Birthday Party Sugar Cookies

Several people have asked for my cookie and/or icing recipe from the birthday party.  They were easy once I worked out the kinks, and if you don't remember the kinks, you MUST go back and read the post I wrote on making the test batch of cookies (with Bryan's help).  Haha!

So, without further delay, here are the recipes.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts (from Better Homes and Gardens)

Bake: at 375 for about 7 minutes

Yields: 36 cookies

--2/3 cup butter, softened

--3/4 cup granulated sugar

--1 tsp baking powder

--1/4 tsp salt

--1 egg

--1 Tbsp milk

--1 tsp vanilla

--2 cups all purpose flour

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg, milk and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Divide dough in half.  Cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter to cut dough into desired shapes and place 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet.

3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until edges are firm.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.  

Sugar Cookie Icing (for decorating)

--1 cup confectioner's sugar

--2 tsp milk

--2 tsp light corn syrup

--1/4 tsp almond extract

--assorted food coloring

Stir together confectioner's sugar and milk until smooth.  Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy.  If it is too thick, add more corn syrup.  Too thin, add powdered sugar.  

You want thin icing to cover the whole top of the cookie, and you want thicker icing to outline things.  After you ice the cookies, let them dry completely before stacking.  Also, remember that you can use all the scraps from cutting out the cookies, but the more times you roll them out the thinner they get.  Also, refrigerate dough between batches, or it will be too sticky to work with.  And, for reference, I used vanilla extract instead of almond extract, because it was what I had in the pantry.  If you make some, I would love to see them.  

These cookies were great, and I plan on making some football themed ones for the LSU game.  I can already taste them.  YUM-O!  

Happy Halloween!!

Can I just smile instead of saying "Trick or Treat"?

I think you are supposed to put some of that candy in my bucket

Candy please?

Reaching in The Ark for some candy

Dorothy and The Cowardly Lion

Checking out his loot.  Mom, don't you eat this stuff??

First sucker!  It was a HUGE hit.

Let me go get some more of these!

Haunted House

Little Lion tuckered out from the Trunk or Treat

Enough pictures mom, seriously!

Here is another sucker, someone open this!

I need to count my candy

On the run with 2 suckers

Fine, if you won't open it, I will eat the wrapper too

He would not be still for pictures....

Tough choice....which sucker??

Finally, they took the paper off

The Lion and the Pumpkin Man

I'm going to go hide over here and eat my sucker in peace.

Man this thing is GOOD!

In his pj's watching for trick-or-treaters

He got so tickled when he would see someone coming.

Martin had a great time!  And, he has a new found love for SUCKERS.  I mean, what kid doesn't love suckers?  But, he had never had one.  He had a few suckers--but after a little while we took each one away.  We were too worried he was going to get the sucker part off the stick.  I know--irrational fear after only 1 minute.  He really loved them.  I think I will have to find a bag of the safety suckers somewhere.  (Mental note--add that to the grocery list)  The trunk or treat at the church was really nice.  There were about 15 cars/trucks/suv's set up to give out candy.  Martin was a big hit, and several people asked did I make his precious lion costume.  Boy don't I wish!  Haha!  Target people.  Or Tar-jay for you fancy people.  He had worn the costume a few nights as a practice run so he wouldn't fight the hood on halloween night.  And, he did great.  I only wish the tail was a little longer so he could play with it.  We stayed at the church for about an hour, and then came home to see the rest of our trick-or-treaters.  We had about 15 before we left for church, and then maybe 25-30 after church.

The neighborhood close to ours had a house with a haunted house set up which I thought was pretty neat.  So, that neighborhood was packed with kids and cars for the haunted house...I bet the other people who live in that neighborhood ran out of candy.  We still have some.  At about 8:15 Bryan said "next kid who rings the doorbell I am dumping the rest of our bucket in there" and wouldn't you know we didn't have any more trick-or-treaters.  Haha!

Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!!!  You can't tell in the picture, but Martin's bucket had a light up handle on it, and everyone just oohed and ahhhed over it.  Bryan's parents gave Martin one, and so did Carley and Justin, and it was a huge hit.  And, we didn't see another one like it.  It was perfect, Martin had one to trick or treat with, and then we put the candy for the trick or treaters in the other one.

Happy Halloween

Thanks Kara for this blog post idea.  I reported to y'all that Martin was going to be a Lion for Halloween, and he still is, and he also still doesn't roar on command.  What's a mom to do?  Haha!  We are planning on going to the church's trunk-or-treat and I am excited.  I am not ready to do the door to door trick or treat yet, because Martin isn't old enough to eat the candy, and frankly I don't need all the sugar.  So, this will be perfect for us, and Bryan is off of work Monday so it will be the perfect opportunity for us three.  Can't wait!  I always loved Halloween.  Although, I am petrified of anything scary.  I remember one Halloween trying to act like I liked scary stuff when I was about 12 or 13, and it ended in me screaming bloody murder and crying when someone in a haunted house came after me with a chainsaw sans blade.  I LOST it, and my secret was out.

But, I always had some cool costumes.  And, my dad always did awesome makeup for whatever we wanted to be.  I was dracula one year, a cat from CATS another, and my dad and brother went as beetlejuice one year.  Ok, I wish I could find a picture of that.  Hands down best costume ever.  Dad took it a little serious.  He buried his and Johnny's clothes in the backyard for a month before so they would be "authentic".  They were authentic alright!  Ha.  Anyone who knows John Martin is NOT surprised by this.  And, truth be told, he wore the beetlejuice striped jeans a time or two after Halloween.  Not without Mom or I being mad at him for embarassing us.  But, I have learned that is what parents are for.

Anywho, this is the only Halloween picture I could find in my stash on such short notice.  But, wasn't I a cute bunny rabbit?  Also, you can tell from the picture that I was totally obsessed with stuffed animals and dolls.  What little girl isn't?  Hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween!

I would have to ask mom, but I would guess I was about 6-8 here.  

Ole Miss vs Arkansas

Benton Family

Martin spent the whole football game entertaining people.  He played with the grandparents behind us, the grandparents two rows in front of us, and the 2 little girls right in front of us.  And, played musical parents, of course!  What would an outing be without that special game??

He found my phone in the diaper bag, and wouldn't give it up.  He loves my phone. Kind of crazy if you ask me.  He spends more time with it than I do.  I will never understand people who are glued to their phone.  They walk slower, they pay less attention, and gosh if they don't text and drive too.  I thought Dexter McCluster tried to tell them not to do that?  Oh well, guess they didn't see the commercial, maybe they were too busy sending a text? 

Who can we call?

Daddy tickling!  

Hey Mama, give me that camera!

Go Rebels!

What, we lost??  Mama didn't tell me that!

Oh well, let's party!

With his stick he carried around the whole time at the tailgate.

Martin entertained everyone at the game, and then everyone at the tailgate.  We got a new collapsible wagon to help us lug all the stuff to tailgates on Saturdays.  Coolers, diaper bags, Martin, chairs, and all the tailgate food.  It gets to be too much, luckily we found a great one at Sam's and it is even RED!  Score.  I might get Ole Miss monogrammed on it when the season is over.  It is perfect!  And, Martin enjoyed riding in it, but he enjoyed pushing it around even more.  Don't know why I didn't get a picture of that.  He was pretty funny.  He fell asleep right after the Hotty Toddy led by Admiral Ackbar (which was pretty funny if you ask me) and slept a good 45 minutes.  Then, 2 little girls and their mom sat down in front of us, and the nap was over.  But, it was ok because they entertained him.  He tried to pull their hair the whole time, and then played peek-a-boo for about 15 minutes straight with one of them.  

Kind of a quiet day today, Martin is asleep in his Pottery Barn chair for the second day in a row.  He slept for 1 1/2 hours there yesterday, fingers crossed we have a repeat!  So I have been busy pinning away on pinterest.  I just hope some of these ideas come to fruition.  I have two I know I will be doing for Martin's Christmas.  So, I will be sure to post when I do those.  If you don't do pinterest yet, you are really missing out.  Go to www.pinterest.com and check it out.  Leave your email address in the comment section and I will send you an invite.  My favorite things are all the DIY projects, lots of kids crafts, decorating tips, and of course recipes!  

PS- what are all you mommies doing for your kiddos for Christmas??  I really want to avoid Martin having another 20 toys around the house.  We are already on toy overload from birthday.  There are a few things I want him to have, but so much stuff is just junk that flashes and makes noise.  He plays with it for 5 minutes, and then leaves it to go off while he is napping!  I did notice that www.babycheapskate.com posted their annual list of toys that actually get played with long term this week.  Check it out.  There are several on the 6-12 month list that were hits for Martin.  And, if you want some suggestions, this is a great place to look.  Happy almost Halloween!

Happy Fall Y'all!

 Martin's First Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Love that smile!

Couldn't you just eat him up?

Hey People

I love this one, because Martin had just thrown the pumpkin!

Benton Family at the Pumpkin Patch

Now that is a Fall Arrangement for the Porch!

Look how big!

Free corn stalks to play with!

Hey Little Pilgrim, why didn't you throw your pumpkin??

Look what I found in all these pumpkins!  

Anything outside or dirty Martin LOVES

Can you eat these?

He did not want to sit still for a photo!

I just LOVE this one--sweet boy!

Martin had a great time at the Pumpkin Patch.  There were several groups of kids that Martin loved to watch playing.  There were some boys playing football that Martin wouldn't take his eyes off.  He had a ball, but I think his favorite thing was throwing the pumpkins.  Oops!  He chunked several before we left.  But, don't worry, we spent enough on ours to cover if we ruined any.  But, they all seemed to be ok.  We went to Priddy Farms in Arlington.  They are mainly a Christmas Tree Farm, but they do pumpkins too.  They had a ton to choose from, and some beautiful ones.  When I finish my fall decorations on the front porch, I will add a picture.  By the time we left, he was pretty dirty.  I like to think that means he had extra fun!  Happy Fall Y'all!

A Case of the Mondays

I don't seem to dread Monday as much as I used to.  I am sure this is because I get to stay home with Martin.  But, I really meant I don't seem to dread Bryan going back to work on Monday as much as I used to.  He does a 7 on then 7 off schedule.  Which is sometimes nice (when he is off) and sometimes a bit more than I feel I can manage (when he is on).  It used to be really hard--but it was mainly because I was scared I couldn't do it.  I used to start dreading him going back to work Monday by Friday afternoon.  I have learned however, that it is totally possible.  Now, it isn't ideal, because when he gets home, there are usually dishes in the sink, and probably smashed goldfish on the rug, but bottom line, it is possible, and Martin and I are actually getting good at it!  Who else gets to have their family together for 7 out of every 14 days.  Last week was his off week, and we were busy.  We had a pediatrician appointment, bought a halloween costume, went to the pumpkin patch, had a massage at Gould's, went to my in-laws, went to the Ole Miss vs Arkansas game, went to church, and grocery shopped (twice).  How do y'all do it that have to do all that, and go to work??  But, all in all we enjoy Bryan's time off too much to complain about the time on.  Plus, someone has to go to work--and Martin and I love that we get to stay home.  Martin hasn't been sick a day in his life--thanks to breastfeeding and no daycare.  And, we have such a great time during the day.

Last Halloween

This year Martin is going to be a lion.  We are working on our roar, but it isn't going so well.  Guess he will just have to smile big to get some candy!  Stay tuned for Pumpkin Patch Pictures this afternoon!

Fun with Bubbles

Martin's Bubbles

Martin got a Musical Bubbles Octopus for his birthday from his Uncle Justin and Aunt Carley, and it is a huge hit!  He loves it, and doesn't even mind taking a bath now if I will turn it on.  I love it because he doesn't even mind taking a bath now if I will turn it on.  Yes, he bathes in our big bathtub, and he LOVES it. It is easier for us, because there is a lot more room than in his bathroom, and since the tub is bigger he has more room to play, and doesn't spend the whole time trying to crawl out.  He likes to play with the hair rinsing cup in the tub, but hasn't quite figured out that warm bath water from a cup isn't near as good as milk.  

He was trying to catch bubbles, and pop them.  He has about 100 stuck to his head in this picture, but you can't really tell, can you?  We knew he liked bubbles, always has, but the octopus can blow a bit faster than I can.  Guess I am fired from my bubble blowing job.  

I can write this blog right now because my two favorite boys are asleep on the couch.  I love when Bryan is off.  For several reasons--it is nice to sleep in a morning or two (we alternate the mornings when he is off).  Yesterday I slept til 11 am, and I woke up feeling refreshed and like a new woman!!  And, this morning he slept in and I had breakfast ready when he got up.  We make a great team.  Plus, there is nothing cuter than watching Martin and Bryan play together.  Last night at supper Martin dumped Bryan's water (thank goodness it was water and not sweet tea) in Bryan's lap.  Bryan just kind of laughed about it--certainly takes the stress of taking a baby out to eat away when your husband lets things go so easily.  

It is COLD here. Rained all day yesterday and with the rain came the cold weather.  Luckily it is supposed to be 72 and sunny Saturday which will be perfect for the game and tailgate.  Woo hoo!  Now, the LSU game in November may be a different story--bet it will be cold by then.  

I almost forgot to mention it.  Martin went to the doctor Monday and everything went well.  He weighs 19 lbs (little boy) and is 29 3/4 inches long.  I can't believe in 1 year he grew 10 inches and gained over 11 pounds.  Crazy right?  And, he is a small baby.  I cannot imagine how people do it all day with a big baby.  My arms and back already feel the burn!  Maybe this is why I am in such great shape (better shape than before Martin).  I think someone told me that my body would never be the same after a baby, but they never told me that would be 10 pounds less than before baby!  

We finally pulled out our fall decorations for the front porch.  I meant to do it right after the birthday party, but just haven't done it.  Now, we have a trip to the pumpkin patch planned to pick up some pumpkins and gourds to make it complete.  Hope everyone has a great week!