Molasses Cookies (Soft)

     I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I can't. These are actually called Sugared Molasses Crinkles and I found the recipe in Where Women Cook, Celebrate! The recipe was submitted by Ashley English, who is an author and a weekly blogger for Design*Sponge. I was looking for a non-chocolate, fall cookie for dinner guests and I loved the rich, brown color of these cookies.

Ingredients: (I doubled her recipe)

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 T. baking soda
2 tsp. salt (I used a little less)
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (divided)
2 sticks butter at room temperature
4 eggs
2/3 cups molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 

     I don't always sift my dry ingredients, but because of all the spices...I did so for this recipe. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and black pepper in a bowl and set aside.

 

With a mixer, beat the brown sugar and 1/2 cup

of the white sugar and the butter until combined.

 

Add the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape

the bowl after each egg.

 

 

Add the molasses

and completely incorporate.

 

On low speed, gradually add the flour

mixture until completely blended.

 

Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill one hour.

 

     Roll cookies into balls and roll in remaining 1 cup of sugar to cover. Place on cookie sheets (you can use parchment paper if you want to) and bake until centers are firm, 12-15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets and transfer to wire racks.

 

These made the house smell so

good and are a perfect fall or Christmas cookie.

 

     I have no idea what happened to this week. My birthday was Tuesday and between girlfriend visits and appointments, it has been days since I picked up more than my iPad to check my emails. I hope you all have a safe, dry Halloween. We have been raining all day, but it has finally stopped. I hope it holds off for the little ones.

Fall Porch

 

     Fall roared in to Central Illinois over the weekend dropping more than 2 inches of rain in about an hour and taking the temperature from almost 90, down to the 50's! We were out running errands on Saturday and we got drenched. We really needed the rain, and the blue jean weather feels so good. It isn't here to stay, but I am enjoying a few days without air-conditioning or heat!

 

     The front porch has been decked out for fall for a little while now. I actually added Halloween touches after taking these pictures.

 

My porch is so small that I am very limited in

what I can do. I envy those of you with big front

porches. Maybe in the next house!

 

 

     We found our pumpkins and mums at a farm on the way home from French Lick. The prices were great and the variety of pumpkin choices was so much fun. We had to have white ones, and heirloom pumpkins to stack and bumpy ones...I literally had to stop myself. Our most expensive pumpkin was the bottom of the pumpkin stack, $5!

 

 

     I spotted this little toad on a hibiscus leaf several days ago. I have never seen a frog/toad in my yard before! I just let him sit and enjoy the sunshine. The leaves in my neighborhood are still green. I love it when the leaves are glowing red, yellow and orange...soon!

Autumn in the Air

 

     Why is it that I always love changing things for the season, but I am so ready to put it away just a few weeks later? Right now, I love all things fall...but it won't be long before all the colors and pumpkins will be driving me crazy!

 

     It really takes very little to change the look and feel of your home. I found this pillow (I only use one on my sofa) and throw at TJMaxx last weekend for about $35 total. I loved some of the season's pillows at Pottery Barn, but this one has color and texture and was only $19.99.

 

 

     You can see that someone thinks that all things soft and cozy belong to her. It wouldn't make much sense for me to invest much in anything that is within her reach.

 

 

Little bits of fall are tucked all over the house.

Soon, I will add touches of Halloween.

 

If you missed the wreath tutorial,

you can find it here.

 

 

     The bittersweet came in my last bouquet delivered from the area organic farmer. It was very green and the berries were closed. I let it sit for about 2 weeks and they popped open and dried into this beautiful sign of fall.

 

 

I am joining Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for

Inspire Me Tuesday

 

and

 

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for

Wow Us Wednesdays

 

Getting Ready for Fall-Wreath Tutorial

 

 

     The seashells have been put away around my house and it is beginning to look more like fall. Of course, with temperatures pushing 100 degrees this week...I feel a little silly switching my things, but I was ready for a change. I won't put out Halloween things until October, but I did want to make a new indoor wreath for the season. I saw something in a catalog that I loved, but it was $359! I was inspired to make something that was equally as unique and I love the result...I always like things to be slightly "odd"!



 

     My goal, as always, was to use things I had at home and spend as little money as possible. I put a sheet on the living room floor and got busy stripping old flowers and ribbon off of a grapevine wreath. This wreath is approx. 25" in size. I also had 3 different fall ribbons and 3 different black and white ribbons for this project.

 

     To begin, make 6 or 7 bows (I made 2 loop bows, much smaller than a bow for a traditional wreath or package) of each of the fall colors. I also made 2 bows from each of the black and white spools of ribbon. You can see my bow tutorial in my sidebar. Just make 2 loops per side instead of the normal 3 or more.

 

     My first ribbon was a bronze/brown with a rust floral on it. Using the wire I made the bows with, I attached the bows randomly to the wreath.

 

     The second ribbon was a deep orange mesh, again added randomly on the wreath. You may notice that I haven't cut the tails on the bows at this time. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them at this point. After all the bows were attached, I cut the tails (which were left about the same size as the bow loops).

 

 

     Someone in my house loves ribbon more than I do. After chasing her around and grabbing the bows from her, I moved her bed to my work area and she finally calmed down.

 

     The last of my fall ribbon was a deep chocolate brown with an animal print in rust. Once again, filling in the gaps left by the other bows, these were added. At this point, I hung the wreath on the wall and snipped the tails, fluffed the loops and made sure that most of the wreath was covered with bows.

 

 

     I added the various black and white bows into the mix (this is the odd part) and wired in a sparkly witches hat.

 

I also had a witch tassel that was just screaming

at me, "pick me, I want to be on the wreath too"!

 

 

A few random faux pumpkins were

tucked in for added texture and it is done!

 

 

     I love the fact that it isn't screaming orange and that while it has hints of Halloween, it can be up through all of the fall months. I also love that it isn't covered with faux fall flowers. I can't wait to try a similar technique at Christmas! I was thrilled with the result and only had to buy the black and white ribbons to create it, the rest I already had at home. What do you think? Too strange?

 

I will be joining Kim @ Savvy Southern Style

for Wow Us Wednesdays

Please make sure to visit the party!

Luke Update and Other Things

 

     It has been an interesting time around our house. My daughter was home for 9 days! You have no idea what a gift that was for me. She hadn't been home in 18 months and she only gets here once a year. She hadn't experienced Fall since she moved 5 years ago, so that was her only request...she wanted to experience the season. We picked her up in St. Louis and took her along the Great River Road to Alton, Grafton and Elsa. The pictures above and below were taken at Pere Marquette Lodge.

 

     We also took a day and headed to Arthur, IL to Amish Country, where we went to an Amish auction (the handcrafted furniture is stunning), shopped at an Amish grocery store (noodles, homemade butter, fresh bread) and enjoyed being surrounded by all the horse and buggys. It is such a different world and yet not that far away.

 

 

     Her visit home was at the same time as my girlfriend's annual Witch Party, so of course we put on our witche's hats and had a fun luncheon with a coven of witches. Some of these women really go all out with their costumes. We completely took over the dining room at a local restaurant. It was such fun! Even more so with my girl child with me.

 

     We did arts and crafts! I know that you all are aware that I have no talent in that category, but after reading about making swearter pumpkins on StoneGable's blog, I thought we might be able to handle it. I went to Goodwill for sweaters and had them washed and ready. Believe it or not, ours turned out really well (for us). I'm linking to Yvonne's tutorial here. Believe me, if I can do this, you can.

 

     We spoiled ourselves a little bit at a spa. We actually went to Branches twice. My daughter had a facial and manicure while I had a pumpkin pedicure and then a few days later, she had a massage while I had a facial. Everything was wonderful, relaxing and very comfortable. I think a monster has been created as I can't wait to go back. 

 

     She had planned this trip to be home for my birthday, which was last Monday. I kept saying that between my trip to Michigan and then having my kiddo home for so many days, I simply didn't need a birthday this year. Well, it is a good thing that I felt that way, because Sunday night I had food poisoning from a local restaurant lunch. I have seriously never been that sick in my life. So, my daughter spent her last day home bringing me ice chips, rubbing my neck and making jello. I couldn't stand without getting dizzy until Wednesday and it was Thursday before I got dressed. I lost an entire week...Happy Birthday to me! I will admit, if I had to be that sick, it was certainly nice having her home to take care of me! One thing about it, life is rarely dull around my house!

 

 

     I kept reminding myself as I was sick last week, that it was really nothing compared to what this brave little guy has been going through. As you can see, he has lost most of his hair and is a bit puffy from the steriods. He has been having some wonderful experiences made possible by generous people in town. Our local fire department made him and honorary fireman, even letting him go on a call and hanging his picture on the wall. One of the most moving things I have ever seen is that they put out the word to other fire departments in the state, and over 100 departments each sent him a hat...such kind people in the world.

 

     Today is an important day for our friends and a very difficult one. Luke has his bone marrow test today and this is the day they have to decide to either have the bone marrow transplant or extremely strong chemo. Whichever direction they choose, it makes the other no longer an option. The doctors are split on their advice, so our young friends have to make this decision on their own, with God's help. Either choice will be dangerous for their 5-year-old, but may save his life. I can't imagine being in their shoes. So, please say a prayer for them today...for guidance and peace with their choice.