Lemon Wrinkles...the perfect summertime cookie.

Ok, I know I know it's not quite summer yet, but it's right around the corner.  :) These cookies are a great summertime cookie, and I made some yesterday for Beau's awesome pre-k teacher and her aide.  

Since this week is teacher appreciation week, I wanted to make something nice for Beau's teacher and her aide.  I had bought the stuff to make these really cute gifts, and still plan on making them, but just didn't have the time this week.  So my sweet friend Amy suggested I bake them some of my Lemon Wrinkles.  They are the best, and you will love them. 

This first year of school has been so good for Beau, and my prayers were answered when I found out the teacher he was placed with.  Her love for children is amazing.  She is the best pre-k teacher, and I couldn't have prayed for any better.  

The first year of school for children sets the stage for their entire education, and can really make an impression on a them.  My child thankfully, has had an amazing first impression, and loves school.  Very thankful!  

Okie dokie I'll get to sharing this wonderful recipe.  Two tips I need to share to make the perfect cookie here.  One, use parchment paper.  I love using it, because the cookie doesn't burn on bottom or over cook, and it doesn't stick to the pan.  Two, when you zest your lemon I suggest going to good ole Wally World (aka Walmart) :) and get the Betty Crocker zester.  It's cheap, and I have found it to be the best one to use.  It's wide, has a tray attachment, and does the trick.  I have really nice expensive ones that I have got as gifts, but honestly they just do not work as well.  Oh, and I do have a third tip, lol.  Sit your stick of butter out in the morning so it will soften.  Do not try and melt it, and then make your cookies.  I have tried that being in a hurry, and they just will not turn out as well.  So, that's my two cents on tips for cookies today.  Enjoy these yummy treats!  

Lemon Wrinkles

Engredients

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 egg

1 t lemon zest

1 T fresh lemon juice (from your lemon you just zest) :)

1 cup granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 t salt

1/4 t baking powder

1/8 t baking soda

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put your sheet of parchment paper on your cookie sheet.  In a large bowl cream together the softened butter, and sugar until it is just smooth and fluffy.  Scrape sides and mix again.  Then add your vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  I usually just squeeze one small lemon, and that is perfect.  Mix this until smooth, scrape sides of bowl, and mix again.  Then slowly add all dry ingredients until smooth. Once all mixed start rolling balls of the dough.  I just grab about a small table spoon of dough and roll as I roll it in the powdered sugar.  Or you can roll your balls, and then roll in the powdered sugar.  Place on baking sheet, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.  My oven takes all of the 11 minutes.  You don't want these to turn brown or over cook them.  They are a moist type of cookie.  When they are done let them cool on pan for a few minutes, and then transfur to a cooling rack.  Now don't go and eat them all yourself, you have to share.  :) Enjoy! 

Mothers Day post coming up today too, and yes I still need to post the car seat research.  I'm a slacker here lately.  

Yes, I used the hand mixer on this batch, cause it was quieter.  Didn't want to wake my sweet babies.  

What your dough will look like.  Almost looks like sugar cookie dough.  

Just a heaping small table spoonful to make your balls.  Ignore that crisco ;) I ran out of parchment paper.  Shhhh. 

They turn out like this, and have a crackly finish.  

Then cool them off for a bit, and this also helps in letting them set up a little.  

Sneak peak on a upcoming recipe.  Bomb pop popcycles.  I found these BPA free molds, and had to buy them.  Everyone loves bomb pops in the summer.  I know I do.  Beau loved these too.  

It's a beautiful day here in Oklahoma, and I hope y'all are having one too.

10-4 from this Okie chic.

Flourless Cookies...a no fail recipe that is oh so good.

This recipe I found in Southern Living is absolutely awesome, delicious, awesome, easy, and did I say awesome. Oh, and gluten free!  Big thumbs up to all that. 

This recipe is so easy for busy moms.  I know, when you think of an easy recipe sometimes you also think, ok it's probably an Okay kind of make.  But, when you take a bite of these delicious home made cookies you will be quite surprised at how good they are.  Here is the scoop on how to get these sweets in your belly. :) Oh, and guess what, all you need is six ingredients, and about ten minutes to measure them out and mix them together. Ok, I'll quit talking and get to sharing.  Y'all enjoy! 

Here's a sweet surprise about these cookies.  If you are on a gluten free, paleo type diet these are totally for you, but in my opinion I think they are for everyone.  They. Are. Yum.

Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter 
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• Parchment paper

Mix first five ingredients in a medium size bowl, then once it's good and blended add the morsels.  Put some parchment paper on your cookie sheet, and I use a regular size spoon to dip the perfect size cookie on the sheet.  Bake for about 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees, and whalla you have some awesome cookies.  

Shhhh don't tell anyone I already ate about four.  :/ Oh well, the cook always has to test everything out right?! ;)

Simple.  Only six ingredients.  

Before, and I will say I love using parchment paper when I bake cookies with peanut butter in them.  They come off so easy, and you don't have to clean your cookie sheet.

Don't they look pretty?!  They are not just pretty, but yummy too. ;)

Ok, gonna have a glass of wine while these babes take their nap.  It's been a rough mornin. 

Blessings from this Okie chic. 

Happy Birthday Amy :)

Big Birthday shout out to my best fran Amy today.  So blessed to call her my friend, and very thankful for our friendship.  

Me and the babies went to visit her at work today, and make a special delivery. :)

That's the special delivery, and that's not store bought anything.  Not even the icing.  It's my totally awesome, or I think so, sugar cookies.  :) I'm no cookie decorator, but the sweets sure taste oh so yummy.   

And this is what the babies do while I bake.  Totally awesome right?  Oh well, at least they were (a) fighting over soemthing and (b) crying for momma.  Oh, and (c) hungry.  

Trying to get these dumplins to smile at the camera, but they were in a sleepy stooper.  

Ok, gotta get.  Big boy has a tball game tonight.  

Someone's junk, is another ones treasure

Someone's junk, is another ones treasure, and I can definitely tell y'all about that. ;) I have loved antiques, what some call junk, since I was little.  I think running into every antique/junk store known to man as a kid might have something to do with that. :)

On the junk store note, I remember when my Gram would see a junk store as we were driving somewhere, and she would say, "Reuben stop, I gotta go in that store."  Lol, and of course my Grandpa would stop anywhere Gram wanted to go.  He actually enjoyed it to.  Anywho, when we would get there he always said, "here we are Miss Carol, and Lady Jane."  That was what he called us most of the time.  I miss hearing that.  Getting my present today made me think of this, and go down memory lane.  

Today I got an early birthday present, and I think it's my all time favorite birthday present.  I know, y'all are probably thinking, "ok, this gal is excited about an old piece of junk?!"  Lol.  Well, it is old, but it's also a vintage piece of one of my fave drinks.  It's a Canada Dry crate from 1960.  Total surprise it was getting it, and I was so excited.  

It's a purdy one :)

Then, I also got an authentic Irish cookbook of a lady that my Gram keeps up with, and loves.  I love Irish stuff, and I love to cook.  So I can't wait to try some of the recipes out. :) 

Sorry the pic is sideways.  I've read a little out of this.  She sounds so fun, and her recipes sound yummy. 

AND, my sweet Beau told my Gram that he wanted to get me flowers, so she helped him out and got me flowers.  Oh, and a clover plant.  Love my sweet boy so much.  

I do have a green thumb, but don't get to use it right now.  I loved getting this little thing, and the flowers of course.  I don't have a pic of the flowers.  Forgot to take one.  

Random...my sweet Brant loves to rub silky tags.  I think he might be like his momma.  I did that as a kiddo.  

Gotta get to bed.  Today was a long day, but we got a lot of things done.  

Babies, haircuts, yummy stuff, and life

Well my title pretty much says it all...this blog is about things in all directions.  I have a little bit of this, and little bit of that to share today.  

First off, yes you read it right, haircuts.  The babies got their first haircuts this last Sunday, and they did pretty good.  We just cut it here at home, since that is the easiest.  I cut Beau's hair, so now I get three more to do too.  Just go ahead and add hair stylist to my list of expertise.  Lol.  Already have nurse, maid, mom, and the list goes on.  Anywho, all three did great getting their hair cut.  They needed it pretty badly.  Wyatt had such pretty hair it was starting to look like a little girls head.  Brant was right behind him on that, and Luke, well that little man started having business in the front, and party in the back.  Yeap, a mullet.  So you know, since it's not the late seventies, early eighties, I thought we better save the babies from the adorable locks and give them a trim.  Wyatt thought the event of getting his haircut was funny, Brant had a frown the entire time, and look just wanted to find something to chew on.  Lol.  

Wyatt right after trim.  It was so quick I couldn't snap pic.  

Brant is not happy.  

And Luke...he is like, "why are we doing this?!"

On to the yummyness part of this post.  The babies love to sit in their high chairs and eat together.  Some pretty cute moments happen at times when they are in their high chairs, and here are a few pics to explain.  

They are growing up.  

Sweet Wyatt 

Brant loves green beans. 

And Luke, he just loves to eat.  :)

Here Bub, I will share :) they all share their food.  Lol.  Oh, and sippies.  Just can't keep them seperated.  

And they clean up their own messes. Lol.  Little vacuums.  

On a different yummy note, this is my roux for homemade Mac and cheese.  Beau's favorite food.  My grandmother taught me how to make this, and I can promise their is no other way to make quick, homemade Mac.  Kids love it, and the roux base makes it taste so yummy.  

Then today I grabbed some good ole Chick Fi Lay while I was out, and I tried something new there, their chocolate chip cookies.  Mmmmm mmm, I can promise you will want one every time you go.  Bad thing for me is I always eat dessert first, and then I'm not hungry for my main course.  Lol.  Major sweet tooth here.  Anywho, when I opened the package it was still warm, and so I ate it first.  :) it was soooo good.  Talk about melting in your mouth.  That thing sure did for me.  

Annnnnd it's almost gone, and oh so good.  

Well why not?  I can't, because I have that one factor...it's called getting older.  Every sugary substance that goes in goes straight from your lips to the hips, once your over thirty.  I've finally figured out why people work out more with age, and to think I was thinking we all age like wine...we get better with time.  Lol.  Oh I wish.  

On the final note...a life note.  Wyatt, and Brant are hawlin tail everywhere.  They walk everywhere all day long.  Luke just took off a few steps today.   Watching Brant walk, and Wyatt sometimes run, is quite cute.  

Ok, I better hit the hay.  I have a lot to do tomorrow.  Beau's party is Saturday, and I have a few last minute things to do.  Be on the lookout for a few cute Star Wars party ideas, and pins to my Pinterest boards.