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BECAUSE WE GOT A LITTLE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

December 23, 2020

sharing good news and a little Christmas (miracle) right now

Hi friends,

We got a Christmas miracle this weekend. I think Clarence had something to do with it- you know the angel from the must-watch movie-It’s a Wonderful Life.

I shared a very personal note here about our younger son’s best (girl) friend since high school. When Lauren’s mom shared one of the hardest parts was she could not be in the ICU with her daughter I burst into tears.

Included in the post was some funny moments. I shared Lauren’s patience and friendship with our son and I also re-pinned her grandmother’s recipe here.

WE GOT A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

Well, we got great news about “little Lauren” on Monday. Her mom texted me this message, “my heart is full.” I almost burst into tears when I read that text.

Earlier in the weekend, a friend of many in our blog circles (Paula) shared some great news here. Again I started to tear up. I hope Paula has a wonderful Christmas and pushes science and treatments to new highs. I believe she is doing just that with the two men in her life.

So with all this good news, I decided to share my love of bells and a last-minute Christmas craft in a video. Gulp. Yep.

I posted a video here and here and I don’t think anyone has watched either one.

If you want to watch me stare at the opposite end of the camera lens I would love a little encouragement.

Are you ready for Christmas? You guys I burned almost all of my cookies this weekend. At one point my kitchen timer broke and my oven must trend hot.

Is there a way to calculate the accuracy of one’s oven? This is a new oven and it burns everything. And, I am sure my sister will weigh in on where the fault lies (or lays). Did I mention auntie Tricia is a teacher?

My first round of these cookies was delicious and then I think I got too confident in my baking skills and dropped the ball (or the dough).

Thank you for stopping by and sharing in our little Christmas miracle. And, the cookies? Burned cookies always pair well with a cold glass of milk and a little extra dunk.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours. And, remember life and homes and cookies are all about the everyday edits.

5 LAST MINUTE ONLINE GIFTS FOR ADULTISH KIDS

December 22, 2020

last minute online gifts for adultish kids

Are you dashing through the snow (or snirt) this week? My husband is notorious for last-minute gift buying for the kids. These last-minute buys are in addition to the ones he maintains on a spreadsheet.

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Some of our kids have calculator minds and you can see her adding up the per sibling totals. She is a CPA. #wink

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This shortlist is like the bonus round for last-minute buys or stocking stuffers. And, they are all purchased online with electronic delivery so you could purchase these on Christmas Day.

LAST MINUTE ONLINE GIFTS FOR ADULT-ISH KIDS

AIRLINE GIFT CARDS With remote work options getting away for a weekend can start on a Thursday with a workday on Friday in a different city.
ACORNS SAVING ACCOUNT I started an Acorns account a few years ago. It works by “rounding up your purchases to the next $ and the difference is set up in an investment account. You choose the level of investing and you can attach one or as many credit cards to participate in the roundups. Acorns is great for beginner investors, college and adult-ish kids who can passively save money without much effort or thought. For me, it’s a set it and forget it type of investing. I call it a bonus account since it is in addition to our more traditional savings and investment accounts. Here is an affiliate link to join and Acorns pays it forward to send you a link too.
DECOR STEALS gift card for the farmhouse loving friend or family member (affiliate).
JANE.COM This site should come with a warning. This online site is like shopping at Homegoods from your couch. It includes seasonal finds, really cheap trends (clothing) and etc.
UBER EATS If you have a college-age student at home or living on campus you know the value of Uber Eats when your adultish child is landlocked on a campus. Costco has $100 gift card value for the price of $80.

Merry Christmas!

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CHOCOLATE AND PEPPERMINT KISSES COOKIES

December 21, 2020

this chocolate and peppermint Kisses cookies recipe is a favorite at our house

Is anyone starting to panic right about now? Christmas is in just a few days and my son keeps eating (testing) my cookie recipes.

My goal for this year’s holiday baking was to make the classics, with mostly stock ingredients, and I wanted them neat and pretty for a cookie tray. And, yes, it’s not like these cookies were going to any parties this season.

But I did want to give some cookies to some neighbors! This time of year I pretty much double the recipe. I just double it. If it’s got a base of butter, eggs, powdered sugar and chocolate I am going to eat it. So I just commit to a double batch of butter and sugar oh and Peppermint Kisses.

And, they look so pretty friends and family will think you spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

This recipe calls for almost a cup of unsweetened cocoa. The Hershey White Chocolate Peppermint Kisses offer the perfect contrast to the dense, chocolate base.

CHOCOLATE AND PEPPERMINT KISSES COOKIES

The recipe is below, but I would point out the one and only change I made to the instructions. Okay, maybe two changes but both were related to timing; baking and cooling.

And, it might be my new oven that appears to trend hotter than the dial states.

The recipe suggests the Hershey kiss be added immediately after removing from the oven. However, my sister pointed out the Kisses were melting and sliding off the edge of the cookie.

So on the second batch, I let the cookies set on the cooling rack for a minute. I played with the timing of the Hershey kiss. I either let the cookie set for a minute before adding the kisses or removed the cookies from the baking sheet onto a cooling rack and then added the Hershey kiss.

It is all about the Kiss.

CHOCOLATE AND PEPPERMINT KISSES COOKIES

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 CUPS FLOUR
3/4 CUP UNSWEETENED COCOA
1 TSP. BAKING SODA
1/2 TSP. SALT
1 CUP WHITE SUGAR
1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1 CUP BUTTER
2 EGGS, ROOM TEMP
2 TSP. VANILLA
1 PACKAGE HERSEY'S WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT KISSES
1/4 CUP ADDITIONAL WHITE SUGAR TO ROLL DOUGH BALLS

Instructions

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350
2. IN MEDIUM BOWL MIX DRY INGREDIENTS, SET ASIDE
3. IN LARGE MIXER BEAT THE SUGARS & BUTTER UNTIL LIGHT & FLUFFY
4. ADD EGGS. MIX WELL. ADD VANILLA
5. SLOWLY ADD FLOUR MIXTURE & BLEND
6. ROLL THE COOKIE DOUGH INTO 1" BALLS
7. ROLL EACH COOKIE DOUGH BALL IN THE SUGAR.
8. PLACE ON PARCHMENT PAPER.
9. BAKE 8-10 MINUTES ** I REMOVED MINE AT 8 MINUTES
10. LET COOL FOR A MINUTE ( I PLAYED WITH THIS BECAUSE RIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN MY KISSES MELTED ONTO THE COOKIE). I REMOVED THE COOKIES FROM BAKING SHEET TO COOLING RACK AND THEN ADDED THE HERSHEY'S KISS.
11. THESE PACK AND FREEZE WELL. PERFECT FOR GIFT GIVING YEAR ROUND!

CHRISTMAS DOOR SWAG FROM PINE TREE CLIPPINGS

December 17, 2020

how to make a Christmas door swag from tree clippings in a few minutes and a video

The only person who may have trouble making this Christmas door swag is Charlie Brown. I think his Christmas tree would be short on tree clippings. But if he lived near a nursery, tree farm or tree lot Charlie Brown could make a cute Christmas door swag for the front door of Snoopy’s dog house …in a few minutes.

Seriously, once you gather your supplies (see below) this is a quick craft.

If you have visited Everyday Edits you know I am not a crafter. However, after making this 3-minute ornament on my youtube channel I kind of got the craft bug.

I think that video is in the running for the fewest view in 2020-2021.

The supply list is as short as the time it takes to make this holiday door swag. And, your entry will smell like fresh pine.

CHRISTMAS DOOR SWAG SUPPLY LIST

fresh boughs of pine branches
bells or other ornamental swag
wire or ties or ribbon (in a pinch you could use a bread tie)
bows or ribbons

It’s all about the base …

The boughs, branches, or even artificial leftover garland work for the base layer. I always snag a few pounds of pine clippings from our Christmas tree farm. Not our tree farm, but the one we go to for our Christmas tree.

Followed by the bells. I found this bell swag from Homegoods before Thanksgiving. It was from Martha Stewart’s holiday line.

I am obsessed with bells.

The bells came with a burlap bow so I threaded the bells over the branches and tied them together with a wired jute cord from the Dollar Store.

By the way, I love this stuff. I am new to the Dollar Store fan club, but this stuff has brought out my inner crafty side.

I added a red bow that was my first attempt to make a bow.

And, then I fluffed it up and ta-da!

You guys it is prettier than my entry and front door combined.

I added Santa next to the door.

Please pin or follow my most popular boards.

Thank you. Oh and that bell obsession I mentioned? Here is what I did with bells earlier this season.

PEANUT BUTTER HERSHEY KISSES

December 16, 2020

these peanut butter Hershey kisses may have broken my baking curse

The struggle is real for me to both follow and finish a recipe AND for it to look the way it was intended. You know, like the pinned cookie recipes on my PINTEREST PAGE.

Finally, I made a batch of peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss on top that look as yummy as they taste.

If I burn every other tray of cookies this season I can end the Christmas season that I can add peanut butter Hershey Kisses cookies to my line up for favorite cookie recipes!

Can we all agree that almost every cookie and sweet treat tastes better with a Hershey Kiss? Like this seasonal favorite.

This year I ditched the Crisco bars and used butter. And, after how many years of baking, I finally realized the importance of room temp butter. I thought it was just for the real bakers. But it turns out it makes everything creamier-like a good moisturizer.

I probably could have saved a ton of money on our new oven if I had just learned to bake with softened butter and eggs at room temperature.

All these years I blamed it on my oven. #wink

PEANUT BUTTER HERSHEY KISSES RECIPE

My favorite part of this recipe is when it is time to remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently press the kiss into the warm peanut butter cookie.

Tip: Always unwrap your Kisses before you put your cookies into the oven.

You only have seconds to time the placement of the Kiss on the warm peanut butter cookie. If that cookie cools those Kisses are not going to stay on the cookie.

Do you use butter or Crisco sticks for your peanut butter cookies?

PEANUT BUTTER HERSHEY KISSES

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

3/4 CUP BUTTER, ROOM TEMP
1 1/4 CUP CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER
1 1/2 CUP LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1/2 CUP SUGAR
2 LARGE EGGS
2 TSP. VANILLA
1/2 TSP. BAKING SODA
1 TSP. BAKING POWDER
1/4 TSP. SALT
2 3/4 CUP FLOUR
1 BAG HERSHEY MILK CHOCOLATE KISSES UNWRAP BEFORE BAKING

Instructions

WASH HANDS
1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350
2. LINE BAKING SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER
3. IN LARGE BOWL CREAM BUTTER, PEANUT BUTTER, BROWN SUGAR & SUGAR.
4. IN SEPARATE BOWL ADD THE FLOUR, BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER + SALT.
5. ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS TO BUTTER MIXTURE AND MIX WELL.
6. SCOOP DOUGH WITH TABLESPOON, AND ROLL INTO 1" BALLS.
7. PLACE ON PARCHMENT, SPACE ACCORDINGLY BASED ON DOUGH BALL SIZE
8. BAKE 10-12 MINUTES UNTIL THE TOP OF COOKIE "SETS"
9. REMOVE FROM OVEN ADD HERSHEY KISS TO TOP AND PRESS EVER SO GENTLY.

I shared these cookies on my Instagram.

Sharing one more recipe for peanut butter and chocolate bars. Yes, that one.