cookies, cameras, & steppin' out saturday {on sunday}

it's been a great weekend.  it started off with a bang on friday night with a late night dq blizzard run in our jammies {go crazy!}, followed by a lazy saturday morning, then a two year old's birthday party {happy birthday kaylee!}, and then some good family time the rest of saturday {read: naps, grocery shopping, & dexter marathon}.  good times.

i also made a batch of my favorite this-time-of-year cookie, pumpkin chocolate chip.  seriously theeee best fall-ish treat.  maybe this is the third batch i've made in two weeks.  maybe.

i think everyone should make these cookies, because they are to. die. for.   they're actually yummier the day after you make them, because the chocolate chips get all hard & the cookie is still super soft & moisty.  yum. 

pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies

ingredients:
1/2 cup butter                                 2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar                               1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg                                               1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp vanilla                                    1 tsp. salt
1 cup pureed pumpkin                    1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chocolate chips                     1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

directions:
1.  combine butter, sugar, egg, vanilla & mix well {i use a mixer, but i'm sure it could be done by hand}
2.  in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, & cinnamon.  sift.
3.  add half the dry ingredients to butters & sugar.  mix.  now add half the pumpkin. mix.  repeat with the remainders.
4.  mix in chocolate chips.
5.  eat globs of cookie dough.
6.  drop onto cookie sheets in 1" balls.
7.  bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. {mine never take a second over 10 minutes to bake, but i have a hot oven}

seriously, make these today.  you'll thank me tomorrow {because they're even better on the second day.  it's weird.}

camera update

so i've blogged once or twice {or three hundred times} about how we are saving for a new dslr & how i've been shopping around to see what one to buy.  i thought i had it pinned down to the new nikon d7000 with a kit lens & a 50 mm, but i don't know anymore.  and i'm starting to get overwhelmed by all the options. i think i've changed my mind to a canon, too.  but now i don't know what body/lens combo to go for.

so i need some advice!  what camera do you have?  what lenses do you have/want?  i want a moderate to serious camera with a starting budget of around $1,500.  puh-lease make your recommendations in the comments.  thanks, ya'll.

steppin' out saturday {on sunday}

we didn't do anything this weekend that required dressing up, so this week's steppin' out comes at ya post-church today.  isn't this picture lovely?  parker has taken to shoving my hair in his mouth every chance he gets.  it's gross.

parker

collared button-up shirt - kenneth cole {hand-me down}

navy dress pants - baby gap

shoes - old navy

amy

shirt, tank, skirt, & necklace - american eagle

sweater - target

boots - macy's

to see other what other mamas wore this weekend, hop on over to harper's happenings & check out some other blogs & their hawt mamas.  or better yet, link up your own!  it's fun.  

and with that, it's time for me to go join my little family out in the living room.  we've taken to watching the seasons of arrested development from beginning to end for the ten millionth time.  that show is like, milk-out-your-nose funny every single time.  i never get sick of it & it never fails.  suriously.

your votes never fail to make me happy! just forty more & we're in the top ten. woah.