Stepping Stones

I was really impressed with Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Take a look...

If you want more information about it, click here. 

My Home Is My Castle

After a couple of weeks across the pond, we've returned weary but happy. As soon as I can get my photos in order I'll show you a few. In the meantime, here are a couple of the places we saw, just to get your anticipation stoked.

Think of the heating bills in these places! Yikes.

My Mother's Mother's Day Dinner

Last night we went with my mom to a restaurant that was new to me. It is in the Riverwoods shopping center in Provo (but there's a new location about to open at Gateway in Salt Lake this summer!). 

We were surprised by the interior! 

My mom and my sister

I'm starting to rethink my grey hair. I look pretty old here. 

But this lady doesn't look old! She looks great! 

And I'm having bang issues. 

I joined a card-making group a few months ago. 

Since then, I've started making my own cards for other occasions as well. 

We ordered a cheese/fruit plate for an appetizer. It was gorgeous, and delicious. 

This was my food. It was insanely amazingly delicious. Like- the best thing I've ever eaten in my LIFE!
Beef tenderloin medallions

This was Cheryl's food, chicken-stuffed crepes. 

This was my mom's food, shrimp pasta with orange butter sauce.  

Our desserts

La Jolla Grove's lemon cake under a caramel dome

Orange crème brulee

Our pretty flower 

This artwork on the wall was painted by my mom's cousin! 

After dinner, we went into the bakery. I love these jams all lined up so purdy. 

If you couldn't find something on the dessert menu that suited you, try something from in here! 

Cupcake? Cream puff? Oh, yes. Pass me a few. 

Isn't it so cute? 

And so you don't forget the name... 

Afterwards, we walked over to Zion's Mercantile. What is it about stuff like this? 

I don't want to buy or eat it, I just like to see it. It brings me happy feelings! 

Lovely evening with two of my favorite people! I highly recommend this restaurant! Five stars for me (and that's 5 out of 5)! 

What Nice Friends I Have

This was delivered the other day by the guy in the brown truck (UPS). I was completely blown away that it came to my door. Bud and I have some friends that are always two steps ahead of us and we can't ever seem to even the scales because just when we think we're catching up, they do something like this. 

The Search is Over

I have thought I'd found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe before, but I was wrong. Not too long ago, I showed you some stuffed cookies using a recipe from Picky Palate. I've been using her recipe ever since, so I wanted to put it on here without having to click over to the link so it could be found easier. 

Picky Palate's Perfect CCC

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 T vanilla (yes, a tablespoon, not a teaspoon)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (I use Hershey's milk chocolate chips instead)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (I found some flat pre-cut sheets at Gygi's that I am loving!) or a Silpat liner.

Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. 

Put the flour, salt and baking soda into a bowl and whisk briefly to combine, then add flour mixture to butter mixture and blend until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

I use my small cookie scoop and bake them for 9-11 minutes (they're usually perfect at 9 minutes). Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet, then remove them to a cooling rack to cool for as long as you can stand it before you start diving into these lovely creatures. This is my forever and always from now on ccc recipe for the rest of my life. 

Not-From-a-Box Brownies

The other day I went through one of Karen's boxes and found my old Betty Crocker cookbook. It came in handy when I went to make brownies on Sunday morning and found I had finally used up my dozens of brownie mixes. Yep, fresh out. I knew there was a brownie recipe in that cookbook that I used to make all the time. It was just as good as I remembered it, and I cut up the brownies to make this little trifle. Karen said it tasted very much like her birthday cake, except easier to eat!

Brownies (adapted from Betty Crocker)
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups flour
Line a 9x13 (I actually use an 11x8 pan because I like my brownies a little taller) with parchment paper or foil (if using foil, spray it with Pam), allowing the paper (or foil) to overhang the edges of the pan. Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate and shortening. Remove saucepan from heat and add the sugar and sugar. Beat the eggs in, one at a time until combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes (toothpick should test mostly clean). Allow brownies to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then lift out the pan and continue to cool on a rack.
To kick these brownies up a notch, stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or crushed Oreo cookies to the batter before baking.

For the trifle shown, use this recipe for the pudding and layer your brownies (cut in 1"squares) with the pudding and strawberries and top with sweetened whipped cream.