The Sparrow's Home: Life is hard. God is good. We need each other.

Oatmeal creme pie sandwich cookies: Tastes like sweet, gooey, nostalgia

April 3, 2023 by Susan Leave a Comment

These oatmeal creme pie sandwich cookies are a special treat that are filled with sweet gooey nostalgia. Brown sugar oatmeal cookies with a marshmallow-ey filling. They’re easy to make, too!

Sometimes you’re looking for a quick cookie recipe to knock out a sweet treat. Other times, you want to take the time to make something a little more involved. These special goodies are for those days. Not that they’re difficult. They’re cookies. But sandwich cookies simply have a few more steps…steps that are worth it.

I made this recipe a long long time ago, and then it drifted to the back of my recipe box. (Anyone else have a recipe box, or are you pretty much all digital now?) Somehow I didn’t make them again until last week.

My sweet daughter-in-law and perfect grandbaby spent the day with me recently. We made a couple of changes from the original that, I think, take them through the roof…and I think I’ll be making them more frequently now.

Magic Chocolate Fudge Cake (No Eggs!)

February 6, 2023 by Susan 2 Comments

Super simple chocolate cake with fudge icing made ‘magically’ with no eggs. Perfect for a birthday cake or a sweet snack.

Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Pretty much every birthday until I discovered German Chocolate frosting and switched things up on occasion.

And this was the recipe my mom made. When I was old enough to read and saw that the recipe was called ‘Magic Fudge Cake’ I asked her why. “Because it doesn’t use any eggs,” was the answer.

Unimpressed, I wondered why that mattered. Big deal, who doesn’t have eggs.

Fast forward to 2023, and here I am regretting not having chickens anymore. Yikes, right?!

So…with the price of eggs at a premium, perhaps you’ll enjoy having this little baby in your back pocket.

Winnie-the-Pooh Baby Shower That’s Sweet as Hunny

September 12, 2022 by Susan Leave a Comment

Need ideas for a Winnie-the-Pooh themed party? Menu ideas, decorations, and free printable labels make it truly no bother!

When I taught second grade, I had a lot of opportunities to be creative. Then I had babies, at the height of the scrapbooking craze, and that was my creative outlet. Birthday parties… yes, please. We had character parties like The Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine, but also themes like the Farm, Construction, Pirates, and Spy parties.

So I love it when I get the chance to flex my creative ‘theme party’ muscles now and then. And the thing is, planning a fun theme doesn’t have to be stressful. It doesn’t even have to be a party… we have occasional girls movie nights that we try to theme a snack to our movie. [I recently had a weekend with two days of themed get-togethers in a row: Bluey season 3 drop party, and #teamJohnny movie night, ask me in the comments and I’ll tell you all about them!]

But recently, I got to host a sweet baby shower for my daughter-in-law with a Winnie-the-Pooh theme.

The honey bun cake that everyone will ask you the recipe for

July 4, 2022 by Susan 4 Comments

This honey bun cake is moist, sweet, and sticky… and incredibly simple. Prepare to be asked for the recipe every time you make it.

There are some recipes that every time you make it, someone asks you for the recipe and you think…why don’t I make this more often??

This is one of those recipes.

I found it a lot of years ago in a cookbook called The Cake Mix Doctor. (This recipe and one for a cream cheese pound cake were the real standouts in the book, most of the others I tried were kind of meh).

As you might guess from the title of the cookbook… this recipe uses a cake mix. If you’re a from scratch only kind of cook, feel free to pass on this recipe. If you, like me, are okay with the convenience of mixes now and then…keep reading.

Board games to check out if you’re looking for two player games

June 2, 2022 by Susan 6 Comments

A list of board games that are just as much fun with two players as they are with a larger group. Beautiful artwork and quick to learn!

Since becoming empty nesters, my game-loving husband has been on a little bit of a buying spree. He’s picked up several games that are just as fun with two players as they are with a larger group.

These are not the type of games that I affectionately call ‘dork games’. Those are the ones he plays with the fellas. The ones that have lots of mythical creatures, frequently involve an intricate storyline, and the occasional use of their best accent.

No thank you.

But I am happy to accept his invitation for a game night when it involves one of these winners.

A Hamilton Themed Bridal Shower. Awesome. Wow.

February 7, 2022 by Susan Leave a Comment

Fun and easy ideas for a Hamilton themed bridal shower. Plan a laid back, casual shower with an easy menu. Free printables too!

If you dig a party with a theme as much as I do, then you love it when you get the opportunity to celebrate AND be a little creative.

A friend and I had the opportunity this weekend to plan a bridal shower for a simply delightful young lady who:

#1 Happens to be a HUGE fan of the musical Hamilton and

#2 Was totally on board with the idea to give the shower a theme (in fact, I think she was a tiny bit heartbroken that her gal pals didn’t want to come in costume as the Schuyler sisters with her).

So let’s jump right in.