Christmas at the Morgan's

Buttermilk Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 Large Egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

Frosting:

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    

Directions:

1.    In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

2.    Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3.    For the frosting, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl; beat until smooth with a little blue food coloring. Frost the cookies; sprinkle sugar or sprinkles. Yield: 3 dozen

Recipie revsed from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/mom-s-buttermilk-cookies

DIY: Gold Artwork

After I painted the canvas white, I used garage sale stickers to create a design.

Then, I painted over the entire canvas and the stickers with a gold paint. When the stickers got wet, they wanted to peel up, so you need to be careful.

Let dry, then remove the stickers. 

Christmas Corner

Christmas Themed Bookshelf (with my cat)

 Christmas Topper, Mason Jar with Epsom Salt and Jingle Bells, Shallow Dish with coffee beans and gold Christmas Balls, Topiary Jars with Epsom Salt and Pine Cones, Glitter Mason Jar

I also lined the back of the shelves with Christmas lights.

Glitter Deer Canvas

First: Paint your canvas

I found a silhouette of a deer on Google Images

Then, you cut it out, carefully.

Trace it onto your canvas with pencil

Paint 2 coats of gold (only 1 coat shown here). You can then erase any pencil lines

Then I painted glue on top of the dried coat and sprinkled glitter on top of it. I did this on a cookie sheet to contain the mess.

Final product! 

First Summer as a Wife.

I am an after school program director. Since school as been out, I have been a little bored in a small town 90 minutes from my family and friends.

Therefore, I have begun accomplishing some of the many things I have pinned on Pinterest.

Project 1: Coffee Bar

Our apartment kitchen is so tiny, with very little counter space.We bought a bookshelf from Ikea shortly after we got married. I decided to try it out to make it an extension to our kitchen and make a coffee bar. 

It works great :) We love it! 

#trophyhusband

Lately, I have been overwhelmed with how amazing my husband is. I like to tease him and make him on edge with him always wondering "What is she doing to do to me now? Is she hiding in the other room with the dart guns?"

But, when I sit back and take a break from my plotting, I am just speechless with how awesome he is and how good he is to me. I love him. He is an amazing man and he takes such good care of me.

Like, the other day, I sent him to store to buy some butter, and he came home with some Diet Coke too. That is true love.

When he is sleeping, I love to study his face. It gets a little awkward when he opens his eyes and catches me creeping on him.

I love him.

Tuscan Style Sausage Soup

I decided I should probably start marking what meals are successes (or failures) for a family of two. Tonight it was Tuscan Style Sausage Soup that I found on Pinterest.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Mild Italian sausage
Handful of baby carrots, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
6 cups (1 ½ qts) chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ tablespoon dried basil
½ (16-oz) whole wheat shell pasta, uncooked
4 ounces spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Remove sausage from casings and brown over med-high heat in the bottom of your largest stockpot. Crumble the sausage as you brown it.

2. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and saute until tender and starting to turn a bit golden, about 7 minutes.

3. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, pasta and basil. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and continue cooking until pasta becomes a bit tender, about 7 minutes.

4. Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper, according to your preference.

5. Serve hot garnished with grated parmesan, if desired.

It turned out great, Joel loved it and it made enough for his lunch tomorrow, plus enough for another meal. And, not to mention we had most of the ingredients in our kitchen. WinWin!

#trophywife 

Facts about faith I want to remember in 2013

1. Fear will demolish my faith, or faith will demolish my fears. 

2. It’s not the bigness of my faith, but faith in the bigness of my God. 

3. I can do it my way and fail, or God's way and succeed. 

4. Not everyone will share my faith, sometimes not even those closest to me.

5. God can, and God will keep his promises. Not in my time, but only in his time. 

6. God will never lead me where his grace won’t keep me. 

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 7:9: