Date & nut cookies. Pretty. Ugly. Yummy.
A tasty dose of dried fruit adds sweetness to these moist, cakey goodies. I switch up the fruit and sometimes add candied ginger for a sweeter taste. Makes about 60 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 t baking powder 3/4 pound dates, pitted and roughly chopped 2 cups pecans, roughly chopped 1/2 cup dark raisins 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup dried cherries 3 large eggs 1/2 cup PLUS 2 T sugar 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 T fresh lemon juice 2 t pure...
good girl!
It’s not often my design world & baking world unite, but in this case, it was an act of love. Ollie, one of the dogs in my life inspired these biscuits named Ollie’s Kookies. Of course, she supervised the baking and had the final sign off on the label design! We give them out as presents to her friends and sell them around town. If you want to make them for your pups, here’s the recipe. I have been perfecting it for a while...
Take a minute and ________.
Tucked in a corner of our outdoor space, we have a couple of chairs where you might sit for a minute to talk, or relax, or write on our dream board. It was originally made for a party but we noticed it was always changing so we left it up and now it is part of our landscape. People of all ages use it. Sometimes it’s funny and sometimes it is thoughtful. I am sure there are a million different ways you could make one, ours is made out...
In case of a chocolate emergency…
It’s Thursday evening, we are sitting listening to the steady rain and enjoying the breeze and the windows being open. The wind chimes and an occasional train whistle have made everything magical. There is just one thing missing. Chocolate. When Jacob and Lucy were young I always had a box of brownie mix stashed away called the emergency mix. Now I have this. I take this recipe very seriously because I have tried dozens like it...
A different kind of New Year Resolution
If you are like me you have a bunch of old cooking and lifestyle magazines tucked away somewhere, mine is in the closet and stuffed on shelves. Magazines were different only a few years ago, they were filled with wonderful stories about the little things in life, they put everything together from family meals to weddings and of course dinner parties. Now, we look on Pinterest to be inspired, or google a recipe and stumble on some cute...
take a hike
Hocking Hills State Park Ohio is about three and a half hours from Pittsburgh but it could be a totally different world. Massive sandstone gorges, rock caves, Indian carvings and towering hemlocks make this pristine area both romantic and enchanting. Ollie had a little trouble deciding if she wanted to start our day long hike. Dave had to carry her into the park – but she got the hang of...