Recipe Review: Peanut Butter Honey Cookies {from Hungry Brownie}

I have found several yummy recipes on Pinterest, but recently I found THE YUMMIEST.  If you like peanut butter and cookies and amazingness, you need to make these cookies.  There really aren’t many ingredients, and if your peanut butter jar is fairly new, you probably have everything you need in the kitchen right now.  When I made them the first time, I only had enough honey for a half-batch, but the recipe halves very easily and I still made about 15 good-sized cookies.  I also only had creamy peanut butter the first time and they still turned out delicious. 

The flavor is rich and peanut buttery, but in a deeper, less sugary kind of way.  And the texture, ohmygoodness, guys… the texture.  This cannot be oversold.  They are soft, but not falling-apart soft, slightly chewy but not tough.  They are seriously the cookies dreams are made of.  

The second time I made them, I used crunchy peanut butter like the recipe calls for, and they seemed like entirely different - but equally delish - cookies. They are a little puffier and crumbly this way, and obviously they have crunchy nuts in them.  Either way, this recipe is a winner! 

Here is the recipe, straight from Elaine at Hungry Brownie:

"Ingredients

2 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter, at room temperature

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

On a low speed, beat the peanut butter, brown sugar, baking soda, and honey. Blend for a minute until mixed, then slowly add the flour and mix well.

Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix on low speed until just blended, about 25 seconds.

Scoop the dough (about 2 tablespoons) onto the baking sheets with 1 to 2 inches apart. Do not press down on the dough.

Bake one cookie sheet at a time for about 13-15 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer for a cooling rack to completely cool.

Enjoy the cookies!"

Elaine takes beautiful pictures of her beautiful recipes, so I’m borrowing hers.  The above picture of the peanut butter cookies is mine… the rest are hers.

She suggested that if I liked these cookies, I should check out her Cinnamon Honey Banana Bread.  I’ve peeked at the recipe, and it does look fantastic.  It’s on my to-do list for sure! 

So are her Nutella Thumbprint Cookies.  

And Walnut Crusted Chicken.

Now… go follow her blog, then head to the kitchen or grocery store.  You need these peanut butter cookies, like, now.  ;-)

Always,

Katie

The Hunt For Home: Early List-Making and Must-Haves

Since we moved to South Carolina, we have been renting an apartment.  Our Ohio house sold in late November, but while we were paying rent AND the mortgage, we weren’t able to squirrel away much savings toward a down payment for a new home.  Now, several months later, our finances have recovered to the point that we are beginning to think about house hunting. 

I. Am. PSYCHED! 

I’ve never bought a house before, since Ethan had already bought our first home before we met.  We want this to be THE house – our forever home, where we bring home our newborns and send them off to college, so we have been thinking a lot about what we want and need in a home.  It’s really exciting, as we think ahead to our future needs to anticipate what our needs will be when we have children and as they grow. 

Among the must-haves: 

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• Four or five bedrooms. 

We want each of our children to have their own bedroom, and we dearly hope to have two (or more – depending on God’s plan and the number of embryos we have from IVF-ICSI, of course). 

Then there’s a master bedroom. We would love for it to be big enough for a king-sized bed.

And having a great guest room is VERY important to us.  Living away from so many family and friends, we consider it VITAL that we have a cozy place for them to stay when/if they visit.  Preferably with a full bathroom that they don’t have to share with us/the kids.

The “maybe” bedroom is for a home office and crafty area – if there is room for that (or a designated office) elsewhere in the house, four bedrooms will be peachy.

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• Nice kitchen with more counter space and storage. 

This won’t be too tough, since our Ohio house had only a little bit of (fairly chopped up) counter space, and this apartment has next to none.  Really, a moderate amount of counter space will thrill me, haha!  Our Ohio house DID have GREAT cabinets and a nice, big pantry.  Miss those!  

Look at this happy face! <3 my little man!

• Backyard

It needs to be fenced or fence-able, because I watched Charley play with my friend’s dog in her fenced-in backyard not too long ago.  It was his first.time to be able to just RUN outside without a leash, and I want to be able to provide that for him… as well as a safe place for his less-furry siblings to play someday. NO POOL.  I’m not a big fan of water anyway, but my poor daddy worked on our pool a LOT when I was growing up, and… I don’t wanna.  It’s a ton of maintenance, and I’d rather sit in a lounge chair with a glass of homemade lemonade watching the kids run through sprinklers or something.  

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• Roomy tub and shower in the master bathroom.

Heating pads and warm baths are my primary methods of pain relief, so this is a biggie.  Our first bathtub was barely wider than my hips (which are not THAT wide)… the apartment tubs are bigger, but still leave a little something to be desired… like jets :-)  Plus, I wouldn’t hate it if the tub and shower were big enough for two.  Just sayin’. 
  

We have a list of “would be nice” features, too, but that feels like a different blog post.  :-)  I also plan to share some of my inspiration pictures from Pinterest, and – HOPEFULLY SOON – progress pictures as we choose, move into, and personalize our next home! Yippee! 

I'd also love feedback - is there anything I am forgetting that you consider a must-have?  Also - who are your favorite, must-follow home improvement/decor bloggers?  

Have a wonderful day!!

Always,

Katie

June Pinspired: Styling the Red Slacks

I'm linking up today with a new-to-me link up, "Pinspired" by the brilliant minds behind Mix & Match Family, Pinterest Told Me To and The Larson Lingo.

Each month, bloggers link up outfit posts that were inspired by their Pinterest boards.  I'm excited, because I want to be more creative in my outfit planning, but can't quite keep up with What I Wore Wednesdays or some of the other style blogger events that occur frequently.  Once a month is a commitment I think I can handle :-)  Thanks for dreaming this up and doing the work to host, Shay, Sheaffer and Mel!!

I was definitely skeptical of the colored jeans/slacks trend at first, and I still haven't quite accepted mint as a color meant for pants  **braces for shocked reactions.**  But, at the New York and Company outlet near Cincinnati over Christmas break, I found a pair of red-orange slacks that I thought were pretty cute.  They fit, and while I wasn't CERTAIN I'd get a ton of use out of them, at redline clearance prices, I was ready to give them a try.

I figured I'd wear them with white... white blouses, white sweaters of various weights... then I discovered that I LOVE wearing them with a yellow cami and this gorgeous blue cardigan I have.  I SHOCKED myself with this outfit, but it gives me a lot of confidence and makes me feel as sunny as it looks.  But still, two combinations aren't quite enough to make me feel like I am being creative or getting a lot of use out of these newly beloved pants, so I decided that this would be my June "Pinspired" challenge and turned to Pinterest.  (Follow me if you'd like!  I have about 60 boards... I'm a bit of an addict.)

There was a recurring theme among the pictures I found that seems so obvious... now.  I had thought to pair the pants with white, but never considered adding black to the mix.  Black, white and red are so classic... duh, Katie!!  Anyway... here are some of the pictures I found of this basic outfit.

Cute - even if there is no WAY I could wear something that low-cut without being terribly self-conscious. :-) This was the first picture I saw of this combination, and the one that made me facepalm a little bit! Although I did have to Google Whitney Port... never did get into watching The O.C!

Next up is the lovely Jessica Alba, who accessorized it with black shoes and a black purse, which I thought was a better pulled-together look...

And last but not least... if it's good enough for the Duchess of Cambridge, it's good enough for me!  I liked her slightly more casual blazer, and got to thinking that if I could find the black jacket-y blazer thing I got a few summers ago, it just might work :-)  Unfortunately, I don't have a summer-weight scarf in those colors, but I was pretty sure I could do a close approximation of these outfits using things already in my wardrobe.

We got the chance to meet up with a sweet friend from Ohio who is interning for the summer a little less than 2 hours from us down here for lunch, and I decided that this would be the perfect time to try out my new outfit.  :-)  

• White Tank Top: The Loft (birthday gift from a couple years ago)
• Black Jacket/Blazer/Thing: Belk (two or three summers ago)
• Red-Orange slacks: New York and Company (clearance for <$8!)
• Black Flats: had 'em since high school, soooo who knows!?
• Black Purse (that you can barely see on my left shoulder, oops): Esprit (on the Champs-Élysées while on our honeymoon)
• Necklace and Earrings: Always, Katie
• Diet Coke: less of a fashion statement and more of a necessity... but it MATCHES!

Photos of me are big thanks to my handsome husband!

This necklace has been one of my favorites to wear!  I don't have any listed in my shop right now, but I would love to make one for you in whatever color/s you'd like :-)  This pendant is discontinued (from Michael's), but there are so very many beautiful options out there that I'm sure we could find the perfect one for you or someone you love!

We had a wonderful visit and delicious lunch with our friend and I really enjoyed wearing this comfortable and cute new outfit - made up of stuff I already had on hand! It feels like I got new clothes without spending a dime :-)   I'll leave y'all with a cheesy group selfie of Ethan, Abby and me...  I hope everybody got to have some fun like this this week!

Always,

Katie

Grown Up Easter Eggs - Using My Silhouette Cameo

I have a super-cool tutorial to share with y'all today!  The idea for it popped into my head last night, and I literally JUMPED off the couch to try it out!  

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was from my wonderful parents-in-law - the Silhouette Cameo that I had been dreaming of for over a year. :-)  I've been thrilled with the cool things I've been able to make, and haven't even scratched the SURFACE of what this neat little machine can do!  Her name is Camille, and we're best friends. 

Slightly shocked...

Vinyl is one of the most popular materials used with the Silhouette, and it has been so fun to play with because of its versatility.  Last night, I was thinking about how well it sticks to such a variety of surfaces... and it occured to me: what about egg shells?  I tried it with a little scrap of vinyl and a hardboiled egg that happened to be in my fridge.  It requires some patience... but it works!  

Still reeling from the awesomeness, I picked some cute little flowers from my library, and sized them reeeally tiny - about half an inch diameter - and cut them out.  Stuck 'em on the egg, and dropped it into some homemade egg dye.  I was pretty pleased with the result, and decided to do another egg so I could get some pictures for this tutorial.  Along the way, I figured out some pitfalls, and my second egg turned out slightly LESS awesomely than my first, but... now I can warn you what NOT to do!

You need:

• A Silhouette/and computer/and shapes
• Scrap of vinyl (mine was about 3.5 inches by 5 inches, I think)
• Raw eggs 
• Egg dye (I made mine, but wish I'd had Paas.)
• Something to fish the eggs out of the dye with, someplace safe to put the eggs to dry.

First, prep your vinyl.  Pick whatever designs your heart desires, but keep in mind - they will be TINY and you will be trying to put them on an egg.  And keep them on an egg.  And remove them from an egg.  This is why I call these "grown up" Easter eggs... I can't imagine very small kids having the patience - or dexterity - for this!  Size the images down, and cut them out of whatever scrap pieces of vinyl you have around.  Color doesn't matter, since the vinyl is just a mask. 

Note - my dove didn't work... it wouldn't wrap around the curve of the egg and lay smoothly.  Think more flexible shapes!

Make some egg dye... Mine is 1tsp white vinegar, 3/4C warm water, and a LOT more food coloring than it looks like you should need.  I used 8 drops total (4 blue, 4 green) and got a very pastel look after a LONG soak.

Now... make sure your egg is DRY!  This is why I recommend raw eggs - the hardboiled eggs from my fridge got condensation on them as they came to room temp, and I could NOT keep them dry.  Vinyl will NOT stick to a wet egg!  Plus, you can blow out the egg and save it as a decoration for years to come. I always hated eating the pretty eggs we worked so hard on as kids! ;-)  Also, make sure you have a safe place for your egg to land when you pull it out of the dye.  Paper towel and a plate or small dish is fine.

Verrrry carefully... transfer the vinyl to the egg.  Depending on your shape, you may be able to do this by hand, but little bits of contact paper may be necessary for more intricate shapes.

It looks like it's sticking pretty well, but I'd been fighting the condensation like whoa... some spots, it's sticking to the water more than the egg, which, of course, doesn't form much of a seal between the shell and the vinyl.

Drop the egg gently into the dye.  If you see bits of vinyl floating out from the egg, try and poke them back into place with a spoon.  It won't be perfect, but it may at least act as a partial mask.

If you look reeeeal closely, you can see that the end of the stem is floating out a bit.  Not preferable!

After the egg has soaked for a while, scoop it out and lay it gently on the paper towel.  Dab it dry...

Once you're satisfied that the egg is very dry, peel off the vinyl.  If you got a good seal before dyeing, the vinyl may not want to budge... so please remember that your egg is raw!  I'd hate for you to squish the egg you've worked so hard on!

Here is my final product... if you want to preserve your egg shell, do a quick Pinterest or google search for "blow out an egg"... I've never done it myself, but plan to as soon as there are raw eggs in this apartment again ;-)

I don't see any reason this can't be done with any kind of sticker (and I'm sure it has been!), but the beauty of the Silhouette is that you can use any of a gazillion shapes that are specifically designed to look great cut out, or use a font to add a phrase, monogram or name to your eggs.  The possibilities are kind of mind-boggling!!

Happy early Easter, everyone!

Always,
Katie

PS: Here's a cell phone pic of the impossibly tiny (but precious!) flowers I put on my first test-egg.  Cute, but maddening ;-)

 

Pruning

When I started this blog, I envisioned a place where I could connect with friends, family, and customers... I wanted to share my heart, my life, and projects or products that I thought people who love me or my jewelry would find helpful, fun, or inspiring.  

I knew that I was diabetic, and that there is a diabetes online community out there, and I hoped that I could connect with supporters and make new friends, using my blog.

I also knew that I was infertile and hoped to be able to share the heartaches and hopes - as well as the medical journey - that goes along with it.  I didn't realize at the time how big of an infertile community there is in the blogosphere, but I wanted to be a voice that others could seek out and identify with.  That really seems to be the most comforting thing about this community - the realization that you are not the first or only to experience anything.  Every time I have a new procedure or start a new medication, I venture out into blogland and find a handful of other people whose blogs give me some hint of what to expect, and I had hoped to be a similar encouragement to another anonymous 3am blog-searcher.  

I asked a lot of this blog.  And of myself.  I knew I wasn't good at sticking with things like this, thanks to my barely controlled ADHD (and, just, easily exhausted inspiration).  But I wanted to give it a try.  Frankly, the fact that I still know how to FIND my own blog is progress, for me ;-)  

Anyway.  I have reached a point in my infertile journey that I am just not as comfortable sharing as I thought I would be.  I'm just not anonymous or safe enough here.  And as this issue is pretty central to my identity at the moment, I haven't felt like I can share much of who I am.  Above ALL, I want my blog to be authentic and honest - and authentic and honest is not pretty right now.  I am discouraged, tired, heartbroken, and increasingly bitter. 


I have friends who are complainers.  They complain about something or another on facebook multiple times a day.  And it irritates me.  I don't want to be irritating by complaining here!  I feel guilty enough about all of the emotional support I have asked of my husband and closest friends lately.  I feel selfish - I recently went, like, 2 weeks without talking to one of my best friends, because I am so wrapped up in our own drama. 

Of course, our life is by no means bad or miserable - there are definite ups, but many of those are also rather personal.  Sharing only the ups would show a very skewed picture of myself, and that does not feel honest.  

I don't want this to be a negative place, but I do want to get in the habit of posting more consistently.  So please forgive me if this blog temporarily becomes a little bit... impersonal.  I will try to post updates about the shop (ooh!  And one exciting development that I think I've forgotten to share here!), maybe a recipe here and there.  But I am removing the self-imposed pressure to be open about my health and feelings.  I just can't, right now.  I know I've been completely absent for quite a while, so I thought y'all deserved a bit of an explanation.  Thanks for sticking around, and for reading what just might be my most rambling post ever :-)

Always,
Katie

Shop Talk: Fanciful Earrings and New Pantone

I have just listed 3 new pairs of earrings (grey, citrine and red heart) in my etsy shop - any of which would be wonderful, fairly inexpensive Valentine gifts!   

I also moved my Hip to Be Square bracelets to the "Sale" section of my shop, and marked them down 50%, making them $11 each.  The colors on these bracelets are matches to Pantone's colors for this past fall and winter, but they are still perfectly lovely and current.  The Rose Smoke one, especially, looks like Valentine's Day to me!

Finally, I downloaded Pantone's color report for Spring (and summer) 2013, and matched Swarovski crystals to each color.  Here is my match-up, to give you an idea of what colors to expect to see cropping up in my shop, and in the rest of the fashion industry in the next few months!

I'm excited about this batch of colors!  I like that they're bright and fresh, without being too glaring.  The slight gray hint in a lot of them keeps them just a little bit softer and I think easier to incorporate into a "real life" wardrobe.  Emerald is the color of the year, so we can expect to see it everywhere through fall and winter - not just spring and summer.  The dusk blue and grayed jade are my favorites right now, and have me especially excited to get my stash of current Swarovski ordered! 

Always,
Katie

Shop Talk: Custom Family Tree Pendants

These aren't in the etsy shop, so I'm cheating a little bit on the "Shop Talk" title. :-)  

If you're looking for a touching, personalized gift for a mom or grandma (or great grandma!) in your life, this might be just the pendant you're looking for!

This is a finished product for a customer... the bigger crystals are the birthstones for the recipient's children, and the smaller crystals represent her grandchildren. I added green aventurine chips as filler, to look like leaves.  What mom/grandma/great-grandma wouldn't love a sparkly reminder of all of their blessings?

Depending on how many crystals I use, they cost $12, $15, $18 or $21, and I can add a silver-plated chain for another dollar.  If you're interested, shoot an email to alwayskatie@hotmail.com and we can chat!  

Always,
Katie

Fertility Friday: Ka-Ching

It is no secret that infertility is expensive.  And don't get me started on how brutally unfair that is.  Or how unfair it is that most employers don't provide insurance coverage for infertility treatments.  

Ethan's insurance covers $1000 of infertility treatment or testing (after diagnosis) per LIFETIME.  We used that up in one blood test, so now we have no.coverage.  

Our doctor has made it perfectly clear that our only chance at me carrying a baby is through in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)... THE most expensive treatment option.  My daddy always said I have expensive taste. ;-)

One cycle is going to cost in the ballpark of $15k, not including the drugs.  And we have NO.GUARANTEES that that cycle will work.  Or, we can use a program offered by Attain Fertility, where we pay a slightly higher price for four tries (2 fresh, 2 frozen)... or the shared-risk program where we pay quite a bit more for six cycles and a money-back guarantee.  Whichever way we go, we're going to need to be able to save a LOT of money.  And we're still paying rent AND mortgage, so saving is going to be really tough for a while. 

We've toyed with the idea of fundraising, and currently I have a line in all of my etsy listings stating that all proceeds are going to our IVF fund.  I'm thinking about a silent auction of my jewelry and baked goods, and maybe some other handmade things friends and family donate.  

But, I think my best idea so far is a kissing booth. 

Charley is even cuter than this pup!  I think he could earn enough to get a baby brother or sister for himself!  

Always,
Katie

Season's Greetings: A Witnessing Opportunity and a Free Printable

Let's talk trick-or-treat. 

I LOVED trick-or-treating.  But one thing that could always bum me out was a household that passed out tracts instead of candy.  Not that there is a THING in the WORLD wrong with passing out tracts!  Trick-or-treat is a great time to come in contact with a bunch of kids and families you might otherwise have never had the opportunity to share your faith with.  Candy AND a tract? Awesome.  

Fast forward a few years to my college days, and I loved the tradition of "Safe Trick-or-Treat" when hundreds of the little kids of Oxford, Ohio would come trouping through the halls of my dorm and a bunch of college kids (some in costumes) (as in, me) would pass out candy. 

I came up with this little label idea back then, because I couldn't afford, on a college kid's budget, both candy and tracts, and I REFUSED to be the stodgy one who only gave out tracts.  These labels print 30 to a page (Avery 5160), so they're cheap and cute, and a good way of sharing God's love.  

 
I want to share these with you, so you can share the Gospel with the kiddies and families in your neighborhood.  I think I figured out a free and easy way to do so (thanks to the hubby who is WAY smarter about online stuff than I am!).  You shouldn't have to register or enter personal info or anything... if it doesn't work out like that, let me know... I'll email the .pub to ya!

Just go to my dropbox, download the Publisher document, print these out and stick them on good candy.  GOOD CANDY!  You're witnessing here, no nasty Bottlecaps or Dots or Almond Joy!!! The kids will be excited - good candy has that effect on them... the parents just may look up the unfamiliar Bible reference.  John 3:16 would have been an appropriate choice for this project, but I wanted a verse that people wouldn't necessarily glance at and ignore.  I'm betting more people who don't know the Lord know John 3:16 than know Titus 3:4-7.  In this case, curiosity could be a good thing!  It may lead people to open up a Bible that's gathering dust or even google the Good News.  :-)

Always,
Katie

PS: 

"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."  (NIV)

Season's Greetings: Fall Leaves Door Initial

Today, I'm sharing a project I did last year.  

I made one of these for us, one for my in-laws and one for my grandparents.  But... I left ours in Ohio. :-(  So, I decided to make a new one and take pictures for a tutorial!  I have to admit, though... I took the slightly cheaper way out, and bought the most inexpensive supplies I could find.  I still love my Ohio "H" and didn't want to permanently replace it.  That being said, I made this for under $5... not bad for a pretty cute little door dec!

Gather supplies: 

~ A wooden letter.  Mine is from Hobby Lobby.  The simpler the shape, the better.  You'll see how the serifs on mine don't show up.

~ Some leaves.  I got a bag for about a dollar from Michaels... for my "nicer" one, I think I ended up with a vine from Hobby Lobby.  It had leaves of different sizes and types, as well as some berries and acorns.  Go as all-out as you want :-) 

~ Ribbon.  For the hanger.

~  Glue Gun

~ Scissors 

 ~ Optional: World's cutest scarecrow.  From Michaels... he's definitely getting pulled off this one and added to our gorgeous "H" from home.

Now... sort your leaves by size and color.

Lay them out on your letter... you want to put the larger leaves on the bottom, and vary the directions they face... I think, technically, the stems always point downwards when leaves fall.  Not sure WHY I think this... but that's what I stuck with.  Also, make sure to cover all of the wood on the letter... my serifs made this a little tough.  

Glue them down.

Add any little acorns, berries, scarecrows :-)

Glue ribbon to the back of the letter for hanging.

Simple, and adorable!!!  This would be great on a front door, of course, but what about a dorm door?  Or let each kid have their own initial on their bedroom door! 

And here is a picture my father-in-law sent of theirs, so you can see one with the "nicer" leaves and such :-)  Sorry for the kinda low resolution... but you get the idea!

Happy fall, y'all!

Always,

Katie