Lawyerboysbakergirl

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees – Prep Time: 10 minutes  – Bake Time: 14 minutes  – Makes: 24 large cookies

3 sticks margarine or butter, softened

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 cups flour, not quite

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix margarine (or butter), oil, and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the baking soda, salt, and four cups of flour. You may not need the whole last 1/2 cup. Sprinkle some in and stir. Keep adding a little more until you have a smooth, cookie dough consistency. Add the two cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

You may use an ice cream scoop. I don’t think my mom even owns one. She uses two spoons, as do I. Scoop up dough with one, and use the other to scrape the dough off onto the baking sheet. I get 8 cookies on a sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. I turn the baking sheet after 7 minutes of baking. I let them rest on the pan for a couple of minutes before moving them with a spatula onto a cooling rack or wax paper on top of a dish towel. They are so good warm out of the oven. They are super good frozen, too. Just let them sit out a couple of minutes and you can bite right through! They will make you happy! #chocolatechipcookies

3 sticks of margarine, 1/2 cup of oil, 1 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1 1/2 cup of sugar. Mix.

Add the four eggs and one teaspoon of vanilla.

Ready for the dry ingredients.

Add two teaspoons of baking powder. 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and four cups of flour. Mix and add up to another 1/2 cup of flour.

This is perfection.

Add the two cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Mix them in well.

I get 8 on a baking sheet. I bake for 7 minutes and turn.

Up Close and Personal with Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies!

WOW! So I have been MIA for a while. It is almost one year since I’ve posted a bite. Not that anyone is reading this, but maybe one day! It would probably help if I told someone other than my husband that I have a baking blog! I did actually sort of tell two of my girlfriends when we were in Las Vegas this past March. I didn’t tell them the name and they have husbands and children and lives, so they probably didn’t get home and search this out!

I started this awhile back because I enjoy writing, being in the kitchen making delicious food using my mom’s recipes and/or creating my own, and because it is fun! When I started, I wanted to share some of the amazing experiences I had teaching in a lot of different schools, my adjusting from small town to city life, as well as post many of the things I bake or make. I don’t always take the time to take pictures of my process as I am working. A lot has happened since I began this a few years ago. Even when I started this in March of 2013, I was telling about a time that dated to 2008. I was using my journals and scrapbooks to help me tell my stories. Here are some of the things that have happened Since I’ve Been Gone from Blogging…

One of the biggest things was Lawyerboy, also known as Chad, graduated from Hamline Law School. He was in the top ten percent of his class. Halfway through his schooling, he began working at a boutique law firm in Wayzata part-time. A few months after graduating, he started full-time. It is only him and his senior attorney, George. George is a brilliant man with years of experience as a lawyer and he is well-traveled. His wife Emily is a delight and we enjoy having them in our lives. We spent two weeks in Europe celebrating graduating from law school! It was a special trip and we were in ten countries during those two weeks!

I got into the swing of things and mostly only taught at Hope for most of 2009 to 2013. I did many long-term teaching positions there when teachers went on their maternity leaves. I taught after-school and summer school starting in 2010. I enjoyed the staff and students as much as I did the first time I was there in 2008. I quit working at Target in January of 2010 in order to teach after-school. I really enjoyed working at Target, but the late hours and early mornings were too much. It was nice when Lawyerboy was able to start working part-time in the middle of law school.

We thought about moving back to North Dakota, but decided to keep living in the twin cities area. We built a home in the summer of 2013 in Delano, Minnesota. It is west of the cities. Lawyerboy still works in Wayzata. We wanted to be close to the city, but live someplace that has a country feel. The west side made sense beings it is closer to our roots.

I found a full-time teaching position. I work at another Hmong school in Minneapolis. They have been building a new school and we start there in a couple of weeks! It is in Brooklyn Park. I have about a 45 minute drive. Last year I taught first graders. I am looping with my class and will teach them again as second graders. I am looking forward to seeing them!!!

I still bake and cook all the time! I have a much bigger kitchen than the one in my apartment when I started this! I wanted to get back into blogging and I have decided to start sharing the things I am mixing up in the kitchen and pair it with a story that is happening in my life now or maybe a fun story about something that has happened in the past, instead of continuing from 2009. I, like a lot of people in the world, have people ask me what I make for meals and how do I make things taste so good! My answer is always the same. Sugar, butter, love, and I learned from one of the best… my mom.

Now with Instagram, a lot of people post their final pictures on their account and then followers can go to their site and see the recipes. I was not into social media. I still do not have Facebook. However, I did start an Instagram account. Last summer, I sold my home-baked goods at the Delano Farmer’s Market once a week. It was fun, but it was a guessing game. There would be days my pies would be gone in five minutes and days I’d bring one home. Not that that was really a bad thing! Chad and I had fun getting to eat them!

I am about to make The Quad cookie. I think it is safe to say that this is my sister, Micky, and my husbands favorite cookie. (They often copy each other!) In 2012, George offered for Chad and I to go stay at his property on Lake Vermilion. We went for four days in June and it was amazing! It is peaceful, gorgeous, and relaxing. In 2013, Micky came with us in June. We had pretty cool weather. It was still a great time, but George offered that we go again in August. Chad and I went for five days. The weather was beyond perfect and it was one of my all time favorite getaways! In 2014 we went up twice again. Chad and I went for four days and in August Micky came for a few days and even brought our dad! It was a blast!

Now to this year! Chad and I went for four days a couple of weekends ago. It was nice, but pretty windy. Once again, we had an amazing time despite the weather. Now we are getting ready for our long stay. We plan to leave on Friday afternoon when Lawyerboy gets home from doing lawyerly things! I have been packing and getting some things lined up. I baked a quick bread the other day and placed it in the freezer to bring along to have as part of our breakfast some of the days. I am going to make The Quadruple Chocolate Cookie today. They are sumptuous warm out-of-the-oven, but they taste great right from the freezer, especially on a hot day. They are also easy to make…. Enjoy!

The Quad Cookie

Preheat Oven: 350 degrees – Bake Time: 15 minutes – Prep Time: 10 minutes – Makes 20 to 24 cookies

2 1/2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

3 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1 /2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I use a large mixing bowl and spoon. Some bakers use mixers, but I feel most cookies are best when made this way. Cream the softened butter and sugar together. Add the two room temperature eggs next. (It is fine if they aren’t. There are bigger things to worry about!) Also, add the three teaspoons of vanilla. Then really mix this well. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir slowly. Then add the cocoa powder. Stir slowly again until combined. Now add the three types of chips. Put about a half cup or so of the white chocolate chips on reserve nearby. Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to drop your cookies onto a baking sheet. I stagger them and get eight on a sheet. Use the reserved white chips and place four to five on each cookie. This way the white POPS and you get more chocolate! Bake for 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Once you pull them out of the oven, let them rest on the baking sheet before you remove them. This helps them to complete the baking process and not break apart when you remove them. I get anywhere from 20 to 24 cookies. Sometimes I make them even bigger than these! You can make them smaller. You just might need to adjust your baking time to a minute or two less! They are yummy right out of the oven and can easily be frozen. Try not to eat the dough!

Leaving “home” was hard. Luckily, other than the drive home, I had no time to think about wishing I had more time to spend there, because I had to work at 3:30 in the afternoon on the day we were driving back. After an eight-hour drive, I was back in the saddle. Target was busy and it was great to see my coworkers. I worked every day, including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and through the weekend. Lawyerboy had time off still. He spent it playing his new Call to Duty game on his X-Box 360. I had let Target know that I was available any time this week beings I assumed there was no school! Therefore, Lawyerboy and I actually had more time together and could either have lunch or supper with one another depending upon when I worked. It made me feel like we were back in Minot where we actually got to see each other during the day!

January 5, 2009 was a Monday. I figured schools would be back in session. So, of course my phone rang at 6:00 in the morning. It was to be a physical education teacher at the middle school and then at the elementary school in the afternoon at a school I didn’t mind going to, New Spirit. On Tuesday, I got called to my favorite school, Hope. Then back to New Spirit to teach fifth grade. I met a very inspirational girl on January 7, 2009. I was just finishing up reading through the classroom notes and looking at the text books, when a petite, brunette walked in. She introduced herself to me. Her name is Lisa and she is the para for this classroom and a fourth grade class. She told me this was her first day back. She was gone the whole first semester because she had breast cancer and had a mastectomy. She is an inspiration. She looks to be in her mid or later twenties, like myself. She said she was only working until noon the first week back because she gets tired very easily.

Lisa was such a help throughout the day. This class is sweet, but has a few students that don’t want to be there and two that can go from best friends to enemies in a second. They were friends today and took to my techniques well. Plus, I think they were excited to have Lisa there. 🙂

The classroom teacher, Mary, called me in the afternoon. Her son is sick and she plans to be gone again tomorrow. She asked if I could teacher for her again. I gladly accepted. I like when I know ahead of time and can continue the lessons I was teaching.

Lisa didn’t get in until 9:00. She was feeling very tired. She and I had a very nice visit. She told me she needed to leave at 10:30 because she had a radio taping at 11:00. I asked her about it. She said she is promoting her dance that she choreographed and will be dancing to tomorrow night. This made me curious and elated.(I love dancing. I used to dance around our basement and use the freezer and couch as props to jump on and off of to create the perfect dance!) It is a dance about breast cancer and she will be performing it without her wig. She said she is a little nervous and feels a bit vulnerable. I told her I’d love to go! However, I work at Target and she also said it was sold out. Which was great to hear. I am looking forward to seeing her again to hear how it went!

I needed her to walk into my life. I needed to be reminded that people have ups and downs and turning life into a beautiful dance when you get handed lemons is what makes you remember what life and living really are… precious and adventurous.

Lemon Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees – Bake Time: 45 minutes – Prep Time: 15 minutes – Makes: 1 loaf (12 slices)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons lemon juice (Fresh squeezed is best!)

1 tablespoon lemon peel (one lemon’s worth)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup 2% milk

Lemon Bread Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Begin by washing one lemon and grating the whole thing. I cut it in half to make it easier for squeezing in the lemon juice later.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon peel. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the large bowl, stirring between each addition.

Pour the batter into a greased 8-inch by 4-inch bread pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove bread from pan onto wax paper or a cooling rack. Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a cereal bowl. Immediately glaze the bread with the mixture. Cool and enjoy. It is refreshing!

Christmas always goes by too fast. It seems like most special days do! We got to be home for a couple extra days. When I was hired at Target, they didn’t like the idea that I wouldn’t be able to work the day after Christmas. I told them that I not only would be out-of-state, but that I had a wedding. They said I needed to be back to work Monday. Our friends were getting married two days after Christmas. The day after Christmas, we had wedding rehearsal. I was the personal attendant, so I went to be there to assist in whatever the bride needed me to do. Lawyerboy actually drove to the border to meet his parents to exchange gifts. They were not thrilled that Lawyerboy wasn’t coming to see them in Canada, but we were driving back on the 28 and when you only have three days, and one was for Christmas and two were for the wedding, it left us in limbo.

We got to see our friends, their kids, and our godson Isaac. He is my best bud Melissa’s second child. He is getting so big! We miss everyone a lot and it was fun to have a day and a half to celebrate with them all!

I didn’t get near as much time as I wanted at my parent’s place, but I was thankful I got the little time I did to spend with them, my sisters, brother, and Uncle Ray. Lawyerboy and I knew this was how it would have to be and when I know what the plan is, whether it is ideal or not, it helps make things easier! 🙂

Lately when I think of weddings, I think of cookies. I know, I know! Most people think of dresses, love, dancing, and cake! I think one reason is that at my cousin’s wedding a few years ago, there were plates of cookies on the table before the meal was served. I had never seen that before, and being the sweets lover I am, I was thrilled! My aunt told me that is what she remembered about going to weddings when she was little…. cookies at the table. The olden days had it right! Another reason I think of cookies, and not just any cookies, but my mom’s sugar cookies, is because a high school friend of mine told me that she loves my mom’s sugar cookies so much that she wanted them to be favors at her wedding. That didn’t happen, but it was a sweet thing to hear her say!

I really enjoy making sugar cookies! These don’t take long to mix up. The rolling and baking go pretty quickly, beings they take 7 minutes to bake! I enjoy using different cookie cutters and then trying to frost them somewhat creatively. 🙂 My mom does not frost hers. She uses the top of a drinking glass as her cutter and gets these big, beautiful sugar cookies. She sprinkles on some sugar and bakes them. I made some round ones to give you an idea of her size. Hers are still a bit bigger. I remember she told me when I was little that her and her mom made these at Christmas time and they called them Sugar Christmas Cookies. Now we just call them Sugar Cookies.

(Christmas) Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees – Bake Time: 7 minutes – Prep Time: 30 minutes + more if frosting – Makes: 18 to 24 depending on shape/size

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups flour, plus more for rolling

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Put butter in a large bowl a couple of hours ahead of time to let it soften. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the butter and mix together. In another bowl, add two eggs and beat with a fork. Add the sugar in with the eggs and blend. Lastly, add the vanilla. Once those ingredients are well combined, add them to the big bowl with the dry ingredients and mix.

It is now time to roll and cut. Put flour on a mat or counter top, as well as flour on top of the dough. Roll out. It will still be too soft, so bring it back into a big ball again. Put flour down so it won’t stick on the bottom and flour on the top so it won’t stick to the rolling-pin. Roll out into a roundish shape. It should be ready to cut into cookies. The dough may still feel too soft and you will have to bring it together again and add more flour. You will be able to tell when you try to cut a shape and you can’t pick up the dough to move it to the baking sheet. My cookies are 1/4 inch to 1/3  thick, depending upon the cookie cutter I am using. The smaller shape of the cookie cutter, the thicker I like the dough for handling.

These cookies are soft and moist. It is hard to eat only one! Enjoy!

Even though I should be really tired after only four hours of sleep in bed, I was like a kid on Christmas morning. And it was, Christmas morning! My parents have made Christmas special over the years and it was a day I looked forward to every year! This was the first year I was not living in a 50 mile radius of home and it made it that much more exciting! Before we even went upstairs, Chad and I had presents to wrap! We did that and got ready for the day. When I came up, my Uncle Ray was already here. He is my mom’s only brother. He doesn’t have any kids and his and my mom’s parents passed away many years ago. Ray being at our place for Christmas is part of what makes it special.

My mom was feeling under the weather, but she still managed to make all the food! The game this year was matching the date of coins that were in our stockings to the year that was on gifts. We had to finish opening gifts after we ate our noon meal because this is just how it works in our family! Opening gifts is a whole day process because we open one at a time and there is always a story to go with the gift! It is so much fun! In the mid to late afternoon, we play a board game or two. Then we eat leftovers for supper!

The food was what I needed. There is nothing better than your mom’s cooking, especially when you have as wonderful of a cook as mine! We had turkey, stuffing, The World’s Best Mash Potatoes, green beans, corn, lefsa, cranberries, and of course the most remarkable buns! For dessert there were Christmas cookies and bars that went on forever. Plus, the two traditional desserts at Christmas, Fluffy Dessert (This recipe is on the September 22, 2013 post titled “In case I don’t die tomorrow, I need to earn us money”  and apple pie. Another staple is Mom’s Remarkable Fudge. I think we all may sneak a little bite, but my mom and Andrew love it the most! It is smooth and succulent and chocolaty! The best part, it keeps for a long time, so even though you may want to eat it all in a few sittings, you can savor it over time. If wrapped in foil and then put in an airtight container, it can stay in a 0 degree freezer for up to three months. It keeps in the fridge for two to three weeks. This reminds me of Christmas, but if you need a chocolate fix, this is great to make and have around for a while. It isn’t hard, but needs your attention as you make it.

Mom’s Remarkable Fudge:

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Makes: 4 1/2 dozen small square ( I cut mine a bit bigger than my mom!)

4 cups sugar

1 12 ounce can evaporated milk

1 cup butter

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 pint marshmallow creme

1 teaspoon vanilla

*1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Butter a 9 X 13 inch pan. Butter the sides of a 3-quart saucepan. In it, combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Cook over medium heat to soft-ball stage (236 degrees), stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add chocolate and marshmallow creme and stir. Add vanilla and mix in. *(Next, add nuts of your choosing if desire. I did not use nuts. My mom usually does not put nuts in because my brother doesn’t like them. You may also top the fudge with nuts after you have it in the pan.) Beat with a wooden spoon until chocolate is melted and blended. Pour into the buttered 9 X 13 pan. Let set in the refrigerator for four to six hours or overnight. Here are some special notes on making fudge:

1. Use a candy thermometer

2. When the candy thermometer reaches 220 degrees, it climbs faster.

3. Beat the fudge vigorously until it cools to 110 degrees.

4. Don’t stop beating too soon and no resting!!! This may take 10 to 15 minutes

5. Pour fudge into the pan when it starts to stiffen and lose its gloss.

6. Score in squares using tip of knife while warm; cut when firm.

I was up early and off to Target. It was a great day! Everyone was in a festive mood and there were things to do, but we weren’t overly busy/hectic. I visited with a lot of coworkers about their holiday plans whether they celebrated Christmas or not. I was keeping my eye on the weather when I would go on my breaks. There was so much snow in Chicago where the train was coming from. It sounded like the train would be late! Not what we wanted! We wanted to get off bright and early so we could enjoy the whole day at the farm.

When I got home from work I showered and got ready for church. I was excited to dress up and go see Kathryn. It is about 45 minutes west of us. Lawyerboy and I talked the whole way there. It had been awhile since it was just us in the same place for a solid block of time. The Christmas Eve service was just what I needed. We left our truck at Kathryn’s and rode back to Saint Paul with her. I suggested we stop at Amtrak and get our tickets. It didn’t look good. The train was supposed to be arriving in a couple of hours. However, it was  still in Chicago! They said we could get our money back for our tickets. So we made a quick a decision to load up our car and drive. If we didn’t, we’d never get home because the storm was headed our way. We got back to our place and Kathryn loaded all her things into our car. Chad and I threw all our stuff together. Kathryn and Chad took loads down to the car while I made a frozen pizza and got some snacks so we could eat in the car and keep on moving. We had so much stuff! There was no way we could have gotten all the gifts on the train! For two people with little money at this time in our lives, it looked like we had spent a ton!

We left at 8:40 that night. We let mom and dad know we were on our way! We ate and talked for the first part and it went really fast. I drove to Fergus Falls. Chad took over and drove until Towner. We were 45 minutes from home and it was already three in the morning. We were getting to an area where there are a lot of deer. I spotted quite a few in the ditch, but luckily we made it home safely!

It was almost four in the morning when we got to the farm! It was so great to be home. Dad heard us so he could sleep better now that he didn’t have to worry about us. We got a few hours of much-needed sleep and then it was time to start my favorite day of the year! I could hear my mom in the kitchen and of course the smells… It was heavenly and I was definitely home!

Since I was little, mom always made Christmas bread. As big of bread lovers as we are, she is the only one that eats Christmas bread. She would always make a loaf for herself, which she deserved! I always tasted it because I desperately wanted to like it, but it just wasn’t for me. I prefer a simple Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread. To me, this is a perfect bread for any holiday or day of the week!

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread:

Preheat Oven: 350 degrees – Bake Time: 55 minutes – Prep Time: 20 minutes – Makes: 12 to 14 slices per loaf

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup raisins

Swirl:

1/2 cup sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl, put the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt together and mix. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add the buttermilk and blend together. Stir in the oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend. Fold in the raisins.

In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Butter two 8 X 4 bread loaf pans. Spoon half the bread mixture into the two loaf pans. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top. Then add the rest of the bread mixture over the two loaves. Take a butter knife and swirl through it each pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle of the bread comes out clear. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Let the bread finish cooling on baking racks or on Saran Wrap on a dish towel.

*This bread is super yummy while it is still warm! It can also be frozen. Wrap in foil and put in a Ziploc bag and freeze for two to three months maximum.

It is shortly after 6 AM on December 23. I am laying in bed waiting for the phone to ring, because I now know that some schools are not out for break yet, and I will probably be called! I am thinking about how my day will go even though I rarely know what each day has in store for me. I work at Target later today and also tomorrow morning and afternoon before Lawyerboy and I are going to head out to Hanover to my sister Kathryn’s Christmas Eve Service. I am so looking forward to the Christmas songs and listening to her tell the Christmas story. Then the three of us are heading back into Saint Paul and getting on the train so we can be in North Dakota and on the Farm for Christmas Day. I have yet to buy gifts or pack.

Lawyerboy went out yesterday and bought his gifts. My sister Kathryn’s friend does a neat thing at Christmas where they have a theme for the gifts they give and after everyone has opened their gift, they try to guess the theme. We did it last year and it was a lot of fun. I suggested Lawyerboy go to the Hamline bookstore and see what he could find. He got Hamline gear for my parents, Uncle Ray, my sisters, brother, and even something for him and me! I was planning on a Target theme! Everything I was getting was coming from Target for my family. We also needed to get a few things for his family. There is a sibling draw and an extended family draw. We needed four gifts for them, plus his parents.

Lawyerboy’s parents. I get up and decide to head to the workout room and am crossing my fingers and toes that I don’t get called. As I workout with my phone close by me, I think about what he told me they called to say when they wanted to know his plans for Christmas. They think his mom has cancer. She has been having a lot of headaches and trouble with her vision. Lawyerboy hasn’t spoken to them much about his time at school. When Lawyerboy told them he was going to law school, they told him it was a mistake. They will know more about her diagnosis in the weeks to come.

I go back to our apartment and can’t believe that my phone still hasn’t rung! Lawyerboy and I decide we better head to Target to shop for gifts, so I have time to get organized before having to go work at Target. We shop at a different Target than I work at. There is one about two miles south of us which I work at and the other is two miles north of us which we shop. We were well into finding gifts when you guessed it, my phone rang! It was almost 10:00 in the morning. When I answered and she asked if I could sub, I told her I wasn’t even at home. The  girl calling me said she’d try to call someone else and then call me back if they couldn’t get someone. What?!?! All I said was that I wasn’t home. I guess that was taken as a maybe!

Luckily, I wasn’t called back. When we got home I started to pack some things and get organized before getting ready to work at Target. I don’t know how we are going to get all this on the train! My sister Kathryn, Lawyerboy, and I, along with my parents, were really paying close attention to the weather. There were storms in the Chicago area and the storms were headed our way. Plus, the train comes from Chicago. We were getting a little concerned, but we just have to wait and see how this will all play out.

Work has been going by so fast because it is super busy! I got home close to 1:00 in the morning. I would be  back to work at 6. I had requested to work the 6 to 2:30 shift so Lawyerboy and I could drive 45 minutes west to Hanover to the Christmas Eve service. Beings I was so excited for Christmas and to go home, it was good I was exhausted from work so I could get a few hours of sleep because I probably wouldn’t have slept otherwise!

I was starting to daydream and have actual dreams about all the homemade meals and goodies. One treat that I am really looking forward to is actually one that isn’t made by my mom! Our neighbor to the east of my parent’s farm and our friend, Tammy, makes an addictive treat. I babysat her three kids while I was in school and am close to all of them, too. I call her treat Sweet Carmel Puff Corn. There are a lot of different recipes and ways to do it out there. For the longest time, I refused to search this recipe out. Tammy always told me it is super easy and that she makes it with a brown paper bag. I look forward to getting it at Christmas time and beings I eat it for breakfast, I contained myself for years to have it as a Christmas treat.However, I have finally begun to make it myself. I don’t use as much butter as the bag of Puff Corn says or other recipes I have found. I also don’t use a brown paper bag. Here is my version of this addictive treat.

Sweet Carmel Puff Corn

Preheat Oven to 250 degrees – Bake Time: Varies to Preference – Prep Time: 15 minutes – Makes: Enough for many, but sometimes only one!

1 9 ounce bag Puff Corn

1 1/2 sticks butter, no substitutes

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Pour the whole 9 ounce bag of puff corn into the roasting pan and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and corn syrup. Mix and bring to a boil. Stir constantly and cook for two more minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat. Add the baking soda and vanilla and mix thoroughly. The mixture will foam and expand! Pour half the mixture over the corn puffs and toss. Pour the rest of the mixture into the roasting pan and toss again. Bake it for 15 minutes. Take it out and toss it. Bake for another 10 minutes. Toss it again and spread it out on wax paper. It only takes about five minutes and then you can handle it. Pull the puffs apart from each other so they don’t all stick as clumps. Put the Sweet Carmel Puff Corn in a Tupperware or other airtight container.

*Note: This doesn’t need to be baked at all. If you prefer it soft, don’t bake it. If you prefer it crunchy, bake it for a total of 15 minutes, pulling it out to toss after each 15 minutes. I like it in-between and found this happy-medium! 🙂

*Note: It has been awhile since I’ve made a post. Lawyerboy and I built a house! Not with our two-hands, but with a lot of our ideas! Even though moving went very smoothly, I just haven’t felt like writing. I am back and will continue more on the first year of being a One L’s wife. 🙂

While Lawyerboy was playing video games, I was headed into what I thought was my last week of subbing before Christmas. I was once again really stressing out about money with Christmas drawing so near. I knew Lawyerboy and I didn’t have to buy gifts for anyone, but I simply love shopping, especially for others. It is so fun to think about what someone would need or want that they haven’t or wouldn’t get themselves. I usually had shopping fine by now. My life doesn’t have the structure it once did, and I didn’t go to any stores other than Super Target, and I never spent a single cent there while at work. So, I was once again relieved to get called to sub the whole week. Luckily, four of the five days were at Hope and for the last three days of the week, I was the same teacher! I taught the fourth graders. They are so sweet and calm. We did a lot of holiday math sheets, games, and activities. We also watched “Polar Express” on the last day before Winter Break. They called it this since not everyone celebrates Christmas. So many students brought me candy and cards. Some even gave me gifts and one family brought in homemade egg rolls! I normally am very careful about eating food from someone who I don’t know really well, but with these I wasn’t concerned. Lawyerboy and I had some before I went to Target. They were super good!

I spent the weekend working at Super Target. It was super busy. Lawyerboy and I were planning on doing our shopping on Monday the 22. I was so looking forward to a couple of days off during the day before having to work at Target. I wanted to Christmas shop, wrap gifts, and maybe whip up a batch of Rice Krispie bars, an easy sweet treat that takes only a few minutes. However, that isn’t how it worked out. I once again found myself without the time to make a single thing!

On Monday morning, bright and early, I got called to teach! I couldn’t believe it. It was a position at the first school I taught. It was not a good experience, but I wanted to give it another chance. Lawyerboy told me not to, but we need the money.

When I first got there, I walked across the corner of a big carpet in the center of an open room. Suddenly a teacher was yelling at me to stay off because it was the prayer carpet. I completely forgot and I immediately apologized. I truly felt bad. It isn’t an excuse, but I am naive to cultures and I need to be more aware and respectful!

I was reading the teacher’s notes when another teacher came in and forewarned me about the kids and to tell me that they’ve had a different sub each day. That gave me a funny feeling. A few minutes later, the assistant principal came in and asked if I would switch places and be a different teacher. “Sure! Where would you like me?” He told me he wanted me to teach ELL which is smaller groups and thought I would prefer it. He took me to the teachers room and the teacher was still in there. The teacher was confused as to why I was taking his job. I didn’t realize he was here and so I was just as confused! I did his job for part of the morning, then I had to go back to assist the third grade class I taught my very first day here a few months back! Nothing has changed! They are out of control and the teacher uses a whistle!!! I spent the afternoon doing one-on-one with students. This was much better! One girl told me that they had school again tomorrow. I am thinking I will get called again since some teachers are on their break already. Not sure when I am going to shop, wrap gifts, and pack!

I got home and related my time to Lawyerboy. Then, it was time to head to work at Target. I guess I may have to send Lawyerboy to do the shopping and I just might even ask him to make Rice Krispie Bars! They are easy and almost every household has made them multiple times. They are great plain, but once in a while, add some chocolate!

Rice Krispie Bars with Mini M&Ms

1/4 cup butter

1 bag mini marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup mini M&Ms

*You can make these on the stove top or in a microwave. I am normally partial to the stove top, but with these, I have found that they mix better once heated in the microwave.

In a large glass bowl, add butter and marshmallows and toss with a spatula. Melt for 55 seconds. Stir. This is usually enough, but if they aren’t melted all the way through, heat a bit longer. Add the cereal and mix thoroughly with a spatula. Give them a couple of minutes to cool. I then butter a pan. If you want more bars, but thinner, use a 9 X 13 pan. If you’d like thicker bars and not as many, us a 9 X 9. I like a 9 X 9 since it is just Lawyerboy and myself! Now add the mini M&Ms and mix in. Pour into the pan and spread evenly. They are ready to be enjoyed immediately! *If you add the M&Ms right away, they melt.

Finals were over for Lawyerboy. This was the first time since August that he was able to not think about reading, writing, and the law. Even though he still stressed about how his finals had gone, he had to wait until January to see the results. It wasn’t even the middle of December, so he now had plenty of free time. He very quickly got real acquainted with his X-box 360.

I on the other hand, continued to teach and go to Target. I was also still struggling with my stomach pains that first occurred on Halloween. My stomach felt tight a lot or it was upset. I am one of those who puts off going to the doctor as long as possible. I needed to find a doctor to have my blood taken so I could get more thyroid pills, so I thought maybe I could do a two-in-one, but knew I didn’t have time before Christmas. I just hoped my pain would go away and if not, I’d deal with it in the new year.

Coming home everyday from teaching and then quickly having to go to the next job has never been fun. It was however easier when Lawyerboy was reading and studying. Seeing him playing video games or watching a movie was alright the first couple days because he truly deserved to relax. Plus, it didn’t cost anything for him to play video games. However, by day four, it was simply annoying. I know Lawyerboy felt bad that I was working, because that is his personality, but what could he do about it? Nothing really. It definitely caused bickering about things that didn’t even matter, because I was sweating the small stuff, like I tend to do. For example, Lawyerboy sometimes was not putting his dishes in the dishwasher (But really, is it that hard?) or paying the bill on time.

The one thing that kept me going was that in less than two weeks we were going home! I missed it so much! I wanted to see my parents, siblings, dog, farm, and friends. I was also so looking forward to my mom’s cooking and baking. It is always good, but there is nothing like the meals and goodies at Christmas. One thing I was really looking forward to were her Snickers bars. The recipe is from one of her aunt and uncles families cookbooks. They are sensational!

Snickers Bars:

Prep Time: 1 hour – Serves: Many!

Bottom Layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Combine in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread onto the bottom of a greased 9 X 13 pan. Put it in the refrigerator to set.

Filling:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

14 ounces marshmallow crème

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, chopped

First, chop the peanuts so they are ready to be added at the end. Then, melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the sugar and evaporated milk. Turn up the heat and bring this to a boil. Boil and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the marshmallow crème, peanut butter, and vanilla. Last add the peanuts and mix together. Spread this evenly over the bottom layer. Put the pan back in the refrigerator until set.

Caramel Layer:

11 to 14 ounces caramel*

1/4 cup whipping cream

Put the caramel and whipping cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Spread over the filling layer. Refrigerate until set. *The unwrapped caramel pieces are the best! They come in an 11 ounce bag. I find that is enough. If I have more on hand, I will add closer to 14 ounces.

Top Layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Combine in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread onto the top of the caramel. Put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour to set. Cut into small square pieces. Store in the refrigerator or freezer, otherwise they get too soft to hold… not that you’ll hold them longer than it takes to put them in your mouth!

The recipe notes that each layer sets while you prepare the next one. Also, that this isn’t as “putsy” as it looks. I have found that she is right!

Well. Lawyerboy, and me too I guess, almost made it through the first semester of law school. It is the second week of December and it is finals week! Lawyerboy studied a lot. So of course that meant talking aloud to himself and pacing the floors to commit the material he had learned to memory. He took finals in Civil Procedure, Contracts, Torts and Criminal Law. He was most concerned with Civil Procedure.

I spent the week teaching at a few different schools. I started the week at my favorite school. I went down to say hello to Sue and her class. Sue told me how she had to leave for an hour to have her stitches taken out so they got someone in the school to come cover for her. Sue said the kids said, “But we want Mrs. Carr!” They are precious!

In the middle of the week, I was at a school I had been to before and thought it was okay. Both days the teachers I was teaching for weren’t planning to be gone. Therefore, they had no plans and no emergency plans. The next door teachers gave me an idea of what they had been working on and I added a few of my own ideas.

At the end of the week, I got called to an elementary school that I had never been to. I wasn’t needed until noon! I didn’t even know what to do with myself! I spent some extra time in the gym and watched Live with Regis and Kelly when it aired! The kids were at recess when I got there. The principal said they’d be coming in soon, so I read through the schedule and afternoon plans for the third grade class. The first girl that walked in, stopped, and said, “Wow! You’re pretty!” It was so sweet! They were a nice, small group! 🙂

Meanwhile, Lawyerboy was taking finals. He was usually home when I got home so he could tell me how it went. A couple days I didn’t get to hear how it went until I called him on my break at Target. We won’t hear about his grades for almost a month! Oh the suspense! When Lawyerboy is stressed, he can’t eat much. One of his favorite all time foods is ice cream. I bet if I would’ve made him an ice cream pie, he would have felt hungry! Not that anyone really needs to be hungry to eat ice cream, right?! Even though you don’t want the ice cream to melt, ice cream sure has a way of melting the heart and forgetting your test troubles for awhile.

Ice Cream Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degress – Bake: 8 to 10 minutes – Prep Time: 30 minutes – Serves: 6

Graham Cracker Crust:

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups graham crackers, crushed

Crush a package of graham crackers in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. In a small microwavable bowl, melt butter. Add the sugar and mix. Then add the crushed graham crackers. Press into a pie pan. Bake it for 8 minutes. Let it cool completely.

Ice Cream Filling:

2 or 3 types of chocolate candy, cut into bits

1 quart vanilla ice cream (almost)

2 tablespoons Hershey’s syrup

Cut the candy into small pieces. Scoop out most of the vanilla ice cream from a 1 quart container into a large bowl. Stir it until it is smooth. Add a few squeezes of chocolate syrup. I only like a little since you will be adding chocolate pieces, but to each their own! Mix in the chocolate syrup. Last, add the bits of candy and stir in. Spoon the ice cream into the cooled pie crust. Smooth it out so it looks pretty. Cover it with tin foil and let it freeze for a few hours before serving. After cutting, you may top it off with chocolate syrup, hot fudge, Carmel sauce or without a topping! Lawyerboy’s favorite is Carmel, so that is what I use! I made my mom’s Carmel syrup that I also used for my Chunky Apple Cake.

Carmel Sauce:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

In a small saucepan, put in butter and brown sugar. Turn the heat on medium to low. Stir. Then, add the whipping cream. Continue to stir until well blended and it starts to simmer. Remove from heat. Serve warm or room temperature. Pour it onto the slice of pie. Put any reserves in a small serving jar or gravy boat. Cover and place in the refrigerator.