German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

I'm a very bad decision maker. No matter what it is, it's very hard for me to make up my mind. 

My mom: "Where do you want to go eat?"

Me:"Uh... this place looks good, but so does that one. I don't know!"

Story of my life right there.

Merry Christmas!

I would just like to wish everyone a very Merry and blessed Christmas and holiday. I hope everyone is safe and warm with their family creating fond memories and enjoying each others company. May this new year bless everyone and let it bring good things to each and every one of us.

No recipes with any of these, yet, but here are some pictures of the afternoon feast we had at my house today. I am still recovering from it, it'll take me quiet a while to work everything off, but hey Christmas only comes once a year, why not go all out?

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Today was a very special day for a very great old friend of mine.

Holiday Cookies (Sugar and Gingerbread)

"It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas..."

Whiskey Cream Filled Cajeta Cupcakes

Whiskey, cream, and cajeta all together in a cupcake... Could anything sound better?

Homemade Pasta Dough Tutorial

Usually when I make dinner, it tends to be some sort of pasta. There are several reasons for this. First, pasta is always good. No matter what kind. Second, it makes me feel like i'm actually putting effort into making dinner, since I make the dough from scratch. It feels "truly" homemade.

More homemade than throwing something into a pot and letting it cook for several hours. Don't get me wrong, that is certainly a delicious method of cooking, but I like being hands on for everything.

Plus making the dough is very relaxing for me.

While pasta dough seems intimidating for beginners, it's really very very simple. 

My new favorite cookie (white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies)

Sometimes I forget how good oatmeal cookies are. Given the choice between oatmeal cookies or chocolate chip cookies I would always pick chocolate chip. The oatmeal always scared me away.

They are totally underrated though. Just because they say oatmeal doesn't mean they're all healthy and nasty.

These white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are anything everything but nasty.

Chocolate chip cookies and a few tips

I've been going crazy with cookie dough lately, making chocolate chip, sugar, and gingerbread dough and putting it in the freezer until I want some.

It's really come in handy! My friend called me the other day really upset, so I turned on the oven baked up some fresh cookies and took them to her. Cheered her up fast!

Lemon Raspberry Truffle Cake

This weekend I am at my grandparents house who live in San Angelo. Every year, for as long as I can remember, we have always gone to the Christmas in Ole For Concho here in San Angelo. It's tradition! I was very excited to get off work for it. Even though it's warm outside, the traditions make it feel like Christmas. Lights on outside the house, fort concho, christmas trees and Christmas movies.

We went to a special showing of the movie "A Christmas Story" at Tinseltown this past Wednesday and let me tell you it was fun! I don't know if i've ever watched the whole movie from beginning to end before then, but it always makes it feel like Christmas.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Merry Christmas! 

This is my favorite time of year! Are ya'll as excited as me?!

I try and celebrate the holiday traditions as much as I can, although it gets harder and harder every year as my schedule gets busier and busier!

Christmas shopping, baking, school, work, parties! It gets crazy!

Black Forest Cake

When I was younger, I used to be kind of a tomboy. I grew up with two older brothers so I always wanted to do stuff with them. 

The only way my mom could get me to wear anything besides my brothers old hand-me-downs was to buy something with The Little Mermaid on it. 

Meeting me now you probably wouldn't have any idea I was like that though, I must say i've turned pretty girly over the years.

Now i'm not afraid of dirt and I do like challenges. In fact I even did Warrior Dash this just last November and came 6th in my division!

However, I do enjoy dressing more girly and decorating more. I love cooking and making things pretty, even though half the time my food doesn't come out too grand. I just enjoy pretty things more I guess.

Caramelized Onion Risotto with Gruyere

Has anyone been to Antonelli's Cheese Shop here in Austin? Omg...

I went for the first time the other day with my mom... That store is dangerous. Although it's small, they have so many different cheeses and products that are all so so good. 

And the samples? The guy working there that day practically gave us a meals worth of free samples just trying to find ones we liked. Sample after sample her kept trying to figure out what we would like the best. 

Friendly service, amazing cheese, and bourbon dulce de leche... I'm telling you it's dangerous in there.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

This semester I had an early class at 7:30 two days a week. Surprisingly I preferred those days over the ones where my classes started at 10:30. I went to class half asleep but when it was over with I was done with the day. The whole rest of my day was free!