Friday Things
1. Itโs beginning to look a lot like Christmasโฆ in my kitchen! My mom and I kicked off our holiday baking last Saturday, then I had an afternoon baking session at my grandmaโs on Monday, and thenย I whipped up some of my favorite peppermint bark midweek. The result? Iโve been eating Christmas cookies and candy like itโs my job, and itโs only December 14th. I love the holidays.
2. My Facebook news feed has been overtaken by Elf on the Shelf. I donโt have kidsโฆ can someone clue me in?! From what I can tell, a buggy-eyed elf shows up in different places around the house everyday. Thatโs all Iโve been able to figure outโฆ the why eludes me.
3. As I said, I donโt have kids, but I saw the letter below on Pinterest this week and immediately saved it for the future. Itโs absolutely perfect in every single way.
4. Sunday is the last day of my 10-week hockey clinic. Wah! Iโm bummed for it to end, but I signed up for it again beginning in January, so after a few weeks off Iโll be back at it! I canโt stop nowโฆ I finally got to the point where I can do semi, sort-of, very clumsy-looking crossovers, and I can skate backwards the length of the ice (not quickly or in a straight line, mind you). Iโm hoping one day soon Iโll have some pictures of me in all of my gear to share with you!
5. The Bouchon Bakery cookbook arrived on my doorstep this week and I think I let out an audible gasp when I first picked it up. Itโs a huge book, designed like a coffee table book, and packed full of amazing recipes. I canโt wait to recreate those amazing peanut butter sandwich cookies that I ate while at Bouchon Bakery in NYC. If you are looking for a cookbook to gift for Christmas this year, I canโt recommend this one enough. I also suggest that you add it to your own wish list!
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6. One of the projects that my mom and I tackled during our baking day on Saturday was my grandmaโs biscotti. My sister had asked that we try to make them, since no one has had them for probably at least five years. While everything that came out of my grandmaโs kitchen was amazing, she was definitely old-school in her recipe-writing. I think Iโve made mention before of a serious lack of quantities when listing ingredients. For her biscotti recipe, she had no measurements for the flour or the flavoring (she always used butternut flavoring). By glancing through some of my other biscotti recipes and having my mom there, who had at least felt my grandmaโs biscotti dough before, I was able to nail the amount of flour needed in the recipe. The flavor was a little lacking, which we realized was because the grocery store had onlyย imitation butternut flavor. I quickly found that King Arthur Flour sells the actual vanilla butternut oil and ordered it immediately. Iโm so thrilled that our family will be able to enjoy my grandmaโs biscotti with their coffee this Christmas, even if doing so feels a little bittersweet. I have no doubt my grandma was guiding my ย hand as I added flour to that dough.
7. My fantasy football season in my โall boys but meโ league came to a screeching (and embarrassing) end last week. I was projected to win my playoff game by more than 30 points. I ended up losing by three. To my boyfriend. Thanks for nothing Aaron Rodgers, Wes Welker, Ahmad Bradshaw and Bryce Brown.
8. This is the current screen saver on my phone:
Itโs the equivalent of a snow danceโฆ Iโm hoping Pittsburgh doesnโt have a repeat of last winter, otherwise known as the winter with no snow! Letโs get those flakes coming!
9. Have you been keeping up with the 12 Days of Giveaways on the site? There are only a few days left, so be sure to check each day and enter for a chance to win some amazing goodies! You still have time to enter to win an iPad Mini and a KitchenAid Mixer; stay tuned for the last two days on Monday and Tuesday of next week!
10. TGIF! Find a patch of sunshine this weekend and bask in it :)
I think the elf is really Chuckie.
Iโll keep my fingers crossed that any snow heading to Pennsylvania gets stuck in Pittsburgh and stays away from Philly.
That letter about Santa is beautiful. I will definitely have to call on that when the time comes. I also had a question about your delicious-looking peppermint bark. Do you find that the candy cane pieces on top melt in the fridge? Iโve made peppermint fudge with candy cane pieces on top and my experience is the candy melts after a day or two when I store it covered. It doesnโt look very pretty and Iโm wondering if you have this problem? Thanks!
Hi Monica, I know what you mean about candy canes sometimes melting onto some candies, but it has ever happened to me with the peppermint bark kept in the fridge.
Iโm an email subscriber.
I like my cookies chewy.
I need to get the bouchon book. I love the 2 cookbooks inhave from him, this should literally be icing on the cake!
Love that letter โ I am beyond that period with my children but as a teacher I would pass that on. I love my cookies โ chewy!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for the giveaway! I responded to your email that you sent me today. :)
I love the letter that you found on Pinterest about the meaning and thought about Santa and how we are all a part of him. The phone screen saver is cute. They have an Elf on the Shelf movie that โintroducedโ them a few years back. They are kind of like Santaโs watchers and make sure that kids are being good. We had these elves growing up that kind of looked like the current one, but they were just decorations and none of these new fangled ones that are โmagicalโ. Lol.
So great that youโre making your grandmaโs biscotti. Both baking and the holiday season bring with them a lot of memories and sometimes a range of emotions.
I just want to thank you for your blog! I found you on Facebook and enjoy all your recipes, informatioin and insight! You share so many good things and I truely appreciate your work! Merry Christmas!
Aw, thank you so much for the kind words, Jean! Iโm so happy to hear youโre enjoying the site!
Love the santa letter. My 13 yr old still believes in santa. She leaves out a plate of cookiesand some milk. With her sweet letter that reads..Dear santa leaving you cookies so yiu can enjoy them with some milk. We all have been good and bad at times. Thank you fir leaving me some toys. Oh ya my brother said that you santa are my dad and mom? If you are ny parents then you knowv what I want???(
First time reading this siteโs postโฆI think Iโm coming back. :0)
Ooh peppermint bark! Canโt wait to make mine โ I have two must haves at Christmas, peppermint bark and peanut butter balls.
You know why I love your blog? You love baking and football, just like me! My best friend and I are doing part 2 of our christmas baking this weekend!! I am happy to report we used your russian tea cake and reeseโs cup recipes, you never let me down!
That Santa letter is so sweet. I am not in a rush to have kids, but I am very excited to be able to experience the magic of Santa & Christmas all over again with them someday!
I love Bouchon in Paris but the particular item I want (mini crepe with cheese) they donโt have it in the online anymore. Do you have a recipe by any chance. I would love to get that bookโฆ..maybe I could drop a hint to my husband about itโฆ..love Bouchon!
Hi Laura, Unfortunately, I do not have that recipe, Iโm sorry!
That letter about Santa made me cry. To the person who wrote that, THANK YOU!! Itโs the perfect answer to inquiries from kids.