Good afternoon, all!
This past weekend was an eventful one for Mr. Darcy and me; it included--but was not limited to--a Friday evening visit to one of the local holiday light shows with his mom and dad, a very busy Saturday in which Mr. Darcy and I tag-teamed eleven floral deliveries from one family to one memorial service--no small feat for the smallish florist shop where I work--, and a road trip to Colonial Williamsburg for the annual Grand Illumination festivities that are held in the historic part of the area on the first weekend of December. If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Colonial Williamsburg during Christmastime, I highly recommend it. It can be very crowded at times, but the experience is always worth it. Music, historic buildings, amazing little shops, food, and more...you're in for a real treat.
And now, here are a few photos that I was able to capture in the course of the evening! I would have tried to take a few more, but it was rather dark and extremely crowded on the streets by the time that we arrived, and this my poor cellphone camera does not respond well to...ah well. :)
A street view of the corner of one of the houses...so beautiful, all aglow with lights and decorations made--true to the historic colonial style--from natural elements such as fruit and evergreen greenery, and gorgeous ribbons.
A different view of the same house...Mr. Darcy took a few Christmas photos of my mom, dad, and two youngest sisters here, working around the scores of people who were also there to enjoy the glorious scenery, music, and, of course...the spectacular fireworks show!
The Grand Illumination's fireworks show never fails to delight...though, in my personal opinion, a fireworks show in any location at any time of the year deserves the description of delightful. However, I think the fireworks that are showcased in Colonial Williamsburg for this event have something doubly special about them. Perhaps it's because of the setting, with its stunning cobblestone streets and powerfully historic buildings. Perhaps it's because of the inexpressibly Christmas-y atmosphere: the sharply cold night air laden with the scent of wood-burning fires, evergreen wreaths hanging at virtually every window, age-old Christmas tunes being played by fifes and drums. Really, it's a combination of all of those things and more. I enjoyed every moment of our visit!
Moving on, to a quiet Monday morning at the apartment, after traveling back home. I finally attended to one of the household tasks that I really don't enjoy at all but am rather determinedly set on doing, once a week or so: cleaning out the refrigerator. It isn't at all fun, but it is absolutely necessary...and, honestly...I really like the feeling of having a clean and organized 'fridge and a cabinet full of reclaimed tupperware containers. We all have our Things when it comes to our homes. This is one of mine. ;P
After the merciless purging of the 'fridge, I moved on to a project that I have been mulling over in my mind for the past few days: breakfast cookies. I had heard of these delightful--though somewhat mythical, to me--culinary creations before, but I don't recall ever having eaten one before, much less had I ever tried baking them myself. Well, today was the day for that! Here follows my recipe for the now not-so-mythical breakfast cookies.
The Secret is Applesauce Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Bisquick flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup your choice of sweetener (I used 1/2 cup calorie-free sweetener, 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/3 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Note: You can use whatever add-ins you would like for these cookies: dried fruit, fresh diced fruit, nuts, spices, chocolate chips, etc. The next time that I make them, I plan on omitting the sugar and the vanilla extract, and trying a cooked sausage-cheddar cheese-and-diced apples combination for a savory take on the breakfast cookies idea. I shall let you know how that goes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring gently until all ingredients are mixed well. Spoon the cookie dough onto pastry-parchment lined cookie sheets; I like for these cookies to be big and hearty, so I use a ping-pong ball sized scoop of cookie dough. The cookies won't spread out too much as they bake, but I still recommend leaving an inch or so of space between each cookie. Bake for 11 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are slightly browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for a bit, until they're warm but not burning hot. Then enjoy them with a glass of cold milk, or coffee, or tea with cream...you get the idea. :)
In my next post, we will be hearing from a very dear friend of mine, my BFF Micah. Following in the spirit of my post about my Christmas Eve outfit, she will be showcasing her own plans for her business-casual Christmas work party look for us. I've seen the outfit, and let me tell you--she has done a nice job of combining festive and chic! In the meantime, happy first week of December, y'all!
À bientôt!
Cait
The Secret is Applesauce Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Bisquick flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup your choice of sweetener (I used 1/2 cup calorie-free sweetener, 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/3 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Note: You can use whatever add-ins you would like for these cookies: dried fruit, fresh diced fruit, nuts, spices, chocolate chips, etc. The next time that I make them, I plan on omitting the sugar and the vanilla extract, and trying a cooked sausage-cheddar cheese-and-diced apples combination for a savory take on the breakfast cookies idea. I shall let you know how that goes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring gently until all ingredients are mixed well. Spoon the cookie dough onto pastry-parchment lined cookie sheets; I like for these cookies to be big and hearty, so I use a ping-pong ball sized scoop of cookie dough. The cookies won't spread out too much as they bake, but I still recommend leaving an inch or so of space between each cookie. Bake for 11 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are slightly browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for a bit, until they're warm but not burning hot. Then enjoy them with a glass of cold milk, or coffee, or tea with cream...you get the idea. :)
In my next post, we will be hearing from a very dear friend of mine, my BFF Micah. Following in the spirit of my post about my Christmas Eve outfit, she will be showcasing her own plans for her business-casual Christmas work party look for us. I've seen the outfit, and let me tell you--she has done a nice job of combining festive and chic! In the meantime, happy first week of December, y'all!
À bientôt!
Cait
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