Tuesday, December 4, 2007

chocolate and 'buddy'


It has started to snow here. It's always so beautiful before people start to walk in it, then it gets dirty and ugly and makes you wish it would all melt and go away.

I've been busy making chocolate treats everyday, it's so much fun. I can't believe I didn't ever try making candy before. Jimmy taught me a few basics and I haven't stopped making chocolate things since he showed me how.

Kai has been sneaking chocolate from the advent calendar his grandparents sent him. I told him he could open one a day and he replied with 'my chocolate, two mommy'. We've raised a chocoholic! Ever since, I let him watch Open Season that is all he wants to watch. It's 'Buddy mommy, watch buddy", all day long! It's a good movie so I don't mind watching it everyday, I think we will have to buy it for him when they take it off of our cable's on demand menu. Now to figure out how to get the song "teddy bear pic-nick" out of my head.

Cassia had her 4 month check up on Monday and everything is good, except the shots that she got gave her a little fever. I hope it goes away soon. I'm not used to my babies getting sick from shots. Kai didn't ever get sick from any of his shots, I guess every kid is different.

On Jimmy's day off we finished our shopping. I will be baking like a mad woman this weekend to get the packages out on Monday. Last year we sent them out really late, so this year we want to send them early.
I tested out a new sugar cookie recipe that uses buttermilk and it's pretty good. Very buttery and does not have that eggy taste I dislike with most sugar cookies. Here it is(of course I made a few changes as always):

Simple Sugar Cookie

4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 sticks cold butter, cut into 1/4 cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1.Combine the dry ingredients and pour into a food processor. Add cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

2.In a small bowl, combine vanilla extract, eggs,and buttermilk. Pour into the dry ingredients and pulse until a dough ball forms.
The dough will be very sticky. Divide dough into two equal portions and wrap each portion with plastic wrap and flatten into a thick disk. Chill for four hours or overnight.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a floured surface to desired thickness (thicker the dough softer the cookie, thinner dough crispier cookie) and cut out desired shapes with your cookie cutters. If dough becomes too sticky put it back in the refrigerator. Bake on lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes.
Let cool before trying to remove from pan.

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