Swimming today!!

My poor JT. My middle guy does not like Swimming lessons. The worst part about it is he does a super job, once he gets in the pool and stops crying. So, I have been telling him.. (Ok so bribing him. but lets not split hairs) That if he gets in the pool like a "big boy" with his instructor, and doesn't cry for the first 10 mins like he normally does I will make him, or buy him, what ever he wants for supper. You know what he picks. Kraft dinner. Plain old comes in a box Kraft dinner. Needless to say I'm not a huge fan. I didn't mind it before, but right now being pregnant the idea of Kraft dinner is ICK. Sounds like it will be a two supper night in out house tonight!

This morning we received in the mail JT's Primer math book. they are his first ones so he was super pumped and this afternoon finished all 14 pages of lesson one. We use the Math-U-See program for our homeschooling. It is an awesome program that we just love. I am actually for the first time learning and getting math along with CJ. So it's a huge bonus. Math has never been my thing. and I have on several occasions heard a few of my mom's friends say something along the lines of "Should she be homeschooling? Weren't her math grades terrible in school." sigh.. what they don't understand.

Tomorrow I have some major baking planned. Today I made some Cherry Pie filling (As per the recipe at "The cup cake project" Yes I'm addicted to that site right now!!) and the Home made Maraschino Cherries off of her blog too. they are both sitting on my counter right now cooling. Man to theMaraschino cherries ever smell boozy right now, and if I wasn't pregnant I would totally take a shot of the liquid they are soaking in!! I'll post some photos later (or more probably tomorrow at this point) Once I get started on the Cupcakes that will go with them. I'm making her Black forest cupcakes. I originally bumped into her blog trying to find some cute cupcakes for AJ's 2nd Birthday party and have been stuck to it ever since. But I promise that not all the recipes that I use will be from her site. and they won't all be sweets either!!

Home made Oreo Cookies.

Ok, Today I was supposed to be making cupcakes for AJ's birthday party. But the thought was just much to daunting for a night of no sleep, a pounding pressure headache and too much heat outside. So, these seemed like the way to go. Although I'm not sure they were to much less work they were a lot less ingredients. To me, the means less finding and putting away.
The original recipe I used was from "The Cupcake Project" It is an awesome blog that I've been loving and is really what kicked me in the butt to start a new Blog. I've been thinking about it, but it's time for doing.
Anyhow...
I should now mention that I did not do it as the recipe is written there. I'm sure had I, these would have tasted way more like regular Oreos'. However, I don't like sweet. so I cut the sugar in half. So here is the original recipe from the cupcake Project . and here is the version I made today. For the butter in the recipe,  I cheated and set mine in a glass bowl outside in the 35 degree Celsius heat for 5 mins, so the butter was plenty warm and the bowl was to. so it softened up really nice with a fork.


The Cookie

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Cocoa
• 1t Baking soda
• 1t Baking powder
•  1/4 t salt
• 1C sugar ( I used Raw sugar)
• 1/2C + 2T butter (room temp or softer)
• 1 lg egg

Mix flour, Cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. 

soften the butter in bowl with the back of a fork and add egg. mix and then add to flour mixture.

combine the two together until you get a mass of dough. 

Roll 1teaspoon pieces of the dough into balls then squish them onto a lined baking sheet (you want them fairly flat.)  And really one teaspoon is enough trust me. lol

Bake these off for 9 mins in a pre-heated 375 degree oven theses will burn fast. pay attention!! Cool on a rack. I strongly suggest letting them either sit on the sheet until they start to cool or just lift the whole sheet (I used Wax paper) and set that on top. Trying to move them before they are ready will result in lots of broken cookies!!

The filling... MMMM

• 1/2 cup  minus 2 T of butter (room temp or softer)
• 2T of coconut oil
• 1C confectioners sugar
• 2t of vanilla extract

Put Butter coconut oil and Vanilla extract in a bowl. Using a mixer blend together adding the sugar a little at a time until you get a nice fluffy icing. If you want it stiffer add more sugar. (Original recipe calls for 1 more cup). Now.. try to keep your fingers out or you will run out before you fill your cookies!!

Grab 2 cookies halves of completely cooled cookie that are close to the same size and put a spoonful (teaspoon or so) amount on the bottom side of the cookie. get your other half and put it on. Give the top a little 1/4 turn to help cover the whole cookie in filling and voila! enjoy.

review

CJ loved the cookie part but the filling, not so much. I think he would have liked it better with all the sugar in it. JT and AJ loved them and asked for more. I'm a big fan. But think that they would stay together better with more sugar. But that's not important enough for me to put it all in. I may try some though with it all just to see the difference. Maybe do a batch half and half.  I took some over to my trusty taste testing neighbours so I'll see what they think when they get home. Todd I'm sure will be into them right when he gets home from golfing this afternoon. I'm pretty sure they will be a hit with him. He, like me, isn't to into the sweet and is a fan of Vanilla which you can definitely taste in the filling. I was a little concerned the coconut oil taste would show up too much, but you don't really notice it. The vanilla definitely over powers it. Maybe swap out more butter for it next time.
Update;
Todd thought they were really good, and the neighbours (Angela and Erin) told me I was awesome. (that could partly be because they came home to treats already sitting on their counter.)  I told them I only used half the sugar and they replied that they were sweet enough for their tastes to. Angela's 6 year old apparently loved them to.