The Cookbook Junkies

Farewell 2009!!!

December 31, 2009 by Jenny Hartin 2 Comments

Our plans for New Year’s Eve….Andrew to sleep at 7:30 p.m. – Mom and Dad asleep by 8:30 p.m. We haven’t seen a midnight awake in a long time – well except for those nights that Andrew cries out at 11:50 ish or so. (I should say mom hasn’t seen a midnight – Jim works late alot and by the time he eats dinner and then does more work – it is close to midnight most nights.)

It snowed here this morning – nice, pretty, white snow. It has already stopped – only about 3 inches. I baked a couple dozen sugar and peanut butter blossom cookies this morning – Andrew helped to unwrap the kisses and to plant the kisses on the cookies.

Tonight I making chicken strips and roasted bacony cheesy potatoes for our New Year’s Eve dinner/snacks. Might as well clog up what room is left in our arteries.

Very sad that Eastwick is over. I loved that show. 🙁

Yesterday, we went into the city to look at the tree….then eat an expensive mediocre lunch at Burger Heaven … then walk all the back down Fifth Avenue through hoards of people back to Penn Station. Ahhh vacation. It was fun because we got to spend the day with our friends the Bancalari family – but I would have rather just gone into Hoboken with them to Carlos and see Mauro and momma at the bakery!

Happy New Year people those few of you that read this.

The $240 Christmas Tree From Hell

December 16, 2009 by Jenny Hartin 3 Comments

$20 in gas to drive to Nomansland to cut down our tree “it’s a tradition”

$70 for the tree

$5 to tip the kid who tied the tree onto our car

$40 for lunch at Applebee’s because we are in Nomansland and hungry

Future $$$ it will cost Jim for being mean to me because I told him to get off on the wrong exit (twice)

$20 for the leather gloves Jim left at the tree farm

$5 for the brand new glove of Andrew’s he left as well

$70 the next morning to have the service station jump our car because Jim left the car door open and the light drained the battery (it was so cold too)

“it’s a tradition”

$$$$$ to enlarge our living room and dining room because Jim has decided that this tree incident (did I tell you that it is the biggest tree in the history of mankind – Rockefeller Center would envy this tree) as we now refer to this experience has convinced him that our living space is too small – I shudder to think what next year’s tree will cost us.

Happy Holidays.

My holiday baking/making plans

December 12, 2009 by Jenny Hartin 3 Comments

Here is what I want to make for Christmas trays/jars etc.

Chocolate fudge
Maple Walnut fudge
Brownies with candy cane kisses in the middle covered in chocolate ganache and crushed candy canes
Oreo Truffles
Chocolate Chip Truffles
Nutterbutter Truffles
Sugar cookies
Italian rainbow cookies
Peanut butter cookies
Pumpkin spice bars
Orange blondies
Seven layer bars
Orange ricotta cookies
Symphony brownies

That’s the goal.

For the teachers/therapists/aides – I bought them each a big glass jar and I’ll fill the bottom with Hershey kisses, then biscotti, and wrapped “purchased treats” – then fill the top with wrapped homemade treats. Tie a big ribbon and we’re done. I’ll take pictures of those.

Neighbors/friends will get a tray with assorted goodies (that is the hope).

Jim is in the shower (allegedly) and then we’re going to go cut down our tree!

Happy Saturday.