Levain and Milk Bottle Cookie Wannabes...

 Good morning!  Thought I'd check in with you.  Not up to much but will start keeping my great granddaughter, Sloane, for my granddaughter, Samantha...got that? Lol

It can get confusing.  Samantha is a hair stylist and is beginning her journey back to that world after the birth of little Sloane.  I'll be watching her until Sam can get her into a childcare facility.  There is one close to her place of business which would make it so much easier.  Her job and our house are on opposite ends of town and when she gets through with work, she can easily stop in the daycare, pick up Sloane and head home which is 45 minutes away.

Hubby and I like to try out different coffee shops around town, on occasion.  The last one was called Milk Bottle Cookie Shop, in our town.  Their cookies are good, but they just leave too much of the dough, raw.... way too much.  You just feel like you're eating cookie dough.  Some people like it...I really don't care too much for it.  Some is okay but...not the whole of the center of the cookie.  Anyway, I came home and created my own version.  It's wonderful and tender in the middle but doesn't make you feel like its raw.  

Milk Bottle Coffee...really good.

Our little Sloane Sweetie...12 lbs now!

My version of the Levain cookie...huge and wonderful!

And my Brown Butter cookies...yum!

My Banana Pudding Cookies...also huge (5ozs) and a big hit!

I'm also experimenting with packaging them so I can mail them safely to grandkids and my daughter.  This was done with my vacuum sealer on gentle cycle.  Package up what I want to send, and they are good to go!  Of course, you need to put in extra things to make the trip safely...extra packing paper or noodles.

This is a cookie experiment...Candy Corn Cookies...Taste great but they kept spreading out too much.  SIX inches in width!  I'm still working to correct that.

Hope you all are doing well...Have a wonderful and peaceful week!

I'll be around to check on you!

September 26th, 1972 to 2022...50th Wedding Anniversary

I still remember most vividly, laying on the sofa, in our first apartment at Villa Victoria, asking Larry how our lives would look in fifty years...He was 24 and I was 21.

Lolol...He's now 74 and I'm 71. 

Two children and four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter later...we're still kicking.

We are Blessed.

The Kitchen Air Pro was my gift from hubby.  If you know me, you know I love to bake.  

A tremendous savings at Sam's Club!  $289!!!  It came with a 3qt and 6qt bowl, beaters for both, a slotted spoon for wiping the beater clean (works okay but I'm not impressed). 

Larry's still trying to decide what his gift from me will be...Lol...last words on it were coconut...and pie...lolol  Being married this long, you don't usually party hardy.  It's maybe lunch out...no biggie.

As long as we are still able to here for each other and the kids, that's really all that matters.

Great Gran Sloane...

Our daughter and Sloane's Grandmother, Lolli...

I acquired this recipe from my sister years ago.  I've made it every Christmas since 1979.  Everyone loves the stuff.

These are those weird Butter Swim biscuits...good Lord they're good!  

Recipe here:

Butter Swim Biscuits

Then I made these Egg & Bacon English muffins for the freezer.

They freeze great for up to 3-6 months, if wrapped right.

Also...beef & refried bean burritos.  They also freeze well... to serve, thaw, fill with lettuce, tomato and cheese.  A serious yum!

A dessert of cream brulee...so easy to make.

Hope you all are enjoying the last day of Summer, here in the USA.  

Fall is upon us although you couldn't prove it by me...here in Texas today it's supposed to be 97*F, 36C.  Looks like it'll be hot up until week after next...so tired of the heat.  It blasted us this year!  Our yard is simply straw...since we weren't able to water like we use to.  It's restricted watering.  The water is high here, as well...$130 a month, minimum!  The electric has climbed as well...everything has!

Have a sweet and peaceful week guys...see you next time!

Introducing....

Sloane Avery Parker

Monday, August 15, 2022

12:40am

Samantha did great...had a bit of a hard time at the end time of her labor but all things went well.

Our little Miss Sloane and my big thumb!!lolol

My daughter Crystal...New Grandmother who will be officially called, Lolli.

Miss Sloane...

Me...Greatgamma!!  Awful shot but...I was SO tickled!

Crystal's hubby Tim, New Grandfather...officially to be known as Pop.

Newborn photos...

 

This bassinet is at my house so when I keep her, I have a safe place to lay her...

Samantha at home...pooped!lolol

Lolli holding her little love...

Our William (Samantha's brother) came in on leave from the Air Force to meet his new niece...

More sweetness...

Somehow, I had time to make some Chocolate Chip cookies for everyone!

All in all, Larry and I feel SO blessed!  Not many people get to see their great grand children and still say they can keep up with them...lolol

It's been a Very busy month, indeed!

Hope you all have been behaving!!  I'll be back to check up on you!

Hugs, Donna

Paris-Brest pastry...Butter cream Flowers and...

Paris-Brest

This pastry took me out of my comfort zone.  It's almost like a creme' puff but yet, you know it's not.  Delicious but from now on, I think I'll let the bakery create one for me!  A bit too much work involved.

Then there's the buttercream flowers I made for a small cake which...I decided I didn't like the crumb of the cake well enough to bother decorating it with my not so wonderful flowers...I'm still learning as you can see from the chunky ones to the thinner more flower-like petals.  Trust me, it ain't easy!

Then there was the No-Carb fried chicken...now it was good!  Just use fried pork rinds whizzed up in the food processor, for best results.

Marinade the chicken pieces in buttermilk for at least an hour...

OH!!  Just letting you know...IF you own any Magna Lite or other brand of aluminum cookware, if it's horrible looking, thick with burned on grease, just take the handle off... pop it into your self cleaning oven...do a medium clean...after about five hours your pan will be CLEAN!!!  See mine with the frying chicken?  It was HORRIBLE!  I figured if it'll clean cookie sheet pans (not those fancy flat "air bake" ones...only because I haven't tried cleaning those yet...).  I just experimented on my fry pan and found out it worked!

You do You!  This is just what I did...I was so disgusted with it I almost threw out my 50 year old Magna Lite pan!! (Southern women everywhere are hanging their heads in shame about now!)

Then roll in flour mixed with several tablespoons of cornstarch and seasonings...dip in buttermilk marinade...then in the flour...then in lard or vegetable oil.

And lastly, Hot Chocolate cookies.  Pretty good but not sweet enough..."something enough".

Once I decide the recipe isn't absolutely wonderful, in the trash it goes.

Well, that's it for me...Hope you all are keeping safe, able to afford these ridiculous gas and food...utility prices!!!  I am counting the days until November!  Voter card at the ready!!

We are also waiting for our granddaughter to have her baby this month...Hopefully on the 9th...my birthday.  The Ultrasound tech says the 9th...the doctor says the 15th.

Enjoy your week and I'll be checking on you soon.