Tis the season.. for Baking

There is no time more than the holidays, that I love to bake! Unfortunately this year my mixer is in storage... I've been hunting recipes on Pinterest that do not require a mixer. If you have anything for me, please comment, I would love to know what "works" for you, & of course, what tastes delish.

In the mean time I found a site that shows how to cream butter and sugar, but I am now debating how the rest of the process would work?!

I may just look into some pre-made, do they make that in organic dough? :) I'll let you know what I decide, but in the mean time.. enjoy my trip down memory lane with these most adorable pictures.

No place like home for the holidays

Let me start off by saying, overall, we have been adjusting quite nicely here in CO. I have loved the weather thus far, one day it might be 27º F, but not to worry, the next is 72ºF... not lying. We are in an apartment at the moment, and as a mother and wife I can appreciate how little space I have to clean. I can in fact attest to the fact that we are "closer" by living in an apartment in fact. I kinda like it :)

In the midst of the Holiday season, I am starting to miss my house however. I miss my huge tree, my picture windows with snow outside, and most of all my mantle. So today, I am sharing this nostalgia with you. Is it not beautiful? *sigh*

Life is give and take right?! <3 font="">

Twinkle Twinkle my Christmas Stars

Before you get too excited by these lovely images, please note they are not my photos, and *sigh* not my living courters either. I am madly in love with this entire kitchen, but the only thing I can claim is that this beautiful star from IKEA. 

Now that I not longer have to drive two hours to visit IKEA, I love it all the more. It is nice to see something unique, not the same ole same ole at the other big box stores. Must be that European influence I love! wink, wink ;)

When we lived in the MidWest it was so unusual to pay a visit, it became almost an "event" to get to go. Now that I live close-ish, I run in and out often, and have even went there just to have breakfast... its taking some getting use to. 

Anyhow, back on subject... here are our spares Christmas decor this year, this also is taking some getting use to. They are quite lovely, but simple.. they will make a great addition to my others next year in a house. :)

Full on Coffee Addict!

When I first met my husband, the only attachment to coffee I had was with my memories of mornings breakfasts on my grandmothers farm. I had vague memories of her giving me lots of milk with a touch of coffee when I was young... I did NOT like it, at all! As close I came is my Chantico. Coffee to me was so bitter... and not drinkable at all. At 19 I met my lovely husband as well as his family, and as we have covered in the past, they are Bosnian. This is a metaphor for *big time coffee drinkers*, not just any coffee, what most Americans would call Turkish coffee, or my hillbilly grandfather would've called cowboy coffee. I, at 19, turned my nose at this, coffee to me was so bitter. 

At about 25, we moved into our new apartment, and with it came a new town, and new places to explore! I found a wonderful place for a sugaraholic like me called South Bend Chocolate Company. I decided one day to try their mocha, verses their hot chocolate. I'll be honest, the chocolate spoon did me in. These mochas were extra extra sweet, so when I began to drink mochas from Starbucks they were very bitter in comparison. I had a few friends, however, that I met on a regular at Starbucks, so I drank them for awhile.

You may have already noticed where I am going with this story, now I am a full on coffee addict! Although I am now drinking Bosnian coffee, Turkish coffee, or Cowboy coffee (however you like to call it), I still drink it with tons of sugar and I LOVE cream in it as well. I get teased a bit from the Bosnians about this, apparently I drink coffee *like a child*, but I can tell you this: 

The child me, at grandma's farm, did not like that coffee taste at all!

Its a love/hate relationship with this progression of needing that coffee *bitter* taste :)

A home travels

Do you remember quite a bit ago I poured my heart out to you about "home" over here...

It's amazing how you don't appreciate things till they have slipped into the past.