A few weeks before Thanksgiving, I saw the cover of Taste of Home magazine with this gorgeous looking bread spread across the page. I immediately snapped a photo and told myself I'd make it for Thanksgiving. In fact, I'd even do a practice one before Thanksgiving to make sure it turned out ok.....well Thanksgiving came and Thanksgiving bread and still the closest I got to baking the bread was sending a text saying that I wanted to do it. 

This is the first Christmas that Brad and I don't have roommates and so I took the opportunity to create some new traditions just for us! This was my chance to finally make this epic looking bread! The first time I tried it, I followed the recipe perfectly and was so excited when the bread actually rose during the hour sit time (I didn't have high hopes for my bread making skills so that fact that I could do it means anyone can.) The only problem with the first batch was that once it had the slightest golden brown top, I took it out and started eating. The edges were good but the middle was a sad state of dough.

I could tell that it would be really good with a different filler and so I decided to give it another go for my company Christmas potluck, this time with pesto and cheese. I stayed patient and let it bake and bake and gave it the good old toothpick test just to make sure it was cooked and was so happy about how it turned out.

So the verdict is in from me, Brad and all my co-workers that this bread tastes as good as it looks. Whether you want something sweet for Christmas morning or a delicious savory appetizer/side for Christmas Eve dinner, this bread is sure to be a conversation starter and taste oh so good. 

Hope your Christmas is filled with delicious goodies and if you want to add this one to your table, here is the original recipe link and below are some other filling ideas that Brad and I brainstormed to try next time.

Filling Options:
Pesto & Cheese
Raspberry Jam
Marionberry Jam
Nutella
Marinara & Mozerella
Garlic Butter & Rosemary

Enjoy and MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

P.S. I'd love to hear your favorite traditions too! What is one of your favorite Christmas day recipes to share with your family?

I’ve always preferred baking over cooking. Maybe it’s because of how sweet the treat is at the end of the process. I even made my two tier wedding cake from scratch (everyone at work loved all the practice cakes leading up to the big day). Anyway, as much as I love baking, I still cannot beat out my husband Brad’s chocolate chip cookies. He has mastered the perfect crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, extra chocolatey chip cookies. There are not many people he shares his recipe with, but I convinced him to let me share it with all of you. Hope you enjoy these classics as much as we do.

• 4 ¼ cup All-purpose flour
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks of butter)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (1 bag) of chocolate chips

 
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Ensure the butter is soft at room temperature. If it’s straight out of the fridge, put it in a microwave safe bowl and melt just barely (20 sec) to keep it soft. Next add eggs, butter, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix it so that everything is mixed in and a consistent golden color. Lastly add in the chocolate chips and mix evenly. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes for the dough to firm up a bit (try not eat all of the cookie dough before bakingJ) Place 1 inch balls on cookie sheet. You should be able to fit about 12 per sheet. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy warm with a glass of milk or let them cool and keep them in you cookie jar for the week! 

Happy Tuesday, everyone!! A few months ago, I was introduced to a really neat company called pHur water. Being the science nerd that I am, I was really intrigued with their product and how they literally use water to disinfect surfaces.... well its electrolyzed, pH-modified water but amazingly provides no-residue cleaning and hospital-level disinfection.

Keeping a clean house has always been something that my parents instilled in me. On Saturdays growing up, we would do what my dad called a "Power Hour". Each of my sisters and I would get a job to do. My older sister cleaned the kitchen, I got the bathrooms and my little sister was the duster and silver cleaner, while my parents did almost everything else from laundry to vacuuming. We would put on classical music and all roll up our sleeves. My dad's logic was, and still is, that many hands make light work. So, if everyone puts in a power hour, we can all have more time together rather than one person cleaning all day. 

Now, as a newlywed, my husband and I are working to figure out our own "power hour" equivalent and surprisingly have had a really hard time finding the right products to use. I like things that leave a really good smell, Brad likes things that work really well the first time and leave a lasting finish. Also, my sister recently got a new puppy, Winston, and we wanted to make sure to have a product that was safe for him. 

After trying pHur water, we were all super impressed. It left the house smelling so clean and fresh and was so effective. At first I was a bit nervous to use a two part system, but it was actually really convenient because the cleaning and disinfectant are separate. What I mean is, I used to use TONS of paper towels because I didn't want to just wipe the dirt around. Since the disinfecting part is a separate simple spray with pHur, you can use one microfiber cloth to clean the entire surface area and then spray the disinfectant and simply walk away.  

The cleaning wipes are also super convenient and I love they don't leave any stickiness behind! I'm so glad that I finally found a product that cleans well, is toxic-free, and leaves my home feeling fresh. So happy, that I teamed up with pHur to do a little giveaway for all of you to give it a try as well. You can find the kits here or head on over to instagram and enter to win. 

Hope you win and your spring gets an extra bounce of freshness to it!

Jessica

When it comes to holidays, my mom has always been the BEST decorator, cook and activity planner. She has done Easter egg hunts for us every single year (yup even as adults and even if we are on a family trip. One year she hid the eggs in the hotel room while we are at breakfast and we had the best time searching all the new hiding places).

Needless to say, I've picked up a few tips from her to make the best hunt possible. 

My mom would leave a little basket with a few socks, chocolates, and knick knack treats outside our door so that when we woke up in the morning, we had a sweet surprise and could also use the basket for the hunt that was soon to ensue. Whether bucket or basket, picking out one that can add great decor to a room after the fact is an added bonus!

First it's best to start with a good number of eggs, enough for each person in the group to be able to find at least 4-6. Once you have all your eggs packed with your favorite candy (we love Starburst Jelly Beans and Cadbury Mini Eggs) count the final number of eggs that you end up hiding. This way, once everyone thinks they are all done, you can know for sure and that way you don't find a less than fresh egg in October.

My sisters and I can be a bit ruthless when it comes to Easter egg hunts (what can we say, it's just tradition). We scurry all over the house trying to beat each other to the best hiding spots. My mom always would hide a few in plain site, like against the hallway baseboards, near the front door window, or next to a vase. However, she would also hide just a few in really tricky places like behind picture frames, in between couch cushions, and inside drawers. This was the perfect balance for excitement and problem solving to try and figure out where the last egg ended up. 

Our family tradition has always been eggs and bacon (with either toast or biscuits) cooked by my dad and hot cross buns that one of our close family friends always hand delivers on Easter morning. This was great for two reasons, first, after scouring the house for candy, it's easy to want to start eating it, especially when we were kids, but having a nutrient rich meal at the ready made it easy to say no to candy until a more reasonable hour. Second, it created a special moment to sit and eat together, having time to laugh, talk and enjoy our family time. 

Traditions have always been such a special part of my upbringing and I hope that you got some great ideas. What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Jessica