Previous month:
January 2015
Next month:
March 2015

February 2015

It's a major award! It's a Liebster Award!

Liebster
I can't believe it!  'What the heck's a bonbon?' was nominated for a Liebster Award by Jillian at I am a Homemaker!  I feel the need to give a speech:

I would like to thank Jillian and the Academy of other small bloggers out there.  I'd also like to thank my family who put up with so much... waiting for me to take pictures of their food before they are allowed to eat it...giving me "just one more minute" to "finish something up" on a regular basis...being the guinea pigs for just about everything my brain comes up with.  It's such an honor to be nominated...

What the heck's a Liebster Award, you ask?  Well, it's a cool award given out from writers of small blogs to writers of other small blogs as a way to say "Hey! You're alright!" and "I dig what you're doing!"  It's a great tool for finding fresh new reading material for you, too.

I was asked a bunch of questions when I received this major frah-gee-lay award. Here are my answers:

1. Why did you start blogging?

I forgot how much I loved to write until I started reading other blogs.  So I thought, hey!  I can do that too!  And I did.

2. Are you a Mac or PC person?

PC.  Although I do have an iPhone and can not for the life of me understand how to navigate a Droid.

3. What time do you go to bed at night?

10:00.  But I have been known to fall asleep on the couch much earlier. #partyanimal

4. If there was one major renovation you could make to your home for free, what would it be?

I would finish our basement.  Or put in a pool.  Or a basketball court.  Or...

5. Fruit Loops or Lucky Charms?

I am going to have to go with neither and give big props to Fruity Pebbles.

6.What is your favorite TV show?

Right now it's Walking Dead.  In the past it's been the X Files, Six Feet Under, and My So-Called Life to name a few.

7. Disney World, love it or leave it?

I loved it when I was there, but was able to leave it just fine.

8. What is your favorite flower?

Lily of the Valley

9. Give us the link to the post you feel best represents you and the purpose of your blog.

 http://whateverworks.typepad.com/bonbon/2014/01/what-the-hecks-a-bonbon.html

10. If you were a candy, which one would you be?

You know those weird wafer-like flying saucers that have strange sprinkles inside when you bite into them?  That's me.  Because they are weird.  And I am weird.

11. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I love being able to write and make people chuckle every once in a while. 

 

Now it's my turn to nominate 11 more awesome small blogs out there!  Without further ado...my nominees are:

  1. Lindsey at Sisters to Sons
  2. Katie at The Modest Heart
  3. Pricilla at Bear Haven Mama 
  4. Gina at Embracing Imperfect
  5. Cassie at Not Our Ways
  6. Megan at Made to Bloom
  7. Bonnie at Espressos of Faith
  8. Nance at Leaning Alone on Jesus
  9. Alison at Kitchen Table
  10. Colleen at A Madison Mom
  11. Jann at Reflect | His Love and His Glory

 Now, the nominees will have to complete the following rules I was given:

  • Thank and link back to the person who nominated you
  • Answer the questions given by the nominator 
  • Nominate 11 other bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
  • Here’s the hard part: Think up 11 new questions for the nominees.
  • Lastly, be sure to alert the nominees that you have nominated them.

Here are your questions!

1. How did you decide on the title of your blog?
2. Elephant or giraffe?
3. What is your favorite food?
4. Who do you look up to the most?
5. Would you rather cook or clean?
6. Soup or salad?
7. What's your favorite type of sandwich?
8. If you had the chance to change your first name, what would it be?
9. Tea of coffee?
10. What's YOUR favorite blog post you'e ever written? Give us the link.
11. If time travel were possible, would you do it?

Thank you for participating!  I can't wait to discover more small blogs by reading all your responses!

This was fun!


Carrot Cookies AKA: the ones I eat to make myself think I'm eating "healthy"

Taking a little break from the Big Grandma's Cookbook series to give you a recipe that is one of my family's favorites.  I adapted it from one I read a while ago in Taste of Home magazine.  The adaption came from my usual lack of having all the ingredients required, and I have to say it turned out fan-freaking-tastic.

Whenever I make these cookies, my kids call them the "healthy" ones because they have carrots in them.  I go with it.  Nevermind the sugar, butter and salt.  These fluffy, buttery, soft bites of deliciousness can make you see in the DARK!  

OK, they can't (as I'm sure you figured out). But they certainly will make you smile.  Please try them!

Carrot cookies
"Healthy" Carrot Cookies 

  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups finely shredded carrots (squeeze out excess liquid if you can)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400°.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and mix well.  Stir in shredded carrots.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add it slowly to the carrot mixture.  Drop them by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet 2 in. apart and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Check them so they do not turn too brown.  You want them to be only very lightly toasty.

These are my favorite cookies to have with a nice cup of tea.  Enjoy!

 


Big Grandma's Cookbook: Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

Big Grandma didn't always make Hungarian foods.  She was actually quite adventurous in her cooking style and would try just about anything.  Most of the time, we enjoyed whatever she was making.  But I wouldn't be truthful if I said we liked everything.  

I can remember a time when Big Grandma made us some pumpkin soup during a visit.  Now, I love pumpkin soup.  But not that time.  I don't know what was in it, but I can still taste it 30 years later.  Every time I think of that soup, it makes me chuckle a bit because even though it wasn't a favorite, it makes me think of my grandma.  

If I can get sentimental for a minute, I'd like to share something...

My grandma was a very proper woman.  She is the one who taught us how to set a table the right way, how to keep a smooth complexion by never washing your face with soap, how to sit with your legs properly crossed at the ankles during tea...all that.  Up until we were all older, I didn't really know my grandma any other way.  So when something came up like the pumpkin soup incident - where she made something that wasn't perfect - it made me feel closer to her.  She normally didn't DO anything that wasn't perfect.  It helped me to realize she was a normal human being.

Back to recipes.  This recipe also reminds me of Big Grandma for the same reason the pumpkin soup did, except it is delicious (unlike that soup).  It's not one that I would have expected from Big Grandma's cookbook and seems to be a far stretch from the more proper recipes she has in there.  It really made me smile to see it.  It made me smile even more to taste the end results!  Enjoy.

Molasses cookies

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

  • 1/2 cup shortening (I used softened butter)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 2 1/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup water

Cream shortening (or softened butter) & sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg & molasses.  Sift together dry ingredients and add to above alternately with water.  Drop by heaping teaspoon on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 375° 8-10 minutes.  

  Big Grandma's cookbook