Pumpkin Spice Biscotti {with White Chocolate Icing}

So the first time I ever had biscotti, I had no idea what it was. I remember picking it up because it looked so pretty, but I took one bite and thought, “Whoever overbaked this thing??” and threw the rest of it away!

I had to learn a bit about biscotti:

Biscotti is meant to be very crisp, and dunked in coffee to soften it.
Let me just tell you, it’s some pretty amazing goodness!

I made this Chocolate Chip Biscotti some time ago, and have made it so often. I’ve heard that some cafes and coffee shops make my recipe and sell the biscotti, so that tells you it’s not just me thinking it’s good. :)

Well, this fall I am so craving anything pumpkin. Pumpkin Lattes, Pumpkin Scones, Pumpkin Pound Cake, Pumpkin Pie ~ just a few of the pumpkin things I’ve made in the past few weeks.

So, one day I had a light-bulb moment, PUMPKIN SPICE BISCOTTI!! And ta-da, it just came together so wonderfully it was just meant to be. Can we just say, come to mama!

The Recipe

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Sift dry ingredients together.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar

Cream butter & sugar together, then add:

3 eggs, beating well after each addition
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in:

1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped & toasted, if desired

Divide dough in half. Using heavily-floured hands, make a log shape out of each half on a greased jellyroll pan, forming an approximately 5″ X 11″ log. Bake at 300 degrees until top is firm, approximately 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, and cut each log into 1-inch pieces. Return to oven and bake again at 200 overnight, until completely dry. This is my favorite and best way to do it, because it becomes dried out without darkening the edges, and the flavor is preserved wonderfully.

Edit: I had some people ask me about higher, short baking temperature, and it is possible to bake at 300 or 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour, turning over every 15 minutes to prevent burning. However, the edges WILL become dark, and while it works, my personal opinion is that it loses a lot of flavor, or that the flavor is covered by a bit of a “burnt” taste.

{also, if you turn your back, your husband or small children will snitch the ends}

Cool completely, then place on wax paper and frost with white chocolate:

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon oil

Mix together, and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring well after each interval until completely melted. Pour into a ziplock bag and make a small cut in one corner, or pour into a condiment bottle, and drizzle over the biscotti as a frosting.

Yield: 2 dozen biscotti

p.s. make a double batch because you will give away all of the first or devour it yourself too quickly.

Now, you’re all ready for a morning deliciousness, or for friends to come over for coffee, or for a little “glad-you’re-my-friend” gift. :)

October 10, 2013

This.

is the first white pumpkin and cool orange pumpkin I’ve seen within a hundred miles of where I live. *so excited*

First White Pumpkin

is a little glimpse the fall mantel I’ve been working on.

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is the little guy who cut three eye teeth within the past week. He’s been grumpy and miserable for so long, and yesterday he started smiling again.

Happy Hudson

is how my kitchen looks when company is coming and there are yummy pumpkin things to be baked.

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is who follows me into the kitchen every. single. time. :)

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is what I always wear whenever I’m in the kitchen.
Anthropologie apron, thanks to my mommy. ♥
[also, this is what a picture look like, taken by a 6-year old :)]

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is the little girl who has can’t stand socks, or certain shoes, or certain anything.
Sensory issues. :(

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is a super cool water bottle, made by June Jars, given by my friend Shelly.
I ♥ it. And her.

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is how my attic looked before organization. Well, actually, it’s my yard sale pile. But it’s a pretty close ‘before’.

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is after, and what I spent my money on, rather than getting a smartphone. (I know, I know. I had the old kind of phone! Organization is just a big deal to me.)

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is made my day. Skype dates with sisters in faraway places.

skype date

is the woman who inspired me to do This.

is a day be thankful for the gift of life!

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October 4, 2013October 4, 2013

it’s the little things…

Two nights of very little sleep, and what little I did have being constantly interrupted, make me feel a bit fragile emotionally.

There are times I feel so tunnel-visioned. Like, there is the government shut-down happening in America, and the tragedies that just happened in Kenya, and endless other big world news. And I do care about those things! But today I’m here all clutching my coffee cup for dear life, collapsed on the sofa because my baby didn’t sleep well for two nights and I have a terrible kink in my neck. First world problems for sure.

Hudson is cutting the last three of his eye teeth, and then he has a full mouth of baby teeth. (I know, I know, such a mommy post). But cutting them is painful business, and on top of it he has a mouth and tongue full of viral ulcers. He sleeps fitfully at night, even with Tylenol, and during the day he’s permanently attached to my hip.

But I walked out into the living room this morning and laughed.

It’s probably lame humor, or maybe it’s because laughter comes more easily to the weary.

But I saw Zoe’s arrangement of our trunk-turned-coffee-table ~ the coke box cocked all sideways. That’s exactly how she (age 6) means to place it, thinking it adds interest “so not everything looks the same.”

And it drives Olivia (age 4) and me nuts. NUTS. It’s really not even a big difference, but we definitely have our opinions about The Arrangement of the Coffee Table. So there is this on-going joke/battle between us, as Olivia (and I) turn it carefully so it is perfectly aligned, and Zoe very deliberately cocks it at 45 degrees.

It just really hit my funny bone this morning, to where I felt ridiculous for laughing so hard. Little tears pricked my eyes, I found it that funny.

Crazy, I know. I had a few thoughts of wondering where my intelligence has gone and if my true senses have fled since I gave birth.

And then I felt a fresh renewal for my day. That was a little touch of God in my exhausted morning, ridiculous humor or not. He is not a God of a straight face, of telling us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and just trying to make it.

No, He’s a God that enters our world, He came to us, Who breathes fresh life and sweet grace for each day. He is creative and varied, who delights to be seen in our days. Even in little crazy things like cocked coffee table arrangements.

I’m also so so encouraged by this post on Authenticity. Wow.

Today, I’m thankful that God is a God of humor, who smiles and laughs,
annnnnnd, I’m thankful it’s FRIDAY!

Happy weekend, lovelies!

October 1, 2013October 3, 2013

A West Virginia Family Week.

It all started here.
Two people, in love with Jesus, met on the mission field in Belize, Central America.
Meet Mr. & Mrs. Barkman.

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Marriage and 31 years later, they’ve expanded the family.
They began with four daughters.

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They loved the girls, but decided they’d try for sons as well.
They had two, and everyone was so happy.

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Meanwhile the children had children, and the family grew and grew. [where does that line come from? I’m having a deja’ vu!] At this point it’s not even basic addition; it’s more like multiplication. :) It’s so fun!

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We met from various points of the east (Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia) at a chalet in the mountains of West Virginia for several days. Time like this is so special because we don’t get to all be together very often, and also, we never know how many more times together we’ll be gifted. Life is such a GIFT! And we want to treasure these sweet moments.

So, what does a family do in the boonies of West Virginia, where there is hardly any cell phone service and no internet? Well, be together, of course. While the no connection with the outside world came a bit as a surprise, it was actually welcomed because that meant there wasn’t as much room for distraction and time being frittered away on electronics.

Besides, there were deer in abundance – one evening drive counted in the fourties – and the men were ecstatic. There was even a few points of high excitement as one of the brothers-in-love pulled out his bow and arrow for a shot at a groundhog.

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There was so much good food. SO MUCH.
Mom and we girls each took a day of cooking, and it worked wonderfully.

good food

There was time to sit and relax, with hot coffee and early morning light.
For those without little kiddos, these moments were definitely longer and more relaxed. :)

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And being raised in the home of our book-loving mother, we all brought various books or picked up some that were already present. My book-loving children were ecstatic by the entertaining uncles and aunts and Papa and Nana.
Zoe, meet the Boxcar Children.

books & things

There were trails hiked and tennis games [I won’t even say how many I won, er – lost] and ping-pong battles, and funny games where we laughed so hard we could hardly breathe, and times to sit out by the mountains.

My family is at a stage with lots of change right now.
In a year and a half, my parents went from having 3 daughters and 2 sons at home, to having only 1 son in the house. My three sisters got married, and my brother is moving into the city.

We spent a lot of time together talking about life, praying, dreaming, blessing each other.
It is such a BLESSING to be part of a family where Jesus is central.
I know it’s rare, and I treasure it.

All those family devotions growing up? [that I would sometimes get tired of]
I’m so grateful for them now, for the way they still let us see into each other’s hearts.
For the way it opens up conversation to talk about the things of God,
how He’s working and leading and moving.
It’s so exciting!

This vacation? We all said it was The Best Vacation Ever.

Early-rising children. Vacation looks a bit different with little kids. :)

There was a little nearby town to explore, with a Goodwill and some quaint little shops.
We did more window shopping than buying, but it was fun to get out and look around.

My sister Claudia can rock these glasses like few people can. Like I sure couldn’t. :)

Oh, and there was an ice cream shop, right by a little stream. We couldn’t resist.
Besides, Ervina’s baby was hungry. :)

And in typical Barkman fashion, we must carve out a few minutes of time for some pictures. These were probably the most informal we’ve ever done, but hey, it’s documented. :)

We’ve got all kinds of lovebirds…

And these two are expecting a new little Lovie. We cannot wait until March!!

This little guy melts me in a puddle.

These kids adore their uncles.

A rare few of my love and me. That’s my brother James all snuggly with us.

And one last picture…
Parting words from Zoe, age six,
“Mommy, why is it SO SAD to say goodbye to them?”

I know, Sweetie. I know.

To us, family means
putting your arms around each other
and being there.

-Barbara Bush

“Siblings: children of the same parents,
each of whom is perfectly normal until they get together.”
– Sam Levenson

September 27, 2013October 3, 2013

From the Kitchen – September Edition.

The giveaway packages are in the mail and en route to Amy and Nancy ~ the two winners of A Farmer’s Daughter cookbook and giveaway! Congratulations again, you two!

Thanks to all of you who entered, and for making this a fun event for both Dawn and me!

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So for those who didn’t win but still want some cooking inspiration, you can either buy Dawn’s cookbook :) or follow some of the links here. I’ve been trying a few new recipes lately, so here’s another foodie post with some link love!

Chicken Taco Salad

photo credit: tasty kitchen

Fabulous, fabulous recipe. This can be an all-in-one dinner, or I’ve served fajitas as the main dish and this as the side, or this as the main dish and chips & salsa on the side. The flavors in this dish are amazing. But hey, it comes from the Pioneer Woman herself, so it has no other option. :)

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
photo: reynolds

My sister Ervina told me about this recipe about a year, and I’ve made it so many times since then. It’s super easy, and super good ~ what’s not to like about that? I’ve served this with rice and refried beans on the side for a bit of extra, or it’s good by itself too for a quick supper.

Mozzerella Caprese Quiche

photo: origins farm

I didn’t follow the exact recipe, but I used the tomato/basil/mozzarella combo with a bit of feta cheese as well, and it was AMAZING. I love basil, but I snipped it in small pieces instead of big leaves as shown. This I love as a breakfast or luncheon food.

Shepherd’s Pie with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

photo: tasty kitchen

This is good old-fashioned comfort food, and it really was good. :) Sometimes my kiddos don’t always appreciate a new gourmet recipe and the unique ingredients I love so much. But this is one that is so great for kids too.

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo

photo: tasty kitchen

This is another recipe from Ree, and she does not disappoint. Chicken Alfredo is a common recipe, and not difficult at all. But the farfalle pasta and a bit of white cooking wine sets this apart from the rest and adds a great new flavor to a traditional recipe.

Strawberry Creme Crepes

Strawberry Creme Crepes Recipe
photo: taste of home

I made these for a baby shower, and while they were a bit time consuming for 50 people, the first bite made it all worth it. :) The great part about these is that the crepes can be made ahead of time and even frozen. This is definitely a keeper recipe.

Favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

photo credit: kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com

It’s rather beyond me why someone [i.e. my husband] would choose an oatmeal cookie over a chocolate chip, but hey, he does. So I may as well may a bangin’ one, right? :) The photo does NOT give credit to the cookies. They look much better in real life. Maybe also because I roll them in white sugar before baking them, a personal addition to the recipe. The key is in the baking time, ensuring not to overbake them.

And, last but not least, we’re beginning the season of all things PUMPKIN!

My first new recipe of the season was a great delight.
I’ve already made it three times in three weeks. :)

Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake

photo: something swanky

The description caught my eye, and it did not disappoint. It does indeed taste exactly like the Starbucks pound cake. Wowsers. It is perfect with coffee for dessert. Or breakfast. Or snack. :)

Happy weekend, all!

September 11, 2013September 11, 2013

The Last Drops of Summertime.

In just a few days it will be autumn, and while I LOVE the fall season,
I’m also enjoying these last droplets of summertime.

Besides, it’s 95 degrees outside. Pumpkins and orange leaves just don’t work in the deep south yet! And by the time I start fall decorating, everyone will be finished and posted pictures and then I’ll have all kinds of great ideas to browse. :)

So here’s a few little snippets of our last little bit of summer, Twenty-Thirteen.

Happy Announcements.
My sister Ervina made the wonderful announcement that I’m going to be an auntie! Actually, she said she’s going to be a mommy, but, it’s the same thing. :) I’m so so so excited for her and her husband!

Silly Girls.
Quite likely their source of inspiration came from their excitement about their little cousin on the way. “When is him going to come out of them tummy, mom?” – Olivia

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Tender Hearts.
As a mother, my job is huge. Some days, overwhelming. And I wonder if I maybe missed the boat that went to a convent, because life sure would be a lot easier!! But no, life is just as it should be, and being a mother is exactly where I want to be. And finding little love notes like this make it all worth it. I am so humbled when I see how Jesus can work and move in small children. He is not limited to the intellect and fully understanding – truly, to enter the Kingdom of God there must be the faith of a child.

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A boy that melts me in a puddle.
I just never ever knew that a little boy could absolutely slay me. SLAY ME. I don’t know what it is about him – other than that he’s our son – that completely melts me, but I am undone by him. He’s got his daddy’s crystal-blue eyes, and a funny little sense of humor, and he nods his head so emphatically, and he still loves his paccy, and he can throw a ball better than his sisters, and he has the most adorable pair of red converse shoes. I want ten of him, please.

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Great Honors.
Our dining room was featured on the Pottery Barn blog!! I was completely blown out of the water when someone contacted me to ask if they could use my pictures. I’m super super honored.

The funny thing about it all, that I just keep laughing about to myself, is that I’m all about decorating on a budget. Pottery Barn is a huge source of inspiration for me in decor, along with Anthropologie and Restoration Hardware, but the reality is – we can’t afford to buy much of anything from them! So this chandelier is a real Pottery Barn Celeste Chandelier, but we found it on craigslist for far below asking price. So our craigslist Pottery Barn chandy was featured on their blog. :)

Our dining room featured in the Pottery Barn blog! The Celeste Chandelier in a Charming Cottage Dining Room

Mantel Greenery.
This will probably be the last of summertime on the mantel. Next change out will be autumn, but for now I’m still loving the green and whites of summer, along with a collection of candlesticks.

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I also changed the red panels back to white in the living room, and added more natural accents. I think I finally found what works in there, or, what I like best. Whites, creams, and a pop of red.

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Friendships.
Maybe it’s because I miss my sisters so much, or because I need friendships more than ever, but I have been so blessed with some dear women in my life. Recently we’ve done dinner out, thanks to our kind husbands and a newly-opened Panera Bread, and other things, just to know we care about each other. I’m so grateful. ♥

Thinking.
This quote grabbed me, source unknown.

forgiveness

The preciousness of life.
With the loss of my beloved friend nearly a year ago, life has been so different for me since then. Not only the intense ache of missing her, and the loss of doing life together with such a precious friend, but even today, life as I know it. 10 months later, sometimes it feels as though the grief is still only beginning.

As I kiss my children goodnight, I wonder if there will be a tomorrow for us? When I say goodbye to a friend, will there be a next time? I don’t want to live in fear, and I don’t think I am. But the reality is that tragedy touches everyone, at some point. Not one person is exempt from saying goodbye, either their own goodbye or to someone they love. It makes Heaven seem all the more like Home, our real Home. But for today, I want to treasure this moment… It’s a gift.

Mail Delivery.
I got a package in the mail one day, and when I opened it it made me cry. The quote by a favorite actess, the thoughtful kindness, the lovely gift – it was all so timely, on a day when my heart needed it. Aimee creates the most amazing work at Aimee Weaver Designs, and is the beautiful soul behind it. ♥

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Girly Things.
I love to see pink little toes on girls. It shows they have someone who takes the time to just sit and be with them. And it makes them feel all special and stuff. :)

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And next week, I’m so looking forward to time with my far-away Pennsylvania family!

Live in His Sweet Grace today…

p.s. Just a reminder that the giveaway for A Farmer’s Daughter is still going until midnight on Friday night!

September 5, 2013September 22, 2013

Guest Post & Giveaway

And we have two winners!
I’m so excited to announce Amy and Nancy as the winners of the giveaway!
I have contacted you two, so watch your email inbox. :)
Congratulations!!

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I am very excited to be having a dear friend joining my blog today!

I’ve known Dawn for quite a few years, and she’s one of those wonderful women that, the more you get to know her, the more awesome you think she is – even though she was way awesome from day one! :)

Dawn blogs over at dawnstoltzfus.com and offers both her beautiful heart for Jesus, thoughts on mothering, and her very own recipes (more on that later).

The guest post part of this blog is recapturing part of a post from earlier this year that I so loved. Dawn lives so passionately and intentionally, and she is one of those “iron-sharpening-iron” people in my life! ♥

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Living the Word

It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday morning as my baby slept until 11:30. We had a rough night so her and I stayed home to re-group. I knew it would be too much for baby and momma to go to service and then turn around and take my husband to the airport to catch his afternoon flight.

I am so thankful for the Word of God. These are the words that keep offering me life as I look at it thru the grid of my family.

II Tim 4:2 “Preach the Word, (for me it’s live the Word before my little children. How they see me do life will probably be how they will live life as adults)

be prepared in season and out of season; (how did I miss this before, it implies that I will not always have it together. So often I want to bring my children along side of me after I feel ready, like a shower, breakfast, a cup of coffee, quiet time but that’s just it –even in the ‘out of season’ moment I can still live the Word);

correct, rebuke (with a 5, 3 & 1 year old in the house sometimes I feel like all I do is correct and rebuke, it makes me weary. But it did give me comfort this week to know that to get to where I want to go, it will take the hard work of correcting and rebuking with patience. Sure, I can do it in quick fashion, but the bigger question is have I been patient and loving in the process of this never ending task of correcting?)

and encourage (Aw these words are life to me, good reminders to encourage and breathe life into these little souls. They really do want to please me.)

—–with great patience and careful instruction.”

Cheers to a great [week]. I am taking great comfort in these precious nuggets of truth I found this past week in the Word of God.

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Dawn also is well-known by so many people as a fabulous cook! Basically, if you’ve ever tasted Dawn’s food, you want the recipe. :) So, when she told me she was going to publish a cookbook, I knew immediately I wanted one!

She has so graciously given TWO of her – autographed – hardcover cookbooks, A Farmer’s Daughter, as a giveaway on my blog! They not only include her very own recipes, but also tips and personal notes on hospitality and entertaining.