Christmas Cookies

Posted on December 16, 2024December 15, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? We started ours off going to a Christmas party. It was nice seeing friends and hanging out for a few hours. Saturday afternoon we went to my brother’s house to bake cookies. Today, I’m sharing the cookies we made!

…for eating too many cookies! haha

I always make these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, but I add two teaspoons of peppermint extract instead of vanilla extract. These cookies are best if you make the dough ahead and put in the fridge for a bit. So, I made the batter at my house before we went to my brother’s house.

Hadley and Layla did a great job rolling the dough in the powdered sugar before baking them.

Wyatt helped Hadley with the second batch.

While they were doing that, my brother made the Spritz cookie dough. My mom always made these cookies, and my brother has a Spritz cookie press.

My brother wants everyone to know that 3 cups of flour is the key…He did 3 1/2 cups and complained about it the rest of the time! haha

When I asked him to send me the recipe, you can see he’s made a very important note for next year!

We added green food coloring to half the dough and red food coloring to the other half of the dough. So, we made green trees and red wreaths.

It takes a couple of presses to figure it out…and my brother had a captive audience.

Hayden’s turn…

While the few batches of Spritz cookies baked, we made the other cookie that I always make…peanut butter blossom cookies. They aren’t a Christmas cookie, but I only make them in my Christmas cookie batch.

Wyatt helped Hadley roll the dough balls in sugar, and then Wyatt and Layla helped add the Hershey Kisses once they came out of the oven.

Then, conveniently, everyone scattered and it was just my brother and I cleaning up!!

They did rally for a “Christmas cookie cousin crew” pic!

Let’s just say that three cookies was enough to bake for their attention spans.

What’s your favorite Christmas cookie to bake?

Delish Desserts, Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: October 2024

Posted on October 14, 2024October 13, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was great as we had a busy Saturday and a low-key Sunday. I think I “over did” it a bit on Saturday, but Sunday I had some time to recharge before thankfully heading back to school today. I’m glad to be feeling much better.

Anyway, it’s the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting Share Our Lives with some of my favorite bloggers.

So far this year, we’ve discussed:

Introductions and jobs you’ve had in January
How we met our significant others in February
5 items you can’t live without in March
Favorite makeup and hair products in April
5 favorite and least favorite foods in May
Foods you make for someone else in June
Day in the life: summer edition in July
Least favorite activities in August
Finding peace in your day in September

This month’s topic is…sweet tooth cravings.

Well, I certainly have a sweet tooth! It’s hard for me to pass up a good sweet! That being said, I try to show restraint, but if something is seasonal, I probably won’t hold back. For example, I don’t eat breakfast, but in the fall, I love nothing more than an apple cider donut with a cup of coffee on a weekend!

At the start of the year, I shared a “12 months of desserts” post where I shared the desserts we made in 2023.

As soon as I started thinking about favorite sweets, I immediately thought of apple cider donuts…which then made me decide to organize this post by season of desserts.

So, here we go!

Fall:

As I said, above, one of my favorite fall treats are apple cider donuts.

Trader Joe’s has them for a few weeks:

….but my faves are the ones from the pumpkin patch!

This apple cider donut cake is a new fall tradition for me to bake:

Also, I love to make a pumpkin pie in the fall too. I prefer it served cold with a dollop of Cool Whip.

Winter:

I always look forward to Shay’s Peppermint Bundt cake in the winter. It’s a tradition that I make it for our Christmas dinner when we are at home.

I like cookie cake alllll year long, but we usually kick off the year with one for my birthday in January!

Spring:

Once spring arrives, I’m ready for lighter desserts like strawberry short cake.

Summer:

There’s nothing better than a scoop of ice cream on a hot day in the summer. One thing about me is I will always look at all the flavor options, but 9 times out of 10, I will get my fave…mint chocolate chip. (I also love peppermint ice cream in the winter!)

I love cheesecake, especially in the summer. Jason’s Deli has such a good slice of cheesecake, so when I can, I get one. I’ve made cheesecake a couple of times, but I haven’t perfected it. Trader Joe’s has a good one too.

All year:

What’s my favorite dessert that I could eat all year long? Homemade Rice Krispies treats. Usually, when we got to Trav’s mom’s house, she has some for me…and his sister makes them when we come to town too. Obviously, I can make them myself, and sometimes I do…but it can be dangerous to have a whole pan of them! haha

What’s your sweet tooth cravings?

Next month, our topic is: where do you shop?

We’d love to have you link up with us!

Thanks for reading,

Delish Desserts, Seasonal

Summer Sundays #6

Posted on July 14, 2024July 14, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!

How has your weekend been? Yesterday, we spent most of the day watching Hadley play in a sand volleyball tournament which was really fun. We also had dinner out with friends. I’m hoping for a little more downtime today…and maybe we’ll even “beat the heat” and go to the pool.

Today, I’m sharing another…

…and I’m talking all about s’mores. To me, nothing says summer more than s’mores. Of course, we’ll make s’mores in the cooler months as well, but summer and s’mores also go together.

My mom made this patriotic s’mores dip…(I’m not sure the exact recipe she used, but these seems like the directions she told me)…which got me thinking about s’mores recipes I have pinned on Pinterest.

How do you like your roasted marshmallow? I think I’m a “B3” girl.

This meme made me laugh….(if only it was that easy to burn calories!)…

…this one made me chuckle too!

Anyway, here are a few s’mores recipes I have saved on Pinterest. I haven’t made these yet, but maybe I can try a few new s’mores dessert recipes before the summer ends.

1. S’mores Cookie Bars

This recipe looks easy and delish.

Recipe from Lifestyle of a Foodie.

2. S’mores Rice Krispies

Rice Krispie Treats are one of my favorite desserts. I bet these s’more ones are delish.

Recipe from Dessert Now Dinner Later.

3. Chocolate Dipped S’mores Sticks

I’ve not seen a dessert like this one.

Recipe from Crafty Teacher Lady.

4. Oven Baked S’mores

I actually have made this recipe, and it was a hit!

Recipe from Kara Creates

5. Hershey Kiss S’mores Cookies

Yum!

Recipe from Like Mother Like Daughter

I have so many other s’mores recipes pinned on Pinterest, but these are a few that I hope to try soon.

How do you like your marshmallow roasted?

Let me know if you try one of these recipes!

I hope you have a great rest of your weekend. I hope to have Part 4 of our trip on the blog tomorrow.

Delish Desserts

12 Months of Desserts!

Posted on January 2, 2024January 1, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, today is my last day of break, so I’m soaking up one more morning without an alarm clock and hope to get my house back into shape…it’s been a process!

Did you catch my “Year in Review” yesterday? I didn’t publish it until mid-morning, but I wanted to start the new year off with a post. I’m trying to get back in the blogging groove.

This time last year, I shared a year’s worth of movies that we watched.

In 2022, my friend and her daughter baked a cake every month, and I loved that idea as a focus for 2023. Hadley loves to bake, and I have a sweet tooth, so I thought that would be fun to do.

We started off strong, but some months I did the baking and other times, we both did. Also, we ended up making other desserts besides cakes.

Here’s what we baked in 2023.

January:

We started the year off making this Chocolate Chip cake.

Hadley did the baking and most of the decorating.

February:

In February, we made Shay’s Red Velvet Bundt Cake.

We were at Target and found an icing kit and sprinkles, so Hadley decorated it.

March:

With the help of my niece, Hadley made Andrea’s Lime Poke Cake. It was easy and delish.

April:

We didn’t end up baking a cake in April, but we did try two new dessert recipes.

Shays Fruity Pebbles Neiman Marcus bars were an unexpected hit! I wasn’t sure about the Fruity Pebbles, but they definitely made this dessert.

Hadley made these Peanut Butter Blossom bars for family dinner dessert. We put some candles in them to celebrate my mom’s birthday a couple of weeks early.

May:

As the month wrapped up, I realized we hadn’t made any desserts.

I decided to make “Strawberry Shortcake Trifles.” We baked white cake, cubed it, and put it in Mason jars. We layered the dessert with Cool Whip and strawberries.

June:

Hadley made Oven Baked S’more Bars, and they were so good. Seeing this pic makes me want her to make them again.

July:

I couldn’t wait to make “Chocolate Zucchini Cake” in July. I’ve previously shared this recipe that I got from a friend years ago. We used zucchini from our garden.

Sometimes I ice it with Cool Whip. Other times I just put a dollop on after slicing.

August:

In August, we made Shay’s Key Lime Poke Cake. I made it once last summer, and wanted to make it again. Serve it with a dollop of Cool Whip. It’s so good.

September:

I made Apple Cider Donut Cake, and it was a big hit. My brother actually made it a few weeks later, and we enjoyed it again.

October:

I made Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies the weekend before Halloween. I’ve made this recipe before, but this time the cookies didn’t turn out quite right. They tasted fine but were sticky. I wonder if I missed an ingredient? haha

November:

Of course, we made Pumpkin Pie in November and used the recipe straight off the Libby’s pumpkin can.

December:

Per tradition, we baked cookies in December. We made Peanut Butter Blossoms, Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies (I add in 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract), and for the first time, Cornflake Wreaths.

Another tradition is having Shay’s Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake for Christmas Eve dessert.

It was a great year of baking!

I’m not sure what, if anything, will be a focus this year. I’m drawing a blank for now. Let me know if you have any ideas!

The past two years have been “forced family fun” via movies and desserts. haha

Clothes, Delish Desserts, Friday Favorites, Trader Joes

Friday Favorites {#164}

Posted on June 30, 2023June 30, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I can’t believe tomorrow is July 1st! Where did June go?

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

After many days of rain last week, the sun finally came out on Saturday, and I enjoyed some time at the pool. I finished a book and started a new one. I was also able to hang and chat with some mom friends while Hadley ran around with her friends as well.

Not a favorite! I’m glad we got the pool time in because the past few days have provided hazy skies due to the smoke from wildfires in Canada!

I’ve had some one on one time with Hadley this week because Hayden has been in South Carolina all week with his friend’s family. I’ve really missed him, so I’ve loved getting the updates.

When meal planning for the week, I let Hadley choose a couple of dinners. I’m sure Hayden would eat both, but we’ve had salmon and chicken alfredo for dinner. She was a happy camper.

Apparently, Hayden got one of his favorite meals on vacation…oysters!

On Sunday night, Hadley watched a movie with Travis and me. We watched Flamin’ Hot on Disney +. It was about the guy who was a janitor at Frito Lay and later came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It was a cute and funny movie with a great message.

On Wednesday, after Hadley’s eye doctor appointment, she and I went to see The Little Mermaid at the theater. It was sooo good.

Favorite Clothes:

I have this Shop Style Your Senses dress in two colors. I was excited to wear it for date night last Friday.

I bought this romper earlier this summer, and I’ve been wearing it quite a bit. It’s cute and comfy! I wore it to school one day this week.

After the eye doctor, Hadley and I ran to Walmart. Since I don’t go there often, I looked or a few things that I’d saved on the app…including these athletic shorts…that are only $7! They are buttery soft, and I got them in pink and gray.

Funny story about my black t-shirt. Travis picked it up at Kohls recently…he put it on, and asked if I liked it. I said, “Uhh…I think it’s a women’s shirt!” hahaha…He gave it to me!

Favorite Foods:

For our anniversary, we went to Jeff Ruby’s…while Travis ordered steak, I ordered some sushi. It was so good.

Hadley and I have continued baking once a month, and on Sunday, she made these Oven Baked S’mores. Let me just say it won’t be the last time we make them. Delish!

I went to Trader Joe’s to pick up a few things. I saw these Key Lime Tea Cookies, and oh my word…if you like key lime, you’ll love these.

Favorite Mom Meme(s):

I have bad news for those of you with little ones…lol

…and this one made me chuckle.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Something about the 4th of July that always has me in my feelings a bit. I love this sweet memory…

Weekly Recap:

I found my blogging groove a bit this week.

What are your weekend plans? We don’t have a ton on tap, and I’m happy about that. I’m officially finished with summer school, and Hayden comes home tomorrow…so my weekend is already off to a great start.

I’ll be back on Monday to share my Amazon purchases from the month.

Thanks for reading!

Delish Desserts

Crumbl Cookie

Posted on April 25, 2023April 25, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Today’s post is kind of random, but do you have a Crumbl Cookie near you? We’ve had one in Lexington for probably a year or so, and over spring break the kids wanted to try it. Well, we never had time to get there, but this weekend, Hadley mentioned it. We were out running errands, so we stopped in.

I saw this meme over the weekend…and it goes nicely with this post.

While these cookies weren’t “medium rare,” they are baked fresh and decorated as you pick up your order.

There’s a Crumbl Cookie app where you can see what the flavors are for the week. You can also use the app to place a pickup order.

We just ordered right when we went in the store. They have a few kiosks where you choose how many cookies you want (one, four, six, or party box) and which flavors you want. You pay, and then they put your cookies in one of their pretty pink boxes for you to take home.

We were in and out in ten minutes or less. Hadley was so excited:

The flavor options this time were:

Milk chocolate chip
Cotton candy
Peanut butter munch
Birthday cake (Oreo)
Caramel Shortbread
Classic pink sugar

The only one we didn’t order was the caramel shortbread; instead we picked up two peanut butter munch.

On the drive home, Hadley was watching some Crumbl Cookie Instagram reels/stories, and one guy rated the cotton candy one 3/10. Hadley was nervous. 😂

We split them up and each tried a bit of some over the weekend.

As far as favorites, Travis and Hadley loved the peanut butter munch. It was really good…you could taste the mix of peanut butter and chocolate.

Hayden’s favorite was the birthday cake oreo.

The cotton candy one was a sugar cookie, but the icing really did taste like cotton candy. We all thought it was better than a 3/10…but not one that you’d want all the time.

My favorite was the sugar cookie. It’s just a classic taste, and the icing was so good. Honestly, a close second was the chocolate chip. Delish.

I think they have some of the cookies all of the time — like the chocolate chip and sugar cookies. I just looked at this week’s menu includes those two and cookies and cream milkshake, strawberry cupcake, buttermilk pancake, and triple chocolate chip.

Hadley even said it would be fun if you were having a birthday party to let the guests choose which cookie they’d like rather than getting cupcakes. I think she’s on to something!

Do you have a Crumbl Cookie near you? If so, what’s your favorite flavor? I’m sure we’ll go back and will want to try other flavors.

Delish Desserts, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#153}

Posted on April 7, 2023April 7, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, this Friday sure “hits different” than last Friday. While we still have the weekend, the end of spring break is drawing near.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika to share about some of my favorites from the week.

Here are some favorites from the week:

We spent the first half of break in Greenville, SC.

I’ve shared before that we usually use spring break to go somewhere new (to us) that’s a somewhat easy drive. Honestly, I’ve always said that I’m usually too tired to go on a big vacay in the spring (as the school year is wrapping up) and Travis is usually pretty busy at work. So, a few days away has worked well for us.

Anyway, we were in Greenville Saturday to Tuesday, and it was definitely a fun place. I’m sure I will write more about it, but we biked, hiked, walked around, played Top Golf, stopped at a couple of breweries, made time for naps, visited Furman, had froyo, and more.

It was a great few days away and three of the four days had sunshine and 80 degree temps!

I came home to some “fun mail.” In Tuesday’s post about Easter decorations, I shared about my new whitewashed bunny from Ruffled Nest. Well, his little bunny friend arrived! I love them both so much.

Hadley and I had an afternoon of errands, Raising Canes for lunch (her fave!), shopping, and sunshine on Wednesday.

One of our stops was at Bath and Body Works because I wanted to pick up some spring/summer candles. All candles were buy one get one free, so that worked out perfectly.

I picked up:

Sugar Lemon Zest
Lavender Vanilla
Pink Apple Punch
Sunshine Glow

The top two are ones that I’ve previously purchased, and the bottom two are new ones I thought I’d try.

I made Shay’s Fruity Pebble Neiman Marcus Bars, and they were so good. Crazy enough…the Fruity Pebbles really made this treat a hit!

Hayden had fun in Indianapolis this week attending his first ever NBA game. He went with his uncle and cousins to watch the Pacers play the Knicks on Wednesday night. They were excited because there are former UK players on both teams.

I made a quick stop in Trader Joe’s for Hadley’s favorite bagels, and I picked up some tulips. The bunch provided enough for a mason jar in the living room and in our bedroom.

While we enjoyed our Greenville trip, having the second half of break at home was definitely a favorite too. I was able to do some things around the house, run errands, prep for Easter, have downtime, read, get caught up on shows, and more. Hayden had time with his cousins, and Hadley had time with her friends.

Even yesterday was a cold and dreary day, and I wasn’t mad about it. While I did get a workout in, I just stayed home and watched some tv, finished a book, and got caught up on laundry. While I know some prefer to travel, having a mix of away and at home time is always what I need. Now we prep to head to the finish line of this school year which is always busy and now the kids extra-curricular activities ramp up again.

Favorite Mom Meme:

If you live with a 7th grade boy, you know what I mean:

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’ve probably shared this before, but here are the kids on Easter 2010. Pinchy cheek cute!

NJAM

On Monday, the Not Just a Mom ladies are blogging about cleaning hacks. I can’t wait to see what others share. I’ve reached out to my “mom gang” (text thread name 😉 for help!

Weekly Recap:

It was a light posting week for me:

Prime PUrchases

Easter Decorations

What are your weekend plans? I’m going to enjoy a few more days off. I think we will continue the dyeing eggs tradition and then celebrate Easter with family.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter and weekend.

Delish Desserts

Rice Krispies Treats: Scotcheroos

Posted on July 21, 2022July 19, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Rice Krispie treats are my favorite, and make me think of being a kid. Growing up, we’d sometimes make Scotcheroos, and I’d completely forgotten about them until recently.

I decided to make a batch last week, and they hit the spot!

Here’s the basic recipe:

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup (Karo)
1 c. creamy peanut butter
6 c. Rice Krispies
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips

Instructions:

In a large sauce pan, melt sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a slight boil.

Remove from heat and add in peanut butter. Stir.

Add in Rice Krispies. I add in 3 cups, stir, and then add in the remaining 3 cups. Stir to combine.

Put mixture in a greased 9×13 pan. Make sure to spread evenly in the pan.

In a microwaveable bowl, combine the chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips. Microwave 30 seconds at a time until they are melted and smooth. I only had to microwave for less than 2 minutes.

Spread the melted mixture on to the Rice Krispie treats.

I always put them in the fridge for a bit to help the topping to set.
then…ENJOY!

While I can plow through a tray of regular Rice Krispie treats, these are so decadent that I can show some restraint! They are such a sweet treat, and the family approved.

What is your favorite dessert from your childhood?

Delish Desserts

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Posted on October 27, 2021October 26, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Today, I’m sharing one of our favorite fall sweet treats!I I stumbled upon this Pinterest recipe a few years ago, and now I make a point to bake these cookies at least a couple of times each fall.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c unflavored vegetable shortening
1 1/4 c granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
2/3 c canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and set aside.

3. In a bowl, using a mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy.

4. Mix in egg yolks one at a time. Mix in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.

5. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.

6. Scoop dough out and shape into 3 Tblsp balls. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. (The recipe says to slightly flatten cookies, but I don’t do that.)

7. I roll them in sugar even though recipe doesn’t call for it.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 11-12 minutes.

9. Cool on the baking sheet for several minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. Icing:

I take a short cut and just buy vanilla frosting. After I frost the cookie, I sprinkle it with pumpkin spice. Delish!

We are big fans of pumpkin around here…pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin sugar cookies!

See you back here tomorrow. I will be recapping one of my favorite fall activities: the pumpkin patch!

Delish Desserts, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Posted on June 1, 2020June 1, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend? The weather in Kentucky was gorgeous! As with the past few weekends, we had a good mix of productivity and relaxation…and we tried to spend lots of time outside before the summer temps arrive!

The world feels pretty heavy right now, so fresh air and sunshine provided some sense of comfort.

Here’s our Weekend Top 5:

Hayden got a haircut and lots of snuggle time with Homer.

The kids enjoyed the Slip N Slide…and have the bumps and bruises to prove it!

Saturday afternoon we celebrated cousin Layla turning 3. They had an ice cream party for her. It turned out really cute and the weather was amazing! My kids had at least two cups of ice cream and two of the delicious cookies!

Cousin time!

Sunday morning, we went to The Stave, an outside restaurant just past Versailles in Frankfort, KY, which was our first time eating at a restaurant since early March. Travis had been there before for lunch, and we ordered brunch this time.

The restaurant is near Woodford Reserve Distillery. There were plenty of picnic tables all spaced out and then a “tree house” with seating of spaced out tables and chairs. We had ordered ahead and sat at a picnic table by the creek to enjoy our food. Travis and the kids shared biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs, and potatoes. I ordered the local chorizo hash. We all enjoyed our food.

Again, it was our first time actually eating at a restaurant in many months, and I was impressed. Of course, the servers wore masks, the tables we spread apart, and you could even purchase a plastic table cloth for $1 for the picnic tables if you wanted to. We enjoyed the weather, the kids threw rocks in the creek, and we took our time eating our meal. It was a great way to start our Sunday.

I’ve seen Christine share about her very indulgent brownie recipe on her Instagram stories. Hadley helped me make it yesterday for our Sunday dessert.

Ingredients:

Brownie mix (+ingredients needed for the mix)
Double Stuf Oreos
Chocolate chip cookie dough

Instructions:

Spray the bottom and sides of an 8×8 pan.
Press cookie dough down for the bottom layer.
Place Oreos in rows to fill the pan.
Fix brownie mix per the instructions on the box and pour over the Oreos.
Bake at 350 per box instructions for 8×8 pan (I think mine baked a little over 50 minutes!)
Definitely let it cool as long as possible before cutting into it. We baked it in the afternoon & didn’t eat it until after dinner, so it had perfectly set up.
Enjoy!

Finished product! Delish.

So that’s what we were up to this weekend! Now, we are ready to tackle the first official week of summer!

I hope you have a great week!