My inner homemaker

Having a little free time on my hands with no job, church calling, or many friends for that matter~ I have been doing a lot of crafty things to keep busy and my inner homemaker is coming out!!!!! I have even created another blog showing the fun things I've done out of ribbon (along with my mom). I love making hair bows and headbands for Bailey, but have recently been making these flower clips. My blog is linked on the right if interested!






I also have been baking and found the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I am usually no good at cookies (they usually turn out flat and not that great, but this recipe is fabulous!) If you need to bake cookies for something, try this out...but beware, they are really good!


Here is the recipe~~~~~ You HAVE to give it a try!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2.Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3.In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4.Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

For a variation, try using white chips and macadamia nuts!




And white Trent was out of work, he found a recipe for Cinnamon rolls that he found from another blog...and they are also fabulous. I haven't made them yet, but Trent is a pro at it... Here's the recipe for the rolls and frosting if you want to give it a try.


(we got this picture from my cousin Dustins wife who had it one her blog)


Cinnamon Rolls
INGREDIENTS
6-8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. instant yeast
2 tsp. salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs, whisked
2 ¼ cups warm milk
Filling:
1 stick butter, melted
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
raisins (optional)
pecans, chopped (optional)
Frosting:
8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
2 cups Powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon milk
*These measurements are approximate, adjust to desired taste and consistency.
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl combine 3 cups flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Whisk to combine. Pour in wet ingredients (butter,
eggs, and milk). Stir until it is a thick paste. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until it comes together into
a ball.
2. Lightly flour a flat surface, and knead the dough, adding more flour to prevent sticking, 8-10 minutes, until
smooth. Spray the inside of a bowl with cooking spray, place the dough inside, cover, and let rise in a warm place
until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down the dough and divide in half. Roll out each half into a large rectangle. Brush melted butter over the
surface of the dough. In bowl mix cinnamon, brown sugar and sugar. Sprinkle with sugar mix, raisins (optional),
and pecans (optional). Roll up lengthwise. Cut into 12 evenly sized pinwheels. Place in a lightly greased 9x13
baking dish. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake rolls in preheated oven for 15-25 minutes, until slightly golden on top. Remove
from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
5. While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. Combine the cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla, and powdered
sugar, adjusting the milk and powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Spread frosting over the hot
rolls, dividing it among the two pans. Serve warm.
Fills 2 9x13 pans, about 24 rolls.


With all these yummy recipes, It is sure going to be hard losing the baby weight!!!!