It’s that time of the year! Time to make lists of the good things that happened in 2021. Now, baking wise, I didn’t go crazy but I still had some really great recipes happen. Here they are in order of greatness:
3. Soft Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
4. Eggnog Bread
2021 was the year of the cookies!
What was your favorite recipe of the year? Are you going to be trying out any of the ones I made?
‘Tis the season to hit the baking HARD. I don’t know that I will actually get too because work is burning me out so bad but I am trying people.
These cookies were awesome. They even go well dipped in coffee. Exceptionally well. Just don’t let it hang out in there too long because they break off fast and then you end up with cookie crumbs in the bottom of your coffee and well, that’s not all that bad really. 😉
Recipe here.
Usually, I do a weekly report of all my fun Halloween shenanigans in October, however this year is proving difficult to get anything done blog-wise. Outside of that, I have been watching the crap outta some horror movies. I started that over two weeks ago so this incoming list includes only what I’ve watched in the last 2 weeks:
Head over to Sugar and Scream for our joint reviews of Rawhead Rex and Puppetmaster.
Nightbooks might not really be a horror movie but it was spooky and we enjoyed it so it makes the list. My favorite out of all of these movies was Demons. There is barely a plot line but the practical effects were incredible and I can’t stop thinking about it.
Books
4 out of 5 stars – I very much enjoyed this book. As with the first one, it’s a fun and sassy ride. I just did not feel like reviewing it.
Recipes
In case you missed it – Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Vanilla Chips.
Lastly, it’s been almost 2 years since our last concert. Work has been hell with Covid vaccines, flu vaccines and Covid testing so we decided we deserved a win. We went and saw KISS. It was an outdoor venue so we felt a little better about going and it was worth it. We had so much fun and they played a great set list.
How has everyone’s October been treating them? (Or tricking them?) What spooky madness have you gotten up to??
Welcome to October Ghouls and Ghosts! Sure, I am 8 days behind that statement but who cares? It’s the greatest month of the year!
I made some new cookies as a thank you to my coworkers and aunt for helping me out during Ozzy’s healing process. (He’s doing great.) They were a huge hit and all of them, I mean ALL OF THEM, were sucked down in one day.
I highly recommend dunking them in a pumpkin spice coffee for maximum pumpkin goodness. In fact, I think I should make another batch of these this weekend!
The original recipe calls for white chocolate chips but your ghoul here, did not have any. I had vanilla though and they still turned out scrumptious!
One of the new pharmacists at work has Celiac Disease. She never wants anyone to go out of their way to make her anything but we were having a joint birthday party for her and another coworker. Ya girl here, cannot see someone NOT have a birthday dessert. So, I embarked on my first adventure in gluten free baking.
It was not as hard as anticipated. I even substituted coconut oil for butter in this recipe because another coworker is lactose intolerant. I still put regular milk in it though since it was what I had on hand. Either she avoided the dessert altogether or it didn’t upset her stomach too badly.
I think they turned out pretty great. They had good flavor and the consistency wasn’t even that different. The only issue I had was since I replaced butter with coconut oil, the frosting would get pretty hard in the fridge. I left them out for the party to thaw some.
Cupcake made cupcakes!
I actually need more cupcakes in my life and after finding this stellar chocolate cake recipe, they will definitely happen more often.
It was a different method combining ingredients than I’m used to, and the batter was strangely thin, but oh it’s so delicious.
I didn’t use the frosting recipe that is on the website. I used Ignited Moth’s tried and true light whipped frosting recipe.
1 package instant pudding mix (any flavor)
Milk
1 tub cool whip
Use just enough milk to make a paste of the pudding mix, then fold in half the tub of cool whip. Taste test. Add more cool whip to preference.
Oh that’s right kiddos. The terrible twosome have united once again to rain horror, science fiction and fantasy down on your heads! (That’s myself and Ignited Moth if you hadn’t figured that out already.)
“If you’re looking for a monstrously good time, rest assured, you’ve come to the right place. We’re two best friends with a sisterhood forged in the Unholy Trinity that is Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction. When we’re not busy devouring books, we’re cooking up sinisterly scrumptious baked goods and other delights (and sometimes horrors) in our kitchens. Expect the unexpected, because we like to shake things up. Our blog is its own Frankenstein’s Monster of our own hobbies and passions all stitched together into one glorious abomination that encompasses everything from what we’re reading and watching, to the hobbies we’re working on, our adventures in baking, and plenty more!”
Sorry that I’ve been a little MIA. I’m currently lost in the process of remodeling our bathroom and it’s been a doozy. But, I have to keep people fed to keep the work going so I tried out a new recipe this morning.
It was quick, from scratch and delicious. Thick batter just FYI.
Good snowy morning ladies and germs! What a way to round out the first month of 2021 but with a little chat over the morning’s caffeine intake.
A new realization this month: This pandemic has made me realize many things over the last almost year, and my dears, the general public made me question whether I want to be a pharmacy technician the rest of my life. After a bit of consideration, I discovered that the answer had become a solid, no. Then, Mr. C&M gave me another idea; to one day open my own bookstore.
So that’s the new life plan, in the next 5 to 10 years, open my own bookstore. Pharmacy is still fine for now but if someone is rude, I want to be able to throw them out of my own store. (I may also be falsely envisioning that book patrons are a less rude bunch, but let me have my dream.) I helped open one small business, after lots of research, I think I can do it on my own one day.
As for the rest of January, I did pretty good with keeping up on content.
I reviewed two books –
Magic Triumps by Ilona Andrews (5 stars)
Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews (5 stars)
I also reread Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with my BFF and started another book;
I posted 3 new recipes –
Soft Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
I also received my first dose of the Covid Vaccine almost 3 weeks ago. My second dose is this Tuesday. I didn’t have too many side effects with the first dose. Just muscle soreness for 24 hours and was ravenously hungry the next day. We’ll see what the second dose has in store as we’ve heard that’s usually where you see more side effects.
This may become my new format, Coffee & a Chat’s for the end of the month to recap progress and various happenings.
How was your January??
THIS RECIPE IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT INVOLVES RISK-FREE COOKIE DOUGH SNACKING. (NO EGGS!)
I mean, that should have sold you right there BUT if it didn’t, the cookies come out super tasty too.
cupcakesandmachetes 