today I have a very full day ahead of me we are having a big party tomorrow we're celebrating the one-year anniversary of buying our homestead now a lot of you don't know but it was a huge process to get this place we spent six months figuring out how to buy this place you see when you buy a piece of property that has a large amount of land and a very old house on it banks aren't real thrilled to give you a mortgage for that no matter how great your credit is now if you have about 50% down you could buy it very easily but we didn't have 50% down we had like five or ten so the process of getting this was really challenging we have this amazing real estate agent who worked with us the owners of this place worked with us to help figure it out and finally after putting off the closing day and putting off the closing day and never thinking that we were ever gonna get this place we signed the papers and it was a really big deal for us along the way our friends prayed with us and helped us and encouraged us and listen to us and then once we got the place those same friends they came out this house came with a ton of furniture and some of it's still in her house but we had to get it all moved out so the Arthur could rush to get some basic repairs done and we could get in before Breton was born and we did we got in nine days before Breton made his entrance into this world but he didn't do it without help we had friends who came alongside of us we had family that came alongside of us and so we're having a party tomorrow to celebrate them and to say thank you and to just celebrate this great and wonderful gift that we have been given not only this home but good friends good family I knew that I had so much to do today that I needed to call in reinforcements so I have these two sisters that babysit for me sometimes and then not only babysit but they clean my whole house yeah it's amazing the kids are all up at the house with babysitters while I'm down here at the bar and hanging out with you guys but I'm ready to go check on them and get started on my cooking for the day hey big boy that is awesome I didn't fold any of those clothes right there hey Brighton hey tired I see you've been busy look that's bright voice when you work oh look at all this hard work happening in here thank you so much hi thanks for coming over thank you are you hoping at all I can't help how much okay can you please help finish cleaning your room that's a big that's your job good job grace although I'm making it four or five dishes for tomorrow I thought I would make for you guys my famous oatmeal raisin cookies to me these are the best oatmeal raisin cookies I've ever had they are simple and quick and chewy and just perfectly delicious you may be wondering why I am putting molasses in my oatmeal raisin cookies what because I am out of brown sugar it's a very simple fix if you're out of brown sugar all you have to do is for every cup of white sugar you add two tablespoons of molasses all right I hope that helps you guys let's get started the first thing is to cream your butter and your sugar now I'm adding my molasses creamed them together so it's nice and fluffy and the reason you cream this together is that the sugar crystals punch little holes in the bubble which creates air pockets and then when this is baking all the gases from your leavening go into those air pockets and well specifically for the cookies it makes them nice and light and with cakes it makes them fluffy and airy add your vanilla add your eggs in a separate Bowl you are going to add your flour cinnamon and salt together and your baking powder okay now you're gonna add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients I'm to add your oats and your raisins beat this together stick that dough in the fridge for about 30 to 60 minutes go ahead and put your oven to 350 now I roll the balls pretty small I like like about bite-sized cookies for my kids and for myself and that's what I'm gonna do today too since we have such a large group coming tomorrow if you want to make them bigger that's fine but whenever you roll them small I you'd like to cook them for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 all right I hope you guys enjoy do you like the cookies ooh YUM how about you good yeah how good I'm doing Mariama here agender cookies okay do you have a cookie why not you want one ETI you say oh do you have a cookie no you do want to eat don't you yeah yeah yeah Arthur has some cousins in Maryland that have been watching every day and their little girl is so excited about the vlog and so we just wanted to say hi to her come here guys hi Sadie from your cabinet and candies in North Carolina thanks for watching your blog yeah bye