This isn't a food blog, but.....

What is so good I have to hide it under a pan from my kids?

There aren't many things that I will freely admit I am good at, but I have a sixth sense and knack for one thing - I can find and make dang good desserts. Nothing else, really, but I rock desserts.

These Raspberry Ribbons are some of my all time favorite cookies, not to mention easy and fancy looking (I made them for Christmas last year). Did I also mention they are easy? So easy.



I originally found this recipe as bars that you cut into fancy sticks at allrecipes.com, here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Raspberry-Ribbons/Detail.aspx

Here it is in cookie form:

Raspberry Ribbons

Cream these:
1 C Butter (no substitutes), softened
1/2 C Sugar

Beat in these:
1 Egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine these:
2-1/4 C All purpose flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt

Gradually add dry ingredients into the butter mix. It could look like crumbles and you'll think, "what the...?!" But just knead it for a minute and it'll clump together.

Grease a cookie sheet or cover it with foil. Roll dough into small-ish balls. Use your thumb to make a thumbprint in each. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. At seven minutes, remove from oven and put a small spoonful of your favorite jam (the recipe recommends seedless, but I used my home-made strawberry-blueberry jam) into the thumbprint depression. Put back in the over for 3 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for 2 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

In a small bowl mix this for the glaze:
1 C Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp Evaporated Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Glaze your cookies. Eat then and there- angels will sing! So amazing and decadent!!!!!!

This last picture? Can you see B sneakily sneaking the frosting? Ha ha ha ha!

I love, love, love San Diego!

Spring break is one of my most favorite times ever - to leave the State. I just love leaving the cold and finding somewhere warm to spend time with my family. This year? San Diego. I have fallen in love with San Diego - I love the zoo, SeaWorld, the ginormous Balboa park, the beaches, the weather, and the myriad activities available. Too bad there are so many people, though! I'd never get my hubby to move there. Oh well, I'll have to settle for McGill.

So, the first couple days we went to the beach, the zoo, and the safari park. It was fun, but my camera totally and completely busted. Jerk of a camera. I have pictures on my phone, but I can't find the micro-SD adapter. It's in my house somewhere (in that safe place I put it so I'd be able to find it later). So, for now, I just have pictures of the other stuff we did. The hubby's sister and brother-in-law met us there and we had a great time. It was sooo hard to come back to the cold.

After the zoos we went to SeaWorld. Of course we had to go to SeaWorld! My all-time favorite show was SLL- Sea Lions Live! Sea Lions are funny.

Shamu's buddies during the Shamu show (sooooo cheesy!)


Beastie got to feed the sea lions. Ew.


My hubby is a sad little land-locked beach bum! Just for him, we hit Ocean Beach, Mission Beach,and then Ocean Beach again, and then Coronado Beach.

B hated the ocean at first and wouldn't get out of the stroller.

When he finally got out, he started to eat the sand. Weird kid.


One of my new favorite places is Balboa Park. Balboa Park houses the zoo, a bunch of museums, the science center, and other things. It's soooo nice. We visited the Botanic Garden thingy while we were waiting for the science center to open.

Science Center. Eh.



My new favorite beach in the United States is Coronado Beach. The sand is amazing fine, there is no smoking allowed, and it's very kid friendly. My kiddos liked it too.





After we found out the Science Center wasn't so awesome, we decided to check out the New Children's Museum. I don't know why it has "new" in the name- it's not new; but it was awesome.