Small Update

I had to go to Rapid City to get shots for my upcoming trip to Guatemala, and HH and I celebrated the 6th anniversary of the day he asked me to marry him.

We also saw this RV.  There was so much going on.  What the heck?

Oven Cleaning the Magic Way
     This idea from Pinterest worked!  One of my main motivations for doing this was that the last time HH's mom visited, she was up at five am scraping out our oven.  Yes.  Seriously.
Churro Pretzels

These were for a co-workers birthday.  I had originally planned on making something else, but it totally bombed.  The Churro Pretzels are an easy win.  
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

My students really enjoyed these!
Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Banana Upside-Down Cake

This was a bit fancy, and took a bit more work than the normal recipes that I make, but I loved how it turned out.  
Let there be recess.  Yes, this is my week for recess duty.  It was 58 on Monday.  Yesterday it was 63. I gave them 10 extra minutes on Monday, and 15 yesterday.  Seriously, I'm not sure it will be 63 in South Dakota in January for another decade.

First Week Back to School

The first week back to school brought three days of two-hour delays, and one day of early release.  Just for good measure, we through in some standardized testing.
Chocolate Snack Cake (Made this for a co-worker's birthday....I added some expresso powder to give it a distinct flavor.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (Made this for a guy who helped HH get our car out of a  snow bank in the alley behind our house.  It wasn't budging even with 4-wheel drive.)

Easy Gingerbread Snack Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (Made this for a ministry meeting we had.)

What I'm Reading

What We are Watching (We are already on Season Three!  It is pretty clean and very interesting.)

What I've Been Reading and Listening To (Audiobooks)

Audiobooks
This book came on my radar over a year ago from a book club suggestion, but I passed it by.  Then when the movie came out, several trusted bloggers begged you to read the book before going to see the movie, and that is what prompted me to start listening.  The story is fascinating.

Thank you Jim Gaffigan for allowing us to laugh through the many miles we have to drive to get to civilization in our car.

I love Dr. Ben Carson.  He is one person I really want to meet.  I've told HH that I want to go to a fancy $500 a plate dinner if it means I will get to meet him and listen to him speak.

HH and I have been walking after school, and SERIAL was amazing.  We still need to listen to the exclusive interview that Jay had after the podcast ended.

Happy 2015!

We had some friends over for an early Christmas celebration.  I didn't take pictures, but this is what I made: Baked Spaghetti Peanut Butter Streusel Cookies

We celebrated this past week in North Carolina with HH's family.  It was a whirlwind trip, but a good time.  I made this dessert for our Christmas celebration.   Sugar Wafer Chocolate Mousse Pie
 I'm horrible with taking pictures.  Here are a few that I did take of HH and one of his nephews.

Some New Year's Humor

New Sign I Got For Our House

Cookie Swap

HH went to hear a Christmas Cantata, and I made this cake for him to take. Raspberry Zinger Poke Cake

Just because cookies for my students on Monday. Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

We had our fourth annual Cookie Swap at the church.  HH made the Almond Meltaway Cookies, and I made the Chocolate chip ones.  We also had some fun at school where the students had to vote on whether they thought cookie A or cookie B was the best.  My cookies won. Almond Meltaway Cookies

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Older Posts!

Cloud Cookies (Recipe called for Biscoff, but since I didn't have any, I used Cookie Butter.) Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars

From Joy the Baker's Cookbook: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pretzel Layer Cake  (with Salted Peanut Buttercream Frosting)

Chocolate Pound Cake  (with chips and chocolate glaze)

Pioneer Woman's Turkey Brine