new direction...

     I took a little "hiatus" from my blog.  Let's be honest, I haven't posted since July, 2014 and not often before then!  Over the past year I have dabbled at many things.  Learning guitar, blogging, reading, photography, cooking, & even taking French lessons on my computer.  And while I love the "idea" of doing so many things, I have discovered my true passion is being in the kitchen.  What warms my heart the most is making something yummy and then passing it on to someone else to enjoy.  I have been working the past couple of years with an amazing woman, photographer and a person I now call friend!  Nelou of nelougrace.com is so talented in so many areas- photography, computer skills, Lightroom, design and so on…  I have learned so much and look forward to learning more from my sweet friend.  What I have discovered over the past few months is when I have time to do as I please, I often gravitate towards the kitchen and whip something up!  While driving in the car the idea came from the back of the Suburban… "bake and take!"  Perfectly fitting, since I just adore to bake and take to family, friends, coworkers and whoever will be my guinea pig!  So I am putting my "big girl" camera on the shelf for a while and placing my primary focus on baking, along with taking pictures with my iPhone (seriously… so handy!!).  Don't get me wrong, I love my "big girl" camera and I plan to use it a lot, especially when we go to the cabin.  But for now… I'm finding the iPhone camera does an amazing job and is super simple when it comes to photographing my yummies for blogposts!  Thanks to Nelou for "re-designing" my blog!  Nelou has fantastic ideas and I highly recommend her services!

     One of my favorite treats as a kid were Rice Krispy Treats!  Mom made them all the time and she would vary the ingredients from time to time.  Today I am sharing her "kicked up treats."  These treats aren't your basic off the box recipe… no sireeeee!  They are soft and just the right amount of "goo!"  Altogether now… mmmmmmmm.

Ingredients:

5 Tablespoons butter

8 cups mini marshmallows

1/2 cup peanut butter (I prefer smooth)

6 cups Krispie Rice Cereal

1/2 teaspoon salt

Melted chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Butter a 9x13 pan, set aside.
2. In a large pot over low heat, melt butter and peanut butter.  Add 8 cups of mini marshmallows, stirring constantly until melted.  Add salt.
3. Once the marshmallows and peanut butter are melted, stir in the cereal.  Mix well and press into the prepared pan.
4. Allow to cool completely before drizzling chocolate or cutting into squares.  I usually put the pan in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.  

Additional Notes:  You can omit the peanut butter if you prefer.  If you omit the peanut butter I would add 1/2 cup - 1 cup more cereal.

Adapted from my mom's recipe.  Thanks mom!

Grab a cup of tea or coffee, kick back and enjoy!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

back on the trail

Almost four seasons have gone by since my last post!  I'd like to say "shame on me" or "I am so sorry I haven't blogged!", but I can't and I won't!  Looking back over this last year I can truly say it has been the hardest walk of my life.  The walk isn't over but I can say it is getting easier!  Over the past year I have had several "ah ha" moments and I have discovered so many things not only about myself but other people in my life as well!  We are all responsible for taking this journey we call life in whatever direction we want to take.  Mine has had several detours but I can finally say I'm back on the right trail!

As I look back over the year I have started and stopped so many projects!  I thought I wanted to learn to sew, bought the fabulous sewing machine and set up a sewing room........only to discover as my best friend Denise says... "Gwyn you like the idea of lots of things!"  Major "ah ha" moment!  She knows me so well!  My mom was a beautiful seamstress and I know she would love for me to be a seamstress.  Sorry mom....not in this lifetime and that's ok!  The sewing machine now sits in my craft room and the sewing room is back to a guest room!  Stop by and see us, I now have a bed for guests!!!

Mom was a great cook and I do have the passion for cooking and creating yummy food and making a "presentation" out of my creations!   My sister in law made cookbooks for all of us last year of our favorite recipes that mom made my family.  Whenever I feel myself feeling sad I open up the cookbook, pull out a mixing bowl I remember mom using and stir up something yummy.  I instantly feel better and all warm and cozy inside!  Thanks mom for instilling in me the love of cooking!

I have discovered I love taking pictures and learning how to get a really nice image!  Thanks to Nelou at nelougrace.com, she is helping me learn all about photography.  I'm having a blast and look forward to learning as much as my brain can handle!

I have started a major project that I am going to complete!  I'm scanning in slides and pictures that we have accumulated over the last 40 years!  I have to say I get side tracked because I look at the pictures and find myself walking down memory lane!  The crazy thing is when I come across a picture with some girlfriends from high school I have been known to pick up the phone and call!  One phone call ended up lasting almost 2 hours!  Can't continue to chat with old girlfriends or this project will never get finished!  Side note....because of me calling 2 of my girlfriends, we are now going to try to get together this fall for a girls weekend and meet in Denver!  We haven't seen each other in 20 years!  There I go again getting side tracked!  My plan is to document the first 40 years of Mark and I being together and pass along our journey to our children and "grands."  It's quite an undertaking but I am up for the task!

Mark and I recently went to the cabin in Valle Escondido,  NM.  I walked everyday with camera in hand and tried to capture some of the beauty the mountains had to offer!  I hope you enjoy!

Mom loved Iris's.  I captured this beauty at the cabin!

The Poppie's were "popping" up everywhere!

Wild flowers by the lake.

Daisy's are my favorite!

Oh Wally!

Nothing better....Mark playing Banjo in the mountains!

my kitchen is my studio

I have always envied those that have a "studio."  You know the kind I am talking about....the charming small structure in stunning backyards we have all seen in magazines?  They come in many forms, potting shed, green house, photography studio etc.....  I recently discovered that I have always had a studio in my home.  My kitchen!  I love to cook and my passion is baking!  My shelves are filled with more cookbooks than I can count!  I also love reading recipes online, Pinterest, blogs, Food Network.......like many of you I have pinned and saved more than I can bake!  So what good are all these recipes doing sitting on the shelf or locked up in my computer?  It's time to get them out and start baking and sharing!  My goal is to take a couple cookbooks off the shelf each week and choose something from my many files on my computer and "bake!"  I know several people that are always willing to sink their teeth into something fresh out of the oven!

My Kitchen Aid is my favorite tool in my "studio!"

I was really in the mood to whip up something scrumptious.  I flipped through cookbooks, looked online and finally pulled out an oldie but goodie!  My mom was on my heart a lot today so I baked Chocolate Drop Cookies.  Mom made these cookies more times than I can count when I was a kid.  I remember many times helping her and as we would frost the cookies I loved how shiny the frosting was but when the frosting dried it became dull!  I would always tell mom I wish they would stay shiny. There was just something about the shine that made them look more inviting.  

I wrote this recipe on this card when I was in 7th grade!  Thank goodness my handwriting has improved!  

Today I happened to catch an episode of Barefoot Contessa (one of my favorite cooking shows), Ida was making Chocolate Ganache' and talked about how ganache' keeps it's shine once it dries.  I had to give this a try!  

Wa La!!!!  Totally Shinny!  

Making cookies from my childhood warmed my heart, cookies warmed my tummy!  I am forever grateful for all the wonderful times I had with mom in the kitchen.  I am thankful I have many of her recipes that I can create in my "studio!"

Bon Appetit'