Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever: 4/5

I had a massive craving for peanut butter cookies. I considered using *gasp* a mix from the pantry and then remembered seeing a flourless recipe on Pinterest. I was skeptical, but they turned out yummy! I did miss the flour, but not too much. Oh, and there is no added butter or oil (just lots of peanut butter and sugar!). The texture was pretty close to my favorite recipe, but not quite. I think the fat and flour make it less grainy and crumbly. But for a recipe whipped up in 15 minutes from start to tasting time, this will be a keeper.

Jewelry Cleaner: 3/5

My wedding ring has some nooks and crannies. I tried to snap a picture, but I'm not skilled enough to figure out how. All of the pictures were just one big flash. When I turned off the flash, you couldn't tell how shiny the final product was. Anyway. Take my word for it. There are many places to harbor grime. I try to get it cleaned by the jeweler once or twice a year. It's free, but I feel like I'm taking advantage. So it only gets cleaned when I'm going to the jewelry store anyway to get my watch repaired.

A diy Jewelry Cleaner sounded fantastic. And it was okay. But not fantastic. After using lots of salt and baking soda as well as dish soap, my ring did come out clean! But not much cleaner than if I'd just scrubbed it with the dish soap. I think next time I would just omit the other ingredients (and lose the foil).

Homemade Teething Biscuits: 4/5

Baby girl has been teething. We waited and waited for a tooth to show itself. We blinked. Then four teeth appeared almost all at once! Naturally, I decided to buy some teething biscuits. We checked several stores but couldn't find any in the baby food aisle.* What?? I know my little one isn't the only teether out there. But then I remembered this pin. I could MAKE my own biscuits.

The recipe was simple to whip up during naptime. I swapped squash for the bananas since we didn't have bananas (what child doesn't like bananas? and prefers veggies to fruits??). I would recommend using something a little sweeter like sweet potatoes though. They taste awful to me! Ha! But the important thing is that this little one loves them. See?

Sorry, the picture is from my old fashioned, not-smart phone. But I think you'll agree the subject is still pretty darn cute.

Two last suggestions: 1.) Be prepared for a mess. Because the biscuit gets soggy, hands get sticky, then everything she touches (which is everything) also becomes sticky. And orange! 2.) I had to bake the biscuits about 20-30 minutes longer than the recipe suggested. I may have left the dough too sticky, but just keep baking until they are dry and crisp. Oh, and remember they will firm slightly as they cool.

*Note: I have since seen some barley biscuits in the organic aisle. When my own run out, maybe I'll give them a whirl.

Best Way to Ripen Peaches: 5/5

You know the old paper bag method of ripening a peach? Well, I never have a paper bag on hand. Almost never. I admit, with shame, that I've tried to ripen peaches inside a greasy fast food bag. Don't be like me. Try my new favorite. It's the Best Way to Ripen Peaches.

This guy knows what he's talking about. I have converted to ripening using a tea towel (or other linen), and I am so happy! It works much better than using a paper bag anyway, and I always have a clean towel to use. Trust me, this is the way to go.

By the way, I'm sorry for the long absence! I having been working on a few projects, recipes, and crafts. I just haven't been blogging about them. I am catching up though, so you should be seeing regular Tuesday posts again. I'm sure you've been devastated without them. Ha, I'm sure you didn't even notice.

72 Hour Kits for Babies - Special Post!

I came across a pin about 72 Hour Kits for Babies. Of course! We would need one for the baby too. I have used the Food Storage Made Easy for reference before and was pleased to see they had a section on infant 72 hours kits.

I didn't follow the list exactly but used it as an excellent jumping off point. Here is what I have:

Of course, the kit has changed a little as Angela has grown, and will continue to change. But here are my basics:

• Infant acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Travel-sized shampoo
• Travel-sized lotion
• Travel-sized baby powder
• Travel-sized baby soap
• Desitin
• Two onesies and one pair of little pants
• Socks
• Infant-sized towel (is soft and can double as blanket, if needed)
• Little washcloth
• Bib
• Jersey-knit blankets (2)
• Muslin blanket
• Diapers
• Wipes
• (6) 8 oz. ready-feed formula bottles 
• Empty Playtex drop-ins bottle
• Drop-ins for the bottle (I figured this would allow us to get by without washing the bottle over and over)
• Extra nipples for the bottle
• (5) 2nd-stage prepared baby foods

Now. Here's the important part. I do NOT leave home without a well-stocked diaper bag. In a disaster, the diaper bag is coming too! Here is the list of my diaper bag contents:

• Diapers
• Wipes
• Bib
• Blanket (usually muslin)
• Pacifier
• Few toys/books
• Change of clothes (onesie and bottoms)
• Container with powdered food (pumpkin in our case), powdered formula, and rice cereal
• Four little spoons
• Card with pediatrician's info
• Cold storage compartment for already-made bottles
• Extra bottles (already-made)
• Wet storage bag for damp clothes or dirty diapers or whatever you need to seal and store

Keep in mind, this is a list adapted for our family, our baby's needs, and our environment. We live where it is HOT. We are not likely to need more blankets, even in the colder months. Keeping hydrated is going to be much more critical than food, so we need more bottle room than baby food space. Lastly, fitting all of this was a little tricky, so I had to be clever. For example, I rolled up the bib, socks, etc., and stuffed them inside the empty bottle:

Also, rolling blankets and clothes takes up less space than folding. I'd love to hear your tips and ideas for baby 72-hour kits! Please share in the comments!

Play Group Granola Bars: 4/5

I am always searching for the perfect granola recipe. It seems like something simple enough to make at home, but it's not. Which is probably why the grocery store has half an aisle dedicated to nothing but granola bars. That doesn't even include the granola in the cereal aisle! Anyway, the recipe play group granola bars from Allrecipes.com is among the better ones I've tried. They had great flavor, especially the vanilla. The texture wasn't perfect--just slightly cakier than I like--but I will be making these again.

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Muffins: 4/5

Can you tell that I love muffins? I do. So very much. They are easy to whip up, and they are even easier to grab in the morning for breakfast. Or later in the day for a snack. This is another muffin recipe I've had in my to-do stack for awhile. Oh my heavens. These were so good! I'm afraid to say it, but I would leave out the blueberries next time. They made me feel like I was eating something healthier, but they didn't add much taste-wise for me. This recipe does call for dark cocoa powder. This is not your usual cocoa powder! I first learned about it through Joy the Baker's Midnight Black Chocolate Pudding (another winning recipe!). If you are looking for something with extreme chocolate, I highly recommend you find some. Lastly, I am incapable of following a recipe exactly, so I did not use pastry flour. I used a 50/50 mix of all purpose white and wheat flours, as suggested in the comments.