erica danielle

 How are we already this far into February?!?!  The days are flying by, and I can't even believe how cold it is. I should be used to this-- but I'm just not quite there :) 2 more recipes down for trying lots of new recipes in 2021. We signed up for a cooking class from the chef we hired in Mexico and it was so fun to learn how to make mole! Lots and lots of ingredients and a million steps, but very fun non-the-less.  I have been tyring to be more mindful of what goes INTO my shopping cart, becuase inevitably it is me who ends up eating so much of the junk food-- WHY????? So, I had limited baking supplies on hand and Olle had a friend over and they wanted to make cookies... I found this oatmeal cookie recipe online and it turned out SO good.  Ingredients 1   cup   all-purpose flour ½   tsp   baking soda ¼   tsp   baking powder ½   tsp   sea salt ½   tsp   ground cinnamon ½   cup   butter   softened ½ ...

I made banana bread this morning and while it was baking: Lucy was napping, windows were open, I was cleaning, and the smell was AMAZING. I highly recommend this recipe, make it for your mom for Mother's Day. It is grand. Banana Bread: from My Baking Addiction 2 C Flour 1 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 1 t cinnamon  1/2 butter 3/4 C brown sugar 2 eggs 2 t vanilla 2 1/3 C ripe bananas mashed (abt 5) ----- Topping: 1/4 C flour 1/4 C brown sugar 1/2 t cinnamon 2 T butter Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, vanilla, and banana. Mix. Add in dry ingredients.  Pour in bread pan.  Using a pastry blender mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over bread dough.  Bake 60-65 mins at 350.  YUM! Before going in the oven.  YUMMMMM!!!! We had a great weekend! We traveled down to Rochester for the NWC annual meeting where we got to see some awesome friends, drink Starbucks and walk around Target. (We are easy to pleas...

I didn't feel like I could welcome Spring when the temps were still in the 20's and we had snow in the 5 day forecast. However, after yesterday's BALMY 60 degrees, I am happy to say Spring has sprung in Menomonie and we are more than grateful.  Here are some happenings over the last week:  Lucy is rolling everywhere. We are currently in transistion mode from full swaddle to arms out. So far night one: Lucy- 1 Sten and Erica- 0 After her going to bed screaming, then us moving her twice after she had weaseled herself to the way corner of the crib (screaming) we gave in and swaddled her back up and all slept through the night. Maybe we'll try again next week :) Ashley and I made baked donuts after school last week. They were delicious and the best part was just hanging out! Lucy is OBSESSED with this "edible" book from Pete's mom, Wendy. It's amazing. THIS happened on Friday. and THIS happened on Sunday! We had the bes...

I had EVERY intention of winning my families "no-sweets" challenge. I thought for sure I could do it, and then all the sudden I lost ALL my will power. I am blaming it on the fact that we all got to cheat for my Birthday and my mom made my favorite cake in the whole world . Once I got a taste of that sweet frosting, I was toast. I broke my fast by baking a chocolate cake for my neighbors son, and making a cupcake for myself with chocolate buttercream frosting. Totally worth it. Now that I am back to baking, I tried Chia Seed Peanut Butter Cookies, which I found on Pinterest. They are not overly sweet and I almost found them to be a great pre/post run snack or breakfast. Chia Seeds are a power food and WebMD defines them by saying: chia seeds are a concentrated food containing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein , fiber, antioxidants, and calcium . If you're looking for a health[ier] sweet treat, these could be your solution! The recipe can be fou...

It has been a whirl-wind of a week! I can't believe July is over and August is here. Summer is flying by. Last weekend Lauren and Elin came to visit. We had so much fun! Despite the below average temperatures we still managed to visit: The Menomonie County Fair....  The Cottage Winery..... and go out to a few local hotspots to eat. On Saturday night, Sten's Grandma, Aunt and "Brave Uncle Dave" (Elin gave him that name) came over.  It was so awesome to visit with them! Sten grilled and I made Sopapilla Cheesecake. This recipe came from my sister- and we were so in love with it that I had to post it. I hope you enjoy! Sopapilla Cheesecake: Servings: 12 Ingredients: 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (I used light), softened 1 C white sugar 1 tsp Mexican vanilla 2 (8oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls ___ 1/2 C white sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 C butter Directions: Preheat oven to 350, Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray Beat c...

This weekend Sten's mom came to see our new place! It was so fun to show her around and explore our new town together. If there is one thing I know about Meredith it is that she loves anything almond-y. In fact, the Christmas Almond cookies I made are her specialty and I owe her all the credit for those Christmas cookie staples. I googled "Almond Coffee Cake" and came across a few different recipes. I really wanted to make it in a cake pan instead of a bundt and so I kind of improvised and made my own version adapted from this blog as the cake base. It turned out great! the cake part was very moist and flavorful- I would totally make this again. Here is the recipe I used: 1 C Butter 1 C Sugar 3 Eggs 2 1/2 C Flour 2 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Baking soda 1 tsp Salt 1 C Sour Cream 1 tsp Almond extract ____ Cinnamon Sugar/ Brown Sugar ____ Topping: 1/4 C Butter 1/2 C Brown Sugar 1/2 C Slivered almonds 1 tsp Almond Extract 1 tsp Cinnamon Preheat oven...