I'm back...my second try!

So, I guess I win the worst blogger award! I will gladly accept and apologize to all my loyal fans (all two of you) for leaving you empty handed when visiting the past week. I do, however, have a good reason for blogging. In the past week I have read four books (1,800 pages plus a few!)

What, you ask, has been so good, well let me explain!

While on vacation my sister in law A, asked if I had read the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I said no and she immediately ran to get the first book for me.
I didn't want to hurt her feelings and turn down reading the book since she was s
enthusiastic about it. Little did she know that I have been secretly mocking the book for the past year of so. I mean really, I read real literature, not teenage vampire romance novels...as if people! (Even when my sister A, who is working toward a PhD in English literature recommended the books, I have to question her judgement for a bit!)

In an effort to maintain my relationship with my sister in law, I decided to attempt reading the book. I started reading on vacation and thought the first book was okay, just nothing great in the beginning. By the end of vacation I decided to borrow her copy of the book so I could at least

finish is and decide if I wanted to read the other two books. In all honesty I liked it but it wasn't my favorite book out there. I decided it would be worth reading the other books though just to see what happens.

I then go to the library to find the second book. I have to go to the young adult section to pick up the book. I have somewhat embarrassed since it was in the corner of the library and there was a neon sign that announced to the world you were entering the young adult section. (The neon sign kind of gave it a bad feel, if you know what I mean!)

I read the second book in about six hours and am totally hooked. I go to church Sunday and am somewhat reluctant to stay for a meeting I had because I want to get through the third book and see how the story ends. (I did go to my meeting though!)

So, I have to eat my pride and say I have read the teenage vampire romance novels and I misjudged them. I am quite excited for the fourth book of the series to come out. Not my favorite books of all time, but definitely a fun read and something out of the ordinary for me!




The fourth book I read was totally different than the first three I read. Left To Tell, is the biography of a woman who survived the Rwandan holocaust in the nineties. It is a great read that I would recommend to all. I read it today, while also having time to totally clean the house. It was a quick read, but was a great reminder of what true faith can be.

Sorry for my absence from the blogging world, it was worth my four books though!

I'm Back!!

So, we had a great time on vacation and made it back! More on that to come! In an effort to procrastinate going through all my pictures from vacation I will tell you about what I have been loving lately...this peanut butter!

I have really been into peanut butter lately. I can eat a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and feel full for the rest of the afternoon. I figured it worked so well for lunch, why not give breakfast a try. I have always wanted to try fancy peanut butter but have always shyed away from the price. Let me tell you, this yummy peanut butter was well worth the extra dollar or two I spent on it!

It's all natural and have such a great flavor. I love that the peanut butter has some texture to it and the cinnamon and raisins add an extra little bonus. I have also tried the dark chocolate peanut butter, good, but this one is still my favorite. Just spread it on a good piece of whole wheat bread or a bagel and you have yourself a great breakfast! Go to www.ilovepeanutbutter.com to see all their yummy products! Hope your grocery store carries it! And maybe next time I'm in NYC I'll try out their sandwich shop!

I'm Leaving...on a Jet Plane!!

Okay, it's not quite a jet plane, a minivan to be exact, and we're not headed for the sunny California beaches but we are going on vacation!! M's spring break is this next week so we are going to Pennsylvania to visit friends and then to D.C. to visit my brother and his family! I'm looking forward to spring weather and relaxing with R and the girls!

Wordless Wednesday Happy Birthday Grandma!!

Favorite Cookies!

For those of you who don't know I am a cookie lover. I don't eat just any cookie though. Buy those mass made store bought cookies and I will pass over them anytime in the cupboard. On the other had, let me make cookies, especially with my favorite little helpers, and I will be happy! Baking with my little girls is one of my favorite things to do with them. I was recently inspired by a post from Mrs. Dub to share my favorite cookie recipe. I couldn't come up with one...so here are my top three! Enjoy!

Chocolate Crinkles (My favorite as a child!)

2 cups sugar
½ cup oil (I use canola)
2 tsp vanilla
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled a bit
4 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix oil, sugar, vanilla and chocolate. Mix in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours (or put in the freezer for one hour if you’re in a hurry for yummy cookies!)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet. Drop balls of dough in powdered sugar and roll around to coat. Bake 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake! I take them out when they still look a little underdone! Enjoy. (We sometimes call these flour cookies because my daughter used to think they were rolled in flour, so the name stuck!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have made many chocolate chip cookies in my lifetime but none compare to this recipe a friend gave to us when we got married!

1 ¼ cups butter flavored Crisco
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups brown sugar
2 scant tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla

Mix/ cream above ingredients. Then add

4 ¼ cups flour
1 bag of milk chocolate chips (Ghirardelli work best!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake! Take out just when turning brown!

Banana Drop Cookies (This is a family recipe that might sound different but is so good!)

¾ cup shortening
¾ cup brown sugar
Cream these two together then add the following:

1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas mashed (bananas that are too brown to eat)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp soda
chopped walnuts (optional, but really good!)

The batter will be somewhat sticky and that’s OK! Drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets with a spoon. Cook at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Do not overcook!

Frost with brown sugar frosting:

6 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp canned milk (are whatever milk or cream you have on hand)
4 Tbsp real butter
Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Add powdered sugar to spreading consistency. If icing gets thick before finishing cookies, just warm up in the microwave for a few seconds or add a bit of milk! I almost always double this recipe of cookies because it is so good!

Simplicity

Lately, M has been saying she never wants to grow up (because she always wants to get toys for presents) and she never wants to get married (because she wants to live with me forever)! Tonight, on the way home from gymnastics (our weekly FHE!) M and B had a fun conversation that went something like this:

M: B, when you grow up do you want to get married?

B: I get marry when I grow up...ya.

M: You want to get married? Are you sure?

B: Ya, I get married when I grow up.

M: OK, well, you just need to pick a boy.

B: Why M?

M: Because...that's what you do when you get married...you pick a boy.

B: Oh

I thought that was a cute little conversation. Good thing you don't just pick a boy...I would've had some real winners before I ended up with R! (Not that they were knocking my door down, and some were winners, I'm just happy with the boy I did pick and who picked me back!)

If life were only so simplistic... wouldn't it be great to be five and two again on certain days?!

Sunday Shoes

I think these would be so cute in the summer with a pair of knee length shorts! I like! And of course...the red goes with everything!

Wordless Wednesday