Hello 2011! - plus some yummy treats!

So I finally decided to go through all the bookmarked crafts I've seen in the past 3-4 months, there were over 100!!!! So it took me almost 2 hours to go through all of them, but I now have a list of wonderful crafts to make this year, plus some home decor ideas for our future home! Yes, my husband got a job offer - YAY - and we get to stay here, we are currently in the market for our dream home! So I am practically salivating over all these fun projects I keep seeing! I can't wait to have our own home! We've been married just over 4 years and we have lived with my parents for 3 1/2 years of that time while my husband has been in school, we are so lucky to have had the opportunity to stay with my parents, so then I was able to stay home with the boys instead of having to work, or my wonderful husband having to work full time and go to school full time. So after 4 wonderful years we are so excited to have our own place! Here are two fun projects I'd like to do as soon as we get into a house - I want to make our own dining room table: http://jackiespapercrafts.blogspot.com/2010/11/11282010.html
and a craft table, which I"ll post about later :)

Okay, so today I decided to make some YUMMY foods since everyone here has been sick with the flu I decided to make some homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, it tasted wonderful! Here is the recipe for the noodles that I made (it's from Delia Creates - http://deliacreates.blogspot.com/2010/09/sickies.html)
1 egg
2 TBSP. water
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 cup flour
mix together until dough starts to form. Dust the counter with flour. Roll out as thin as possible, you'll need to press a lot! Re-flour rolling pin as needed. Cut noodles to desired size, then let rise while you make the soup. Once soup is done stir in noodles and cook for another 5-10 minutes until done, then enjoy! Yum!
To make the soup I diced up onion, celery and carrots, then added some chicken that I canned a few month ago, poured in some Swanson's Chicken Broth and some water with Chicken bouillon. I also tossed in some spices, great ones to use include, thyme, parsley, oregano, crushed bay leaves and pepper. So yummy! I never measure anything out - sorry!

Since we were having yummy soup I had to make some yummy rolls!!! My wonderful and amazing friends - the Claytons - have the yummiest roll recipe EVER, and they said that I could share it with you! Their fun blogs include:
- http://uniqueinspirations.blogspot.com/
- http://kissingfrogstoo.blogspot.com/
So here's the delectable recipe:
Dissolve together:
2 TBS. sugar
2 TBS. yeast
2 Cups water
pour into blended mixture of:
1 cup melted margarine
1 cup sugar
6 eggs beaten
Once mixed add:
8-10 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
Rise for 2 hours. Divide into 4 parts. Roll out each part into a large circle, spread with melted butter, and cut into 12 pieces like a pizza. Roll from wide end to narrow end. Place on buttered pan about 2 inches apart and allow to rise an additional 2-3 hours (I normally don't butter the pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until tops are golden brown. I normally rub butter over tops of the rolls after I pull them out of the oven, but it's up to you. Here's a picture of the ones I made today -

Then I followed up the yummy dinner with some yummy cookies! I've always loved the Andes Mint Cookies but have never made them myself, so I had some left over Andes mints from Christmas so I decided to make some! They turned out super yummy! See -

I got this recipe from a wonderful friend too! Thank you Helen! She brought them to the cookie exchange I hosted at the first of December.
Andes Mint Cookies:
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 and 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBS. water
2 cups semi-sweet choc. chips
2 eggs
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 and 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. Andes Creme Mint Candies
Melt butter, brown sugar and water in a sauce-pan over medium-high heat until thoroughly combined/melted. Then add 2 cups semi-sweet choc. chips to sauce pan. Mix and thoroughly melt. When combined and stirred through, turn off heat and cool for 10 minutes. Then pour into mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well and chill in refrigerator for about 45 minutes. Roll dough into 1" balls and flatten tops slightly with spoon. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Place 1/2 Andes mint Candie on top of each cookie as cooling. Let melt and spread over top. Allow cookies to cool before removing from cookie sheet.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

- On another note, my heart goes out to the families that lost loved ones today in the tragic shooting in Tucson,AZ, and the families that have friends or family members still in critical condition!