How time flies.  Our son got married to a wonderful young lady and they had a precious and very precocious little girl. That same year my step daughter adopted three, yes I said three children.  Let me tell you get so many grandkids all in one year has been an adventure.  One I would not trade for the world.  Jerrell and I just sit back and enjoy all the stories.  Alright let’s be honest, we mostly just laugh 😂.  Our kids are finding out we did know a thing or two. Since three of the four new grandkids are girls I have enjoyed taking them for manicures and pedicures.  All three girls look forward to our outings.

Madison told me today that a girl just needs her bling. My son ask me all the time how a girl knows all these things. She couldn’t go to school without her coach purse, pearls and lipstick.  Then she wanted him to drive her to school. Now you have to understand she literally has to just walk across the street to go to school. So Jonathan gets in the truck backs out of his driveway into the school’s parking lot let’s her out and pulls back into their drive.  This kid cracks me up.

I’ve had several foot surgeries since my last post, we are hoping all goes well with this one.  I don’t recommend kicking the bed at all.  This last surgery was in January and I am just now getting to walk a little. The doctor basically made me a skeleton foot using really long rods. I started decorating my cast since I was getting a new one every two weeks. Besides my cast I bedazzled my walker. I just love sparkly things.    Jerrell jokes if you stand still long enough I’ll bedazzle you.

Being confined to bed I started making my pincushions again, along with reopening my Etsy store. If you have time stop by RhinestonesNRabbits and check it out. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1209959708/orange-lop-eared-rabbit-emery-pincushion?click_key=97edebfc6910d082d1fa5fcdcf7a9745127ee7a1%3A1209959708&click_sum=ff273508&ref=shop_home_active_6&frs=1

Here’s a few of my new pincushions.

I will be adding more this weekend.

Happy crafting!

Rhonda

3/31/2014

I know it has been a while since I've talked with you and I have had so much going on this past few months. One of the main highlights was a surprise total knee replacement in January, now mind  I never wanted one and was not going to have one, well I had no real choose so I agreed to one then he told me I would have to have my other knee done as well in 6 months.  I have done well and am glad I had it done.

The reason I'm writing now is because I found a killer recipe I had to share.

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup golden raisins (see note above about soaking raisins)
3/4 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

 FROSTING
2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (important so you don’t have lumps in your frosting!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream together butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy. Do not cut this step short! Add the egg and carvedilol cialis the vanilla and keep mixing to combine. Turn off mixer and scrape down sides of the bowl before moving to next step.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Whisk to fully incorporate. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oats, coconut, raisins, carrots and walnuts. Place dough in the refrigerator for an hour to set.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop the dough into evenly sized mounds and place a couple inches apart on the cookie sheets. I used a tablespoon to scoop it out and rolled it into balls by hand. They were probably about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set around the edges but still soft in the center. You may want to rotate your cookie sheets halfway through cooking or bake one sheet at a time to ensure even cooking. I usually go with one at a time. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack.

FROSTING

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Once incorporated, slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Keep mixing until light and fluffy.

Note: I had JUST enough icing with these ratios. If you want to really spread it on thick then I recommend doubling the frosting. 

Yield: about 24 cookies

2nd Cookie

Chewy Carrot Cake Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 3/4 cup carrot cake mix

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans
 

Cream Cheese Frosting:
 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the flour, carrot cake mix, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl add the butter and brown sugar. Cream together for a couple of minutes with a mixer.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape the bowl with a spatula if needed.

Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Add the nuts and mix until just incorporated. The dough will be soft.

Chill the dough completely for a couple of hours. This is essential so that the cookies do not spread too much.

Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into 1 1/2 Tablespoon size balls and place on the cookie sheet. You want your dough balls to be taller than wider. These cookies do spread a lot so make sure you have plenty of room between the cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just turning golden brown. The cookies may appear to not be done all the way but will set up on the pan. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the pan.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix slowly at first until combined. Beat until fluffy.   Frost cookies.

 Notes

Source: Inspired by Sally's Baking Addiction Cake Batter Cookies

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July27

Oh where to start.  I guess the best place would be with the  eggs I have been making, they are called Pysanky's plural or Pysanka singular.  The are a Ukrainian art of decorating Easter Eggs with traditional Ukrainian folk art  designs buy applying bees wax and dyes in multiple layers.

This started with me going to a festive with my mother and was blown away by their beauty. I had never seen anything like, I just had to know how to do it  The colors, intricate patterns, and the were so delicate.  They had eggs ranged from Bluebird to Ostrich, I stills can't get over the intricate patterns on some of the eggs. I have become obsessed with making them.  I took a class that was offered and thus was born a monsters. a dozen eggs go down the drain a week just so I can have the shells.  

I told Jerrell I need chickens so I could get thicker shells,  I even figured out how I might do it so the HOA didn't know.  He just shakes his head. (thinking I married a crazy women)

34 th

I can't it's been 34 years,  2 apartments, 8 houses, 2 step daughters, 1 son, 2 grandchildren,7 dogs, 2 cats', 5 careers for Jerrell , 2 different careers for me, and finally but certainly not least 1 husband.  Looking at it spelled out makes me think, I must love this man.  Also way I'm so tired.

Jerrell and I have looking forward to what the future will hold for us, so far it has been a ride with a lot of peaks and some valley's.  Over all I would have to say the ride was worth it

March 1, 2012

March 1, 2012

My day started out with the phone ringing bright and early, Jonathan wanted to bring Jacob over so he could go seer his doctor.  Then 5 minutes later Jacob comes through the door saying DONUTS! Mimi DONUTS! So like a good Mimi I said OK lets go get Papa up. He He!!  Jacob bounces on the bed jumping up and  down Papa, Papa DONUTS!  then HE SITS DOWN BESIDE Papa and puts his little hands on Papa's face and gets right in his face and says DONUTS,Papa DONUTS!!  all this is done hat the top of his lungs.  What a good Papa up he gets and gets dress and takes Jacob for donuts.

Now I'm off to make a Pink Lemonade Cake for my friends Birthday.  Then I'm off to work on a Faberge Egg, I've been working on.

February 20, 2013

February 20, 2013

I have been working so hard on some new ideas for my Etsy Shop, Bunny's Honey Hutch (http://www.etsy.com/shop/BunnysHoneyHutch). One of the things I made that turned out so cute was a Valentine Heart Tree.  I made little needle felted hearts and had Jerrell make a tree for me to showcase my hearts.  I think it turned out so cute.

 

Some of my other adventures have included pin cushions, sculpting bunnies out of roving and Easter eggs that open to reveal a surprise that you have tucked insider for that special someone.



 



 

 

 

Let me know what you think.

 

Have a wonderful day!

Rhonda