An oldy but a goody

Woot Woot! I'm sharing a recipe :) Bout time? Yeah I thought so too. I absolutely ADORE baking...cooking is a whole other story. I am getting better with cooking but it's kind of hit or miss still. So I am going to share a recipe that is actually a huge hit in our home! Drumroll please.......WAFFLES! Not just any waffles though. Belgian waffles. (Yes this is more baking than cooking but humor me)

This recipe comes from my family cookbook and is the hit to any Brunch or Breakfast event. I use it for dinner all the time since it's so easy to make and it tastes heavenly even after being frozen (I currently have a big bag in my freezer).

Waffles:
1 tsp dry yeast
2 c lukewarm milk
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c melted butter

Sprinkle yeast over warm milk; stir to dissolve. Beat egg yolks and add to yeast mixture with vanilla. Sift flour, salt and sugar together; add to liquid ingredients. Stir in melted butter and combine thoroughly. Beat the egg whites until stiff; carefully fold into batter. *Let mixture stand in warm place about 45 min or until double in bulk*. Use 3/4 to 1 cup of mixture per waffle.

*While waffles are doubling in size, let's get started on your homemade syrup!

You have 3 choices here. I will start with the recipe we use as our "Waffle syrup". It is thicker so the waffles can uphold the weight a bit better than pancakes can (it still tastes excellent over pancakes though!). I store it in the fridge and use it for apple slices, ice cream and just about everything!

Caramel Syrup:
3 c sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine sugar and milk in 3 qt saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Be careful not to let it burn! It will and it will fast if you don't watch it. Bring syrup to a boil and quickly remove from heat, as it will boil over quickly (No joke guys). Hold pot over sink and add baking soda. Stir with whisk. Store extra in fridge.
*Last week I was out of evaporated milk and decided to substitute it with sweetened condensed milk (I omitted the sugar too since it's already sweetened :). It turned out fine but twice as heavy as the caramel syrup.
*Try adding cinnnamon to the syrup to give it an extra kick!

This next syrup is one I use if I'm out of my caramel ingredients. Still delicious though!

Vanilla Syrup:
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c water
1/2 c butter

Bring sugars and water to a boil. Let simmer about 5 minutes. Add butter and vanilla.
Done!

And lastly we have the famous Butter Syrup. My mom is known for this syrup and will use it on any and all desserts she makes!

Butter Syrup:
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix above ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cool slightly. Add 1/2 tsp soda (It foams just like the Caramel syrup!)
This can also be used on ice cream, brownies, etc. Store in fridge :)

And there you go! I will post pictures next time I make each of these recipes so you can get a better idea of how they should look.
Enjoy!

"Good mother lizard"

    Out of the many dinosaurs that my lovely 4 year old knows, one of her favorites is the Maiasaura. It's name means "good-mother lizard". Why? Because majority of the Maiasaura fossils have been found near their nests full of eggs along with older Maiasaura babies. Which means that it took care of it's young until they were old enough to fend for themselves. They were an herbivorous dinosaur that was about the size of a camping trailer (average size for a dinosaur).
  It constantly amazes me how much information we have about these incredible reptiles! And that we still know hardly anything at the same time. I think I have become as fascinated as my daughter has now...well maybe not.
   Anyway back to the Maiasaura. Out of all the dinosaurs, this is one they have been fortunate enough to discover many fossils of. They even found a whole herd of Maiasaur fossils that consisted of 10,000 individuals! Wow.
    I sincerely hope my daughter grows up and uses this knowledge and love of dinosaurs! We will do whatever it takes for her to accomplish her dream of becoming a paleontologist (If she still wants to in 15 years :)

Mini Paleontologist

My 4 year old daughter knows many kinds of dinosaurs and can tell you a few facts about each. The most amazing thing about this kid is how MUCH she knows about them! She can look at a picture of what some may think is a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and analyze how it is NOT a T-Rex.
We went to Albuquerque last month and came across a dinosaur statue. She initially yelled out, "Look a Tyrannosaurus!" then stopped and examined it for a minute. "No this has to be an Albertosaurus. It has short arms and two fingers like a T-Rex but it is much shorter and skinnier than one. So it must be an Albertosaurus."

After we took a picture next to it I looked at the description of the dinosaur that was next to the statue. Sure enough, it was an Albertosaurus. She never ceases to amaze me how intelligent this kid is.

It's an odd feeling when your child outsmarts you on something. It's ESPECIALLY odd when they are only 4...

New and Improved...again?

Hello!
In the last year lots have changed: I went to school to become a Nail Technician, graduated and now have an awesome job that I start on Friday!  Also my little miss has become obsessed with everything on this planet (as well as outside it). She particularly is focused on all things dinosaur and space related. This is why I created the new page on the blog called "Planet Earth"  where I will share facts, pictures, etc about her obsessions.
The second page I created is for me to share my recipes that I currently use, and ones that I would like to try or have recently tried. I love baking (cooking is starting to grow on me) and love sharing recipes!
Bare with me as I get back into my blogging gear again and stay tuned for some excellent posts.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings

I have so much to be thankful for in my life. I have an awesome job where I get to bring my daughter along with me, I have a great husband who is patient and a great example to me, I have a beautiful child who amazes me everyday, I have clothes,shoes, food, cars, and a lovely home. Seriously I never should complain! Seeing as I am a human being I do complain (I guess that means my husband isn't human then) a lot more than I should. So today I am reflecting on my wonderful life and wanted to share some awesome quotes I found on Pinterest (my favorite website ever).

and last of all:

Just kidding on the last one. I just thought it was awesome and seriously thinking of making one of these.

Overall just be happy and remember that you are good enough, strong enough and brave enough to endure whatever comes your way. 

Have a wonderful day!

Redecorating updates

So I redecorated my kitchen a bit...here are a few pics:

I haven't finished what I'm putting inside the shelf yet. The basket and chalk need to find a home too.
Thinkin about putting jars filled with art supplies in the shelf.

Love our last name! It fits pefectly in the kitchen seeing as you cook in the kitchen:) My dad gave these to me after he closed his popcorn store and I just glued music note paper onto them.

 And I also added a few things to my living/family room:

Don't mind my smudged mirror:) Along with the letters, my dad gave me this book shelf (I have 2 more in my craft room) and the baskets too! Love him:) I want to put some sort of cute quote made of vinyl underneath the mirror or a cute board with hooks to hang up jackets/purses.

Pardon the flash. These pics are ones we took in California back in February. Cute huh? Unfortunately I didn't think to take one of all 3 of us next to the "C" lifeguard post until AFTER we got home. Boo. The frames and anchor are finds from D.I.

This is a watercolor painting I whipped up real fast and put in a cute deep brown frame. It's about 16x24" and is across from the circular mirror. It fits in perfectly with the rest of the room.

I updated my "Kids say and do the darnest things" page. Check it out:)


Have a wonderful day!

Intro to pastels

I decided the other day that I would introduce Amaree to the wonderful world of pastels. I love this medium and knew she would too (after all it's basically chalk:). Sure enough she was giddy about coloring with these. I have had this pastel set since I started my art class in Orem over 12 years ago. They are still in great shape and I still have EVERY color that was provided in the kit. I also have pastel pencils which are almost just as fun.

I loved how much she loved the whole experience. Art has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember ; it brings me so much joy to see my daughter have an interest in art at such a young age! Here are her beautiful pictures from the past 2 days:

I have decided to buy magnetic strips to put in my kitchen to put all of Amaree's beautiful drawings up. I love all of them and love showing them off. I am so curious as to how/why she draws the way she does. Why did she put that color there? Why did she shade that part and not the other? I know why I draw the way I do; I just would love to know why she draws the way she does:)

Here are the two drawings I did:

This is now inside a big red frame

My abstract Eiffel Tower. I want to make a big one and paint it for my front room. It has hints of turquoise in it so it would match perfectly. 

Have a wonderful day!

Mia Cucina

I love my kitchen and am so grateful to have it! Here are a few pics of how I decorated it...

Here are my favorite pictures of my Europe trip that I took back in high school.

Here are two little plates that Bryan and I received as wedding gifts. They were given by my dads friend who lives in Paris. I can't remember the meaning behind them but they were hand painted and they are collectors items. I think they are adorable and go along with my European pics:)

I have other parts of the kitchen that I need to finish decorating before I show them off:) I haven't had the desire to decorate in a long time so my house has been neglected a bit! I finally have gotten my groove back a bit and am ready to craft away. Stay tuned for more!:)

Have a wonderful day!

Happy 20 years Anew!

Most of you have probably never heard of the skincare line called ANEW...am I right? Well it is an Avon skincare line and it is incredible! It all started 20 years ago and still continues to create new and improved products. I am in love with everything ANEW has to offer.

Not only does it actually work, but it is so much more affordable than other skincare products out there such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, Olay and more. So if you use these other brands, STOP NOW! You will find that ANEW works just as well if not BETTER than the brand you are currently using. There are awesome deals going on with the 20 year birthday. Go to my online website to check them out!

Oh did I mention that they just released a new product...

ANEW Clinical Resurfacing 

I have tried it out the past 3 nights and I am in shock at how beautiful my skin looks and feels.

On sale for $20...and you only use one drop a night?? Yeah it will last a while:)

I am building my Avon business by building a team of Representatives. If you are interested give me a call at 8016029426 or email me at madison.cook37@gmail.com. It is $10 to start, no inventory (seriously you don't have to buy anything you don't want to), you choose your own hours, work from home, you are your own boss, free online website and free training on how to be the best Representative you can be!

Have a wonderful day!

Life

I cannot remember when I last posted on my blog...whoops. Life has happened and it has been hard to get into a routine of things. I am so close to figuring it all out than BAM! Something new, good but still new, happens. It has been wonderful though.

I have a new job as a nanny to 4 adorable girls and the awesome bonus is I have a paying, full time job that I get to bring my little Amaree with me! Seriously it doesn't get much better. Oh and on top of that my Avon business is kicking it into gear (go team Avon) and for the most part my house looks put together.:)

I can't believe how great everything is for the 3 of us. Yeah we don't have lots of money, yeah we don't go out much because of it, but we are happy and very healthy and very blessed to have the life we do.
LOVING life to the fullest is my new motto (not to be mistaken with LIVING life to the fullest). Learning to love everything that comes your way may not be easy, but it sure does make life a lot better!

Have a wonderful day!

Bowl full of Jelly

Today I made a Christmas wreath for our front door. And I am actually pretty proud. I got the idea from craftomaniac.blogspot.com and fell in love with it.
So how to make one of these cute wreaths:)

• wreath
• red yarn
• black fabric for belt
• fabric or paper for belt buckle
• white snow or spider web material (optional for beard. mine felt naked without it and luckily i found a leftover fake halloween spider web)

Take your yarn and tightly wrap it around the entire wreath. Hot glue the ends down.
Next measure the width of the wreath plus 2 inches and cut out the black fabric for Santas belt. I did mine 3 inches wide but it's up to you how wide you want your belt.
Cut out of paper or fabric a square for the belt buckle (make sure to cut a small square on the inside as well:)
Now hot glue the belt to the wreath on the ends and glue the buckle to the center of the belt (just place on top)
Here is my daughter modeling the wreath for me. At this point I wanted no beard and a white buckle. Once I saw it on the door it looked like it was lacking so I glued a yellow buckle on over the white one and added the beard. But here is the Before picture:

And here is the after:

Pretty cute huh?

Have a wonderful day!

Pictures of Home

Here are a few pictures of our updated home. We are still moving in (it's a longer process than we expected) and still have a lot of things to put up and put away before I will be completely satisfied with how everything looks. So if you see in these pictures something that may look out of place...that's because it probably is and will find a home soon:)
Enjoy!

This is our hallway and lots of our photos. I love pictures
and I love framing them. It's my way of scrapbooking:)

Other side of the hallway.

Master bath. Needs a few more touches of decor and it will be complete.

Amaree's room. 

Somehow my photos went out of order...Anyway this is the kitchen!

Front room. My hubby playing with his early Christmas present. HP touchpad thing.

Amaree's tinkerbell green room. That is the actual title of the paint and when asked what
color her room is, Amaree will answer with "Tinterbell deen"

I'm happy with how this turned out. It took me FOREVER to finally decide where to put all of
these pieces. BTW I only paid for the shelves ( D.I. for $1 a piece), and the blue jar (50 cents).
All the rest were lovely gifts we received!:)

My weekly calendar! I took 4 frames (all from D.I. for either 75 cents or $1) , put scrapbook paper behind
the glass, and use the glass as a white board!

Once everything is complete and decorated for Christmas I will post more pictures.
Have a wonderful day!

Turkey Day

I have so much to be thankful for on this wonderful holiday. I have the most incredible husband who loves me, cares for me, provides for me and is with me every step of the way. I feel so blessed to have him as my best friend and most importantly my partner in life. I am grateful for our beautiful little girl. She has brought me more joy than I ever could have imagined! I am so lucky to be her mother and very grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing us with such a perfect child.
I am grateful for my family (immediate, extended, in-laws, everyone!). You have all helped us out in so many ways that I don't know how I will ever repay you!
And most importantly I am grateful for a father in heaven who has given me all of this and continues to bless me with so many things daily. Without my relationship with Him and His son, I would be lost.
I love my life and everything in it. I hope all of you have an amazing Thanksgiving and eat lots of food.:)
Have a wonderful day!

Avon Open House

I will be having an Avon open house in Highland this Saturday! It will be tons o fun so if you're in town, stop on by.
Email me if you want the address:)

madison.cook37@gmail.com

Lots of fun prizes, goodies, free samples and of course I will be there so that should be enough incentive to come:) jk.

11-3pm

Be there.

Have a wonderful day!

Amaree is 2!!

Amaree turned 2 last Sunday and her Minnie Mouse party was a success! Yes I copied ideas that I found on Pinterest and yes I'm not afraid to admit it. Here are the pictures:

Amaree had literally just woken up, with a cold, just like she did last year on her birthday.
It's the curse of the birthday cold. Which means both years she didn't even eat her own cake.

Tunnel that my parents gave her. It hooks up to a mini tent too.

Made the banner out of red and white polka dot fabric.

The room was a bit warmer than we planned so the ears kept falling. Oh well:)

My little Minnie Mouse! This skirt was mine that my mother made me
when I was 4 so I took it in and made it high waisted. The ears
were made out of a felt like fabric and hot glue.

Minnie Mouse pinata that my mother in law bought at a Mexican food store.
Funniest looking minnie I have ever seen, but who cares? It was going to be ripped
apart anyway:)

Poor Minnie. After all the candy was picked up, my brothers' dog
was let out of his kennel and was told to rip it apart...this dog
is the most gentle puppy ever and it took about 10 minutes for him to
get the nerve to bite it. Then he realized how much fun it was and ripped it
to shreds!

Have a wonderful day!

Eagle Mountain

I officially feel grown up! Yeah I'm married, yeah I have a kid, yeah I have a car but for some reason owning my own home is what makes me feel grown up:) A part of me just feels like Bryan and I are just playing "house" and it's all just pretend, which is kind of fun at the same time.

Anyway we have been slowly but surely moving every thing into their new places and I am loving all of it! Might seem weird to some, I like unpacking and organizing things! (when I'm in the mood of course:) Before we moved in I looked and looked on Pinterest for organizing/decorating ideas but once you're in the "unpacking" stage all of that kind of goes out the window and you just do your own thing:) Maybe someday I will have the energy and money and time to make all of my "pinned" items!

Here are a few "before" pictures of our place. Once I have everything in order I will update them!

Amaree jumping on bubble wrap.