MISTY'S MORNINGS

We are steadily checking off our 100 Days of Summer Fun list and I cannot believe how motivating and focusing it has been. I am a person who can be a creative jump-starter and quickly fizzle out into a non-finisher. It is something I am consciously trying to change and the publicized summer list has been helping beautifully. Naturally, I began to imagine all the other lists I could make and decided to share another one for this summer. You see I have recently been getting my kitchen mojo back and have so many recipes earmarked in various cookbooks and magazines that I decided to collect the best ones on a Summer Foods Bucket List. Some of these are the it-wouldn't-be-summer-without-this recipes that I grew up with and have made for years. Others are brand-new-to-me recipes that sound delicious to the whole family (not counting Kai the picky eater of the family). I've provided links to the ones I could find on the web in case you are interested in making them your...

Are you ready for Christmas baking season?  This year I am going to be in the kitchen more because we are staying home for the entire vacation and have no company coming to visit.  This is bittersweet as we may be a little lonely after skyping with our families who will be together far away in North Dakota. Still, I have a deep sense of relaxation heading into this busy time of year.  One major sense of peace has been the result of my decision to forgo sending out Christmas cards this year.  My cousin and I were texting about how neither of us had a family photo or the time (or desire) to get this task completed in a rush.  Then I remembered the first page of my art journal from t he e-course with Brené Brow n . It was a page of permission slips. (see photo above ~ I added the Christmas hats to bring these permissions with me into the holidays) We were to draw slips and write down things we gave ourselves permission to feel, do, or not to do.   ...

Sometimes God puts people in your path that change the course of your life.  When I was assigned as Marianna's student teacher in the Spring of 1995, I had no idea how her influence would impact my teaching career as well as my family life forever.  I was nervous. She was a formidable English teacher at the public high school and Department Head.  She was not easy on her students or student teachers.  Marianna had high expectations and something about her mix of kindness and perfectionism made me want to not only meet them but to exceed them.   We became close friends and what I learned in observation of her methods prepared me for my own classroom more than any college course I had ever taken.  When she was named Teacher of the Year for the entire state of North Dakota I was hardly surprised.  She was truly exceptional at her craft.  Another way in which Marianna changed my life was to introduce me to these cookies.  Her del...

There are a few regulars in my family's Christmas cookie tradition and this bar cookie goes back as far as I can remember.  One of my mom's personal favorites because she is allergic to nuts and prefers milk chocolate to dark, these toffee bars were a safe alternative to the many varieties of nut-laced toffees.  She made them crispy with a thin layer of chocolate on top.   Over the past years I have realized that my husband prefers soft and chewy cookies and so I began making the same dough but baking it in a smaller pan resulting in a thicker, softer bar. With the addition of more melted chocolate for frosting, my husband now proclaims these soft toffee bars his favorite. The best part about them is how easy they are to make.  Because they are quite rich they can be cut into small squares and therefore make many cookies in a short amount of time and effort.  I brought them to my first cookie swap last week and they were a hit. ...

*From the archives* With Thanksgiving only 16 days away, I have been busy planning my meal.  We are hosting my in-laws and possibly a few friends.  This recipe for syrupy sweet potatoes is my favorite and is perfect for making a few days in advance. If you are looking for an ooey gooey, marshmallowy coated sweet potato recipe then you are  not  in the right place.  However, if you are looking for a  simple, make ahead sweet potato recipe  that  lets the sweet potato flavor shine, this  is  the place.   First of all, let's not worry ourselves with the yams -vs- sweet potatoes debate. Either one will be delicious in this recipe so buy some orange-skinned potatoes and get peeling. Slice them lengthwise and then cut each piece in half again. Tumble them into a large casserole coated with non-stick spray. Dust them with lots of cinnamon and nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Snow them with sugar and dot with butt...

I am glad to be sharing my mom's favorite brownie recipe today  at Dianna Kennedy's blog,  The Kennedy Adventures .   She recently had a precious baby girl and if I lived near her,  these homemade brownies would be the dessert item  I would bring to her house as a congratulatory treat.   I've shared a few extra photos below  but the super simple recipe can only be found here .    Please click over to The Kennedy Adventures blog to find my recipe and add it to your must-try file. 

The best part of this recipe is the fact that I forgot to knead the dough.   At all .   And this recipe called for ten solid minutes of kneading!   I was just so in love with the texture of the dough after it came together  that I simply cradled it in an oiled bowl,  placed it into a warmed oven and  watched it double in size in less than two hours.       Only after the rise did I read the recipe a bit closer and  realize my "knead-less" mistake.  (Sorry - I couldn't resist.) Somehow I knew the dough would still be delicious so I improvised,  shaping eight small disks with wet fingers,  poking it fiercely with the tines of a fork,  smoothing on a bit of pre-minced garlic  and sprinkling with kosher salt. The actual recipe called for scallions, cumin and caraway seeds  and didn't sound as munchable for my boys and their guest. I couldn't f...