Raisin Cookies {with oatmeal, coconut & pecans}

Raisin Cookies

{from the kitchen of D.L., who shared the recipe with MOM who then shared it with ME!}

1 C. brown sugar

1 C. white sugar

1 C. shortening

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla

1-1/2 C. oatmeal

1 C. raisins

1 C. coconut 

1/2 C. nutmeats 

2-1/4 C. flour

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. soda

1/2 t. salt

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and then add the remaining ingredients. Roll into small balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake 350° for 12-15 minutes. 

Makes 6-1/2 dozen 2-1/2 inch cookies.

I have had this cookie recipe for many years

 and it is still one of our 

favorites!

Happy Baking!

almond poppyseed muffins

Starting our weekend off with some

Almond Poppyseed Muffins!

I baked them in mini muffin pans

just because I like how cute they look

 when they are small.

Have a great day!

weekend baking

for sack lunches

for dinner with friends

for breakfast

 for sharing & snacking

Too cold to be outside 

so stayed in and 

BAKED 

over the weekend.

wintry weekend

Freezing fog during the night covers the city in a blanket of white frost each morning. The fog eventually clears leaving us with cold temperatures and sunny blue skies the rest of the day.

❅  ❆  ❄

I discovered

ONE MORE KIWI 

today!

Apparently we missed it when we picked the crop last month.

❅  ❆  ❄

Weekend reading: 

 Only a couple more chapters to go.

❅  ❆  ❄

Have a wonderful Sunday!

banana bread

It has been a busy week 

however 

I did find time for a little baking.

Nothing fancy, 

just a simple loaf of

 banana bread. 

{YUM}

~Happy Friday~

handmade Pottery {bowl}

I couldn't resist sharing this  beautiful  bowl that our daughter brought home from school this week. She is taking a pottery class and this is the first project she made using the wheel. I love that she chose glaze colors that match our granite so needless to say it has found a permanent home in our kitchen. It is the perfect size to hold small treats or use to serve dips. She brought home another bowl yesterday which I haven't had time to photograph yet. It is glazed black and slightly larger so they nest perfectly. Coming soon....

a BLUE bowl

{my favorite color!}

Have a great Saturday!  

snowman candle wrap

Over the past week I have been stitching this very cute wool candle wrap by Bareroots.

I am happy to have it finished

 and 

wrapped around a candle!

Christmas wrap~up {invite, menu}

Just a quick post today to share the Simply Casual Christmas invite and menu I made and emailed to my family for Christmas. As I was getting ready to send everyone the plans for Christmas Day, on rather short notice, it occurred to me it would be fun to insert a personalized invitation and menu giving my otherwise ordinary email a more festive touch. Since everyone had been so busy the weeks and days before Christmas I wanted to keep everything

Simply Casual but Special

 at the same time

starting with the 

invite.  

Have a great day!

New Years Day {dinner, Joy Dare}

The week between Christmas and New Years was busy with everyone going in different directions so on New Years Day we gathered to celebrate the beginning of 

2013. 

After a relaxing day of

polar bear water skiing, knitting, cooking  

and of course some football, 

we enjoyed a 

New Years Day 

family dinner.

❄ ❅ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❆

2013 Joy Dare

from my NEW list of one thousand gifts

:: our children playing the piano and filling the house with  music :: the whistle of my new tea kettle :: laughter :: blue sky  :: sunshine :: birds :: squirrels eating apples from our tree, the ones too high to pick and still dangling from the branches ::  our funny dog inside the house watching for squirrels :: Christmas decorations packed away :: New Years Dinner with our children ::

Wishing you a joy filled year showered with blessings!

 

New Years Day {activities}

The annual

early morning

high speed 

polar bear water skiing

on the Willamette River!

{24 degrees~wind chill even colder}

Knitting a new scarf.

Preparing our New Years Day dinner.

Blue skies,

Bitterly cold wind,

Warm ovens,

Glowing candles,

Piano music,

Football,

Friends

and

Family!

Welcome 2013!

Happy New Year!