carb weekend

In Indianapolis Carb Day is something entirely differently than how I'm defining it. I'm talking about Christmas Baking and Candy-Making Weekend 2017 BECAUSE BAKED GOODS ARE LIFE.

They're sugar and buttah and vanilla and flour and peanut butter and ginger and molasses and powdered sugar and chocolate and salt and all kinds of happiness mixed together with some love. I freaking love homemade treats and more than I love eating them, I looooooove feeding other people.

For the first year in several, I'm going it alone. My dear friend, Kate, has abandoned me for motherhood. But oh, that boy is so worth her abandoning me. Adorable. And she's a mama! [I'll show you pictures of their sweet family once everything is final. I can't wait!]

I had to make my own game plan this year:

1. Momlene's Sugar Cookies because they were such a hit last year. [If you don't have a favorite sugar cookie recipe, you should try this one. I'm going to do a slight variation on this decorator's buttercream to frost them.]

2. Molasses Ginger Cookies because they're my fave.
**NO PICTURE?!?!? 🤷🏼‍♀️ WHO AM I???**

3. Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters because they're easy and delicious [I'm going to try some with marshmallows to experiment mimicking one of my favorite candies: Chocolate Charlie].

4. Buckeyes because peanut butter and chocolate belong together. ❤️❤️❤️

5. Caramels + sea salt because OBVS. [My only recipe change here is heavy whipping cream instead of half-and-half.]

I'll link to recipes, but does anyone want to see something live? Or one of those picture things I do on InstaStories step by step? Do you like that or do you just like me enough to humor me? I think you're nice.

I just bought six pounds of butter and it's coming to room temperature on my counter.

😍😍😍😍😍😍

It's about to get real over here on the south side of Indianapolis.

Also, I'm making a vat of potato soup. Just come over.

sleeping arrangements

I went on vacation a few weeks ago. For the first time since August 24 I left Great Dame Judi with another person.

There's this meme I've seen lately about dog lovers vs dog parents.

I'm more on the left image of the picture. BUT I MISSED JUDI MORE THAN I THOUGHT I WOULD. Am I a right side dog parent? Is there a middle ground?

Judi stayed with Lauren [a friend from work] and got to be with two other dogs and humans 24-7 while I was away. SHE FREAKING LOVED IT.

AND LAUREN LET JUDI SLEEP IN HER BED.

I've been very strict on the no bed -- much more lax on the you don't get to be up on the couch -- but Judi is a big girl [I think we're up to about 125#] and I sleep in a full size bed.

Judi came home and we had our usual nighttime routine. I get ready for bed. She paces some and then lays down in her bed that's in my room. Except then she started whining a little and bumping my bed and then she left. She went and slept in the other room because she was mad at me. You know what I did the next night? I patted the mattress next to me and she hopped up and snuggled in. OF COURSE I DID BECAUSE I AM A SUCKER.

I've been sleeping on about 12" of mattress space as Dame Judi sprawls on my right and Pawblo attempts to sleep anywhere [preferably my head, but NO] where he's not touching her.

Is this my life now?

*sigh*