Scottish Shortbread

I'm a total cookie hound. Cookies are my FAVORITE dessert. So sometimes if I don't have any cookies in the house, I'll whip up a batch of shortbread. They're super easy and fast to make, which depending how you look at it, is a good or bad thing. For me, it's good, but I highly recommend giving them to others if you don't want to eat an entire batch of cookies in a day or two!

My Grandma's Cookie Book

Author: Irena Chalmers

Love the illustrations in this book

Score before baking

Edges usually brown a little, but still tastes good to me

Scottish Shortbread
Preheat over to 350 degrees

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Beat the butter until it is light and creamy. Beat in one-half cup of the sugar. Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder and fold into the butter mixture. Place the dough on a cookie sheet and pat into a rectangular shape one-half inch in thickness. Mark into 1" x 2" bars. Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar and bake in the center of the preheated over for 15 minutes until the edges are very lightly browned. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container.

To-Read Tuesdays: The Latest!

Just added these two books to my list! 

What are you waiting to read???

Dubuque, IA

Brendan and I went to Dubuque, IA this weekend to celebrate his sister's graduation. It was my first time there, and it was a lovely weekend full of sunshine, passive-aggressive guitar players* and family time. I loved seeing the Mississippi River, cows on the drive and spending some time on the road.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, too!

*The guitar player at the bar would finish a song and then say, "yeah, thanks to the two people who are clapping" or "I'm not really good, you're just drunk." It was awesomely hilarious.

Happy Mother's Day!

Thanks for always being there for me Mom! 

Even when I was a crazy little kid who cried on the floor of toy stores, flushed toothbrushes down the toilet and stuffed the VCR full of toilet paper.

Love you!

xoxo

To-Read Tuesdays: Science Ink

I've been on a science kick lately, so when I heard about this book on Radiolab recently, I knew I had to add it to my to-read list!

Has anyone seen it? I'm also fascinated by tattoos, so I'm very intrigued to see what "science ink" entails.

As always, if you have any suggestions for me, please do tell! I love building my to-read list even if it overwhelms me at times. :)

Hoppy Easter!

I'm such a kid at heart. 

I love coloring eggs. 

I'm lucky that Brendan is such a good sport about it, too. 

[Before]

[During]

[After]

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

And there goes March!

Hey All! No idea how March disappeared like that, but I must have been having fun since I have the pictures to prove it!

I made a pillow at my first sewing class and crafted some more yarn wreaths.

 Celebrated St. Patrick's Day with Brendan and one of my best friends.

Went to the Chicago Fire home opener on a uncharacteristically warm March night.

Celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday with friends and...

...celebrated my Mom and brother-in-law's birthday with my family at NoMI. 

Hope everyone else had a fabulous March! Here's to April!