Brewer Buzz: Sweets, Savings & Smiles

I've got to start this post with my favorite new recipe...

Crapple Cookies! !

I know, I know...odd name. No matter how cooky the name, these cookies are DE-LISH! I got the recipe from my baking buddy, Jennifer. Here are the details:

What you need:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 cup chopped apples

1 cup dried cranberries

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In another bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Mix in sugar and egg. Stir in flour mixture, and mix thoroughly. Fold in apples and cranberries.

3. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto prepared cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool and dig in!

Promise me you'll try them! Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

In other news...I have to brag on Matt for buying me these awesome boots! My old pair had served me well for over a year now, but they'd hit the Budapest pavement one time too many. Check out their replacement!!

While we're talking about shopping, I've got to show you what I scored at one of the retail shops here this week...

Isn't it adorable?! It's navy blue corduroy with red and blue striped lining. The best part? It was only about $4.00!! Baby clothes are generally quite expensive here, so I'm sure the woman thought I was a wacko when I couldn't stop smiling after she showed me the price. It's sized newborn, but it's still a little big on Gideon...lol.

So, Gideon is a whopping 9 weeks old now! Can you believe it?! He's finally starting to outgrow some of his tiny clothes. I was so excited to see that this adorable outfit finally fits him! These are a few pics from our attempt at a photo shoot. Gideon was feeling less than photogenic that day, as you can see. These are the best pics we could get...

As if you hadn't seen enough pics of little G, here are a few more! He's started smiling intentionally at me and Matt. It is absolutely hilarious. He seems to have new facial expressions with each day. A couple of nights ago Matt was playing with Gideon and he seemed to think it was the funniest thing. I managed to catch a few of his sweet smiles...