Lil'l Button...Where Are You?

I've finished....well, almost.

Where did I put that last button???

Since we're expecting weather in the 80's this week it's looking really doubtful that I'll be wearing these anytime soon....as in anytime soon during 2012.

Oh well, I've finished them and that's good enough for me. (just as soon as I remember where I set down that last little tiny button)

I'm enjoying time with family visiting from out of town this weekend.....off to the desert to do a bit of hiking, lots of photography....and eating.(probably not in that order-it's going to be a toss up if eating or photography wins out).

I've found a new cookie recipe...
so far those that have sampled them
(I'm saving them for the tailgate party in the desert) say they're good...
I bake, and I try REALLY hard not to eat everything I bake.....that makes for a large sized baker.

Here's the recipe....let me know what you think if you decide to give them a go.....

Orange Bites
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups pitted whole dates, chopped
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. grated orange zest plus 1/2 cup juice
2 eggs
1 cup butterscotch chips
 1 cup pecans, chopped
confectioner's sugar
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk flour, salt and baking soda together - set aside.
In a sauce pan bring dates, butter, brown sugar and orange zest and juice to a simmer and cook until mixture thickens..this takes a few minutes...set aside to cool (about 25-35 minutes)
Whisk eggs into the cooled date mixture until combined. Add flour mixture (mix in slowly a little at a time) and then add the butterscotch chips and pecans.
Drop generous size spoonfuls of cookie dough about 2 inches apart.
Bake about 10 minutes until sides are lightly brown and the center is soft and puffy.
Cool cookies and then dust with confectioners sugar.

I've been told this cookie recipe "is a ten" on the scale of "do-overs"  so I'm sure I'll be baking them again...
I'll let you know how quickly they disappear during the outing on Saturday.

My next knitting project....a striped hat...with a ribbon....for a little girl who has no hair.
She'll never will grow hair again....and how she handles that fact makes me ashamed how I've fretted about wrinkles, flat hair days, and curling irons.

The kitchen?....it's growing on me....
which is a really good thing since I don't have a dime to do a thing about it if I didn't start liking it better.

There's a lot to be said about decorating on a dime....I added curtains, a bakers rack (this is what I refer to as my grocery store) canisters and old jars,..... and a red rug.

It feels cozy...comfortable....like an old friend who knows me...well worn aprons...memories attached to dishes belonging to those who are now gone but never forgotten.

What does your kitchen feel like to you? If I came over...would I find cookies?




Enjoy your day friends...I'll be back shortly....
I want to show you the hat with the ribbon...
for the little girl who shows me "not having hair" is "no big deal".

I'll post more kitchen pictures as soon as I get the dirty dishes out of the sink.....:-)