Cookies Cookies Everywhere & Christmas Shopping
Hm, so, what have I done the past few days...oh, yeah...
We went to Costco on Saturday night, got a membership, and checked it out. It's like a Sam's Club, but it is nicer in some ways. We found the usual stuff, AND then some. Got some big faux suede pillows for the couch and did some Christmas shopping too.
On Sunday, I went to pick up my mom and go downtown for Afternoon Tea at Russian Tea Time It was pretty good, but not as good as the Drake's High Tea. But, I enjoyed it and it was my mom's first time and she liked it too. oldcrow took care of both kids while I was gone on "much needed mom-time". :) My cousin Jennie wasn't able to come because she had to care for her new daughter, Maya Lin that she and her husband adopted from China. I have yet to see her in person, but I've seen pictures. She's cute and I hope that Emily and Maya can grow up together and be as close as my cousin and I have been throughout the years. :) Maya is only 2 months older than Emily....so, it's very cool. (Jennie and I are 6 months apart. I'm older.) Overall, the afternoon tea was nice. :) I do want to go back there again for their Russian cuisine though since I've never had it. Anyone interested?
After the afternoon tea, I dropped off my sis-in-law Ann and then dropped my mom off. Emily was pining for me and I got home at 6:30pm after being out since 1:15pm. OH, btw, ack on the parking costs downtown...I paid $22 for 2-3 hours. ^^;
Monday, Jason had his TB test and we went to Bakers Square. I had one of their holiday pies. The Candy Cane pie....ohhh man, that is some good pie. :9 It gave me an idea for the cookies I was going to bake in the next two days.
Tuesday, we went to Olive Garden....it's kinda hazy for me as far as what happened...
Wednesday, we went Christmas Shopping and bought a few things...we only have about 3 more people to buy gifts for, but otherwise, we're pretty much done. :) oldcrow gave me about 2 hours and I baked up a double batch of the Frango Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. The recipe was easy, and if you like chocolate mints and chocolate chip cookies.....this is the cookie for you. They came out kinda flatter than I wanted it for the first batch, but the 2nd batch came out better. Probably helped I used light brown sugar instead of the dark brown sugar I still had to use before the light brown sugar. In the 2nd batch I ran out of Frango Mints, so, I used some Holiday Morsels and I'll have to say it came out pretty darn good. I need to taste the first batch to see how it tastes, but I'm sure it is also good.
Thursday, my brother came over and I baked the rest of my cookies for presents to my family. Overall, I spent 5 hours baking....it was a nice stress reliever, oddly enough. :) I baked 190 cookies total, pretty good I think. :) I tripled the recipe for the 2nd batch. I think I'll make these cookies for next year's Christmas Cookie Exchange. Doing laundry at the moment, but also gotta start cleaning up the house and more importantly, wrapping up the gifts. I have to still find those little cellophane gift bags to put my cookies in and get gift tags and get those all packaged up. THEN, I gotta wrap all the other gifts we bought on Wednesday.
oldcrow lit up the other tree in the front yard and put out the lighted present boxes. Only the wreath above the fireplace and the candy canes along the front yard to go...I plan on keeping my decorations up until at least a bit after January 1st. :)
Emily is asleep next to me on the couch. oldcrow must be tending Jason or maybe it is my brother tending Jason, I'm unsure of who is tending Jason at the moment. :) I've already tasted 2 cookies. :) But, right now I'm rather hungry....need food badly.
We went to Costco on Saturday night, got a membership, and checked it out. It's like a Sam's Club, but it is nicer in some ways. We found the usual stuff, AND then some. Got some big faux suede pillows for the couch and did some Christmas shopping too.
On Sunday, I went to pick up my mom and go downtown for Afternoon Tea at Russian Tea Time It was pretty good, but not as good as the Drake's High Tea. But, I enjoyed it and it was my mom's first time and she liked it too. oldcrow took care of both kids while I was gone on "much needed mom-time". :) My cousin Jennie wasn't able to come because she had to care for her new daughter, Maya Lin that she and her husband adopted from China. I have yet to see her in person, but I've seen pictures. She's cute and I hope that Emily and Maya can grow up together and be as close as my cousin and I have been throughout the years. :) Maya is only 2 months older than Emily....so, it's very cool. (Jennie and I are 6 months apart. I'm older.) Overall, the afternoon tea was nice. :) I do want to go back there again for their Russian cuisine though since I've never had it. Anyone interested?
After the afternoon tea, I dropped off my sis-in-law Ann and then dropped my mom off. Emily was pining for me and I got home at 6:30pm after being out since 1:15pm. OH, btw, ack on the parking costs downtown...I paid $22 for 2-3 hours. ^^;
Monday, Jason had his TB test and we went to Bakers Square. I had one of their holiday pies. The Candy Cane pie....ohhh man, that is some good pie. :9 It gave me an idea for the cookies I was going to bake in the next two days.
Tuesday, we went to Olive Garden....it's kinda hazy for me as far as what happened...
Wednesday, we went Christmas Shopping and bought a few things...we only have about 3 more people to buy gifts for, but otherwise, we're pretty much done. :) oldcrow gave me about 2 hours and I baked up a double batch of the Frango Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. The recipe was easy, and if you like chocolate mints and chocolate chip cookies.....this is the cookie for you. They came out kinda flatter than I wanted it for the first batch, but the 2nd batch came out better. Probably helped I used light brown sugar instead of the dark brown sugar I still had to use before the light brown sugar. In the 2nd batch I ran out of Frango Mints, so, I used some Holiday Morsels and I'll have to say it came out pretty darn good. I need to taste the first batch to see how it tastes, but I'm sure it is also good.
Thursday, my brother came over and I baked the rest of my cookies for presents to my family. Overall, I spent 5 hours baking....it was a nice stress reliever, oddly enough. :) I baked 190 cookies total, pretty good I think. :) I tripled the recipe for the 2nd batch. I think I'll make these cookies for next year's Christmas Cookie Exchange. Doing laundry at the moment, but also gotta start cleaning up the house and more importantly, wrapping up the gifts. I have to still find those little cellophane gift bags to put my cookies in and get gift tags and get those all packaged up. THEN, I gotta wrap all the other gifts we bought on Wednesday.
oldcrow lit up the other tree in the front yard and put out the lighted present boxes. Only the wreath above the fireplace and the candy canes along the front yard to go...I plan on keeping my decorations up until at least a bit after January 1st. :)
Emily is asleep next to me on the couch. oldcrow must be tending Jason or maybe it is my brother tending Jason, I'm unsure of who is tending Jason at the moment. :) I've already tasted 2 cookies. :) But, right now I'm rather hungry....need food badly.