Behold, the best photo I’ve ever taken.
Black Cat being his true self!
Followed closely by:
Cat Bae
Leave a reply
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Aw Honey, Ya Baked! : Rice Crispy Cookies
Guys, I have such a treat for you today! When I was young I remember going grocery shopping with my mom at Publix. Publix is a special grocery treat for Floridians (now most of the deep south) that cannot be beat. It’s where shopping really is a pleasure. One of my favorite things about grocery shopping at Publix with my mom was the free cookies once we made it to the bakery. My favorite cookie to get was the rice krispy variety. Cereal in cookies?! Best idea ever!!
Because it was such a standard favorite, my mom started making a similar cookie involving coconut and rice krispies. Little did I know that Ray’s mom made a similar cookie as well! And wouldn’t you know, it was also Ray’s favorite. Here’s how you make them:
Rice Crispy Cookies
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C butter
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C Rice Krispie’s cereal
1 C oats (the original recipe calls for quick-cooking oats, but I use whatever we have at the house – usually old fashion or steel cut)
1/2 C coconut flakes (unsweetened or sweetened – it just doesn’t matter)
1/2 chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside. Beat butter, preferably in an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add sugars to butter and beat until blended. Add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture. When everything is well combined, add the cereal, oats, coconut, and nuts. Put those bad boys on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes! The cookies pictured are pretty small, but I’ve also made them much larger. You do you!
These are the perfect cookie! Everyone enjoys them and it’s nice to have an alternative to chocolate. I’ve made about 6 batches in the last 2 months for varies parties and get-togethers! They’re always a crowd pleaser!
Binge Worthy TV
So, did anyone else spend a good portion of the holidays relaxing and binge watching TV shows? We sure did! Ray and I haven’t had cable since we’ve been married (actually Ray has NEVER had cable) so we’ve been big fans of Neflix for quite a while. I love to hear what shows/movies/documentaries people are loving! By now I think everyone should know the cliche recommendations: The Office, Walking Dead, Parks and Rec, Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones, etc. These are all wonderful and if you haven’t seen them add them to your queue now. Below are a few others (maybe slightly less talked about) I would suggest if you’re looking for something to binge-watch!
Netflix:
Turn – Turn is a revolutionary war-era drama based on the same-named novel by Alexander Rose. Picture this- British occupied New England states, spies, double agents, love triangles, lots of wigs.
Jessica Jones – A Neflix original, Jessica Jones is based off of the comic series Alias. This has been my favorite comic series by far! Jessica Jones is definitely dark, but also so so good.
Making a Murderer – There is so much hype right now about Making a Murderer. This show is a Neflix original documentary series focusing on Steven Avery, a man wrongfully accused and imprisoned for 18 years. Shortly after him being exonerated, he was accused of another terrible crime. Guys, if you love true crime this is for you!
Great British Baking Show – A huge hit across the pond, The Great British Baking Show is a reality show based around baking. Honestly, my favorite part of the show is that despite it being competition based, there’s no real drama. No sabotage, so bad attitudes, just happy British bakers!
Hulu:
Wayward Pines – This is a TV show based off a novel of the same name by Blake Couch. It’s mysterious and sci-fi-y and I love it. The acting is surprisingly super high quality!
Scream Queens – GUYS, Scream Queens is by the creators of both Saw and Glee… if that tells you anything. Slasher movie meets sorority life. It’s so hilarious and campy!! You HAVE to watch!!
Amazon:
The Man in the High Castle – This is what Ray and I just finished watching. It’s an amazon original and based off a Philip K. Dick novel. The Man in the High Castle takes place in 1962 and is centered around an alternate history in which the allies lost WWII. Germany occupies the east coast of the former United States, Japan occupies the west coast, and the Rocky Mountains and mid-west are a neutral zone. It’s so interesting!
What have you loved binge watching? I love TV!
December 2015 Favorites
December was a strange and busy month for us. You probably noticed a lack in posting, and it was absolutely due to the busy-ness of the season. I keep a running list on my phone of my monthly favorites so I don’t forget anything. When I went back to check December it was super short and a little lack luster. I’m sure this was a result of a busy, event-filled month. I thought about not posting, but then remembered that favorites posts are some of my favorite to read… even when they’re short and lack luster. So, I decided to post! Here are my December 2015 favorites:
-Pink lady apples – For the past several years I’ve been strictly a gala apple girl. I’ve had allergic reactions to other variety of apples, but gala always did me well. In November I tried pink lady apples to see if I could eat them. Not only did they not cause an allergic reaction, I discovered they were DELICIOUS!!
– Pink and blue scarf from Old Navy. Keeping me warm and cute all at the same time.
-Christmas cacti – At the beginning of the month my company threw a client Christmas party. As party favors, I ordered beautiful Christmas cacti from a local nursery – Nobels Greenhouse and Nursery from Live Oak, FL. Our clients loved them and I was able to take a few of the leftovers home! They’re so beautiful!
– Coffee Coolers from Ellianos – These are in no way healthy for you… but they sure are delicious! December had a lot of late nights, early mornings, and long works days so I made many visits to Ellianos!
– Santa Cat- No explanation needed.
NOT PICTURED
-Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Anything I want to say about the Force Awakens has already been said. It was so so so good. Even if you’re not really into Star Wars you should see it. Best movie of the year!
-Heck Ya the Halls – I’m not a huge Christmas music fan, but this album is wonderful! Their versions of We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Auld Lang Syne are some of the best I’ve heard! The album is available for listening on Spotify or you can download it from Noisetrade.
– Making a Murderer- Making a Murderer is a documentary series that debuted on Netflix in December. It follows Steven Avery, a man who was imprisoned for sexual assault and attempted murder, who was later proved innocent and released from prison, only to a few years later be accused of the rape and murder of another woman. There is a lot of shady police work, forced confessions, planted evidence, etc.
What did you love during December? What are you loving now?
Instalife
Daily life with Allison and Ray documented through iphone photos.
The end of December through the beginning of January was a sweet time, albeit slightly less relaxing than we had hoped. We spent time with family and friends (some of them being far-away friends we don’t see very often!!), celebrated birthdays, held an 8 hour old baby, attended too many Christmas parties, binge-watched Netflix, made food at home, went on fancy dates, threw a baby shower, and rang in the new year!
