jammin with oatmeal jammys

i'd like to introduce you to my new favorite cookie:

the oatmeal jammy

Source: bakeorbreak.com viaSarah Grace on Pinterest

recipe from break and bake

 

here's what you need

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/8 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oats

jams or preserves (i used blackberry)

 

here's what you do

1. preheat oven to 350°.

2. mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

3. beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each one.  mix in vanilla, and gradually add flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated.  then, add in the oats.

4. scoop dough onto prepared pans, placing them about 2 inches apart.  using your thumb, make a hollow in each cookie.  fill each hollow with jam, maybe a small spoonfull. i used blackberry jam.

5. bake for about 12 minutes, until cookies are fully baked and the edges are golden.

 

 i know, my photos are horrible.

but these yummy treats speak for themselves.

bub-hub still prefers the tried and true oatmeal chocolate chip cookie,
but this is definitely my new favorite.

what type of cookie is your favorite?

 

mmmmmm cookies! :)

prepare yourself for greatness folks.
everyone has their go-to cookie recipe and this is mine.
i may or may not be eating a few as i type...
these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are so yummy straight out of the oven,
or for a snack the next day,
or for breakfast.
oatmeal. duh.

1 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups wheat flour

3 cups old fashioned oats

1ish cup chocolate chips

[one] preheat over to 350degrees.

[two] in a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium for about 30 seconds, then add sugars, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

[three] once combined, mix in eggs and vanilla. 

[four] add in the flour and oats slowly and mix until completely incorporated.

[five] then, stir in the chocolate chips.

[six] using a spoon or a cookie scoop, drop the cookies onto a baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart from each other, and put in the oven.  

[seven] bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are slightly browned. 

[eight] remove the cookies from the oven and place on a cooling rack or paper towels to cool.

[nine] eat 'em up!

maybe you can make a dozen or three for your sweet treat swap partner! :) you can still sign up! so do it!

turkey tacos for dummies

i love to cook and bake (especially bake...), but sometimes, after a long work day, it's hard to find enjoyment in spending two more hours cooking and cleaning in the kitchen.  i've been trying to find recipes that require minimal time in the kitchen while still making home-made and healthy meals.

 

today, i would like to share one of my favorite week day meals with you.

tadaaa!!!!!

 

black bean turkey tacos

one pound of ground turkey breast

olive oil

taco seasoning

one yellow onion

two bell peppers (i used red, but yellow or orange are yummy options as well!)

one can of black beans

[one] gather your ingredients

(always a bub-hub required first step)

[two] chop and dice your onion and peppers

[three] in a skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil in the pan, about a tablespoon or so.  when the oil is hot, add your onion and peppers, and cook for about 5 minutes.  next, add in the turkey meat and generously sprinkle with taco seasoning.  once the meat is cooked through, you can stir in the black beans.  keep stirring until everything is warmed through.

[four] get your toppings ready! i like to add guacamole and lots of salsa to mine.  right now, our favorite salsa is the central market "green chile salsa roja".

a.k.a. the bomb[dot]com.

[five] assemble your tacos! you can use tortillas, taco shells, or use lettuce to make taco salad.

[six] fill your tummy and clean your plate! :)

this is super easy to make and is one of our go-to meals. we probably have some variety of this once a week. it is full of lean protein and nutritious veggies and it's easy to change it up so there's no risk of burn out! it also freezes really well, so it's great to make a big batch, and split it up for a quick dinner during a busy work week.

 

enjoy! :)

 

 

a lovely baking shower for a lovely bride-to-be

you're invited to a baking shower! :)

what is a baking shower you might ask?

it's just an excuse to eat yummy treats and shower the bride-to-be with gifts to fill her kitchen.

my mama and i hosted a baking themed bridal shower for my sweet friend stephanie.  guests brought so many sweet gifts, and many of them tied in to the recipies they gave her. neat huh?

the colors of the bride-to-be's kitchen are going to be blue and red, such a fun combo! so i designed the invitations and matching recipe cards to reflect this theme.

along with the invitations, guests were given two recipe cards to fill out and give back to the bride.  she received so many yummy recipes!! i wanted to keep them all!  there is something so sweet about having  the ladies in your life share their kitchen secrets.

i was really happy with the size and spacing of these cards.  they had enough room to hold detailed directions, and the lines were well spaced, even if the person writing has large handwriting like me. :)

the back of the recipe cards had a giant "d" for the bride-to-be's new last name! :)

i found plain, bamboo kitchen utensils at the grocery store and painted the handles to match the theme. my mom came up with the fabulous idea of tying them to the plate handles.
the bride said she is going to display them on hooks above her stove. isn't that a great idea!?

the guest's favors were recipe cards for two of the items that were served at the shower:
limeaid punch and chicken caesar salad bites.

we used all white flowers, white and blue plates, and white and silver serving pieces.  the white table cloth provided a clean backdrop for all of the red and blue accents and the yummy food! :)

the yummy bite-sized menu included:
shortbread dot cookies
raspberry spritz cookies
mini ham sandwiches
chicken caesar salad bites
chocolate pinwheels
vanilla gem muffins
fruit tarts with blueberries and raspberries
limeaid punch with fresh raspberries

aren't the flowers beautiful? my mama is so great at arranging flowers, i wish i had even a few of her skills!

just a few photos of me with my mama, and with the beautiful bride-to-be! and we all matched, aren't we the cutest?!

are you hosting a shower anytime soon?

if you're interested in personalized invitations, send me an email and i'd love to work with you! :)

gracefullymadeblog[at]gmail.com

pinning for the birthday boy

confession #1:

i am super nervous about celebrating the bub-hub's first married birthday.

when you're just the girlfriend,

or just the fiance,

there's still a little pressure,

but you still have his mom to fill in the slack.

this year,,,,i'm stepping up my game.

confession #2:

i might be using bub-hub's birthday as an excuse to make a ridiculous amount of food and bake a lot of not-fantastic-for-you-sweets.

bub-hub could care less about what he has on his birthday. 
he is the most laid back, chill fella on the planet.

honestly, he would probably be happy as a lark on a couch watching sports center with a bowl of cheerios.

option 1:

monkey bread,,,sort of.

Source: stamps4fun.blogspot.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

option 2:

cinnamon rolls

Source: thekitchn.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

option 3:

homemade baked doughnuts

[using the fun donut pans we got for the wedding!]

Source: eatdrinkpretty.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

after a fantastic birthday dinner out,

it's dessert time!

duh!

option 1:

mint chocolate chip cake

Source: megseverydayindulgence.wordpress.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

option 2:
texas sheet cake

a classic and a personal favo-fav!

[and yes...that was intended to be said like the clock man...flava-flav!]

Source: nancycreative.wordpress.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

option 3:

malibu rum cupcakes

because everything is always more fun with a little malibu!

Source: bystephanielynn.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

i'll probably make them all.
and then i'll check myself into sugar-rehab.
go big or go home right?
or maybe i'll just go to crave. :)
let's be real.
it doesn't ever get better than crave.

blueberry-lemon boondt cake! :)

we were blessed to be invited over for dinner at a new friend's house,

so, of course, i volunteered to bring dessert!

summer is the season for amazing fruit...especially when it comes to berries.
so i took to pinterest, google and my recipie books for berry-inspiration.

there are so many lemon-blueberry bar and cake recipes floating around on pinterest right now,

but i was itching to use my new bundt cake pan.

[maybe i was channeling my big fat greek wedding]

so it was martha stewart to the rescue!

blueberry-lemon bundt cake
via martha stewart

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 teaspoon for blueberries and zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
Nonstick cooking spray, for pan
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting [optional, but highly recommended! :)]



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.

Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of sour cream.

In a bowl, toss blueberries and zest with remaining teaspoon flour; gently fold into batter.

Coat a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake cake on bottom rack of oven until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes.

Cool in pan 20 minutes.

Invert onto a rack; cool completely, top side up.

Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.

tadaaaaaaah!

this turned out fantastic! it was the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and would even be perfect for breakfast or brunch!

what are you favorite summer-berry recipes??



p.s. have you heard about the 24 day challenge??
check out my post on it here and consider joining in with us!

o so pinteresting: olympic edition!

first of all,

the olympics are destroying my sleeping habits.

by the time the prime time games are over,

and i've watched all the wrap up videos,

and read all the back stories online,

i'm too excited to sleep.

and now that i've figured out our cable provided has live streaming on the internet,

i'm doomed.

second of all,

when traffic is at a complete stand still for 30 minutes,

and a janitors protest is blocking the street entrance to my parking garage,

i think it's a sign that i don't need to go to work that day.

pretty obvious that i should go back home and watch the olympics.

third of all....it's a beautiful, pinteresting wednesday! :)

Source: imgfave.com via Lesli on Pinterest

Source: inkah.tumblr.com via Precious on Pinterest

if i had the body of an olympian....

Source: soakswimwear.multiply.com via Susan on Pinterest

yummmmm!

Source: unusual2tasty.blogspot.com via Lesli on Pinterest

hehehehe....this just cracked me up.

Source: someecards.com via Cartas on Pinterest

i have a feeling a lot of girls will be posting more olympic themed pins, so check them out on today's link up at the vintage apple! :)

woohooo olympics party!

what's better than the opening ceremonies of the olympics??

dressing up, eating yummy snacks and watching them with friends of course! :)

 yes there was an invitation... 

and a chalkboard welcome sign! :)

we had the opening ceremonies on, and set up kinect sports, but really, let's be real.

isn't it all about the food??

let's break down this snack situation:

what do you think of my janky oreo pops??

i'll be the first to admit that i am not a "pretty" baker.

i've tried to make cakeballs dozens of times,

and while they taste yummy,

they look absolutely terrible.

i think i am using the wrong type of chocolate coating...it takes forever to set and drips everywhere and is just a disaster.

any suggestions??

i filled mine with mini turkey pepperonis, cheese, sauce, and red and yellow bell peppers.

i may or may not have eaten an entire tray full.

p.s. you can find wonton wrappers in the produce section next to the tofu.

duh.

this was so yummy and tasted just like the real thing.

next time, i'll probably add strawberries to the mix.

horray for using wedding gifts! :)

 

a party isn't a party with out salsa and guac!

 do you guys have HEB grocery stores?

they have the best spicy guac on the planet.

i may or may not have eaten 1/2 a carton of guac for lunch saturday.

i'll never tell.

 

don't judge.

of course there were decorations!

bryce and i found the blue sparkly ring and usa stars in the clearance section at target.

definitely great planning to have the olympics fall a few weeks after the fourth of july.

watch out feddy....the real competition is coming your way! :)

loving the chastain women!

not quite to par with hostess with the mostess, but a step in the right direction! :)

p.s. after 2 months with my new iphone,

i realized that the plastic shield was still on my phone...which is why all of my iphone photos have been turning out so terribly.

 sooo smooth....

i'm seeing non-grainy, well lit photos in my future.