Good morning! Happy Monday!
I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I know it was certainly a busy one for me, so here’s what you may have missed:
- Wedding Fun
- Another Special Day
- Double Dinner Date + $100 Giveaway (<—That’s right! I’m giving away a $100 credit if you open up a Serve account. Click on over to the post to learn more and get your entry in!)
So I didn’t get home from my parents’ house until late last night, thanks to another long day of cookie baking, sauce makin’, and family time. I ended up making a batch of M&M Chocolate Chip cookies, Snickerdoodles (recipe to come!), and two of the most amazing batches of fudge I’ve ever attempted (recipe also to come!).
All I’ll say is, Toffee Almond Fudge. Oh yes. I have one more batch to make today (sugar cookie cut-outs) and then I’m calling it quits. The only other batch I was debating on making was my Mexican Wedding Cookies, but I think I’ve had enough. I mean, we’re down to less than week away now. Yikes!
In between batches of cookies I also had to make and cook up some meatballs, all while keeping up with my fresh batch of sauce.
Mom’s kitchen was definitely rockin’ yesterday!
This batch left me with five containers to keep in the freezer for Jay and I, which should last us (hopefully) for a while. If not, at least I know how to make some more!
Of course, since both mom and I were making sauce all day long, there was really no question as to what would be for dinner…
A fresh pot of sauce always means endless amounts of meatballs (oh, and pepperoni too, for the crazy people in my family who like it in their sauce…).
We also had a loaf of Parmesan Rosemary Olive Beer Bread, which my mom actually picked up from the Yankee Candle store when we went a couple of weeks ago. The bread was awesome.
My bowl…
I grabbed a couple pieces of bread (plus one while I was slicing and another after dinner) and some pasta with a meatball and a piece of chicken sausage.
I’ll tell ya…dinners like this just make me smile.
After dinner, there was some special dessert to be had!
As you know, both my brother and my dad had birthdays this past week, so we used today to celebrate the two of them together. We asked them to blow out the candles on their cake right towards the end of the Jets game; if you saw that game, then you can probably imagine that neither of them were actually in the best of moods. Haha.
Hey, whatever. Happy birthday! Now just gimme my piece of cake.
Definitely a great day!
*****
So far today, my schedule has been a bit thrown off. I wound up sleeping in a bit later than usual and decided to push back my workout to this afternoon. Since today is my day off from work, I actually have a LOT on my agenda today, so fingers crossed that I’ll be able to get it all accomplished.
Breakfast
I went for another bowl of oatmeal this morning, just for the mere sake of wanting to be able to top it with more Love Blondies.
I just can’t help it. It’s that good. Plus, we’re also out of eggs.
*****
Announcement!!
Okay, so last night, I was feeling super festive. I was rockin’ the holiday spirit, I was feeling super thankful for everything I have, and especially thankful for all of YOU out there. So that’s when I decided…
It’s GIVEAWAY WEEK on STSL!
Each day this week, I’m going to have a fun little giveaway for a product that I love, which will be coming directly from me. Consider it a little way of me saying ‘thank you’ to all of you fabulous readers out there. Plus, it also means I get to play Santa for a week.
Be on the lookout for what’s to come…don’t be surprised if one of the giveaways has some homemade cookies involved. Actually, I can guarantee it.
The first giveaway will be headed your way this afternoon so stay tuned. Happy Holidays, my friends!!
Hope says
Snickerdoodles and fudge sound delicious! I can’t wait to see the recipe. That sauce sure does look great! Much better than any jarred stuff! :) Cannot wait for giveaway week! I’m feeling lucky this week. Happy Monday! :)
Tina says
I spent my day making sauce yesterday too : ) I love how the house smells!
I’m looking forward to the giveaway!
Chelcie @ Chelcie's Food Files says
I love homemade sauce! Sounds like you had a great successful day on the kitchen!
Khushboo says
Homemade sauce is the best! I just had some for dinner in a tofu spaghetti bake and it really hit the spot!
Samantha says
Wow all that sauce and food and everything looks so beautiful!
I love homemade sauce, there’s really nothing like it!
Andrea @ Andrea Out Loud! says
OOo I am so excited! What a fun idea!!
nicole@winewalking.blogspot.com/ says
I think my sister and I are going to attempt to make a huge batch of homemade sauce for my mom for christmas. She is a pasta fanatic and she would love it!
Ruthie Hart says
okay that sauce looks amazing! I wish we had more room in our freezer to store stuff like that, my hubby is Italian and makes a mean sauce! Do you guys have a separate deep freezer??
Cat @Breakfast to Bed says
I am making linzer tart sugar cookies today. Hopefully it will take no longer than a gajillion hours.
dee says
How exciting!! :) boy does that sauce make me want some pasta for breakfast! I was at a Jo-Ann craft store the other day and picked up a cookie cutter that was on sale..can you guess which one? Right when I saw it, I thought to myself..”Courtney’s going to be sharing the recipe for these on monday! I have to buy this cutter!” :) I can’t wait to do some more baking!
Lena @Fit on the Rocks says
That sauce looks oh-so-good! I also love your super festive photo of Santa Courtney lol
Susan @Happy Hippie says
Holy cow! Toffee Almond fudge sounds DELICIOUS!!!!! I would LOVE the recipe for that, if you have it. Also, the week of giveaways sounds like such a fun idea. Can’t wait to see what you have in store for the week! :)
Brandi @ Faith Fitness and Laughter says
Wow! You had another productive day! :) And let me just say the sauce looks amazing. Can’t wait for the other recipes either. I am debating on baking a cheesecake this afternoon. Pumpkin Mousse cheesecake with a Gingersnap crust!
Yay! A giveaway! :) You’re super cool Courtney!
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
your pasta dinner looks amazing!! i don’t think i’ve had some good traditional red sauce pasta in way too long… i need to get on that!
looking forward to the fun giveaways! :)
Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile says
Homemade sauce, yum!! Tastes so fresh. All those cookies sound so good too!!
Mallory @ Have Your Cake and Eat It says
so nice of you to do a giveaway week from you! cant wait!
Melissa says
I love that decked out pic of you! So stinkin’ cute! Your sauce making sessions with your mom make me want to get my sauce on, too!! I need to get on that!
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
Yay giveaway week! :-)
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
Yay giveaway week! :-)
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
It was a tough one to let go, bummer about the loss yesterday. I can’t wait for the next game though! Giants vs. Jets! <3 it!!!!!
Stellina @ My Yogurt Addiction says
That’s so nice of you to do a giveaway straight from you! Can’t wait to see what’s in store :)
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
OK, I’m about to make lunch, and all of your pictures are making my stomach growl!! I love homemade sauce and meatballs. Yum!!!
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
Oohh, that fudge sounds fantastic!! Hurry up with that recipe! I might use it for my holiday gifts :D
Annette@EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
oooooh can NOT wait!!
Good luck with your to-do list, girl.
Jeannette says
Your dinner looks wonderful! Italian is my favorite!
Debbie (Accidently Delish) says
ok i am not a huge spaghetti person. i never have been. but every time i see your mom’s sauce. i want some. so please send me some. (kidding)(kind of) i also think you’ve inspired me to try chicken sausage. again. always looks so good.
how awesome you’re doing giveaways. isn’t it just something about christmas season that makes you want to give? i know it does for me. even though i am on a tight budget now due to not working, i STILL LOVE to give give give. haha.
oh and thank you for the cookie help! I am making the oreo truffle recipe you posted and possible the nuttella. you rock girl <3
Jessica says
just liked those little bundles of love on facebook now i cant wait to bake them!
Tina @ Best Body Fitness says
I’m not a fan of Sunwarrior so didn’t enter…but had to say that I love this idea of a giveaway week. Too sweet. :)
Angela @ Health Happiness & Harmony says
Your mom’s sauce and meatballs is almost EXACTLY how my mother and I always made a pot of gravy (as we call it!) minus the pepperoni! :)
Shannon says
Your post just made my day! Giveaway week, recipes for snickerdoodles and fudge, and that delicious looking sauce just made me all giddy inside.
Thanks!
Nikki @ Heels to Sneakers says
I always make a huge thing of sauce and then keep the leftovers in the fridge. It always ends up going bad though. I never thought about freezing it for some reason! Thanks for the idea :) I am actually making a bunch of sauce for Christmas Eve!