home is where my story begins...

Snickerdoodle Cookies

   By Leave a Comment

IMG_8299

I decided that my Snickerdoodle cookie recipe needed some updated pictures today.  My brain has been playing tricks with me lately and movement is not my friend.  I was trying to think of things to do that didn’t involve reading, scrolling, watching tv, videos, excessive movement, or too much thinking. (#strokebrain)  Photography seems pretty harmless and I can type with my eyes closed, for the most part.  Plus, I just found out that my son’s girlfriend and family haven’t tried Snickerdoodle cookies.  Crazy!

Snickerdoodle Cookies
Print Recipe
These are super soft cookies that are easy to make and sooo yummy.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Print Recipe
These are super soft cookies that are easy to make and sooo yummy.
Ingredients
Cookie
Cinnamon Sugar
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Mix shortening and sugar. Add eggs and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix. Using a cookie scoop, shape dough into balls. Roll dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture. I bake these cookies on a Silpat lined baking sheet, at 400 degrees, for 7 minutes.
Share this Recipe

Happy baking, friends!

Applesauce Muffins

   By Leave a Comment

Homemade Applesauce Muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every time I make these muffins (which is quite frequently) I have to look up the recipe, so I decided that it was time to put it on my blog.  Blogging kind of took a back seat when I had a stroke, so maybe this will jumpstart my writing and photography again.

I first made applesauce muffins when I was in junior high.  We made them in my Home Economics class and I loved them so much that I saved the recipe.  I think I kept that recipe for about 15 years and made them many times before losing it.  Over the years, I found a couple other recipes that did the trick.  Then, Pinterest came along and Rebecca, from Simple As That posted her recipe.  The recipe I use is basically the same as Rebecca’s, but I did make a few minor tweaks.

Applesauce Muffins
Print Recipe
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Applesauce Muffins
Print Recipe
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Muffins
Topping
Servings: muffins
Instructions
  1. Beat softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until incorporated. Stir in applesauce. Gently stir in dry ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. For the topping, wait until the muffins are cool enough to handle. Roll the top of the muffin in melted butter, and then immediately roll the muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Share this Recipe

The biggest tweaks I made to Rebecca’s recipe are in the applesauce and the cinnamon sugar.  My mom makes our applesauce every Fall.  She adds cinnamon and sugar into the applesauce as she’s cooking it, so our applesauce has more sugar and more cinnamon than All Natural Mott’s Applesauce.  My family also likes a little more cinnamon in the topping, so I increased that.  There is also a pinch more salt than Rebecca’s recipe.  I guess it’s just personal preference.

My daughter has requested that I always make 24 muffins, instead of just 12.  Twelve muffins only last about a day in our house.

Applesauce Muffins

We are lucky enough to have a friend share their farm fresh eggs with us.  This recipe calls for 4 eggs, so I’m happy to have plenty!

Farm Fresh Eggs

 

IMG_8194 (1)

The fact that I get to bake these in my grandma’s muffin tin makes my heart happy.  I remember baking cupcakes and muffins with her and thinking that this pan was so “old” and she should really get a new one.  Now, I’m so happy to have this antique pan. I’m glad she never replaced it.

Antique Muffin Pan

Applesauce Muffins

Happy baking!

Valentine Sugar Cookies

   By Leave a Comment

We’ve been snowed in for days and days and days! I was thinking that some of my local friends might be in need of a new recipe to try. I’ve posted this recipe many times, but I thought it might need to move to the top of the blog for Valentine’s Day.  It’s my go-to recipe for any holiday or season.

valentine cookies

 

Valentine Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
Servings
24 cookies
Servings
24 cookies
Valentine Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
Servings
24 cookies
Servings
24 cookies
Ingredients
Servings: cookies
Instructions
  1. Beat butter, shortening, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix. Let dough chill in the fridge for 3 hours. Roll dough on a cutting board, lightly dusted with flour. I like a thick cookie, so I roll my dough slightly thicker than 1/4" thick. Cut in any shape desired. Bake for 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool and frost. For the frosting, my favorite is a simple powdered sugar and milk frosting. I pour powdered sugar into the bowl and add just a little bit of milk. Keep stirring and slowly add milk until you get to the desired consistency. If you want a thick frosting, add less milk. If you want a glaze, add more milk. I try to use as little food coloring as possible because DYE IS EVIL. A tiny little half-drop of red food coloring will make a nice pink. I also found an all natural food coloring on Amazon, by McCormick. You can also use a little raspberry juice to make a nice pink and then you don't need to use dye at all, which is good because DYE IS EVIL! (Ask me how I feel about food dyes in our foods!) Happy baking and Happy Valentine's Day!
Share this Recipe

Classic Gingerbread Men

   By Leave a Comment

Well, friends, this is my favorite recipe of all time.  There is nothing better than soft gingerbread cookies to make it feel like Christmas.  I could (and do) make theses any time of the year.  This is the recipe my mom always made when I was younger.

gingerbread men

They certainly don’t have to be in the shape of gingerbread men.  When I get the urge to make this recipe in the middle of summer, round cookies with plain icing is a good way to go too.

gingerbread cookies

Classic Gingerbread Men
Print Recipe
Servings
24 medium sized cookies
Servings
24 medium sized cookies
Classic Gingerbread Men
Print Recipe
Servings
24 medium sized cookies
Servings
24 medium sized cookies
Ingredients
Servings: medium sized cookies
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time. Chill dough for at least 2 hours. Roll the dough, on a lightly floured board, 1/4 inch thick. Cut in any shape you choose. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes, longer if you are using extra large cookie cutters. Frost with a butter cream frosting or a powdered sugar glaze.
Share this Recipe

 

gingerbread men 2

Happy baking!

 

The New Hot Cocoa Station

   By Leave a Comment

I know it’s not really Christmas decorating time, but it’s certainly hot cocoa time.  Every year, I put my hot cocoa station on my kitchen table.  My husband doesn’t like moving it every night, when we sit down for dinner. This year, I decided to try something different.

IMG_7881

We have a cute little corner cabinet in our kitchen and I thought it might be the perfect spot.

**Side story… When we bought our house, 13+ years ago, the previous owner had this corner unit.  It was handmade by her grandfather and she loved it, but she had nowhere to put it in their new house.  She asked if I’d like to keep it.  Well, I love unique pieces like this!  It’s so cool that you can see the hand carving.

IMG_7878

I bought a bottle of caramel syrup and two different types of caramel.  My favorite type of hot cooca is Nestle Quick, made with milk.  (Ok, my favorite is actually from Williams Sonoma but I can’t afford that all of the time.  Nestle works well for the amount of cocoa I serve at my house.) I put that in the cute jar with the jingle bells.  We also have some snowflake shaped marshmallows from Williams Sonoma, and I added the candy canes at my daughter’s request.

Aren’t those mugs the cutest?  I picked those up at World Market.  I saw them on someone’s Instagram and knew I had to have them!  I’m gradually adding some Scandinavian touches to my house and these are perfect.  They are also very large mugs, which gets two thumbs up from my daughter.

IMG_7880

I stopped by downtown Snohomish the other day and spotted this little sign at Cinnamon Stick.  That was a no-brainer.  It needed to be the finishing touch on my hot cocoa station.

IMG_7883

So, here’s your shopping list:

  1. Hot cocoa mix
  2. Flavored syrup
  3. Caramel
  4. Candy canes
  5. Marshmallows
  6. Cute mugs
  7. A few decorations
  8. Empty jars
  9. A tray to house all cocoa related items

There you go!  This is all you need for a hot cocoa station.  I usually don’t have to go shopping to create my hot cocoa station.  Most of the time, these items are already in my house, but this year I really needed those mugs.  And who could pass up a tiny little sign that fit perfectly into the tray?

Happy decorating!  And happy cocoa drinking!

Making Applesauce

   By Leave a Comment

Recently, a friend of ours shared some of the apples from her apple tree with us.  She doesn’t know what variety they are, but they remind me of a Jonagold.  I’m not an apple expert, so that’s only a guess, but the apples are tasty no matter which variety.


I chopped up as many apples as I could fit in my biggest pot. I cooked the apples with the peels on, but I threw away the core before cooking. Once the pot was filled to the brim, I added water. I usually add enough water so that it fills about half of the pot. I really hate it when the apples scorch and stick to the bottom, so I always make sure I have plenty of water.  I added a few shakes of cinnamon, just so the house would smell good while they were cooking.


I put the lid on and simmered the apples for about half an hour. I always use a food mill to make my applesauce. My grandma and mom always did it that way, so I do too. We put the cooked apples into the food mill and start stirring and smooshing.  This was a pretty big batch, so we added about a quarter cup of sugar and a few teaspoons of cinnamon.  I hate it when recipes say, “Add such-and-such to taste.”  That doesn’t help me figure out how much I need!  But, applesauce is really one of those things that you need to add to-taste.  Everyone likes their applesauce differently.

When my kids were younger, we’d have applesauce with graham crackers.  These days, it’s usually just a side dish or an after school snack… and if it’s an after school snack, I’ll find the dirty bowl in the living room the following day. #momlife

Happy cooking!

Posted by Picasa

Copper Pot Therapy

   By Leave a Comment

I’m calling this post Copper Pot Therapy because that pretty much sums it up.  In this post, you will see my copper pot and I’ll share the story behind the copper pot.  This post also serves as a bit of therapy for me, in a few different ways.  (typing, thinking, reading, moving) I’m having a bit of a pitty party today and I am forcing myself to do something… anything.

I signed up for an online photography class because I figured it’s something I can do while I’m on “activity restriction” and waiting for my brain to heal.  I had been saving my birthday money for fabric but decided to use it on a class instead.  The class is on finding and using light in photography.  I thought this would be a good one for me because it’s always dark and gloomy in the Pacific Northwest and I struggle to get the pictures I dream of in my head.  The lesson for this week is to take a picture of something from 5 different angles, really thinking about what we like or don’t like about the light. The story about the copper pot will be at the very end, so if you don’t want to read about photography you can scroll all the way down.

First off, we have a picture from the top.  I think this is my favorite. I have always liked pictures taken at this angle.  I would LOVE to get one of those tripods that holds your camera over the top of items.  Now that balance is a huge issue for my stroke-brain, I don’t foresee myself climbing on chairs and tables to get the perfect shot.

IMG_5694

The next two pictures are facing the windows.  I didn’t want to see the neighbor’s house or my son’s car out the window, so I blew out the windows a bit. Not my favorite pictures, but I see how it could work if you had to have windows in the background.

IMG_5692

IMG_5690

I really like the next two pictures but I almost think I should use my 50mm lens and blur out the background.  One of the things I hate is having clutter in the background. Yes, I could clear off the clutter but I wasn’t feeling like adding extra work. Remember… I was just trying to get myself out of my pitty party.

IMG_5688

IMG_5687

Ok, now onto the story of the copper pot.

I’ve always been deathly afraid of going to Mexico.  I would hear scary stories of drug lords on the news, or hear of people being kidnapped.  Everyone I know, who has survived their Mexican trips, always has stories of getting sick and spending half of their vacation near a toilet.  Nothing about these scenarios appealed to me.  Well, my kids’ friends would always post their awesome Mexican adventures on social media and the kids finally wore me down.  I agreed that we could go to an all inclusive resort that had to be in one of the areas I had read about being “safe” and they had to use filtered water to wash all fruits and veggies and make ice.  Once at the resort, we were not allowed to leave.  My family rolled their eyes and agreed to my terms.  Well, it was a bait and switch!! Once we got to Mexico they told me about the sight seeing they wanted to do!  The resort assured me that if I stayed in the areas my family wanted to go that I would be safe.  (I’ve never seen so many armed guards in my life!)

We took a giant van, because we were with another family as well, to two different cities.  I can’t remember their names because I was a complete stress case.  We went to a little market where people begged us to buy things.  We ended up with a hammock and a hanging chair, and I had no idea how we were going to get those home.  On the way home from the second stop, I spotted a guy on the side of the road selling copper.  So. Much. Copper. I couldn’t resist and I begged my family to let me stop.  I asked my husband and the cab/van driver to come with me.  I really wanted the copper kitchen sink, but my husband said I was being unreasonable.  I ended up with a really heavy copper pot (the one pictured) and another bowl that was a bit smaller.  I bought the big pot for $40 and the small bowl for $15.  I was giddy.  I got back in the van and suddenly, I loved everything about Mexico!

The tricky part was finding a way to get the copper pots home.  We ended up putting the pots in my daughter’s carry-on and the hammocks and chair in my son’s.  Then, all we had to do was figure out how the kids were going to get their clothes home.  We couldn’t put the clothes in the big suitcases because they were already at the 50 pound limit.  So, my kids had to stuff all of the clothes from their carry-ons into the teeny tiny backpacks they bought at the market.  Needless to say, they were suddenly cursing my copper pots.  After we got home, I told everyone who stopped by about the copper pots and my new love of shopping in Mexico.  The kids would just roll their eyes.  I’m sure they will be fighting over who gets the big copper pot someday.  I guess I’ll have to put it in my will.

Ok, I think my pitty party is over.  Photography makes everything better.

Happy picture taking!

Pets and Flowers in the Golden Hour

   By Leave a Comment

It’s been raining for days.  I don’t mean that it’s been raining like a nice spring rain.  It’s been raining like it’s November in the Pacific Northwest.  It’s the kind of rain you can hear when you’re inside with the dishwasher and washing machine running.  Well, it finally stopped and it just happened to be the golden hour, so I ran outside with the camera.

IMG_5633

The flowers really love the rain.  No matter how much water they get with the sprinkler or hose, there’s just nothing like Mother Nature’s sprinkler.

IMG_5632

The pets got to enjoy some outside time too.  Cookie has recently discovered that there is a whole new world underneath the deck.  My hubby came out with us and his job was to watch the bunny, while mine was to watch the turtle.  Well, guess who bolted for the deck?  My son came out and found us trying to lure her out from the playground under the deck.  As he went back inside I could hear him tell his sister, “Dumb and Dumber lost the rabbit.”  She finally came out when the dog started barking and spooked her.  When she’s scared she wants her humans.

IMG_5631 (1)

Peanut is home for the Summer and finally got to go outside to catch some bugs.  She loves her potato bugs.  We flip over the landscaping bricks and she charges after the bugs as they scatter.  She’s quite the hunter.  She loves basking in the sun and hiding under the plants. For those of you who don’t know, Peanut was gifted to our kindergarten class last year.  She is a 30 year old box turtle.  She is very set in her ways, doesn’t like to eat her greens, prefers bananas, and will grab onto your finger (tightly) if you wave it in front of her. (Ask our librarian how we know that!)

IMG_5649

Here’s the big guy.  This is Cooper.  He’s such a dork.  He’s a total goof ball and he loves his pets.  He gives the bunny kisses on the side of her head and kind of sniffs the turtle.  He gets upset when the bunny goes under the couch and was really upset when she went under the deck.  He tried to go under to get her, but quickly realized he’s too big to fit.

IMG_5634

Seriously, could these three be any cuter?  Someday I’ll have my farm animals, but for now I’ll be happy with these guys.

I’m so thankful that the rain stopped and that sunshine is on the way.  I loved getting outside at the perfect time of night.  Between sunshine, the golden hour, my favorite pets, and getting the chance to use my camera, this was just the mood booster I needed.

Behr Deck Over – 4 Years Later

   By 1 Comment

I just looked up how many years it has been since our deck makeover with Behr Deck Over.  I first posted about Behr Deck Over in July of 2013.  In case you are interested, here’s the first post. It’s been 4 years and our deck is just now starting to show some wear.  We live in the Seattle area and, if you haven’t heard, it rains a lot here.  We jokingly say that Summer starts on July 5th because it’s been known to rain on the day that we’d all like to be out at a family BBQ.  Once the weather takes a turn for the better, we usually have a pretty nice summer!  That doesn’t mean that every single day is clear skies and sunshine, but if it’s not raining you can find most of us outside.  Our deck gets a lot of use in the summer and we need a product that will hold up to dog and teenage party traffic. Here’s the link to the second post about Behr Deck Over, if you are interested.

Deck

Here is our deck in 2013, when we had just pressure washed it.

deck before

And here is our deck after painting Behr Deck Over onto it.

deck with Behr Deck Over

You can see that there is a lot of space, which meant a lot of painting, and also meant that we didn’t want to tackle this project every summer.

Deck After Behr Deck Over with Furniture

For the past few summers I’ve given the deck a light scrub with a push broom, some outdoor cleaner, and a hose.  It’s worked great to get the pollen and green gunk off of the boards.  The Deck Over held up perfectly!

Deck After Behr Deck Over Side View

So, here we are in 2018.  I just had a stroke and the deck is finally showing some wear.  This needs to be the summer of Behr Deck Over Round 2.  Unfortunately, I have been on a strict “do nothing” routine prescribed by my doctor.  No repetitive movements like painting or exertion of any type that might hinder healing in my artery.  Fortunately, for me, my kids were my chief workers with Behr Deck Over Round 1.  At that time, they were 9 and 13.  Fast forward 4 years and my kids are even better workers at 13 and 17.  I’ll just sit in a chair in the grass and tell them when they miss a spot.

Seriously, friends, this is my happy place in the summer.  Once the dry weather hits you’ll find me in the corner of that couch with the fire going and the heater on full blast.  (I said it gets dry here, but most days aren’t too warm.)  I plan to use Behr Deck Over again and I’m hoping they have the same color.  I want to say the name either had something to do with chocolate or coffee.  It was the perfect color.  Our house is a light gray with white trim.  Although I love the look of a white deck, that’s not the best idea when you have kids, a dog, and green blecky stuff that seems to grow on everything around here.

IMG_9032

It’s Behr Deck Over for the win!  Happy painting!

Cerebellar Stroke and Vertebral Artery Dissection

   By Leave a Comment

I’m going completely off of my normal blog topics of cooking, baking, gardening, sewing, and home life today.  I heard on the news that June is Brain Health Month.  I didn’t know that was a thing, but since I’ve been learning sooooo much about brain health in the past 8 weeks I decided to share a bit of my learning about Cerbellar Stroke and Vertebral Artery Dissection.

At the end of March, I had a stroke.  I’m 44 years old, the mother of 2 teens, and I’m a kindergarten teacher.  I’m ALWAYS sick with something, so I can’t say I’m super healthy.  I seem to always struggle with illness and injury.  Those of you who know me, know that I get weird stuff.  The doctors tell me that my strange illnesses have nothing to do with my stroke, but I’m chalking this up to one more strange thing that happened to me.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not the healthiest person, but I’m also not your typical stroke victim. If you are interested in reading the whole story, which you really should because it’s the craziest thing in the world, here it is. http://homeiswheremystorybegins.net/my-stroke/

After I had my stroke I tried to find as much information as I could on the topic.  There isn’t much out there because a Cerebellar Stroke with Vertbral Artery Dissection makes up only 1% of all strokes.  I told you I get weird stuff!!! One of the neurologists I saw suggested a book, which I laughed at because reading is incredibly hard for my brain right now.  Luckily, the font was really big and if I read it slowly it almost made sense.  Actually, it made a lot of sense which is why it’s worth sharing.

 

The book is called Carotid and Vertebral Artery Dissection; A Guide for Survivors and Their Loved Ones.

book

(I hate being called a Survivor because it sounds so serious and life threatening.)  There were several stories which were shared by survivors, which made me feel like I wasn’t crazy.  Other people with this same injury/condition were experiencing the same things.  Here are a few of the “oh my gosh” moments in the book that I really connected with:

*Exhaustion, background noise sensitivity, and sensitivity to light and sound are very common.

*Difficulty word-finding when speaking is totally a thing.

*I say that my stroke was a “small” stroke because I don’t look like a stroke victim.  There is no such thing as a small stroke.  My stroke was just in a different part of my brain, which controls different parts of my body.

*Vision impairment is common.  My vision gets blurry if I read, write, or watch tv.

*Constant head pain is common.  My head pain is in a new spot for me.  It seems to be in the same spot as my stroke and it’s just always there.

*Memory difficulties – I though my memory was bad before my stroke.  Wow!  Now it’s horrible.  It’s not just something funny anymore, it’s super frustrating.  According to the book, this is SUPER common.

*”If you survive a dissection, you’ve been given another chance at life.”  Talk about a slap in the face and making you wake up and pay attention!  In one of the stories, they suggest really looking at your life and finding your purpose.  I’ve always known my purpose in relation to home, family, and early childhood education.  What if I don’t ever have the stamina to teach little people again?

*My ER doctors were amazing and it’s practically a miracle that they discovered that I had a stroke.

*I have a constant feeling that I’ve stepped off of a boat.

*Most patients report head and neck pain.

*Pain and dizziness may accompany every activity.

*Chronic pain leads to frustration.  Umm, yes it does.  This is an understatement.

*Emptying the dishwasher is my nightmare.  It will cause me to need to rest for about an hour before recovering and this is something other people experience as well.

*Half of patients with this type of injury and stroke will have no idea what caused it.  I know that my stroke was triggered by rolling my head-neck around in the shower, but I don’t know what caused the initial artery injury.

*”Being at the mercy of someone else’s convenience” while recovering takes so much patience that it’s almost painful.  It’s hard to let everyone do everything while you just sit and watch.

*Being healed does not mean being the same as you were before.

*”There are no research studies that have analyzed survivors of carotid and vertebral dissections with chronic pain.”  So, I have no idea where to start with managing my pain.  My last intense headache landed me in the walk-in clinic getting shots.  I can’t take Advil, Aleve, or migraine meds.  Tylenol does nothing for me, so I’m left with no options for pain relief except ice packs and meditation.

*Patients look normal on the outside, so it’s hard to believe they are feeling so much pain, confusion, and dizziness.  On one hand, this is really great because my kindergarten students have no idea how horrible I’m feeling.  On the other hand, most of the time I look ok and I just have to fake-it and show that I’m doing great.

*Things to try at home: keeping lights low, using earplugs (this was great at my son’s basketball tournament), peppermint extract for soothing, ginger as a replacement for Sumatriptan (migraine med), and basil and clove oil to relax muscles.

*Anxiety after these issues is common. I think I had a panic attack, a few weeks ago, around the time I think I had another small stroke.

*Adequate sleep is important.  I sleep about 2 hours longer than the rest of my family and I also nap every day.  Yes, every day.

*Vertigo can be present for YEARS after this type of stroke… noooooooooo! I can’t take it!  Saying that it’s vertigo makes it sound like you have just a little bit of dizziness.  Some days I have to take anti-nausea meds just to function.  I have what I would call vertigo almost all of the time, but much of the time it’s like vertigo on steroids.

*I need to find my new normal.  This makes me want to cry because I really liked my old normal.  This is going to take some serious adjustment.

*If I experience new or worsening symptoms in the future, I need to call 911 or go the ER.  I also need to balance this with the fact that life can’t be lived in the ER.  Luckily for me, my first stroke presented itself in a way that I KNEW I needed to call 911 and get help right away.

*I have no idea when I will feel/be better.  Every brain is different.  Every situation is different.  There is no way of knowing when I will be normal and what my new normal will be.

So, let me just this again.  If you have experienced a Carotid or Vertebral Artery Dissection, and especially if you’ve had a Cerebellar Stroke resulting from the dissection, I strongly recommend buying this book.  It is worth the $20 to gain some great information but also to know that there are other people out there dealing with this same issue.