just mix the eggs and vanilla into that same container).  Add group two to group one and mix.  Mix together group four, minus the mint chips.  Add to groups one and two and mix, when all mixed in, fold in the mint chips.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  They sometimes don't look quite done in the oven, but I promise they are!  Don't overcook.

**You MUST use large eggs.  I used small/medium eggs last week when I made these for a family party and the dough was quite crumbly.  I baked them anyway and they were delicious right out of the oven but after they cooled they got really hard instead of being the soft chewy cookie they are meant to be!  If you only have smaller eggs, add another one or a little more butter.  If you find that your dough is crumbly at the end, add a little more butter (The dough shouldn't be super sticky, but it should never be crumbly).

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!  Thanks for stopping by.

-Megan

the middle of a lamp redo

I'm in the middle of redoing a pair of lamps I have over here.  They were brass but I've painted them white.  I'm trying to decide what color(s) of fabric I want to use for the shades.  I have a really pretty grey and white fabric that I love but I'm wondering if I should use some more color instead?  The good thing about the grey is that it will match anything.

Which is a good thing when your husband is a student, your furniture is mismatched already, and you don't have enough of the mullah to buy matchy matchy stuff.

Anyway, I thought I'd share what I've done so far and see what you guys think!

Also, we are moving soon and will have so much more room to live and breathe in!  It will be awesome.  

The thing that is not so awesome is the background in these pictures.  We currently live in about 30 square feet so please ignore the fact that my couch, desk, painting easel, hiking backpack for Peanut, and the rest of my life is in my bedroom.

Before.  This is not the original shade, nor will it be the one I recover.  I don't love the shape of it.

And after...so far.

I really love how they have turned out so far.  I can't wait to get them finished!  Now I need some opinions.  I got this little stool for a steal and am going to repaint it and attach some wheels to the top because my little man LOVES wheels.  It's not going to be the cutest toy but you can bet it will be his very favorite (I hope).  My question is, what color should I paint it?  His room is gong to be red but I'm thinking a  different color to give him some variation.  Thoughts?

Thanks for stopping by!  xoxo

-Megan

peaches everywhere

Guys.  GUYS!  Guess what happened?  Today Lindsey over at Better After featured my high chair makeover I did last year!  I was so excited!  I love her blog and she is so funny and definitely someone I look up to in the blogging world.  I've been doing a happy dance all day about it.

It's canning season over in my neck of the woods!  Do you can?  Do you wish you canned?  It is not as hard as it looks, you can totally do it.  Every year I get sort of nervous and then I'm always surprised at how easy it really is.  You just have to follow the directions.  

Today we did peaches.  I looooove peaches!  They are probably my favorite fresh fruit.  After the canning process I still like them, but I do prefer them fresh.  BUT...it is always the nicest thing to have a can of fruit to open up in the middle of the winter when you aren't sure what to pair with dinner.  Today at my mom's house there were six of us ladies and seven babies between us all.  It was cray cray for awhile there!

I sort of feel silly for using the "cray cray" word...

Anyway, after a few hours we had 147 quarts of peaches to call our own.  Basically it was awesome.  Busy but awesome.

Add to all of this that I was making dinner to take to a friend who just had a baby, making dinner for all of us who were canning, baking bread, baking cookies, and also doing all my laundry today.  I am ready to drop right where I am and sleep.  On the tile. 

Some of our lovely jars.

Not gonna lie, it sort of makes me giddy inside when I see those jars lined up all pretty like.

What do you guys like to can?  We are planning on salsa next week!

-Megan

a very easy receiving blanket and matching bib

My mom crochets around the edge of receiving blankets all the time.  I tried it once and it was just not my cup of tea.  But I still wanted to be able to give those nice homemade receiving blankets as gifts, especially after we had our little one and I realized just how many you need between poop, pee, and puke.  So I decided to try making a little "rag" receiving blanket.  It worked out perfectly!  It is also soo easy to make!  I am not a sewer.  Like at all.  However, I can do this one and so can you.  I took a few pictures along the way to explain how it works.  

Supplies:

Two flannel fabrics (preferably matching), 1 1/3 yards of each

Scissors

A sewing machine

Steps:

Pre-step. If you need to, pre-shrink your fabric.

1.  Lay your fabric pieces on top of each other with the right sides facing out.

2.  Cut out your blanket and your bib (I just used one I already had.  I laid it on top and then "traced" around it with my fabric cutter.  If you don't have one, the blankets I make are around 39" by 43".  Nice and big.)

3.  Sew around the edge of the blanket and bib, leaving a slightly larger seam allowance than you normally would, about 1/2 inch.

4.  Snip around the entire edge of the blanket and bib with your scissors.

5.  Wash and dry to get that cute edge!  (You don't really have to wash it again, just rinse it and dry it)

Here is my seam allowance, just a titch bigger.

snip snip snip

Here is what the edges should look like, snipped all around.

Washed and ready to give away!

When I made this I had bought the fabric a few months ago and when I pulled it out I realized I didn't have enough!  Darn!  The store had closed so I pulled together my creative wits and made the bib rectangle and sewed strips together to make it big enough.  I don't normally do that.

So here is the rectangle bib, usually I do the traditional wider at the ends and thinner in the middle.

I hope you try it and love it!  Let me know if you have any questions.  What is your go-to gift to give to expecting mommas?  I love to give a blanket and a pack of diapers!

-Megan

getting to know me, day 7 (last day folks)

Question 10.  Who is your celebrity crush?

 

Answer 10.  I don't really crush on celebrities, but I do love a good movie character. 

I love Thor.  Eep!!

 

Question 11.  What is your biggest pet peeve?

 

Answer 11.  People chewing with their mouths open.  I cannot handle it.

 

Fact 10.  If I don't write things down, I do NOT remember them!  I swear I am like an old lady.  And not just since I was preggo either.  I just have the worst memory for things like grocery lists.  I still use an old time planner too, if I type it into my phone it does not even help at all.

 

Fact 11.  I try my hardest to finish the shampoo and conditioner bottles at the same time.  It is totally a game for me every time I get in the tub.  Haha, I'm always weighing them in my hands and trying to guess which one has more. 

Bonus fact.  After reading the above fact I realized I may be a little OCD...don't tell.

 

-Megan

 

On to new things!  Can't wait to share some fun projects with you!!

getting to know me, day 6

Question 8.  Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Answer 8.  Neither.  I used to be such a night owl before I got married.  I loved staying up late and sleeping in.  Then it just changed.  Now I would love to be in bed early and still sleep in!

I believe that is what we call lazy.  We can be honest here, it's a safe place.

Question 9.  What is a quote that inspires you?

Answer 9.  "People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is only revealed if there is a light from within."

-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

&

"Motherhood is not a hobby, it's a calling.  You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps.  It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in.  It's what God gave you time for."

-Neil L. Anderson

Fact 8.  I have a hard time finishing long projects.  I must have a short attention span or something because I get distracted with something new so easily.  I feel like it is getting better though, so maybe there's hope for me.

Fact 9.  I love things to be clean and I actually like cleaning but for some reason I have the hardest time actually starting the cleaning process.  Once I do though, watch out.  It will be clean and pretty much everything will be thrown away.

-Megan

getting to know me, day 5

Again, two questions and facts.  I am sort of wanting to post about other things so I'm trying to hurry it up!  I have a project that is almost done that I'm so excited about!  I should be all done tomorrow night so maybe I can post about it on Tuesday.

 

Question 6.  What is your guilty pleasure TV show?

 

Answer 6.  Round here we love Big Bang Theory!  I can't wait for the new season to start, especially after Leonard and Penny got engaged!!!  Who saw that coming?  Not this girl, at least not yet.  I really want to watch Downton Abbey but haven't every gotten around to it, which is probably a good thing.  I'm way to busy to watch a lot of TV.

 

Question 7.  What is your favorite way to work out?

 

Answer 7.  I hate all forms.  Ok maybe not.

Ok maybe yes.

 

I really don't enjoy working out.  Is that horrible of me?  Running is the absolute worst for me though!  I would rather do almost anything than go running.  I guess strength training and playing tennis would be the least evil ways that I can think of.

 

Fact 6.  I have broken my wrist twice, collar bone once, ankle once (which required two surgeries; one to put screws in and one to take said screws out), and possibly cracked two ribs. 

 

Fact 7.  The way I broke my collar bone is really funny.  I used to be so embarrassed by this story but now it's just hilarious.  I was riding my bike and ran into a stop sign.  Not a yield sign, or a speed limit sign...a stop sign.

 

-Megan

getting to know me, day 4

Two questions and facts for you all today!

 

Question 4.  What is your favorite healthy food?

Answer 4.  I think health is totally an opinion.  Some people say no carbs, others say no protein, others say no fats.  You get my drift?  I guess I'll go with something that isn't a treat or dessert and everyone can decide for themselves if it's healthy.  This is a hard choice!  I loooove food!  And I love to cook!  My most favorite food is steak...that isn't too bad right?  Just a big ol' block of protein.  My favorite veggie would probably be celery.  I could eat the stuff all day.  My favorite fruit is peaches!  They are so yummy!  My in-laws make homemade ice cream and this summer they made a few batches of peach ice cream that were absolutely delicious!

Wow.  We went from healthy food to ice cream in about 3 seconds there.  Can ya say distracted? 

 

 

Question 5.  Where is the most amazing place you have ever been?

Answer 5.  I as born in Germany and I'm pretty sure that was the most amazing place I've ever been but since I was only 4 months old when my family moved back to America I guess that can't count.  We lived in Alaska when I was younger for a couple of years and it definitely qualifies as an amazing place.  The landscape, wildlife, and weather (just to name a few) are incredible!

 

Fact 4.  I come from a family of 7 children.  5 girls and 2 boys.

 

Fact 5.  If I am wearing a baggy T-shirt (you know, the kind you get from participating in a choir or sports team) I subconsciously pull it up over my mouth (and sometimes nose) all the time.  It drives my husband nuts!  I am doing it right now...good thing he isn't home ;)  Whenever he sees me do it he asks what stinks.  And when I say nothing, he just sighs.  Ah the glamorous life I lead.

 

-Megan

getting to know me, day 3

Question 3.  How did you and your husband meet?

Answer 3.  This is my favorite story of all time!  Except for maybe our first date, but that is for a different day.  

Speaking of my hubby, I'm not really sure what to call him on this blog.  I'm trying to stay away from naming him or my baby.  I need to decide on that I guess.  But again, I digress!  

We first met when I was 15 and he was 21.  He had just returned from a mission for our church.  His mom had volunteered him to play the lead role in a church play that my aunt just happened to be directing.  I went to the play to help with refreshments and watch.  He played the role of Joseph Smith.  And let me tell you, he was the most handsome Joseph Smith ever!  I couldn't take my eyes off him and was completely in love.  I was thrilled afterwards when he came up to me and asked me about myself!!!  I pretty much swooned over his big blue eyes.  After we chatted for a few minutes we both went our separate ways.  I remember asking my mom on the way home if she thought that in a year, when I was 16, he would date me.  She told me yes (what else was she supposed to say to her baby daughter??) and worried over how she would console me when he inevitably got married in six months or less.  Well, he didn't get married in six months.  I kept track of him and he kept track of me for the next few years.  Whenever my mom or I would see him we would tell the other, "I saw Old Blue Eyes today!"

Did I just stumble upon some inspiration for his name?  Perhaps perhaps.

  I literally wished on stars that he wouldn't get married so we could date when I was older.  Four years later, after lots of boyfriends for me and lots of girlfriends for him, we "met" again.  This time, the timing (and my age...) was right and we started dating.

the two of us on our honeymoon

Fact 3.  I like to write long and wordy posts.  I just don't feel like myself when I try to keep things short.  Hopefully that is ok with ya'll!

-Megan

getting to know me...day 2

Question 2.  Where are your favorite places to shop?

Answer 2.  For shoes, hands down my favorite place is Dillard's.  I LOVE their shoes!  I haven't bought any for quite some time because, hello, my husband is in the throes of college but every time we go to the mall I make him walk through there so I can breathe in the smell and see the little lovelies.  I'm pretty sure they have to wipe the shoes down after I leave because I drool all over them.  For everything else, I don't know that I really have a favorite.  I used to love American Eagle and I still do, but I am not quite as obsessed with them as I once was.

 

Fact 1.  In shoe relations...when I got married at one of my bridal showers they played a question and answer game.  One question was how many pairs of shoes I had.  I can't remember but it was over 70.  I had no idea!  I still have pretty much all of them too.  I don't remember the last time I threw out a pair of shoes.  Until...a couple of weeks ago I donated a few that I just never seem to wear anymore.  It made me unrealistically sad.  Then a couple of days ago I wanted to one of the pairs and I forgot I donated it.  Then I got all sad all over again.  Sigh... 

 

-Megan

getting to know me, getting to know all about me

Has anyone out there seen The King and I?  If so, that title will make sense to you.  If not, get yoself out the door and rent that movie!  It's pretty much great (if you like musicals, cheesy acting, and happiness).  I was nominated by a friend of mine named Mollie for the Liebster Award.  She reads my private blog.  I am pretty sure I did it last year there, so I thought I'd do it this year here. I'm going to change things up a bit and do one question a day (or so) because I tend to get wordy and the post would be forevvvvver long.  I figure it might be a good way to get to know me anyhow!  You are supposed to write 11 facts about yourself and then answer 11 questions posed to you by the nominator.  I tend to get a little wordy so I figured I'd answer a question or two a day and give you a fact or two as well.  Then this post won't be so long!

 

Question 1.  What is one item you cannot live without?

Answer 1.  This is sort of a hard one I think.  My brain keeps thinking about like a hair or makeup product because that is what I always hear.  But I don't really feel all that attached to things like that.  I would have to say my blanket.  Wow.  I just realized I am such a little kid!  But seriously, I can't fall asleep without a blanket tucked underneath my cheek.  It just doesn't work.  And if I can't sleep, then I'll die right?  So I literally cannot live without that thing. 

 

Fact 1.  I am almost 7 years younger than my hubby.

 

 

Tell me about you!  I'd love to hear little tidbits.

 

-Megan

4th of July

It's a little late, but Happy Independence Day!  I am so thankful to live in this wonderful country.

Did you do anything fun?  We went camping with my parents and had a blast.  We also ate extremely well!  I was absolutely stuffed.  We just went one night.  The little man didn't want to sleep in his portable crib so he slept with us, meaning he got tons of sleep and we didn't get any.  Oh well, he is cute so it's ok :)

We played a game called Kubb that we made (I'll post a tutorial soon) that was so much fun!  You all need to make it and play it as soon as you possibly can.  

Grandma helping him to walk (which he is not even close to and I'm soooo thankful!)

tents...and the box that houses Kubb

-Megan

bloglovin

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-Megan

a new graduate

Say hello to my hunky husband.  Oh and me.

I finally graduated.  It was great, and fun, and all that good stuff :)  No really, it was super awesome!  I just have been pretty much done for a year, only had to finish my recital to graduate.  So it didn't feel like a real graduation because I haven't been in school.  Haha, but it is setting in.  I got an email the other day saying my degree had been posted and my copy would be mailed out to me in the next couple of months.  Whoo hoo!  So I really am very excited.  Our little man was a champ all day long.  He was so good and totally crashed on the way home, it was a long day for an almost 6 month old :)  So, without further ado, I present to you myself, a brand new graduate.  I'll be here all week folks...

-Megan

why I'm ok with being "close-minded"

Recently, a person who I was friends with on Facebook posted a status that said this: "In all honesty I've been posting a lot of controversial stuff recently because I have over 800 friends and that has to change. I'm just too lazy to go through them all and unfriend the ones I don't talk to anymore haha. So if you're offended then by all means unfriend me. I'm looking to declutter my life of those with closed minds."

Although I thought it was an interesting post, I just kept scrolling and didn't think much of it over the next few days.  She has different opinions than I do and has always posted things I don't necessarily agree with but that doesn't mean I don't like her or anything.  I just don't read the articles she posts if I don't like the sound of them.  I don't even get on Facebook all that often anymore so I really didn't think I would ever even notice what she was posting.  But then last night when I logged in, she had posted a picture with a caption on it.  A very vulgar caption.  The meaning of the caption itself was, again, something I didn't agree with.  Which wasn't the problem.  The problem was the glaring vulgarity of the language used.  So I went to her page and scrolled to see just what she had been posting.  Most of the statuses in the last couple of days were along the same lines.  I went back to looking through my news feed but it just kept bothering me.  I didn't want to unfriend her, because that meant I was close-minded right?

Then I realized something that to me was very profound: if she considers using vulgar language as being open-minded, then I don't really care to be.  I have a small baby.  One day he is going to get big and be able to read.  Do I really want him to be scrolling through my Facebook and come across something that has numerous ugly words and meanings?  Absolutely not.  And beyond that, I believe that if we surround ourselves with words and actions that aren't good, then we will eventually become desensitized and those words and actions might one day become our own.  I don't want that to happen to me.  I want to stay positive and happy.  I don't think I'm close-minded, I think I am logical and choosy about what I let in my life.  And if someone else thinks I am close-minded because I choose not to read some things or agree with some things, then I am perfectly ok with being that way.  In fact, I am happy to be "close-minded".   This life is too short to let ugly things be in our minds, hearts, and lives.  Someone is always going to think you are close-minded.  Don't let them bother you because there are millions of other people around who think you are completely open-minded.  It doesn't mean you don't like those who don't agree with you, it just means that we are all different. 

image source

So fill your life with whatever is important to you.  Be choosy and be happy.  I choose positive, Christ centered messages.

image source

-Megan

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Why does pumpkin have to be a fall flavor?  I love pumpkin and I am pretty sure I make these cookies year round.  They are super moist and are even better the next day after spending a night in a sealed plastic bag.  They are the perfect cookie for a fall night...or if you're like me, a winter/spring/summer night as well!

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour (plus or minus)
• chocolate chips (optional)

Cream together the shortening, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin.  Then add and cream the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.  Add the flour a little at a time until the dough is thick but still sticky.  Sometimes it will be almost a whole cup more but other times it will barely take the 2 cups.  It all depends on the air pressure and humidity with these cookies.  Add chocolate chips to taste.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes.  After you get the dough finished, cook just one cookie and then add more flour if needed before you cook the rest.  You want the cookie to stay fluffy instead of falling.

I always hear to cook one cookie before you cook the rest.  And I NEVER do it!  However, I always do it with these cookies.  I always think I have enough flour and I almost always never do.  So please please cook one cookie first!  Usually these cookies only take me about 8 minutes to cook so it doesn't take forever to test the one cookie to get the rest of them perfect :)
 

-Megan 

valentine canvas

Valentine's Day seems to be a love or hate holiday.  You know what I mean?  You either love it or hate it.  Which I don't understand.  I've been single on Valentine's Day before and it didn't depress me or anything.  I look at it as a day to celebrate any relationships you have with someone you love.  That could be a significant other, or you could just let your mom know that you really appreciate and love her.  Maybe I'm just weird, but whatevs.  Anyway, I always want to decorate so here is a fun decoration that comes together really quickly.

The original that I went off of used lipstick.  I wanted something a bit more hardy and that I could keep for more than one year so I used paint.

Here's how to make this valentine canvas:

Buy a canvas in any size you wish (mine is an 8X10).  Lightly trace a heart shape in pencil in the middle of your canvas.  Paint stripes on a diagonal in different pinks and reds.  While that dries, cut out the letters to express whatever Valentine sentiment you'd like.  I used a cricut machine but you can use whatever you'd like, you can even just print them off on a colored card stock so you don't have to cut out each letter.  This is probably the option I would use but I borrowed my mom's cricut for this craft.  Glue the letters to the bottom of the canvas and you're done!  P.S. If you don't want to do the letters you don't have to, the canvas is just as cute without them!  Win win :)

My inspiration is from here

-Megan

schedules, summer, and such

Are you a list maker?  I most certainly am.  I'm one of those people that when I do something, I put it on my list just so I can cross it off.  Call it what you want, it makes my brain happy.  I really want to blog more on this here little space of mine.  But I always think about it when I'm nursing my baby or something and then the thought gets lost somewhere.  So I've made myself a little schedule that is like a list so I have a little bit more organization to what I write about when.  I think it will help.  At least I hope so :)  I'm going to try to blog here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Mondays will be about whatever I want, Wednesdays will be craft/DIY centered, and Fridays will be Foodie Fridays!  So here's to lists!

So it's Monday.  What do I write about today?  Today I am wishing for warmer and sunnier weather.  I was looking through pictures and found this one that the hubby took this last summer at work one night.  

I'm excited to not have to bundle up all the time but I'm even more excited for it to start getting lighter in the evenings.  I seriously celebrated on December 21st this year.

-Megan

superbowl treats!

Hey there.  It's been a long time.  But who am I kidding...it's not like I post here daily or something.  Anyway, the reason for my absence is a good one.  I've been enjoying my yummy little one that I just adore!  I mean really, I don't think I could love anything more than I do this little guy.  Because I have a serious phobia of putting pictures up of him where just anyone could see them, I'll let you enjoy a picture of his little totsies :)

The rest of him is just as amazingly cute :)

The SuperBowl is in like 2 weeks or something!  You would think I would know this since my husband is a diehard football fan, but I don't.  Who are you wanting to see in the epic matchup?  Over here we are rooting for the Broncos to smash the Patriots this weekend.  You have to love Peyton Manning, he is pretty much amazing.  I hope he can pull out one of his awesome games!  

What do you cook for the SuperBowl?  We always have lots of delicious food and treats.  Last year, I decided I wanted to something delicious AND fun, and here is what I came up with:

And they were both so easy.

Let me 'splain:

For the rice crispie football: make your rice crispies as you usually would and then shape it into a football.  Once it is all cooled, melt some chocolate and put it into a gallon zip-lock bag (if you have frosting bags and tips then you can use those, I don't so I had to get creative).  Snip off one corner of the bag and "pipe" your football stitching on.  Snip off a bigger corner so the stitching looks big enough.  Here is a time saving tip: if you don't have time to let the rice crispie cool, just stick it in the freezer for a few minutes.

For the football cupcakes: make your favorite batch of chocolate cupcakes.  Melt white chocolate and put it in a zip-lock bag.  Snip a small corner off and pipe the stitching onto wax paper.  While they dry, frost your cupcakes with chocolate/brown frosting.  You don't want to frost them earlier because you don't want the frosting to dry out on top.  After you frost the cupcakes and the stitchings are all dried, pop them off and gently press them onto your cupcakes.  Another time saving tip: you can easily make the stitchings earlier and just set them in a cool room or the fridge until you need them.

Let me know what yummy things you will be cooking up!

-Megan