2014 - What a Year!

It's New Years Eve, and I just realized that I'm part of the last group to celebrate the transition into 2015, as I'm spending the holiday out in Hawaii.  It sounds like a warzone outside because apparently Hawaiians love their fireworks tonight!  Anyway, just like the year before it, 2014 was overwhelming with adventures - both major...

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

I wanted to make a treat for my friend who is a big fan of the taste combination of peanut butter and chocolate.  I was all set on brownies with Reese's chips, then my mom asked if I had ever had these bars.  It's a recipe modified from the popular Cake Mix Doctor.  A recipe from a box of cake mix?  That's is fine by me...

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Reducing the Reading Pile

Must Read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr I picked up this book because it has made the top of several Best Books of 2014 lists, and I was not disappointed.  The story flips between two characters: an orphaned German boy with a gift for mechanics, especially radios and transmitters, that gains the attention of the Nazis who...

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Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a very safe and happy holiday season for you and your family from me and mine!  It's been a very busy but very fun year, and I'm looking forward to bringing you all  new adventures and delicious baked treats for 2015.  Thank yo...

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Holiday Baking 2014

I haven't done much holiday baking this season, but I did decorate a few cookies.  During this time of year, I prefer to switch from a butter cookie base to gingerbread because that's the quintessential taste of Christmas, I think.  I did about five cut out shapes, and ended up liking three of them.  The silly cartoon Christmas lightbulbs...

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Photographing the Oregon Coast

The Oregon coast is a beautiful stretch of the western coastline of the United States.  Not surprisingly, with Oregon's rainy reputation, the weather can be very temperamental and ruin photography plans. So, it has taken me a few tries to get these photos, and while I am not 100% satisfied with the results and want to return to some spots...

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LL&E's 2014 Holiday Gift Ideas

It's that time of year again.  Time to stress out over what to get for your favorite people, that is!  Well, I'm here to help.  I scoured the internet for some ideas that I think are great and step away from your typical types of gifts.  Hope you like my ideas too! First, who doesn't love the craft beer trend?  Why not...

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Chocolate Almond Toffee

As we head into the holiday season, here is a perfect gift to give to coworkers, friends, neighbors, and family.  These chocolate almond toffee pieces are a family tradition in my house, and though they take a fair amount of time to prepare, the recipe can be repeated (not doubled) to yield more and the toffee can be frozen for future gifting....

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Buttery Lazy Daisy Cake

This cake, to quote my mom, is"buttery, coconutty, sweet goodness in my mouth!"  With a simple butter cake recipe and caramelized sugar/toasted coconut topping, this is a quick, no-fail treat.  The recipe I use is one that was passed down from my great grandmother, so I wasn't surprised when I did a little research on the origin of the...

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"Quaint"essential Cincinnati

I've been trying to write a post on Cincinnati for the past couple of years because I travel there at least one time a year to visit family.  For some reason, however, I never get the photos I want to express the history and interesting sites.  I finally just said, forget it and post what you've got!  So, here are some images that...

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