The ultimate sugar cookie.

This post might seem boring. Sugar cookies?  No not just a sugar cookie.  They are AMAZING.  I found and adjusted the recipe for some Christmas cookies I made for Jeff's holiday party.  Then I mailed them to my family to enjoy (they held up so well in the s....l....o....w.... Christmas mail.  Then when I saw a heart cookie cutter in the store I had another reason to make them.  I mailed the perfectly cooked ones and saved the batch (or two)  I burned for us to much on. 
So here it is... so simple and everyone will be so impressed with your from scratch delicious cookies.

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened (must be soft, otherwise you will be in trouble, I always turn the oven on and set the butter on top because butter takes forever to get to room temp)
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour (and extra flour for rolling)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• about 1 teaspoon salt, add a pinch more to change it up, I love a bit of salty and I use Kosher salt

• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour 
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Now is the time to sprinkle unless you plan on icing them, then you cool, ice and sprinkle.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes.  Cool completely.

 

Lila's mobile

My parents bought a really cute co-sleeper for Lila and I turned a dresser from Jeff's parents into a changing table.  Her corner in our bedroom is almost complete.  I really wanted to have a mobile for her to enjoy but I did not want to just buy something that spun and had some theme that did not match our "no theme"  At this point all of her things are pink, green, and brown.  I am thinking these are nice colors that can grow with her, and when she does move into her own room I will make it a garden theme of some sort.  

So off to Micheal's I went to find some materials and an idea to create some ceiling art!   I picked up two wooden rings of different sizes.  (These are normally used to hold fabric tight for quilting or              cross-stitching)  I also found these awesome Hydrangea flowers in the perfect colors and yarn and of course the ultimate crafting glue (Tacky Glue).  My total was $19... much better then the 40-60 you could spend on a tacky mobile.  

I started by wrapping the yarn around the wooden rings.  I put a thin line of glue on the inside and outside of the ring.  Green on top and brown on the smaller one.   Once those were dry I decided to hang the first hoop so I could make sure it would be balanced.  I criss-crossed two strings securely around the large ring and then tied a longer piece of yarn where they crossed.  I drilled a hole in the ceiling and placed an eye-hook in it.  I tied the yarn around it (leaving an extra couple of feet hanging in the middle of the hoop for a flower later... Then I cut four pieces of yarn and tied them as evenly as possible to the hoop.  Next was the hardest part... (which was still fairly easy) I secured the smaller hoop to the yarn, one at a time leaving some room in the knot so I could adjust the length of the string and make it even to the top hoop.  This took a dozen times stepping back and making sure nothing was too lopsided.  

After I was balanced I popped the green flowers right off the stem and tied a piece of yarn to each of them.  These were the heaviest flowers so I balanced the mobile by adding these flowers to opposite sides. Next I pulled off the individual pieces of the pink hydrangea (this was a larger version of the green ones) and clustered a few of these stems together and secured them with yarn as well.  I tied each cluster as I went to create a balanced look.  I varied the clusters with two or three pieces to make a more interesting shape.  It was looking a bit bare with just flowers hanging from the bottom hoop so I decided to utilize my long string hanging from the middle (the yarn I used to tie the mobile to the hook) and added one last flower.  In total the project took me about an hour and a half and I think it looks so pretty. Our bedroom is wall to wall windows (and Santa Barbara always has "open your window weather") so as the breeze comes through the house the flowers do a little dance.  

I think this mobile will be hanging in Lila's room long after she is out of diapers...  

Friday.

This morning I was tired.. of eating eggs... of feeling uncomfortable.... of sleeping hugging a pillow... I want carbs and sugar and a flat tummy.  The dishes were piled high and the house still is not put together.  In about six weeks Lila will be here.  Can you ever be ready?  I want someone to come over and find a place for all the small stuff I still haven't put away.  I can enjoy cleaning I just hate picking up...
Then my beautiful mom called.  I burst into tears as soon as I hear her voice.  I want a hug from her now.  But 1500 is too far away for a hug.  But the next best thing, she kept me laughing for the next hour.  It made me feel better, and makes me miss my family so much more.  I need to call my grandmother.  I miss her more then words can say and I should call her more often.
I went to the doctor and picked up a blood sugar monitor (I am lost on the real name of the device)  For the next six weeks I will be poking a finger four times a day.  Thats not so bad... but what goes along with poking that finger is not eating the food I love.  No fruits (minus lemons, limes, and apples) no bread, no pasta, even some veggies are a no go.  Luckily when Lila is here I can eat whatever I want.  I am a pretty healthy eater but I do have a sweet tooth, but I dont sit around all day eating chips and candy and drinking soda.  My hips hurt...
Now looking out the window, my favorite light of the day has arrived so I will go and enjoy it before it is dark.