Homebody Life – Simone and Her Books

The Trials and Tribulations of Knitting My First Pair of Socks

February 26, 2021by Simone3 Comments

For my sister’s birthday, I wanted to make her something by hand. I remember over the holidays finding a pattern for a pair of Boston terrier socks on the Knit Picks website. They were so cute and looking at them from the picture, I thought this would be a fun project and a great way to start my first pair of socks!

Sadly, that was not the case. While the socks did come out great in the end, they were a huge labor of love requiring me to learn some new techniques including how to make a sock, how to do intarsia knitting, and how to shape. I was excited to do the sock making part, but I didn’t even realize the other techniques until I got to the second sock.

The first technique that really got me struggling was the shaping of their ears. To make them stick up like that, the pattern required I knit a ribbed edge (most socks have ribbing around the leg) through the back loop. The entire section required that you knit every stitch in a way that’s not average when you’re making anything else. That was fine, but I kept on messing up knitting through the regular method than through the back loop. I messed up about five times on this part, so my stress and frustration levels were already through the roof.

Intarsia knitting is a method used when you’re knitting a design within your work. Adding an initial to the front of a sweater? That’s intarsia. Got that terrible holiday sweater with a big Christmas tree on the front? Probaby intarsia knitting. It’s a method of knitting I’ve never tried since the most colorwork I’ve done is a few stripes. I was a bit confused by the pattern because I didn’t know intarsia was used, so I made one sock in the method that made sense to me at the time and the other sock using intarsia.

Left sock is created using intarsia. Right sock is made without it.

When I realized I had to use the intarsia method, I was already one sock in. I tried to think if I should take the leap and just make three socks instead. However, I had already worked on these for so long, tried so many times to get it right, and didn’t have a lot of time left to get these to my sister (who lives across the country) before her birthday. So one sock uses the intarsia method properly and the other doesn’t.

The end product is a little bit wonky, but I like to think they are sisters and not twins.

After finishing the face pattern, the rest of the sock was pretty easy. Although, I had to switch over to double pointed needles for the rest of the way, which can be a pain because there’s things sticking out at you from all angles. But once the sock was complete, omg there was a sense of elation. I made a sock! And it looked like a sock! I had heard some pretty weird sock stories and truly intimidated by the process. But when my friend told me she recently got into and loved it, well, I had to try for myself.

These socks came out so great. They aren’t perfect and if you look close enough, you can see their imperfections, but I made them by hand. I made a pair of socks! And I can’t wait to make sure. However, I might hold off on doing any more intarsia knitting for a while. I think I much rather work on textural pieces than ones with a face.

Baking, Books, Food, Homebody Life

Stuffed Peanut Butter and Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

February 15, 2021by Simone2 Comments

Over the weekend, I wanted to make a yummy Valentine’s Day treat. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to make, but my friend gave me a recipe for these very special rice krispie treats stuffed with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and drizzled with chocolate.

Rice Krispie treats are one of recipes I love making when I’m on a time crunch or not in the mood to take out all the measuring cups. The recipe is very customizable and you can use a variety of ingredients. In the past, I’ve made mint chocolate krispies. I’ve even experimented with browned butter. I’ve decorated with sprinkles for sugary crunch and even replaced the krispies with Fruity Pebbles, which is a sugar bomb FYI.

But peanut butter and chocolate krispies is something I’ve never made and this recipe is sweet, salty, crispy, and decadent. Each piece of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup you get is so rich while set against the crispy rice.

On top of that, this is one of my first dessert recipes I used from social media. I’ve tried recipes from influencer chefs before, but never a dessert. I’m glad I picked this one because some of these dessert hacks make me wonder if it’ll actually taste good. This, my friends, actually tastes good. Coupled with a little afternoon oolong and a good book and you’ll find yourself eating way more than you should have eaten.

You can find the recipe at @dessertbae on Instagram.

Homebody Life, knitting

“Heart to Heart” Crocheted Bookmark

February 11, 2021February 11, 2021by Simone2 Comments

This Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day, I was working on a little gift for my friends and wanted to make a little something handmade for them. While thinking about what to make, I grabbed a few balls of leftover yarn in various shades of red, picked up my crochet hook, and tried to make some crocheted hearts.

I looked around for a crocheted heart pattern. When I came across the one by The Painted Hinge, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. It has some super easy steps and these hearts can easily be used in a garland or as a fun addition to a crocheted shawl or blanket pattern. I could even see these used for a baby mobile! All credit to The Painted Hinge for creating the pattern and sparking my imagination!

I first started out with the plan to make a garland to go around my bookshelf, but I realized I didn’t have enough yarn to make several hearts in various colors. So instead, I decided to make them into little bookmarks. How else can you celebrate the love for your current read? For connecting the hearts, I just did a simple crocheted chain for about 50 stitches and then sewed the pieces together. I will admit, the backs of these little hearts aren’t the prettiest.

But I absolutely love the way these came out! I pressed the bookmarks between the pages of the book to flatten them out a bit and I’m just smitten!

I do want to mention that I’m not the best crocheter in the world. I’m not a professional at all with the hobbies I do; I just do them because I love to do them and create beautiful little pieces I can adore for years. But, I thought these would be great gifts for my girlfriends this Galentine’s Day and perhaps friends in the future.

I hope you enjoy making these as much as I loved doing it!

Homebody Life, Lifestyle

Six Comforting Non-Holiday Movies to Watch this Holiday Season

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020by Simone10 Comments

While we’re approaching one of the biggest holidays in the United States, reports of COVID are also on the rise. For most of us, that means we’re staying home, staying six feet apart, and celebrating a family holiday without the family. Perhaps this is a good thing since your family voted for the other guy or you don’t want to get into it with your uncle. But for others, that means losing good quality time with the people you love. It’s a tough time of year when the pandemic has made it difficult for us to get together. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t still meet virtually and watch a good movie or two.

Of course this time of year, I’m always hunting for a holiday movie or two. There’s a few new holiday movies coming out on the streaming services that I will definitely be getting into, but there are also the movies I watch that technically aren’t holiday movies, but always watch during this time of the year. As we approach our big holiday season and traveling to see family is becoming less and less of an option, I just want to spend my days keeping my hopes up and celebrating in the small ways that I can. It’s heartbreaking that I won’t get to see my family this year, but at least I can remember the good times by revisiting some of my favorite films to watch during the holiday season. Here’s what I’m watching for comfort this year:

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

I think this is every reader’s comfort movie. The scenes of them at the ball and having dinners surrounded by candles and chalices filled to the brim with dark red wine. Ah, this movie always brings a comfort. Based off the book written by Jane Austen, what I like about this particular adaptation is that it gets more into the emotions both Mr Darcy and Elizabeth felt for each other. Granted, the 8-part BBC version has those emotions as well, I feel like Mr Darcy in this film had a little bit more soul than Colin Firth’s very stern ‘I love you, most ardently.” It’s the hand flex scene that really sets this movie apart from the original.

Little Women (1995)

I’ve watched the Greta Gerwig version of the film and I thought it was great with some great summer vibes. But the 1995 version with the 90s mega stars including Christian Bale, Winona Ryder, and Susan Sarandon will always hold a sacred place in my heart. It’s not completely true to the novel (neither is 2005 Pride and Prejudice), it’s got the gist of it. But the homliness of family and spending time together during one of the biggest wars in American history, it sounds like something we’re all dealing with nowadays. I also love young Eric Stoltz as John Brook. I just have a mini crush on him is all.

A Little Princess

Something about the directorial style of Alfonso Cuaron and an old story about a young girl who moves from India to America (she’s white, but during the time period, India was occupied by the British) and at the same time losing her father to a massive war being fought in Europe. This is one of the movies and stories from my childhood that dared me to daydream even when everyone is watching. It’s the movie that made me think that there’s tiny bits of magic in the entire world and regardless of race, class, and gender, you can also be a princess in someone’s life. The girl literally lived in an attic space with no warmth or friends. Her reality was way worse than her dreams and yet she’s able to continue to dream despite it. It always made me hopeful especially during my more cynical years.

Amelie

Paris has a very big soft spot in my heart. I love Paris so much that I’ve been twice! But this movie came out at a time when I was losing the battle with adulthood. I was gaining more responsibilities. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I feel like I’m still trying to figure that out, but when I saw young Amelie take on those responsibilities and even find magic in her little life (magic in the real world is very important to me, if you haven’t figured that out yet), I was transported to a place where I can be a responsible adult and go to the day job and work the 9-5, but also believe that I can make change in this world. The change may be small; it may benefit only one person, but the power of changing one person’s life for the better is far more mystical than changing the lives of thousands at once. It filled my little heart with joy and I continue to try and find little things I can do to make someone else happy.

You’ve Got Mail

Of course I’m going to add some Nora Ephron movies to this list! One of my all-time favorites (that actually has a holiday scene) is You’ve Got Mail. Give me any movie that has books as its main topic and you have me sold. You’ve Got Mail is a timeless one, though and so many of us love watching this movie not only because of its book references, but the people in it. You can’t help but love Kathleen Kelly and be on her side to save her little shop against the Big Bad Fox Books. You also love Joe Fox because despite being a billionaire, he’s kind of cool and relaxed. He’s still the modern-day Jeff Bezos, but I think real Jeff Bezos has a bottom line for a heart.

When Harry Met Sally

Oddly enough, I love watching When Harry Met Sally after the holidays and right before the new year. It’s because the last scene takes place on New Year’s Eve and quite possibly one of my all-time favorite declarations of love. I would have never believed Billy Crystal as a romantic lead, but it works in this film and he’s the kind of romantic lead you want. He’s a bit cynical, not very romantic, but the covnersations he and Meg Ryan’s character have throughout the movie really make him such an interesting character by the end. I even love Meg Ryan with her quirky eating style and constant need to have things done in a certain way. Let’s not even discuss the fake orgasm scene at the deli. lol.

What were some of the comforting movies that supported you through the holidays?

Homebody Life, knitting

Reading and Knitting: Oversized cardigans, epic worlds, and werewolf girls

November 12, 2020by Simone4 Comments

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on the Effortless Cardigan from Lionbrand. Since this was my very first cardigan, I wanted to try something easy, but not too easy. I wanted the challenge of making a piece of clothing from a ball of yarn and this one definitely challenged me in healthy ways to overcome my own fears of knitting.

This is a top down cardigan where you work from the top of your work all the way to the bottom. In the end, the cardigan looks like one giant knitted piece. Even the sleeves look seamless! I think the only issue I had was the underarm. I’ve never used my stitch holders, so having to put all the stitches that would later become my sleeves on a separate piece of plastic and then continue on with the sweater felt weird. It felt even weirder going back and actually knitting those sleeves later.

But the top down cardigan is so quick and easy. I’m working on another cardigan now that’s made in pieces and while it’s easier and everything is flat and you don’t have to worry about stretching out parts of the work to accommodate your needles, it’s going to be a lot more work later when I have to sew all the pieces together and weave in those ends (aka the bane of every knitter’s existence).

Can I also mention that when I blocked this work I felt like I had no clue what I was doing? I’ve never blocked anything before mostly because I was making scarves lol. But this work, I blocked and many articles and blog posts really don’t go into detail on how to block or what to look out for or tips and tricks. In fact, most of the articles all say the basic thing; handwash the garment with lukewarm water in a bucket. Squeeze out all the water. Then put it on the blocking materials and pin it down. Maybe that part will get easier the more I do it.

I did learn a few things in the process of making this sweater. First off, that I can make both sleeves at one time! I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos on knitting and they’ve been helpful in finding new tricks that I didn’t know before. There are so many techniques from all over the world and they are all legit.

I’m so happy with the results though. It’s got its little snares here and there, but it looks so cute and oversized. It’s most definitely warm because it’s 100% acrylic, which also means it’ll be easy to clean. I blocked this piece too, so I’ll probably continue to handwash it and block.

Books I Listened to While Knitting

Of course, there are the books that fueled my knitting life. Seriously, reading and knitting has become my favorite hobbies. I get to listen to a great story and create a piece of clothing I can actually wear afterwards. This particular one was special to me because it’s the first cardigan I’ve ever made, so I’m glad to have read some great books while putting it all together.

Lobizona by Romina Garber

This was an absolute stunner and I’m actually surprised it didn’t get more love on Goodreads! It starts off as this story about a young girl and her mother who are running from her father and move to America in order to outrun him. In many ways, she’s “illegal” as an undocumented person living in the United States, but when you get deeper in the story is when the truths start to come out. I will say that Manu felt a bit like a Mary Sue, but truthfully I chocked that up to her instincts. But the story moved with tons of action and lots of emotion. It was definitely fun getting to know Manu and the world she comes from and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Skyhunter by Marie Lu

I’ve been a huge fan of Marie Lu’s work, so it made me so excited to read Skyhunter, her latest series. This is an epic dystopian futuristic story about a young woman who recently lost her partner and assigned a new one; a skyhunter. The skyhunter himself reminded me a lot of Wolverine with his mechanical wings and ability to destroy anything that comes in its path. But I love that Mara has the tenacity and drive to face her odds and still win out. She’s a strong soldier and most definitely outrank the other officers she works with, but when she finally pairs with the skyhunter and they’re working together, that’s when the questions start getting asked and the answers start revealing themselves. So well done!

Blogging, Homebody Life

What I Did Last Week

November 9, 2020by Simone2 Comments

Happy Monday! Last week, I decided to take some time off to recharge. I was trying to decide if I should post something about it, but I decided to just go ahead and take the time off. Let me tell you, it was time so well spent.

I feel like I’ve been taking more mental breaks lately, but I’m not surprised. This year and the pandemic has drained so many of us with all the restrictions, the weary future, and made me rethink a lot of what I do here. So taking some time to decompress, center myself, and refocus has been immensely helpful. Something about being present in the moment and enjoying everything that’s happening around you rather than being cooped up in your phone really breaks you away from stress especially doomscrolling.

But you’re probably curious as to what I did while I was away. I will say, I didn’t just sit in front of my TV all day (even though that was a large component of my time off). I kept busy and I wanted to share a little bit of what I saw with you.

Finished the pieces of the cardigan I’ve been knitting. It’s almost done! I just need to block the pieces and then sew them together. I hope that the sweater turns out cozy because the yarn wasn’t that fun to work with. Also, I messed up and restarted often with this piece, so I’m excited for this labor of love to be done with.

Read a bunch of romance/women’s fiction novels. Well, this year has put me back on romance and womens fiction novels. It’s funny because I can see myself at the same time last year talking about how I won’t be reading these books anymore. And here we are, one week into November and I’m three books in.

Specifically, I read Beach Read by Emily Henry, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim, and The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. I think my favorite was The Flatshare because that’s just an experience I’ve never had before (sharing a one-bedroom apartment with a stranger that you share opposite schedules with so you never see each other and leave cute post-it notes all over the place with your conversation). I was expecting it to be an enemies-to-lovers with some more passive aggressive notes sent to each other, but this book really surprised me and filled me with joy.

The other books I read were exceptional as well. I felt Vanessa Yu was an embodiment of me and Beach Read had some interesting conversations about books and their genres. All three were quite entertaining and kept me happy while I was away.

Worked on my Animal Crossing island. This one is silly, but I was watching a documentary on a gardener who owns one of the most beautiful gardens in the entire world. It has inspirations from all over the place and grand French landscapes that reminded me of my time in Versailles. I wanted to recreate that landscaping a little with my Animal Crossing island (since where will I find the money and land to actually create a lush garden?). The results look good, but I’m still working to improve it and finally get my five-star rating.

Took a walk on the beach. Bucky and I were chatting about how we don’t spend enough time outside. We haven’t gone on many hikes and we haven’t gone to the beach at all since the pandemic broke out. So we made a date to meet at 4pm and head out to the beach for a little 1:1 time with the sunset.

I absolutely loved this time especially since we went to the dog beach. Watching little friends running around and having a great time while the sun nestled behind the horizon is levels of comfort that I wish I could have everyday. The sun’s rays are also exceptional at this time of year as the weather finally cools down.

Started doodling in my journal. This was sort of a leap, but I started to doodle in my journal. It came about because I wanted to buy one of those little printers for your phone. I thought to myself “well, I could always try and draw it” and now my journal has silly little doodles of food I’ve eaten and moments I want to remember. Of course, the photo of the thing looks better than my drawing, but my journal is for myself so I can do whatever I want.

Bought a book. I’ve been trying really hard with only buying books that I’ve read, but a book I’ve had my eye on for a while went on sale and so I picked it up. It’s Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zao. I heard a lot of things about this book (both the good and the controversial), but I can’t resist a dark fantasy novel and this sounds really intriguing with some good representation.

Caught up on my Korean Dramas. I’ve been obsessed with Tale of the Nine-Tailed, which is a fantasy drama about the nine-tailed fox. It features some of my favorite Korean drama actors and has some excellent fantasy and romance elements to it. I feel like the show did a good job of mixing Korean folklore within the K-drama outline. The show is also only 11 episodes long and at this point I’m just waiting for that final episode to premiere. If only American TV could be as good as this show.

Organized and purged my massive TBR. I’ll write about this one later since it’s a pretty big project and I have a lot of takeaways, but I went through my entire existing TBR and removed a lot of books from it. The whole idea of this purge is to focus my physical books to the ones I will most definitely read. I want my collection of books to match what I’ve actually read and having over 200 books that I haven’t read The rest will be donated or given to friends and I’ll borrow those books from the library. I have a feeling I’ll eventually re-purchase books in the future, but only if I loved it so much that I need to have it in my collection.

I hope you had a wonderful week and weekend. Can’t wait to see what this week has in store!

Books, Homebody Life

Small Things You Can Do For the Fall Season

October 21, 2020by Simone8 Comments

If you live in an area of the world where you don’t see the foliage, or watch the seasons change, or your weather never dips too far below 55 degrees F, then this is the post for you.

My whole life, I’ve lived in New York where the trees turn russet colors and the chill in the air really makes you want to bundle up and get cozy. I had a ritual for my fall times that included pumpkin spice lattes and apple cider donuts. I would spend hours sitting in the park all bundled up with my warm drink and my book and enjoying the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves on the tree. The crunchy sound of dead leaves under your feet is also one of my favorite sounds in the world.

But when I moved to Southern California, that all changed. While everyone is getting ready to do some pumpkin picking and drinking warm spiced lattes, I’m still wearing shorts and sweating it out at home. There’s never really a grey day here. It gets grey in the morning, but then by mid-morning, it’s all sun and blue skies. You can wear shorts every single day. There are trees, but they’re the kind that never turn colors and perpetually stay green all season long.

Despite the wonderful little sunny place I live in, I still want my fall rituals. Sadly, I can’t do much of that because if I did, I’m pretty sure I’ll end up in the hospital with heat exposure. But the fall vibes are strong within me and despite the heat, I want a little bit of that fall season in my house. How do I get that without sweating my butt off? Here’s some small changes I made to my little world to invoke that Fall spirit without the Fall weather.

Get the pumpkins things

I mean, get all the pumpkins, but get the smaller hardier baby pumpkins to decorate around your house. It might be too warm to keep a pumpkin outside (especially if they’re real pumpkins because they’ll rot in the sun), but if you decorate your home with little pumpkins and even buy some pumpkin decor, then you’ll get the cozy vibes right away.

Pumpkins are also readily available in warm cities despite the weather. I mean, they also advertise to make stews and casseroles, but I’ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I can stock up on pine cones and pumpkins. If I do some digging online, I could also find artificial leaves, acorns, pine cones, and more pumpkins. These are perfect for filling baskets and setting dining tables or even just sticking in the corner of your home to give you that fall vibe. I love having pumpkins in my reading nook too!

Wear a cardigan over your shorts and dresses

One of the biggest parts of the fall is switching out your warm weather clothes for cooler weather. Sadly, that doesn’t happen here because it’s hot all year round. However, there’s a small pocket of time every morning that gets cool enough for you to have a little fall time vibes and it’s a perfect time to break out a cardigan.

All you have to do is put on the outfit you would normally wear for the hot weather. I like to switch it up between summer dresses and shorts and t-shirt. After that, slip on a cardigan or even a flannel shirt over your outfit. This will give you the sense of comfort against those chilly SoCal mornings. I also like to step out into our little backyard area with my morning coffee to get the full effect of that cool weather feeling.

Once the weather warms up, then you can easily remove the cardigan or flannel and be prepared for the hot weather for the rest of the day. The evenings are also a perfect time to wear those cardigans. I also love wearing them at the grocery store. I tend to run chilly when the AC is on full blast in a store, so I always bring a cardigan or a flannel to throw over my clothes. Although I don’t care about feeling cozy while on a grocery run. lol.

Buy all the Fall time candles

You may not have crunchy leaves and warm spices baking in the oven, but you can invoke those spirits by buying scented candles. Similarly to pumpkins at grocery stores, stores like Bath and Body Works and Target are already putting out their fall time candles. This is a perfect way to get those fall vibes. I’m a huge fan of good scents, so I always stock up on vanilla pumpkin candles from Trader Joe’s, fall time candles from Target, and cozy scents from Bath and Body Works.

Candles also are low heat, so you’re not going to be sweltering with a candle or two burning. It’ll provide a lovely afternoon of reading without sweating it out.

Read Fall time books

Fall time is always the best time to be reading. I guess every season is the best time to be reading because you’re reading! But something about the fall really wants to make you open a book and sit for a few hours with some soft jazz music in the background. As you all know, I’m reading a lot of fantasy this fall. I especially love reading books that are set at a school of magic. I recently finished Lobizona by Romina Garber. It blew me away by being a book that takes place at a school of magic, but also the scenes within the forest and the natural elements Garber writes in makes for a very cozy read while also super packed with action and adventure.

You can also read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. The entire series of Practical Magic books just give you that cozy witchy vibe without too much gore or too much wild fantasy elements.

If fantasy isn’t for you, I would suggest some horror or thriller fiction to get your spooky on. This is the perfect time to read the big horror books like IT by Stephen King or The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. You by Carolines Kepnes is always good for that suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat feeling. My go to every Fall for the spooky vibes is The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker. This is the book that inspired the movie, Hellraiser, which is still to this day one of the scariest movies I’ve ever watched.

Drink warm beverages

While I know this one isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I always make some hot tea in the afternoon. I’m actually a huge fan of hot drinks over cold drinks in general, so this isn’t something too off base for me. I know not everyone reaches for hot coffee when it’s 90 degrees out, but if you love a warm beverage, you can easily switch your fruity herbal teas for ones that are a bit more spicy. Teas like chai are my go-to for this time of year, but I also love using my slow cooker to mull apple cider. It’s also the perfect time to make pumpkin spice coffee! All you have to do is put a teaspoon of pumpkin spice blend in your morning coffee basket and let them brew together. You’ll have pumpkin spice coffee without having to buy pumpkin spice coffee!

All of this to say, there’s many ways to get the fall feeling without having to sacrifice your shorts and t-shirts in the blazing summer sun. But the best part about living in Southern California is that our winters are basically our fall, so while everyone is hating the cold we’ll be basking in our fall.

Baking, Books, Homebody Life

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies – Fall Edition

October 14, 2020October 15, 2020by Simone2 Comments

I’m so thankful that the weather is finally subsiding and I can bake. I try not to bake too much because my husband has a sweet tooth and that usually means that baked goods last less than a day in my house. But I love filling the house with scent of spices and that warm and toasty feeling you get when you’re biting into a warm chocolate chip cookie. I’m so glad baking is finally returning.

Recently, I went to my local Trader Joe’s to stock up on all the fun fall goodies. It’s pumpkin season! But contrary to many of the pumpkin lovers out there, I’m more of an apple person. So I picked up a jar of my favorite peanut butter (crunchy and without sugar) and a little jar of Apple Cider Fruit Spread and decided to make a batch of my favorite peanut butter and jelly cookies.

When I opened the fruit spread, omg. It was heavenly. The spread itself tastes and smells like the inside of an apple pie. Take away that crust and that’s basically what this stuff is. I knew this would taste so good with the cookies and the added crunchy texture from the peanut butter gave the cookies a bit more crunch! I was so excited about the lovely and bubbly results that I went ahead and wrote the recipe down.

This recipe is originally written for Food Network, but I made the change of jam to make these a fun fall time treat. It takes seconds to put together with things inside your pantry and bake up in about 20 minutes. My favorite part is watching the gooey fruit spread centers bubble right after pulling them from the oven.

Fall time is most definitely here and my future is bright with cookies.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

(Original recipe from FoodNetwork.com)

3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup of natural peanut butter (I use peanut butter without sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
A jam of your choice

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
Combine the granulated sugar and egg together in a medium sized bowl. Whisk it until egg turns a pale yellow color.
Add your peanut butter and vanilla extract.
Whisk all the ingredients together until it becomes thick enough you can’t mix anymore.
Dollop scant tablespoons of the mixture on a baking tray about one inch apart from each other.
Using the back of a teaspoon, make a divot in the middle of each cookie.
Use the same teaspoon to add a scant teaspoon of fruit jam to the center divot.
Once your oven is preheated, add your cookies and bake for about 15-18 minutes.
Cool completely before eating (the jam will burn your tongue!)