Plum Street Sweets by Christina Schroeder

IYKYK

🎄Molasses Sugar Cookies🎄
1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened to room temperature (not melted*)
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt

How-to:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, pumpkin spice and salt. Set aside.
Using a separate mixing bowl, either with a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugars on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally as needed. Mix in the eggs (one at a time) and molasses, and beat on medium-low speed until each is combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredient mixture and beat until it is evenly incorporated.
Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the dough is completely chilled.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.
Roll the dough into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter. Fill a separate small bowl with sugar, and roll each ball in the sugar until it is completely coated. Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the cookies begin to slightly crack on top. (They will crack more while cooling.) Remove from the oven and let cool for 4-5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

I am teaming up with some girlfriends to bless a local healthcare worker. If you or anyone you know meets the criteria get entered on Instagram.

TGIP- thank goodness it’s pieday.

See what I did there?

Pies are all the rage for fall baking so a quick, easy, and delicious pie crust recipe is a must. This is a double crust recipe so it’s perfect for multiple single crust pumpkin pies or a single apple pie to impress the fam at the holiday table!

Plum Street Pie Crust:

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 + 1/3 cups cold cubed butter
1/2 cup cold cubed cream cheese
About a cup of liquid, ice cold, approximately a 50/50 mix of ice water and vodka.

Keys for success:
Work the dough as little as possible
Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before rolling out
Refrigerate again after filling for 20-30 minutes before baking

*the alcohol cooks off in the oven

- want a pie but not in the mood to bake it yourself? If you’re in the area shoot me a DM and I can fill you in on my ordering process

Confessions of a recovering personal development addict: slowing down to just BE is really freaking hard.

I feel much more comfortable in the just DO. Do this- and you’ll be more. More valuable. More accepted. More successful. More loved. More respected. No excuses. Just DO.

The doing became my fix. The doing was so addictive and so distracting, I completely lost who I was created to BE along the way.

Curious if this is you? Does prayer, meditation, or downtime frighten you? Do the words, ‘absolutely, I can do that!’ role off the tongue and then burden you with burn out?

If so, try this. 5-10 minutes alone with a blank piece of paper and a pen, in quiet. 5-10 minutes with yourself and curiosity. Write whatever comes to mind- not to make a plan, not to criticize or judge. Just to see.

See who you get to be- when you finally set yourself free.

I asked a client today what she was proud of now that she’s on the other side of a particular challenge we have been working on navigating through.

Her face lit up- she couldn’t pick just one thing.

Change wasn’t easy. Commitment wasn’t driven from a place of perfect timing. Planning, flexibility, boundaries, courage, reality, positivity and vulnerability are all part of the package.

2020 seems to be the year of change personal and systematic, hard conversations, and eye opening realities.

•Plan what you can
•Stay flexible for new learnings or understanding
•Set necessary boundaries and communicate them
•Have courage- from places of faith or experience (you’ve been brave before, you can do it again)
•Ground in the reality of where you’re at
•Generate positivity from what you’ve done and where you’re going
•Be vulnerable and ask for what you need

‘Easy’ is not a common condition for ‘worth it’.

You’ve got this. You are not alone. You will overcome.

Another day of star spangled treats! Mini sugar cookie sandwiches and a berry galette using berries.

Nelson’s is one of our favorite places- they have a ton of activities on their farm for Rae like u-pick fruits and veggies, animals, plus more fun and their Elkhorn stand is super convenient when I need something quick. If you’re in the area- check them out!

Pt. 1

Loved making this tart for a sweet couple to enjoy with their family. Stay tuned for Pt. 2!
🍋🍓🍍

Well, this turned out delicious. Tortellini pasta salad with chicken and veggies 🔳
▪️1.5lbs grilled boneless skinless chicken
▪️ 2 bell peppers (I used orange and red), diced
▪️1 large zucchini
▪️1 large squash
▪️ seasonings used with on chicken or veggies: sea salt, garlic, umami and seasoning salt, veggie roaster
▪️ five cheese tortellini
▪️ dressing: italian and red pepper spread

Chicken soup for the soul....or for your belly. Whichever you’re needing right now.

•2lbs chicken thighs, diced
• 1 celery heart, diced
• 1 package baby carrot, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 7-10 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 package egg noodles

Stuffed Pudding Cookies were a fun treat to whip up on day 1. Drew took the delivery to our fav birthday boy , which I am grateful for because it means the temptation to eat all of them is out of the house.

How are you keeping busy during this time?



Here’s the recipe:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used coconut sugar bc I was out of brown)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup mini m&ms
1 cup mini chips

Mix butter & sugar until well combined. In a separate bowl combine flour, pudding mix, and baking soda. Add half your dry mix, followed by your egg & vanilla, and lastly the remaining dry mix. Stir in m&ms and chocolate chips. Scoop on to baking tray.

Put cookies in the freezer for 7min before baking.

Bake at 350 for 16-18min for full sized cookies.

Once they’ve cooled to the touch stuff with frosting (optional)

To get to the bottom of this question, I looked up the Webster’s Dictionary definition of vulnerability, dug through work from some top researchers and authors on the subject, and (like a total Millennial) created an Instagram poll to hear from my social network....check out what I found!

What Does Vulnerability Really Mean? Vulnerability has become a really trendy term. From Brene Brown to Simon Sinek, everyone's talking about it. But what does vulnerability really mean?