Math Skills

When I was in college I had a super studious roommate. She studied all day long everyday in preparation for admittance to pharmacy school. She rocked at science and math. Our junior year, we piled in her car and headed for some fun in the sun. At one point during the road trip, we passed a sign that told us we were 240 miles from our destination.

What happened next was a conversation that went something like this....

Me: "If we go exactly 80 miles per hour for the rest of the trip how long will it take us to get there."

Smarty pants: "Probably about 3 hours."

Me: "No, tell me EXACTLY how long!"

Smarty pants: "3 hours."

At this point, I'm sure she was thinking,  "Are you going to be able to finish college and more importantly, how did you even get in?"

My husband recently came across this viral youtube clip and it felt so familiar. Luckily, I understand the concept now, but I can really relate to this video (and yes, maybe I should feel embarrassed to admit that, but I don't.) Have a happy weekend.

Chunky Monkey

Move over Ben and Jerry, this little one has redefined "Chunky Monkey." She's just so yummy I could gobble her up. I had the hardest time deciding on my favorite, so you be the judge ;)

Sugar Cookies

I've always had an affinity for sugar cookies. In fact, many of you who know me, may be surprised to learn that I use to consider a Granny's B Pink Sugar Cookie and Mountain Dew to be THE lunch of champions.

Almost two decades later, I've refined my palate just a bit and prefer a homemade version. 

This is the recipe I grew up with. My mom is a master baker and I remember eating loads of sugar cookies as a kid. I like to use all butter, but also love soft cookies, so I usually replace one tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon of canola oil. I make these once or twice a year, but I should make them more. I doubled the recipe and put half the dough in the freezer. (I'll probably finished it off before the cookies get baked. I'm a cookie dough junkie!)

I prefer a glaze/icing as opposed to fluffy frosting. Again, it reminds me of the smiley face cookies from my childhood that my mom use to get at Provo Bakery. I made a basic butter cream for these, however I used coconut oil in place of butter and thinned it with coconut milk. I also used almond extract.

Voila! A festive St. Patrick's Day treat.

Without further adieu...


Sugar Cookies
¾ cup butter, softened minus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
Sift:
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Chill for 1 hour. Roll out and place on ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle. Bake until edges are very lightly brown. 400 degrees.

Book Collection

I like to collect meaningful, antique books. I inherited my Grandma Mary's bible and her Webster's Secondary-School Dictionary (1925.)  I have bought several books from Friends of the Library including Webster's New Illustrated Dictionary (1946) and a book entitled A Guide to Practical Nutrition published in 1943. I usually skim through the books and then add them to my display. 

Sometimes, I really like the words I read. The nutrition book was really interesting. My favorite part says,

"Butter is the most essential fat since it contains vitamin A." 

I couldn't agree more. Hooray for vitamin A! I will be posting a yummy brownie recipe soon! ;)

Other times, I really LOVE the words I read. About a year ago, I stumbled upon an original copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943.) I think this will be my favorite book of all time. 

For me, the book emphasized the value of education. My favorite quote is by the main character's mother. 

"Whether you like it or not, you'll get to be twenty-five in time no matter what you do. You might as well be getting educated while your going towards it."

Please check it out. You won't be disappointed. It's the perfect book club book. And, if you choose it, invite me. :)