Today we got an awesome blizzard! 

I got to leave work early

This called for a celebration

+ Bake up some chocolate chip cookies +

::::::: using a Nestle Toll House recipe...with a few tricks* up my sleeve :::::::::::

It was so cold I could see my breath.....

I have been using this recipe for 8+ years....has yet to fail me. :)

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tspn baking soda

1 tspn salt

2 sticks of ROOM TEMP. BUTTER

3/4 cup of BROWN & WHITE sugar

1 tspn vanilla

2 eggs

chocolate chips [jumbo preffered]

walnuts 

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my *secret trick:

make sure the butter is soft but firm...
mix EVERYTHING but flour together. mix it good. mix it for more than 4 min. SERIOUSLY!

then add the flour in slooooooooowly...but add 1/4 MORE after the 2 1/4 

hand mix in chocolate chips & walnuts

then dollop the cookie dough on to sheets with spoons..do not form with hands

bake at 375 degrees for 8 min! 1 min before taking out, sprinkle some SEA SALT on top of 

the cookies. voila! You now have the one of thee best chocolate chip cookies EVER!!!!!!

p.s. this is what I was listening to over and over while baking tonight...

I  already know what our wedding cake is going to be/look like [that is a surprise till after the wedding!] :[) But here are some cakes that are just as beautiful and interesting! 

Sugar Peaks Wedding Cake from Martha Stewart Weddings

The Caketress

 

I have slowly been collecting candle holders, mini vases etc. at the thrift store to make some cakestands... My color palette for my wedding is off white, white, gold & silver with touches of a slate blue [Jesse added that last one in there] and I am going for a vintage theme...trying to stay in between the 20's and 40's...I really like the look of the tarnished candlestick holders and can't decided if I should polish them or not...these are things that are keeping my up at night now! hahaha lol - retarded!

 

So this past weekend has actually been suuuper lazy for me and I have been super tired... had hoped to do my daily blogging, but just never got around to it. So to keep with my schedule, I will just have to blog for the last couple days today and catch us all up! I hope everyone had a splendid & cozy weekend!

A couple of my favorite go-to foodie sites:

Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks:::::: check out her recent post: + Winter Pasta +  <<< looks delicious...no?

Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie :::::: I LOVE this show! Check out episode 8 on season 1 "Just Desserts" + YUMMY! +

& Serious Eats. Love these Pumpkin Pie Pops!

Today it started snowing later in the day...I felt compelled to get an early start on my snowflake garlands...here are two that I think you may like. The mini one is sooo easy & quick to make, the other is more time consuming and little more messy since more glitter is involved.  I heard the other day from a friend that glitter is the herpes of crafts! So true! So if you're not a fan of seeing left over glitter...you should just eliminate the glitter yarn...but I do have to say it looks pretty fantastic and has an awesome vintagey feel. :)

The final products hung side by side :

Some of my notes taken in sacrament a couple weeks ago:

+ Loose yourself to serve others

+ Service can heal a troubled heart

+ Gratitude is a divine principal

+ Giving thanks helps us recognize our blessings 

 This entry is on one of my very favorite books and my best kept beauty secret [facial exercises] came from this fantastic source!   I have had a good amount of people laugh at me for doing facial exercises....I do them every time I shower and ALWAYS before going to bed & I would also do them right before I would go on 1st & 2nd dates! ahahaha lol True story! Anyways, it is never too late to start doing them! 25 reps of these exercises will leave your face feeling firm, you can totally feel it! See if you can find this book on Amazon/ebay if not for the knowledge then definitely for the darling 60's illustrations.

wow! These entries only took me a couple hours to do... : /  hope they were worth my time. Have a good night ---er morning. ;)