Weekend cooking

Our weather is so changing.  We had snow at the first of this week, then some warm sunshiny days and today has been cold and rainy. 
Today was a good day to do some baking.
I tried a new to me cookie recipe,  for those famous New York City Black and Whites. I've never been to NYC and have no plans to go so I figured I should just bake some myself.
I baked them exactly as the recipe was written,  I used my large Pampered Chef scoop and ended up with 10 big cookies.  

They are really good,  the cookie is soft like cake but is still sturdy enough to eat with your hand like a regular cookie.  We liked them a lot and I will make them again but will probably make them smaller.  They really do taste like something from a fancy bakery but they are easy to make with basic kitchen ingredients.
Have any of you had a real Black and White cookie in New York City? I am wondering how much they sell for there. I estimate the ingredients in my recipe cost about $1.50 for all 10 big cookies. 

I used the bread machine to mix up the dough for our everyday sandwich buns. 
one of my goals for 2014 is to make all our bread and so far, I have.  It tastes better and cost so much less. 

Then I mixed up a second batch of dough but increased the sugar to 1/2 cup and added chopped raisins and pecans.  When the dough had risen, I rolled it out like cinnamon rolls and spread it with soft butter and cinnamon sugar. It was enough dough to make a standard size loaf and a small loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. 

 

my husband is shelling more pecans, on the thirds.  From this current batch,  he has cleaned 8 gallons.

 

I guess I should be looking for more pecan recipes  :) 

 

what are you baking?

Hanger dilemma

I need to clean out our closet but am waiting for the seasons to change. When that happens, we should have more than enough hangers after I clean out unused things.

But until then, we have a hanger shortage. 

I like the older plastic hangers that used to be a dozen for a $1 or so, but I went to buy some a few months ago and was unhappy to see how thin the tubes are on them now. It seems manufacturers will save a penny just anywhere. 

I could tell those new hangers were too thin and would not hold up at all. I did buy a few of the thicker ones that are sturdy enough for jeans or jackets, but they are about $2 for just 3. 

So, for months, on laundry day, I have been scrambling to find a hanger for every clean garment. 

We had a few sturdy wire hangers so I decided to just make them do. 

I used fabric glue and scrap fabric cut into about 3/4 inch strips. 

Then, while I watched TV one evening, I just wrapped those hangers until they looked pretty. 

Wrapping them gives them a little cushion to help prevent hangar wrinkles and enough traction that clothes should not easily slip off. 

If you are a crocheter, you could make yarn covers. 

This was very frugal as I just used things on hand. I think older children would like making them for their own closets or for gifts too.

Passing on traditions

Granddaughter Elizabeth was here on Monday, partly because her school was cancelled for snow and also to visit my parents who were here for 4 days.

We needed another treat so I mixed up cinnamon roll dough in the bread machine. Then Elizabeth helped roll out and fill the cinnamon rolls. This photo is while we frosted them. 

Elizabeth likes to say "getting messy is the funnest part of cooking" 

She didn't learn that from me, I am mostly a neat cook. But cooking easy things like cinnamon rolls with little ones is especially fun. 

I plan on doing it anytime we can. Childhood goes so so fast.