NEW TABLESCAPE AND SCRUMPTIOUS BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

 Good morning Kindred Spirits...
I so hope all is well in your corner of the world!
It's been gray and cold here in Texas....
I am STILL packing away all the Christmas decor
and the outside lighting was removed too!
Our evenings are cozy as we enjoy cocktails by the fire.....
I am loving trying out NEW recipes and today.
I have got a fabulous one to share with you....
So, let's pay a visit to the kitchen....

My thoughts can be so random on nights when I have trouble sleeping...
and I was thinking about my little set of Mikasa plates I had..
I love these little plates and thought I need to use them on the
farmhouse table...and so this is what has transpired....

It reminds me of grandmother's table...
I think this theme could work for most seasons too!

I adore vintage glassware and chose to use
these highball glasses from Kate Aspen.

Candles are perfect for winter months and I 
selected one of my Cheerful Giver candles...

This is my favorite brand of candles...
and have been for a long time...

Can you even imagine a more beautiful scent?

And now, let's talk cookies!!!
Y'all....Harry was right!
These are AMAZING!!!!

Harrison Wallace, my favorite home chef and delightful
influencer, who resides in Dallas, bakes these cookies
for most of his dinner parties and celebrations....
he said, everyone will often say, "let's skip dinner, where are the cookies?"

Here is the link to the recipe
BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

These cookies are a bit of a process, but fun to make and
lovely to bake...what beautiful cookies and I will say,
I was a bit nervous to try my hand at them, but was
over the moon happy about how perfect they turned out!
It's been fun to try new things...

Did you ever go ice skating?
I did as a child and loved it..
it requires strong ankles as I recall....
now that's a lovely memory....

DAD'S COOKIES

 HELLO COOKIE LOVERS!

During this lull of summer and taking a break from
planning for the holiday season, I like to use this time
to gather some of the best of the best recipes..
I keep them in my holiday binder and then I am able
to go to one organized place to pull out those that I am going
to want to use for each holiday....fall baking, Halloween,
football tailgating, Thanksgiving and of course, Christmas!

I had seen this cookie recipe featured on Pinterest and thought
they looked like they would be delicious and easy to make...
you may want to save this one....it's a winner!!!!

I baked the first couple of batches for 12 minutes.
The last batch I baked for 15 minutes and they were a little browner
and a bit crispier, if this is the texture you prefer!
A great, delicious cookie laced with coconut and oats....
I think you're gonna love them!
Happy baking y'all!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP and CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Good Morning Loves....
we are midway through the holiday season....
Thanksgiving was just delightful and we are
probably excited for Christmas day.....
I have a fabulous recipe for you today
and a fun baking idea you will want to try
with your grandchildren!



I did manage to capture this tiny bit of Autumn beauty
this morning...the sun was shining brightly
and our neighbors trees were just vibrant ...
we do not have a lot of foliage color, so this was rather special!

While we entertained Miss M and her family,
I tried this delicious soup recipe and just 
had to share it with y'all....it was two thumbs up 
from everyone....if I find a five star recipe,
you can count on me bringing it to you!

With cold, sometimes rainy weather days ahead,
this will warm you heart and your tummy!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP

1-pound Italian sausage hot, mild or sweet

1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 (32 ounce) container chicken broth 4 cups

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

1 bay leaf

1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 (5 ounce) package fresh baby spinach

¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese optional garnish

 

Cook sausage and onions in a 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat, crumbling sausage with a wooden spoon while it is cooking. Cook until sausage is browned, no longer pink and fully cooked.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), stirring constantly.

Drain off excess fat.

Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes with juices, Italian seasoning, black pepper and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

Add tortellini and return to a boil. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until tortellini is almost tender, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium low and add spinach. Stir to combine. Cook an additional 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and tortellini is tender.

Remove and discard bay leaf.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when serving, if desired.

I wanted to share some time with our Luke the Duke
and decided we would do an easy Christmas Cookie Bake....
it's not easy enticing a teen boy to come into the kitchen
and spend a few hours with his Grandma...but we had fun together 
for this particular afternoon.....

His part was simply placing the cookie dough evenly on the baking sheet.....

I actually placed the cookie doughs on top of each other
and they were delicious.....
if you are trying to think of a teen holiday activity...this was a winner!

Y'all enjoy!

THE VERY BEST FRUITCAKE COOKIES AND OUR CHRISTMAS DINING ROOM

Merry Christmas to all.....
We are heading into Christmas week
so it's time to slow down a bit and just enjoy
the spirit of the season, listen to beautiful music,
wrap the gifts and just relax and be grateful for another Christmas!
I did want to share my all time favorite cookie
that my Daddy made every year......
his beautiful and delicious Fruitcake cookies!

I first shared this in a 2010 post....they are that good!
I know, I know.....you are thinking you cannot stand
fruitcake and there is no way you would make cookies
with this dough, but trust me on this.....
you will not be able to stop eating these amazingly
fabulous, great tasting cookies!

The kitchen smelled exactly like Christmas on this day.......

These taste like Christmas....all the cherries, pineapple pecans and raisins.....
along with the touch of nutmeg....oh heavenly days.....

What a beautiful gift too!

FRUITCAKE COOKIES
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
3 T. Buttermilk
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups green and red candied cherries. Diced
2 cups candied pineapple, diced
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs and buttermilk.
Sift dry ingredients together..
add dry ingredients to cookie dough.
Add fruit, nuts and raisins..fold into batter.
Drop on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees, for 15 minutes.

The Christmas Dining Room 2021

Toile Home for the Holidays dinnerware
Amazon

Threshold Holly and Ivy Placemats
Target

Merry Christmas Napkins~Amazon
Sterling Silver Napkin Rings~Family Heirlooms

The anticipation of a bountiful Christmas dinner....
Ham, roasted turkey, cornbread dressing with Giblet Gravy
Spinach Madeleine mashed potatoes, Four Cheese Macaroni,
Whipped Cream Cranberry Salad and a special Christmas Cake 

Oh Happy Holidays.......

Over in Atlanta, Miss M has been busy as a bee....
working, school and sports for Luke the Duke, shopping,
cooking, decorating....all the things we Mom's do....

I loved her throw so much, I ordered one for myself....

Looking at Christmas through the eyes of a child.......

May your Christmas sparkle with moments 

of love, laughter, & goodwill and

 may the year ahead be full of contentment and joy.

 Have a Merry Christmas.

CELEBRATE SPRING, SUNSHINE and COOKIES!

 

Hello Kindred Spirits....
let's give Winter the boot, shall we?

Here in Texas, we have thawed out from our deep freeze
and have been blessed with warm, sunny days!
I know, it's just crazy isn't it?
I feel the only damage we sustained is losing
some of our newly landscape shrubs...others
have been left with broken pipes which flooded their homes
and ruined wood flooring...plumbers are booked three months out.....
that winter week was very, very hard on many of my fellow Texans!
It's pretty difficult when you are in single digit temps, with no water
and little food.....but.....brighter days are here now!

This was a gorgeous sunny day of 77 degrees!!

It's that time of year, to plan a new wreath for the backdoor.....
this was my theme  for last year's patio, so we shall
see what colors I bring forth this year....still haven't decided....

There is a wealth of inspiration in these two magazines....
great decorating ideas and recipes to get my mojo going....

YES...TULIPS!
I am totally in love with tulips this year
and have something rather fun in mind using these!

I spent an afternoon, packing away any winter décor
and changed the look in the kitchen to signs of Spring...
I feel lighter and more cheerful than before!!!

This makes me want to bake cookies......

It's time to change out the wax melts to spring scents....
such a delightful change......

When a new season begins, it's a good time

to change the theme of my little kitchen workstation.....

Love my Mary Lake Thompson tea towel.....
this will be on display through Summer.....

And, talk about a pop of sunshine....
nothing adds instantaneous cheer
like a bowl full of lemons!!!

I think I have chosen my colors for the season.....

a glorious warm yellow, soft spring green and creamy white!
And, then there is this vibrant pop of orange....what splendor!!!

I tried a new cookie recipe and let me just say....
this is a keeper...anytime of year....I plan on making
these again for Fall and again at Christmas!

OATMEAL CRANBERRY WALNUT COOKIES

Oh ya'll....I wish you could smell this candle.....
gosh I love the color and the scent...it's just over the moon wonderful!

I am slowly moving my way through the house and
changing out to a lighter look.....

I am loving this new quilt and didn't quite know
which pillow I wanted to use in my grandparent's Windsor chair,
but when I tried this one from my stash, it just looked like it
found it's happy place!

I hope you are as anxious as I am about diving into Spring
with body, mind and spirit!!!