Thursday, October 6, 2011

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies - Week 2

So it is week two of the twelve weeks of Christmas cookies. I am grateful to Brenda over at Meal Planning Magic for inviting me to participate in this!! My kids and I have had a blast coming up with what to do and then preparing things. This week I wanted to try something that I had never done before!! However, it may not have been my brightest idea!! Sometimes things that look very simple can become ridiculously difficult!! Ok, so maybe it wasn't that difficult .... just mostly a sticky mess!! I used a recipe that I got from allrecipes.com I chose Holly Christmas Cookies. I added the marshmellows, butter, vanilla and food coloring to the pan. Then once it was melted, I removed it from the heat and added cornflakes. Judging from the way mine turned out, I think that this recipes needs more cornflakes so it won't be as gooey!!
These probably wouldn't freeze well so they would be best made right before you plan to serve them.
Now you should go check out all the other cookies created just for The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies Blog Hop!!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Costumes.....

So I have been invited to a few Halloween parties.....I am trying to come up with something that won't cost me a small fortune!! So here is what I am thinking......
I think the sugar skull would be pretty cool and probably very different than anybody else. I think I have most everything that it would take to make this one happen. It could also be fun for a photo shoot or a car show or even both!! This could be done fairly cheaply and I am confidant that I could pull it off!! However, one of the things I was invited to, has a theme!! The theme is Candyland. I think it could be fairly easy to do this......
Which one do you think I should do?? or should I do both??

Thursday, September 29, 2011

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies - Week 1

This week I made Peanut Butter Sealed with a Kiss cookies!  These cookies look great and freeze well!!
Here is the recipe I used:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 9 oz package chocolate kisses unwrapped

Preheat the oven to 375.  Cream the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla extract.  Wisk together flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly combine flour mixture with peanut butter mixture.


Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll them in the white sugar.  Place on parchment paper on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven.  Press chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 3 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes about 24 cookies.

Now who wants to come do my dishes??  :)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Christmas on the brain!!

I know it isn't even October yet but man, I have Christmas on the brain!!  All the prep for the Cookie exchange, I guess!  I have thought back to Christmases past and cherished old memories....like the one of Santa putting presents under the tree in his red bikini briefs...um, thanks dad!! LOL  Seriously though, Christmas has been a treasured time for me, like most.  A time for family gatherings and the smells of baking.  Last Christmas was a little tough but I hope to leave it in the past.

This Christmas will be the first where my kids don't rush in and wake me at 4 am, so it will be a little different.  However, I plan on making Christmas Eve extra special for my kids!!  On Christmas, you may find me volunteering somewhere or maybe at the movie theater(that would be a first)!

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?  Do you plan on starting new traditions?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Fishing....

Fish Lake, Washington
When I was a little girl my grandpa started taking me fishing.  I think I was three when I became his favorite fishing buddy!  We spent so much time on the lake and camping at places near rivers.  I had my own special cooler for soda and I got to bring my favorite snacks.  I remember being so impatient to catch fish.  I would cast out and reel it in then start again!!  LOL over and over cast reel cast reel!  It is a wonder I ever caught anything.    While I was fishing with my son a couple weeks ago, I remembered that I would lean over and tug on my grandpa's line to make him think he got a fish!  LOL  Some of my most treasured memories are those of fishing with my grandpa!  

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Cookie Blog Hop

I am so excited to take part it this blog hop Hosted by Meal Planning Magic!!  It will be my first!!  I have been wanting to try something like this!!  There is still space available if you would like to join!!

Here is how it will work: each participant will post a Christmas cookie or candy every Thursday for 12 weeks!!  So far there are about 26 bloggers participating....that is a whole lot of cookies and candy!!

I can't wait to see what everybody comes up with!!  :)


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Planning

When I was young, I thought I had a plan.....as I got into high school I forgot about "the plan" and took a new path.  From that moment forward I have not had much of a plan and have not been very organized....sometimes I plan this or that .... sometimes I organize one area or one thing in my life....
Slowly, I have been becoming more planned out and organized about things....it has taken some time but I am getting there!  LOL  Today, I plan meals and stick to the plan, I have binders for couponing, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and (ugh) unemployment!  I am finding that these things help me more than I thought they would!

One day I just realized I had to do something (so I could find those important papers that I needed)!

How do you keep your chaos organized?

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Pinup

So I started dabbling in pinup/rockabilly .... here are some of the results!



Saturday, April 9, 2011

Life changes.....

Change is unavoidable!  Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad.  Sometimes it can be a blessing.  A couple months ago my boss (at the time) told his employees that he may need to lay off someone, as business had declined.  I agonized over this, trying to think of how I would survive without a job.  The stress of it was overwhelming.  I thought of every angle of the situation.  Looking back at it now, I know there is no thought I could have had that would have properly prepared me!  For weeks it dominated my thoughts.  

Then came the day of the layoff....somehow I was in a daze the day it happened.  It seems foggy to me, even though it is still very fresh.  

Things will be tight but we will get by.  I know that I am a strong resourceful person and have already figured out that I can go back to school.  Though it may be tight for a while, in the long run it will be way better for my family!

My kids have been very happy to have me home when they get home from school.  They love baking with me in the afternoon and that I can attend evening school activities and not get there late!!  

So I say this is a positive life change!!  :)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

How I am.....since everyone keeps asking....

I am just fine.  I expected to be hurt when I heard that my ex was getting married again.  I was wrong!  I feel nothing about it.  I feel as if I heard someone I hardly know announced their engagement.  It doesn't affect me.  It is nice to see the kids happy about it!

I feel good about my emotional stability!  I knew before but had a shadow of a doubt, now I know without doubt I have moved on!  I was a foolish child who didn't know what love was.....

I know the love I share with my children is stronger than anything I have ever felt, it is the most important thing in my life!

Someday, I would like to know a man who truly loves me for me and who I love just as much, who wants to share his life with me.

For now, I am content with what I have in my life and have no concern for what others do in theirs!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Under Construction....

I am sorry I have not posted for a long time.....After spending a brief amount of time in Connecticut with my best friend, April, I returned home to a plethora of holidays crashing down around me.  

Thanksgiving came fast and furious with a snow storm.  My kids were disappointed to be stuck at home with no family visiting.

December brought a major ice storm which left me with a 12 hour commute home from work one night.  I rescued stranded bus riders and we raided a box of candy from halloween that I had hidden in my trunk.  The company helped me make it through the storm!

It also brought my 32 birthday..... I have never much cared about getting older so I am not afraid to say it....I am now 32! :)

The day after my birthday brought a shock wave....David moved out.  It still leaves me with little understanding and lots of heartache.

My Dad came to visit for Christmas which made the kiddos and I very happy!!  He even made us breakfast on Christmas and dinner!!  I love my Dad!!

January passed quickly .... and now we are here into February....

So as my life is under construction presently, I will try to construct more time for blogging! :)