White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

Adjusting to married life is a lot of change, but totally doable. (side note: I fully endorse marriage - it has proven to be a very wonderful thing indeed! )

On the other hand, adjusting to a new kitchen and oven is a lot tougher than I thought it would be.  No one told me it would be this hard.  Many nights I go to bed crying after another failed attempt at baking something in my gas oven...half baked brownies and the other half burnt?  Ugh.  Is it me?  What can I do better?  How can I be better?  After over a month of trying to figure out how this new oven works I think I finally baked something that came out good!!!!!  

A real Christmas Miracle!!!!!

Just in time to bring some goodies to work!

I am wrapping up my last week of work at the company I have been at for the last 3 1/2 years...so much change in my life over the last few months.  I am sad to go, but it is the right thing.  I have been blessed to be working with a great family of people over the last few years.  I started working here as a receptionist, and the plan was to do that for a few months then move on.  Somehow a few months turned into a few years and a few different positions within the company, it was a few good years!  Guess God had another plan for me.  Figured he needed me to stay grounded and in Texas for a while so I could somehow meet this wonderful man from East Texas and then marry him.  I really think that if I hadn't started working here I would have ended up relocating to another State again and never met my husband...

 Speaking of husbands...it happens to be my husband's birthday today!  So big shout out to the most wonderful man I have ever met and ever been married too...haha : )  He has brought so much joy into my life that most days I can't even believe it.  I am so blessed to be his wife!  When he ate these bars last night he looked confused, don't think he was sure what he was eating : )

If you are reading this please say a birthday prayer for my man as he enters another year of life!

• White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies
• Adapted barely from Martha Stewart
• 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 10 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped, or chocolate chips (I used the Ghirardelli chips - I don't like the toll house ones - they don't melt as smoothly)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. (Or if you don't have that - I used a 13x9 and an 8x8 cake pans) Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat parchment. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
2. Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate.
3. Spread batter into prepared pan (s). Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or desired shape.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Be sure to not over bake or they will not be chewy and will be dry. : (

Carolina Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

I am willing to bet money that most American families still have leftover thanksgiving turkey in their fridges.  Turkey is like this weird miracle bird that no matter how much you eat - THERE IS STILL MORE TURKEY LEFT!  So crazy!  If Jesus had fed the crowds with rolls and turkey instead of loaves and fishes there would still be turkey in those baskets today!  True story.

In other news...I GOT MARRIED!  We are recovering from the wedding chaos et all and are trying to settle into our new home and our new lives.  God is good.  I have a whole laundry list of recipes to post - hopefully one day I will get around to them. : )

CarolinaTurkey and Sausage Gumbo

adapted from a Food and wine recipe

1. 3 tablespoons vegetable  oil
2. 3 tablespoons flour
3. 2 onions, chopped
4. 2 ribs celery, chopped small
5. 1 green bell pepper, chopped
6. 1 10-18 ounce package frozen sliced okra
7. 1 bay leaf
8. 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
9. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10. 2 teaspoons salt
11. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
12. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
13. 1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 15-ounce can)
14. 6 cups chicken stock (broth)
15. 1/2 pound smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
16. 1 pound leftover turkey chopped up (you can also use chicken here if you want! )
17. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until starting to brown, about 4-8 minutes - whisk continuously and make sure it doesn't burn!  Reduce the heat to moderately low. Stir in the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the okra, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
18. Stir in the broth and the smoked sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the turkey and cook until just done, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf.
19. Serve gumbo over rice.
20.