annie blog

Peanut Butter Cookies

You might be thinking, cinnamon in a peanut butter cookie? The answer to that question is yes, absolutely. We just love this cookie.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature; smooth or chunky
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
Extra white sugar to roll the cookies in

optional:
1/2 cup chocolate or peanut butter chips (or both, together!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a smallish bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips, if using. Put the extra sugar in the bowl that you used for dry ingredients (now that it is empty). Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, roll the dough around. Then put the sugared dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, several inches apart. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern. (Just do it to get the pattern, not to flatten the cookies.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

You might be thinking, cinnamon in a peanut butter cookie? The answer to that question is yes, absolutely. We just love this cookie.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature; smooth or chunky
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
Extra white sugar to roll the cookies in

optional:
1/2 cup chocolate or peanut butter chips (or both, together!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a smallish bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips, if using. Put the extra sugar in the bowl that you used for dry ingredients (now that it is empty). Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, roll the dough around. Then put the sugared dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, several inches apart. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern. (Just do it to get the pattern, not to flatten the cookies.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

There Might Be a Psychological Condition
triggered by having to go to school when your three brothers don’t have to.

What do you think? Poor thing. I was this close to telling him that he could stay home too.

There Might Be a Psychological Condition
triggered by having to go to school when your three brothers don’t have to.

What do you think? Poor thing. I was this close to telling him that he could stay home too.

There Might Be a Psychological Condition
triggered by having to go to school when your three brothers don’t have to.

What do you think? Poor thing. I was this close to telling him that he could stay home too.

Some Ramblings….

I think that I’m a Southerner, y’all. This snow, this cold, it’s about to do me in. Today I kept day-dreaming about green grass and long, breezy skirts worn with sandals and that my nose was warm. This too shall pass.

I know that I need a better slow-cooker spaghetti sauce recipe. Any suggestions? The one that I made today is not good enough. Help!

I’m craving Green Eggs and Parma Ham. It looks so delicious. Maybe I need to make some pesto soon and use some for this? Yes. I’m also going to make the sandwich from Spanglish and add some avocado to it. Okay, now I’ve made myself hungry at 10 p.m. Great, just great. But I can’t help it, I like food and it makes me happy.

I adore this little boy. And the fact that mouse had to accompany him out into the snow today. You’ll notice that mouse had to have a coat, too. Mouse’s well-being is a high priority.

I had a problem with my canine all day. He had the heebie-jeebies. He was driving me up the wall trying to herd his little sheep (my sons) as they played out in the snow without him. He kept running around to all the windows and his nervous energy was palpable, I tell you. But he’s sweet and sort of snuggly. It helps to have him around because when I talk to myself and one of the boys walks in the kitchen I can claim that I was talking to Conan. Of course, nobody is fooled by that.

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Right?

Y’all have a good one.

Some Ramblings….

I think that I’m a Southerner, y’all. This snow, this cold, it’s about to do me in. Today I kept day-dreaming about green grass and long, breezy skirts worn with sandals and that my nose was warm. This too shall pass.

I know that I need a better slow-cooker spaghetti sauce recipe. Any suggestions? The one that I made today is not good enough. Help!

I’m craving Green Eggs and Parma Ham. It looks so delicious. Maybe I need to make some pesto soon and use some for this? Yes. I’m also going to make the sandwich from Spanglish and add some avocado to it. Okay, now I’ve made myself hungry at 10 p.m. Great, just great. But I can’t help it, I like food and it makes me happy.

I adore this little boy. And the fact that mouse had to accompany him out into the snow today. You’ll notice that mouse had to have a coat, too. Mouse’s well-being is a high priority.

I had a problem with my canine all day. He had the heebie-jeebies. He was driving me up the wall trying to herd his little sheep (my sons) as they played out in the snow without him. He kept running around to all the windows and his nervous energy was palpable, I tell you. But he’s sweet and sort of snuggly. It helps to have him around because when I talk to myself and one of the boys walks in the kitchen I can claim that I was talking to Conan. Of course, nobody is fooled by that.

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Right?

Y’all have a good one.

Some Ramblings….

I think that I’m a Southerner, y’all. This snow, this cold, it’s about to do me in. Today I kept day-dreaming about green grass and long, breezy skirts worn with sandals and that my nose was warm. This too shall pass.

I know that I need a better slow-cooker spaghetti sauce recipe. Any suggestions? The one that I made today is not good enough. Help!

I’m craving Green Eggs and Parma Ham. It looks so delicious. Maybe I need to make some pesto soon and use some for this? Yes. I’m also going to make the sandwich from Spanglish and add some avocado to it. Okay, now I’ve made myself hungry at 10 p.m. Great, just great. But I can’t help it, I like food and it makes me happy.

I adore this little boy. And the fact that mouse had to accompany him out into the snow today. You’ll notice that mouse had to have a coat, too. Mouse’s well-being is a high priority.

I had a problem with my canine all day. He had the heebie-jeebies. He was driving me up the wall trying to herd his little sheep (my sons) as they played out in the snow without him. He kept running around to all the windows and his nervous energy was palpable, I tell you. But he’s sweet and sort of snuggly. It helps to have him around because when I talk to myself and one of the boys walks in the kitchen I can claim that I was talking to Conan. Of course, nobody is fooled by that.

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Right?

Y’all have a good one.

Anybody Want Some Cake?

This is cake week here at the Barlows. Why? Two birthdays in 3 days is why. Which is why I just extend the holiday eating to include this week. Thankfully, one boy wanted chocolate and one wanted vanilla or, as he said, “vanilla with white frosting but NOT with that buttercream!” He’s a little bit opinionated about his own birthday cake.

I’ve been a little obsessed with cake lately, myself, and it has nothing to do with the cakes this week and everything to do with a taste of salted caramel frosting that I tasted — was it only last week?– in Seaside. Now, that frosting was very yummy. It was very memorable. It is why I’ve got a stack of recipes to evaluate and a few of them to make, maybe. Like I need that….and yet, I have a feeling that it’ll get done, you know? All I need is a reason….anybody want some cake?

Enough with the caramel frosting digression….let the birthday pictures roll….

First we have #3 here. Bless his heart — not only is he a middle child but his birthday is also sandwiched between Christmas/New Year and his little brother’s birthday that comes only 2 days after his own. He wanted to have homemade cinnamon rolls for birthday breakfast and hot dogs and curly fries for his birthday dinner.

He wanted chocolate cake, smart boy.

I totally have Aldivored that recipe, by the way, and I’ll post it soon. Just having to go to one store totally rocks. And maybe, just maybe I should totally use the word totally more, totally, right? Methinks I’m turning into a pumpkin and need to go to bed. Totally!

Here’s #4. I awoke this morning to this child standing at my bedside pinning this birthday button to his jammies. (Joanie and Rhonda, the button that y’all gave me has been very well used.) He was so excited that it was his birthday. He requested, “chips with ketchup to double dip the chips in,” for his birthday breakfast. I think that he just added on the chips as an afterthought so that he would have a vehicle for the ketchup. Needless to say, we didn’t join in with him in his birthday breakfast selection. He enjoyed it, however, so that’s a good thing. It is surprising to me how much I just roll with it as my life goes on. Chips and ketchup for birthday breakfast? Sure! Taking Ho-Hos for your class treat instead of nicely decorated cookies or cupcakes? Why not?

Another birthday, another cake. This was the aforementioned vanilla or “White!”. Good thing that he didn’t notice that he had a Frangelico cake since his mama forgot to buy vanilla. I’m without vanilla more than I have it, seems like. Perhaps next year I can talk him into a caramel cake or maybe he’ll wise up choose something different, although, this cake was good and the frosting was, too. Maybe I’ll blog this recipe…it’s a good one to have.

I just love the composition of this image. Note the older brother cowering in the background as Happy Birthday was sung and the candles blown out. Atypical for others = typical for some Barlows.

After the birthday dinner was eaten, the brothers got together and transformed into super heros of their own invention….I give you

Cosmic and The Frog. You know which one is which.

My little January babies — characters, the both of them.

Anybody Want Some Cake?

This is cake week here at the Barlows. Why? Two birthdays in 3 days is why. Which is why I just extend the holiday eating to include this week. Thankfully, one boy wanted chocolate and one wanted vanilla or, as he said, “vanilla with white frosting but NOT with that buttercream!” He’s a little bit opinionated about his own birthday cake.

I’ve been a little obsessed with cake lately, myself, and it has nothing to do with the cakes this week and everything to do with a taste of salted caramel frosting that I tasted — was it only last week?– in Seaside. Now, that frosting was very yummy. It was very memorable. It is why I’ve got a stack of recipes to evaluate and a few of them to make, maybe. Like I need that….and yet, I have a feeling that it’ll get done, you know? All I need is a reason….anybody want some cake?

Enough with the caramel frosting digression….let the birthday pictures roll….

First we have #3 here. Bless his heart — not only is he a middle child but his birthday is also sandwiched between Christmas/New Year and his little brother’s birthday that comes only 2 days after his own. He wanted to have homemade cinnamon rolls for birthday breakfast and hot dogs and curly fries for his birthday dinner.

He wanted chocolate cake, smart boy.

I totally have Aldivored that recipe, by the way, and I’ll post it soon. Just having to go to one store totally rocks. And maybe, just maybe I should totally use the word totally more, totally, right? Methinks I’m turning into a pumpkin and need to go to bed. Totally!

Here’s #4. I awoke this morning to this child standing at my bedside pinning this birthday button to his jammies. (Joanie and Rhonda, the button that y’all gave me has been very well used.) He was so excited that it was his birthday. He requested, “chips with ketchup to double dip the chips in,” for his birthday breakfast. I think that he just added on the chips as an afterthought so that he would have a vehicle for the ketchup. Needless to say, we didn’t join in with him in his birthday breakfast selection. He enjoyed it, however, so that’s a good thing. It is surprising to me how much I just roll with it as my life goes on. Chips and ketchup for birthday breakfast? Sure! Taking Ho-Hos for your class treat instead of nicely decorated cookies or cupcakes? Why not?

Another birthday, another cake. This was the aforementioned vanilla or “White!”. Good thing that he didn’t notice that he had a Frangelico cake since his mama forgot to buy vanilla. I’m without vanilla more than I have it, seems like. Perhaps next year I can talk him into a caramel cake or maybe he’ll wise up choose something different, although, this cake was good and the frosting was, too. Maybe I’ll blog this recipe…it’s a good one to have.

I just love the composition of this image. Note the older brother cowering in the background as Happy Birthday was sung and the candles blown out. Atypical for others = typical for some Barlows.

After the birthday dinner was eaten, the brothers got together and transformed into super heros of their own invention….I give you

Cosmic and The Frog. You know which one is which.

My little January babies — characters, the both of them.