As Easy as 1-2-3 Chocolate Chip Cookies

It seems as though everyone else has better tasting chocolate chip cookies then me. Mine always turn out like pancakes with little lumps of chocolate chips here and there. I hate it. So for years now, every time I see a chocolate chip cookie I like, I ask how they make it. Here are my 3 tips that I have gathered from many different domestic bakers that have helped me to perfect the old fashioned chocolate chip cookie recipe.

1. Use real butter, not margarine - margarine melts at a lower temperature. This is why my little boogers would flatten like pancakes.

2. Use more white sugar then brown - not too sure why on this one!

3. Add more flour then the recipe calls for - This is cause the chocolate chips cookies to keep a round and raised look.

California in February!

I thought we would have a warm trip to California...well warmer then what I was getting here in Utah and that wasn't the case. Besides the cold weather, sick kids and a little soreness from the dodge ball game the Friday night we got there, we still had a great time.

158 Years Ago...

My dad sent this to me and I thought since I am a Californian that moved to Utah 10 years ago, it was worth posting on my blog.

158 years ago...

Do you know what happened this week back in 1850,

158 years ago?

California became a state.
The State had no electricity.
The State had no money.
Almost everyone spoke Spanish.
There were gunfights in the streets.
So basically, it was just like California today; except the
women had real breasts and the men didn't hold hands.

What is the Grossest Thing your Kids Have Tried?

When I was little, my family would call my sister and I the "Queens of Gross." We thought everything was gross and now that we have kids of our own, I have kids that test my ever so popular "Queen of Gross" name.

Yesterday, I went with a friend to the local jumping place with the kids. Of course the trampolines get old after a bit and the kids tend to wander into places they shouldn't go. Maya decided to try the bathroom out. I followed her in there not seconds after to find she had just taken the lovely green tampon applicator out of the nasty toilet trash. Yes..in the mouth it went. GROSS. Okay, so I made this big scream and pretty much barfed in my mouth and am still barfing right now, flicked the NASTY green lollipop tampon applicator on the floor and washed her mouth out until she squirmed out of my arms screaming.

I guess things are working as normal today with her but that image is not leaving my mind. What was the GROSSEST thing that your kids have sampled?

Christmas Morn

More pathetic picture taking. Here are some action shots of our fun Christmas morning. The kids didn't roll out until 8 and Matt and I didn't know what to do with ourselves until they woke up. Matt's parents came for breakfast and to finish up the last of our presents. Fun had by all.

This year was the first time we had not been with families on Christmas eve. Christmas eve was spent with the Snows. We had yummy cordon blue, cesear salad, dip, rolls, jello and sparkling cider. We did a picture nativity with the kids participating. We had pictures strung from here to there and none of the pictures were going in the order the nativity was supposed to go. It was fun getting in the Christmas spirit.

Some Recent Pics

I'm trying to take more pics but my camera or the operator of the camera is retarded and I'm never happy with the pictures it takes. So here goes the December haps around the Andersen home...

really intense sugar cookie making

sugar cookie decorating with Mac, Taft and Bryce...what a mess

2nd attempt with Santa

1st attempt with Santa

Glamour shots at the mall with BFF Sadie and Maddie

At the mall

Fun Christmas Tag

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Fill out your answers then tag 5 people you want to learn more about!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping please. There is more fun in ripping off the paper then opening the bag.

2.Real tree or artificial? Artificial this year but real all the years before now.

3.When do you put up the tree? Usually Thanksgiving day or the day after.

4.When do you take the tree down? Christmas day or the day after. I hate Christmas after Christmas.

5.Do you like Eggnog? Gross. Just the sound of it makes me barff.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Talking Cabbage Patch Kid

7. Hardest person to buy for? My mother and my inlaws. My mother who has a cheese grater on her list this year and 5 of us to buy for her.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Probably me! Is that bad?

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, I need one...I'm just afraid baby Jesus would be found in a purse somewhere around the house in May or something.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail them hopefully this year!

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings so ask me in person on that one!

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Story, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

13.When do you start shopping for Christmas? I shop all year.

14.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? no, not Christmas but others yes!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's homemade cinnamon rolls!

16. White or colored lights on the tree? white...I'm kinda blah like that!

17 .Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, I'm Dreaming of a White Chirstmas, and Believe!

18 .Travel at Christmas or stay home? I love to travel but it's getting harder with weather conditions, getting work off and you know having kids.

19.Can you name all Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or Star? Star

21.Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? All on Christmas morning!

22.Most annoying thing about this time of year? The bank account depletes and you spend all year trying to build it back up!

23. Favorite ornament? Should I have one?

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Probably honey baked ham and funeral potatoes

25. Favorite Christmas cocktail? okay...milk or 7-up

26.What do you want for Christmas this year? wii, cruise money, website money, clothes, purse

27.What don't you want for Christmas this year? lump of coal

28. What is something you have never done that you want to do for Christmas? have a really snowy Christmas morning!

29.Who is the most likely to respond to this?

30.Who is least likely to respond?

I tag everyone!

Christmas Poem & Sugar Cookie Recipe

I picked Haley up from preschool and she handed me yet another art project. This time a poem right in the center of the hand printed wreath from those cute 3 year old hands. It seems as though I get really frustrated these days with her and her 3 year old attitude but this poem actually made me cry:

Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small,
And always leave my fingerprints on the furniture and walls.
But every day I'm growing up and soon I'll be so tall.
That all the little fingerprints will be hard to see at all.
So parents dear I give you my hand as it was this December(2008)
Then when I grow up big and strong, you'll have this to remember.

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

mix and chill dough
place on ungreased cookie sheet
Bake 375 for 6-9 minutes. Cookies will puff in the oven.

Never A Dull Moment on Ebay

Here is a good message I got after someone had purchased something from me. It was left as a comment at check out:

thank you! also, if you happen to have one that is red/or burgundy and has a fluffy flower or maribou I am interested! thank you for these adorable headbands!

What is a fluffy flower?

You have to worry about where you are sending some of these items when you get a confirmed ebay address that is like this (the name and street address blocked out by me):

XXXXX XXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

do not leave at door please

Brooklyn NY 11225

I'm glad I'm not the mail lady in that neighborhood!

Straight From the Garbage...Instant Bed for the Baby

Who needs Santa to come when we already have a great bed for our baby?