I think I am slightly incredibly obsessed with chocolate chip cookies.  I can't get enough of them.  My favorite time to eat them is when they are fresh out of the oven. . . oh, the soft and gooey deliciousness (seriously drooling now as I type this).  It may explain why I tend to freeze most of the cookie dough that I make so that we can have fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies at any time.  It may actually keep me from eating them all day, too.   It's a win-win.  

 I've never stayed at a Doubletree Hotel before.  They make cookies?  Hmmm. . . may need to consider it sometime.  They have a copycat recipe?  Are they really that good?  I think I am up for the challenge to try them out.  Yep!  Amazing!  I think you should try them.  Really. . . I do.  Add them to your collection of chocolate chip cookie recipes.  I did (and believe me, I have quite the collection of chocolate chip cookie recipes!).

This recipe was not like most of the other chocolate chip cookie recipes.  Nope.  This one was a bit different.  I had everything to make it.  All the ingredients were things I keep stocked in my kitchen.  I really had no excuse, which didn't really matter.  I was curious.  Lemon Juice?  Cinnamon?  These were so yummy. . . (I mentioned that, right?).

Before I go on. . . these cookies need to have some fridge time before baking.  I highly recommend doing the dough the night before you want to bake them or first thing in the morning.  However, it is REALLY hard to stay out of the dough.  Trust me!

Double Tree Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat)
Source: The little kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup unsalted butter, softenend
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 cups chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts (I didn't add these)

Directions:

Pulse oatmeal in a food processor until semi fine.  I used my manual processor for this and it was perfect!  Set the oatmeal aside til later.

Add butter, both sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice to a large mixing bowl.  Cream together with an electric mixer.  Add eggs one at a time, until smooth.  Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl at least once.

Slowly add dry ingredients and and mix until combined.  These cookies shouldn't be overmixed.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop cookie dough on properly lined baking sheet (I recommend a silpat).  Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 ours and then bake them. 

350 degrees for 14ish minutes.

In progress

I am slowly making progress on things.  There are a lot of different projects going on that I should probably make a list.  In the meantime, I will show you what I've been up to.

I've been working on this for awhile.  It is my "waiting" project.  I took this last week with me to our church's Xtreme Family Adventure and worked on it while I listened to the awesome speaker.  I am super excited about our small group starting up this coming weekend with more on Visionary Parenting.

I whipped up a batch of these muffins last night.  Oh, so yummy!  And the Peanut Butter. . . oh, I could just eat it by the spoonfulls!  No joke!

It's our first Back to School Season, although don't let the pile of school supplies fool you.  There's more. . . I'm a bit obsessed.  The teacher in me get's all hoardish this time of the year.  Thank goodness we use everything, though!  I am waiting to get more when things get marked down.  It's when I stock up on construction paper and other things.  

My hubby let me sign up for Paper Pumpkin!  I am so excited for inspiration to be delivered to my door each month!  The whole no mess aspect. . . totally awesome.  However, I ALWAYS make a mess, so I am a bit skeptical.  But, seriously stoked here!

My mom dropped off some goodies and I found this.  Apparently, it had my name on it.  I'm good with that.  I really wish I had a girl, though. . . I don't think my boys would really appreciate doll clothes for Christmas (ha ha).  I remember my mom staying up late one year to sew my sister, cousin, and I all these awesome clothes.  Now I have the patterns. . . does anyone even buy their kids cabbage patch kids anymore?  I still have mine. . . maybe she need new clothes?

And finally an instagram. . . our little lamb (his lovey) was delivered to us after being on vacation on vacation with the grandparents last week (oops!).  This was taken right before he fell asleep at naptime today. . . seriously LOVE this kid!

So you want to start a blog . . . {part 2}

2 weeks ago, I wrote this post about how to start a blog.  Then, I left those of you eager and excited to go on vacation (sorry, about that!).  But, now I am back and ready to help out.

By now, you have probably done some great research on the different blog hosts out there.  I hope you picked on.  I use blogger, so I will be using that as a reference, because that's where most of my knowledge lies.  If you've picked your host out, I hope that you've been playing around with it and getting used to your hosts options.

1.  Set up an account.  At this point, you will have to hand over your email address, make a username, password, and create your domain (that's your web address. . . where people find you). Also, make sure you enable your mobile device. . . it will turn your blog site into mobile device friendly site.  Super nice, for those readers who sometimes read on their phone.

2.  Play.  I highly recommend playing with it and getting used to your hosts program.  There are a lot of options out there.  I learn best from playing with things, and I confess, I rarely read the directions when using a program.  Playing with the functions of your blog is the best way to find out and be comfortable with your host.

3.  Create a design.  At this point, you probably aren't going to get all creative and create one on your own (I will get to that another time).  I recommend these free sites:

Cutest Blog on the Block gives you a great selection of free templates, backgrounds, banners, etc.  to decorate your blog.  It also has really good tutorials to tell you how to use them within blogger and WordPress.

Lee-Lou Blogs has some really good free resources for your blog including templates.  She also has some easy to understand tutorials.  There aren't as many templates for free compared to Cutest Blog on the Block, but it's a really good source.

Shabby Blogs has a good selection of free templates and backgrounds.  I haven't used this one primarily as it's not really my style, but it seems to be pretty popular.

And, depending on your host, you probably have a number of templates that they provide for you.  It is completely up to you.

4.  Arrange the Layout of your blog.  Are you going to have 2 or 3 columns?  One column is always your blog content, the other is all the other random stuff you put on your side bar.  If you are using blogger, that would be under Layout, when you on your dashboard.  You can download some gadgets.  Really, the key is to explore and play and figure things out so that you are comfortable with it.  Whatever you pick now does not mean you are stuck.  You can always go give your blog a face lift at anytime.  I do!

I am going to leave this blog post for now at this point in blog creating.  It can be a bit overwhelming to some, and to others you are going to have so much fun playing that you will realize you should have been in bed hours ago.  Trust me. . . it happens.  Let me know if you have any questions. . . there is NEVER a stupid question.


   

Pinterest Fever. . . and where to find me. :)

Confession:  I love Pinterest.  For awhile, it kept me busy on the elliptical, but I've moved on to Once Upon a Time on Netflix. . . it makes a workout go so quickly!  But, my love of all things Pinterest continues.  It is a source of inspiration, ideas, recipes, crafts, workouts, you name it. . . it's probably there.

But, you probably all ready knew that.  In fact, you probably share the same love.  In fact, maybe even Pinterest brought you here. . . if that's the case, welcome!  I am so glad you are here!

Another Confession:  I love it when people pin my stuff.  Seriously.  It is a huge compliment to me.
This pin has been pinned and repinned a number of times in the past week, and seriously. . . shocking!  But, I got so excited that I had to share!  People out there that I have never, ever, met are reading my blog.  Sorry, I may be doing a happy dance here!

Oh, and this recipe was good!  I remember making these. . . in my tiny apartment kitchen not long after Ethan was born.  I blogged them. . . and forgot about them.  Yep, that's how I roll.

I've been kind of busy. . . you know having another kid, keeping them alive, making sure food is on the table. . . among other things.

So, a big thank you to the people that are visiting, pinning, and hopefully reading.  I do hope you come back for another visit.

You can find this recipe here, in it's original post.

You can also find me (and follow me, if you want) on Pinterest here.

I can also be found over at Facebook on the page, Out of the Right Brain.   Come and like my Facebook page.

I am also on Instagram (Jolieklassen) or search the hashtag #outoftherightbrainblog

You can also leave comments. . . I LOVE it when people leave comments!  (hint hint).

So, I think I am going to use this happy dance energy and go work on some projects . . . you know, so I have something to blog about. :)

Have a wonderful day!

A verse {joy}

This verse is not my favorite verse, but it ranks pretty high.  This verse just makes me swell up with joy each time I read it that I get distracted about what I was going to write.  oh well.

This verse has been rooted in my memory since my early college years.  The year and half after I graduated from high school that I still lived at home and took classes at our local JC.  I was blessed abundantly by the moms who I babysat for (most all of went to church at the same little church we did).  I suddenly became not only their babysitter, but their friend.  I also got to watch as they stayed at home, served God, and raised their children.  It's weird that now 15 years later, I am now doing what they did then.  I am glad that I was able to have their example.

Now, some of these ladies served the women by planning a Woman's gathering with the theme of ice cream. It was one of my favorite events. . . I'm pretty sure of it!  (Especially since I was able to handle ice cream back then. . . man, i miss those days!).  Anyways, one of these amazing women took her stamps (Stampin' Up, of course!  Oh and I blame them for my addiction that is still going strong!) and stamped out this verse on the table cloth all around the table.  It seriously looked amazing!  It also took some pretty amazing patience.  I'm pretty sure she had this verse memorized by the time she finished the table cloths.

So, some Bible verses seem to stir up memories.  This verse isn't just about food, though.  God wants us to fill up on Him and when we take refuge in Him (or run to him as some other translations say), we find our needs met.  That filling up leaves a sweet taste of joy.  Have you tasted it?  I always feel giddy and full, like I could just explode.

Here are some of my recent joys: oldest spending hours coloring, the whole family experience of our church's XFA, beach retreat with my family, anticipation of an unexpected family vacation promotions, quiet, happy laughter from my youngest.

It's good to stop and take note of the joys.  The things that make our heart swell up with Thanks.
Thanks to the One who gave the gifts.
Thanks because I am undeserving, yet He gives.

Taking time to stop. Breathe.  Savor the joy.  A shield is created.  The little things that get to us. . . that drive us mad, or irritate us soon leave.   I could sit in the joy all day.  My heart is happy.

Joy changes our hearts,
   replaces the bitterness with sweetness
      energizes
           loves
              hugs.

       
What is bringing you joy today?   Please comment in the comment section.  I would love to hear from you!

Fresh Berry Shortcake

I've been on vacation. . . it was wonderful!  I want to go back. . . the beach is my happy spot.  I am very thankful for my in-laws who whisked the whole family away for a family getaway to a cooler spot.  It was marvelous.  Now, I am home and diving back into reality (dishes, laundry, dinners, schedules) and it's our church's Extreme Family Adventure week in the evenings.  This should be an exciting AND exhausting week!  Bring it on!

Saturday morning, I found the most delicious and beautiful berries at the farmers market (not uncommon to find beautiful produce where I live).  I, of course, had to buy them.  But, because it is so hot, I need to use them up quick, so I thought I would make a batch of strawberry shortcakes.  My favorite kind are those made with a lightly sweetened biscuit cut in half and filled with whipped cream and layered with fresh sliced berries and sandwiched together with the top piece of biscuit.  Then sprinkled with powdered sugar and maybe even some white chocolate shavings. . . I know. . . death by strawberry shortcake may be happening in our house.

However, last night probably had disaster written all over it.  I have been really wanting to try making whipped cream out of coconut milk.  I mean, I make an awesome whipped cream with heavy whipping cream, how hard can it be???  HARD.  The best thing ever was after admitting it on Facebook, I found out that I am no the only one!  Thanks friends. . . you made me feel better!  I tried it first with a can of coconut milk, but since it's been warmer and I didn't store mine in the fridge, the cream part was not thick. . . like crisco.  So, I saved that option for another project, then moved on to canned coconut cream.  Yep, thicker, but NOT a solid material like I saw on the blog post I had pinned.  I whipped that stuff for about 15 minutes before giving up.  It got thicker, but not even close to stiff peaks.  I was super bummed!  So, my failed attempts were put back into the fridge and we made into the base for ice cream today (we will see how that turns out!).

So, despite my failure to make a whipped cream that I could enjoy.  My husband enjoyed two of these babies!  They were amazing!  The recipe for the shortbread was a new one that I had pinned very quickly. . . this was all very spur of the moment!  I loved the way the shortbread looked in the pictures. . . it looked amazing, but the recipe just didn't seem right.  I followed it according to her directions, assuming that she new what she was doing and maybe I just didn't know.  But, I ended up with pancake batter. . . not exactly biscuit dough.  So, I went online and looked at other recipes and came up with conclusion that I needed more flour (my original thought was that 1/2 cup just couldn't be enough. . . and I was right!).  1 cup later and I had the most beautiful, tasty biscuit dough in my bowl.  AWESOME!!! 

Shortcake Recipe:

Adapted from here. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour

1 Tbs baking powder

2 1/2 Tbs sugar

5 Tbs butter

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup milk for brushing

sanding sugar/regular sugar

Directions:

Preaheat oven to 425 degrees

Combine dry ingredients.  Zap butter in microwave for about 20 seconds.  Add it to the dry ingredients along with the flour.  Stir until you have a beautiful, dough-y ball.  Press onto your silpat and cut out circles (or squares, hearts. . . whatever you fancy).  Brush on some milk over the tops of each biscuit and sprinkle sugar or sanding sugar over the tops of each.  Bake for 20 minutes (this completely depends on the size of your biscuit.  

FRUIT:  slice your strawberries and combine with fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. . . whatever you have on hand.  Sprinkle with a bit of sugar to draw out the juices and let sit for a few minutes.  I usually do this while my biscuits are cooking.  I think later this week, we are going to try some with peaches!  Really, the possibility is endless! 

Buy a can of redi whip, cool whip, or make your own whipped cream.  I am always a fan of the homemade version, but my husband wanted to make my life easier and brought home a container of cool whip.  No matter, what it's amazing! 

I like to sprinkle with powdered sugar once I'm done and with this one, I added some shavings of white chocolate.  

I won't lie.  My husband ate 2.   He will probably eat more tonight.  

Have a happy day! 

So, you want to start a blog. . . {Part 1}

Last week, a couple of ladies expressed interest in starting their own blog and wanted a bit of help.  I started this blog almost 5 years ago and I am still learning a ton about the world of blogging.  So, before I share some things, I just want to forewarn you all that I am still learning.

I absolutely love blogging!  I love that people actually take time out of their busy days to read about my shenanigans, and sometimes they even comment. . . that's like a real celebration, right there!  Starting my blog was something that I thought for awhile after Ethan was born and I finally jumped right in.  I will confess it was a bit on the scary side.  I mean every time, I share something, I share a bit about myself for the whole world (don't worry, I don't have that many followers!).  But, it's my blog.  If you have that urge to share your life with your family, friends, and potentially people you have never heard of from places that you've only dreamed about traveling to, here are some helpful tips to get you started.

1.  Establish an objective for your blog. (Man, I sound like a teacher right there!) What do you want to write about?  Think about your hobbies, your adventures, your life.  Your blog will become your voice. . . your outlet.

2.  Think of a name for your blog.   I chose "Out of the right brain" because that is the creative side of the brain, the side that gets used most often in my life.  Get creative. . . you want people to remember it.  Maybe it's a favorite line from a poem, or a phrase from your favorite book or quote.  I also recommend doing a web search for your potential title because you want to make sure no one else out there is already using that as their blog or website name.

3.  Choose a host for your blog.  This will take some research.  I use blogger, but you can use whatever your heart desires.  Most of my knowledge comes from how Blogger works, so most of my tutorials will have to do with that.  But, do your research and see what works for you.
 
Here is what is out there that I would recommend:
 :: Blogger.  Blogger is really easy to navigate through and is connected with all your google accounts.  Since, I use gmail, all my login's are the same.  They also have a ton of formatting options for you to take your "blank sheet of paper" and make it your own!  It's also free.

:: Wordpress.  Also free.  This one, however, requires a download of their software onto your computer.

:: Tumblr.  I don't know too much about this one, but it is also free. I am not sure how much flexibility this one has but it is very trendy.

:: Typepad.  This one is one that I dream about switching over to in the future (It's just a dream). This one is NOT free, but it offers some amazing features that come with your fee.

Do your research.  Do what comes best for you.  Have fun!  I will try to have a new post up next week that will take you a few steps further.

Have a great weekend, everyone!