TTMMWT Week, Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears

What's not to love? Little bitty squishy cinnamony bears enveloped in milk chocolate.

They make me want them.

Every last one of them.

Chocolate covered cinnamon bears are never safe at my house.

TTMMWT Week, Nail Polish

Love love love.
Love me some nail polish.

I don't know how long this infatuation has been going on, but I can remember back to second grade in elementary school how I loved to go over to my friend's house and trade nail polish and paint every one of my nails a different color because I loved them all so much I couldn't choose just one.


My sister and I have always had a boxful of nail polish that we shared, we used to test out the colors on the lid of the box. :)

My bare necessities of personal care items that I packed into my tiny tiny dorm room freshman year included a toothbrush, a hair brush, some styling products, and a whole bunch of nail polish (oh ok and maybe some deordorant). Since that time my collection has grown extensively, but no matter what, whenever I see a collection of good looking nail polish, I have to stop and look. And usually, I can't resist picking one up and giving it a good home. After all, I do love it so.

{the perfect pastels}

I love pastel colors for spring, or wheneve I desire a more dainty looking nail.

{nice and neon}

Neons were so wonderful for summer, I love them on toes at most any time of year, and they really punch up the look of your finger nails.

{not all that glitters is gold}

I really love all the glittering trends going on right now. With glitter polish I usually put on a base coat of a non-glittery color, then layer it up thick (2 coats of glitter) and you get just one solid, beautiful shine of glitter.

{the colors of Fall}

Nothing beats rich, lusciously saturated colors for Fall. I usually like the same type of full-pigment color for winter as well.

Color I'm loving right now:

{Cover Girl Boundless Color, in Bronze Beauty}

Surprisingly it's my first Cover Girl nail polish purchase, but it was a pleasant surprise that despite its being a drugstore brand, it didn't bubble up or chip away easily. I wore it for a week and a half and it still looked great. Plus the bronze glitter makes it a perfect transition shade from summer to fall.

TTMMWT Week, Cinnamon Rolls!

I'm a sucker for cinnamon rolls. I see them, I want them, I've got to have them. It's something to do with the delicious and delicate balance of sweetness, softness, and spice, oh and the frosting, that combined make munching on cinnamon rolls such a delight.

I rarely, if ever, can resist them.

I'll share a recipe below for some super fast, super simple, super yummo rolls, but if you're not in a baking mood here some of my favorite spots to pick 'em up:

Flour Girls and Dough Boys, in American Fork
Shirley's Bakery, in Provo
Sugar n' Spice, BYU Provo Campus

Sugar n' Spice is particularly dangerous since I could potentially visit the spot everyday, but I do try to exercise some restraint....most days.

For those of you who are not in Utah County...please tell me where I can get good cinnamon rolls elsewhere. When I finally get out of this place, I don't want to be without a good roll. And if cinnamon rolls are in short supply, I'll never complain if there's a tasty raspberry or orange sweet roll around to have instead, so please, share away!

And now, a recipe for super fast, super simple, super yummo RASPBERRY rolls!

No-Rise Dough
adpated from Our Best Bites

For the dough:
3/4 cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
4 Tbs butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour, more for rolling
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

For the Raspberry Filling:
1/3 cup raspberry jam
1 Tbs water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sugar

For the Frosting:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbs butter, melted
2 tsp raspberry jam
milk, to change consistency as needed










Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth and creamy.

Measure and sift dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, into a large mixing bowl. Pour processed mixture from blender into a well made in the flour. Mix and squish with hands until dough comes together. The dough will be very soft and squishy. Carefully knead until smoooth, using as little flour as possible.

Roll dough into rectangle. Spread with raspberry filling, roll tightly, and cut into sections. Arrange sections in a glass baking dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Tops will be golden brown but be sure to check that the centers are done.

Let rolls cool for a few minutes before frosting them.

Enjoy!

Weekend Mirths plus Things That Make Want Them Week Kick-off

This weekend went by so quickly! Midterms are starting up and are threatening to stiffle any sort of life we may have left in us, so we tried to revive our spirits this weekend with a little volunteering.

We helped out with this race held on Saturday in Midway, Utah, called The Dirty Dash. It's basically a 10k fun run in the mud, and some of the proceeds went to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, so we were more than glad to volunteer.

BTW- September is officially Lymphoma and Leukemia month, so don't forget to hug your favorite cancer survivor or send them a nice little note! (and I'm not saying that just because I want hugs and notes....but I certainly won't reject them!! :)


On the drive through Provo Canyon we got stuck behind a truck full of pumpkins! Jeff wanted to honk or something but I was in HEAVEN!!
Fall is surrounding me!! The universe is combining in my favor!! I LOVE pumpkins!!

{Soldier Hollow, Midway, UT, looking lovely in autumn attire}

{we made sure all thirsty participants recieved some refreshment}

{the mud pit, located at the finish line}

Also...you might have noticed it's "Things That Make Me Want Them Week."

We all have them, those little (or sometimes big) guilty pleasures that we simply can't resist indulging in. I'm pretty sure I have more than a weeks worth of guilty pleasures, but for your sake and mine-sheesh, I can't tell you everything naughty about me-I've whittled it down to 4 or 5. The first one, just to whet your appetite, is little bit rolly, a lot a bit tasty....check back tomorrow to find out more.

And feel free to share your guilty pleasures with me all week long. I know you have them!!!

Simple Delights

Good things come in small packages.

Ok, ok, I maybe might have been shopping online recently. My husband and his bank account say I'm supposed to be curbing my shopping enthusiam...so I only got a few things...like I said, good things come in small packages!

Even better things come in really cute small packages, like this recent delivery I recieved from the most adorable shop, Ruche.

(oh and lets just keep this little delight between us shoppaholics)

{don't you just love the vintage-vibe newspaper?!}

{luscious colors and cute prints}

Ruche is quickly becoming one of my favorite stores. With it's one-of-kind, darling pieces and affordable prices, it's easy to love.

{wrap around belt}

If I was Jeff's grandma, who in her youth possessed something like a 21-in waist...or maybe it was 18-in? details details, the point is it was teeny tinyyyyyy.... I could wrap this sucker around my waist like 4 times. As it is I can only get it around 2 3/4 times, and I still love it so. It puts me in a wrapping frenzy.

P.S.-for those of you may disapprove of my seemingly sneaky shopping habits, you can cease your needless judging, or perhaps your kind-hearted, yet unnecessary, concern for honesty within our marriage. I'm a no good shopping sneaker. I can never resisit showing Jeffrey my finds, so he's well aware of this Ruche purchase. And remember, I advocate complete honesty within a marriage. So yes, that includes an honest answer to, "honey, do these pants make me look fat?"

P.S.-It's the First Day of Fall!!

Happy Fall!

Break out the sweaters, pour the hot chocolate, stock up on pumpkin, step on those crunchy leaves, and grab your scarves when heading out the door! Autumn has fallen everyone!

A Decadent Dinner

There's just something comfy about breakfast, especially when it's breakfast for dinner.

Sometimes though, I think it's a little too cozy, and that's where this decadence came in. I thought to myself, "Self, if you're going to really make breakfast for dinner tonight, you'd better really make it. No lazy, lousy, I'm-giving-up-on-life-so-it's-breakfast-for-dinner-night, nope lady, it has got to be GOOD."

And oh.my.goodness. This was so good!! For hours after dinner Jeff Jeff and I would smack our lips and say, "Mmmm. That was sooooo good!" Why was it so good? Because it was positively decadent. Normally we of the Draper family (my maiden heritage) are known for making cheesy waffles-that is, waffles with cheddar cheese on top, all melted and crisped up in the waffle maker. Don't knock it till you try it, either. Because many have, and they ultimately end up wrong. And they eat every bite of their words. Seriously.

This waffle though, this may become the Klis waffle.

It starts out as a Draper waffle, but omits the cheese and gets a nice spanking of fried ham, sunny-side-up eggs, and buttermilk syrup instead.

The sunny-side-up egg, that's a Klis thing. They grossed me out as a Draper but the Mr. adores them, so I gave them another try as a Klis and they're pretty tasty with most things. The buttermilk syrup, I think that's a Utah thing. I've never had it anywhere else but people here are crazy about. With good reason. Check out the recipe here.

So if you're thinking breakfast for dinner tonight, don't do it in an I've-given-up-on-life manner, go all out, go decadent. Yum yeah, you'll be glad you did!

Oh and if you're thinking about waffles, or maybe need some new ideas about what other things you can make in your waffle maker (you'd be surprised, the things you can make....) please check out this blog, waffleizer. I've been chuckling heartily about it all day.

You Make Me Smile

Do these make you smile?

{Jeffrey and Me and hearts, because we're in love}

{a bug}

Child art must be one of the greatest heart-healing, smile-producing, day-making little joys available to earthlings. These are hanging in the place of honor on my fridge and they make me happier than any report card ever did.

Weekend Mirths

Birthday weekend!

Birthdays have always been kind of a big deal in my family, we love to celebrate in style! And birthdays are just not another day of the year, we really try to separate and specialize them. This is definitely something I've carried over into the Klis union, and although the idea of a "birthday weeek" or "king/queen for a day" was at first foreign to Jefferson, after the mere span of 1 (and alomst a 1/2!!) years, I've got him convinced. He's all about it now.

{sourdough pancakes and orange juice at Kneaders}

{birthday flowers!}

{planting with the sweet neighbor girls}

{tie-dye booth at the farmer's market....!!!!}

{birthday cake, by Robyn}

{yummo}

Here are some extra-special, special thank you's to everyone who helped make this very special birthday a true celebration of life. I really did feel like a queen :)

Thanks for remembering.

thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you........THANK YOU!!

TGIF

Oh you didn't know it's my birthday this weekend? Well, birthdays are my favorite. I L-O-V-E them! Everyone's birthdays all elicit love and adoration from me, but none so much as my own birthday (although, Jeffrey's is a close second). And that's not self-centered or anything. This is an extra-special one this year because thanks to wonderful doctors and nurses, family and friends, and even some strangers, I'm alive to celebrate my birthday.

SO...we have some plans. We'll see how they pan out. Jeffrey has agreed to only do a maximum of 3 hours of homework on Saturday and that right there just about makes my day!

We're also just looking forward to maybe getting in some relaxation, reflection and recovery this weekend. We haven't been getting too much of that these days, so hopefully we'll have time to simply BE.

Kind of like that one time, not too long ago, when our families gathered in Nauvoo to witness Jeffrey and I get married. We sat on this porch, looking at the beautiful LDS Nauvoo Temple and out on the great Mississippi River, and felt each moment. It was beautiful. I hope to have a moment-filled weekend like that.

The Fall of Autumn

Still no camera cord...I'm working on it!

In the meantime, check out this awesome little bit of craftiness I did to welcome Fall. Because yes, I'm obsessed with everything Fall (witness this)and I can't wait for the weather to cool down and for Fall to come swooping in.

Just to make sure everything is ready, I already have my hazelnut cream candles ready, and I made this adorable door adornment. :)

It's ready in three easy steps.

All you'll need is:

• either a metal sign (available at craft stores) or a recylced wooden board
• acrylic paint
• paint brush
• fall faux leaf garland (or if you have leaves around you can make a garland of lovely real leaves, I don't have any of the real stuff around here, but it's easy to string some leaves on twine or thread and make your own)

Three easy steps, ready, GO!

1. Trace

2. Paint

3. Hang

{summertime becomes....}

{fall}

And as the French Bakery man down the street says, "voila!!" You have some pretty, cozy, customizable Fall decor.

Enjoy!!

Uh Oh

I'd love to share with you the mirths of this past weekend....but I've lost my camera cord!!

This is very bad, however, very indicative of my life these days. Think: a chicken running around with it's head cut off, a compass without a needle, standing in front of a class without pants on, searching for a needle in a haystack, and a grandma who always send your birthday card two months too late. Now you understand what it's like around here.

Hopefully I'll find that cord soon!

It's a blustery, mysterious sort of cloudy day today and although I suspect it's the one to blame for causing strange things to happen like addressing my Grandma's birthday envelope upside down, and maybe I could even pawn my ridiculous $50 parking ticket off on it too, I can't help but love this withcrafty weather. Days like this really make me look forward to leaves turning colors and cups of toasty hot chocolate and cozy movie nights with good old favorites.

Come along Autumn, I'm waiting.

Snoochums Sinckerdoodles

I think "snickerdoodles" is just one of the most fun words for my mouth. I have a bunch of words that I love to say, like snoochums, snickerdoodles, muffin, ma cherie (which might be more of an expression), sushi, supercalafredjulisticexpealadocious, and many more which might actually be better than these, but when I put myself on the spot, I just can't remember them all.

What I can remember is that these cookies are T-A-S-T-Y tasty. I love snickerdoodles. And I like my snickerdoodles fat and soft, pillowy even. I'm not one for those thin, crispy ones. If you're like me you're gonna want to try these little babies.

They're in need of some tweaking, next I'm going to try making them with butter instead of shortening and with a little less cream of tartar, but I thought I'd share the unmarred recipe and then you will be free to try them yourself, or wait and see if I can make them better. The choice is yours.

Ingredients
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups of white sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the batter until blended.
Roll the dough into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, but still soft.

One side note: I was a bit startled by the dryness of the dough. When I try this recipe again, I think I might decrease the flour by a smidge, but not much. I figured that the dough was wet enough for the cinnamon sugar to stick to it, but not so wet that the sugar melted and burned during baking. That is a good thing. Trust me, no one really likes that burnt sugar flavor.

And another one: cook these 8 minutes...no more!! Possibly 7 minutes. I tried various times and anything over 8 minutes equals one hard cookie after it cools. Not cool. :)

**Amendment!!! 10/18/2010**
I tried this recipe again, but I only used 1/2 tsp cream of tartar instead of 2 tsp and 1 cup butter instead of 1 cup shortening.
Results: USE 1/2 tsp cream of tartar unless you like tart cookies!! 1/2 tsp = perfect. 2 tsp=WAYYYYY too much.
As for the butter, it made my cookies more flat, but still very soft. So they were tasty, just not pillows like I like 'em. So I think I'll stick the shortening 'cause goodness know I love me some pillowy cookies.