Winter Solstice

December is coming to a close, and we got a few inches of snow for the first day of winter! I've been catching up on tasks inside, and hosted a small holiday party for my work friends.

This Pothos has been part of our family since Bradley was born! I've propagated it many times, and he just got a fresh trim.

Several inches of snow on the ground!

Some festive goodies for my work party.

After the party I got my dining table all polished up and redressed for Christmas dinners 

I hope your Christmas was happy and warm! My next post will have a few pics from our quiet holiya at home.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

This super easy recipe cuts out the steps of measuring and adding flour/sugar etc because it has a shortcut! That shortcut is using a box cake mix. I've made a few different cake mix cookies and this one is at the top for taste and texture. The cookies come together very quickly, and after baking and cooling they have a great crunch while still being soft on the inside.

I originally got this recipe from my mom many years ago, and I have tweaked it a bit to suit myself.

1 box yellow cake mix

1c peanut butter

1/4c veg oil

2 eggs

2 tbs water

(optional) 1c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients (add choc chips at the end if using). Use a small scoop or two spoons to drop approx 1tbs dough balls onto a nonstick baking sheet 2" apart. Bake approx 15min or until edges are dark golden. Cool on wire rack before storing, cookies will harden a bit.

This makes at least 4 dozen 2" cookies, and they store well in a cookie jar on the counter!

Girls Weekend in Canada

Last weekend me and my friend Jess took a little time off to hop over the border for some Canadian fun! We spent a couple of nights at the cutest little BnB in Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was cold but clear so we were able to walk around the touristy spots and enjoy the fun and sights.

Originally we were booked for a secluded cabin in the Poconos, Pennsylvania however just a few days before the trip the host canceled our spot unexpectedly!!! We decided to stay local and still take advantage of our planned time off. Buffalo was a bit too pricey for what was offered, so I was happy to see the affordability of the Canadian side!

Less than an hour away and we were there.

We had a king suite with a 2 person jacuzzi tub all to ourselves! Breakfast was in the beautiful dining room each morning, and only 1 other couple was there with us.

We got there Friday afternoon so after grabbing some Nepali food (momos and biryani rice) we went down to Clifton Hills. We parked the car and just walked around for a few hours enjoying all the stores and seeing the Falls from the other side. We had fun riding the Sky Wheel!

After doing that we grabbed some much needed hot beverages and walked around the area.

They had several cute kiddy rides and experiences, so we opted to do an interactive fake Ghostbusters ride where you shoot the ghosts, and we also did a 4d ride for Toy Story. I would definitely come back here in warmer weather with the family to do more things!

That evening we snacked for dinner. The next day we headed to the Outlet Mall to window shop and check out all the neat stores they had there. For lunch we found this themed diner called the Flying Saucer restaurant so we had to eat there! I got a foot long hot dog, and it was so delish!

After lunch we rested in our room for awhile to wait for dark, then we did the Festival of Lights drive by the Falls and saw all the beautiful displays.

Right by the falls, the spray was freezing over everything and made it very icy!

We grabbed a pizza on the way back and ate dinner in the jacuzzi with some wine! The next morning was a nice breakfast and chatting with the BnB owner before packing up and heading home. I was home just after noon and refreshed from the fun time with my sis!

Already December!

Ok has the year flown by to everyone else?? Not just me?

November went by in a flash! Before winter set in I dug up the last batch of carrots from my garden (white, orange, yellow, and purple!) and tucked it in for a winter's nap.

My big guy got his first job!! For the city at the town office!! It started as volunteer community work for his school hours, then once he finished those he kept coming back for funsies because he liked doing the work! They held a meeting and the boss vouched for him and they squeezed him into the budget for 6hrs a week (he only has time to come after school). He is currently digitizing old documents and has his own office and key! We are SO proud of him. I helped him set up a checking account so that he can access his money and learn how to bank.

Both boys managed to pull off a nice school photo this year! Look how grown up they both are!!

For election night I made a bunch of finger foods and we all hung out together in the living room watching the live entertainment! What better way to learn the voting process?

Our old man kitty is still holding on strong and likes to nap on his perch.

My previous sourdough starter died over the summer when I was away too much to feed her, so I got another one from Etsy and she is alive and well! I named this one "Amy" and have already made a delicious sandwich loaf with it.

At one of my craft shows we won a raffle that came with all kinds of treats and baking items so the boys helped me make a ton of sugar cookies! We cut out (most) of the dough then they decorated each one. Despite Brad's uninterested expression, it was actually his idea to make them.

Nick and I snuck away one afternoon for a lunch date and shopping on Black Friday!

And once we FINALLY got snow I got out for a chill 3 mile hike with a friend.

Thanks for reading! Hope your holidays are merry and full of family.