You're One Smart Cookie, Valentine!

At our house, Valentine's Day is second only to Christmas when it comes to cookie-making holidays. This year I decided to do something a little different than the traditional cut-out heart cookies.

Because of Little Man's food allergies, it's hard to find a good, cut-out cookie recipe he can eat. And since he loves to help me in the kitchen, I don't feel right about making something he can't enjoy right along with us (even though I always keep alternative snacks on hand for him).

I found a recipe for "angel wing" cookies last Christmas (recipe to follow). It's similar to a butter cookie or Mexican wedding cookie with plenty of butter and powdered sugar, but no eggs or nuts...yeah! They were a big hit last Christmas so I decided to adapt them for Valentine's Day this year.

It's such an easy recipe that I figured the adaptation would be a cinch. It was, with one minor exception: Shaping them into hearts without a cookie cutter proved to be more challenging than I expected (especially with a couple little helpers on hand). Regardless, I think they turned out pretty well...

And once they are covered in powdered sugar, you can't see all the little blemishes and finger-indentions. (I would recommend adding more powdered sugar. I did a "quick" dusting with these for photograph purposes.)

Since we are giving these to teachers and friends, I packaged them up in red and white and attached a cut-out heart card that read...


All in all, I think they turned out pretty nice (and yummy, too!)

Angel Wing Cookies (a.k.a. Powdered Heart Cookies)

(originally from BGH.com)

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

4 tsp vanilla

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat butter on medium to high for 30
seconds. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat until
well-combined. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in remaining flour. Chill
dough for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with
parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls then pinch and shape into
crescents (for wings) or hearts. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake 12-13 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Cool 1
minute on baking sheets. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Roll or
lightly dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar.

Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.

I hope you get the chance to enjoy some sweets with your "Sweet" today...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sickness, Snow Days and a Birthday

I don't think I've ever been so happy to see Monday. Last week was one of the strangest weeks we've had in a long time, and I'm glad it's over!

It all started with me in bed for three days with a fever. At the same time, Little Miss developed a fever and Little Man had quite the cough and snotty nose. To add insult to injury, we found out none of us had the same thing so we had to be careful to not spread what we each had to the other! Poor Hubby had his hands full playing both Daddy and Mommy (to sick kids nonetheless!), medical assistant to me, cooking meals, cleaning messes, and even managed to go grocery shopping...which had to be done before Snowpocalypse hit. (Do I have a great man or what! More on that later...)

In case you've been living under a rock for the last week, most of the Midwest United States was blanketed under inches (and sometimes feet) of snow in what is now being dubbed "Snowpocalypse" or "Snowmeggedon." This winter catastrophe resulted in four days off school for Little Miss, no preschool for Little Man, and two days off work for Hubby. It would have been a wonderful winter retreat for us all...if we hadn't been sick!

Still, we did manage to spend Wednesday celebrating Hubby's birthday. Since we were all snowed in, we declared an all-day birthday celebration complete with Apple Fritters for breakfast, a jungle safari in the living room (featuring every stuffed animal we own), a special steak dinner, a viewing of Disney's Jungle Book (notice the theme?) and of course, birthday cake.


Since sickness and blizzard prevented us from going shopping for birthday presents, the kids made "My Favorite Things with Daddy" books. They each drew pictures of their favorite activities with Daddy and we tied them all up with a ribbon. I'm not sure who had more fun...the kids making them or Daddy reading them.

We even created special birthday cards by cutting out pictures of the kids and creating funny scenes and sayings. That was Little Miss's idea...she's quite the crafty bug!


Sickness aside, it was a great week of spending time together and creating special memories. There's nothing like being snowed in together in tight living quarters to make you truly appreciate each other! I was once again reminded how blessed I am to have my wonderful family...especially my Hubby. I hope you had a wonderful birthday, Babe! Thanks for (once again) being my hero!

It's Extreme Makeover Time!

This Sunday, January 16, my sister and her family will be featured in ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. (check your local listings for time). Tune in to see Baby Zoe and his family receive their new home!

We were in Savannah for Christmas and stayed in the new house. Let me just say, it is amazing! Zoe is doing wonderful and even started saying, "Aunt Na" over the holidays! (This aunt couldn't be more proud!) Don't miss Sunday night's show. You'll be amazed at their journey and inspired by their faith. Grab an extra box of tissues and join Ty, Tracy, Paul, Ed, Shaun White, and Paula Deen as they welcome home the Simpson family.

From Our Home To Yours...

Wishing you a very

Merry Christmas

and a

New Year filled with

love, laughter, and joy!

C'mon Ring Those Bells!

In a previous post I mentioned my recent medical journey. I haven been undergoing radiation on my leg for the last six weeks. In the lobby of the treatment facility where I go, there is a bell and a plaque with the following poem inscribed on it:

Survivor's Cheer
Ring this bell
Three times well,
Its toll to clearly say;
My treatment is done!
This course is run!
And I am on my way!

I had never seen anyone actually ring the bell and begun to wonder if anyone actually did. Then one day last week as I came in for my treatment, I heard the bell. I saw the joy and relief on the face of the lady who rung it. Her friends and family, along with the facility staff, were gathered around cheering her on. It was an amazing sight. The nurses later told me they've had people who were treated at other facilities ask to come ring the bell once they completed their treatments. (Of course they let them.)

Today I got to ring that bell. I completed my final radiation treatment. I didn't expect to feel so emotional, after all I have been doing this every day for the last six and a half weeks. I figured this would be just another day. But it wasn't. After ringing that bell, seeing my husband smiling from ear to ear, and hearing the staff cheer, I walked out the doors with a new outlook on life: I am now a survivor.

If you are undergoing treatment for cancer, I encourage you to find out if your treatment center does any type of celebration when your treatment is completed. If not, create your own. Invite family and friends to meet you there. Bring refreshments (I'm sure the staff would appreciate some, too!). Or simply arrange for a celebratory dinner afterward. You've earned it.

If you know someone undergoing treatment for cancer, buy him or her a bell. Attach a copy of the above poem. Offer to celebrate with them...and be prepared to clap, cheer, shout, whistle, and carry on for your loved one. You'll never know how loved it will make them feel.

Extreme Thanksgiving

Many of you may remember the story of Baby Zoe, my nephew who was born a couple years ago with a very rare and severe condition. My sister and brother-in-law were told he would not live and if, by chance, he did he would not have a normal life. Well, they were right about one thing, Zoe's life (and that of his family) is anything but normal!

Zoe (or "ZoBug" as Little Man calls him) is a now thriving 2-year-old. This year, he and his family will spend the first of many Thanksgivings in their new home....compliments of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I was able to fly down to Savannah, GA last week for the big reveal. The show will air sometime after the New Year. You'll have to check back for an exact date; I'll let you know as soon as I hear. In the meantime, here are some highlights from my trip.

Extreme Makeover's Paul DiMeo and Tracy Hutson (background) warm up the crowd
before the big reveal. Both were instrumental in the design of the new house.

The man himself...Ty Pennington


The true hero in my book...Tripp Turner of J.T. Turner Construction.
He and his team were phenomenal!

Two-time Olympic gold-medalist Shaun White helped design
8-year-old Isaac's room.
Isaac was floored that Shaun was there in person!

The bus is in place and volunteers gather to MOVE THAT BUS!

Welcome Home, Simpson family. Welcome Home.

Paula Deen was also a huge part of the entire process, including the design for my sister's new kitchen! You'll have to wait until the show airs to see shots of the inside as well as many other amazing things they did for my sister, her family, and their community. Trust me when I say, it will take your breath away!

To watch the local coverage of the build, click here.

And as they say in Savannah...Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Move that bus!