Home Buyer...Future Owner

Hey Y'all! It has been a busy few weeks both with work and at home. I do have some exciting news and it finally seems real. We put money down for a lot in Hutto and will have a house by late summer early fall! I'm so excited because me and the hubby have been saving and lowering our debt for several years to get to this point. We love staying with our parents but it will be nice to have our own place again to stretch out. 

We will be the proud owners of a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home around 1850 square feet. The hubby will still get his mancave and I will have the guest bedroom as a craft/office area. There will be 2 closets in the master which means one of them will be for Polly Pancakes. Barry will also have a nice covered back porch to relax under, I mean you need some coverage for those Texas summers! 

There will definitely be updates in the future, now we're navigating home insurance and so much more. I'm putting together a spreadsheet of each room and what items we will need. We got a bunch of amazing things from our wedding and unpacking it all is going to feel like an early Christmas.

I will be posting a a fun, quick, and cute card tutorial later this week. I am also going to be perfecting my brownie recipe this weekend so that recipe will get posted next week...just in time for Valentines Day! 

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Grandma's Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

 

Hey Y'all! These cookies are in my top five of absolute favorite cookies. The outsides are crispy and the center is chewy, it's honestly one of the best cookies ever! My grandma has been making these since I was born and then who knows how much longer, I do know the note card is getting faded. She would make these for Christmas and fill up this giant clear gallon container and I would sneak into the kitchen to always grab one before everyone arrived. 

I like to use my stand mixer for these because it's less arm work and fun to watch everything mix together. The above picture is the consistency you want, thick but movable. You can substitute a different nut if you like or even roast your pecans before adding for a different flavor. 

This recipe yields 50 cookies, I used a medium cookie scoop but you can even just use a tablespoon. My grandma uses the tried and true eyeball method, where she just grabs a section and can tell by the feel...I hope to get that confident one day. I have a cookie sheet that  can hold 30 cookies which has really cut down on how many times I am switching out pans. I recommend using parchment paper because it makes clean up so much easier!

Bake these cookies at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven, I have to do 18 minutes with mine. The bottoms should be a golden brown as well as the edges, you don't want a light looking cookie. Serve with your favorite drink or crumble some up with some ice cream and enjoy! Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients

1 cup Vegetable Oil or Shortening

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs, beaten

4 cups Quick Oats

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Chopped Pecans, or nut of your choice

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Recipe 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix vegetable oil or shortening with sugars, add in beaten eggs and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy.

2. Stir together oats, flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Once ingredients are combined slowly stir into the beaten mixture and combine. Add pecans until incorporated.

3. Use a medium cookie scoop or a tablespoon (whatever your preference), make round balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

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Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

 

Hey Y'all! I am still working on the cookie post but wanted to share a a yummy recipe. It actually snowed in Texas yesterday which was both amazing but also very cold. My entire yard was covered in snow and Barry decided to be an inside dog that day.  I wanted to make something hearty and cozy that I could curl up with under a blanket. 

This recipe is full of yummy and hearty vegetables and pairs nicely with a crusty piece of bread. It only takes 1.5 hours to prep and fully cook, and makes enough for the week... unless you are feeding four other hungry mouths like me. Check out the recipe below and I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 1 small white or yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cups carrots
• 3 cups celery
• 6 gloves garlic minced
• 12 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups uncooked wild rice rinsed and drained
• 1.5 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 3 Bay leaves
• 2 cups plain milk
• 2 large handfuls of cut up kale

Instructions

1. Melt butter or oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic and saute for another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the flour stirring frequently and saute for another minute.

2. Gradually pour in the chicken broth stirring frequently so the clumps of flour can mix in with the broth. Add the chicken breasts, wild rice, spices, rosemary, bay leaves and stir to combine.

3. Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the flame to medium-low, let it simmer covered for 50 minutes or until the wild rice is tender. Stir every 10 minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot or burns.

4. After 50 minutes remove the chicken with tongs and shred it with two forks. Once shredded add it back to the pot.

5. Add in the milk and kale stirring until everything is combined. Taste the soup and then season with more salt and pepper if needed.

6. Serve warm with crusty bread.

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Well Hello...

 Hey there!

It's a brand new year with 2020 being one of the most challenging years I have ever experienced. I spent way to much time worrying about the unknown, but the year also made me realize that I should really focus on the people and things that make me happy...so this blog was born.

Currently me and the hubby live with my parents in Austin, TX along with my brother to save up for a house. We went from a cozy one bedroom apartment to just one bedroom which we share with Polly Pancakes the rabbit. My old bedroom is now a glorified mancave and I have a small craft corner in the mud room/laundry room/Barry's dog crate room. We applied for a home loan and are just waiting to see what we qualify for before starting the home buying adventure. It's been interesting moving back home but I'm looking forward to what comes next.

I am fortunate to be able to work from home given the current pandemic and I have officially decided pj pants are work acceptable. Whenever my job transitions back to the office I will miss the comfort of elastic and fuzzy socks. Working from home means I get to spend more time with Polly and Barry. Barry has decided he likes to sleep in until 11 and Polly has trained me to give her a treat when I'm on conference calls so she'll stay quiet. I live in a perpetual state of having hay, bunny and dog fur on me or any surface. 

I love anything and everything horror and true crime related. Fall is my favorite time of year with Halloween being my ultimate favorite holiday and most celebrated day...if the hubby allowed me to keep decorations up all year I would. Since the pandemic happened I've taken up card making which has become my creative outlet and has brought me so much joy to send little surprises in the mail. You can see my About Me page to learn even more. 

I wanted this to be a cozy place to share recipes, crafts, books, home decor and so much more. You will be able to read about everything going on with me, my triumphs and maybe disasters (I'm looking at you baking). Since this is my first time doing anything like this I plan to post biweekly on Wednesdays so be on the look out. I'll be sharing my grandmas Oatmeal Pecan Cookie recipe next. In the meantime, just enjoy. 

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