chilled cookie dough

I have said it before & I will say it again. I love cookies. I really love baking cookies. Even more than that, I love to eat cookies. I enjoy trying new tips and tricks when it comes to baking made-from-scratch cookies. One of my favorite tips I learned is chilling the cookie dough.
What are the benefits to chilling cookie dough? Many believe that letting the dough chill for at least 24 hours will allow the wet ingredients to absorb into the flour & will allow the dough to age & develop more flavor. I agree with this thought. I do enjoy the taste and texture of aged/chilled cookies. But the main reason I really like is trick being able to bake a smaller batch & save the rest of the dough for later. I would always like to eat my cookies warm & fresh out of the oven, & this technique allows me to do just that.  

As you can see I like to wrap and save my dough in a "log" shape similar Pillsbury. After mixing the dough, wrap the dough in parchment paper and roll into the "log" shape. After this I wrap the parchment-covered dough in cellophane to keep it fresh while stored in the refrigerator. When I am ready to bake a batch of cookies, I just slice off as many as I need from my chilled dough, bake & then enjoy. Just place the remaining dough in the frig until next time.
Do you have any cookie tips?
God bless!

thankful

I thought this would be a good time to express some gratitude.
I am thankful for the simple things such as warm pajamas, fuzzy socks, and fleece blankets. I enjoy a good mug of strong coffee to start my day, or a relaxing cup of tea to end it. But I always fancy my hot drinks in a fun cup. I enjoy holding it from the curved handle, or if I am cold, holding it in both hands to warm me up.
I am thankful for the changing seasons. I am glad to have the variety. So many of us enjoy the autumn time & what it brings. I am thankful for the colors, the slight chill in the air, & the smell of bonfires on cold nights.
I am thankful for family & friends. I am thankful for time spent in deep, thoughtful conversations that  then turn into pure silliness & giggles. I am thankful for where & what time I am living.  I am thankful for my Savior & His love.
What are you thankful for?
God bless!

Blogtober, day 4: instagram favs

I am still trying to participate in Blogtober14. So far, so good.

The suggestion for the day 4 post is my favorite Instagram photos. Here are three of my favorites:

Here is the very pretty, yet very strange, Lily. She is one of the family cats.

My mom & me Mother's day weekend this past year.

And here is a recent photo of a super cute little tree frog I found last week :)

Happy weekend! God bless!

high 5 Friday: Oct. 3, 2014

I thought I would give high 5 Friday another try. I think it will be a good addition to #Blogtober :)


1) For the past couple of weeks I have been ordering the London Fog steamer (a.k.a. London Fog Latte or Earl Grey latte) from my local coffee shop. I usually will get a chai tea latte this time of year but I am really digging the London fog.












2) My hair hadn't had so much as a trim in about 10 months. It was getting very unruly so I had to make a trip to the hairdresser's this week to tame the mane. I am glad to get that over with. I am not one who enjoys the process of getting my haircut, but I am always happy with the outcome.

3) For many years now, I have been a big fan of dark, fall nail colors. I like navy, dark purple, burgundy, oxblood, chocolate brown, & hunter green. I will have to paint the digits this weekend.

4) Here is the Bible verse I have been thinking about this week:
  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,    plans to give you hope and a future.  - Jeremiah 29:11 
I try to focus on the fact that God is always in control. Good times or bad it makes no difference.  


5) I am also thankful that the Lord has been watching out for my family. Dad was in a car accident last week & was unharmed.

Did you have any favorites from the past week?

I hope you have a great weekend!
God bless!

what I love about fall

Here it is the second day of October. I am so excited about the changing season. It takes a little longer for the weather to get cooler here in North Carolina compared to other parts of the US. So we do take notice when the temperature does drop. There is something about the Autumn time that excites many people including me. Is it maybe something biological engraved in us so we will have motivation to start the harvesting & prepare for the coming winter?  I don't know. I, like many other girls, love Fall fashion. I am ready to wear scarves, sweaters, & cute boots. I love drinking hot drinks such as chai tea lattes and London fogs. Burning candles, warm blankets & cuddles from the fur babies while binge watching Netflix are some of my preferred ways to spend my free time during this time of year.
What are some of your favorite things about the fall time?
Have a wonderful day & God bless!

What if Money were no Issue?

Happy October 1, 2014, everyone! Wow, October. Two months away from Christmastime!? Yikes. Lets not get to far ahead of ourselves, Hannah! Let's just enjoy Autumn for now. It being the first day of the month, I am going to write about the prompt from the list I found,which is,"What would you do if you won the lottery?". Well, I don't play the lottery, so I do not see this happening, but I understand the purpose of this prompt. If I happened to come across a great sum of money, what would I do with it? Whenever I hear scenarios such as this my mind jumps to those reality t.v. shows about how winning the lottery ruined the winners' life. I try and keep in mind that money will not solve all the problems in a person's life. Money is merely a tool. And if I somehow acquired a great deal of "tools", I would like to be a good steward of what I am allotted.
For one thing, I don't think that I would be able to stop work in some capacity even if I had enough money to live on for the rest of my life. But, a wonderful benefit to having enough money is that you have more freedom to pursue an occupation you enjoy. With that freedom I would choose I job where I could be creative. Maybe I would even "flip" a couple of houses to re-sell. As to what I would do for fun; I once read that people find more happiness in spending money on experiences rather than material possessions. I happen to agree with this school of thought. This being the case I would do some travelling. Tokyo, most Europe, Cape Town, to name a few. And of course I would hope I would have the decency to use the money in helping others. I really love charities that help individuals with an occupation. A "teach a man to fish" type of thing. Such as charities that give sewing machines to under privileged woman so they can create merchandise, or donate farm animals for a family to raise and to sell the products.
I want to also remember to be prepared, and save some cash for a rainy day.
Well that is all I have the energy to think of at the moment.
What would you do in this case?
Have a wonder day & God bless!