Happy Saturday! Seriously… if you could see me now I am quite literally doing a dance in my p.j.’s. YES! Saturdays are my favorite day of the week.
- It is the one morning each week I do have to get up super early
- I don’t work on Saturday’s so any commitments are mine to choose
Saturdays to me are reading, writing, a movie or two, book reviews, time for breakfast, sitting in p.j.s a little longer than I should, staying in the house if I choose, dinner with hubby that for a change does not feel rushed, hanging with friends, indulging in a little down time…
ahhhhhh Saturdays!
This morning I am going to be shipping out books that people have won, and refilling my Giveaway box. I have reviews to write and a couple of books I am looking forward to finishing.
None of this so far… has anything to do with my post title and I think that is awesome too. 😀
Here is my recent story. A few days ago I realized that I had not heard from my pal Reagan from Miss Remmer’s Reviews. When I looked at her blog I seen that I was correct, she had been M.I.A. and had not posted in a while too. Reagan was one of my roommates in New York for BEA this past May and again in September of this year in Minneapolis for a Book Festival. Due to these facts, I have her phone number.
I called her up and left her a “Heyyyyyy, just seeing how you are doing and making sure all is well” message. She called me back shortly after that and we talked for about 40 minutes about the craziness of life, juggling commitments, finding balance, all the fun things we (or at least I) as book reviewers tend to have to sort through time to time. It was fun to catch up.
I hung thinking that it is so cool that there are people in my life, Book Bloggers, who a year ago I did not know but now, I notice when they are not posting. I feel for them when things are hard in their life. My online friends. I love it when people share what is on their hearts and when they pop in to comment here, I feel like I know a little about them and can check in with a “Glad you are feeling better, or welcome back from vacation – how was Florida?”
Anyway…. there’s a bit about me there too I guess… I just enjoy my bloggy friends.
Cookies.
Yes…. A couple (or has it been three?) weeks ago I had a girls weekend at our cabin in Finland, Minnesota. We baked cookies and made crafts throughout the weekend and my plan was to come back and share with you a recipe or craft a day. I have done a few, but still have not finished sharing with you that weekend fun….
So with no further ramblings from me – let’s get on with the cookie!
Pistachio Thumbprints
Looking for a melt in your mouth cookie? My friend Sara brought this recipe to the cabin and these not only looked good and smelled amazing – they also melted in your mouth. (My mouth is watering just talking about it now!)
1 cup softened butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 pkg. instant pistachio pudding
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
2 cups finely chopped pecans
In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and extracts; mix well. Combine flour and pudding mix; add to cream mixture. Stir in mini chips. Roll into 1 inch balls; roll in nuts and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool.
Filling:
2 Tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 Tablespoons milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and milk. Spoon into center of cooled cookies.
Glaze:
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. shortening
Melt chocolate chips and shortening and mix well. Drizzle over cookies.
Book Journey 
My mom has made these cookies for years! They are one of my absolute favorites and just melt in your mouth 🙂 So glad to see you were able to enjoy them!
Another dangerous cookie to add to my list Emily! My share of these are still in the freezer… hopefully safe until Christmas 😀
I know exactly what you mean. Before I attended my first BEA, I never realized what good friends people you’ve met online can be.
Your cookies are gorgeous – I always have trouble when drizzling is involved.
What I found our about book bloggers at BEA Kathy is they are exactly who I thought they would be! They are as real on their blogs as they are in person and that really impressed me. 🙂
Oh, yum! Those sound delectable.
I know what you mean about bloggy friends, and it’s only been a little over a year for me, too. While I had my one blog for a year by then, I hadn’t connected with the community until last year.
You were one of the first, so I’m very grateful; especially since you have been very helpful.
I went a little crazy adding blogs for awhile, but then I scaled back a bit, merging, etc. I now have only two blogs at Blogger and eleven at Word Press.
I’ve enjoyed Word Press, although sometimes they do a few “glitchy” things; however, it usually seems to sort itself out after a bit.
I love Saturdays, too, although more so now than when my kids were little. Those days were filled with waking up to the sound of cartoons and demands for French toast, their favorite weekend thing. Nowadays, I often have my youngest grandson on the weekends, but he’s actually very easy.
Maybe I’m just more mellow!
Laurel – 11 wordpress blogs? I can not imagine keeping up with more than one. 😀
Thank you for these recipes.
Esme I have a little task for you…. you are so good at tweaking recipes – if you could look at that peanut butter ball one and tell me how to make it so it is not so overly sweet I would be grateful. I love them but I am only good for one. 😀
These look wonderful! Between these, the snickers ones and the peanut butter balls, I will be rolling out a new recipe every week this year! Thanks for sharing!
That is awesome Julie! Have fun with them 😀
Oh, those look wonderful! Hope you enjoyed your morning!
These cookies look fabulous! Thank you for the recipe.
I know exactly what you mean by this post. When we don’t see our online friends around in a while, we miss them. Hope all is well and just need a shout out from them saying all is well. Life just seems to get in the way so much more lately.
Glad you two caught up and now I’m off to organize my cookie recipes!
Jenny I think it is nice to just let those who are having a busy season who we are still thinking about them…. I love it when I miss a morning meandering or two and I am getting emails or tweets asking if I am ok….
So sweet! 😀
I love pistachio pudding, so I’m sure I would love those cookies!
I appreciate my blog friends too, and it drives me crazy when I get too busy to pop around to all of my favorite sites – I feel like I’m missing out.
Alyce that is how I feel too. I love to get around and visit and have a group that I like to pop in on at least once a week but love it when i can do more. 😀
I love your Ode To Saturday. Amazing how lovely one whole day can be, LIke the cookies too.
Margot – it is just a day for me to do the things I have been wanting to do all week and just couldn’t get the time 🙂
Oh my! Those cookies (or biscuits as we call them in the UK) look dreamy. YUM!
i ♥ book bloggers too! 🙂
Biscuits! That’s right Book Whisperer! (Although biscuits for me are what you have with chicken or gravy… or both.) 😀
I love Saturdays too – well this one in particular. Normally I go to bootcamp on Sat mornings but we got rained out 😉
Book blogging friends are awesome!
OOH a free Saturday for you Amused – what are you going to do instead? 😀
I’m begining to get hungry everytime I visit your blog! 😀 Those look great and I’m going to have to note down the recipe! I may even share a couple of recipes on my blog soon… I just need to take some photos to go with them 🙂
Oh good Nikki-ann, I am having fun posting them. 😀
That is so nice that you could call her to see that all is well. I always being to worry when my blogging buddies don’t post for awhile … and always feel great relief when they come back.
I kind of laughed as I dialed Jenners… I was thinking is this a fie line between friend and stalker? LOL 😀
Sheila, the cookies look great! However, I was wondering-the recipe for the glaze said to use semi sweet chocolate chips but in the picture the glaze looks white. Did you alter the recipe?
Angie that is hilarious and a little embarrassing. When I posted this morning I realized I did not take a picture of Sara’s finished cookie. I went on line but apparently you can make many versions of this cookie as there are many pictures with a fruit filling etc…. this is the closest I could find to what they looked like when they were done and I did not even notice the difference in the glaze….
😳
I am guessing you can use any glaze you wish 😀
Yes! My online friends are *real* friends — I’ve met many in real life and I do really care about them and their families. Who knew? A surprise blessing of blogging.
And OMG I love the sound of those cookies. Pistachios are one of favorite nuts.
And — oh I wish I lived in Minnesota so I could come to your crafts weekend.
Beth if you are ever in Minnesota, look me up! 😀
Yes, great wording Beth, “a surprise blessing of blogging.” I would have never dreamed that someday I would meet some of the people I chat with on line. 😀
I’m blessed by all the wonderful people I’ve met through blogging and I’m not sure I can imagine life without them anymore….it’s amazing how quickly you can get “attached” to someone you haven’t met before.
As far as the cookies go, I really wish I was even remotely good at baking. I love to cook but somehow fail every time I try to bake. I’m so in love with pistachios that I know I would love these but alas since I suck, I will never get to try them……I think I’m going to go pout in a corner now… 🙂
LOL Ryan – I am not a baker either. 🙂 Make room in the corner!
😀
Mmmm, those look yummy!
I think so too….. I have a stash in my freezer I am trying to avoid. 😀
Sheila these sound so good. i think I will have to make some this holiday season. Thanks for sharing the recipes with us 🙂
Sure Cindy – they are delicious! 😀